Review of EVERY SUMMER AFTER by Carley Fortune (New Release)

 3 Stars

As regular readers of my reviews know, romance is not my usual genre so they may be surprised that I’m reviewing a romance novel.  I requested a digital galley of Every Summer After because it is set in Barry’s Bay, my hometown and the place where my husband and I rent a cottage every fall.  I was interested in how the town would be portrayed in the novel.

The book has a dual timeline:  Now and Then.  In the sections set in the past, Percy (Persephone) Fraser starts spending summers in Barry’s Bay when her parents buy a cottage there.  She meets their neighbours:  Sue Florek and her two sons, Charlie and Sam.  Percy and Sam, both 13 years of age when they first meet, quickly become inseparable for six summers.  Friendship turns to romance. 

In the present sections, Percy is now 30, and she hasn’t spoken to Sam for twelve years.  Charlie calls to tell her that Sue has died so Percy travels north from Toronto.  A meeting with Sam is inevitable.  Will they be able to move past the rift that tore them apart and to find their way back to each other?

As a romance, this novel is totally predictable.  It certainly uses several common romance tropes:  soul mates, friends to lovers, and second chances.  I guessed what would cause the rift as soon as all the main characters were introduced.  The ending is equally predictable.  Lovers of romances will be pleased that familiar, tried-and-tested scenarios are used throughout.  Unfortunately, I dislike formulaic books with predictable plots.  I skimmed through some reviews of the novel and found so many comparisons to other authors, especially Emily Henry and Christina Lauren.  I guess this is not surprising since they probably all follow the same romance conventions; in fact, the author even mentions these romance writers in her Author’s Note.

Percy and Sam’s relationship when they are teens is convincing.  Teenage love is exactly like Percy describes it:  “plotted, dreamed, obsessed.”  Hormones affect decisions, and drama usually ensues.  Their relationship as adults, however, is less credible.  I found it overwrought.  Percy seems in a constant state of nervous excitement or anxiety.  Her hands are always shaking and she is often on the verge of a panic attack.  Surely, in 12 years, the two of them would be better able to communicate and behave with less adolescent rashness.

I appreciated that the characters are so distinct.  Delilah and Charlie in particular stand out in this regard.  Their personalities are clearly described, though being able to predict how they will react and what they will say every time they appear becomes somewhat tedious.  As an adolescent, Sam seems a bit too mature and perfect, though there is bias because we see him from Percy’s perspective.  Percy’s portrayal as a teenager is very realistic, especially in terms of her insecurity and desire to fit in, but I did find her rather immature as an adult.  After a dozen years, she still hasn’t moved on?  She doesn’t apologize to a friend for over a decade?

I wish a different event had been used to bring together Sam and Percy.  A death and funeral work well, but Sue’s funeral is so obviously just an inciting incident.  Sam and Charlie have no tasks to take care of in terms of funeral arrangements so Sam is able to spend virtually all his time with Percy?  And no one seems especially sad.  Percy says “Sue was like family” and Sue “treated me like a daughter” yet she is so unemotional throughout? 

The book is well-written in terms of grammatical correctness; I would expect nothing less from an editor with a Bachelor of Journalism.  The casual style makes for an easy read, but I was annoyed with the repetition.  For instance, some form of groan is used 16 times, and do we really need to be reminded again and again of the crease in Sam’s bottom lip? 

So back to why I wanted to read this book:  its setting.  I couldn’t believe that a writer for Refinery29, a digital media and entertainment website which the author helped launch in Canada, referred to Barry’s Bay as being in northern Ontario (https://www.refinery29.com/en-ca/2021/12/10776418/every-summer-after-carley-fortune-excerpt)!  Like many people who enjoy recognizing locales with which they are familiar, I enjoyed the references to life in Barry’s Bay.  I used to get ice-cream cones at the Dairy Bar, and I guessed correctly that the Tavern was modeled on the Wilno Tavern.  I smiled at mentions of Kamaniskeg Lake and the description of Stedmans:  “It was half general store, half dollar store, and it had a little bit of everything, but there was no guarantee they’d have what you were looking for.”  I chuckled at the comment “who wears dress pants and a matching silk top on a Thursday night in Barry’s Bay?  Or any night in Barry’s Bay?”  I could relate to Sam’s feelings of claustrophobia living in a small rural town and his desire to get away, just as I understood Percy’s desire to return to a place which seemed idyllic.  Thank you, Carley Fortune, for the trip down memory lane.

Though, as I indicated at the beginning, romance is not my genre of choice, I will recommend the book as an easy summer read.  Anyone who has spent time at a lakeside cottage or cabin in a small town will identify with the activities described.  Most people will remember the magic of a summer romance or the angst of first love.  Pick this one for reading on a dock or beach or in a comfortable chair in the backyard or on a deck.

Note:  I received a digital galley from the publisher via NetGalley.