Name: Meghann Harmon's review of Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune
Item: Meet Me at the Lake
Rating: 3
Author: Meghann Harmon

Carley Fortune

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?

Meet Me at the Lake

Roxanne Tubadeza

“But here we are. Right where we’re supposed to be”

Merry Rudinger

Melanie

"Fern," he says again.  “You were there." My voice cracks. He nods. “Yeah. I was there."

Sarah Campbell

While people want to express their sympathy, there’s a limit on how much suffering others can tolerate.

Meghann Harmon

Julia

Loved loved loved this book. Her writing is really refreshing for contemporary romance. The characters and plot were really developed and it makes me want to read her other novel Every Summer After.

Paige Leitner

I honestly had a really hard time getting into this book and found myself kind of dreading picking it up. I was looking forward to it after finishing her first book and really loving it. I just felt like Fern and Will didn't click that well to me. I felt like his reasoning for not showing up was kind of dumb. I liked the ending though and seeing how Fern grew.

Maggie Hotmer

Although I did read this in pretty much one sitting, I found it to be a bit disappointing, especially reading it so soon as a follow up to Every Summer After. I’m never the biggest fan of parallel timelines/a story told mainly via flashbacks, and this book was a reminder why. It felt like I was just dropped into the middle of an already in progress story, and the emotional connection to the characters and plot never quite formed. It was only around the last 15% where I was really rooting for the characters and, as expected, Carley Fortune does deliver a great last couple of chapters.

Emma Hak-Kovacs

Kate W

Keely Calagos

I absolutely ate every summer after up and I was hoping this would hit the same but it did not <\3 I was craving a romance so I enjoyed it enough. Real talk though, Maggie and peter’s story would be a great book.

Emily Moses

i hated the conflict in the final act. i just don’t feel like the rationale for will leaving fern with no explanation and then breaking it off makes much sense. i get what the author was trying to go for, but it didn’t land for me. i also HIGH key hate the way that it always needed to be fern who was the initiator of conversations when she wasn’t the person who fucked up. i definitely liked every summer after better.

kels

Very well written! Kinda obsessed. Will be reading more Carley Fortune 

Madilyn Taylor

“You and me in one year, Fern Brookbanks. Don't let me down.”

When I saw Carley Fortune had released another nostalgic second chance romance I was initially a bit excited and also a lot dubious. There are parts of Every Summer After that have stuck with me even months later. Such as that summery vibe, the feeling of flashing back to moments from when you're younger that defined you now in adulthood, that rich wistfulness of missing times that have passed and the person you were 10+ years ago now that you're in your 30's etc. All of that was present again in Meet Me at the Lake and once again I lapped it up and flew through this book, not wanting to put it down. There's a certain addictive feeling to Fortune's book, but yet again I am left with this feeling that I didn't absolutely love this book. There are elements of this book that held the same lack of depth as in her previous work and tropes that I cannot get behind.

I'm going to spoiler alert this even though other reviewers have mentioned it. 

SPOILER: The main thing that stood out to me again as something I didn't like was the theme of cheating. It felt like Fern stated multiple times 

 as if in an effort to convince herself, as if in an effort for the author to convince herself as well. It feels like Fortune saw the advice from her previous book, saw many people felt strange about the cheating used in that story and tried to write a book that clearly defined she does not condone cheating. In my mind emotional cheating is cheating, and I really think Fern did have an emotional affair with Will in this book. To be obsessed with someone, be so attracted to them so instantly, to the point where it makes you wish you didn't, or pretend you don't, have a boyfriend is unfaithful to me. I felt so bad for Jamie, because she didn't even break up with him after the "affair", she just left him to deal with it as she drifted away. I actually, weirdly, think this book would've been better and more understandable if Will and Fern had just slept together back when they were 22, just accepted they were both in a bad place when they were younger and made a stupid mistake together. I still would've hated the cheating trope but at least it would have, in my opinion, made her intense feelings for him make more sense. 

I liked the premise of meeting someone just for 24 hours and becoming infatuated with them, then seeing them again years later and realizing it still affects you in a certain way. There are people I've met over the years who have had a similar affect on me, although not in a love kind of way but a friendship bond. I think that's where it threw me a little bit. Will and Fern spent a fun day together, they had a good few deep and meaningful discussions and helped each other learn a few things, plus they were clearly very attracted to each other. But I just didn't think their time together quite added up to believing someone is your soulmate or feeling like you've fallen in love, if anything it's a fake love based on the 

 of who someone might be, mostly made up in your fantasies and usually when those fantasies don't work out we just move on. But Fern seemed to pivot so much around that one event, and her having looked him up on Facebook... I can't for the life of me understand why she didn't send him a scathing Facebook message after he stood her up. Because that's exactly what I would've done 😂 no one is going to have the chance to stand me up without hearing what I have to say about it.

I think the overall issue I have with both of Fortune's books is that there just seems to be a level of superficiality to the story line. The writing is good, the descriptions are wonderfully done and I really enjoy myself while I am actually reading the book, it has the perfect atmosphere that makes you long for your own good old days and people who you know longer see anymore and I can always imagine myself in the setting so perfectly. But when it comes down to what choices the characters make and how much of their lives they allow themselves to ruin because of one guy, it just doesn't make sense to me. Maybe there are people out there who can relate to this but for me, I can't. I also think a month or two after someone's mother has died is a huge grieving period and could explain why Fern's character seemed a bit... I don't know, desperate, maybe, kinda? I just thought Will's overall characterization made more sense than hers, but even then his hot and cold game was really off-putting at points too.

Overall, I did enjoy this books but there is just something about it that doesn't always sit right with me after I've finished and had time to stew on it. They're really good reads for just losing yourself in the story and enjoying the vibes, but when you look closer at the character development it just isn't quite there for me. Still a very entertaining and fun read, the romance and spice was all kinds of adorable and sexy, outside of the above issues, the suspense of the will they/won't they in the flashbacks is tantalizing and but I just want.. more from it. I know Fortune is a big fan of Emily Henry and I think she could learn a lot from her about really delving into a recognizing character flaws and how to develop from them.

Genevieve 

“You and me in one year, Fern Brookbanks. Don't let me down.”

3.75 ⭐'s

When I saw Carley Fortune had released another nostalgic second chance romance I was initially a bit excited and also a lot dubious. There are parts of Every Summer After that have stuck with me even months later. Such as that summery vibe, the feeling of flashing back to moments from when you're younger that defined you now in adulthood, that rich wistfulness of missing times that have passed and the person you were 10+ years ago now that you're in your 30's etc. All of that was present again in Meet Me at the Lake and once again I lapped it up and flew through this book, not wanting to put it down. There's a certain addictive feeling to Fortune's book, but yet again I am left with this feeling that I didn't absolutely love this book. There are elements of this book that held the same lack of depth as in her previous work and tropes that I cannot get behind.

I'm going to spoiler alert this even though other reviewers have mentioned it. 

SPOILER: The main thing that stood out to me again as something I didn't like was the theme of cheating. It felt like Fern stated multiple times 'I am not cheater' as if in an effort to convince herself, as if in an effort for the author to convince herself as well. It feels like Fortune saw the advice from her previous book, saw many people felt strange about the cheating used in that story and tried to write a book that clearly defined she does not condone cheating. In my mind emotional cheating is cheating, and I really think Fern did have an emotional affair with Will in this book. To be obsessed with someone, be so attracted to them so instantly, to the point where it makes you wish you didn't, or pretend you don't, have a boyfriend is unfaithful to me. I felt so bad for Jamie, because she didn't even break up with him after the "affair", she just left him to deal with it as she drifted away. I actually, weirdly, think this book would've been better and more understandable if Will and Fern had just slept together back when they were 22, just accepted they were both in a bad place when they were younger and made a stupid mistake together. I still would've hated the cheating trope but at least it would have, in my opinion, made her intense feelings for him make more sense. 

END SPOILER

I liked the premise of meeting someone just for 24 hours and becoming infatuated with them, then seeing them again years later and realizing it still affects you in a certain way. There are people I've met over the years who have had a similar affect on me, although not in a love kind of way but a friendship bond. I think that's where it threw me a little bit. Will and Fern spent a fun day together, they had a good few deep and meaningful discussions and helped each other learn a few things, plus they were clearly very attracted to each other. But I just didn't think their time together quite added up to believing someone is your soulmate or feeling like you've fallen in love, if anything it's a fake love based on the idea of who someone might be, mostly made up in your fantasies and usually when those fantasies don't work out we just move on. But Fern seemed to pivot so much around that one event, and her having looked him up on Facebook... I can't for the life of me understand why she didn't send him a scathing Facebook message after he stood her up. Because that's exactly what I would've done 😂 no one is going to have the chance to stand me up without hearing what I have to say about it.

I think the overall issue I have with both of Fortune's books is that there just seems to be a level of superficiality to the story line. The writing is good, the descriptions are wonderfully done and I really enjoy myself while I am actually reading the book, it has the perfect atmosphere that makes you long for your own good old days and people who you know longer see anymore and I can always imagine myself in the setting so perfectly. But when it comes down to what choices the characters make and how much of their lives they allow themselves to ruin because of one guy, it just doesn't make sense to me. Maybe there are people out there who can relate to this but for me, I can't. I also think a month or two after someone's mother has died is a huge grieving period and could explain why Fern's character seemed a bit... I don't know, desperate, maybe, kinda? I just thought Will's overall characterization made more sense than hers, but even then his hot and cold game was really off-putting at points too.

Overall, I did enjoy this books but there is just something about it that doesn't always sit right with me after I've finished and had time to stew on it. They're really good reads for just losing yourself in the story and enjoying the vibes, but when you look closer at the character development it just isn't quite there for me. Still a very entertaining and fun read, the romance and spice was all kinds of adorable and sexy, outside of the above issues, the suspense of the will they/won't they in the flashbacks is tantalizing and but I just want.. more from it. I know Fortune is a big fan of Emily Henry and I think she could learn a lot from her about really delving into a recognizing character flaws and how to develop from them.

Such an unfortunate let down after Every Summer After. Weak story. Annoying characters. Slow and anti-climactic. I was sad! Not to mention the pages of unnecessary and corny sex scenes I skipped through- reminiscent of Colleen Hoover’s books in that regard (always makes me roll my eyes- I avoid her books). Just lots of fluff. Not my cup of tea. 

Alexandria Ferley

So sweet. Loved Fern. Read this in a morning!

Amelia Hruby

every summer after was sooooo much better in every way. not summery enough, not enough lake vibes. too focused on her business and her relationship with her mother. read this so fast just so i could read something else 😭 and the reveal of what fern did in high school was soooo much lamer than whatever i imagined and i can’t believe it had such a big lead up. 

Tatum Miller

Loved this plot and how the two interact in the present. I loved their love story.

Alexis Donahue

I liked the built up, but when we went towards rhe end, I just didn't like Will and couldn't get over the fact that he left twice! So yeah, for me it was not realistic and the things Will did were too much to just forgive and forget

Ellen

I devoured this book!! it was the perfect feel good summer read I was looking for! 

Zoe Katherine Clyde

The fact that this book mentions the word “panties” multiple times should be criminal. 

Zoey Novak

this was a horrible read. i never hated a female character more than this one. i didn’t connect at all with the story and it wasn’t giving me summer vibes, which was the bare minimum. so glad it’s over

julie reads

Every Summer After was better, but this book was oh so good. 

maddi rimer 

It was good, not as good as every summer after though. I wish Fern didn’t hate Will’s art at the beginning. Also the tattoo reveal felt like a random last minute addition. I wish it was webbed into the storyline a bit more. I also feel like they combined 2 characters into Jamie. I understand having too many characters can get confusing but Jamie felt like he was a brother, ex-lover, best friend, and estranged ex-friend all in one. The commitment to the character and the relationship with Fern didn’t feel cohesive. 

Meghann Harmon &
Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune

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Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune