This Summer Will Be Different

Prince Edward Island comes to life in Fortune’s (Meet Me at the Lake) sweet and steamy latest. Lucy Ashby, an overworked and anxious florist, rushes to PEI at the call of her beloved best friend, Bridget, who’s being very secretive about a crisis that has put her wedding in jeopardy. But Bridget isn’t the only one keeping secrets: Lucy slept with Bridget’s devilishly handsome younger brother, Felix, five summers ago. And four summers ago. And three, but maybe this summer will be different? Though the pacing occasionally lags, Fortune’s evocative writing captures the sights and sounds of summer by the beach. Lucy’s outsized fear over Bridget’s reaction to Lucy and Felix’s relationship consumes most of the novel, and picturesque descriptions of the island take up the rest. A.J. Bridel pours emotion into the narration, and each character feels unique in tone and manner. Her take on Lucy, in particular, leaves each sentence delivered like a secret or a confession.