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