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Meet Me at the Lake
Meet Me at the Lake | Carley Fortune
53 posts | 51 read | 9 to read
A random connection sends two strangers on a daylong adventure where they make a promise one keeps and the other breaks, with life-changing effects, in this breathtaking new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Every Summer After. Fern Brookbanks has wasted far too much of her adult life thinking about Will Baxter. She spent just twenty-four hours in her early twenties with the aggravatingly attractive, idealistic artist, a chance encounter that spiraled into a daylong adventure in the city. The timing was wrong, but their connection was undeniable: they shared every secret, every dream, and made a pact to meet one year later. Fern showed up. Will didnt. At thirty-two, Ferns life doesnt look at all how she once imagined it would. Instead of living in the city, Ferns back home, running her mothers lakeside resortsomething she vowed never to do. The place is in disarray, her ex-boyfriends the manager, and Fern doesnt know where to begin. She needs a plana lifeline. To her surprise, it comes in the form of Will, who arrives nine years too late, with a suitcase in tow and an offer to help on his lips. Will may be the only person who understands what Ferns going through. But how could she possibly trust this expensive-suit wearing mirage who seems nothing like the young man she met all those years ago. Will is hiding something, and Ferns not sure she wants to know what it is. But ten years ago, Will Baxter rescued Fern. Can she do the same for him?
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HeatherBookNerd
Meet Me at the Lake | Carley Fortune
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Pickpick

I‘m more Emily Henry than Hallmark, so this was a good romance pick for me. Not too sappy, not too sweet. It‘s a story about missed opportunities and second chances. Sometimes life doesn‘t go as planned and the detour eventually puts you where you need to be. I‘ll read another one by Carley Fortune.

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mcctrish
Meet Me at the Lake | Carley Fortune
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Pickpick

I liked that this is set so close to me right now but I think I liked the first one better. I have the next one in the queue but maybe I need a longer break between them 🤷🏻‍♀️

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mcctrish
Meet Me at the Lake | Carley Fortune
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Felt like I needed to read this at the cottage which is 20 minutes outside Huntsville. This book is set in Toronto and Smoke Lake which is about a 30 minute drive from where I am ( might need to go on an adventure)

TheLudicReader I have friends who live in Huntsville. 😁 2mo
48 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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Read4life
Meet Me at the Lake | Carley Fortune
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Pickpick

I really liked the story and characters. Life isn‘t perfect or easy but how you treat yourself & others matters. Being kind to yourself while still moving forward may just get you where you‘ve wanted to be all along.

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Kshakal
Meet Me at the Lake | Carley Fortune
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Pickpick

A heartfelt romance about missed connections and finding your way in the world even when things don‘t turn out the way you thought they would! I loved everything about this book and can‘t wait to read more from this author!

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Kshakal
Meet Me at the Lake | Carley Fortune
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Can‘t wait to read my July mystery pick!

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Blueberry
Meet Me at the Lake | Carley Fortune
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Eggs Beautiful 🌸💗💦 3mo
36 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Blueberry
Meet Me at the Lake | Carley Fortune
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Something with gardens or lakes. But it gets so hot here in the summer that sometimes I read about snowy blizzards.

#SundayFunday
@BookmarkTavern

Susanita Yes! There‘s something comforting about a winter book when you‘re sweltering or a summer book when you‘re freezing. 4mo
BookmarkTavern That‘s a great point about sometimes wanting a chilly read during the summer! Thanks for posting! 4mo
37 likes3 comments
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Blueberry
Meet Me at the Lake | Carley Fortune
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Eggs Perfect 🩷🌲💖 4mo
42 likes1 comment
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TheSpineView
Meet Me at the Lake | Carley Fortune
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Eggs Beautiful 🩷💜🩷 4mo
56 likes1 comment
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Victoriahoperose
Meet Me at the Lake | Carley Fortune
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Pickpick

I love this author so much. Her books are sweet and fun and just a touch steamy. The atmosphere is always so perfect for a summer read. I really enjoy the characters and the overall ambiance of her writing. This book was just a lot of fun. I loved the main characters and their story and really genuinely wanted more by the end. Loved this one!

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SarahBookInterrupted
Meet Me at the Lake | Carley Fortune
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Pickpick

The only Canada Reads book I got to this year and late, but I really enjoyed it. I‘m not surprised it was eliminated first; it was light for that program. However, it is being made into a film! I liked that the b-story was Ferns relationship with her mother and the grief from losing her. I also liked the theme of trying to figure out where you want to be and where you belong that was featured along side the steamy complex love story. Which was 😍

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Purpleness
Meet Me at the Lake | Carley Fortune
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darklydreaming I loved this book!! Enjoy 😊 7mo
48 likes1 comment
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Hillea2
Meet Me at the Lake | Carley Fortune
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Pickpick

I liked the way the book was written, from different places in time and different locations, and the journal entries from Maggie to give some background on her. I was a little frustrated by the end and how quick Fern forgave Will - he didn‘t deserve that gift of how fast she was right back to normal after how he treated her…more than once.

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melissajayne
Meet Me at the Lake | Carley Fortune
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Pickpick

3.5⭐️ Thought the book was ok. The book started out slow, but seemed to hit its stride about 1/3 of the way through. While I‘m not a huge #romance reader, I thought it hit the right spot after some heavy reading. #2024 #fiction #canadareads #canadian #contemporary #bookclub

https://bookshop.org/p/books/meet-me-at-the-lake-carley-fortune/18702555?ean=978...

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TheQuietQuill
Meet Me at the Lake | Carley Fortune
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Mehso-so

I have to say, this wasn‘t my favorite. I couldn‘t connect with the two main characters, and they just weren‘t the perfect “fit” for me. The description of the lake was beautiful though, and now I kind of want to own my own lakeside resort 🐟⛵️ #bookspin #februarybookspin

TheAromaofBooks Great progress!! 8mo
54 likes1 comment
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Nebklvr
Meet Me at the Lake | Carley Fortune
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Mehso-so

The ending was satisfying and the mother-daughter relationship was bittersweet. However, the bouncing timeline was inefficient and jarring.#CanadaReads2024

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xicanti
Meet Me at the Lake | Carley Fortune
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I planned to finish MEET ME AT THE LAKE yesterday, but I ended up building a tiny railway station instead. As you do.

I‘m enjoying the book so far, despite a bit of Americanized school language (my nemesis). It‘s got a lot to say about grief, communal responsibility vs personal wishes, and love of place. That said, I expect it‘ll have an uphill battle in the Canada Reads debates, since so many people refuse to engage with romances on principle.

TheKidUpstairs There were a couple of frustrating editorial choices in this one (no one in Toronto would EVER say "Toronto Transit Commission") but I found the story enjoyable enough that I could brush those things off as minor irritations. But I agree it's going to have a hard time on Canada Reads (although I do think it's more thematically relevant than Shut Up, You're Pretty). 8mo
willaful Oh my goodness? Was that from a kit? It's amazing! 8mo
xicanti @TheKidUpstairs thematically, it‘s a great fit; lots of forward movement. I guess we‘ll see how its panelist handles it. 8mo
xicanti @willaful yes! I found it on Amazon while I was searching for my next miniature project and just fell in love with it. It flips around so you can peer into the railway station from the back, too, with the little trains and the shopping concourse and the high, vaulted ceiling. 8mo
willaful @xicanti oh wow! 8mo
37 likes5 comments
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TheQuietQuill
Meet Me at the Lake | Carley Fortune
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My little guy has a play date at a friends house today, so I‘m trying to get a little reading time in before that. And can you believe, this is the first we‘ve seen the sunshine in weeks here in my little corner of PA! From December until March it‘s usually nothing but gray skies and overcast, so this is a beautiful little treat 🌞

Suet624 Ugh. Vermont has been shrouded in gray for weeks. I‘m happy you see some sunshine. 8mo
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TheKidUpstairs
Meet Me at the Lake | Carley Fortune
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Pickpick

I read it in a day.

A heartfelt missed connection romance, set in two of my favourite places: Toronto and cottage country. I liked Fern and Will, and I liked that Fortune played with the genre's tropes without falling into its traps. It was an enjoyable read, with depth and heart that keep it from being too fluffy.

Thoughts on #CanadaReads in the comments...

TheKidUpstairs
With regards to #CanadaReads - I do see an argument here to the theme of “one book to carry us forward“, it does deal with ideas that can fit - especially the idea of balancing responsibilities to yourself with responsibilities to family and community and does so in an accessible way. But I think it's going to be an uphill battle, and all will come down to how it is defended.
8mo
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xicanti
Meet Me at the Lake | Carley Fortune
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There‘s always that one title on the Canada Reads longlist with 100+ holds, and I always hope it doesn‘t make the shortlist, and it almost always does. Sigh. This year I haunted MEET ME AT THE LAKE‘s catalogue page in the hopes of an Express copy at a branch I could reasonably travel to. One went up on Saturday night so I made sure I was there first thing this morning.

I also grabbed an enticing cozy mystery because hey, I was there anyways.

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JacqMac
Meet Me at the Lake | Carley Fortune
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We are having a snow day. I have already shoveled all the things twice. It‘s so quiet. Snow quiet is the best quiet. And knit pjs are everything. I‘m halfway through this most surprising Canada Reads choice. And my verdict so far is: vapid. I‘m not even sure how this fits. It‘s a boring and extremely predictable hallmark movie. Some people must like these things. Read what you love. But I am not those people. I am going to try finish it.

Read4life I agree that snow quiet is the best quiet! ❄️❄️ 8mo
TheLudicReader I was shocked that this book made the cut! 8mo
Kimberlone We are also having a snow day. Just cleaned my car off too! 8mo
39 likes3 comments
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Blueberry
Meet Me at the Lake | Carley Fortune
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Pickpick

4 ⭐
My first of #CanadaReads2024. I'm surprised at this inclusion in #CanadaReads, being a romance with no political or cultural agenda. But nonetheless it was hard to put down.

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BookishTrish
Meet Me at the Lake | Carley Fortune
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Mehso-so

I read this in the context of the Canada Reads shortlist. I‘m not sure it brings much (anything?) to the discussion and am curious about what arguments its champion brings forward. The ending was very rushed IMHO, but I adored the description of place and Dirty Dancing vibes.

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aliasNayNay
Meet Me at the Lake | Carley Fortune
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Pickpick

 A lush, rich, beautiful story. set against the vibrant, backdrop of Ontario, Canada.

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MMFinck
Meet Me at the Lake | Carley Fortune
Pickpick

Good

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Lizwarnerpdx
Meet Me at the Lake | Carley Fortune
Pickpick

It‘s nice to read a light romance book every once in a while. This one was nice. I really liked the Fern and Will characters and the setting was picture perfect.

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BittersweetBooks
Meet Me at the Lake | Carley Fortune
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Our relationship wasn‘t traditional. We were best friends, and sometimes we were…partners. I always wanted more than Maggie could give, but I figure I‘m lucky I got as much of her as I did 🌅

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TamTracy
Meet Me at the Lake | Carley Fortune
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Pickpick

Very sweet story but I was hoping for a little more depth. There were hints of more but it never really came to fruition. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Itchyfeetreader
Meet Me at the Lake | Carley Fortune
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Pickpick

And another one! This was sweet but not I thought as good as her first. Fern returns to her home resort after her mothers death trying to come to terms with whether what she thought she wanted out do life is true. I thought there was opportunity for this to be a bit more ‘real‘ but instead read a bit hallmark movie. I read that Meghan markle had optioned this for Netflix - not at all what I thought she‘d pick! I am claiming this for #pantone3023

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Allthebookclubs
Meet Me at the Lake | Carley Fortune
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Pickpick

This book gave me ALL the feels, literally. I felt every emotion the characters felt; I laughed out loud, tears, warm fuzzies, gut wrenching heartache, and grief. Those are the signs of a great read, IMO. Carly Fortune gets 4.5 stars on both of her books; I‘m def a fan and hope she writes more! Book #47 in 2023

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AvidReader25
Meet Me at the Lake | Carley Fortune
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Mehso-so

A 2nd-chance love story between Fern & Will who spent one day together exploring Toronto & vowed to meet one year later. I'm a sucker for a single-day wandering story (The Sun Is Also a Star, Nick & Norah). We flip back & forth between that 1st day together & their reunion 10 yrs later. I love the subplot of figuring out what you want vs. what your family expects from you. Very readable, though there were a few points that felt out-of-character.

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Kgaudiuso
Meet Me at the Lake | Carley Fortune
Pickpick

This was cute. Great summer read.

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MCowles
Meet Me at the Lake | Carley Fortune
Pickpick

Good read.

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Julsmarshall
Meet Me at the Lake | Carley Fortune
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Pickpick

Oof! This was a heartbreaker of a book! This love story was heard to put down, the split timeline kept me reading to figure out why they were so broken. But they got where they needed to be, on their own and with each other. Enjoyed the settings in Toronto and in a small lakeside resort. Just lovely, great summertime read. And this cover? Gorgeous!

Texreader That is a gorgeous cover. I love it when I catch a sunset with those colors. It‘s always when I‘m driving and can‘t pull over and just relish it. 1y
50 likes1 comment
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kissmehardy
Meet Me at the Lake | Carley Fortune
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Pickpick

And my more recent read! This was really emotionally resonant, even if I got frustrated with Will's unending reticence. His motivations were ultimately understandable, though, and I did love his and Fern's dynamic (and the lake resort!!!), so it's really all good. #contemporaryromance #womensfiction

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GinaKButler
Meet Me at the Lake | Carley Fortune
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Up next on audio!

#bookspinbingo

22 likes1 stack add
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KatieRose23
Meet Me at the Lake | Carley Fortune
Mehso-so

3.5 ⭐️

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KatieRose23
Meet Me at the Lake | Carley Fortune

About half way through with this book. I have had a lot of people recommend this book to me! Though h am finding it a bit hard to get sucked into the story line like books normally do for me. I am loving the time switches though!!

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Julsmarshall
Meet Me at the Lake | Carley Fortune
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#Bookspin list for July! June just flew by!

Soubhiville Agreed! 1y
42 likes1 comment
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lilpumpkin2.0
Meet Me at the Lake | Carley Fortune
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Pickpick

June 26, 2023 FINISHED THIS BOOK FINALLY! It took me some time to finish it but I sort of knew what was going to take place at the end so it was no surprise. Hint: It ends on a good note. Majority of the book is focused on Fern and Will's relationship and whether they are going to come back together after ten years. I would give this a 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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lilpumpkin2.0
Meet Me at the Lake | Carley Fortune
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June 14, 2023 Psst... I am a little more than halfway through the book and I stopped at a steamy part between Fern and Will Baxter. Fern and Will met ten years ago but come across each other again ten years later and Fern had always wondered why he never returned sooner. The book goes back and forth from past to present. Imo, the book kind of starts out slow. I still feel like it is on the slow side however okay if you want to get out of a slump!

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peaKnit
Meet Me at the Lake | Carley Fortune
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Pickpick

Another sweet as sugar #guiltypleasure read for #titlesandtunes @Cinfhen @BarbaraBB It takes place primarily at a lovely lake resort in Canada but it is filled with talk of music and playlists, so a perfect choice for the month‘s theme. The music mee mentioned was often grunge, so I‘ll say the tune for this read is Monkeywrench by the Foo Fighters. Always a monkey wrench in these rom coms.

BarbaraBB Sounds perfect! 1y
Cinfhen I love when books use music to help set the time period and mood ☺️🎶🙌🏻✨and yes, there‘s ALWAYS a monkey wrench 🙊 🔧 ♥️ 1y
27 likes2 comments
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lilpumpkin2.0
Meet Me at the Lake | Carley Fortune
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June 6, 2023 Oh boy!!! Carly Fortune is bliss. Her reading is very simple yet keeps one on their toes. I found myself flipping theough the pages. Some of the characters that appear in the book are: Fern, her mom (who passed away in a car accident), Jamie (Fern's ex), Will Baxter (a guy that Fern liked ten years ago at the age of 22 and happens to meet again ten years later), and Whitney (her best friend). Still reading of course...

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BirdLaVie
Meet Me at the Lake | Carley Fortune
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Panpan

What…was this?? I think that Carley Fortune is talented with her prose, but this storyline felt formulaic and far-fetched. The characters weren‘t believable, nor was the relationship between them. The audio version was hard for me to follow at times between the past and present tenses. I ended up zipping through at a high speed and continued to roll my eyes through the end.

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graysonslibrary
Meet Me at the Lake | Carley Fortune
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Pickpick

It has been WAY too long since I have been able to sit down and read, but with summer finally here I am diving back in. This was the perfect book for it, such a cute and enjoyable read! The setting of this book created such a lovely picture 4/5 ⭐️

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Dragon
Meet Me at the Lake | Carley Fortune
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Went to a really fun Q&A with Carley Fortune at Bolen Books last night. It was interesting to hear that she grew up in the small Ontario community she writes about. She also talked about her process. So far she‘s doing only stand alone romances. She used to be an editor for Refinery 29 until she decided to write a novel. I haven‘t read her books but I‘ve got a hold on her first book - it will be awhile 📚💚🐉

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darklydreaming
Meet Me at the Lake | Carley Fortune
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Squeezing in one last Book Club pick before baby #2 joins us!

This one is neat to read because it takes place in Toronto and the Muskokas which is not too far away from my city…

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TheLudicReader
Meet Me at the Lake | Carley Fortune
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Pickpick

This is a soft pick because I had the same problems with this one as I had with Every Summer After. Loved the Canadian setting and references, loved the stuff in the past, loved some of the characters and the Dirty Dancing vibes. But some of it was clunky, especially the ending. I didn‘t quite buy the whole thing and I felt the reasons for the misconnect were kinda lame. Probably 50 pages too long. But a perfectly fine book for your beach bag.

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marleed
Meet Me at the Lake | Carley Fortune
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Pickpick

Carley‘s now an auto read for me. I love the characters she creates and the setting of the greater Toronto area. Was it a stretch that a person pines 10 years for someone they knew for only a day - sure. But that did not lessen my enjoyment in reading this story.

And Canadian Littens, I‘m at last aware of your beloved artist, Emily Carr, and her beautiful work!

TheLudicReader This is my current read. (edited) 1y
marleed @TheLudicReader I hope you‘re enjoying it! 1y
TheLudicReader I am feeling about it the same way I felt about her first book. Love the Canadian setting…I have friends in Huntsville…and references, but the same things that I didn‘t really like in book #1 exist here. Not done yet, so we‘ll see. @marleed (edited) 1y
65 likes3 comments