After loving Every Summer After, I eagerly "dove" into Meet Me at the Lake, and I can confirm that Carley Fortune is now a must-read author for me. It seems like too much of a pun to call this a meet cute, but that's how it starts, but it quickly builds into so much more than a rom-com meet cute. The depth of the characters and their complexity makes Meet Me at the Lake not only just the perfect summer read, but it would make a great book club/buddy read book. I absolutely loved this book! Thanks so much for the opportunity to review.

Another sensational summer read by author Carley Fortune! ⁣
⁣
I devoured her debut novel last year, Every Summer After. I’m thrilled to report that once again, the author has delivered another wonderfully atmospheric second-chance romance, Meet Me at the Lake. ⁣
⁣
Fern and Will spent an amazing day together in Toronto ten years ago. They made a plan to meet up again 1 year later at Fern’s family resort near Lake Muskoka in Canada. Will never showed up. ⁣
⁣
Fern is now 32 and although she swore never to return to her mother’s resort, she finds herself back again due to circumstances beyond her control. And who is the new business consultant? Will. ⁣
⁣
I’d like to say that I savored this book over the course of a week or so but I read it in 2 days, a record for me. I could not get enough of Fern and Will! There is a depth to all of the characters here that made for a sublime reading experience. Fern and Will never could have predicted the unexpected obstacles life threw their way. And the author’s Reader Note at the end of the book was extraordinary.
⁣
Finally, I can’t stop staring at this beautiful cover! It evokes feelings of nostalgia and summer and is perfect for all the emotions in this heartwarming book. ⁣

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Berkley. All opinions are my own.)

Short synopsis: At the age of 22, Fern meets Will in Toronto. They make an agreement to meet up 1 year from then at her moms resort. 10 years later, Will shows up.

My thoughts: I really liked the setting, a small struggling resort and the woman that really doesn’t want to take care of it. The idea of boat docks, canoes, and All around “dirty dancing” vibe had my attention pretty quick.

I really enjoyed Fern, she was a woman with aspirations and not necessarily the ones expected of her. I really enjoyed the growth she went through as the book progressed. Will was not my favorite romance guy. He was too secretive throughout the majority of the book and while I understand why, I don’t think his actions made up for him breaking his promise. I also enjoyed Maggie’s journals and how we got to see a bit inside her young head to understand her relationship with the adorable Peter.

This one held a different punch than ESA, the authors note was so enjoyable to read at the end. Most people have little to no idea what it’s like to write a novel, especially after the praise and love of an amazing debut, so I really appreciated her thoughts on her writing process!

Read if you love:
🩷 Second chance romance
🩷 Family resort settings
🩷 Finding your passion
🩷 Beautiful Covers
🩷 Family relationships

Lowkey kinda sad that this was not as fleshed out as it could have been. I feel like some of the things pictured could have worked if only expanded on.

After a chance encounter, Will Baxter and Fern Brookbanks have an epic day-long adventure in Toronto that ends with Will and Fern making major decisions about their futures and promising to meet again one year later…Fern shows up, Will does not. Now, ten years later, Fern is back in Muskoka running her family’s lakeside resort (something her younger self would have never done) after her mother’s unexpected death. Much to Fern’s surprise, Will unexpectedly shows up at the resort, having previously arranged with Fern’s mother to consult on the resort’s recent struggles. Despite enjoying reconnecting with Will, Fern can’t help but feel that Will’s hiding something.

Meet Me at the Lake is a unique second chance romance telling the story of then (Fern and Will’s first meeting 10 years ago) and now (unexpectedly reconnecting at the lake). This book is reminiscent of The Summer Cottage by Annie Rains, Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren, Beach Read by Emily Henry, The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon, and Every Summer After by Carley Fortune, so if you’re a fan of any of these books, you should definitely check out Meet Me at the Lake. Themes present in Meet Me at the Lake include secrets and lies, love and sacrifice, work and life balance, mental health, rebellion, grief and loss, as well as family and parenthood. Trigger warnings include death via car accident, drug use, fires, abandonment, depression, sick child, and absentee parents.

First off, the cover art is just stunning and it really fits the story. Due to the huge success of Fortune’s first novel Every Summer After, I was a bit nervous to start Meet Me at the Lake as I wasn’t sure if it would live up to my high expectations. But I have to say, it actually ended up being more enjoyable! I usually don’t like books that are constantly switching back and forth between the past and the present, but it felt this way of storytelling was well-suited; it was still engaging and didn’t feel like it slowed down the pace of the story too much. It was enjoyable how, at the beginning of the novel, there were lots of gaps or unanswered questions with regards to both Fern and Will’s stories as it keeps one invested and you want to keep reading so you could uncover the mystery and piece the puzzle together. Being Canadian, I loved how this story was set in Ontario (mainly Toronto and Muskoka) as I was familiar with a lot of the places that Fern and Will visited.

Sprinkled throughout the novel are some of Fern’s mother’s diary entries. At first, I found these to be a bit confusing and didn’t really understand why they were included, but without spoiling anything, the diaries entries made more sense to me in the end and made for a really cool connection in the epilogue.

In my opinion, the smalltown, lakeside setting, and the length of the book (just over 300 pages) makes Meet Me at the Lake a perfect beach read to add to your summer TBR list!

LIKES:
📝 bingeable, emotional, immersive writing
⏳ dual-timelines (2014 & present day)
📑 + diary excerpts
🇨🇦 set in Canada!
🏡 …in a small lake town
🏙️ & also in Toronto!
🌊 summer lake energy
🎨 art vibes
👩🏻 Fern is a coffee queen torn b/w duty & dreams
👨🏻 Will is a creative yet reserved & loyal consultant
💞 second-chance romance (3/5 steam)
🫂 + forced proximity
🔥 + slow-burn
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 explores family dynamics
🖤 + grief, loss, & betrayal
🤫 + secrets
😊 cute
🎧 good on audio (narrated by the author!)
•
DISCLAIMERS:
⚠️ dm me for TW!
🦥 on the slower side
🔗 didn’t connect to these characters as much as those in ESA
©️ very similar vibes & some themes to ESA
•
VERDICT: a cute follow-up second-chance romance to ESA exploring similar themes of grief & family but in a different way! A super slow-burn with a lighter emotional tread so makes for a leisurely read!

Sadly this one wasn’t for me. There is one trope that rubs me the wrong way and makes me view the characters in a different light. I won’t say what the trope is due to spoilers. Even without that trope I don’t think I would have enjoyed this one. The characters have no depth to them and I couldn’t relate to Fern at all. Will almost had zero personality. They were immediately obsessed with one another but it wasn’t based on anything real. I’m not a fan of insta-love so this annoyed me but if you like insta-love then this story might be for you. I did like how emotional this story was at times due to the relationship Fern had with her mother. I almost wish the story focused on that instead of forcing a romance that had no depth. The writing was okay, a bit repetitive and the story could have been much shorter. Overall, I think this one is going to be super popular but I had too many issues with it and couldn’t enjoy it.

Thank you so much to the author and publisher for my gifted copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

What I love about Carley Fortune's writing is how she really immerses you in the setting and gets you invested in the nostalgia. It's no doubt she's a talented storyteller and I love how she represents Canada! Her debut Every Summer After left me returning for more of her writing.

I really do love a second chance romance but I do think the second chance romance for me in this left me not feeling much for the couple. I think what I love so much about a second chance is the angst and longing, there's usually something that leaves me aching and wanting for the couple. I do feel it lacked in Meet Me at the Lake and maybe it was the "one-day" aspect in the past for the couple that I didn't find believable for a second chance. They knew each other for one day and met back again years later. Now, I do believe in soul mates, but for some reason, this was just not as believable for me, and maybe because it lacked depth in the characters and their love.

The flashbacks and present moments weren't quite doing it for me, and neither was working at the family lodge for Fern. I just wasn't invested, which is what I think the problem is. Most especially, I was invested in Fern and Will's relationship/love story and that's the most important part. It is a fast read and gives the feels of summer and being outside at the lake! And I really appreciated the grief aspect.

But overall, this was a little bit of a disappointment and possibly just not for me but I see why others will love!

When I was first asked to read this, they compared it to Dirty Dancing. OF COURSE I’m in if that’s the case!

The story follows Fern and Will through two timelines: now and ten years ago. They meet at work one day while 22, spend the day and night together, and make plans to meet at the lake at her family’s resort in a year. Fern shows up, but Will doesn’t. In the present timeline, Fern is trying to sort out her mothers resort after her passing, and Will is the man to help her do it.

The setting was Dirty Dancing-ish but the whole miscommunication trope is a no for me. Otherwise the writer does a good job creating a story. The dual timelines was not hard to follow either. Some of the side characters are my favorite. I did love the setting, community feeling, and details for the resort. It seemed like a nice place, which also made me picture the one from DD.

After having read her debut novel, Every Summer After, I knew that if Carley Fortune kept writing I would keep reading her books. Her style of writing is deep, emotional, yet also has a lightness that reflects the settings that she keeps choosing- the lake. In this novel, Fern’s life has imploded with her mother’s death and her being left the resort to run. A resort that is failing and needs a new life, one that Fern isn’t sure she has to give. Until Will shows up. This 9 years older Will is much different than the artist that she fell in love with long ago. He now wears suits and runs a company, and seems to have given up his own dreams. Despite these differences their feelings for each other still lie beneath the surface waiting to be explored.

Meet Me At the Lake is one of those sneaky novels that has layers of emotions that are revealed slowly one chapter at a time. Sometimes I feel impatient when reading a slow moving novel but Carley Fortune sets a smooth pace that feels exactly right, each emotion and particular about a character revealed when it should for the utmost impact. Fern and Will’s reconnection built slowly towards that moment when they gave in to these feelings, but giving in didn’t solve all of their problems and the story didn’t end. I loved that! There were more reveals awaiting the reader and more emotions to be explored.

I’m reading this book in March but it definitely has that vacation beach vibe feel. It is the perfect novel to read when you can occasionally glance up to check the view of the ocean (or lake!) in front of you and then delve back into these fantastic characters who were meant to be together. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

I was given a copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review and it was honest!

Carley Fortune’s new novel, Meet Me at the Lake, is a second chance romance that follows Fern and Will. 22 year old Fern meets Will while she is working at a shop in Toronto. Will is a budding artist who has been hired by Fern’s boss to paint a mural in the shop. Fern and Will hit it off and end up spending an amazing day together seeing the sights in Toronto and getting to know one another. Both of them are leaving Toronto soon, but they feel such a strong connection that they vow to meet up in exactly one year in Muskoka, Canada, at the resort Fern’s family owns. One year later, however, Will is a no-show, and Fern is devastated.

Fast forward ten years and the untimely death of Fern’s mom has left Fern as the new owner of the now struggling resort. Fern is still mourning the loss of her mother and getting used to the idea that she now has to run the resort. As if she doesn’t have enough on her plate, she is utterly shocked when Will of all people comes strolling in. He tells Fern that her mother had hired him as a consultant to help her turn things around at the resort. Needless to say, Fern’s emotions are in complete turmoil at the thought of Will reappearing in her life after ghosting her all those years ago.

I have to say right now that I was a little worried going into this novel after the extreme hype that surrounded Fortune’s debut, Every Summer After, but I actually enjoyed Meet Me at the Lake even more. The storytelling and character development are spectacular in both novels, but something about the subject matter in this one just resonated with me more. I especially loved how the story is presented in a dual time line with scenes from Will and Fern navigating their present day awkward situation balanced out with flashbacks from their one amazing day together 10 years earlier. Even though I don’t normally buy into insta-love, Fortune brings that day to life in such a way that I could easily understand why Fern thought she and Will had such a special connection. The picture Fortune paints quickly had me invested in Fern and Will, and although I was initially furious that Will seemingly threw away that connection, my heart broke for him once he finally revealed why he didn’t meet Fern that day and I was really rooting for the two of them to find their way back to each other.

Carley Fortune truly has a gift for making her readers become emotionally invested in her characters. She broke my heart into a million pieces and then slowly put the pieces back together again as I followed Will and Fern’s journey, and that’s the kind of story that is going to stick with me. With Meet me on the Lake, Carley Fortune has cemented her status as an auto-buy author for me and I can’t wait to read more from her.

Boring and problematic.

I was hoping to love this more than Every Summer After (whose merit I could see despite finding it overhyped) but nope. The only thing I liked is its portrayal of grief and how we don't always need to have life mapped out to a T.

The romance is terrible. And as if to make up for the cheating that so many people complained about in her debut novel, the author actually has her latest protagonist declare, "I would never cheat." Ok well done for what's bare minimum.

The male lead is terrible. He leaves/fails to show up for Fern not once but twice. And what does Fern do? Not only does she give him a third chance, she chases after him. Gurl, at this point it's just embarrassing. Have some self-respect.

The book's message is terrible. It literally tells you to chase after flaky people because they might be going through ~things~, seize the day, go after what you want. Come on, dealing with personal/mental/emotional issues is no excuse for treating other people badly. He didn't even have the decency to let her know, just up and leaves.

A painfully dull romance novel that I made myself finish in hopes that the ending would be good. Spoiler: It was not.

I enjoyed this one more than Every Summer After but I think overall, Carley may just not be an author for me. I found the whole story line of the main character pining over this guy for 9 years she spent one day with a bit far fetched.

4/5 stars

Thank you Berkley Romance for the advanced reading copy!

At 32, Fern Brookbanks isn't living her dream, she's living her mom's. After her mom's untimely passing, she has returned to take over their family resort -- something she promised she would never do. Working alongside the ghost of her mom, her ex-boyfriend Jamie, and her Mom's best friend, Peter, Fern has some big decisions to make. Enter consultant Will Baxter. Will and Fern met one day -- literally one day -- ten years ago by happenstance in Toronto. After spending the entire day together and connecting deep down, they decide to meet again at the resort in one year. Fern was there, Will was not. Now, Will is offering his consulting services to help Fern with the resort. Will they repair their relationship and the resort this summer? Or will real life and long-forgotten dreams get in the way?

Honestly, I'm teetering between 3.5-4 stars on this one, which is a bit of a disappointment. I think I wanted to like this more than I did. With remnants of Colleen Hoover's November 9 on the brain, I was a bit let down by the lackluster romance between "past" Fern and Will. Overall, I definitely enjoyed reading this. The romance was sweet and, overall, I really liked Fern's character development throughout the entirety of the book; she grew a lot and that was enjoyable to read. Will had the air of being too good to be true, and I still feel that way upon completing the book. I get so frustrated when people keep unnecessary secrets or when the main conflict is not communicating effectively, and that was their issue. So frustrating! The main issue between Fern and her Mom fell flat for me too; I was expecting some bigger drama.

That being said, I enjoyed reading this. I think Carley Fortune's writing is similar to Coho's in its simplicity and the ease in which you can read it, but has the fun banter and joy of a more low-key Emily Henry. I still teared up at times and felt many a tug at my heart strings (especially with Will's relationship with his sister -- so sweet). I liked how things ended up and I look forward to reading more of Carley's work.

I had a few friends who read this before me and messaged that I was going to love it and boy were they right!

I absolutely adored Will and Fran’s second chance romance! This one is dual timelined between the present and 10 years prior. It was giving me all the Dirty Dancing Kellerman’s vibes (iykyk) and will definitely hit you in the feels as Fran deals with her mom’s passing, and our MCs relive what happened all those years ago.

Carley’s first book, Every Summer After was one of my top reads of 2022 and this one is definitely up there for me for 2023.

carley fortune is a beautiful writer, and MEET ME AT THE LAKE is full of captivating descriptions and punchy dialogue. she bounces between present day and 10 years in the past as well as fern's mother's diary, but it still flows and connects well. fortune is skilled at creating worlds full of characters and history, and the resort is that. maggie's diary gave me big mamma mia! energy and i loved it. i think i was more invested in fern's growth rather than her relationship with will, who was a well-developed character but frustrated me due to his self-deprecating and -sabotaging nature. the lack of communication at the end was hard to get through and it felt a bit rushed. overall, another emotional, family-centered second chance romance set against the backdrop of a canadian lake.

I was in the minority of not loving Fortune's debut but I did enjoy this one much more. The writing is similar in style and again the rich setting of a beautiful Canadian summer, those are the strong suits of this book. The romance between the couple is the part in which I feel like is lacking, but we all connect to characters in different ways so that is not a huge drawback. The author's note at the back is a must read as it added clarity and thoughtfulness. I cannot wait for readers to get their hands on this as I think it will make the perfect vacation book or a book to transport you if you aren't traveling.

After reading Every Summer After I thought that Carley Fortune might be kind of a genre buster for me, someone whose novels I enjoyed even though I’m not generally a fan of Romance.

This one didn’t work for me as well, and instead featured a lot of things common to the genre that contribute to the reasons I don’t care for it.

A lot of it came down to the fact that I just didn’t find Will even the least bit appealing. Fortune’s Author’s Note attempts and semi succeeds at explaining some of his behavior, but he still comes off like a whiny, avoidant coward, and because I truly did like Fern, I felt like she deserved better. This dude is, well…certainly no Sam.

It almost makes me wish we got more of Maggie’s story, because Peter was wonderful and one of the better parts of the book. He and Jamie are really the only appealing people in Fern’s life (Whitney, ugh! Wouldn’t be my choice for a friend).

Still, Fortune is a far better writer than most in this genre, and there’s some fun summer nostalgia stuff here and decent humor. I expect most Romance enthusiasts will like this one just fine, but for me it didn’t transcend the genre like Fortune’s first novel did.

Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune from #Berkleypartner #Berkley

Star rating: 3.5 ⭐️
Genre: romance
Pages: 334

Read if you like:
▪️instant attraction
▪️second chance love
▪️self discovery
▪️following your arrow
▪️found family

When I think of Carley Fortune, I think of summer, and I’m happy to say that her latest book definitely fit this mold. The lakeside resort setting was the perfect way to kick off my summer reading. The parts about grief and loss also deeply resonated with me, and I definitely connected with the main character on these aspects of the book. While it was a little insta lovey for me, and there was some emotional cheating, I enjoyed the other parts of the book enough that I would still recommend this one as a great beach read!

Thanks for the free book @BerkleyPub in exchange for an honest review!

4.5
I should have known Carley Fortune was going to emotionally wreck me again with this book, but yet somehow I wasn't prepared.

One of my favourite things about writers like Carley and Emily Henry are that the plot and conflict aren't only about the romance. They feel like real people with real problems which makes them all the more impactful.

I love all the Canadian settings and summer vibes in Carley's books.

While this one didn't *quite* grab me the way that Every Summer After did, I liked the tropes much better.

It's a great summer read and also a great Mother's Day gift!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the ARC!