This Summer Will Be Different is a flawlessly written, dreamy summer novel that pulls you in and doesn’t let you go - not even for a second. From the very first page, Carley Fortune wraps you in a world of warm nights, stolen moments, and the kind of longing that feels both exhilarating and a little dangerous. This is a story built on forbidden love, simmering desire, and a summer aesthetic so vivid you can almost taste the salt in the air. It’s the perfect blend of escapism and emotion, capturing the magic of a place - and a person - you can’t stay away from.
Plot Points
The book opens with Lucy Ashby, 5 years in the past, arriving at Prince Edwards Island for the first time. Bridget, her best friend, may have missed her flight but Lucy is determined to have fun. To let go of everything on her shoulders. Then she meets Felix and the fun she wanted to have becomes a lot more complicated. The book flips between the present and past summers, weaving them through one another to craft a full picture of the summers she has spent here. I love the spin it takes on forbidden romance, any avid reader has seen the ‘falling in love with your best-friends brother’ trope and a lot of the time it can feel overdone, dramatised and unrealistic. However, this feels natural. An unknowing mistake turns into a lovable romance that has been strictly prohibited.
Writing Style
Carley Fortune’s writing style is one that has an emphasis on immersion. I have never read a book of hers that didn’t manage to perk my imagination, and this book was no different. Throughout every word I was hooked by the way she described Prince Edward Island (and Felix). Carley is a very descriptive writer, and this evokes a specific type of imagery in this book that feels nostalgic for a time I have never lived. It’s the kind of nostalgia that sneaks up on you - soft, warm, and strangely familiar, even if you’ve never stepped foot on the island she’s describing. What I have to say I love the most is how her descriptions don’t feel pointless - they are a way for her to weave emotions in without us consciously noticing. The way she describes the shore-line or a glance that lingers too long. It just comes together perfectly to evoke strong emotions that, as a reader, you don’t even fully understand where they came from.
What I Loved
For starters, This Summer Will Be Different singlehandedly pulled me out of a months-long reading slump caused by another book that shall remain nameless for now. I read this book in one sitting because I was so engrossed I couldn’t put it down if I had wanted to (which I very obviously didn’t). This book focuses on a lot more than the lustful desire of a girl and her best friend’s brother, it addresses feelings of belonging, friendships and a desire to escape.
What surprised me most was how natural the romance felt. Lucy and Felix don’t come across like a cliché - they feel like two people who keep bumping into each other at exactly the wrong (or right) time. Their chemistry is just… easy. It’s the kind of connection that sneaks up on you, where one minute they’re trying to be sensible and the next they’re staring at each other like they’ve forgotten how to breathe. And Lucy’s whole inner world adds so much to that. She’s constantly trying to figure out where she fits, both in her own life and in the people around her, and that makes her moments with Felix feel even more meaningful. With him, she gets to drop the act a little. She gets to want things. She gets to feel like she belongs somewhere, even if it’s messy and complicated and absolutely not part of the plan.
What I Didn’t Love
As much as I adored this book, there were a few moments that didn’t land quite as perfectly for me. The biggest one was the repetition of the central conflict. Lucy and Felix spend a lot of time circling the same emotional territory - the ‘we can’t, we shouldn’t, but we already did’ loop, and while it makes sense for who they are, it occasionally felt like the story was stalling instead of deepening. I found myself wanting them to push forward, to make a choice, to stop hovering in that limbo where desire and guilt keep crashing into each other. I also wished Bridget had been given a little more dimension. Because so much of Lucy’s internal struggle hinges on her loyalty to Bridget, I wanted to feel that relationship more strongly on the page. We’re told how important she is, and we see glimpses of it, but I wanted a fuller picture - something that would make the stakes of the secret romance hit even harder. None of this ruined the experience for me, but these were the moments where I wished it could have done something different.
Recommendation
This Summer Will Be Different is the kind of book I’d hand to anyone who doesn’t mind (or actively enjoys) romance that leans into explicit, intimate moments. Carley Fortune writes desire with a softness and honesty that never feels gratuitous. The steam is there, absolutely, but it’s woven into the emotional fabric of the story rather than sitting on top of it. If you prefer your romance to fade politely into the background, this probably won’t be your favourite. But if you appreciate a story where physical connection is treated as something meaningful, something that deepens the characters rather than distracts from them, then this book will hit exactly right. It’s also perfect for readers who crave a strong sense of place, who love a summer setting that feels almost like a character of its own, and who enjoy forbidden romance that doesn’t rely on theatrics to feel real. This is a story about longing, belonging, and the kind of love that sneaks up on you when you’re trying your hardest to stay in control. If you’re looking for a dreamy, atmospheric, emotionally rich summer read with just the right amount of heat, This Summer Will Be Different deserves a spot on your list.
Songs
Songs that I find reminiscent of the book:
Ribs by Lorde
Brazil by Declan Mckenna
Out of My League by Fitz and the Tantrums
Tongue Tied by GROUPLOVE
Geronimo by Sheppard
Ho Hey by The Lumineers
(P.S. We made them links so feel free to click on them and get teleported straight into the vibes.)
