Have you read Carly Fortune? If you haven’t, you’re missing out. But, no worries–One Golden Summer is a great place to start! It’s a story full of passion and longing and I loved it!

When Alice was seventeen, she spent the summer at Barry’s Bay in southern Ontario with her grandmother (Nan). One day, Alice took a breathtaking photo of two boys and a girl riding in a yellow boat and it started her career as a photographer. She has become successful in Toronto but is feeling burned out, plus she recently went through a bad break up. When Nan takes a fall and has her hip replaced, they decide to go back to Barry’s Bay together for the summer while Nan recovers. Alice looks forward to doing all of the things she enjoyed when she was seventeen and she makes a bucket list of things she wants to do this summer.

Charlie is taking care of the cabin they’re staying at. He is handsome and charming and Alice recognizes him as the driver of the boat in the photo she took when she was young. Nan invites him for dinner and when he catches a glimpse of Alice’s bucket list, he asks if he can join her with some of it. They jump off cliffs, float in inner tubes, go for rides in his boat, and have a great deal of fun. Alice meets Charlie’s brother Sam and Sam’s wife Percy (Every Summer After) who are getting ready to have a baby and Charlie is building a treehouse for them.

Alice begins to feel more relaxed than she ever has. She’s taking lots of pictures and thinks they are her best work yet. In Toronto, she had been so focused on pleasing her clients that she forgot what it was like to take pictures for herself. As their summer of fun continues, she and Charlie become very close and while they are attracted to each other, he tells her he’s not in a place where he can get involved with anyone and they need to just remain friends. He doesn’t explain why and it feels a little mysterious. He is on a sabbatical from his high-powered job in the city – we aren’t sure what happened, but he’s happy being with Alice and Nan and they feel like family (his parents have both died). It’s really sweet when he makes Alice a cake for her birthday (She turned thirty-three and he is thirty-five) and they celebrate together and both end up covered in glitter.

There is yearning and some kisses but this is a slow burn and it takes a while before things get spicy and they give in to their attraction. They don’t want the summer to end, but something serious happens to cause a third act break up – luckily, it doesn’t take long before they get back together and it’s really special when they do.

I think this is perfect for a beach read (The Canadian Lake setting is fantastic) and I loved it. I think it’s the author’s best book yet!