Meet Me at the Lake

By: Carley Fortune

Narrated by: A.J. Bridel, Carley Fortune

Length: 9 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

THE INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!

A Most Anticipated Book by Today ∙ Oprah Daily ∙ Katie Couric Media ∙ BuzzFeed ∙ SheReads ∙ Zibby Mag ∙ PopSugar ∙ BookRiot ∙ Culturess ∙ Her Campus ∙ The Everygirl ∙ and more!

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 didn’t.

At thirty-two, Fern’s life doesn’t look at all how she once imagined it would. Instead of living in the city, Fern’s back home, running her mother’s lakeside resort—something she vowed never to do. The place is in disarray, her ex-boyfriend’s the manager, and Fern doesn’t know where to begin.

She needs a plan—a 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 Fern’s 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 Fern’s not sure she wants to know what it is.

But ten years ago, Will Baxter rescued Fern. Can she do the same for him?

©2023 Carley Fortune (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Fortune explores the aftermath of losing a beloved parent and reclaiming a relationship in this unputdownable, witty, soulful and stirring novel." —GMA

“This novel, set in Toronto and on a nearby lake, is beautiful, charming, witty, poignant, and all the things you could want in a spring read.” —Katie Couric Media

"Meet Me at The Lake is a beautiful, heart-tugging, love story about secrets, lies, missed connections and second chances. Set against the idyllic backdrop of a family hotel on a rural lake, this novel brims with the warmth of summertime and the feeling of home. An exquisite, emotional read." —Jill Santopolo, New York Times bestselling author of Stars in an Italian Sky

Sincere

I was hesitant to read this after the many reviews I read comparing it to Every Summer After. You can’t compare the two because they aren’t the same. This is a sincere and genuine story about love at first sight and the years of life in the in between collided with loss and a shift in life. What a great story.

The reading/performance was also perfect!

Loved it so much

So so good. This lit up all my feels. All of the characters are just lovely. I would love to live or even work at the resort. Very well written.

Love the messages that this book has!

It’s cute of course, but it’s also more like real life, how life changes, & without giving too much away how we can live life when unexpected events happen.

Loved

Wow! What a beautiful book! Love everything about it and highly recommend. One of my favorites books ever!

Not as good as the first book

I had such high hopes for this one, especially after reading Every Summer After which was excellent!! This felt very much like a “young adult” book. One too many references to smoking pot and the main character just seemed very immature. In general this just didn’t hold my interest. Not bad enough to return but I was glad when I finally finished it.

Loved!

Keep writing Carley Fortune! I loved this book. Any readers/listeners who enjoyed Every Summer After, this one will also find a special place in your heart.

Excellent

I loved this story. I loved the characters and how you touched on their struggles.

Great read

This book was amazing! I could connect on many different levels. I can’t wait to read and or listen to more books from this author.

Cute palette cleanser for between heavy books

It was decent, I enjoyed it, it wasn’t super exciting or tense. Just a fun read.

Read it in a single sitting

This book made me want to go to a lake house or summer camp for adults. So sweet and light and the perfect read for your next pool or beach day!