One Golden Summer

THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! ∙ A radiant escape to the lake from the beloved author of Every Summer After and This Summer Will Be Different, hailed as the “reigning queen of sun-soaked romance novels” (Bustle)

“The way that Carley Fortune can bottle up the feeling of summer and put it into a book needs to be studied. Her books are so transportive!”—Glamour

I never anticipated Charlie Florek.

Good things happen at the lake. That’s what Alice’s grandmother says, and it’s true. Alice spent just one summer there at a cottage with Nan when she was seventeen—it’s where she took that photo, the one of three grinning teenagers in a yellow speedboat, the image that changed her life.

Now Alice lives behind a lens. As a photographer, she’s most comfortable on the sidelines, letting other people shine. Lately though, she’s been itching for something more, and when Nan falls and breaks her hip, Alice comes up with a plan for them both: another summer in that magical place, Barry’s Bay. But as soon as they settle in, their peace is disrupted by the roar of a familiar yellow boat, and the man driving it.

Charlie Florek was nineteen when Alice took his photo from afar. Now he’s all grown up—a shameless flirt, who manages to make Nan laugh and Alice long to be seventeen again, when life was simpler, when taking pictures was just for fun. Sun-slanted days and warm nights out on the lake with Charlie are a balm for Alice’s soul, but when she looks up and sees his piercing green gaze directly on her, she begins to worry for her heart.

Because Alice sees people—that’s why she is so good at what she does—but she’s never met someone who looks and sees her right back.

Carley Fortune is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of EVERY SUMMER AFTER, ONE GOLDEN SUMMER, MEET ME AT THE LAKE, and THIS SUMMER WILL BE DIFFERENT. Her fifth novel, OUR PERFECT STORM, is out May 5, 2026. Her books have sold more than four million copies, have been translated into 30 languages, and adapted for television.

"[The] reigning queen of sun-soaked romance novels."—Bustle

"The way that Carley Fortune can bottle up the feeling of summer and put it into a book needs to be studied. Her books are so transportive!"—Glamour

"[Fans] have been begging her to give Charlie his happily ever after for years—and she’s fully delivered with a sweet, summer love story."—E! News

"Carley Fortune has a knack for making the lake the most romantic place on earth, and, as such, One Golden Summer is a delight.”—ELLE

“The sparks between Alice and Charlie fly off the page and endearing Nan adds heart. This is a treat.”—Publishers Weekly

"Readers will enjoy the steamy love story that develops but will also appreciate Alice's personal growth. Not only does she find love, she finds her purpose in her career. Fans of Annabel Monaghan will agree with Nan that 'good things happen at the lake.'"—Booklist (starred review)

"Carley Fortune is an expert at capturing the essence of a sparkling summer romance at the lake."—Shelf Awareness

One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune is a warm, emotional romance about second chances, healing, and the kind of love that grows slowly when two people stop trying so hard to control everything. The story follows Alice Everly, a talented photographer in Toronto who looks successful on the outside but is quietly exhausted inside. She has built a life around work, deadlines, and keeping herself busy, yet she feels burned out and emotionally unsettled after a painful breakup. When her grandmother Nan needs recovery after a hip injury, Alice decides to spend the summer with her in Barry’s Bay, the lakeside place where Alice once spent a life-changing summer as a teenager. What begins as a family trip soon becomes a season of rediscovery, memory, and unexpected connection.

Barry’s Bay is not just a setting in the book; it feels like a place where old feelings and new possibilities rise to the surface. Alice returns there with a mix of nostalgia and hope. She remembers the freedom of being younger, when she once took a striking photograph in that same place that helped shape her future as a photographer. Now, she is back as an adult, and the lake becomes a space where she can step away from the pressure of her city life and see herself more clearly. Being away from Toronto allows Alice to slow down, breathe, and remember what it feels like to make art for herself rather than only for clients. The summer gives her a chance to reconnect with the part of herself that feels creative, open, and alive.

Charlie Florek enters this quiet season as a surprising and magnetic presence. He is the man helping with the cottage and the lake life around them, and he immediately stands out as charming, confident, and a little too sure of himself. At first, Alice sees him as someone who is almost annoyingly self-assured, but the story quickly makes clear that he is much more layered than he first appears. Charlie is good with Nan, helpful around the cottage, and willing to show up in practical ways that reveal a steadier, kinder side. His confidence is not just show; it hides a more vulnerable history. He has also stepped away from his own high-pressure life and is spending time at the lake trying to figure out what comes next.

The relationship between Alice and Charlie begins with tension, curiosity, and a very obvious attraction that both of them try to ignore. The book develops their connection slowly, which makes the emotional build feel natural and satisfying. They start by teasing each other and sharing small conversations, but those small moments gradually become something deeper. Charlie helps Alice loosen up, and Alice helps Charlie feel seen in a way he may not be used to. Their bond grows through friendship first, and that makes the romance feel grounded. It is not just about chemistry, though there is plenty of that; it is also about trust, ease, and the comfort of being around someone who understands your silences as well as your words.

Nan adds an important emotional center to the novel. She is lively, wise, and deeply connected to the lake and its sense of peace. Her presence reminds Alice that family, memory, and place are all tied together. Nan also helps shape the atmosphere of the summer, giving the story a feeling of tenderness and continuity. The lake cottage becomes a shared space where generations overlap, where the old and the new live side by side. Through Nan, the novel shows that healing is often not dramatic; sometimes it comes from routine, good company, familiar water, and the quiet certainty that you belong somewhere.

As the summer goes on, Alice begins to change in ways that are subtle but important. She becomes less rigid and more open to joy. She takes pictures that feel more honest to her than the polished work she makes in the city. She laughs more, spends more time outdoors, and lets herself enjoy the messy, imperfect parts of life. That transformation is one of the book’s most appealing elements. It shows that healing is not the same as forgetting the past. Instead, it means learning how to carry what hurt you without letting it define every new moment.

Charlie, too, is shaped by the summer. He seems to want a life that feels meaningful and connected rather than just successful on paper. His growing closeness with Alice gives him a space where he can be more than the charming, polished version of himself. The romance between them is built on the idea that people can be both strong and uncertain, confident and afraid, funny and wounded. That emotional realism gives the novel its depth. Even when the story leans into classic summer romance pleasures, it still feels rooted in real feelings and believable choices.

Like much of Carley Fortune’s work, One Golden Summer uses atmosphere beautifully. The lake, the heat, the water, the cottage, and the long days of summer all create a mood that feels dreamy and intimate. The setting supports the romance instead of merely framing it. Everything in the novel seems to suggest that this is a season when people can become more honest with themselves. The title fits perfectly because the summer does feel golden: bright, fleeting, and full of change.

At its core, the novel is about learning to stop performing perfection and start living more fully. Alice and Charlie both have to face the gap between how their lives look and how they actually feel. Their relationship becomes a way to close that gap. By the end, the book offers not just romance, but a sense of emotional renewal. It leaves readers with the feeling that love can arrive when people are ready to be themselves, not when they are trying to be ideal. That is what makes One Golden Summer such a satisfying and heartfelt read.