One Golden Summer

By: Carley Fortune

Narrated by: AJ Bridel, Carley Fortune

THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! ∙ A radiant escape to the lake from #1 New York Times bestselling author of Every Summer After and This Summer Will Be Different

As featured in The New York Times ∙ People ∙ Good Morning America ∙ The Washington Post ∙ Cosmopolitan ∙ TODAY ∙ USA Today ∙ Harper's Bazaar ∙ Glamour ∙ E! News ∙ Buzzfeed ∙ ELLE ∙ Us Weekly ∙ The New York Post ∙ FIRST for Women ∙ Woman's World ∙ Katie Couric Media ∙ SheReads ∙ and more!

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.

Critic reviews

"One Golden Summer was everything I wanted for Charlie and more! Alice and Charlie's chemistry is an absolute bonfire, the banter is perfection, and Nan is a treasure. Fortune's stories are rich and sparkling. She makes me believe that a summer at the lake is a necessary and formative experience in life."—Abby Jimenez, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Say You'll Remember Me

"[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

Too saccharine for my taste

Mildly entertaining, but nothing thought provoking. No surprises or twists. The issue the couple had to overcome was evident from very early on. Easy to listen to. You can’t lose the plot on this one.

Main character is a wet blanket

This book was hard to get into. I honestly couldn’t believe anyone would be interested in her. She’s depressing and mildly rude and wholly uninteresting.

This book is EVERYTHING!

I mean EVERYTHING! Alice is perfect. Charlie is redeemed. Nan makes me miss my grandma!

It totally captured my attention. The reality of it.

I cried many times. Happy tears of course. It read as a “time travel” for me. We’ve all been there & yet as I finished this book today my mind is still wondering where did all my life go from so long ago. As said, it goes in a flash. Carly has such talent. My only regret is I didn’t catch this as book #4 when the email came in. I’ll start #1 tomorrow, as I’m still thinking about what a great read One Golden Summer has been. I didn’t want it to end. I’ve been married 40+ years & found myself looking back long ago in a similar story. Thank you Carly…for it all!

The PERFECT summer read!!

One of my favorite books of 2025! I truly think this is one of the best summer reads I’ve read in a while.