Carley Fortune has done it again. One Golden Summer is a breathtaking escape into the shimmering lake, where past and present intertwine, and where characters navigate life’s fears, love’s complexities, and the quiet magic of feeling truly seen.

“I think the older we get, the scarier shit becomes”. This simple truth sets the stage for a novel that is both deeply personal and universally resonant. The story unfolds in a place Fortune writes best—where the water calls, where summer is a sanctuary, and where characters come to shed their expectations and rediscover themselves.

“‘My mom was full of energy, always laughing. Everyone loved her. You just felt good being with her, you know?’

‘Yeah,’ I say, looking at him. ‘I know.’"

The people in Fortune’s world are drawn with such care, their emotions so vivid that they feel like old friends. There’s a mother whose warmth lingers long after she’s gone, a love built not on grand gestures but on quiet understanding—on the way someone listens, offers, and simply sees you. There’s Charlie Florek who deserves the whole world and then some, and Alice Everly who I did not expect to fall so far in love with. And, of course, Sam and Percy. 

"That's not who I am. That's my job, my car, my home. That's not me. I'm just a guy on a raft, trying to figure his shit out like everyone else."

The afterword talks about sometimes needing to go back to go forward, and that is what this book is all about. People trying to figure out their lives as they go. It’s a beautiful, remarkable, mess.

“He stares into my eyes, and it’s the look from the photos. The look artists write songs and poems and books about.”

The love story is exactly what I love about every Carley Fortune book. So unexpectedly beautiful and real and heart wrenching you can’t help but cry (I won’t specific whether they’re tears of joy or heartbreak). 

What One Golden Summer does best, though, is remind us to follow our hearts, embrace the unknown, and trust in ourselves. This book is everything I hoped for and more—an exquisite story wrapped in Fortune’s signature beauty and depth.

Five shining stars.

"Just see where the sun takes you. And don't forget: Good things happen at the lake."

Thank you to Net Galley and the author for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.