This Summer Will Be Different Review

Hello, all!

We're inching closer to summertime, and while that is my least favorite season, I do have a soft spot for a summer romance and This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune fits the bill.

Pub Date: 5-7-24
Adult - Contemporary

When Lucy's best friend, Bridget, invites her to visit her family home on Prince Edward Island, she's given three rules: 1. Eat your weight in oysters 2. Leave the city behind, and most importantly, 3. Don't fall in love with my brother. Lucy doesn't think she'll have a hard time following any of these, especially the last one. But when the handsome man she went home with turns out to be Felix, Bridget's younger brother, all bets are off. Despite their insane chemistry, Lucy and Felix vow to stay away from each other and never tell Bridget what happened. The pair quickly learn that's easier said than done.

Every year, Lucy heads back to PEI with Bridget to take in the coastal air, and the island soon becomes her favorite place in the world. Every visit is the same: they walk along the coast, stuff themselves with seafood and wine, and every time ends with Lucy in Felix's bed-- until one visit ruined it all. When Bridget returns to the island days before her wedding, Lucy must drop everything to follow. Lucy is determined to help her best friend through whatever crisis, but she can't help but get drawn back into Felix's orbit. The pair have spent years doing this little dance, but it feels different this year. Will they finally give in to what their hearts have known since the beginning?

I've enjoyed Fortune's previous books but, like most, have had issues with how she handles relationships in them, so I was a little worried about this one. It's not my favorite of hers, but it wasn't bad either. I loved the PEI setting and how she described everything. It felt very summery and light. I liked Lucy's job, her passion for flowers, and having a farm one day. I did enjoy her friendship with Bridget, but I didn't like how co-dependent and needy Lucy was. The best-friends-brother trope was okay, and Lucy and Felix did have good chemistry, but I would've liked to have seen more emotional depth between them. There were moments here and there, but their whole relationship felt very surface-level to me. Overall, it was a quick, fun summer read but a bit predictable.

Rating: 3/5