Scan barcode
bookscatsandtats's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Wow. That was a heartfelt and wildly well written book.
Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Character Development: ☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️
Setting/World Building: 🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎
Spice: 🌶️
Romance/Tears: 💖💖💖💖
I loved the Dual Timeline. I thought this was really well done. Will and Fern’s love story is so interesting and heartfelt. I loved how the characters deal with and learn about their grief and anxiety.
It was so interesting to weave in her mother’s journal and some of her story with Peter. The side characters were all wonderful.
The setting was just beautiful and I felt like I was wandering around the grounds for Brookbanks Resort.
This was so much more than just a summer rom-com. Truly unique storytelling and I was so invested in these characters. I couldn’t put the book down.
Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Character Development: ☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️
Setting/World Building: 🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎
Spice: 🌶️
Romance/Tears: 💖💖💖💖
I loved the Dual Timeline. I thought this was really well done. Will and Fern’s love story is so interesting and heartfelt. I loved how the characters deal with and learn about their grief and anxiety.
It was so interesting to weave in her mother’s journal and some of her story with Peter. The side characters were all wonderful.
The setting was just beautiful and I felt like I was wandering around the grounds for Brookbanks Resort.
This was so much more than just a summer rom-com. Truly unique storytelling and I was so invested in these characters. I couldn’t put the book down.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Drug use and Pregnancy
jelkebooks's review
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
You know what, for most of this book I did quite like this book. It wasn't anything too special, but I did quite like the resort setting. I thought it was just a fun location radiating the summer vibes, and I loved the cast of side characters making up this place. On top of that I also really liked our main character's, Fern, personal journey throughout the book. Her difficult relationship with her mom was really interesting, because despite it being difficult it was full of love. Typically when books center a difficult relationship with a parent, love is typically hard to find. Add to that that her mom died a couple of months before the start of the novel, and now she has to decide to sell or take over the resort that was her mother's everything but she spend her entire life running away from, and you've got such an interesting and complex story. It legit made me tear up a few times.
The romance was fine enough as well for the most part. I just wanted a little more from it. I did like the switches between past and present, and despite them only spending one day together in the past, I do really feel like the author did a great job developing that deeper connection between them at the time. I just wish it didn't get this close to cheating though. However, in the present we are constantly told about how much the two of them have changed, but we barely get them getting to know each other again. Most of the time they hang out after they get together they are just having sex. I just missed that deeper connection from the past there. Especially on Will's side. He kept Fern at such a distance, in my opinion. It kept me from getting fully invested.
Then we get to the third act conflict though, and this book had my blood boiling. It just showcased how absolutely emotionally constipated Will is. His sister is the one to open up to Fern, not him. It just gave me such a massive ick. The way he also just runs feels like such a massive red flag, and I truly don't believe that man will stick around at the next small inconvience. I also feel like some parts about it are just really poorly handled. I won't go in depth about it to avoid spoilers, just know Will is a massive manbaby and I truly think these two are better of apart. It left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth towards the romance.
The romance was fine enough as well for the most part. I just wanted a little more from it. I did like the switches between past and present, and despite them only spending one day together in the past, I do really feel like the author did a great job developing that deeper connection between them at the time. I just wish it didn't get this close to cheating though. However, in the present we are constantly told about how much the two of them have changed, but we barely get them getting to know each other again. Most of the time they hang out after they get together they are just having sex. I just missed that deeper connection from the past there. Especially on Will's side. He kept Fern at such a distance, in my opinion. It kept me from getting fully invested.
Then we get to the third act conflict though, and this book had my blood boiling. It just showcased how absolutely emotionally constipated Will is. His sister is the one to open up to Fern, not him. It just gave me such a massive ick. The way he also just runs feels like such a massive red flag, and I truly don't believe that man will stick around at the next small inconvience. I also feel like some parts about it are just really poorly handled. I won't go in depth about it to avoid spoilers, just know Will is a massive manbaby and I truly think these two are better of apart. It left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth towards the romance.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Drug use
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders and Abandonment
theverycraftyvegan's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A very cute book! I loved learning more and more about Fern’s relationship with her mother, and learning more about her mother’s past, as the book went on. And even though Will finally opening up and letting Fern in only happened because of his sister, it was a wonderful way of resolving Fern and Will’s communication breakdown.
Just a little bit of spice but a lot of pining and love.
Just a little bit of spice but a lot of pining and love.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, and Abandonment
Moderate: Death, Drug use, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Pregnancy
lilhappyhermit's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The emotions this book elicited from me caught me off guard in the best way possible. I went into this with the impression that it was going to be a second chance, right person/wrong time, romance but when I tell you I was in TEARS at certain points in this book I mean it. It pulls at your heart strings and leaves you with this tender-hearted love for these characters and their journeys and how, inevitability, they are once again brought back together (even if it was 10 years "too late"). I had such a great time listening to this book and loved every second of Fern and Will's story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Mental illness and Pregnancy
Minor: Drug use
samrichwhit's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
kelseyfontaine's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I loved this book during my beach vacation! Getting to know the stories of Fern and Will drew me in for hours.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Mental illness and Pregnancy
Minor: Drug use
shaykay's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
5.0
I've made many plans for reading this year, and so far, I've failed to follow through. I love that I could pick up the audiobook for Meet Me at the Lake. It's one of my 23 books for 2023 that I wanted to read, and it's a standalone. Standalones have been a rare thing for me to find this year, so I loved that this one had no other connection to some other book. So, I had a lot of fun with this book, and it was wild seeing where everything was going. I really wanted to love this one, and for the most part, I did, but now, looking back, I just can't remember everything that happened. This one is a good summertime read because it gives a contemporary summer vibe. I also liked that we bounced around not only different points of view but also different timelines. I want to read more books by Fortune, but at the same time, my reading tastes have changed. I have just been reading Kindle after Kindle book, and most indie authors are more out there or have a faster pace. But I liked what happened in this book and saw how many people would enjoy this story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Drug use, Mental illness, Sexual content, and Pregnancy
laheath's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
After spending a day together, Fern and Will plan to meet up at her family's lake resort 1 year later. Although I find this trope is overdone and far-fetched, the plot was well-written with great characters. Fern is surrounded by supportive, long-term friends after her mother's death. She's a strong woman torn between choices that will determine her life's direction while also giving Will a second chance. The author also addresses the struggles facing new mothers and post-partum anxiety. Emotional romance with real-life problems, great read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death of parent
Moderate: Mental illness, Sexual content, and Pregnancy
Minor: Drug use and Alcohol
eligru's review
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Mental illness, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Pregnancy
teacupsandfirereads's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death of parent
Minor: Drug use and Mental illness