“Swear on it…”

Did I just read my new favorite book? Is childhood friends to lovers to strangers to lovers my new favorite trope? Do I like cinnamon roll heroes? Have I abandoned my entire “never trust a blonde man” doctrine?

I never wanted this book to end. I knew from the first chapter that there was magic is these pages and I could not be more obsessed. AND it’s a debut?! R u joking.

I cannot explain it but the Swifties will die over this one.

An alternating timeline is where it’s AT. I loved how every chapter bounced back and forth in time and the pace of the book just flowed flawlessly. I also love the “past event that tore them apart and they haven’t spoken in a long time but wtf could it have been, wait and find out” trope (fully aware there’s probably a better and more concise name for that but here we are)

Percy. I love her. She’s flawed but she’s trying. She appreciates a cocktail and an impromptu bang chop and I feel that on a molecular level.

Her friendships with Delilah & Chantal and the way they shaped her at different stages of her life was just perfection 😘🤌🏻

SAM. FLOREK. Is he real and where can I find him. The very definition of “if he wanted to, he would.” Book boyfriend 4 life. Perfect blend of nerdy, sweet & sexy.

As soon as I finished, I wanted to start from the beginning. A perfect summer and anytime read!!

Pub date is coming up on May 10th so definitely keep this one on your radar!!

Thank you to @netgalley & @berkley for the eARC!

Every Summer After by Carley Fortune has been one of my most-anticipated reads of the year and I felt confident it would be a novel I would love in all its angsty glory. Readers, I wasn’t wrong. While it’s a plot that isn’t unfamiliar—it’s even one I’ve read many variations of before—I greedily devoured every word. I’m still not sure with what magic Carley Fortune has wrought this second chance summery goodness, but she made the best-friends-to-lovers story new again!

Reading Every Summer After was a menagerie of emotions. My heart warmed, broke, and soared multiple times while reading this love story. It’s my favorite kind of love story: simple but with complicated outcomes. Friends who fall in love may seem like a simple plot, but as Shakespeare told us, “the course of true love never did run smooth”. Our characters are dealing with big emotions they’re not sure what to do with, pasts that complicate things, and hurts that haven’t been healed.

Persephone (Percy) and Sam are the best of friends and have spent their summers inseparable at their neighboring lakeside cottages since they were young. Not only did I fall in love with this story, the setting of Barry’s Bay, Ontario in Canada (the author’s very real hometown) had me dreaming of warm, sunny days lounging by the water, quick-moving thunderstorms, and the carefree days of youth when we had hours of time with our friends.

Fortune does such a good job immersing me into the tale, I could smell the lake, hear the water lapping, and feel the sun on my skin. She transported me back to my youth when love was new and full of possibilities and the heartbreak was all-consuming.

Every Summer After is told from Percy’s point of view, alternating from the past to the present, slowly revealing what has lead to our characters’ rift. Usually I like having both points of view, but I didn’t miss it in this one. It added to the building tension and mystery of their story.

Percy and Sam are compelling characters, as are all the side characters, each one adding to the story, well-rounded and believable. From Sam’s brother Charlie, to Percy’s best friends—Delilah in the past and Chantal in the present. I so wanted to hang out with Sam and Charlie’s easy-going mom Sue, a young single parent running the family’s local restaurant after the death of their father. I particularly wanted to try the pierogies she was known for. It was especially hard falling for a character when I knew it was her death that has brought Percy back to Barry’s Bay.

All the characters are flawed, and Every Summer After does a great job examining those flaws, reminding us that no one is perfect, everyone makes mistakes, and forgiving each other—as well as ourselves—is what it takes to live life to its fullest.

There’s so much more I could say about this one, so many plot aspects I’d love to discuss, but it’s impossible without giving away spoilers. And everyone should go into it the way I did, not knowing anything except it’s a love story about friends in the summer at the lake.

Pick this one up when you won’t be distracted, because it’s hard to put down. I especially recommend reading it outside, which only enhances the experience. I will definitely be picking up a physical copy of Every Summer After to add to my shelf for rereading. Preferably to take on vacation at a lake.

Review: This was a great read, with a wonderful summer vibe. Plus, the characters were fantastic! Overall, this is definitely a book I would recommend to anyone who thinks it sounds interesting!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

OH MY GOSH. Way to pull at my heartstrings here.

I will preface by saying I devoured this book and read it in one day ignoring all other tasks. I was so wrapped up in Sam and Persephone's love story that spanned over 12 years stole my heart and made me feel all the feels.

This story is told between the past and the present alternating chapters. It starts when Sam and Persephone are 13 years old, a collision of epic proportions that occurs around their 18th year and culminates when Persephone has to return to her summer family vacation spot 12 years later.

First I appreciate the adults acting like adults, thank you so much. But reading about their teenage angst and friendship turning to romance really reminded me what it was like to feel that first love as a teenager. It was so raw and real all the emotions Persephone felt from her insecurities, to wanting to fit in, to struggling to find her place in the world. All while growing up with her best friend Sam and his brother Charlie.

This will be a perfect summer read that I will be rereading (as I already have acquired a physical copy as well) and enjoying more each time.

If you love second chance romance, small town, and just true love stories, then this is the book for you. There is mild spice and with or without that I would have enjoyed this book. I am obsessed with their love story and I just cannot tell you enough how much I enjoyed this book.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. It stole my heart and I wish I could read it for the first time all over again.

Percy made a huge mistake 13 years ago that led her to a different life than she expected. Working in the city, spending time with friends, and most importantly, never letting anything near her heart. when she gets a call from Charlie however, she knows she needs to go back to the Bay. Now she must face her first love, and if she is honest, the man she still loves.

I loved that this book was told in dual timelines between present day and the 6 years Percy spent at the Bay as a child. I flew through the pages needing to know what had caused the rift between Sam and Percy. The friendship between the two was so real and full of teenage feelings, I could just feel the love they had for each other. This book had me feeling all the feelings, and rooting for Sam and Percy from page one. I could not put it down!

Oh my heart.

This book was such a lovely second-chance romance. That trope is always hit or miss for me but this story delivers.

I really liked how the story switched between the past and present so we could see how Percy and Sam’s relationship developed. And I liked seeing how the separation, though based on a lack of communication and a pretty significant event, didn’t feel unreasonable given their ages.

This one was just heartwarming and heartbreaking. And ugh just so good.

I just finished Every Summer After and let me tell y’all-my expectations for this debut novel were sky high. I read it in under 24 hours and loved every single word. I hugged the book every time I put it down. I sighed and looked off with a starry eyed grin and counted down the minutes until I could return to it. I cannot express how much I loved this book. It’s PERFECT for fans of Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren. I will be rereading this one again before summer is over, and I am infinitely jealous of those who get to read it for the first time.

Thank you so much for an advanced copy of this book.

Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Pub Date: May 10, 2022

This was a really enjoyable book, and I flew through it, I thought the characters were relatable and interesting, and I was really invested in the storyline. I also enjoyed the dual timelines, and I found myself wanting to know more and more as I read.

BUT...this one really read as a bit too similar to Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren. Once I had that thought in my head, I really dampened by enjoyment of the book. I liked it, and it was a good read. If you haven't read Love and Other Words, I think you will love this book to the moon and back. If you have read Love and Other Words, though, it might not be that original of a book for you.

There are not enough words to articulate how much I loved this book, it snuck up on me in the best of ways and completely stole my heart.

Persy & Sam’s second chance at first love is a must read for summer 2022 - and I swear if you don’t love it, I will doubt whether you have feelings! I can’t believe this was a debut from Fortune, I’m only sad it leaves me with no backlist to move onto while I wait for her to write more.

Thank you to Berkley Romance for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

This is a sweeping saga of love from childhood that has last on through to adulthood. I liked the time jumps and felt that it added to the story. These are lovely characters.
A very enjoyable read.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

This is one of the best debut’s I’ve read in a VERY long time. This story reminded me of LOVE AND OTHER WORDS by Christina Lauren, but better. This was such an amazing second chance romance and I was rooting for them so so much. This had all the vibes I love in a romance - alternating between past and present, small town love, and a shot at a second chance. This was such an easy book to fly right through, and I read it in about 24 hours. So beautiful and emotional and heartbreaking and absolutely everything of the sort.

4.5 stars! The perfect summer read with all the feels. Romance and drama set on a lake where you feel the sun shinning. I love a book where the setting is a main character and Canada and the lake take the lead in this book. Loved this debut!

The summer vibes of this book was wonderful. I love a good childhood friends to lovers.

I loved the build up to the reveal of what happened twelve years ago, and maybe I was a bit oblivious but I did NOT see that coming. My jaw was hanging when I found out.

I liked Percy up until 84%. After that everything kind of went downhill. I didn’t like some of the things she did but considering twelve years passed she probably changed so idrk how to feel about her.

I want to give Sam a forehead kiss and teenage Charlie a kick.

Overall I did enjoy this book more than I thought I would.

Don’t be discouraged by my rating!!

Wonderful debut novel. I loved the dual timelines and the characters ! Sam is now my leading man. He is perfection. I rooted for their romance since the moment they met. I have to admit I’m not a fan of soap opera style betrayal but I do appreciate the lessons. Forgiveness is beautiful and I’m just glad that we got the ending we deserved.

WHAT A BOOK. Calling it right now, this is going to be THE book of summer 2022. I knew I wanted to read this one from the moment I read the title. Normally, I request books from authors I’m familiar with. This one immediately stood out to me though, despite not having heard of the author. The title did not lead me astray, as it was a phenomenal second chance romance (just as I’d been hoping) in the league of Love and Other Words (with a sprinkle of The Summer I Turned Pretty). I could barely put it down and finished it in 3 sittings. The absolute perfect beach read filled with angst and pining. 4.5 stars from me! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

At one point in her life, Percy spent every minute either thinking about or being around Sam. Her parents bought a summer lake cottage right next to Sam's, and from the moment they met when they were thirteen, Percy and Sam became a packaged deal. Whether it was swimming in the lake, working at his mother's restaurant, or just hanging out reading and watching a scary movie, the pair were joined at the hip. Sam was Percy's first everything: her greatest love and her biggest heartbreak.

Now, Percy is thirty and hasn't seen or spoken to Sam in years. But when she receives a call from his brother informing her their mother passed away, Percy wastes no time jumping in the car to be by Sam's side. Percy is nervous to see Sam, knowing how terrible they left things between them, but the moment they lock eyes again, it's like the years have fallen away, and they're teens again. Neither can deny the attraction that still simmers between them, but Percy will have to confront the mistake she's spent years beating herself up for before the two can hope to rekindle the flame that once burned so brightly.

Oh, my heart. I adored this. I read it in a day because I didn't want to put it down. Fortune did a stellar job weaving together both timelines so we got the whole picture of Percy and Sam's relationship from beginning to end. I thought she nailed the feeling of being a teen and experiencing your first love and heartbreak. I loved the dynamic between Percy and Sam. It felt so believable, and the progression of their relationship was so natural. The chemistry between them was electric, and I couldn't get enough. As the plot developed, I could see how the conflict would play out, and I was wary because it was one that I don't love, but I thought Percy and Sam resolved it in a very mature way. I can't wait to see whatever Fortune comes out with next because I thought this was great. If you're a fan of Love and Other Words then I think you'd love this.

This book is the best book I've read thus far in 2022 and likely will be the best book I read for the whole year.

I do not even know where to begin. This is the most EPIC second chance romance I think I've ever read. I cried. I laughed. I swooned. Told in dual timelines, this book is the most romantic, realistic and loveable story I've read in a long long long time.

I particularly loved the fact that the story takes place in Toronto and its cottage country, given that I'm familiar with the area. However, this story is so universal that it could take place anywhere.

Percy and Sam's love story is all consuming. Starting off as best friends, their love story blossomed into one we can only dream about. I don't want to give too much away - but this is an absolute must read - with so many layers; dealing with grief, anxiety, the pressures of growing up... and so much more.

Incredible, incredible, incredible!

I LOVED this book. This book went back and forth between the present and the past. And I just love books that incorporate summer, young love but this book is also very much an adult book and not YA. I loved the writing. I love Percy. This one made me happy.

Well, well, well. It turns out I am capable of enjoying a romance read after all. I'm thrilled to report my search for the perfect summer read has finally come to a close.

Dripping with summer nostalgia, EVERY SUMMER AFTER is the second chance love story I didn’t know I needed. I was expecting cheesy banter and implausible situations, but what I got was a tender coming of age love story with depth and heart.

Percy Fraser returns to her childhood summer lake town after the death of a beloved family friend. When she arrives in Barry’s Bay she is faced with a mistake from her past that cost her the love of her life, Sam Florek, many years ago. Told in dual timelines over six summers past and a present day weekend, Sam and Percy’s worlds collide.

I loved following Sam and Percy each summer as they navigated their complicated relationship through adolescence and adulthood. Steamy scenes aren’t typically my type of read, but there was so much more to the story that I enjoyed: the setting, the characters, and the characters, and themes of forgiveness and moving forward after loss.

The small tourist lake town setting was everything I wanted in a summer read. The characters were flawed but easy to extend grace towards despite their adolescent mistakes. I adored Sam and Percy, but what kept me turning pages was the looming sense of dread–I had to know what events ripped their relationship apart at the seams years ago.

This debut novel by Carley Fortune has opened my mind to the romance genre and I am eager to read whatever she writes next.

RATING: 4.5/5 (rounded up to 5)
PUB DATE: May 10, 2022

Review will be posted to www.instagram.com/kellyhook.readsbooks no sooner than two weeks prior to publication date.

'Not many people meet the person they're meant to be with when they're thirteen. But we did. You know we did.'*

OOOOOOOOH I FEEL A STORM COMING WITH THIS ONE. Seriously, I really enjoyed this book, but things get messy.

This is essentially The Summer I Turned Pretty but for adults, and I was living for it. It follows two childhood best friends, Sam and Percy, and tells their story through alternating chapters between the present (where they're now estranged) and the past (when they spent every summer together). I'm such a sucker for childhood friends to lovers, and this book delivered in that department perfectly.

It is also a second-chance romance, and that's what I was referring to earlier when I said things get messy. There are many mistakes that come to light from their past that I could see some people unwilling to forgive. But I personally really liked how the author handled the characters' growth in reflecting on these mistakes, and ultimately was okay with them. Plus, the mistakes were made when they were children.

Sam Florek is definitely up there on my favorite romance heroes list. Albeit, I haven't read many pure romance books, but I really loved him. The childhood chapters were by far my favorites and Sam back then was literally a dream. Like, the friendship bracelets? Stop.

Percy, our heroine, annoyed me sometimes, but by the end I was on her side.

Overall, I found this to be a very entertaining and surprisingly emotional read. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone craving some summer vibes and a good romance!

*This quote is from the uncorrected proof and is subject to change.