'Every Summer After' Book Review (Non Spoiler)

 I have recently knocked a book off my summer TBR (To Be Read ) list. This time around I chose to read Every Summer After written by Carley Fortune. This book's main character is Persephone (Percy ) Fraser who is thirteen years old when her parents buy a cottage on the lake in Barry's Bay Canada. Next door to their cottage lives a mother, Sue Florek, and her two sons, Charlie Florek (fifteen years old) and Sam Florek (thirteen years old).  The two boys introduce themselves to Percy, being the only kids around her age to hang out with. Sam and Percy have an immediate connection and every time Percy is at her vacation cottage her and Sam always meet and rekindle their growing relationship for six summers. Eventually when they are college aged Percy does something that makes them not speak for twelve years. In that time Percy (now an adult) has gone through multiple dead end relationships, a career change, frequent panic attacks, and has severe anxiety. All from what happened twelve years ago.

Photo Credit: Mia Rotell

I give this book a 4/ 5 stars. I really enjoyed reading this. It was fun but still had undertones of seriousness and felt read. Oftentimes in romance novels the love interest seems to be tailored to be exactly for the main character or exactly against the main character. However, with this novel the love interest, Sam, was perfect. He was real with his fictional strengths and fictitious flaws. His backstory was clear on why he was who he was. Him along with every other character in the book felt like an actual person that exists somewhere. 

The Story Telling

The story was extremely clear despite the style of being in the present then bouncing back to over twelve ears ago. This way that the author told the story was part of what made it so captivating. It was in first person and you could only read what the main character was thinking, feeling, and seeing which also made you wonder what the other characters were thinking and feeling as well. The details were perfectly spelled out without being over the top or lacking. You had a clear vision as to where the character were, how they got there, what was happening right then, and what will happen. I often would forget I was reading as the movie played in my head.

The Romance

Romance is a common theme however, it isn't overbearing. There is some smut but, it is occasional and not over the top. The smutty parts aren't there just for the readers enjoyment but, every one has a purpose and changes the trajectory of the story in one way or another. As previously mentioned the characters feel real meaning that the romance and way they felt and treated each other felt real as well. Also the way the feelings between Sam and Percy started, flourished, and evolved felt just as real as well.

The Plot Twist/ Ending *No Spoilers*

The plot twist will shock you, then after that is a wild roller coaster. You will be happy, then sad. You will be laughing then worried. You will feel relieved then crying. The book is an easy read with a complex story lien and the last sixty pages of the book perfectly represent that. Emotions all over the place and all. Personally I think what happened (including the Epilogue) was good. Some people really don't agree with the ending however, mistakes can be forgiven and with how much time passed it was water under the bridge. I think the twelve years is what made the ending happen. It was satisfying.

Overall this was a great read. I was in a huge reading rut before reading this and this took me right out of that. The setting the author created along with the characters, the romance and the situations that made everything fall apart was very well orchestrated. I would definitely read again.