Meet Me at the Lake

This book is my favorite book of the summer and deserves a lot more than five stars. I loved the entire story from start to finish, the characters, the twists and turns- even going back in time, which I don’t typically enjoy. Everything wove together perfectly. This book really was a romance masterpiece. Loved, loved, loved.

Nice love story. Took me a little longer to get into this one that her others but still very nice.

3 starsDo 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.ButI 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 😉 ).

The love story of Will and Fern is so special. Just sometimes you know it's right when it's right. One day to lead to a lifetime of love. A great story and determination to make it work.

Enjoyed this book quite a bit- lots of feels and characters were great.

Love Carley's books! They grab you and hold you and you wish they kept on going!

First time reading Carley Fortune & I totally get the hype. Read this with my sister’s for our recent family trip/sister’s book club. I think we officially have a new tradition!I love a dual timeline & this one was phenomenally done. There were times where I’d be so engrossed in one timeline I’d be sad to jump back into the other… just to feel the same in the new timeline. I loved seeing Fern & Will connect during their one day in Toronto & then again throughout his stay at the resort in the present day timeline because they’re truly 2 different love stories that meld together. Overall this was a quick/easy read. It took me a minute to get into it, but once I did I kept wanting more. There’s spice & while scenes aren’t fade to black, I’d say the door is more slightly ajar than fully open. So this is a great entry to a smidge more spice.

I wanted to love this book. I so enjoyed One Golden Summer and Every Summer After. Truly loved them. But this book, the characters, I simply couldn't relate to. Graffiti, tattoos, chipped blue nail polish, bad attitudes of indifference and punk haircuts. Perhaps it's because I grew up in the 60's, but these characters were waste cases. And Annabelle used her brother badly. If you're going to get pregnant and have the baby, grow up and take responsibility. To make a brother take her in as a pseudo wife and raise his niece like his own child and brother feel responsible and guilty all the time is a crime. I didn't like any of the characters. You have to be invested in a character to get through a book. Out of respect for enjoying the books I mentioned at the start of this review , I stuck with it, but halfway through, skipped past the annoying diary entries. I gave the book three stars. I read a lot of books. This didn't cut it. For me.