Carly Fortune Books in Order: Complete Reading Guide to Her Novels
If you enjoy second-chance romance, summer love stories, small-town settings, family secrets, childhood friendships, and emotional relationships, Carly Fortune is an author worth exploring.
Her novels often combine a nostalgic summer atmosphere with characters who are forced to confront the relationships and choices that shaped their lives. Each book stands on its own, so you do not need to read Carly Fortune’s books in order to understand the stories.
That said, publication order is still the best way to experience her work, especially if you want to see how her writing and recurring themes have developed from her debut novel onward.
Carly Fortune Books in Publication Order
1. Every Summer After (2022)
Every Summer After follows Persephone Fraser as she returns to Barry’s Bay, the lakefront town where she spent six formative summers with Sam Florek. Years after a devastating mistake separated them, Persephone must confront the past and decide whether their first love deserves another chance.
Publication Year: 2022
Reading Position: Standalone #1
Key Themes: Second-chance romance, first love, friendship, family, summer
2. Meet Me at the Lake (2023)
Meet Me at the Lake centers on Fern Brookbanks, who returns to her family’s lakeside resort after her mother dies. Ten years earlier, she spent an unforgettable summer there with Will Baxter, who promised to return one year later—but never did.
Publication Year: 2023
Reading Position: Standalone #2
Key Themes: Second chances, grief, family, summer romance, secrets
3. This Summer Will Be Different (2024)
This Summer Will Be Different follows Lucy, who travels to Prince Edward Island with her best friend but finds herself repeatedly drawn to Felix, her friend’s younger brother. Their attraction is complicated by a promise Lucy made, creating a romance filled with temptation, friendship, and emotional conflict.
Publication Year: 2024
Reading Position: Standalone #3
Key Themes: Forbidden romance, friendship, summer, attraction, secrets
4. One Golden Summer (2025)
One Golden Summer returns readers to Barry’s Bay, where Alice Cunningham spends a transformative summer and becomes unexpectedly connected to Charlie Florek. As the two grow closer, Alice must navigate attraction, family connections, and the possibility of finding love during one unforgettable summer.
Publication Year: 2025
Reading Position: Standalone #4
Key Themes: Summer romance, family, friendship, new beginnings, love
Carly Fortune Books in Simple Reading Order
If you only want the list, read Carly Fortune’s books in this order:
- Every Summer After — 2022
- Meet Me at the Lake — 2023
- This Summer Will Be Different — 2024
- One Golden Summer — 2025
Are Carly Fortune’s Books Connected?
Yes, but they are not a traditional series.
Carly Fortune’s novels can be read independently, with each book focusing on its own central romance and characters. However, readers familiar with her books may notice connections between characters and settings, particularly around the Barry’s Bay world.
This is especially relevant when reading One Golden Summer, which has a stronger connection to the world introduced in Every Summer After. So although you can technically read it on its own, reading Every Summer After first provides additional context and makes the experience more rewarding.
Should You Read Carly Fortune’s Books in Order?
Yes, publication order is recommended, although it isn’t required.
If you’re interested in experiencing Fortune’s bibliography chronologically, begin with Every Summer After and continue through One Golden Summer.
The first book is particularly useful to read before One Golden Summer because of their shared fictional world and character connections.
If you simply want to choose a book based on its premise, however, you can start anywhere.
What Is the Best Carly Fortune Book to Start With?
For a first-time reader, Every Summer After is the best place to begin.
It is Fortune’s debut and introduces the combination of summer nostalgia, lake-town atmosphere, first love, friendship, family, regret, and second chances that has become central to her writing.
If you prefer a more forbidden or complicated romance, This Summer Will Be Different may be a better fit.
If you want to explore the Barry’s Bay world further, One Golden Summer is an excellent choice after Every Summer After.
Carly Fortune Books by Romance Trope
Second-Chance Romance
- Every Summer After
- Meet Me at the Lake
Summer Romance
- Every Summer After
- Meet Me at the Lake
- This Summer Will Be Different
- One Golden Summer
Forbidden or Complicated Romance
- This Summer Will Be Different
Childhood Friends and First Love
- Every Summer After
Family and Grief
- Meet Me at the Lake
- One Golden Summer
Where Are Carly Fortune’s Books Set?
Carly Fortune’s novels are strongly associated with summer destinations and lakeside or coastal communities.
Every Summer After and One Golden Summer are connected to Barry’s Bay, Ontario, a fictionalized setting inspired by the author’s experiences and memories of Ontario’s cottage country.
Meet Me at the Lake also centers on a family-owned lakeside resort, while This Summer Will Be Different takes readers to Prince Edward Island.
These settings are more than simple backgrounds: lakes, cottages, resorts, beaches, and summer traditions play an important role in the atmosphere and emotional identity of Fortune’s romances.
What Makes Carly Fortune’s Books Popular?
Carly Fortune’s books appeal to readers who enjoy romance with a strong sense of place and nostalgia.
Rather than focusing exclusively on the central love story, her novels often explore how relationships are affected by childhood memories, family expectations, grief, friendship, missed opportunities, and the passage of time.
Her stories are particularly appealing if you enjoy Emily Henry, Elin Hilderbrand, Carley Fortune’s summer romance style, second-chance romance, and emotionally driven contemporary fiction.
About Carly Fortune
Carly Fortune is a Canadian author and former journalist known for contemporary romance novels built around summer settings, complicated relationships, nostalgia, and second chances.
Her debut novel, Every Summer After, became a major bestseller and established Fortune as a prominent voice in contemporary summer romance. The novel’s success was followed by Meet Me at the Lake, This Summer Will Be Different, and One Golden Summer.
Fortune’s background in journalism is reflected in her character-focused storytelling and interest in the details of relationships, memories, and emotional turning points.
Her books have particularly resonated with readers looking for beach reads, lake romances, women’s fiction, contemporary romance, and emotional second-chance love stories.
Frequently Asked Questions About Carly Fortune Books
How many Carly Fortune books are there?
Carly Fortune has four published novels: Every Summer After, Meet Me at the Lake, This Summer Will Be Different, and One Golden Summer. They are primarily standalone contemporary romance novels, although some share connections.
What is the first Carly Fortune book?
Every Summer After, published in 2022, is Carly Fortune’s debut novel. It follows Persephone Fraser and Sam Florek, childhood friends whose relationship develops into a first love before a painful mistake separates them.
What is the correct order to read Carly Fortune’s books?
The recommended publication order is Every Summer After (2022), Meet Me at the Lake (2023), This Summer Will Be Different (2024), and One Golden Summer (2025).
Do you have to read Carly Fortune’s books in order?
No. Each novel has its own central story and can be enjoyed independently. However, reading Every Summer After before One Golden Summer is recommended because those books have a stronger connection through their characters and setting.
Is One Golden Summer a sequel to Every Summer After?
One Golden Summer is not a direct sequel in the traditional sense, but it is connected to the world of Every Summer After. Because of those character and setting connections, readers will likely get more from One Golden Summer if they have read the earlier novel.
Which Carly Fortune book should I read first?
Start with Every Summer After if you want the best introduction to Carly Fortune’s writing. It establishes her signature combination of summer nostalgia, first love, family, friendship, and second chances.
Which Carly Fortune book is about Prince Edward Island?
This Summer Will Be Different is set primarily on Prince Edward Island and follows Lucy as she navigates an increasingly complicated attraction to Felix, her best friend’s younger brother.
Are Carly Fortune’s books romance or women’s fiction?
They are generally categorized as contemporary romance, although they also contain strong elements of women’s fiction. Family relationships, friendship, grief, personal growth, and life choices are important alongside the central romances.
Are Carly Fortune’s books connected to each other?
Some are connected through characters and settings, particularly Every Summer After and One Golden Summer. However, Carly Fortune does not have a single continuous series where every book follows the same protagonist.
What is Carly Fortune’s newest book?
One Golden Summer, published in 2025, is currently Carly Fortune’s most recent published novel. It returns to the Barry’s Bay setting and explores a new summer romance involving Alice Cunningham and Charlie Florek.
Final Verdict
Carly Fortune’s books are ideal for readers who love summer romance, second chances, first love, lake houses, family relationships, nostalgia, and emotionally complicated characters. The books are mostly standalone, so there is no complicated series chronology, but publication order is the most satisfying way to explore her work.
If you’re new to Carly Fortune, start with Every Summer After, then continue through Meet Me at the Lake, This Summer Will Be Different, and One Golden Summer. And if Every Summer After becomes a favorite, definitely continue to One Golden Summer for the connections between their worlds.
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