Cover of Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune
Contemporary

Meet Me at the Lake

by Carley Fortune

336 pages · Paperback

Ten years ago, Fern Brookbanks spent one unforgettable day in Toronto with a stranger named Will Baxter, and they promised to meet again a year later. He never showed. Now 32, Fern has been pulled back to run her…

Second Chance
Editor ReviewedAI-AssistedRomance Profile Available
Your rating:

At a glance

Genre
Contemporary
Trope
Second Chance
Length
336 pages
Format
Paperback

Reading Options

Meet Me at the Lake

As an Amazon Associate, Eikna earns from qualifying purchases. Learn more.

Should I read this?

Why You May Love This Book

You may love this if…

  • Ten years after a missed connection, two people are reunited at a lakeside resort to confront the past and save a legacy.
  • Fans of second-chance romance
  • Readers who enjoy emotional contemporary fiction
  • Reflective
  • Features Second Chance

This may not be ideal if…

  • Limited information on the romantic development
Romance Profile

The Romance

Tropes, dynamics, and the chemistry that drives this story.

Relationship Dynamics

Forced Proximity

Details

Type: unknown

Pairing: unknown

Power balance: Professional collaboration involving a business consultant and a resort owner.

Relationship TensionStrong (50 out of 100)
Emotional Experience

How It Feels

The emotional landscape you'll move through while reading.

Moderate angst, moderate humor.

AngstStrong (50 out of 100)
HumorStrong (50 out of 100)
Pacing: unknown
Tone:upbeatwittygrief-focused
Heat & Explicitness

Heat Level

Based on available metadata and editorial review.

Explicitness: unknown
Heat information is based on available metadata and editorial review. Reader sensitivities vary.
Reader Fit

Who Is This Book For?

Best for

Fans of second-chance romanceReaders who enjoy emotional contemporary fiction

Reading mood

ReflectiveOptimistic

Recommended audience: Adult contemporary romance readers

Content Guidance

Content Guidance

Story & Themes

The Story

Spoiler-Free Synopsis

Fern Brookbanks once spent a life-altering day with a stranger named Will Baxter, marked by a promise to meet again—a promise Will failed to keep. Now 32 and grieving her mother, Fern returns to the lakeside resort she desperately tried to outrun. When Will reappears as the professional consultant tasked with helping her manage the failing resort, the two must navigate their unresolved history and the pressures of the present.

Central Conflict

The tension between Fern's desire to escape her family's failing resort and the necessity of working with the man who abandoned their plan to reconnect a decade ago.

Setting

A struggling lakeside resort in Ontario, Canada.

Strengths

  • Clear emotional stakes involving loss
  • Well-defined central trope

Consider before reading

  • Limited information on the romantic development
Book Club

Discussion Guide

Questions to deepen your reading experience or spark a book club conversation.

  1. 1

    How does the central conflict shape the relationship between the main characters?

  2. 2

    How does the setting influence the characters' decisions and their relationship?

  3. 3

    How do the relationship dynamics evolve throughout the story?

  4. 4

    Who would you most want to recommend this book to?

  5. 5

    How did the pacing affect your reading experience?

  6. 6

    Which aspect of the story did you find most compelling?

Questions are generated from approved book intelligence and may not reflect every reader's experience.
Trust & Transparency

How This Profile Was Created

Eikna uses book metadata and AI-assisted analysis to create structured romance profiles. Public profiles are reviewed and approved by an editor before publication.

Editor reviewed:
Yes
Last reviewed:
October 4, 2026
Confidence:
Moderate confidence
Profile version:
eikna-public-book-intelligence-v1
Meet the writer

About the Author

CF

Carley Fortune

Reader Reviews

What Readers Say

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Publication Details

Publisher
Berkley
Format
Paperback
Length
336 pages
Language
English
ISBN-13
9780593438558

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Reading Options

Meet Me at the Lake

As an Amazon Associate, Eikna earns from qualifying purchases. Learn more.

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