Member Reviews

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for this ARC. After not really enjoying this author’s previous book I was a little nervous to go into this one but I definitely enjoyed this one more.

This author really excels at setting a scene and the summer vibes were on point. I’ve always wanted to visit Canada but I’d never even considered PEI despite loving Anne of Green Gables. Now I really want to go, it sounds beautiful. I rarely read novels set in Canada as well so it was lovely to spend time there for a bit.

Unfortunately that’s what carried the book for me. The writing was really beautiful at times and then really mediocre at others. It was a lot of “We did this. We did this. We did this” type sentences and it got really repetitive really quickly. I also didn’t like any of the characters. I thought Lucy was a bit of a melt to be honest and she was weirdly obsessive about Bridget. Felix was a little more interesting but he was such a cliche that he annoyed me.

The whole way through this book I was thinking “I bet this author loves Timothee Chalamet”. It was giving those vibes. I still recommend this because I can see a lot of people loving this and the vibes were immaculate.

Was this review helpful?

Everything Carley Fortune writes is magic, I’m convinced of it!

We follow the character of Lucy who is visiting Prince Edward Island and is staying at a local beach house. While waiting for her best friend Bridget to arrive, she meets local Felix and the pair become romantically involved until she finds out Felix is Bridget’s younger brother…. The pair vow to never repeat that one night together but sometimes that’s easier said than done. We revisit the two of them year on year as Bridget’s wedding draws closer.

The descriptions of the island are immaculate and the relationships that Carley formulates are 10/10. Honestly I loved every moment of this. Each word is like time spent watching the sun dip beneath the skyline, slow and languid precious moments. Loved loved loved!

Huge thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy.

Was this review helpful?

I felt so completely immersed into this book - I think that’s my favourite thing about Carley Fortune’s writing, is her ability to make you feel like you are literally there in the place where the story is set, and despite never having even seen a picture of Prince Edward Island, I felt like I could picture the setting perfectly just from the author’s writing.

The chemistry between Lucy and Felix was literally palpable, I was rooting for them the whole time. They were both likeable and fun and I loved them together, truly swoonworthy! I loved how they learned to love each other through all stages of life and became friends along the way too.

There’s also a beautiful female friendship in here between Lucy and Bridget and I just love seeing strong female friendships in books, they were truly each other’s person. I think that the whole secret that Bridget was keeping was a little silly to be keeping from Lucy, but at the same time I get it, because the decision she had to make was not an easy one.

Such a perfect summery, beach read! (Plus there’s an EmHen shoutout which will always have me smiling).

Was this review helpful?

Loved this one, as with Carleys previous two books, this is the perfect summer read. You will be hooked from start to finish. A must read and a definite 5star from me

Was this review helpful?

Hmmm... struggled a lot with what to rate this one! Overall yes I enjoyed it, but man oh man are there some cringey parts that I just cannot shake from my mind & cute beach/summery read and loved the scenery aspects! Now I need to visit PEl too

Was this review helpful?

Thank you Michael Joseph, Penguin Random house, Penguin and NetGalley for this ARC of this Summer will be Different by Carley fortune

This is my first novel by Carley Fortune and I can see why Carley is a bottom favourite, fans of Emily Henry will love this story of Lucy and Felix set over many summers, what's not to love, best friends brother, beautiful location, so many descriptions of it in fact... and a sweet story both of friendship and blossoming love.

I really loved this book, and will definitelybe buying more of Carley's books as soon as possible.

Was this review helpful?

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

This is the perfect summer read! It takes place over several summers and i read it during the highest heatwave that the UK has had so far and the vibes were immaculate. I loved these characters as a couple, they weren’t toxic and felt like they genuinely belong together. BUT, my favourite thing about this book was the friendship, I felt so emotional watching these two best friends slowly fall apart… ugh friendship breakups are so much harder than relationship breakups 😫

I will say though, I have read Every Summer After and the characters feel VERY similar to me… i’d love to see something a little different from Carley Fortune’s next book, because i do love her writing so much!

Read if you like:
🧡 best friends brother
🧡 second chance romance
🧡 dual timeline
🧡 one POV
🧡 summery reads
🧡 found family

(Thank you so much to Michael Joseph / Penguin Random House for the EARC 🫶🏻)

🫶🏻

Was this review helpful?

Carley Fortune and her books have been one of the summer constants in my life for the past couple of summers. I have loved reading her past two books whilst away on holiday. So, you can imagine my excitement when it was announced her latest book would be released just before my holiday.

It was one of the first books I read whilst on my holiday this year and I adored it. It may just be my favourite book I’ve read by Carley Fortune. It is adorable, at times spicy, fun and perfect for the summer.

Lucy is a tourist on Prince Edward Island and Felix is a local who show her a good time. The only issue, he her best friend Bridget’s younger brother. Their chemistry is unreal, but the list of reasons that need to stay away from each other is long and they vow to never repeat the night again. But, it is easier said than done.

When Bridget suddenly flees Toronto a week before her wedding, Lucy drops everything to follow her to the island. Her mission is to help Bridget through her crisis and resist the one man she has never been able to. But Felix’s sparkling eyes and flirty quips have been replaced with something new, and Lucy’s beginning to wonder just how safe her heart truly is.

I adored the friendship element in this book. Lucy and Bridget are best friends and I loved them together. They care for each other so much, support each other through thick and thin and are all round wonderful. I loved that they showed that love doesn’t always have to be romantic, it can be platonic.

Lucy is an excellent main character. She is caring, determined and trying to figure out who she is. We get to see her self-reflection whilst she is also dealing with the loss and grief she is facing in her life. The journey she goes on is wonderful and I loved that she fought for her happiness over anything else.

The romance between Lucy and Felix is one what hooks you from the start. Felix is all you need in a book boyfriend and I’m sure readers will fall in love with him. I loved his growth in this story especially seeing how he develops emotionally. Together the pair are incredible.

I read this book whilst on an island where I feel safe and happy. So, it felt fitting that Prince Edward Island is an island that gives Lucy a safe place to feel happy and work on herself. She grieves there, finds love there and it ends up being a lot more to her than just a place to go on holiday which I think is beautiful.

There is no doubt that I will be picking up whatever it is that Carley Fortune writes next. Her books are one of the things that define summer for me. They are always fun, fast-paced and at times thought-provoking. With this book she tells us you are not confined to the family you’ve been born into, you have the ability to find your own.

Overall, This Summer Will Be Different is a sweet, fast-paced and fun romance book that is perfect for summer. It will bring a smile to your face and make you appreciate those around you.

Was this review helpful?

This Summer Will be Different is the perfect summer read!
I loved the setting. The description of Prince Edward Island made me want to book a trip right now! I could smell the salty water, taste the delicious food and feel the sun on my skin. The story is told by Lucy's perspective, in past and present. It's a lovestory but also about friendship and found family. I loved the strong bond between the FMC Lucy and her childhood friend Bridget. Them being there for eachother in the good and bad times, having eachother's back and empowering one another.
Felix is Bridget's brother and Lucy clearly has a thing for him. But she and her best friend have three rules when they are in PEI: eat as much oysters as possible, leave the city behind and do not fall in love with Bridget's brother. Lucy is trying her best but their chemistry is undeniable. I could feel the electricity between those pages.
I flew through that book and those characters are simply beautiful, it was pure joy to follow them through the story.
Not only is this story about finding love but also about finding yourself and I can't recommend this book enough.

Thank you for Carley Fortune, Berkley Publishing & NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Was this review helpful?

3.5 ✨I really enjoyed this book so much.

The summer vibes were perfect!! Felix and Lucy's chemistry was insane. It takes place over a few summers and you get to experience Felix and Lucy over and over, but not work over the summers. It feels very much like the right person, wrong time. They were two people who had to sort out their lives separately because they could come together.

I enjoyed Carley Fortune's previous books and now this one joins the shelf too <3

Was this review helpful?

This earns a solid 3.75 stars from me. I thoroughly enjoyed both of the main characters and the delightful set up of the story, especially their charming meet-cute. It's definitely a feel-good, perfect summer read that captures the essence of the season with its vivid setting and engaging storyline. However, despite the emotional depth hinted at in the narrative, I found myself wanting more. While the characters were very well-developed and their relationships felt genuine, the emotional impact fell short of my expectations. I was hoping for a deeper connection that would evoke tears, and it left me a little dissapointed not to get it!

I'll read anything Carley Fortune writes and cannot wait for her next adventure.

Was this review helpful?

This is the first book I've read by Carley Fortune and I'm now kicking myself that I waited so long and I already have her other books ready to start. I loved the characters, setting, pace, basically everything about this book and it also involved one of my favourite places on earth, Prince Edward Island.'

I'm looking forward to reading the back catalogue as well as all future books as this one was a definite 5 star read.

Was this review helpful?

This book is the perfect quick summer read! I was transported to Prince Edward Island for a few hours, and I enjoyed every second being immersed in the island descriptions and Anne of Green Gables references.

It's only missing a star for me over the character miscommunications and "right person wrong time" trope. I'm just not a huge fan of that as it doesn't always make a lot of sense to me.

4 stars for the vibes!

Was this review helpful?

Perfect beach read as you get swept up in the romance of 2024! I loved this book and read it by the lake!

Was this review helpful?

I have a hit and miss relationship with Carley Fortune books but this one was definitely a hit. I had a feeling I would enjoy the book due to the tropes mentioned but what I really loved with it was that you are fully immersed in both the friendship and the romance which makes the fact that this a best friend's brother romance higher stakes as you did not want Lucy to loos Bridget as a friend, especially when Bridget needed her most. I think it is important that Lucy and Felix had a connection before she knew he was Bridget's brother as otherwise I don't think she would have acted on her feelings due to her loyalty and closeness to Bridget,

Was this review helpful?

Thank you so much for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. It was every bit as great as i imagined it would be. The author manages to describe every setting in such a descriptive and immersive way that you can fully imagine you are on PEI with the characters. I loved the characters Lucy was a strong woman and throughout the book evolved fully as a character. Felix was a dream and his love was clear to see from the first meeting. There was definitely a lot more spice in this book compared to the others but not a complaint. I found the friendship between the characters heartwarming and there wasn’t a character that wasn’t likeable. However, I found Bridget’s reason for secrecy a bit of a letdown. Overall, I thought the book wrapped up well but for me could have been a bit more to it. Would also have been lovely to even a chapter of Felix POV. Another super book from Carley Fortune though! An auto buy author for sure.

Was this review helpful?

I really enjoyed this story! Best friends brother trope. I feel that it depicts a realistic friendship between Lucy and Bridget, as you get older how friendships can change but you still love each other.

The romance between Felix and Lucy was realistic and relatable.

Really like the writer’s writing style and how she writes realistic, but utterly fun and romantic romance books.

Was this review helpful?

I totally melted into this book, lots of chemistry between the two main characters Lucy & Felix & I found myself really rooting for them to end up together. A perfect summer holiday read.

Was this review helpful?

This book was surprisingly good! I went in with low expectations and they were exceeded by far. Though I am not usually a fan of instant love and a best friend's brother, I did not mind it at all! The writing was very good, the setting was amazing - I now have strong urge to visit PEI. I was unable to put the book down and really enjoyed it, would definitely recommend this book as a summer read.

Was this review helpful?

NO matter what Carley fortune writes I am in Love.

Every time I read her books i just want to go to Canada and move there.

Lucy and Felix are my second fav from her. I am such a fan of second chances and he's just too much.

Was this review helpful?