Carley Fortune (This Summer Will Be Different) is an expert at capturing the essence of a sparkling summer romance at the lake. As a teen, Alice Everly spent a transformative summer at Barry's Bay, a small lake town, so she decides it is the perfect place for her grandmother to recover from a shattered hip and dampened spirits: "A change of scene. Fresh air. Endless skies. Glittering water. A second trip to the lake."
Alice, now 32, is recently single and struggling with her identity as a photographer, and Barry's Bay reminds her of her first time behind the camera and the photo that changed her life. The subject, three teens in a yellow boat, embodied adolescent feelings of fun and freedom. Alice decides that is exactly what she needs: to feel like she's 17 again. After she accidently lets her cocky and very cute neighbor, Charlie, see her embarrassing bucket list, the pair check off items together and Alice finds that her grandmother's motto, "Good things happen at the lake," might be true. As she falls back in love with Barry's Bay and photography, she also begins to fall for Charlie, who turns out to be one of the boys in the yellow boat.
Fortune smartly intertwines a fun-filled love story with themes of self-discovery and second chances. Charlie first appeared in Fortune's debut novel, Every Summer After, set years before One Golden Summer. Now, his past inspires him to join Alice in jumping off the big rock, going skinny-dipping, and much more. The summer sun shines brightly on their witty banter, sweet moments, and undeniable chemistry, but causes them to wonder if any of it will last after the sun sets on their final day of summer. --Clara Newton, freelance reviewer