Review: Every Summer After by Carley Fortune (Spoiler-Free)

~Thank you so much to Berkley and NetGalley for providing me with an early copy in exchange for an honest review! RELEASE DATE: May 10 ~

'Not many people meet the person they're meant to be with when they're thirteen. But we did. You know we did.'*

OOOOOOOOH I FEEL A STORM COMING WITH THIS ONE. Seriously, I really enjoyed this book, but things get messy.

This is essentially The Summer I Turned Pretty but for adults, and I was living for it. It follows two childhood best friends, Sam and Percy, and tells their story through alternating chapters between the present (where they're now estranged) and the past (when they spent every summer together). I'm such a sucker for childhood friends to lovers, and this book delivered in that department perfectly.

It is also a second-chance romance, and that's what I was referring to earlier when I said things get messy. There are many mistakes that come to light from their past that I could see some people unwilling to forgive. But I personally really liked how the author handled the characters' growth in reflecting on these mistakes, and ultimately was okay with them. Plus, the mistakes were made when they were children.

Sam Florek is definitely up there on my favorite romance heroes list. Albeit, I haven't read many pure romance books, but I really loved him. The childhood chapters were by far my favorites and Sam back then was literally a dream. Like, the friendship bracelets? Stop.

Percy, our heroine, annoyed me sometimes, but by the end I was on her side.

Overall, I found this to be a very entertaining and surprisingly emotional read. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone craving some summer vibes and a good romance!

*This quote is from the uncorrected proof and is subject to change.