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Barry’s Bay #1
Every Summer After
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Romance (2022), Nominee for Readers' Favorite Debut Novel (2022)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.
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.
320 pages, Paperback
First published May 10, 2022
15.3k people are currently reading
622k people want to read
About the author
Carley Fortune
6 books20.7k followersCarley Fortune is the #1 New York Times and #1 Globe and Mail bestselling author of Every Summer After, Meet Me at the Lake, and This Summer Will Be Different. Her fourth novel, One Golden Summer comes out May 6, 2025. The book takes readers back to Barry's Bay, the setting of Every Summer After.
Carley is an award-winning journalist and worked as an editor at some of Canada’s top publications, including The Globe and Mail, Chatelaine, Toronto Life, and The Grid. She was most recently the Executive Editor of Refinery29 Canada.
Carley spent her young life in the suburbs of Sydney, Australia, and in Barry’s Bay, a tiny lakeside town in rural Ontario.
Carley lives in Toronto with her husband and two sons. Follow her on Instagram @carleyfortune.
Carley is an award-winning journalist and worked as an editor at some of Canada’s top publications, including The Globe and Mail, Chatelaine, Toronto Life, and The Grid. She was most recently the Executive Editor of Refinery29 Canada.
Carley spent her young life in the suburbs of Sydney, Australia, and in Barry’s Bay, a tiny lakeside town in rural Ontario.
Carley lives in Toronto with her husband and two sons. Follow her on Instagram @carleyfortune.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63,869 reviews
August 19, 2024
1.5 stars
”Love and Other Words rip-off with a BONUS trope: CHEATING 😍”
yeah that’s how i’d market this. hire me, Berkley.
0.5 added bc the dry humping / tiddy sucking scene in his car was hot
Hate:
- the chapters felt draggy
- didn’t even bother to compare this to LAOW but it was just too similar that i risked a stroke from constantly cringing
- the cheating drama (we’ll get to that in a sec)
Like:
- the dialogues were cute. not sure abt the characters though lol
- Sam being a tidy-freak and a hot nerd (my kryptonite)
hmm…i think that’s it
SPOILERS ‼️
.
.
.
.
.
listen…. not that i’m ok with her cheating with his brother or anything but Charlie was kinda HOT. it took me some time to see that but personally, i would’ve gone for him when he first kissed her instead of Sam. Charlie’s 100% way more fun and interesting so i want his book asap 💥💳💥💳
🚩how the cheating went down:
—> Sam was offered to study somewhere far and didn’t tell Percy bc he didn’t want her to worry
—> Percy got sad when she found out and felt like he didn’t care abt her or their relationship
—> LDR began and Sam was stressed with school and had less time to talk to Percy
—> Sam got even more stressed with school and suggested that they take a break from each other so he can focus on himself and achieve his dream - he told her this
—> Percy got upset and didn’t respond to him
—> Percy confided in Charlie (Sam’s bro) and soon found out that Charlie actually sorta has a crush on her
—> Percy reciprocated when he flirted and decided to fuck him bc she was desperate to feel needed and desired. yes, and she was VERY sober (even better - Charlie was her first)
me, reading this chapter:
—> Percy then immediately regretted it the next morning lol
~end scene~
let focus on the fact that the ENTIRE time she was flirting back and making out with Charlie, Sam didn’t cross Percy’s mind even for A MILLISECOND. she kept claiming how he was the love of her life and whatnot but with one single heartbreak, suddenly it’s like Sam didn’t even exist to her.
People are so easy to forgive her but i bet my ass that if roles were reversed yall would’ve been raging!!!
Imagine if it were Sam who slept with Percy’s sister bc “he wasn’t getting any attention or validation” from Percy while she was far away from home, struggling in school to chase her dreams.
oh yeah, it’s totally ok bc he was feeling really lonely and unwanted huh :’c
i mean Percy hasn’t been calling him and was too focused on school instead of their relationship so his decision to fuck her sister would TOTALLY be understandable, riiight?
seriously…just sit and actually THINK.
My LAST STRAW : Sam apologizing and said that it was his fault that she cheated…WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?!?!?
not my bro gaslighting himself 😭😭😭
just imagine if it was the girl apologizing for not giving enough love and attention to her boyfriend who cheated on her with her sister…
*sighs* 😞😔
so anyway…to sir Charlie
”Love and Other Words rip-off with a BONUS trope: CHEATING 😍”
yeah that’s how i’d market this. hire me, Berkley.
0.5 added bc the dry humping / tiddy sucking scene in his car was hot
Hate:
- the chapters felt draggy
- didn’t even bother to compare this to LAOW but it was just too similar that i risked a stroke from constantly cringing
- the cheating drama (we’ll get to that in a sec)
Like:
- the dialogues were cute. not sure abt the characters though lol
- Sam being a tidy-freak and a hot nerd (my kryptonite)
hmm…i think that’s it
SPOILERS ‼️
.
.
.
.
.
listen…. not that i’m ok with her cheating with his brother or anything but Charlie was kinda HOT. it took me some time to see that but personally, i would’ve gone for him when he first kissed her instead of Sam. Charlie’s 100% way more fun and interesting so i want his book asap 💥💳💥💳
🚩how the cheating went down:
—> Sam was offered to study somewhere far and didn’t tell Percy bc he didn’t want her to worry
—> Percy got sad when she found out and felt like he didn’t care abt her or their relationship
—> LDR began and Sam was stressed with school and had less time to talk to Percy
—> Sam got even more stressed with school and suggested that they take a break from each other so he can focus on himself and achieve his dream - he told her this
—> Percy got upset and didn’t respond to him
—> Percy confided in Charlie (Sam’s bro) and soon found out that Charlie actually sorta has a crush on her
—> Percy reciprocated when he flirted and decided to fuck him bc she was desperate to feel needed and desired. yes, and she was VERY sober (even better - Charlie was her first)
me, reading this chapter:
—> Percy then immediately regretted it the next morning lol
~end scene~
let focus on the fact that the ENTIRE time she was flirting back and making out with Charlie, Sam didn’t cross Percy’s mind even for A MILLISECOND. she kept claiming how he was the love of her life and whatnot but with one single heartbreak, suddenly it’s like Sam didn’t even exist to her.
People are so easy to forgive her but i bet my ass that if roles were reversed yall would’ve been raging!!!
Imagine if it were Sam who slept with Percy’s sister bc “he wasn’t getting any attention or validation” from Percy while she was far away from home, struggling in school to chase her dreams.
oh yeah, it’s totally ok bc he was feeling really lonely and unwanted huh :’c
i mean Percy hasn’t been calling him and was too focused on school instead of their relationship so his decision to fuck her sister would TOTALLY be understandable, riiight?
seriously…just sit and actually THINK.
My LAST STRAW : Sam apologizing and said that it was his fault that she cheated…WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?!?!?
not my bro gaslighting himself 😭😭😭
just imagine if it was the girl apologizing for not giving enough love and attention to her boyfriend who cheated on her with her sister…
*sighs* 😞😔
so anyway…to sir Charlie
Read
June 29, 2022I haven't a read a book in a day because I legitimately couldn't bring myself to put it down in a loooong time. But I loved this. Full disclosure, I'm a huge fan of friends to lovers and second chance romance, and this features both of those tropes but does it so well. From the past to the present this was a beautiful love story with characters I fell in love with. Just so dang good. If you like Emily Henry, this is right up your alley.
June 10, 2022
ugh my heart hurts. love is messy. sam and percy are proof of that. this is a good but not great. it was kinda predictable but still an enjoyable read. i would have loved to read a Sam pov and read about his thoughts on Percy and what happened between them. the ending was kinda rushed but it ended sweetly :)
May 22, 2022
christina lauren should sue for copyright infringement
August 9, 2022
so THIS is what the girls were hyping up???
August 5, 2022
"I loved you."
"I know."
"You broke my heart."
"I know that too."
This was a decent read yet, it had its ups and downs. I laughed in some places, cried in others. Loved it in some places, hated in others. I know, it's a bit confusing but hear me out...
The book starts off really well. Giving such perfect relaxing summer vibes. The pacing stays consistent throughout the book- slow. I did not mind that much cause it kept me interested enough. The book somewhere along the middle drifted towards lot of drama. I didn't dread it, but I wasn't a fan of it either. It drag on a bit too much. The books is 70% flashbacks and 30% in the present. I personally would have preferred it to be more in the "now".
The characters are not complex and I find them to be messy. Our FMC- Percy, is our Meredith Grey's version of "pick me. Choose me. Love me." Percy is also a pushover and it's not until the latter half of the book we see her stand up for herself (a little). Even in her thirties, she has a bit of immaturity about herself. "But am such a mess. And he's a doctor." Honestly, that's very unlikable sort of thinking. I can see why that kind of personality would not work for many readers, there were times when she annoyed me but it didn't bother me much.
Sam knows how to be charming but at the same time he knows how to be a jerk. And he doesn't know how to change that about himself. He gives mixed signals but expects Percy to always be there for him. It was so frustrating to read. I did however like this quote from him, "You and me are special. There’s no one else I’d rather spend time with than you. There’s no one else I’d rather talk to than you. And there’s no one else I’d rather kiss than you."
Charles or Charlie, Sam's brother was quite likable and had that sort of flirty nature to him. I did not mind his personality. The only character development in this book was of Delilah. She turned out to be a better friend than I was expecting her to be.
❌ POTENTIAL MINOR SPOILERS❌
The "big" reveal wasn't big. I saw it coming ages ago, and I was immensely disappointed. I loathe the cheating trope and when that was revealed, it immediately took a lot away from the book (in my opinion). And it was brushed away within a few passages. If you're going to be dramatic throughout the book, give me more drama for that as well. If you're still going to be together, give me an apt communication for that. I do hold all three main characters accountable, especially the one who cheated.
If you all can get past all of this, you should give it a shot. Otherwise, you're not missing out on something great.
⚠️Trigger warnings- Cheating, death of a loved one, grief.⚠️
"I know."
"You broke my heart."
"I know that too."
This was a decent read yet, it had its ups and downs. I laughed in some places, cried in others. Loved it in some places, hated in others. I know, it's a bit confusing but hear me out...
The book starts off really well. Giving such perfect relaxing summer vibes. The pacing stays consistent throughout the book- slow. I did not mind that much cause it kept me interested enough. The book somewhere along the middle drifted towards lot of drama. I didn't dread it, but I wasn't a fan of it either. It drag on a bit too much. The books is 70% flashbacks and 30% in the present. I personally would have preferred it to be more in the "now".
The characters are not complex and I find them to be messy. Our FMC- Percy, is our Meredith Grey's version of "pick me. Choose me. Love me." Percy is also a pushover and it's not until the latter half of the book we see her stand up for herself (a little). Even in her thirties, she has a bit of immaturity about herself. "But am such a mess. And he's a doctor." Honestly, that's very unlikable sort of thinking. I can see why that kind of personality would not work for many readers, there were times when she annoyed me but it didn't bother me much.
Sam knows how to be charming but at the same time he knows how to be a jerk. And he doesn't know how to change that about himself. He gives mixed signals but expects Percy to always be there for him. It was so frustrating to read. I did however like this quote from him, "You and me are special. There’s no one else I’d rather spend time with than you. There’s no one else I’d rather talk to than you. And there’s no one else I’d rather kiss than you."
Charles or Charlie, Sam's brother was quite likable and had that sort of flirty nature to him. I did not mind his personality. The only character development in this book was of Delilah. She turned out to be a better friend than I was expecting her to be.
❌ POTENTIAL MINOR SPOILERS❌
The "big" reveal wasn't big. I saw it coming ages ago, and I was immensely disappointed. I loathe the cheating trope and when that was revealed, it immediately took a lot away from the book (in my opinion). And it was brushed away within a few passages. If you're going to be dramatic throughout the book, give me more drama for that as well. If you're still going to be together, give me an apt communication for that. I do hold all three main characters accountable, especially the one who cheated.
If you all can get past all of this, you should give it a shot. Otherwise, you're not missing out on something great.
⚠️Trigger warnings- Cheating, death of a loved one, grief.⚠️
August 9, 2022
there are some books that you know are going to be worth 5 stars even before you read the first page. and this was one of them for me.
the synopsis reminded me so much of ‘love and other words,’ which is one of my all time favourite stories. and i knew this one would be as well. this has the same amount of heart, childhood longing, and second chances.
this book gave me the nostalgia i never had - memories of lazy summer days and falling for the boy next door.
so obsessed.
↠ 5 stars
the synopsis reminded me so much of ‘love and other words,’ which is one of my all time favourite stories. and i knew this one would be as well. this has the same amount of heart, childhood longing, and second chances.
this book gave me the nostalgia i never had - memories of lazy summer days and falling for the boy next door.
so obsessed.
↠ 5 stars
August 11, 2022
2 stars:
I loved loved the flashbacks,
I hated the plottwist and Percy’s biggest regret,
I did not enjoy the ending at all especially cause it was so fast paced,
Sam and Percy should not have ended up together
I get that people will like forgive and forget things loved ones did to them but Sam deserved better. I know why Percy ended up in that situation in the first place but I am not even going to lie, that’s no excuse and it was excused.
Sam was wayyyyyy too eager but his emails made sense on what he wanted to focus on. Charlie annoyed me throughout the entire book and I did not know how to feel about Percy’s best friend.
I was really confused on what the plottwist was going to be and it ruined Percy’s character for me and any good things I liked and praised about her.
I don’t get Sam and why he forgave her especially after sooooo many years.
I loved loved the flashbacks,
I hated the plottwist and Percy’s biggest regret,
I did not enjoy the ending at all especially cause it was so fast paced,
Sam and Percy should not have ended up together
I get that people will like forgive and forget things loved ones did to them but Sam deserved better. I know why Percy ended up in that situation in the first place but I am not even going to lie, that’s no excuse and it was excused.
Sam was wayyyyyy too eager but his emails made sense on what he wanted to focus on. Charlie annoyed me throughout the entire book and I did not know how to feel about Percy’s best friend.
I was really confused on what the plottwist was going to be and it ruined Percy’s character for me and any good things I liked and praised about her.
I don’t get Sam and why he forgave her especially after sooooo many years.
May 11, 2022
Outlier alert!
Let me start out by saying that there are many great reviews for this book, so if the synopsis appeals to you, go read those reviews and take mine with a grain of salt. One of the reasons this book didn't connect with me was that I just got finished reading another coming of age novel (Our Little World ) which I thought was much better and rang more authentic, so I couldn't help but compare.
This is a story told in two timelines: When Persephone is thirteen, her parents buy a lake house on Barry's Bay and she meets brothers Sam and Charlie, and they become friends. Sam and Percy develop a very close friendship over the years, which eventually turns to romance. Something happens that splinters the relationship and Sam and Percy haven't spoken for twelve years. Until Charlie calls with the news that their mother has died, and since she was like a second mom to Percy over the years, Percy returns to Barry's Bay for the funeral and to see Sam again.
The Canadian setting is fantastic and well described. I got a real sense of place with this book and would love to visit the places the author talks about.
What didn't really work for me:
So much of this book feels like a really bad YA novel. The dialogue is stilted and unrealistic, and I realize that teenagers are super focused on sex but some of the scenes involving those situations were just cringey to me. Instead of talking about their feelings, everyone is jumping into bed at the slightest provocation (even as adults).
I could never get a real sense of the time period. If the present day was really the present day, then Sam would have gone to college in 2010. Why was she calling him on the "dorm phone"--why didn't he have a cell phone? She mentions texting a little bit and email, but it felt off the with the way they were communicating with each other.
I called the "big twist" way before it was revealed, I know that others might like that the author waited until 80% into the book to reveal it, but it felt to me as if it was drawn out for longer than it needed to. Plus...anyone who has read my reviews knows how I feel about
Overall, I don't feel like I read the same book as everyone else who adored it. I didn't connect with the characters and got alternately bored and annoyed with them throughout the book. You may like this if you're looking for a beach read, and I'm definitely the outlier because many of my trusted reviewer friends loved it.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
Let me start out by saying that there are many great reviews for this book, so if the synopsis appeals to you, go read those reviews and take mine with a grain of salt. One of the reasons this book didn't connect with me was that I just got finished reading another coming of age novel (Our Little World ) which I thought was much better and rang more authentic, so I couldn't help but compare.
This is a story told in two timelines: When Persephone is thirteen, her parents buy a lake house on Barry's Bay and she meets brothers Sam and Charlie, and they become friends. Sam and Percy develop a very close friendship over the years, which eventually turns to romance. Something happens that splinters the relationship and Sam and Percy haven't spoken for twelve years. Until Charlie calls with the news that their mother has died, and since she was like a second mom to Percy over the years, Percy returns to Barry's Bay for the funeral and to see Sam again.
The Canadian setting is fantastic and well described. I got a real sense of place with this book and would love to visit the places the author talks about.
What didn't really work for me:
So much of this book feels like a really bad YA novel. The dialogue is stilted and unrealistic, and I realize that teenagers are super focused on sex but some of the scenes involving those situations were just cringey to me. Instead of talking about their feelings, everyone is jumping into bed at the slightest provocation (even as adults).
I could never get a real sense of the time period. If the present day was really the present day, then Sam would have gone to college in 2010. Why was she calling him on the "dorm phone"--why didn't he have a cell phone? She mentions texting a little bit and email, but it felt off the with the way they were communicating with each other.
I called the "big twist" way before it was revealed, I know that others might like that the author waited until 80% into the book to reveal it, but it felt to me as if it was drawn out for longer than it needed to. Plus...anyone who has read my reviews knows how I feel about
Overall, I don't feel like I read the same book as everyone else who adored it. I didn't connect with the characters and got alternately bored and annoyed with them throughout the book. You may like this if you're looking for a beach read, and I'm definitely the outlier because many of my trusted reviewer friends loved it.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
February 17, 2023
Every Summer After by Carley Fortune
I love the cover of this book because that's how it starts, a boy and a girl, thirteen years old, meet and become best friends, spending holidays and summers together, thinking of each other when they aren't with each other. They even wear friendship bracelets that Percy made, Sam never takes his off. I felt like their two houses, next door to each other, were real places that I could actually visit. That I could walk out of either door and walk down to the docks and jump into the lake.
Sam and Percy meet when Percy's parents buy the lake cabin next door to the house where Sam lives year round, with his mom and his brother, Charlie. Percy wants to be a writer someday and Sam reads what she writes and encourages her to keep on writing. Sam wants to be a doctor someday, driven by the cardio problems that caused his father's early death. Then there is Charlie, two years older than Sam, always wise cracking, always with a girlfriend or two or three.
But something happened when Sam and Percy were eighteen and they never spoke again. Now, twelve years later, Sam and Charlie's mom has died and Charlie has asked her to come to the funeral. Percy loved their mother, she was like a second mother to her, so she goes back to Barry Bay, despite the fact that she is going to see Sam again. She needs to apologize to him for what she did that caused her to walk away from him. The guilt has been with her all these years and she knows she needs to confess to him what she's done.
The story starts with the present and then takes us back over the six years that Sam and Percy had together as best friends and more. We go back and forth from the present to those six years where we watch their relationship evolve, until it falls apart, leaving Percy shattered and unable to have a meaningful relationship with anyone else. Sam, Charlie, and Percy seem so real and my heart ached for them. The alternating timelines worked very well here and I didn't even mind that there was this big secret of Percy's that isn't revealed to us until almost the end of the story. This is about friendship, romance, and family and about not ever being able to let go. It's a very satisfying story and it felt so very real.
Pub May 10, 2022
Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for this ARC.
I love the cover of this book because that's how it starts, a boy and a girl, thirteen years old, meet and become best friends, spending holidays and summers together, thinking of each other when they aren't with each other. They even wear friendship bracelets that Percy made, Sam never takes his off. I felt like their two houses, next door to each other, were real places that I could actually visit. That I could walk out of either door and walk down to the docks and jump into the lake.
Sam and Percy meet when Percy's parents buy the lake cabin next door to the house where Sam lives year round, with his mom and his brother, Charlie. Percy wants to be a writer someday and Sam reads what she writes and encourages her to keep on writing. Sam wants to be a doctor someday, driven by the cardio problems that caused his father's early death. Then there is Charlie, two years older than Sam, always wise cracking, always with a girlfriend or two or three.
But something happened when Sam and Percy were eighteen and they never spoke again. Now, twelve years later, Sam and Charlie's mom has died and Charlie has asked her to come to the funeral. Percy loved their mother, she was like a second mother to her, so she goes back to Barry Bay, despite the fact that she is going to see Sam again. She needs to apologize to him for what she did that caused her to walk away from him. The guilt has been with her all these years and she knows she needs to confess to him what she's done.
The story starts with the present and then takes us back over the six years that Sam and Percy had together as best friends and more. We go back and forth from the present to those six years where we watch their relationship evolve, until it falls apart, leaving Percy shattered and unable to have a meaningful relationship with anyone else. Sam, Charlie, and Percy seem so real and my heart ached for them. The alternating timelines worked very well here and I didn't even mind that there was this big secret of Percy's that isn't revealed to us until almost the end of the story. This is about friendship, romance, and family and about not ever being able to let go. It's a very satisfying story and it felt so very real.
Pub May 10, 2022
Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for this ARC.
December 10, 2022
Oh god! My heart is so close to explode after overloading of extreme angst and heartbreak!
When I read the blurb: I was so sure Sam and Percy will be my ruin! Literally my eyes cried out! I barely opened my eyes to read last chapters!
This is effective blend of betrayal, longing, lies, secrets, anxiety issues, grief with well developed character and truly well written angsty- tear jerker! 12 years long story is perfectly told by moving us back and forth between past and present to understand more about mistakes, resentments, unresolved issues of those two lovers!
I’m so happy to be introduced with brand new author who knows how to make me cry so loud! My emotions are absolutely everywhere!
I was so close to five stars! The reason why I didn’t: I truly wished to read events from Sam’s perspective! It may give us more realistic approach to lovers’ story!
But overall: I truly loved this book and ai highly recommend it!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
When I read the blurb: I was so sure Sam and Percy will be my ruin! Literally my eyes cried out! I barely opened my eyes to read last chapters!
This is effective blend of betrayal, longing, lies, secrets, anxiety issues, grief with well developed character and truly well written angsty- tear jerker! 12 years long story is perfectly told by moving us back and forth between past and present to understand more about mistakes, resentments, unresolved issues of those two lovers!
I’m so happy to be introduced with brand new author who knows how to make me cry so loud! My emotions are absolutely everywhere!
I was so close to five stars! The reason why I didn’t: I truly wished to read events from Sam’s perspective! It may give us more realistic approach to lovers’ story!
But overall: I truly loved this book and ai highly recommend it!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
May 25, 2022
This is my new favorite book of all time😩 I’ve been crying for the past 20 minutes. I can’t even put into words how much I loved this book💗 it has my whole heart. Please read it💗
May 12, 2022
1.5 ✨
This may be a case of false marketing, but I’m still mad about it regardless. I don’t want to take away from the people who loved this book and future readers who might love it as well, but I did not vibe with it at all.
This book read like a YA novel. The “past” chapters/timeline was way more fleshed out, detailed, and poignant than the “now” chapters/timelines. With that in mind, I didn’t mind reading about 13 year olds having harmless crushes at first for the sake of the trope, but when what felt like 75% of the book was reading from a horny teenager’s perspective as the book went on, adult me was actually pretty uncomfortable with it.
“Coming of age” is a tag. Where? Where was the character development? What happened that either of these characters “came of age?” None whatsoever. Speaking of character development, there wasn’t any. In this entire 300-page novel, we get no growth. Only SEVENTEEN YEARS OF MISCOMMUNICATION. Do you know how infuriating that is? It’s brutal. Persephone (“Percy”) is the same as she was at thirteen and at thirty. Can’t have a conversation with her “the one.” I can’t. Please. If you can’t even have some sort of conversation, how can you actually truly make that work? Unbelievable.
Don’t even get me started one the TWIST. I saw this from the very first interactions the characters had. It’s clear as day. Even so, I am ANGRY that the author chose to go this direction. And I’m even ANGRIER that reconciliation was hmm, idk, 4 pages and then we get an epilogue and a HEA? Way too much painful, irrelevant build up and not enough pay off.
Sam, the love interest, was the saving grace of this book but adult Sam is an idiot.
for the reviewers that mentioned this book is reminiscent of Love and Other Words, you were not wrong. We have the same sort of set up but with a few different variables. I was hoping for a fresh take on the childhood friends to lovers to strangers to lovers, but we barely got any character time with them as adults. It literally takes place over 2 days. This didn’t feel like a “second chance” romance because the second chance took place over 1 barely-there chapter and they barely spoke about THE THING that caused them to stop talking. Instead of focusing on all the before, I wish we got the angst of their early 20’s instead of all the early adolescent uncomfortableness. And then had an actual second chance. Not a *poof* HEA after 1 conversation. I feel robbed.
1.5 stars because the writing was really well done. As a debut novel, Carley really captured the setting and (albeit annoying) voice of Percy. I’ll keep an open mind on future books because her writing was really easy to read and get into. I just hated the execution.
——
I need to sleep on this before I rate it. I don’t know how I feel about it.
——
Apparently this is reminiscent of Love and Other Words so I immediately preordered it 😌
This may be a case of false marketing, but I’m still mad about it regardless. I don’t want to take away from the people who loved this book and future readers who might love it as well, but I did not vibe with it at all.
This book read like a YA novel. The “past” chapters/timeline was way more fleshed out, detailed, and poignant than the “now” chapters/timelines. With that in mind, I didn’t mind reading about 13 year olds having harmless crushes at first for the sake of the trope, but when what felt like 75% of the book was reading from a horny teenager’s perspective as the book went on, adult me was actually pretty uncomfortable with it.
“Coming of age” is a tag. Where? Where was the character development? What happened that either of these characters “came of age?” None whatsoever. Speaking of character development, there wasn’t any. In this entire 300-page novel, we get no growth. Only SEVENTEEN YEARS OF MISCOMMUNICATION. Do you know how infuriating that is? It’s brutal. Persephone (“Percy”) is the same as she was at thirteen and at thirty. Can’t have a conversation with her “the one.” I can’t. Please. If you can’t even have some sort of conversation, how can you actually truly make that work? Unbelievable.
Don’t even get me started one the TWIST. I saw this from the very first interactions the characters had. It’s clear as day. Even so, I am ANGRY that the author chose to go this direction. And I’m even ANGRIER that reconciliation was hmm, idk, 4 pages and then we get an epilogue and a HEA? Way too much painful, irrelevant build up and not enough pay off.
Sam, the love interest, was the saving grace of this book but adult Sam is an idiot.
for the reviewers that mentioned this book is reminiscent of Love and Other Words, you were not wrong. We have the same sort of set up but with a few different variables. I was hoping for a fresh take on the childhood friends to lovers to strangers to lovers, but we barely got any character time with them as adults. It literally takes place over 2 days. This didn’t feel like a “second chance” romance because the second chance took place over 1 barely-there chapter and they barely spoke about THE THING that caused them to stop talking. Instead of focusing on all the before, I wish we got the angst of their early 20’s instead of all the early adolescent uncomfortableness. And then had an actual second chance. Not a *poof* HEA after 1 conversation. I feel robbed.
1.5 stars because the writing was really well done. As a debut novel, Carley really captured the setting and (albeit annoying) voice of Percy. I’ll keep an open mind on future books because her writing was really easy to read and get into. I just hated the execution.
——
I need to sleep on this before I rate it. I don’t know how I feel about it.
——
Apparently this is reminiscent of Love and Other Words so I immediately preordered it 😌
May 10, 2022
I had a feeling when I first saw the cover for this, I was going to love it. I wasn’t prepared for just how much! I think I left a piece of my heart on every page!
Breathtaking, emotional, vulnerable, tender, intense, beautiful, funny and oh so REAL - those are just some of the words I’d use to describe this stunning debut novel from Carley Fortune, and even then I can’t do it justice. I felt every moment of this book. I smiled, I laughed, my heart raced, sometimes it truly hurt, but at every single moment I was experiencing this book as if I was there, and it’s such a rare book that takes me to that place.
Percy (Persephone) Fraser and Sam Florek meet when they’re 13-years old and her family buys a summer lake cottage in Barry’s Bay next to the one he lives in year-round with his mom, Sue, and older brother, Charlie. They become best friends, spending summers and holidays together each year until Percy returns to Toronto for school. Her independence and wit complement Sam’s intelligence and sensitivity, and together they bond over her writing and love of horror movies, swimming, working together at Sue’s restaurant, and their ritual “three updates” they offer one another every time they talk after an absence. For six summers their friendship evolves and deepens until their future looks clear … until something happens and it isn’t. Now, Percy, who’s returned to Barry’s Bay 12-years after last seeing Sam, wonders if she’s destroyed that future forever.
This is a story about love, friendship and all the messiness that comes with it. Because it switches back and forth between the past and present, and a large chunk of the book is retelling the events of those six summers as teenagers, you might wonder if it reads YA. It doesn’t, even though there’s a coming of age element. It’s refreshingly mature, and I ADORED Percy and Sam, both as teens and as adults. Their friendship was so utterly charming, and I wanted all the good things for them both! The past timeline captures the curiosity, confusion and hunger of being young and seeing friendship become something more, and the present one explores what happens when love has to find its way back. I’ll give fair warning that the story doesn’t hold back on the ‘relational’ details, so you might be blushing your way through parts!
If you love a character-rich, emotionally evocative, BEAUTIFULLY written story that explores what love feels like, both good and bad, this is one you won’t want to miss! It will definitely be in my all-time favorites, and there would have to be something truly stellar to surpass it as my favorite book for this year!
★★★★★ (5 glowing, heart-quivering stars) ❤
Thanks to Berkley Publishing Group, NetGalley, and author Carley Fortune for this ARC. My opinions have been given freely and honestly. This will be published May 10, 2022.
Breathtaking, emotional, vulnerable, tender, intense, beautiful, funny and oh so REAL - those are just some of the words I’d use to describe this stunning debut novel from Carley Fortune, and even then I can’t do it justice. I felt every moment of this book. I smiled, I laughed, my heart raced, sometimes it truly hurt, but at every single moment I was experiencing this book as if I was there, and it’s such a rare book that takes me to that place.
Percy (Persephone) Fraser and Sam Florek meet when they’re 13-years old and her family buys a summer lake cottage in Barry’s Bay next to the one he lives in year-round with his mom, Sue, and older brother, Charlie. They become best friends, spending summers and holidays together each year until Percy returns to Toronto for school. Her independence and wit complement Sam’s intelligence and sensitivity, and together they bond over her writing and love of horror movies, swimming, working together at Sue’s restaurant, and their ritual “three updates” they offer one another every time they talk after an absence. For six summers their friendship evolves and deepens until their future looks clear … until something happens and it isn’t. Now, Percy, who’s returned to Barry’s Bay 12-years after last seeing Sam, wonders if she’s destroyed that future forever.
This is a story about love, friendship and all the messiness that comes with it. Because it switches back and forth between the past and present, and a large chunk of the book is retelling the events of those six summers as teenagers, you might wonder if it reads YA. It doesn’t, even though there’s a coming of age element. It’s refreshingly mature, and I ADORED Percy and Sam, both as teens and as adults. Their friendship was so utterly charming, and I wanted all the good things for them both! The past timeline captures the curiosity, confusion and hunger of being young and seeing friendship become something more, and the present one explores what happens when love has to find its way back. I’ll give fair warning that the story doesn’t hold back on the ‘relational’ details, so you might be blushing your way through parts!
If you love a character-rich, emotionally evocative, BEAUTIFULLY written story that explores what love feels like, both good and bad, this is one you won’t want to miss! It will definitely be in my all-time favorites, and there would have to be something truly stellar to surpass it as my favorite book for this year!
★★★★★ (5 glowing, heart-quivering stars) ❤
Thanks to Berkley Publishing Group, NetGalley, and author Carley Fortune for this ARC. My opinions have been given freely and honestly. This will be published May 10, 2022.
August 19, 2023
My dog's name is Percy. I couldn't take this seriously. This girl was annoying as fuck.
July 8, 2022
I don’t think I have ever despised a main character more
May 13, 2022
this was basically love and other words except i have zero words.
May 11, 2022
How can a book be so good and sweet until the last 10% and then everything turns into a car crash of epic proportions.
I’m super disappointed and upset because I loved the childhood friendship between the hero and heroine and while I expected something big as the fallout, I didn’t expect that. I was utterly shocked and it made me sick to my stomach
The ending is super rushed and doesn’t feel realistic because of that.
I’m so disappointed
I’m super disappointed and upset because I loved the childhood friendship between the hero and heroine and while I expected something big as the fallout, I didn’t expect that. I was utterly shocked and it made me sick to my stomach
The ending is super rushed and doesn’t feel realistic because of that.
I’m so disappointed
January 12, 2024
i could’ve just called my ex if i wanted cheating 😀
July 19, 2022
4.5 stars!! Sooo good! I literally could not put it down. Perfect if you're looking for a summer romance. It takes place over 6 summers at a lake house. And it's childhood friends to lovers which I love! I do have 2 complaints and am so sad this wasn't a 5 star read for me because it almost almost was. Firstly, the ending wasn't my favorite. It made me kind of dislike the main character. And secondly this book is SO similar to Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren in overall plot and in little details. It really surprised me how similar they were. I totally understand there are only so many romance tropes, plot points, etc. but at certain parts I kind of felt like I was rereading L&OW. Overall though I LOVED this book. Please add it to your TBR!!
June 13, 2022
Another great Canadian alert! 🇨🇦 Kudos to Carley Fortune and her debut novel.
This is the perfect summer read that will bring out nostalgic memories for some. I just love this particular cover (although both covers are fab!) ☀️
This is a coming-of-age type of romance novel. Did it feel a bit YA?...yes in parts but it worked for me.
Persephone Fraser (otherwise known as Percy) and Sam Florek meet at 13 years of age when Percy's parents purchase the cottage next door to Sam's home. The story goes back and forth in time from the past to the present. In the past time setting we see how Percy and Sam meet and spend 6 summers together falling in love. Something happens when they are 18 years old and they no longer speak to each other. In the present time Sam's mother has died and Percy is called back to the lake town for her funeral. They have not seen each other for 12 years at this point.
What a refreshing change to read about a Canadian setting in Eastern Ontario's cottage country. I want to visit Barry's Bay in the summer and find a tavern that serves homemade pierogis! 😋 The author grew up in the area and now spends some time there every summer with her family. The nostalgia and love comes alive vividly in her writing. The twist was a little predictable but still a very enjoyable and entertaining book.
I'd like to thank NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for granting me access to this Advance Reader Copy.
This is the perfect summer read that will bring out nostalgic memories for some. I just love this particular cover (although both covers are fab!) ☀️
This is a coming-of-age type of romance novel. Did it feel a bit YA?...yes in parts but it worked for me.
Persephone Fraser (otherwise known as Percy) and Sam Florek meet at 13 years of age when Percy's parents purchase the cottage next door to Sam's home. The story goes back and forth in time from the past to the present. In the past time setting we see how Percy and Sam meet and spend 6 summers together falling in love. Something happens when they are 18 years old and they no longer speak to each other. In the present time Sam's mother has died and Percy is called back to the lake town for her funeral. They have not seen each other for 12 years at this point.
What a refreshing change to read about a Canadian setting in Eastern Ontario's cottage country. I want to visit Barry's Bay in the summer and find a tavern that serves homemade pierogis! 😋 The author grew up in the area and now spends some time there every summer with her family. The nostalgia and love comes alive vividly in her writing. The twist was a little predictable but still a very enjoyable and entertaining book.
I'd like to thank NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for granting me access to this Advance Reader Copy.
July 28, 2022
I need to think on my rating for this one..
The first half was an absolute joy to read, I was obsessed, but the end part was a mess and I didn't like the twist (which I saw coming and dreaded) and how little time was spent on the fall out and in the present day timeline..
The first half was an absolute joy to read, I was obsessed, but the end part was a mess and I didn't like the twist (which I saw coming and dreaded) and how little time was spent on the fall out and in the present day timeline..
July 5, 2022
If I could give this book 10 stars I would!! This was hands down the best book I've read in what feels like months! When I bought this book I knew people were already loving it but I did not expect to love it as much as I did! More than just a good summer read this was a beautiful story about second chances and the love between two people that manages to stay intact even after not seeing each other for over a decade. This story is about childhood best friends that share a once in a lifetime connection from day one. However, Percy, the main character makes a huge mistake that leads to them ending not just their relationship but their friendship. The book does an amazing job of taking you through the past and the present. The past was all the summers that led up to their falling out at 17 years old. The present is them now at 30 years old being forced to reunite for the sad reason of someone special to both of them passing away. The reason for their falling out was kept a mystery throughout the book which made it impossible to put down! I could talk about this book for hours... lol I'm obsessed with this book!
September 5, 2024
4.75 stars ⭐️
⤷ minor spoilers ahead!! ⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ ࣪
thank you sweet enqi for introducing me to this book. i would have never picked it up if it wasn’t for you 💘
this was such a beautiful read. i couldn’t put this book down despite being in a terrible reading slump.
ᡣ𐭩.ᐟ sam
i wish i had a childhood boy best friend like sam 😫 i would’ve fallen for him too. my only problem with him was that he kept confusing percy, and the way he distanced himself during their long-distance relationship was not it. i understand why he did what he did, but it wasn’t fair to percy.
ᡣ𐭩.ᐟ percy
percy was alright. i neither loved nor hated her. i can’t believe it took me so long to figure out what she did 12 years ago though. i only started suspecting it at the 80% mark of the book 🤦🏻♀️ anywayyy, being sad doesn’t justify cheating, period ‼️ i don’t know how sam was so understanding and forgave her, but i’m glad it worked out for them in the end.
ᡣ𐭩.ᐟ sam and percy
despite everything, i truly loved sam and percy’s friendship and relationship so much, and their chemistry was 🤌🏻🤌🏻🤌🏻
”You and me are special. There's no one else l'd rather spend time with than you. There's no one else I'd rather talk to than you. And there's no one else I'd rather kiss than you. But you're more important to me than kissing.” 🌊
my heart did break for them a few times though 😭
"I loved you," he whispers.
"I know," I say.
Hurt eyes move across my face. "You broke my heart."
"I know that, too."
ᡣ𐭩.ᐟ charlie
am i the only one who didn’t like charlie? sure, he was cool and all, but i didn’t appreciate how he spoke about percy. it felt like he was sexualizing her imo, which made me kind of uncomfortable. also, did he genuinely have feelings for percy, or was he just being a horny teenager? (oops 🫢) i’m still confused about that.
ᡣ𐭩.ᐟ delilah
i know delilah had some character development, but i still couldn’t bring myself to like her 🤷🏻♀️
overall, i enjoyed this book way more than i expected, and i might pick up her other books at some point in the future ~
pre-read:
br with enqi 🫂
(I UPLOADED A PRE-READ REVIEW FOR THE WRONG BOOK 😭😭😭 IF YOU SAW IT, NO YOU DIDN’T!!!)
⤷ minor spoilers ahead!! ⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ ࣪
thank you sweet enqi for introducing me to this book. i would have never picked it up if it wasn’t for you 💘
this was such a beautiful read. i couldn’t put this book down despite being in a terrible reading slump.
ᡣ𐭩.ᐟ sam
i wish i had a childhood boy best friend like sam 😫 i would’ve fallen for him too. my only problem with him was that he kept confusing percy, and the way he distanced himself during their long-distance relationship was not it. i understand why he did what he did, but it wasn’t fair to percy.
ᡣ𐭩.ᐟ percy
percy was alright. i neither loved nor hated her. i can’t believe it took me so long to figure out what she did 12 years ago though. i only started suspecting it at the 80% mark of the book 🤦🏻♀️ anywayyy, being sad doesn’t justify cheating, period ‼️ i don’t know how sam was so understanding and forgave her, but i’m glad it worked out for them in the end.
ᡣ𐭩.ᐟ sam and percy
despite everything, i truly loved sam and percy’s friendship and relationship so much, and their chemistry was 🤌🏻🤌🏻🤌🏻
”You and me are special. There's no one else l'd rather spend time with than you. There's no one else I'd rather talk to than you. And there's no one else I'd rather kiss than you. But you're more important to me than kissing.” 🌊
my heart did break for them a few times though 😭
"I loved you," he whispers.
"I know," I say.
Hurt eyes move across my face. "You broke my heart."
"I know that, too."
ᡣ𐭩.ᐟ charlie
am i the only one who didn’t like charlie? sure, he was cool and all, but i didn’t appreciate how he spoke about percy. it felt like he was sexualizing her imo, which made me kind of uncomfortable. also, did he genuinely have feelings for percy, or was he just being a horny teenager? (oops 🫢) i’m still confused about that.
ᡣ𐭩.ᐟ delilah
i know delilah had some character development, but i still couldn’t bring myself to like her 🤷🏻♀️
overall, i enjoyed this book way more than i expected, and i might pick up her other books at some point in the future ~
pre-read:
br with enqi 🫂
(I UPLOADED A PRE-READ REVIEW FOR THE WRONG BOOK 😭😭😭 IF YOU SAW IT, NO YOU DIDN’T!!!)
May 8, 2022
4.5 ⭐️ second chance, childhood friends to lovers, and a summer read? count me in. immediately.
Love and Other Words + The Summer I Turned Pretty + People We Meet On Vacation = THIS BOOK.
now I will say, the first 90% was ASTONISHING & leading me to a 5 star… but the conflict at the end pissed me off to no end. I hated what happened and how it happened. It also felt very rushed??? and justice for my baby Delilah 🫶🏻
But I loved Sam & Percy so much!!! although they both annoyed me at certain points. Overall, it was a great read.
“I’ve tried to forget about you for more than ten years, but I don’t want to try anymore.” <3
Love and Other Words + The Summer I Turned Pretty + People We Meet On Vacation = THIS BOOK.
now I will say, the first 90% was ASTONISHING & leading me to a 5 star… but the conflict at the end pissed me off to no end. I hated what happened and how it happened. It also felt very rushed??? and justice for my baby Delilah 🫶🏻
But I loved Sam & Percy so much!!! although they both annoyed me at certain points. Overall, it was a great read.
“I’ve tried to forget about you for more than ten years, but I don’t want to try anymore.” <3
February 10, 2025
Update - This is just as good the third time as it was the first time. Now on to Charlie’s story in One Golden Summer.
What I wouldn’t give to be able to go back and read this one for the first time again. Every ounce of hype shown to this book is completely deserved. I loved just about every single minute of it and had the overwhelming feeling of not wanting it to end. Not only could I not put it down, I read into the wee hours of the morning until my eyes blurred over. There may or may not have been a book hangover involved. Basically this book left me a wreck in the best possible sense of the word. The only question I have after finishing this one is how on earth is this a debut novel?
The depth and breathe of each of the central characters was phenomenal. From only a few pages in, I felt the intense connection between Percy and Sam, as well as the love and attachment each one had to their families. Although this book is told solely in first person narration from Percy’s perspective, Fortune did an excellent job at allowing us inside the head’s of Sam and Charlie as well. This foundation helped to create an even more emotional climax and a vested interest in the outcome.
So many comparisons have been made between Every Summer After and Love & Other Words by Christina Lauren. While I love both, this is by far my favorite of the two. It had all of the passion, all of heartache, all of the yearning and young love, without the troublesome bits found in the latter.
I don’t think there is more to be said then what has already been shared in the eight million reviews that have come before mine. Do yourself a favor and read this book. Sometimes, Bookstagram misses the mark. On this one, it definitely did not.
What I wouldn’t give to be able to go back and read this one for the first time again. Every ounce of hype shown to this book is completely deserved. I loved just about every single minute of it and had the overwhelming feeling of not wanting it to end. Not only could I not put it down, I read into the wee hours of the morning until my eyes blurred over. There may or may not have been a book hangover involved. Basically this book left me a wreck in the best possible sense of the word. The only question I have after finishing this one is how on earth is this a debut novel?
The depth and breathe of each of the central characters was phenomenal. From only a few pages in, I felt the intense connection between Percy and Sam, as well as the love and attachment each one had to their families. Although this book is told solely in first person narration from Percy’s perspective, Fortune did an excellent job at allowing us inside the head’s of Sam and Charlie as well. This foundation helped to create an even more emotional climax and a vested interest in the outcome.
So many comparisons have been made between Every Summer After and Love & Other Words by Christina Lauren. While I love both, this is by far my favorite of the two. It had all of the passion, all of heartache, all of the yearning and young love, without the troublesome bits found in the latter.
I don’t think there is more to be said then what has already been shared in the eight million reviews that have come before mine. Do yourself a favor and read this book. Sometimes, Bookstagram misses the mark. On this one, it definitely did not.
December 4, 2022
the main characters should have been charlie and delilah
May 16, 2024
3.5 stars
This book is a Walmart version of Love and Other Words but with a cheating trope. I went in with very low expectations and honestly, this book turned out well. It had it's imperfections but it was enjoyable nonetheless. The summer vibe in this was immaculate and I loved the idyllic set up for the story. The author did picked up major pieces of LAOW for this story but this was also different in it's own way. Sam and Percy are the Walmart version of Elliot and Macy because nobody can do it like the OGs and you can't change my mind.
The story just like any other second chance romance is heartbreaking, frustrating and painful and it's told in two timelines — present and past(decades ago). The two timelines unfolded the events that left Sam and Percy with a broken heart. Now, Percy is back in Barry's bay for Sam's mother's funeral and to save whatever she had broken all those years ago.
I loved Carley's writing. It's easy to read and captivating. I wish the author focused more on the present timeline because it only makes up 30% of the story and the past timeline is the only one where we get to see Percy and Sam and how it all started as friends and later developed into lovers. I also loved Delilah and Charlie and they are the only mature characters who had growth throughout this book. I need Charlie's book!
➸ Sam Florek: Sam is the best thing about this book. He's an introvert with a nerdy personality. His only dream was to become a doctor because of what he's lost at such a young age and he's passionate about his career. Sam was the mature one in their relationship in both present and past. He knew they needed time and space to focus on their career but he just didn't know how to communicate it with Percy and the reason why Percy retaliated in that way. I think Sam was always afraid of losing Percy as his friend and that's why it took him years to make a move on her and then talked to her. He broke up with his girlfriend after Percy came back 12 years later because he wanted to give her another chance even though he knew everything. Sam deserved so much better in this book!
➸ Percy: She is a damaged pick me, choose me girl who seeks validation and attention and once it's given she'll do anything to keep it. She is a frustrating person and at times, I understood her reasons for her actions but most of the times she was just a selfish person who only thinks about her own happiness and feelings. She thinks she's mature but not enough to tell Sam the truth 12 years ago. She's bad at communication and accepting her feelings and mistakes and I didn't see any character development in her in the end. It was just she accepted her mistake and now she is determined to make upto Sam for what she did.
╰┈➤ Sam and Percy
Sam and Percy are made for each other. They loved each other, understood each other like no other person could, they bring out the best and true versions of one another, they motivated each other, they healed each other but they also broke each other. I loved their friendship and how they bonded over their love for books and horror movies. When Percy was back in Barry's bay, she was welcomed with open arms. She knew she only ever loved one boy and Sam was also eager to make amends with Percy. Even after 12 years, their connection is still as electric and magnetic as always, despite the hurt they both acknowledge is lingering in the air. Crossing the boundary into something more once again is a frightful feeling for them, and opening the wound is both relieving and gut-wrenching. I would've liked it more had the author gave them a week or two to finally get back together. The present timeline felt rushed considering they didn't see each other for 12 years and there were a lot of things they needed to unpack and to come to terms with the betrayals.
The ending was rushed and everything was sorted in just last two chapters. This book needed atleast two more chapters and I needed to know how they are doing and how they are finally developing and earning each other's trust and love.
⚠️ SPOILERS!!! ⚠️ SPOILERS!!! ⚠️ SPOILERS!!!
Now let's talk about the elephant in the room and that's Percy cheating on Sam with his own brother. Honestly, I saw it coming from a miles away and I always knew Charlie had feelings for Percy. I hated that she did that and didn't even though about Sam for a second doing that and then she blamed and hated Charlie for it. Just because Sam wanted space and time so he could focus more on his studies and asked you for a break don't give you a valid reason to cheat on him. She felt sad and heartbroken and she coped with those feelings by having sex with Charlie because Charlie gave her the attention and love Sam gave her. Sam knew about that and he was blaming himself for her cheating for 12 years because he thought he was being selfish by choosing his career when she was always the most important person in his life. They both were just kids and they didn't know how to deal with the situation they both were put in and they both made mistakes and I understand them but I still hated the cheating trope in this book.
————
: ̗̀➛ Pre-read review: love and other words 2.0 ??? 👀 lets find out then
“The way I felt about you was always so clear to me—even when we were young I knew you and I were meant for each other. Two halves of a whole. I loved you so much that the word ‘love’ didn’t seem big enough for how I felt.”
This book is a Walmart version of Love and Other Words but with a cheating trope. I went in with very low expectations and honestly, this book turned out well. It had it's imperfections but it was enjoyable nonetheless. The summer vibe in this was immaculate and I loved the idyllic set up for the story. The author did picked up major pieces of LAOW for this story but this was also different in it's own way. Sam and Percy are the Walmart version of Elliot and Macy because nobody can do it like the OGs and you can't change my mind.
“I loved you,” he whispers.
“I know,” I say.
Hurt eyes move across my face. “You broke my heart.”
“I know that, too.”
The story just like any other second chance romance is heartbreaking, frustrating and painful and it's told in two timelines — present and past(decades ago). The two timelines unfolded the events that left Sam and Percy with a broken heart. Now, Percy is back in Barry's bay for Sam's mother's funeral and to save whatever she had broken all those years ago.
I loved Carley's writing. It's easy to read and captivating. I wish the author focused more on the present timeline because it only makes up 30% of the story and the past timeline is the only one where we get to see Percy and Sam and how it all started as friends and later developed into lovers. I also loved Delilah and Charlie and they are the only mature characters who had growth throughout this book. I need Charlie's book!
➸ Sam Florek: Sam is the best thing about this book. He's an introvert with a nerdy personality. His only dream was to become a doctor because of what he's lost at such a young age and he's passionate about his career. Sam was the mature one in their relationship in both present and past. He knew they needed time and space to focus on their career but he just didn't know how to communicate it with Percy and the reason why Percy retaliated in that way. I think Sam was always afraid of losing Percy as his friend and that's why it took him years to make a move on her and then talked to her. He broke up with his girlfriend after Percy came back 12 years later because he wanted to give her another chance even though he knew everything. Sam deserved so much better in this book!
“You and me are special,” he started. “There’s no one else I’d rather spend time with than you. There’s no one else I’d rather talk to than you. And there’s no one else I’d rather kiss than you.”
➸ Percy: She is a damaged pick me, choose me girl who seeks validation and attention and once it's given she'll do anything to keep it. She is a frustrating person and at times, I understood her reasons for her actions but most of the times she was just a selfish person who only thinks about her own happiness and feelings. She thinks she's mature but not enough to tell Sam the truth 12 years ago. She's bad at communication and accepting her feelings and mistakes and I didn't see any character development in her in the end. It was just she accepted her mistake and now she is determined to make upto Sam for what she did.
“I want this. I want you. You can have me, but I want to have you, too.” When I kiss him, it’s with every last drop of every bit of myself that I have.
╰┈➤ Sam and Percy
Sam and Percy are made for each other. They loved each other, understood each other like no other person could, they bring out the best and true versions of one another, they motivated each other, they healed each other but they also broke each other. I loved their friendship and how they bonded over their love for books and horror movies. When Percy was back in Barry's bay, she was welcomed with open arms. She knew she only ever loved one boy and Sam was also eager to make amends with Percy. Even after 12 years, their connection is still as electric and magnetic as always, despite the hurt they both acknowledge is lingering in the air. Crossing the boundary into something more once again is a frightful feeling for them, and opening the wound is both relieving and gut-wrenching. I would've liked it more had the author gave them a week or two to finally get back together. The present timeline felt rushed considering they didn't see each other for 12 years and there were a lot of things they needed to unpack and to come to terms with the betrayals.
“Sometimes I felt sure he was— like there was an invisible, unbreakable string that ran between us, stretching vast distances and keeping us joined.”
“Sometimes I think no one gets me the way you do,” he said, the pink of his cheeks deepening to scarlet. “Do you ever get that feeling?”
The ending was rushed and everything was sorted in just last two chapters. This book needed atleast two more chapters and I needed to know how they are doing and how they are finally developing and earning each other's trust and love.
⚠️ SPOILERS!!! ⚠️ SPOILERS!!! ⚠️ SPOILERS!!!
Now let's talk about the elephant in the room and that's Percy cheating on Sam with his own brother. Honestly, I saw it coming from a miles away and I always knew Charlie had feelings for Percy. I hated that she did that and didn't even though about Sam for a second doing that and then she blamed and hated Charlie for it. Just because Sam wanted space and time so he could focus more on his studies and asked you for a break don't give you a valid reason to cheat on him. She felt sad and heartbroken and she coped with those feelings by having sex with Charlie because Charlie gave her the attention and love Sam gave her. Sam knew about that and he was blaming himself for her cheating for 12 years because he thought he was being selfish by choosing his career when she was always the most important person in his life. They both were just kids and they didn't know how to deal with the situation they both were put in and they both made mistakes and I understand them but I still hated the cheating trope in this book.
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: ̗̀➛ Pre-read review: love and other words 2.0 ??? 👀 lets find out then
May 28, 2022
listen, this was cute but the twist (although i suspected it) was just not it. and worst the confrontation only took like, what, 10 pages? then the next chapter was epilogue? are u kidding me?
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