A review by spellbindingtomes
Every Summer After by Carley Fortune

emotional lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘴𝘰 𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦—𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘛𝘸𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦. 𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥 ‘𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦’ 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘮 𝘣𝘪𝘨 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵.

𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐢 𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬:
Persephone Fraser returns to her childhood lakeside town after a decade away, following a major mistake that drove her to the city. She reunites with Sam Florek, her former close friend and romantic interest, for his mother's funeral. The story alternates between their six summers together in the past and a single weekend in the present. It explores their deep connection, the mistakes that tore them apart, and the possibility of reconciliation.



This was my first Carley Fortune book and I really loved her writing! Every Summer After is a bittersweet summer read with nostalgic vibes and well-developed characters. 

Carley's writing really shines, especially in the first half, as we see Percy and Sam's relationship blossom. I enjoyed the past narratives and getting to know Percy, Sam, and Charlie each summer. Sam's character was particularly endearing but I also found myself relating to Percy in some aspects.

Okay, so why did I rate this just short of 4 stars? I was not a huge fan of the big reveal! I had an idea throughout reading what it would be but I didn't expect the exact specifics which made it even worse for me 😫 I think I would've enjoyed it better if the present narrative wasn't so short in time (takes place over one weekend) or if Percy and Sam had more moments of reconciliation but the resolution felt very rushed. 

I don't want to spoil the plot for anyone who hasn't read this. I think this book is still worth the read because Carley's writing was so beautiful, just be prepared for a potentially frustrating ending.

Every Summer After is a book of nostalgia, forgiveness, and the lasting impact of past choices on relationships. 

What to expect:
☀️ childhood friends to lovers 
💛 second chance romance 
☀️ dual timelines 
💛 slow burn
☀️ lake house setting

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