Every Summer After by Carley Fortune

Synopsis:

They say you can never go home again, and for Persephone Fraser, ever since she made the biggest mistake of her life a decade ago, that has felt too true. Instead of glittering summers on the lakeshore of her childhood, she spends them in a stylish apartment in the city, going out with friends, and keeping everyone a safe distance from her heart.

Until she receives the call that sends her racing back to Barry’s Bay and into the orbit of Sam Florek—the man she never thought she’d have to live without.

For six summers, through hazy afternoons on the water and warm summer nights working in his family’s restaurant and curling up together with books—medical textbooks for him and work-in-progress horror short stories for her—Percy and Sam had been inseparable. Eventually that friendship turned into something breathtakingly more, before it fell spectacularly apart.

When Percy returns to the lake for Sam’s mother’s funeral, their connection is as undeniable as it had always been. But until Percy can confront the decisions she made and the years she’s spent punishing herself for them, they’ll never know whether their love might be bigger than the biggest mistakes of their past.

Told over the course of six years and one weekend, Every Summer After is a big, sweeping nostalgic look at love and the people and choices that mark us forever.

Six summers to fall in love. One moment to fall apart. A weekend to get it right.

Tina's Review

@inkedinmudd

Rating: 🧡🧡🧡🧡

First of all, Percy, you a dumb idiot. I cannot tell you how many times I wrote in my book how dumb I thought she was. I have also realized that I don't like reading about teenagers who make horrible decisions. Teenage brains are the worst sometimes, and yes, I know that I would have acted similarly as a teen, but that is not the point. When you discover what Percy did all those years ago, her character went way downhill for me even more.

I enjoyed the dual timeline with the flashbacks to her summers at the lake. And I enjoyed sweet Sam, but Percy did not deserve his goodness. Not at all! Did I want them to get back together after 12 years after what went down? Obviously, but man, it was messy! It's the best way to describe that whole situation.

This book made me feel so much, though. I did not think I would like it because it took me a while to get into it. Around 80 pages in, it took off, and I could not stop reading. Despite its flaws, the story is powerful, moving, emotional, and raw. I haven't bawled my eyes out at a book in such a long time that it was so refreshing to ugly cry at the end.

Jessica's Review

Rating: 💙💙💙💙💙

This book is a five star all the way. Carley captured me from the start with her writhing and description of the town the cabin and everything in between. I felt like I was sitting on dock with sun on my face along with Sam and Percy. I love the small town feel and how real the characters were. This book is so relatable and the heartbreak they go thru is something we have all felt at one time. You could feel all the emotions even the love that Sue had for her boys and the sadness that the loss of a loved one leaves behind. Charlie is a typical big brother and the banter was magical and had me laughing. I love a good, sarcastic character. Definitely would recommend to anyone.

Taylor's Review

@25thavenuewest

Rating: 🖤🖤🖤

I’m feeling conflicted on this one. While I loved the story and the feelings Carley Fortune stirred in my chest, I didn’t much care for the story as a whole.

Sam and Percy exemplify a real life couple. They struggle, learn, grow, and forgive. It was a nice slice-of-life story, but I wanted more…she spends so much time building the story up that when it came time for the fireworks it just left me feeling unsatisfied. I needed a more conclusive ending.

Plainly put, I don’t think I would feel like I missed out if I hadn’t read this one.