By Carly Fortune
Berkley, 2023. 322 pages. Romance
Fern Brookbanks has wasted far too much of her adult life thinking about Will Baxter. She spent just 24 hours in her early twenties with the attractive, idealistic artist, a chance encounter that spiraled into a daylong adventure in Toronto where they made a pact to meet one year later. Fern showed up. Will didn't. At 32, Fern's life doesn't look at all how she once imagined it would. Instead of living in the city, Fern's back home, running her mother's Muskoka lakeside resort. The place is in disarray, her ex-boyfriend's the manager, and Fern doesn't know where to begin. She needs a plan. To her surprise, it comes in the form of Will, who arrives nine years too late, with a suitcase in tow and an offer to help on his lips. But how could she possibly trust this expensive suit wearing mirage who seems nothing like the young man she met all those years ago? Will is hiding something, and Fern's not sure she wants to know what it is. Ten years ago, Will Baxter rescued Fern. Can she do the same for him?
This sweet second chance romance in the vein of Emily Henry makes for the perfect summer read. Fortune sets a beautiful scene with the lakeside resort that provides the setting for most of the story. While Fern is reluctant to be back in Muskoka, the author describes the resort and landscape so vividly and lovingly, it’s difficult not to fall in love with the place. It’s also easy to fall in love with Fern and Will, their whirlwind day spent in Toronto juxtaposed with the present day in Muskoka paints a picture of two individuals naturally drawn to one another. There’s a lot of angst and distrust between the two, but the flashbacks to their first meeting really cement their connection and make them a couple to root for. Fern’s conflicting feelings about being back home while grappling with the death of her mother creates an emotional layer to this otherwise charming romance. Overall, this heartwarming romance is an engaging read that will appeal to lovers of Emily Henry and Christina Lauren.
If you liked Meet Me at the Lake, you might also like:
By Emily Henry
Berkley, 2023. 388 pages. Romance
Harriet and Wyn have been the perfect couple since they met in college. Except, now, for reasons they're still not discussing, they don't. They broke up five months ago and still haven't told their best friends. Which is how they find themselves sharing a bedroom at the Maine cottage that has been their friend group's yearly getaway for the last decade. Only this year, Harriet and Wyn are lying through their teeth while trying not to notice how desperately they still want each other. Because the cottage is for sale, and this is the last week they'll all have together in this place. They can't stand to break their friends' hearts, and so they'll play their parts. Harriet will be the driven surgical resident who never starts a fight, and Wyn will be the laid-back charmer who never lets the cracks show. It's a flawless plan. How hard can it be to fake it for one week in front of those who know you best?
By Christina Lauren
Gallery Books, 2019. 400 pages. Romance
Olive Torres is used to being the unlucky twin: from inexplicable mishaps to a recent layoff, her life seems to be almost comically jinxed. By contrast, her sister Ami is an eternal champion, she even managed to finance her entire wedding by winning a slew of contests. Unfortunately for Olive, the only thing worse than constant bad luck is having to spend the wedding day with the best man (and her nemesis), Ethan Thomas. Olive is determined to put on a brave face, but when the entire wedding party gets food poisoning, the only people who aren't affected are Olive and Ethan. Suddenly there's a free honeymoon up for grabs, and Olive will be damned if Ethan gets to enjoy paradise solo. Agreeing to a temporary truce, the pair head for Maui. After all, ten days of bliss is worth having to assume the role of loving newlyweds, right? But the weird thing is Olive doesn't mind playing pretend. In fact, the more she pretends to be the luckiest woman alive, the more it feels like she might be.
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