What We’re Reading in May 2025
CURRENTLY READING
One Golden Summer
by Carley Fortune
I’m calling it now — this is going to be THE book of the summer. You’ll pick it up when you’re heading to the lake in June / July. Then re-read it when you’re at the beach in August. Then you’ll pick it up in late September when you’re craving those perfect summer days when life is care-free and falling in love is the easiest thing you could do… and as you turn those final pages to wish summer good-bye until next year, you’ll shed a few tears with Charlie and Alice.
Get your copy of One Golden Summer (Amazon) and read with us!
What Victoria Loved
VICTORIA’S RATING: 4/5
@Carley, are you kidding me with Charlie?! He has so quickly topped my list of favorite MMCs ever. All of his actions are done with clear intention from his flirty banter to dressing up for a night in with Nan. I dare you not to smile when this man is on the page. I was so freaking giddy reading about him, I would’ve put a school girl to shame. I don’t think I’ve ever met a more charismatic man in my life, it’s a bit disappointing that he’s fictional.
And as great as Charlie is, I think it’s his relationship with Alice that makes him — them — all the better. As I was reading this book, I wrote a note to myself: “I’m having trouble controlling the butterflies, the flutter flies, the freaking lightning bugs dancing around my chest, my stomach. I can feel my heart squeeze. I feel the zing reach my fingertips and my toes.” Their chemistry is addicting. Not because the tension was so overwhelmingly sexual, but because it felt safe, real.
Nan says it best: This is what it looks like, what it feels like to be in the presence of two people falling in love. Finding lifelong friendship to find their forever. The innocent, fearless dive into unknowingly falling in love. Those were some of my favorite memories when I first met my husband. It was about the little moments: when we stayed up all night talking, the first time we held hands, when I was having a bad day and he just sat with me until I felt comfortable enough to share my troubles, the moment I saw him differently and realized I was in love… And I think a big reason why I’m so obsessed with reading romance novels. I think that’s why I’m so in love with this book. It’s just magic.
Read my full Sneak Peek.
Set the mood. Listen to our Summer Nights playlist (Spotify).
What the Book Club Loved
FIREWORKS & STEAM: 3.75/5
This was a slow burn with so much sexual tension — we were here for it! While some of the places they chose to be intimate was questionable, we enjoyed the yearning. Although we definitely could’ve used more descriptions of the good stuff.
WRITING STYLE: 4/5
What if I could relive that 17-year-old summer? It’s what we miss the most about being young and enjoy summer without any cares, without any major responsibilities. And this trip to Barry’s Bay reminds us that we could all use a good refresh to remember life isn’t so serious. Carley somehow transported us to our most nostalgic summer memories. And we love that Carley writes about her favorite places because it is a love letter. She captured the passage of time really well — the feeling of the nostalgia blur (the snapshot of big moments that made the summer) mixed with the slow-down, decompress of post-summer was done beautifully. The only thing that could’ve made this better was if Carley had written this as a dual-POV because we really wanted Charlie’s perspective.
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: 3.75/5
Alice is so type-A and her initial reactions to Charlie were so relatable — the back and forth unsure about how to absorb him as he was her complete opposite. We liked that Alice found the strength to stand up for herself — to her family, to her mentor, to Charlie. She grew a lot - she was a different character at the end of the book. Charlie, on the other hand, is literally her exact opposite. He lived life with spontaneous joy, relishing in the freedom he didn’t fully experience in his youth. But we didn’t really see a ton of growth from him, rather he mostly played a supporting role that proudly held the spotlight on Alice.
Our favorite character in OGS, though, is Nan! She was perfectly inappropriate and the ultimate wingwoman. We aspire to be as independent (and outspoken) as Nan in our golden years.
THE LOVE STORY: 3.25/5
Candidly, there wasn’t one scene that clicked and made this romance memorable. And it was hard to imagine that characters with this much chemistry could ever only be just friends. We were not buying that trope at all. But we loved that we got to explore the role of influence, time, place and self in a relationship. Charlie grew up surrounded by life-altering examples of love with his parents, Sam and Percy. He knew the pain that comes hand-in-hand with that type of love, just as he and Alice learn that time and place are just as critical to building a lasting relationship. But most importantly, there’s the factor of self-experience to consider — of entering a relationship the right version of yourself to support your partner. Alice and Charlie are fortunate to have a second chance at meeting and forming the friendship they missed out on as teenagers, but they each needed to complete their own journeys (which they supported each other through) before they could figure out how to be there for each other. Luckily, they balance each other rather well… and well, the rest is history!
“I grew up in a beach town in Rhode Island, and this fucking hit. The nostalgia hurt.”
- TAYLOR
If You Loved One Golden Summer, You’ll Love These
ANOTHER SUMMER ROMANCE SET AT A LAKE: Just for the Summer (Part of Your World #3) by Abby Jimenez (Amazon)
Do you believe in fate? Guard your heart because Abby delivers another cute meet cute. When two people find they’ve been cursed out of love, they make a pact to see if they can break it…. but what if they were always destined to end up together? Justin is one of the best MMCs I’ve read — he’s the epitome of if he wanted to, he would and if I’m being honest, he even goes beyond that. PS: The entire Part of Your World series is adorable and I recommend it - go start from Book #1 and work your way to this gem.
VICTORIA’S RATING: 4.5/5
ADVENTURES WITH A GRANDPARENT: You With a View by Jessica Joyce (Amazon)
Noelle is grieving the loss of her grandmother when she discovers decades-old photographs and love letters from her gram’s past. Naturally, she turns to TikTok to help her find answers, and she’s shocked when the man’s grandson replies. She’s even more shocked when she finds out he’s none other than her high school rival, Theo. When she finally meets her grandmother’s secret love, he offers to take Noelle on the honeymoon road trip he had planned for her grandmother. The twist? Theo has to come too. This little road trip (with plenty of opportunities for one bed!!) will take you on an emotional journey.
VICTORIA’S RATING: 3.5/5
A SUMMER OF ADVENTURE: The Summer of Broken Rules by KL Walther (Amazon)
Step into the summer I dreamt of as a teenager in this young-adult romance. Imagine spending quality time with your favorite people at your favorite place, while playing your favorite game. This enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity romance has all the ingredients for the perfect summer read. I promise you will not want to leave the beach / pool / sun lounger until you’ve finished this book.
VICTORIA’S RATING: 4/5
BY THE AUTHOR: Every Summer After by Carley Fortune (Amazon)
Percy and Sam’s story. If you’ve jumped straight into One Golden Summer, you might be curious to learn more about Charlie’s brother and about that photo Alice takes of the trio at the lake. Every Summer After is a beautifully written nostalgic love story that spans six years and one weekend when Sam and Percy are forced to face how their big young love fell devastatingly apart.
VICTORIA’S RATING: 4/5
Until the next chapter!
xo, Victoria
P.S. Craving more books featuring these sub-genres, tropes, and themes? Tap the links below.
