Book Review: This Summer Will Be Different

By Carley Fortune 

4 Stars 

This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune is a novel about two best friends. Lucy and Bridget met years ago in Toronto and have been inseparable since. As their friendship grows, Bridget introduces her to a big part of who she is, PEI. Bridget’s family, which consists of her mother, father and brother (whom they lovingly call Wolf), lives in PEI. Bridget gave Lucy 3 rules before coming to PEI: #1 Eat your weight in oysters, #2 Leave the city behind, and #3 Don’t fall in love with my brother. Lucy instantly found herself drawn to Felix, but she honoured Bridget’s rules and tried to keep downplaying the situation and assumed the summer fling would die out. But all secrets unravel on her spontaneous trip with Bridget. I thought this book was really enjoyable, and I really like how it was set in Canada. I like how the book was a lot more than the average romance book. The key part of the book is the female friendship, grief, dealing with burnout, and finding freedom. The bond between Lucy and Bridget was a standout aspect for me. I love seeing strong female friendships in novels, and their support for each other was heartwarming. Watching them become each other’s family was so beautiful. Something I really enjoyed about the book was how it was a romance novel that was filled with so much depth. The book shares a lot about the other characters, making them more layered and creates depth. Their relationship was also quite realistic, which I appreciate, as we are used to hearing about the overly romanticized stereotypical romance novel. I loved that the story was told over several years, and the readers were able to see how much their relationship grew and how they have evolved as individuals. The author did an exceptional job of bringing the setting to life with her vivid imagery, making you feel like you were there too. There is some mature content in this novel, so I would recommend this to readers 15+. 

Reviewed by Amiesha as part of the Teen Reviewer program

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