Title: Every Summer After
Author: Carley Fortune
Genre: Romance
Rating: 5/5
“Some people are lucky like that. They meet their best friend, the love of their life, and are wise enough to never let go.”
Summers away at her family’s lake house were always Percy’s favorite place to be. However, that quickly changed after she and the love of her life, Sam, suddenly split ways. Now, after the death of Sam’s mother, Percy finds herself back in Barry’s Bay facing Sam Florek once again. It is undeniable that there is still a strong connection between Percy and Sam, but there is also a large secret that may tear them apart once again.
“Betrayals don’t cancel each other out. They just hurt more.”
Every Summer After is a cute coming of age romance story that takes place in a dual timeline format. The book jumps back and forth between Sam and Percy’s romance story when they were young and the present when they are becoming reacquainted. I loved both stories and felt Carley Fortune did a great job hiding the secret until the end without making it feel unnecessarily prolonged.
Another aspect of their love story that I really liked was the fact that it all felt very realistic. The slow burn of a friendship to romantic relationship made sense for their situation and the circumstances that they broke up also seemed probable. Percy and Sam’s love story in general was very cute. Their innocence when growing up and discovering they liked each other was adorable. It was easy to see that they were destined to be together from the start and it was fun watching them discover that for themselves.
“Three weeks went by as if they were seconds, and my dread formed roots in my feet and grew branches that spread to my shoulders and arms.”
Carley Fortune did a great job with character development in Every Summer After. All of the characters developed unique personalities and were driven by their own motivations. It was interesting seeing their growth throughout the book. A great example is Percy’s friend who at the start of the book I was not a fan of, but by the end, she was one of my favorite characters.
I highly recommend you add Every Summer After to your reading list because it is a great love story that you won’t want to miss!
