I have recently finished my latest book of choice and I have that wonderful excitement and joy that comes, immediately after getting to the end of a great book… spoiler alert for this review, it’s a great book! Meet Me by the Lake by Carley Fortune is my book of choice, and I’m very excited to talk about it.
I picked this book up a few months ago, after I saw it in the news, when it was announced it would be developed into a film by Archewell Productions. If you know me, you are aware I am a huge fan of Meghan and Harry, so I was intrigued to look up the book. Lucky for me, this seemed to be a romance story, which are some of my favourites to read.
The book takes you through a journey of our main protagonist Fern Brookbanks, she finds herself back in her hometown following the unexpected passing of her mother, and she is struggling to know what to do. Stay and run the family business that her mother adored (a lakeside resort), or sell up and move on. Just as she wrestles with this choice; as well as grieving her mum, a man checks into the resort, and as Fern is checking him in, she realises she knows him. Standing in front of her is Will Baxter, the boy she met 10 years ago. Fern and Will had made a pact to meet at this resort back then, Fern came, Will didn’t. And now he’s here.
The book changes from present day, as well as to ten years ago, on the day that Fern and Will met. We have this back and forth for majority of the book, and it is navigated very well. It also builds the tension and excitement of the story unfolding, because you want to know what’s going to happen next in the present, as much as you do in the past. I think Carley tells this story in a really beautiful way. It’s easy to follow and yet suspenseful. There were times when it would flashback to ten years go and I almost couldn’t handle the wait of getting back to the present.
I really enjoy the character of Fern, she’s someone you want to root for. You can understand her wanting to branch out on her own and not necessarily do as expected in running the family business. At the same time, the resort is described in a way that I could easily visualise it all, and I wouldn’t mind staying there myself, honestly. It was also really enjoyable to see Fern ten years prior and see how she’s changed, and grown. I felt like by the end she was a friend that I just wanted to see win, and make the choice that would make her happy.
Will was, as you can guess, a little more mysterious. Why didn’t he show up when they were to meet all those years ago? It was a great hook to have to wait to discover what happened. And you do want to root for him too, as the truth unfolds. One thing I enjoyed in this book, was the chemistry between Fern and Will. I felt so invested in what was going to happen with them, and it great tension at times, to the point that I was almost squealing with joy anytime it felt like something was about to happen between them.
Interestingly, despite this great chemistry, I could have been satisfied whether the characters ended up together or apart. As there were times that, as great as they seemed together, there was a question of how can they figure out what the other needs in time. (You’ll have to read the book to understand fully what I mean).Plus as much as I am a hopeless romantic, Will definitely had his flaws, even ten years later. As you learn more about his past though, it’s easy to understand why he didn’t keep his promise all those years ago, and how his past influenced the choices he made.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and will definitely be picking up more of the books Carley has written for sure.
Book rating – 9/10
Recommend – Yes
Read again– Yes! I was drawn into the world of Fern and would happily read again.
Love
