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Book Review of Every Summer After

Every Summer After
VolunteerVal avatar reviewed on + 599 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2


Add me to the long list of readers who love Every Summer After, the debut novel by Carley Fortune! This was another title pressed onto my reading radar by Bookstagram, and I'm so grateful. I don't usually read romance so I wouldn't have found this on my own.

Told in two timelines, this is the story of Persephone (Percy) and Sam who meet when Percy's parents buy a lakeside cottage next door to year-round residents Sam, brother Charlie, and mom Sue in Barry's Bay, Ontario. The majority of the novel chronicles the six summers they spend together, their relationship growing from inseparable best friends to more ... until it abruptly ended. The current timeline is set 12 years later when Charlie contacts Percy to share the sad news of Sue's death and encourages her to come back for the funeral.

I enjoyed the coming-of-age story, the memorable characters, and especially the sense of place. I could see the cottages and their docks, Sam and Charlie's basement, and the interior of Sue's restaurant - I loved that pierogis were mentioned several times. I became a bit frustrated to confirm my thoughts about the ending of Sam and Percy's relationship but admit that kept me eagerly reading along. I'll now think of this novel whenever I see a friendship bracelet.

This book is perfect to read in the heat of summer, or in the dead of winter when readers want to escape cold and snowy weather.