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​​There is nothing quite like reading the perfect beach read during the summer. 

In “This Summer Will Be Different,” Carley Fortune delivers a stunning summer novel and makes readers fall in love with Prince Edward Island and a beautiful story. 

Lucy is a tourist on Prince Edward Island, where she meets Felix. Funny, smart and sexy Felix, who Lucy has unreal chemistry with. The problem: after an amazing night together, they realize Felix is Lucy’s best friend Bridget’s little brother. And one of Bridget’s rules to Lucy was: don’t fall in love with her brother.

For five years Lucy has been escaping to PEI with Bridget and every summer Lucy promises herself she will not fall into Felix’s bed. But every summer she fails. But this summer she decides, it is going to be different. But when Bridget runs away to PEI a week before her wedding, Lucy drops everything when Bridget asks her to join her on the island.

Now, Lucy needs to help her best friend through a crisis she has no idea about and resist a man she has never been able to. But when Lucy is back in PEI, everything is different with Felix and maybe this summer will be too.

While the novel is set in the present, the readers get to visit Lucy and Felix throughout the years in chapters from the past. This lovers to friends to lover’s novel will take you through a journey where the readers get to know the characters and watch them grow. 

The book going back and forth between the past and present felt natural to know Lucy and Felix’s past. Throughout the novel, the readers get to know Lucy and see her grow as a person and character. At times, it seems like Lucy is stuck in a loop and not progressing as a person. Although, that added a realistic aspect to the novel.

Throughout the book, Fortune transports her readers to PEI. Lucy explores the island, the readers get to go with her. The readers truly get to visit the island, despite never going to the island.

Moreover, the romance between Lucy and Felix will give the readers a story to swoon over. The two of them keep coming back to each other like magnets and throughout the novel, readers get to read their story evolve.

While Lucy and Felix’s chemistry was off the charts. The best romance was the friendship between Lucy and Bridget.

It’s the cliche in every romance novel, the main character will have a ride-or-die best friend. But, the special part about Lucy and Bridget’s friendship was that they had only met each other in their twenties. They lived together and grew into adulthood together.

While the book flowed well, it seemed like the climax felt a little “anticlimactic” and off the mark. However, the character development throughout the novel makes up for it a little.

Fortune delivers a stunning coming-of-age story about a woman in her twenties filled with angst, romance, friendship and learning to be yourself when you feel lost.

Readers who enjoy reading a well-rounded romance novel should pick up “This Summer Will Be Different.” 

Some trigger warnings include: grief, explicit scenes, cursing, death of a loved one, mentions of cancer and miscarriage.  

I will leave you with this quote from the book and a song lyric that will convince you to read the book if I haven’t already.

“’Cause there were pages turned with the bridges burned. Everything you lose is a step you take.” – Taylor Swift, You’re on Your Own, Kid

“But I take strange comfort in these waves of heartache. They’re like annotations in a book, a note in the margin that reads, This is important.” – Lucy

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