The Bookish Ashley

If One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune left you longing for more emotionally rich love stories soaked in nostalgia, summer heat, and second chances, you’re not alone. Carley Fortune has a gift for capturing the ache of first love, the pull of the past, and the complexity of returning home—not just physically, but emotionally.

Whether it was the evocative lakefront setting, the slow-burn romance, or the bittersweet tension between memory and reality that drew you in, here are some incredible reads that echo the same themes and vibes.

1. Every Summer After by Carley Fortune

If One Golden Summer was your first Fortune novel, start with her debut. Every Summer After tells the story of Percy and Sam, childhood friends turned lovers who reunite after years apart. The alternating timeline, the lake setting, and the emotional unraveling of what tore them apart will feel beautifully familiar.

2. Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren

This book is a must for fans of emotional second-chance romances. Macy and Elliot were best friends and first loves—until one night changed everything. Told in dual timelines, this novel is tender, emotional, and rooted in a similar sense of lost time and reawakening.

3. Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune

Another gem from Fortune herself. This novel delivers that signature mix of lakeside nostalgia, love that spans years, and characters trying to reconnect with who they were and who they want to be. If you loved the emotional push and pull in One Golden Summer, you’ll feel right at home here.

4. People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

Poppy and Alex are polar opposites and best friends who vacation together every year—until something happens that tears them apart. This novel combines humor, heart, and emotional depth with summer trips and unresolved feelings. It’s a slow-burn romance that’s perfect for fans of Carley Fortune.

5. The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

While this series leans a bit more YA, it captures the formative emotions of summer love and the complexity of growing up. If you loved the youthful nostalgia and heartache in One Golden Summer, Jenny Han’s trilogy will resonate deeply—especially the love triangle and longing that spans multiple summers.

6. This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub

Though this novel weaves in a time-travel twist, it’s ultimately about coming to terms with your past and reconnecting with what truly matters. It offers a quieter, more reflective tone, but it’s emotionally rich and full of longing—themes Carley Fortune fans will appreciate.

7. Beach Read by Emily Henry

This one’s for readers who want a deeper emotional core with their romance. Two writers—one a romance author, the other a literary fiction novelist—spend the summer living next door, confronting their pasts, grief, and growing attraction. It’s witty, moving, and layered—much like One Golden Summer.

8. The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller

For a more mature, emotionally complex summer read, The Paper Palace delves into choices, regrets, and lifelong connections. Set over 24 hours but rich with flashbacks, it offers a deep dive into a woman’s emotional reckoning—perfect for readers drawn to introspective, tangled love stories.

Final Thoughts

One Golden Summer taps into something universal: the powerful blend of memory, place, and emotion that shapes us. If you’re craving more stories that echo those sun-drenched, heart-tugging moments, these books will be perfect additions to your TBR. Whether you want more lakeside longing, emotional reunions, or the intensity of first love revisited, these titles will carry you through the seasons—with a little piece of summer always in your heart.

Happy reading! ☀️📚