♡ Thank you for the free audiobook, PRH Audio.
Synopsis
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 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.
Thoughts
Oh, my heart! My most anticipated summer read did not disappoint. I love each of Fortune’s books, and this was no exception. Every Summer After is still my favorite, but this was still an exceptional read. I loved hearing Charlie’s story. I thought Alice was a bit too meek for a complex player like him. I would have liked her to have a bit more confidence. But I think some good personal growth happened on both sides of this romance, and the happily ever after was satisfying. Nan was a treasure, too. Pick this up if you crave a love story with some depth dotted with laughter and raw emotion.
★★★★★
☊ Listening to this story via audiobook was wonderful. Narrator AJ Bridel did a great job.