Cover of One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune
Contemporary

One Golden Summer

by Carley Fortune

400 pages · Paperback

Photographer Alice Everly has lost her creative spark, and after her grandmother Nan breaks her hip, Alice takes her back to the lake cottage near Barry's Bay where they spent one summer when Alice was seventeen. That…

Editor ReviewedAI-AssistedRomance Profile Available
Your rating:

At a glance

Genre
Contemporary
Length
400 pages
Format
Paperback

Reading Options

One Golden Summer

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Should I read this?

Why You May Love This Book

You may love this if…

  • When a photographer returns to her childhood summer haunt to care for her injured grandmother, she reconnects with a local flirt from her past.
  • Fans of emotional family bonds
  • Readers who enjoy lakeside settings
  • Comforting
  • Features Second Chance

This may not be ideal if…

  • Lacks explicit details on romantic progression
Romance Profile

The Romance

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

Tropes

Second ChanceSmall TownForced Proximity

Relationship Dynamics

Flirty/Charismatic leadHesitant/Reserved lead

Details

Type: Contemporary Romance

Pairing: unknown

Power balance: Balanced

Relationship TensionStrong (50 out of 100)
Emotional Experience

How It Feels

The emotional landscape you'll move through while reading.

Moderate comfort.

ComfortStrong (50 out of 100)
Pacing: unknown
Tone:NostalgicHeartwarming
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 emotional family bondsReaders who enjoy lakeside settings

Reading mood

ComfortingNostalgic

Recommended audience: Adult

Story & Themes

The Story

Spoiler-Free Synopsis

Struggling with a lack of creative inspiration, photographer Alice Everly finds herself back at the lake cottage near Barry's Bay after her grandmother Nan sustains a hip injury. The location is steeped in history, as it is where they spent a formative summer when Alice was seventeen. During that same summer, Alice captured a photograph of Charlie Florek. Now an adult, Charlie is an incorrigible flirt who works to charm Nan and encourages Alice to emerge from behind her camera lens.

Central Conflict

Alice struggles with creative burnout while navigating her feelings for an old acquaintance and caring for her injured grandmother.

Setting

A lake cottage near Barry's Bay.

Strengths

  • Character-driven focus
  • Evocative setting

Consider before reading

  • Lacks explicit details on romantic progression
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
400 pages
Language
English
ISBN-13
9780593638910

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Reading Options

One Golden Summer

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

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