Meet Me at the Lake

A random connection sends two strangers on a daylong adventure where they make a promise one keeps and the other breaks, with life-changing effects, in this breathtaking new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Every Summer After…………………………………….Fern Brookbanks has wasted far too much of her adult life thinking about Will Baxter. She spent just twenty-four hours in her early twenties with the aggravatingly attractive, idealistic artist – a chance encounter that spiralled into a daylong adventure in the city. The timing was wrong, but their connection was undeniable: they shared every secret, every dream, and made a pact to meet one year later. Fern showed up. Will didn’t.At thirty-two, Fern’s life doesn’t look at all how she once imagined it would. Instead of living in the city, Fern’s back home, running her mother’s lakeside resort – something she vowed never to do. The place is in disarray, her ex-boyfriend’s the manager, and Fern doesn’t know where to begin.She needs a plan – a lifeline. To her surprise, it comes in the form of Will, who arrives nine years too late, with a suitcase in tow and an offer to help on his lips. Will may be the only person who understands what Fern’s going through. But how could she possibly trust this expensive-suit wearing mirage who seems nothing like the young man she met all those years ago. But ten years ago, Will Baxter rescued Fern. Can she do the same for him?……………………………………Praise for Carley Fortune:’A radiant debut‘ Emily Henry’The magic and romance of summer is palpable‘ Popsugar’Your next must-read beach-read‘ Ashley Audrain’A sweet story about second chances, and how the future we imagine for ourselves is never quite what it turns out to be‘ Jodi Picoult’Perfect for those who covet steamy summer dock days and second-chance love stories. I devoured it!‘ Karma Brown’A quintessential summer novel, full of longing and lost love, and hits on so many beloved tropes‘ BuzzFeed