I enjoyed this heart warming, second chance romance! Although I did truly enjoy the romance elements, my favorite parts were actually all the side characters and relationships. I would’ve read a whole book about Peter and Maggie. This one didn’t knock me off my feet in the same way EVERY SUMMER AFTER did, but it still put me in my feels and kept me engaged (maybe a little show to start though).

I very much enjoyed this book! I really liked the back and forth chapters between the past and the present with our main characters. I really loved watching their romance blossom when they were younger and the author has a really great way writing that feeling of youthful love. This book definitely has some emotional topics it in it, including loss, grief, and familial expectations, and I thought it was handled really well. Watching the two characters fall back in love when they were older was very sweet. But our main character never lost her voice and stood up for herself and her wants/needs, which was great to read. If you are looking for a beautiful story about love, forgiveness, and with perfect summertime lake vibes, check this one out.

This book will be the book of summer 2023! I enjoyed Carley Fortune's debut novel last summer. I liked this one even more I think. I liked the summer camp setting, I liked the second chance romance as well.

I LOVED Carley Fortune’s debut novel Every Summer After, so was very excited to read her sophomore novel Meet Me at the Lake. The two are very similar in setting and theme, another dreamy lakeside escape perfect for your next summer beach read.

I’m not a big fan of dual timelines, so its not surprising I was more invested in present day Fern and Will- although the hurdles of their adult relationship seemed insignificant compared to how they handled them. I still binged this in one sitting and would recommend if you like:

-dual timelines
-second chance romance
-slow burn
-friends to lovers

I really enjoyed Carleys first book so I was looking forward to this one. However, as much as I kept trying to get into it, I found myself bored. It seems like the going back and forth timeline didn't have enough going on, and it kept alluding to big things... but I wasn't enjoying any of the characters enough to push through. Dnf at 40%

Loved the concept of this, but the book itself just fell a little flat. Struggled to get through it.

Meet Me at the Lake is a heart-wrenching story about love and loss. Taking place at a small-town, lakeside resort in Muskoka, it’s a nostalgic, second-chance romance that feels just like coming home.

Will, our artistically talented, lemon-loving family man is a puzzle. There’s so much of him we don’t see and he’s a far cry from the man he wanted to be when he met Fern.

Fern, our narrator, is also leading a much different life, leaving her beloved Toronto lifestyle of managing a coffee shop to go back home and take over her late mother’s resort.

While there’s not much to say about the two as individuals, there’s so much more to say about them as a couple. For those of you that are as against the cheating trope as I am, there is definitely what I consider to be emotional cheating present. At the time that Will and Fern meet, both of them are in relationships.

Throughout the book’s entirety I kept asking myself, why is Fern so heartbroken after only knowing this man for less than twenty-four hours? What impact could he possibly have made? I never did come to a conclusion. I just can’t imagine their connection and memories of each other thriving that long, especially after losing contact for an entire year. Seeing Will after almost a decade after he “broke her heart”, Fern was absolutely exasperated by his audacity. How dare he show up nine years late? Though, she would only express that for a matter of moments before all was dandy again. It was…a rollercoaster of emotions to say the least.

I could be mistaken being as it’s been almost a year since reading Every Summer After, but I definitely think there’s more steam in this one. Though there are also many moments of closed-door insinuations. As for their chemistry, it was there, but it wasn’t palpable. I wasn’t craving even the possibility of something more between them. Truthfully, it didn’t seem all that healthy, the connection between the two. They’ve grown up and apart and Will should’ve been a lot more willing to share his life with Fern at some point. He put up a wall between them that only Fern was trying to break down.

I do wish we got to see more of the Roses. Especially seeing Fern grow up and through her rebellious phase, they could’ve provided a lot of insight and knowledge with both Will and Fern that could’ve been beneficial to their dynamic.

More, more, more. I also wanted more of Peter. He was such an active part of Fern's life growing up and I could see them leaning on each other more, especially after losing such a substantial part of their family. Much like the Roses, he could’ve been beneficial in leading the pair in the right direction. I do think it’s sentimental that he took such a liking to Will. One of my favorite aspects of the story was Will’s love of anything lemon flavored, so seeing Peter send his approval with lemon treats was so pure.

I definitely expected Jamie to play a much bigger role than he did. Especially being introduced the way he was, it made it appear as though there was going to be a love triangle between him, Fern, and Will. While I’m in no means upset there wasn’t, I struggle to believe there wasn’t some lingering feelings between him and Fern. Being with someone for four years is an achievement and he doesn’t appear to be the kind of person that could put an end to a relationship that lengthy without experiencing doubts, whether they be past or present. Seeing her and Will together didn’t provoke him to act any differently. There was no trace of any sort of relationship between him and Fern, romantic or platonic. Given their history, he could’ve aided the development of the story along quite well. Considering his love for the resort and the connection he must’ve built with Fern’s mom, there was no lack of potential for him to be more involved.

I’m not sure where I stand with Whitney just yet. In both the past and present POV, Fern made her out to be a distant friend, then all of a sudden, Fern makes a decision that coincides with the one Whitney wanted her to make, and they’re besties again. Their friendship seemed very surface-level. Even Fern felt as though she couldn’t confide in her.

As for Will’s sister, Annabel, I’m enraged. You would’ve thought experiencing all she did at her young age, she would’ve matured along the way. No, instead she comes barreling into Fern’s life, a woman whom she’s never met and belittles her. I’m supposed to like her after she blamed Fern for all of Will’s shortcomings? Absolutely not. That is where I draw the line. Will is a grown man and in no way was he justified in treating Fern the way he did. He made a decision, a poor one at that, and now he must deal with the consequences. Women are always expected to be the problem solvers, the ones that see past everyone’s mistakes and imperfections. It doesn’t sit well with me that Fern was painted to be in the wrong in this scenario. Will made a choice that directly reflected the one he made ten years prior. Not only that, it was at a vulnerable stage in Fern’s life. She just lost her mother unexpectedly. She’s struggling with the guilt of that loss and the responsibilities she’s now been given, ones she never wanted to begin with, though it seems as though no one is taking this into consideration. As someone that lost a relative close to me unexpectedly almost a year ago, I’m still learning to cope with the unanswered questions. I’m still mourning this loss. So it will always baffle me that Fern is expected to let go and move on mere weeks after her life has been turned upside down and around. Annabel basically tells her that she needs to apologize since Will won’t. I’m struggling to see where that is justified. I understand that Will sacrificed a lot for her and Annabel is just trying to give him as much as he’s given her. But that was the worst possible way to go about it. Imagine if Fern didn’t give in. She would’ve destroyed this newfound happiness of her brother’s all for what? Getting the last word in?

As for the storyline, it was very unpredictable, and I say that without absolutely no negative or positive connotation. It’s just a statement, or rather, an observation. I wouldn’t classify this as either a character or plot-driven story. Both were in equal play. The caliber of writing wasn’t as picturesque as the author’s previous novel though, so I am a little disappointed in that sense.

That being said, I am a lover of the alternating timelines structure. They are valuable in establishing not only the backstory but also the character's motivations and the alignment of the choices their past selves made as opposed to their current selves. Our past POV, taking place a decade earlier, was still slightly underwhelming.

While I may not’ve agreed with all of the choices the author made, they made sense stylistically in the direction she intended the story to go. Even with some conflicting thoughts and emotions left over, reading the acknowledgments at the end of the book put everything into perspective for me. While it isn’t a story I would say everyone needs to read (if you didn’t like Every Summer After, you probably won’t like this), it was a story the author needed to write. Even if just to process her own experiences with post-partum depression and OCD.

It did take me a while to warm up to, but without a doubt, I would read another one of Fortune’s novels, even though this one wasn’t exactly my cup of tea.

I would say it’s very similar to People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry vibe-wise. So if you like one, you are more than likely going to enjoy the other.

Overall, it was a digestible read that left my heart full, earning it four stars out of five.

Thank you to Berkley Romance and Carley Fortune for providing me with this ARC. As always, all opinions are my own and are not influenced by early access to this title.

I think Carley Fortune is a PG-13 Colleen Hoover more often than not, a solid recommendation for libraries with high interest in Hoover books.

𝑴𝒆𝒆𝒕 𝑴𝒆 𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑳𝒂𝒌𝒆
By: @carleyfortune
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Number of Pages: 336 (e-book)
Rating: 4.5 🌟
Publication Date: May 2, 2023

𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗜 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪:
I’m convinced that Carley Fortune has some sort of magical powers. Her way with words will make you feel like you’re sitting on the dock with Fern while overlooking the view of the lake and waiting with anticipation. Will and Fern had a beautiful love story, but the side characters added a special element to the book. I am DYING to try some of Peter’s sourdough.

𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗 𝗜𝗙 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘:
🚣🏻‍♀️ Lake Setting
📆 Dual Timeline
💿 Themed Mix CDs
🤍 Second-Chance Romance
🍋 Hard Candies in a Tin
💃 Dirty Dancing

𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗚𝗘𝗥 𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦:
Grief and Loss Depiction, Death of a Parent (off page), Anxiety, Insomnia

Thank you @netgalley @berkleyromance @berkleypub for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

You have disappointed me.
I figured it would get better as I read through it, but I'm pretty sure it just annoyed me more. I felt like there wasn't enough character development, like I could honestly careless about them. There was not even a connection between them, it was very cringe. Especially when she thought about him, I was instantly rolling my eyes, and 🤨. What is this?
I found it boring and wanted it to end immensely.

This is heartbreaking because I adored "Every Summer After". Why did you need to ruin it? I was so excited to read another novel by her but nope.

Maybe I'm missing something, but I just couldn't do it.

My friends told me that I missed out by not reading “Every Summer After” the author’s DEBUT novel released in May 2022, so when I was offered the opportunity to read her sophomore effort, I didn’t hesitate to download it.

The story may sound familiar, initially…

A random connection between two strangers results in one MAGICAL day together. They will bear their souls to each other in a way they couldn’t to anyone else, and despite an undeniable attraction to one another, they will part agreeing to not keep in touch for a year, but to meet again ONE year later.

But, the promise is broken when one or another doesn’t follow through.

In this ROMANCE trope (is it a trope?) we are reading to find out WHY, and eagerly awaiting reconciliation.

Will it be too late? Can all be forgiven?

After Fern Brookbanks spent the day with the gorgeous, mysterious Artist Will Baxter, she made the difficult decision to remain in Toronto and pursue HER dream of one day opening her own coffee shop. ☕️

Her mother was devastated as it was always expected that Fern would follow in her mother’s footsteps and return home to help run the family’s lakeside resort that she would eventually inherit, as her mother had from her own parents. (The Brookbanks Resort is compared to the one in the Classic movie, Dirty Dancing)

A year later, on June 14th, Fern is on the docks, waiting for the Will with a Picnic lunch, eager to see him, and excited to tell him about her year of learning the Coffee shop business, a plan he helped her to put in place.

But, as the sun sets, she realizes that he isn’t going to show.

Now, it’s been ten years, and Fern’s mother has passed away.

Fern must decide whether to take over or sell the struggling property which is the both the place where her heart was broken, but also the place which holds so many of her fondest memories . It will always be the place that feels like home.

How can she make this heart wrenching decision?

Unexpectedly, with the help of Will…

The story alternates between NOW, June 14, Ten Years Ago, and eventually the diary entries of Fern’s mother.

I enjoyed spending time with the likable, well developed characters and OF COURSE, found myself rooting for a certain outcome!! 🤞🏻

Do I have plans to read Carley Fortune’s first book?

I most certainly do-it sounds like the perfect book to add to my beach bag this summer. And, for those of you smart enough to have read it last year, THIS one will be available for your beach bag, THIS SUMMER!

Expected Publication date: May 2, 2023

Thank You to Berkley for the gifted copy provided through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!

Carley Fortune is a master of nostalgia. Meet Me at the Lake was packed full of summer love, heart warming moments, and characters you’ll fall in love with.

Tropes:
🪩 second chance at love
🪩 insta infatuation/love
🪩 dual timeline

I thought the spice was well written, and I really loved some of the side characters and friendships, but found our hero and heroine lacking some chemistry overall (as there was so much focus on the other aspects to the story). If the above tropes appeal to you, + you enjoy more plot to a romance outside of the romance (think: Book Lovers) this one is worth pre-ordering (out May 2nd!). I think a lot of people will end up liking this!

This fast paced story gave me all the feels of summer time past and present. I loved the present setting but the inclusion of past story lines. And the diary entries added such a neat layer to the story. I really appreciate that this is a romance book with deeper themes and discussions going on and the authors note at the end really made me appreciate the story even more. I enjoy Fortune’s writing and already looking forward to future work!

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for the advanced copy!

In her early 20’s, Fern met Will. The two spent the day together and made plans to meet again one year from that day. Only Will never showed. Now it’s years later and Fern has lost her mother, and gained the resort she is supposed to run now. Imagine her surprise when Will shows up to check in…

It’s me, hi. Im the problem, it’s me. Seriously. at the end of 2022 into 2023 I could not read a physical book if you paid me. Ok fine, maybe if you paid me well, but I was just not able to sit with a book. E-books, no problem, I would fly through them. Now however, the tides have turned. I can read a physical book in a single sitting yet it takes me a week to read an e-book. All this to say, it took me way too long to get through this one, and it was all me that was the problem. That said, I was so looking forward to this book, and it delivered. I really loved the story of Will and Ferns day together, and while I wanted to hate him for not showing up a year later, I found it hard to do so. Carley has such a talent for writing characters you love, but also sometimes want to hate! This one will pull on all your heart strings and leave you wanting more.

To be completely honest, I was nervous to read this book. When you completely knock it out of the park with your debut novel can any books that follow really meet that same level of success? The answer is YES.

This book was truly fantastic! I couldn’t put it down and I’m struggling to find more words to get across my love for it. Can’t wait for more books by this author!

DNF @ 25%

I just don't care.

I struggle with second chance romance, especially it could've easily been resolved prior.

Each character is surly and miserable. Fern, the FMC, seems rude, unhappy, and underdeveloped. She also seems to hate her best friend and everyone close to her?? Her feelings for Will after ONE day seems unrealistic. Will, the love interest, feels boring and is only characterized as "tall". He's seem to make no effort to be with her and the lack of dual POVs make this romance feels awkwardly one-side.

Too many side characters. No chemistry. Meet Me at the Lake isn't the follow up to Every Summer After I expected or wanted.

Thank you to the publisher for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.

I still haven't read Every Summer After because I tend to avoid hyped books but know I understand why people are loving Carley Fortune.

This is pure second chance perfection showing the MC's strength and vulnerabilities even after years of being apart.

To say that I inhaled book would be an understatement! I loved Every Summer After, continue to hand sell it and was so excited to see that Carley Fortune has written another title.

I love that this book also takes place on a Canadian lakeshore (although this western girl has more experience with the BC shorelines). There’s something magical about the lake in the summer that Fortune captures again in this novel.

The story is about Fern and Will who meet at the coffee shop she works at while Will is working on a mural. They get talking and end up spending a day exploring Toronto through Will’s eyes. It’s an unforgettable day for both of them even 10 years later, The story unfolds from present day, jumping back to that date 10 years ago. Present day, Fern has recently lost her mom (Marg) to a tragic accident and is learning to navigate life, make decisions about the resort her mother owned and overwhelmed by it all. Will shows up to check in one day, for most of the summer, because he had struck a deal with Marg to help the resort find success again. Except now it’s up to Fern to decide if she can trust him.

This story was about plans, and how life can throw you complete curve balls. It’s also about learning truths you thought you knew & being given second chances to take a chance on yourself. There’s this rawness & vulnerability to the characters that draw you in and want you craving more.

#indigoemployee

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5 (4.25) a great second chance romance!! it was so cute! loved the setting and the flashbacks :)