Goodreads Choice Awards – Nominee for Best Romance (2022) and Nominee for Best Debut Novel (2022)
Every Summer After by Carley Fortune is an impressive debut novel. The storyline is captivating and easily transported me to the setting.
My Overview
When Percy was thirteen years old, her parents purchased a cottage at Barry’s Bay and they stayed there every summer. Sam and his family lived at Barry’s Bay year-round. For six years, Percy and Sam spent the summer together. They were friends at first, but eventually became each others’ first love. The more time they spent together, the more they knew they’d be together forever.
Unfortunately, a poor decision changed the trajectory of their relationship and their future. From that point forward, Percy and Sam went their own way and spent every summer after away from each other. Years later, when Percy returns to Barry’s Bay for a funeral, she and Sam are both forced to face the past. As the story unfolds, we learn about Percy and Sam’s relationship, and the choices that shaped them and separated them for years. Told in dual timelines (THEN and NOW), the story provides a well-rounded account of each of their experiences and perspectives. More than a decade later, it’s still unclear whether Percy and Sam will be able to overcome their past.
My Recommendation
I was blown away by the descriptive and lyrical writing style, which immediately transported me to Barry’s Bay and introduced me to such special characters. I enjoyed the nostalgic aspect of revisiting each summer throughout the years, as their story was told. Overall, this is a beautiful coming-of-age story about love, trust, and facing the past.
This book reminded me of Love and Other Words. If you enjoyed that one, I think you’ll like this one too.
Have you read this book yet?
