By Carley Fortune
Every Summer After is a second chance romance set in rural Canada. After learning about the death of her childhood friend Sam’s mother, Percy goes and stays in the town where her family used to spend their summer vacations for the funeral. Tensions run high when she reconnects with Sam and his brother Charlie, as she tries her best to move on from the memories of the summers they spent together.
Percy is a perfectly flawed character. Her anxieties, mistakes, and the way she navigates those things make her feel real and relatable. And because of the deep and messy history between her and Sam, the relationship between them is believable. No matter what twists are thrown your way, you find yourself rooting for their reunion.
The author’s writing grips you from the first page. It is written in first person, and Percy’s voice is captivating and full of personality. The chapters flip back and forth between past and present: you follow Percy in her current situation while she divulges what happened between her and the two brothers in their teenage years. As the sentences are short and there is good balance between telling and showing, you fly through the book to learn what happens next. This is an emotional story, and the lakeside setting mixed with the dual timeline creates a deep sense of nostalgia. It is a perfect summer/vacation read.
Descriptive writing: 7/10
Character depth: 8/10
Pace of the story: fast.
For fans of Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren.