Every Summer After by Carley Fortune is a beautiful novel from Persephone (Percy) Frasers point of view. Each chapter goes back and forth on Percy’s life as a child growing up to her current life as a thirty-year-old adult. The author explains various things Percy experienced from thirteen to eighteen, skipping ahead to when her adult life connected back to her life as a kid. Every Summer After’s main storyline encompasses how Percy fell in love with her longtime boy best friend throughout amazing summers spent together at the Barry’s Bay lake and several emails sent during their time apart over the years. This novel easily flows readers back to when Percy first met Sam and how they grew to become more than just close friends. Sam has always lived in a house on the lake with his brother, mom, and dad. Although, Sam’s dad passed away not long before he met Percy. Percy also lives in Toronto, Canada, but she lives in the city which is about six hours away from Barry’s Bay. Her parents bought a cottage on the lake which Percy quickly inquired as her true home and happy place. They went back every summer and visited Sam’s family, the Floreks, on certain holidays. Sam and Percy always loved each other, they had an undeniable relationship that destined them to forever care about each other. Although after they broke up for some unknown mistake Percy made when they were eighteen, they completely lost contact with each other. Percy’s life without Sam seemed pointless. While adult Percy looks back on the years apart from Sam, she informs us that the first year they were separated she reached out to him many times but he never replied. With the loss of not only their relationship but their deep friendship, Percy found herself making increasingly more mistakes. She involved herself in many meaningless and short relationships with guys that weren’t right for her, while also pushing herself into emotional isolation. Percy started having terrible anxiety, including panic attacks and nights of being hungover. She constantly thought of Sam but stopped trying to speak to him due to her guilt of what she did to him. This lifeless pattern that Percy lived without Sam continued for twelve years until she received a call from Sam’s brother, Charlie. He called to inform Percy of the death of his and Sam’s mom. Their mom, Sue, had battled cancer a few years ago but it came back and took her life. Percy was crushed and shocked by such an unexpected call from someone who was a part of her teenage life. Charlie invited her to return to Barry’s Bay for Sue’s funeral. The idea of going back to the lake thrilled Percy with shots of excitement, although she dreaded returning to see Sam while knowing the pain she must have caused him. It had been so long since they were together, she wasn’t sure how her weekend back at the lake would go. She knew that at some point…no matter what…her and Sam would have to discuss the past. Percy put off the conversation as long as possible but eventually everything came out. Could Sam forgive Percy for her heart wrenching mistake and procrastination of telling him the whole truth? Her time back at Barry’s Bay as an adult helped her to clearly see what she wanted in life. Her and Sam never lost feelings for each other and over the weekend they couldn’t help their shared attractions for one another. Could it be possible that going back home and reconnecting with the person who has always been the one can fix everything? Every Summer After is a beautiful romance novel on lost yet rekindled love. I definitely recommend reading it, although keep in mind that there is some adult content that takes place.
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