One Golden Summer

A radiant escape to the lake from #1 New York Times bestselling author of Every Summer After and This Summer Will Be Different

Named a Most Anticipated book of 2025 by TODAY ∙ E! News ∙ Buzzfeed ∙ Us Weekly ∙ The New York Post ∙ SheReads ∙ and more!

I never anticipated Charlie Florek.

Good things happen at the lake. That’ s what Alice’ s grandmother says, and it’ s true. Alice spent just one summer there at a cottage with Nan when she was seventeen— it’ s where she took that photo, the one of three grinning teenagers in a yellow speedboat, the image that changed her life.

Now Alice lives behind a lens. As a photographer, she’ s most comfortable on the sidelines, letting other people shine. Lately though, she’ s been itching for something more, and when Nan falls and breaks her hip, Alice comes up with a plan for them both: another summer in that magical place, Barry’ s Bay. But as soon as they settle in, their peace is disrupted by the roar of a familiar yellow boat, and the man driving it.

Charlie Florek was nineteen when Alice took his photo from afar. Now he’ s all grown up— a shameless flirt, who manages to make Nan laugh and Alice long to be seventeen again, when life was simpler, when taking pictures was just for fun. Sun-slanted days and warm nights out on the lake with Charlie are a balm for Alice’ s soul, but when she looks up and sees his piercing green gaze directly on her, she begins to worry for her heart.

Because Alice sees people— that’ s why she is so good at what she does— but she’ s never met someone who looks and sees her right back.