As is typical from Carley Fortune, this book possesses such real, vivid characters that the reader can’t help but love and see something in that is so true to life and the every day struggles that come with life.
The characters are not perfect, they have their flaws, they have their aspects that truly make them human and throughout the course of the novel they either learn to embrace the things about themselves that make them who they are, or they find ways to better themselves and work on overcoming the flaws that stand in the way of their own happiness. The characters are so essential to the book, so the fact that they absolutely leap off the pages makes One Golden Summer everything, and creates such investment in them that it’s impossible not to race through the pages to see if everything will work out in the end and they will find their happiness, their ways in life passed the grief that overshadows it, and the self imposed limitations that keep them from reaching their full potential.
In One Golden Summer there is one main character we haven’t met before, as well as an old face that appeared in the previous standalone in this series of books, one Charlie Florek, older brother to Sam Florek. Some of Charlie’s story is known going into this book if the first book has been read, such as family, history, and generally what he was like as a teenager. I love that there is this previous insight into his character available, because it makes it clear how much he has changed and really adds to the depth his character has grown into in this book. From the flirty, womanizing young man to the (still flirty) but trying to find his way older man who is more than a little broken despite working so hard to hide it for so many years. It’s so heartbreaking seeing the burden he’s held for most of his life and how it’s finally taking its toll on an older Charlie, and it made me love him all the more because of it.
There is also Alice, a woman at a loss in her career which no longer feels fulfilling despite involving her passion. She was such a relatable character for me, the shy, forgotten person who never sticks out in a crowd and gives all of her love to other people, which has driven her to a point of having nothing left for herself. And she has such a beautiful relationship with her Nan, who was another incredible character in this book and one I absolutely adored wholly and completely. Their relationship is the most wholesome thing and spending the summer together on the Lake while Nan recovers from a fall gives so much opportunity for the two of them to explore their relationship and reveals just how close the two of them are. They also have their own struggles to overcome which adds even more depth to both the story and their characters, and they were one of my favourite parts of this entire book. I can’t forget the relationship between Nan and Charlie either. This one was also so beautiful and warmed my heart immensely.
In a few words, I loved this book so much. It made me smile, it broke my heart, it pieced it back together, it made me laugh, made me tear up, forged such a deep connection into my soul, and many other emotions besides. I highly recommend this book and will eagerly be awaiting the next Carley Fortune book.
