One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune

2/5 stars

SPOILERS AHEAD

I'm honestly having to force myself to write this review because I don't really have strong feelings about this book at all, other than I'm glad it's over even though I didn't necessarily hate it… 

I feel like all of the new contemporary romance releases this year that I've been excited about (Abby Jimenez's, Emily Henry's, and this one) have been kind of a letdown. I guess realistically I had a feeling this wouldn't be a top read of the year for me since I've had mixed feelings about some of Carley Fortune's books in the past, but they're always very summery and easy to get through. This one was the same for the most part, it just dragged on for way, way too long and I could not have cared less by the end.

Initially I was really enjoying it. I love a book set on a lake and a girl around my age trying to find herself, because it's relatable and I'm always one second away from packing my things up and moving myself out into a cabin on a lake somewhere, and that's what we were getting for the little bit. Alice and I have the same birthday so we have to love that (which means she's a cancer and honestly that explains why I might not like her because jesus christ can we be annoying). Back when I was 16 or so I probably would have seen those teenagers across the lake having a ton of fun and been to scared and anxious to go over there and join them, too. But the memories of watching the yellow boat zoom around the house and those kids have the time of their lives would have stayed with me.

I liked the dynamic between Alice and Charlie, her remembering him from all those summers ago and him being just as charming and flirty as she would have imagined him to be back then. Their little friend dates and how much time Charlie spent with Nan made him incredibly endearing and I did enjoy watching their friendship bloom. I also like that he was a completely different person away from the lake - a full time trader who likes expensive and nice things was such a juxtaposition to who Alice thought he was and I liked that he wasn't just a flirty guy living on a lake goofing around all the time and not taking life seriously. He also gave us a good surprise when he admitted that he had slept with his brother's now-wife Perry, but it felt totally unnecessary and didn't really add anything to the story? Like I get it was to prove to Alice what a fuck boy he is and how he isn't made for relationships, but I think that was pretty apparent by the way everyone in the town talks about him and how he very clearly made his way around when he was younger. It was just for the shock factor and kind of like… okay? It just started getting kind of cringy and kind of boring for the majority of the middle. All the repetition of her name over and over, Alice Everly, Alice Everly, Alice Everly oh my god, and him calling her "trouble" even though she's maybe one of the most normal, dare I say bland, people on that lake. 

Of course it wrapped up how you would expect, Charlie has a heart surgery that he kept from Alice because he didn't want her to get attached and then the pregnant sister-in-law calls once he's out of surgery and she rushes to the hospital and all is forgiven.

I don't know, honestly, I just couldn't really find it in me to care or have big feelings one way or the other. I had to keep forcing myself to listen to it at work or on walks just so I could finish it because it just didn't really keep my interest.  I couldn't really tell you what happened during 75% of this book, but I guess it was okay.