This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune Review

With Fall just a few weeks away and my house already decorated, I wanted to finish this warm season up with a review of one of my favorite reads this past Summer, This Summer Will Be Different. I jumped on the Carley Fortune bandwagon when her first novel, Every Summer After, published in 2022. Last year, her second book, Meet Me at the Lake, left me disappointed. But you should NEVER give up on an author! I jumped right into This Summer Will Be Different and it is her best book yet! 

Synopsis

Five years ago Lucy was visiting Bridget, her best friend,  at her hometown on Prince Edward Island. Bridget’s flight was running late so Lucy ventured into town. There she mets a hot bartender and had an amazing night stand that she will remember for the rest of her life. Especially since said bartender was Felix, also known as “Wolf,” and Bridget's brother. 

Lucy and Felix decided to keep their tryst a secret and moved on like it never happened. Over the years, they ran into each other, and each time there was still that connection that could never be acted on. So they continued to ignore it. 

In the present day, Bridget is getting married but has run back home 10 days before her wedding. All Lucy knows is that Bridget has asked her to come, so Lucy makes the eight hour journey to go check on her friend. Of course Felix is there, and together Felix and Lucy try to figure out what is going on with Bridget. The wedding is days away, tension is high, and emotions are running wild. 

Everyone seems to have a secret, but secrets can’t stay quiet forever. 

Review

This Summer Will Be Different is written in the past and present. We get to see how Lucy and Felix met five years ago, and how every meeting has looked since then. This back and forth helped me to see the growth so clearly between the characters, both individually and together. 

This book reminds us that not all love stories are romantic. This is not just a love story between Felix and Lucy, but also about a love story between Lucy and Bridget, and Lucy learning to love herself. Lucy was able to learn from her loss and mistakes while also paving the way for her future. I loved the friendship between Bridget and Lucy and how much they loved each other. Lucy dropped everything for Bridget without knowing why she was needed, and that is the kind of friendship that lasts. 

The sexual tension in this book was off the pages. While the spicy scenes were not explicit, I still felt the connection between Felix and Lucy. Their banter and chemistry made this book what it is: a five star read. 

This book reminds us to continue to follow our dreams, and we can all use that reminder sometimes. Carley has done a phenomenal job writing this novel and I can’t wait to see what she writes next. Make sure to add this book to your TBR right now. 

I got this book through a book exchange with my Salted Caramel Madams, and it was super fun!