February 13, 2023
Fortune (Every Summer After) shines in this beautiful tale of love, loss, and forgiveness. Fern Brookbanks, 32, reluctantly returns to Muskoka, Canada, from Toronto, to run the family business—Brookbanks Resort, a “Dirty Dancing-style” lakeside retreat—following her mother’s death. The business is in disarray, but unbeknownst to Fern, her mother hired a business consultant before her death: Will Baxter, the mystery man with whom Fern spent one magical day 10 years before the start of the book—and who broke her heart when he stood her up on their planned reunion one year later. Fern is thrown for a loop by Will’s reappearance and much changed behavior, but their chemistry is as strong as ever. They tentatively rekindle their relationship, until an emergency has Will questioning his priorities—including his relationship with Fern. Fortune toggles between Fern and Will’s whirlwind, 24-hour romance and their present day rekindling to showcase her characters’ changing hearts. The emotions are big, messy, and realistic as the protagonists’ path to forgiveness has some unexpected twists. A solid supporting cast—especially Fern’s ex-boyfriend, Jamie; her best friend, Whitney; and her mother’s longtime companion, Peter—underpin the narrative. This searing story of hard-won second chances is not to be missed. Agent: Taylor Haggerty, Root Literary.
March 1, 2023
A Canadian 30-something gets a second chance at love and career. If Fern Brookbanks ever opened the Toronto espresso shop of her dreams, the first song on the playlist would be "Feeling Good" by Nina Simone. That could be the soundtrack of this upbeat, often very witty Canadian romance novel as well. Unfortunately, though, 32-year-old Fern will not be opening any espresso shops but instead must cope with managing the struggling cottage resort she's suddenly inherited on Lake Muskoka. She grew up on its grounds, and her only significant accomplishment so far in life is getting out of there. But then her mother, a 55-year-old powerhouse who's been running the place single-handedly all her adult life, dies in a car crash. Left to help poor Fern keep things going are her high school boyfriend, Jamie, and her mother's dear friend Peter, the resort's master baker, who helped raise Fern and nurtured her love of great playlists. Then Will Baxter, a handsome hunk her mother hired as a consultant to help save the hotel, turns out to be the very guy Fern had the most amazing night of her life with 10 years ago--only he broke her heart by failing to show up for their second date. Fortune fills her novel with food, music, and clothing descriptions and has some truly great one-liners: "I didn't know an apron could be sexy, but this apron is the lost Hemsworth brother of aprons." The suspense is created by withholding information: What was Fern's outrageous teenage transgression? What was the terrible thing she read in her mother's diary? Why did Will stand her up 10 years ago? While this technique does feel a bit formulaic, it keeps the pages turning. Escape to the lakefront with this entertaining romance.
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Starred review from March 1, 2023
Ten years ago, Fern and Will met in Toronto and spent 24 life-altering hours together. They promised to meet at her family's resort in exactly one year, but Will never showed up and never even contacted her to say why. Crushed, Fern is determined to move on, but she never truly gets over Will. After her mother's sudden and tragic death, Fern returns home to take over the resort, where she checks in a surprising guest: Will. With both of them staying for the summer in adjoining cabins, they reconnect--their bond and their chemistry as strong as ever. But Will is still keeping secrets about why he stood her up a decade ago, and despite her growing feelings for him, Fern's heart is still guarded from the hurt he caused those many years ago. The story skips back and forth in time, a narrative device that Fortune (Every Summer After) wields skillfully, revealing plotlines and developing the characters slowly and satisfyingly. VERDICT This contemporary romance is an immersive second-chance love story that will transport readers with its dual evocative settings of stunning rural Ontario and thrilling Toronto.--Migdalia Jimenez
Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
April 14, 2023
Fern Brookbanks met Will Baxter one day in Toronto; they only spent a whirlwind 24 hours together, but Fern has spent her life wondering about Will. The two made a pact to meet one year later, but when Will is a no-show, Fern is heartbroken. Nine years later, 32-year-old Fern is lost. Instead of living in the city, she returned to her family-owned resort after her mother's unexpected death. The resort isn't doing well and just as Fern is trying to figure out what she is going to do, Will shows up and confuses her even more. Will and Fern's mother struck a deal; he offered his consultant services to help revamp her resort, but he didn't learn of her death until he arrived. Fern and Will begin to work together, and as the summer passes, their romance grows. They deeply care for one another, but Will is keeping Fern at arm's length because of his family. This sweet and steamy novel will have Lucy Score readers rooting for these two lovers.
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