Meet Me at the Lake

I absolutely loved this book. The story of love at first sight and never wanting to let that go hooked me. There were some cheesy parts, the constant association to dirty dancing (I’m a HUGE fan of that movie..it’s one of my top two favorites) but it went a little overboard in my opinion. I understand using it to draw a picture in our minds of the resort but no more than that. The other cheesy part was the talk about how they know each other. Spending 24 hours with someone doesn’t mean you know them know them. But I got past those things and fell in love with the characters. I would love a sequel to see where they end up in 10 years. *SPOILER* I didn’t like the end of the book where Carly is apologizing for the two characters in the book who got pregnant out of wedlock and keep the babies. She’s basically apologizing for them not having an abortion. As a pro-life woman I think that is completely unnecessary. Maybe it’s my own beliefs but I didn’t read the book thinking “wow I’m so glad they kept the babies”. I don’t think people on the other side of the issue would wish it was different, because then there wouldn’t be a book. I am a huge fan of Carly Fortune books and have read 3 this summer but I think in this genre, it’s best to keep politics out of it. I read romance novels to escape all of that.

There will be some spoilers in this review This was a solid five star read until the last few chapters. I loved almost everything about this book, the writing, the setting—I absolutely adored Fern. I even loved the third act break up. It was gut wrenching and angsty and I ate it up. But holy cow, Will needed to grovel on his hands and knees and he didn’t do a damn thing. He was just gonna let her go after years and years of yearning for her. Fern had to go to him because he was too depressed to fight for her or apologize. I know it was revealed that he had anxiety and depression but it kind of bothered me that she had to go seek him out and comfort him after he ripped her heart out AGAIN. The HEA was good though-I was very happy with that.

3.5 After reading and loving the authors previous book I knew that I would be reading this one and was excited when it was picked for a book blub pick. I love how this one was told in past present timelines, and I really did like seeing how the MC's came together, and I loved seeing how it all played out in the present. I am in the crowd of "it was one day, how are you still this upset 10 years later' crowd, but personally to me I think I would be less concerned about the one day we spent together 10 years ago and more concerned with how shady Will was present day. Present day Will was just not my favorite at all. I liked Fern enough as the FMC, and I enjoyed them together when Will wasn't being shady, but I just didn't see love at all. I will say I am not a fan of instalove and this was that in both the past and present. I liked the setting, and I like the secondary characters. My favorite part of this was the inclusion of Fern's relationship with her mom (and her mom's diaries) and I really loved the epilogue. I felt like the last chapter was so rushed, but the epilogue tied it together very well.

Love this book AND THE AUTHOR!!! I’ve read all of her books and can’t wait for the next one. i’ve already even reread one of the books and will reread all of them. She writes so well that you can’t put the books down when you finish a chapter. You are compelled to start next chapter just to find out what happens.

A truly heartfelt story about two soulmates who met at the wrong time. The angst bled through the pages of Meet Me at the Lake, and I loved the way the story unfolded and how deeply it made me feel. Fern and Will were one of those couples with undeniable chemistry, and at times, the unspoken tension and ache of what could have been those nine years ago was almost painful. I loved every bit of it.

This was an enjoyable read. Took me a little time to get use to the back and forth concept. It was interesting, kept me guessing and entertained.

This was a really cute, well thought out story. I loved the dual timeslines and the diary entries. I loved how their were two newfound families that merged into one. I really love the authors writing style and I think its so cool how the author narrates her own books

3 stars Do you ever feel bad for the author when writing a less than perfect review? Because that’s how I feel right now especially after having read the author’s notes in which Carley explains that she really struggled to write this one. But I swore to always be honest in my reviews so here we go, no matter what. Is that book bad? No. There are plenty of things that I loved like: -The set of side characters. From Fern’s best friend looking like an overenthusiastic puppy to the Roses, the old eccentric guests making cocktails, to Peter’s solid and discreet presence, they all helped me see that world, make it real. -The setting. A resort alongside a Canadian lake. I could see myself swimming or hiring a canoe. I heard the birds in the trees, saw the dining room with guests etc. It felt like being on holiday. -The pacing. It was just right for the story. We switch between past, when Fern met Will and now, ten years later. It was steady, not too fast nor too slow and fitting to have the story unfurl slowly, recounting past events and present traumas. -The meet cute. Fern and Will’s day in the city ten years ago was the perfect romantic meet. It felt like a bubble in time where everything is ripe with possibilities. Will was the promising and handsome artist, Fern was prickly and undecided yet about her future. Both on the brink of a new life. -Fern. I think Carley Fortune wrote Fern very realistically. She is full of doubts, is looking for her path in life. Past Fern had her demons, understandably so and went through a wild phase. New Fern is more mature but still struggling after her mother’s death. She will grow a lot in the story. -The ending. Thank god we had these last 10 percent! That helped explain a lot about Will’s decision and had me feeling a smidge better. But I am a reader and reviewer very much driven by my emotions and feelings. And what I felt very often was extremely frustrated! I was angry with Will. He never showed up nine years ago and now that he is back, he gives no explanation, no excuses. And Fern chooses to go with it??? Sorry but if you don’t show up and you make a mistake, you GROVEL! You explain and hope it’s a fantastic explanation to beg for forgiveness. Not knowing what happened had me keeping Will at arm’s length. I didn’t trust him and didn’t warm up to him, even if he was kind of a baby whisperer. And I didn’t understand Fern in her decision to take a risk, knowing that her heart could be crushed again. Even if at the same time I admired her bravery. As a character driven reader, not liking Will really dampened my enjoyment and is the main reason for my low rating alongside the lack of groveling. What I would have liked to see more of was grief. Fern just lost her mom. We get passing mentions that she misses her mom and see her reading her diary but I think the story would have gained even more depth if we focused more on the grief stages. I don’t mean to make it a sob story or the core of the book but it was nearly brushed under the rug. Or at least, that’s how I experienced it. As you can see, that book has a lot of assets but also missed the mark for me. Does that mean that Carley Fortune is a “one book” author like she feared? Certainly not as she has proven that she can write. I just hope for her that her next story will “spill out” of her like Every Summer After did. Also, I haven’t looked at any review yet so I might be in the minority here. So go check other opinions (like I’ll do now 😉 ).

it's really hard to say how much I love every single one of Fortune's books. One could think that they're all similar, as they have similar tropes and themes, but no. Every one of them is a unique and beautiful journey and a masterclass on how romance books should be. Thank you for that.

Love this book, as a Canadian it’s nice to continue to read stories taken place near by. Carley’s writing is so hard to put down. Easy, fun, romantic read.

Carley Fortune is one of the bedt romance author I know ! This story is touching and fun. I love every characters.

I was really late to the party with Carley Fortune! For some reason it took me ages to get to reading her first novel Every Summer After so I decided to not wait quite so long to read her next release (although I’m still a bit late!). This one follows the story of Fern Brookbanks who has temporarily moved home to her family’s holiday resort following the death of her mother. An unexpected guest arrives at the resort bringing up more of Fern’s past. The dynamic between Fern and Will is strained in the beginning, partly due to everything Fern is dealing with and partly due to their shared history. Fern is at a crossroads and has a lot of life decisions to make which is explored throughout the story. There is a dual timeline throughout which helps to build up the beginning of Fern and Will’s relationship. It is an emotional journey from start to finish so prepare yourself for that! There are definitely some similarities with Every Summer After so if you enjoyed Carley’s debut then I’m sure you’ll enjoy this one too. I will absolutely be rereading this again, infact I think I might try the audio!

I have read both Meet me at the lake and Every summer after and i can definitely say that Carley Fortune is an amazing writer! Ferm and Will fall in love in just one day but life events take them apart. Years later they find each other again. They are not the same people they used to be. Will their love overcome their life struggles ?