Book Review: This Summer Will Be Different

This Summer Will Be Different was the most highly anticipated book on my list for the summer. So when I received this book for Mother’s Day, I had to drop everything and binge. I have been a fan of Carley Fortune’s writing since her debut novel Every Summer After, which I have read 3 times now. After reading a snippet of This Summer Will Be Different via her newsletter, I was hooked into the storyline of Lucy and Felix. 

Synopsis for This Summer Will Be Different:

This Summer Will Be Different is about the protagonist, Lucy, who frequently vacations on Prince Edward Island (PEI) with her best friend Bridget, who grew up there. Her first time visiting the island she has a hot hook-up with a handsome, local man named Felix. She finds out after their rendezvous that he is actually Bridget’s younger brother and freaks out, as she was under strict rules that she must not fall in love with him while she is there. This is the start of a long back-and-forth, not-so-relationship with Felix, whom she swears she will never hook-up with again. But will she be able to stay away from Felix and his flirtatious ways while also keeping Bridget in the dark about their situationship?

My Review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 out of 5 stars 

🌶️🌶️🌶️3.5/5 spice

The only reason why I couldn’t rate This Summer Will Be Different 5 stars is because it took me a minute to get into it. But once I did, I was hooked and finished reading in 1.5 days. 

Carley has this amazing way of transporting you to unique settings in her books. Outside of the storyline between Lucy and Felix, the setting was one of my favorite parts of this book. The way she describes Price Edward Island I was able to visualize like I’ve been there before. It definitely makes you want to visit. 

As for the characters, I loved Lucy and Felix and their magnetic attraction toward each other. Dare I say that Felix is her hottest love interest written to date? I’ve definitely read books that are more spicy, BUT I love how tasteful and realistic the spice is. It’s not overdone and goes with the premise of the story.

The one thing I thought was somewhat strange is how Lucy had no clue what her best friend’s, brother looked like.

Lucy and Bridget’s friendship/sisterhood is sweet. I only found Bridget to be mildly annoying with her lackluster reasoning for running away to PEI a week before her wedding and keeping it from Lucy and Felix. On the flip side, you can understand Bridget’s POV as to why she wanted Lucy not to fall in love with Felix. As you continue to read it all starts to make sense. 

I love the attention to detail and backstory for each of the characters.

Overall I was happy with the ending. It left me wanting more but in a good way.

A little Web Designer Moment

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A little Web Designer Moment 〰️

Okay—book talk aside for a sec. As a web designer who works with creative entrepreneurs (and low-key dreams of working with more authors!), I couldn’t help but think about how much storytelling and design actually have in common.

Just like Lucy’s summer on Prince Edward Island was all about second chances and starting fresh, your website should feel like a warm invitation into your world. Whether you're a debut indie author or ten books deep, your site should reflect your voice, your vibe, and make readers want to stay a while.

📣 Bonus for My Fellow Book People:

If you’re an author or publisher who needs a website that doesn’t look like it was built in 2009 (😅 no judgment, but it’s time), I can help. I design stylish, modern Squarespace websites that are low-maintenance but high-impact—just like a great summer romance.

Check out my Design in a Day Service for a 1-page website perfect for newbie authors or shoot me a message if you’re dreaming up a new site. I’d love to help bring your story to life online.

PS – If you’re a writer and love this kind of content, let me know! I’ve been toying with the idea of creating more posts for authors—from tips for building your site to design inspo for book launches. 👀

DISCLOSURE: As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.