Review: We Ship It

Title: We Ship It
Author: Lauren Kay
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Purchased
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: June 20, 2023
Rating: ★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

This rom-com debut has the fierce girl energy of the movie  Booksmart,  blended with the awkwardness of Kelly Quindlen’s  Late to the Party,  topped with a thrilling international meet-cute a la  Love and Gelato. Olivia Schwartz has a plan. It’s even color-coded. And the plan is a perfect SAT score, a prestigious college, and a straight path towards her dream of becoming a doctor. The last thing she wants to do—the summer before her senior year of high school, no less—is go on a cruise. Especially with her parents, younger brothers, and all the unspoken things between them since her older brother’s death so many years ago. Then Olivia meets Sebastian. He’s everything she’s charming, exciting, willing to take risks and run with them. For the first time, Olivia feels like she can have  fun… But there’s a lot bubbling up under the surface on this cruise, and when past secrets begin to come to light, Olivia must face all the truths that she’s ignored for so about herself, Sebastian, her brother, the past she  thought  she understood, and the future she’s always planned.

Review:

Seventeen-year-old Olivia Schwartz has a plan to become a cardiologist. During spring break, she plans to do a project with her friend so they can win an internship. However, her parents surprise her with a cruise for their whole family, including her younger twin brothers. This cruise would have been a dream come true for Olivia’s older brother, who died when he was seventeen of a sudden heart attack. Olivia isn’t that close to her parents since they never want to talk about her older brother. Then Olivia meets Sebastian, a charming boy who gives her feeling she’s never had before. She opens up to him about her brother and starts to learn more about herself. Olivia decides to let loose and have fun on this cruise, but then she has to face the truths that she’s been avoiding for a long time. 

This was a rom com with a serious undertone. Olivia went on a fun cruise with her family but they had the secret of her older brother’s death hanging between them. Her parents didn’t like to talk about him, but she didn’t know why. The romance between Olivia and Sebastian was cute, but it seemed short lived since they didn’t live anywhere near each other. I was surprised at the ending, when all the secrets everyone was keeping were revealed. I didn’t expect the ending to be so emotional, based on the cute cover and the rom com description. 

We Ship It is a cute vacation rom com with an emotional side to it. 

Content warnings: death of sibling, underage drinking, heart attack, overdose

Have you read We Ship It? What did you think of it?

Review: Immortal Longings (Flesh and False Gods #1)

Title: Immortal Longings (Flesh and False Gods #1)
Author: Chloe Gong
Genre: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Romance
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Canada
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback arc
Release Date: July 18, 2023
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

#1 New York Times bestselling author Chloe Gong’s adult epic fantasy debut.

Inspired by Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra , Immortal Longings is a fiery collision of power plays, spilled blood, and romance amidst a set of deadly games.

Every year, thousands in the kingdom of Talin will flock to its capital twin cities, San-Er, where the palace hosts a set of games. For those confident enough in their ability to jump between bodies, competitors across San-Er fight to the death to win unimaginable riches.

Princess Calla Tuoleimi lurks in hiding. Five years ago, a massacre killed her parents and left the palace of Er empty…and she was the one who did it. Before King Kasa’s forces in San can catch her, she plans to finish the job and bring down the monarchy. Her reclusive uncle always greets the victor of the games, so if she wins, she gets her opportunity at last to kill him.

Enter Anton Makusa, an exiled aristocrat. His childhood love has lain in a coma since they were both ousted from the palace, and he’s deep in debt trying to keep her alive. Thankfully, he’s one of the best jumpers in the kingdom, flitting from body to body at will. His last chance at saving her is entering the games and winning.

Calla finds both an unexpected alliance with Anton and help from King Kasa’s adopted son, August, who wants to mend Talin’s ills. But the three of them have very different goals, even as Calla and Anton’s partnership spirals into something all-consuming. Before the games close, Calla must decide what she’s playing for—her lover or her kingdom.

Review:

Every year, the kingdom of Talin hosts a game in the capital city of San-Er which chooses eighty-eight people to fight to the death to win incredible riches. Princess Calla Tuoleimi has been in hiding for the past five years, since she murdered her parents at the palace. She enters the games because the winner gets to meet King Kasa, who she plans to kill. Anton Makusa is an exiled diplomat who also enters the games. The love of his life has been in a coma since their failed attempt to escape the palace, and he wants to win the money to pay off the debt he has incurred by keeping her alive. Calla and Anton form an unexpected alliance in the games, but in the end there can only be one winner who survives. 

This book is one of my favourites of the year! It is a loose retelling of Antony and Cleopatra. There was a fantastic setting with magical jumping between bodies, so not everyone is who they appear to be. I loved the way that this magic created so many twists in the story. I guessed one of the reveals partway through the story, but the ending blew me away. I can’t wait to read the next book!!

Immortal Longings is a fantastic fantasy!

Thank you Simon and Schuster Canada for sending me a copy of this book!

Content warnings: murder, death of parents, death of siblings

Have you read Immortal Longings? What did you think of it?

Review: Bookshop Cinderella (Scandal at the Savoy #1)

Title: Bookshop Cinderella (Scandal at the Savoy #1)
Author: Laura Lee Guhrke
Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance
Publisher: Forever
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Release Date: June 20, 2023
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Fans of Lisa Kleypas and Julia Quinn will adore this opposites-attract romance featuring a dashing duke, a shy bookshop owner, and a wager that will change their lives forever.

Evie Harlow runs a quaint little bookshop in London, which is the biggest adventure an unmarried woman with no prospects could hope for. Until Maximillian Shaw, Duke of Westbourne, saunters into her shop with a proposition: to win a bet with his friends, he’ll turn her into the diamond of the season. The duke might be devilishly attractive, but Evie has no intention of accepting his ludicrous offer. When disaster strikes her shop, however, she’s left with little choice but to let herself be whisked into his high-society world.

Always happy to help a lady in distress, Max thinks he’s saving Evie from her dull spinster’s life. He’ll help her find a husband and congratulate himself on a job well done. But as shy Evie becomes the shining star he always knew she could be, she somehow steals his heart. And when her reputation is threatened, can Max convince her to choose a glittering, aristocratic life with him over the cozy comfort of her bookshop?

Review:

London, 1896: Evie Harlow runs a bookshop on her own. She’s content with her quiet life, until Maximillian Shaw, Duke of Westbourne, walks into her shop with a proposition. He’s made a bet with his friends to turn Evie into the diamond of the season who can fill her dance card at a ball. Evie thinks that idea is ridiculous, but when a disaster hits her shop, she decides to take him up on his offer to have a little vacation. Max thinks he is rescuing Evie from her quiet spinster lifestyle, but as she turns into the diamond he predicted, he realizes she could be the one for him. When scandal threatens to pull them apart, Evie has to figure out if she wants to stay at her bookshop or become a Duchess. 

This was such a cute story. When Max told Evie about the bet he had made, he said he wanted to turn her into a Cinderella. I loved that they acknowledged that it would be a Cinderella-type story right away. It was fun to see Evie get the life she deserved!

Bookshop Cinderella is a fun Victorian romance!

Thank you Forever for providing a copy of this book!

Have you read Bookshop Cinderella? What did you think of it?

Review: Fourth Wing (The Empyrean #1)

Title: Fourth Wing (The Empyrean #1)
Author: Rebecca Yarros
Genre: New Adult, Fantasy, Romance
Publisher: RB Media
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Audiobook
Release Date: May 2, 2023
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Enter the brutal and elite world of a war college for dragon riders from USA Today bestselling author Rebecca Yarros

Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general—also known as her tough-as-talons mother—has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.

But when you’re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away…because dragons don’t bond to “fragile” humans. They incinerate them.

With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter—like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant.

She’ll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise.

Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows more deadly, the kingdom’s protective wards are failing, and the death toll continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret.

Friends, enemies, lovers. Everyone at Basgiath War College has an agenda—because once you enter, there are only two ways out: graduate or die.

Review:

Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail, the daughter of the commanding general, was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant and live a quiet and safe life. Her mother orders her to join the Riders Quadrant, which has a high death rate, especially for someone like Violet who hasn’t had any training for it. Not only does Violet’s small, brittle body make her unlikely to bond with a dragon, with her famous last name, she’s the target of other students in her quadrant. Xaden Riorson is the wingleader of her quadrant, and he has a reason to not like Violet. However, Violet defies all the odds when it comes to training and bonding with a dragon. She must do anything she can to survive. 

This book definitely lived up to the hype! There was a great slow burn, enemies-to-lovers romance which I loved! I listened to the audiobook and read a physical copy. I found it a little difficult to follow the audiobook, mostly because it was such a complex world to enter. I enjoyed the physical book much more. There were shocking twists at the end, including a huge cliffhanger ending. I’m so glad that I only have to wait a few months for the next book in the series!

Fourth Wing is an amazing new dragon-filled fantasy!

Thank you RB Media for providing an audio arc of this book!

Content warnings: death of parent, broken bones, murder

Have you read Fourth Wing? What did you think of it?

Review: Imogen, Obviously

Title: Imogen, Obviously
Author: Becky Albertalli
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, LGBTQ
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Source: Purchased
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: May 2, 2023
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Imogen Scott may be hopelessly heterosexual, but she’s got the World’s Greatest Ally title locked down.

She’s never missed a Pride Alliance meeting. She knows more about queer media discourse than her very queer little sister. She even has two queer best friends. There’s Gretchen, a fellow high school senior, who helps keep Imogen’s biases in check. And then there’s Lili—newly out and newly thriving with a cool new squad of queer college friends.

Imogen’s thrilled for Lili. Any ally would be. And now that she’s finally visiting Lili on campus, she’s bringing her ally A game. Any support Lili needs, Imogen’s all in.

Even if that means bending the truth, just a little.

Like when Lili drops a tiny queer bombshell: she’s told all her college friends that Imogen and Lili used to date. And none of them know that Imogen is a raging hetero—not even Lili’s best friend, Tessa.

Of course, the more time Imogen spends with chaotic, freckle-faced Tessa, the more she starts to wonder if her truth was ever all that straight to begin with. . .

Review:

Imogen Scott is the heterosexual girl in her group of queer friends. She’s the proudest ally in their Pride Alliance at school. Her two closest friends are Gretchen and Lili. Gretchen always points out when Imogen is misappropriating queerness, whereas Lili has recently come out and is attending college nearby. When Imogen visits Lili at college for a weekend, Lili tells her that she told her new queer college friends that she used to date Imogen. Now, Imogen has to masquerade as a bisexual during that weekend and no one questions it. Imogen connects with Tessa at the college, and she has feelings for her that she doesn’t really understand. She has to figure out if she isn’t as straight as she thought. 

I absolutely loved this story! Imogen was adorable in the way that she was figuring things out as she went along. She was loyal and supported her friends, even when they didn’t deserve it. Her friend Gretchen acted as the queer police, explaining Imogen’s feelings to her rather than actually listening to how she felt. Everyone’s identity is different and unique, so one person or group shouldn’t try to define it. I loved Imogen’s growth throughout the story!

Imogen, Obviously is an adorable new queer story!

What to read next:

Perfect on Paper by Sophie Gonzales

Have you read Perfect on Paper? What did you think of it?

Review: A Broken Blade (The Halfling Saga #1)

Title: A Broken Blade (The Halfling Saga #1)
Author: Melissa Blair
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Publisher: Union Square and Co.
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback arc
Release Date: August 2, 2022
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

My body is made of scars,
some were done to me,
but most I did to myself. 

 
Keera is a killer. As the King’s Blade, she is the most talented spy in the kingdom. And the king’s favored assassin. When a mysterious figure moves against the Crown, Keera is called upon to hunt down the so-called Shadow. She tracks her target into the magical lands of the Fae, but Faeland is not what it seems . . . and neither is the Shadow. Keera is shocked by what she learns, and can’t help but wonder who her enemy truly is: the King that destroyed her people or the Shadow that threatens the peace?
 
As she searches for answers, Keera is haunted by a promise she made long ago, one that will test her in every way. To keep her word, Keera must not only save herself, but an entire kingdom.
 
Fans of fast-paced high fantasy such as A Court of Thorns and Roses series, The Inadequate Heir, and From Blood and Ash author Jennifer L. Armentrout, will enjoy the fierce female characters, sapphic representation, and fantasy romance of A Broken Blade.

Review:

Keera is the King’s Blade, his favourite assassin. When a mysterious figure known as the Shadow starts attacking near the capital, the King sends Keera out to find him. She travels to the lands of the Fae to find out more about the Shadow. Keera is shocked when she meets the Shadow, and he isn’t the enemy she thought he was. The Shadow makes Keera question her position as the Blade and who her real enemy could be. 

This book definitely lived up to the hype. It was fast-paced and action packed. This story was based on the way Indigenous people were/are treated in North America. The King in this book took the lands from the Fae and Elves who lived there. Halflings, those who were half mortal, half elf, were deemed as lesser. The King would take custody of and train Halflings as his own soldiers. This story showed how horrible a leader like the King really is, and it’s disturbing that it’s a mirror image to what happened in the real world here. 

A Broken Blade is a fantastic fantasy! I can’t wait to read the sequel!

Thank you Union Square and Co and Manda Group for sending me a copy!

Content warnings: self harm, alcoholism, murder, physical abuse, parental death

What to read next:

A Shadow Crown by Melissa Blair

Other books in the series:

  • A Shadow Crown (The Halfling Saga #2)

Have you read A Broken Blade? What did you think of it?

Review: Reputation

Title: Reputation
Author: Lex Croucher
Genre: Romance, Historical Fiction
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: July 8, 2021
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

A classic romcom with a Regency-era twist, for fans of Mean Girls and Bridgerton.

Abandoned by her parents in favour of a sea view, middle class Georgiana Ellers has moved to a new town to live with her dreary aunt and uncle. At a particularly dull dinner party, she meets the enigmatic Frances Campbell, a wealthy socialite and enchanting member of the in-crowd.

Through Frances and her friends, Georgiana is introduced to a new world of wild parties, drunken debauchery, mysterious young men with strangely alluring hands, and the sparkling upper echelons of Regency society.

But high society isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and the price of entry might be more than Georgiana is willing to pay . . .

Full of lavish parties, handsome men on horseback and laugh-out-loud humour, this is the summer read everyone’s talking about.

Review:

Mean Girls meets Bridgerton in this Regency rom com. Georgiana Ellers has been sent to live with her aunt and uncle for the season while her parents stay by the sea for her mother’s health. At a boring dinner party, Georgiana meets Frances Campbell, a wealthy socialite and rebel. Georgiana is soon accepted into Frances’s exclusive group of friends, who drink, do drugs, and have wild parties. However, things take a dark turn when the parties get out of control. Georgiana must stand up for herself, even if it means giving up her place in high society. 

This was such a fun rom com! I loved the way modern partying was combined with a Regency setting. Frances was like Regina George from Mean Girls, influencing Georgiana to do everything she’s been taught not to do. There were even some references to Mean Girls which I loved. The story took a darker turn towards the end. There was a sexual assault and a bit of a “me too” movement, which also made the story relatable to a modern audience. This part was definitely deserved in the story, as it showed how the wild parties can have an explosive ending. 

Reputation is a great Regency rom com!

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for providing a digital copy of this book!

Content warnings: abandonment, parental death, sibling death, alcohol poisoning, drug use, sexual assault

What to read next:

Infamous by Lex Croucher

Have you read Reputation? What did you think of it?

Review: Something More

Title: Something More
Author: Jackie Khalilieh
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Tundra Books
Source: Publisher
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: June 6, 2023
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

A contemporary teen romance novel featuring a Palestinian-Canadian girl trying to hide her autism diagnosis while navigating her first year of high school, for fans of Jenny Han and Samira Ahmed. 

Fifteen-year-old Jessie, a quirky loner obsessed with the nineties, is diagnosed as autistic just weeks before starting high school. Determined to make a fresh start and keep her diagnosis a secret, Jessie creates a list of goals that range from acquiring two distinct eyebrows to getting a magical first kiss and landing a spot in the school play. Within the halls of Holy Trinity High, she finds a world where things are no longer black and white and quickly learns that living in color is much more fun. But Jessie gets more than she bargained for when two very different boys steal her heart, forcing her to go off-script.

Review:

Fifteen-year-old Jessie Khassis has just been diagnosed with autism the summer before starting high school. This diagnosis has explained why she has always felt different, but she wants to have a fresh start in high school and keep her autism a secret. Jessie makes a list of goals as she begins to navigate the confusing landscape of high school. She makes new friends who don’t always behave the way she thinks they would, and there are boys who she likes but they send her mixed signals. Jessie must find her place in high school while learning more about herself along the way. 

I found this story so relatable. Jessie is neurodivergent and understands the world in a way that is different from neurotypical people. However, I think neurodivergent and neurotypical readers could relate to her struggles in high school. Being a teenager and figuring out high school can be difficult. Some people can be confusing, like Jessie’s friends who said one thing but acted a different way. Even though Jessie’s autism makes her view the world in a unique way, these kinds of mixed signals can be confusing for anyone. Even when something is right in front of us, we may not want to believe it if we don’t want to be real. 

Something More is one of the most authentic and relatable contemporary young adult novels I’ve read in a long time!

Thank you Tundra Books and Penguin Teen Canada for providing a copy of this book!

Content warnings: bullying, cheating, death of grandparent

What to read next:

Queens of Geek by Jen Wilde

Have you read Something More? What did you think of it?

Review: Cinder and Glass (Cinder and Glass #1)

Title: Cinder and Glass (Cinder and Glass #1)
Author: Melissa de la Cruz
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Romance
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Son Books for Young Readers
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: March 8, 2022
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

For this princess, winning the crown is no fairytale. 

1682. The king sends out an invitation to all the maidens in France: their presence is requested at a number of balls and events that will be held in honor of the dashing Prince Louis, who must choose a bride. 

Cendrillon de Louvois has more grace, beauty, and charm than anyone else in France. While she was once the darling child of the king’s favorite adviser, her father’s death has turned her into the servant of her stepmother and cruel stepsisters–and at her own chateau, too!

Cendrillon–now called Cinder–manages to evade her stepmother and attend the ball, where she catches the eye of the handsome Prince Louis and his younger brother Auguste.

Even though Cendrillon has an immediate aversion to Louis, and a connection with Auguste, the only way to escape her stepmother is to compete with the other women at court for the Prince’s hand.

Soon, as Cendrillon glows closer to Auguste and dislikes the prince more and more, she will have to decide if she can bear losing the boy she loves in order to leave a life she hates.

Melissa de la Cruz takes a lush, romantic hand to this retold fairy tale classic.

Review:

France, 1682: Cendrillon de Louvois was the daughter of the King’s trusted advisor. However, once her father died suddenly leaving her to live with her stepmother and stepsisters, Cendrillon disappeared from the Royal court. Now, her goal is to get a better life for herself and her family’s seamstress, Elodie. When their family receives an invitation to a ball held in honour of Prince Louis, Cendrillon’s stepmother ensures that Cendrillon doesn’t attend with them. Cendrillon’s godmother helps her get to the ball and she is reunited with her childhood friend, Auguste, at the ball. Cendrillon is chosen to compete for Prince Louis’s hand in marriage. Marrying the prince seems like the perfect way to escape her evil stepmother, but Cendrillon must decide if she’s willing to marry him and give up the possibility of true love with Auguste. 

This story was a beautiful retelling of Cinderella. There was some basis in real history, being set in Versailles in 1682. Cendrillon is Cinderella in French. I enjoyed the mini competition that the Prince had to find a wife. Instead of just choosing Cendrillon to be his wife after the ball, he chose 25 girls to spend more time with and choose one for a wife. It was like a “Bachelor” competition. That was a fun twist on the usual Cinderella story. 

Cinder and Glass is a fun retelling of Cinderella!

Thank you G.P. Putnam’s Son Books for Young Readers for providing a digital copy of this book.

What to read next:

Snow and Poison (Cinder and Glass #2) by Melissa de la Cruz

Other books in the series:

  • Snow and Poison

Have you read Cinder and Glass? What did you think of it?

Review: Meet Me at the Lake

Title: Meet Me at the Lake
Author: Carley Fortune
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Viking
Source: Tandem Collective
Format: Paperback
Release Date: May 2, 2023
Rating: ★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Fern Brookbanks has wasted far too much of her adult life thinking about Will Baxter. She spent just twenty-four hours in her early twenties with the aggravatingly attractive, idealistic artist, a chance encounter that spiraled into a daylong adventure in Toronto. The timing was wrong, but their connection was undeniable: they shared every secret, every dream, and made a pact to meet one year later. Fern showed up. Will didn’t.

At thirty-two, Fern’s life doesn’t look at all how she once imagined it would. Instead of living in the city, Fern’s back home, running her mother’s Muskoka lakeside resort–something she vowed never to do. The place is in disarray, her ex-boyfriend’s the manager, and Fern doesn’t know where to begin.

She needs a plan–a lifeline. To her surprise, it comes in the form of Will, who arrives nine years too late, with a suitcase in tow and an offer to help on his lips. Will may be the only person who understands what Fern’s going through. But how could she possibly trust this expensive-suit wearing mirage who seems nothing like the young man she met all those years ago. Will is hiding something, and Fern’s not sure she wants to know what it is.

But ten years ago, Will Baxter rescued Fern. Can she do the same for him?

Review:

On June 14, ten years ago, Fern Brookbanks spent twenty-four hours with Will Baxter. He was an artist who took her on a tour of Toronto for one of her final days in the city. They hadn’t met before that day, but they made plans to meet exactly one year later at Fern’s family’s resort in Huntsville. The following year, Fern waited for Will but he didn’t show up. Now, thirty-two year old Fern is returning to her family’s resort because her mother died in a sudden accident. Fern is trying to take over the resort with no experience or desire to work there. Then, Will shows up at the resort with an offer to help her figure it out. Fern needs the help and she has been waiting for Will for ten years, but she must decide if she’s willing to open herself up to possibly getting hurt again. 

It is very hard not to compare this book to Every Summer After. It’s by the same author and has a similar storyline: a woman who grew up in Ontario’s cottage country, moves to Toronto as an adult but must return home after a death in the family and face the love of her life who she hasn’t seen in years. Probably if I hadn’t read these books back to back and if they hadn’t come out a year apart they wouldn’t have seemed as similar. Every Summer After was relatable and had a lot of strong emotions. Meet Me at the Lake didn’t evoke the same emotions in me but I liked the ending. I appreciated how much the author said in the acknowledgments that writing this one was more difficult than her first book. Every Summer After would be a hard book to follow up due to its huge success, but this one is a good summer beach read. 

Meet Me at the Lake is a great second chance summer romance!

Thank you Tandem Collective and Penguin Random House Canada for sending me a copy!

Content warnings: death of parent, anxiety, marijuana use, death by car accident, parental abandonment, teen pregnancy

What to read next:

Every Summer After by Carley Fortune

Have you read Meet Me at the Lake? What did you think of it?