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March Into Romance: New Releases to Fall in Love With!

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As Lady Phoebe and her betrothed say their vows of holy matrimony, a killer has vowed unholy vengeance on the town�s chief inspector . . .


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A soldier-turned-duke and a widow: a forbidden love story awaits!


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Pregnant sheriff. Abducted baby. Can they solve this deadly mystery in time?


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A cowgirl with grit. A cowboy with control. Will they tame each other�s hearts?


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A sculptress. A war. Will ambition or love define her future?


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"WILDLY ENTERTAINING"
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Saving the ranch and his heart�one business plan at a time.


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Disappearing girls, a blood moon, and a thriller that will keep you guessing.


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A Stray Pup, A Second Chance, and a Killer on the Loose�Wagtail�s About to Get Wild!


This Summer Will Be Different

This Summer Will Be Different, May 2024
by Carley Fortune

Berkley
320 pages
ISBN: 0593638883
EAN: 9780593638880
Kindle: B0CGF1V179
Trade Paperback / e-Book
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"Love and Friendship"

Fresh Fiction Review

This Summer Will Be Different
Carley Fortune

Reviewed by Bharti C
Posted June 2, 2024

Coming of Age | Contemporary Women's Fiction

THIS SUMMER WILL BE DIFFERENT is Carley Fortune's latest title; she is a new to me author and since it is Summer this sounded like a perfectly timed read. 

The story is set in Canada - between Toronto and Prince Edward Island. The lead pair is Lucy and Felix.

Talking in tropes this is - Slow Burn, Best Friend's Brother and Secret Hook-ups.

Lucy is best friends with Felix's sister Bridget, who works in Toronto where Lucy meets Felix. Felix lives on the Island, is an entrepreneur Oyster shucking competitor and the most exciting bit he is a reader, never without a book on him. Yes, sounds very appealing and when you read about his good looks paired with his thoughtful, caring, playful nature he is hard not to fall for. A very good job by the author writing us a book boyfriend like him. 

Even though I'm singing praises of Felix, the story is from Lucy's POV, though I wish it was a dual one and we got Felix's POV too. Nevertheless, Lucy works in PR though most happy surrounded by flowers at her aunt's flower shop In Bloom. Soon, she gives up the PR job and starts working at the flower shop. Bridget too changes jobs for a better opportunity. As life goes on, Lucy and Bridget go from working together and being roommates to separate jobs, and Bridget falls in love and moves in with her boyfriend Miles. 

Lucy is close to her Aunt Stacy, however, she suddenly passes away and with Bridget too living away from her, things get tough for her. To make it easy and give her some space, Bridget gets Lucy out to PEI, this is not the first time she's been to the island though. You see, when they became friends Bridget insisted on them vacationing on the island, and they'd been there yearly for nearly 4 years by the time Lucy lost her aunt. 

There are sparks between Felix and Lucy who accidentally hook up as strangers on her first visit to the island. The hookups continue every time Lucy is on the island, always in secret. Things come to a head though with Lucy's grief and it gets awkward between her and Felix as each realise it's getting serious between them. All this is slowly simmering and explodes when on their next island visit it looks like Bridget's upcoming wedding is in trouble. With things emotionally unstable it looks like both the friends are on edge. 

That's how this summer will be different with the secrets out,  a wedding to save it's a trying time for all. Will it end with the lovers and friends walking away in the sunset or will the secrets ruin it all? Pick up a copy for this slow-burn, flirty, spicy, warm-fuzzy friendship-filled story. 

 I enjoyed -

  • The location - the islands was a refreshing setting and weaves well into the story with the locations important to the characters making it a wholesome experience.
  • The traits and emotional dynamics together and individually of the characters were done well. I loved the scenes between Lucy and Felix, they were the heart of the story. 

A flirty, warm fuzzy, emotional story of love and friendship is how I see THIS SUMMER WILL BE DIFFERENT.

Learn more about This Summer Will Be Different

SUMMARY

This summer they’ll keep their promise. This summer they won't give into temptation. This summer will be different.

Lucy is the tourist vacationing at a beach house on Prince Edward Island. Felix is the local who shows her a very good time. The only problem: Lucy doesn’t know he’s her best friend’s younger brother. Lucy and Felix’s chemistry is unreal, but the list of reasons why they need to stay away from each other is long, and they vow to never repeat that electric night again.

It’s easier said than done.

Each year, Lucy escapes to PEI for a big breath of coastal air, fresh oysters and crisp vinho verde with her best friend, Bridget. Every visit begins with a long walk on the beach, beneath soaring red cliffs and a golden sun. And every visit, Lucy promises herself she won’t wind up in Felix’s bed. Again.

If Lucy can’t help being drawn to Felix, at least she’s always kept her heart out of it.

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’s 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.


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