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 lasting 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 idealistic artist, a chance encounter that spiraled into a daylong adventure in the city. Both were in relationships, but their connection was undeniable: they shared every secret, every dream, and made a pact to meet one year later. Fern showed up single. Will didn’t show at all.

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 lifeline. To her surprise, it comes in the form of Will, who arrives 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 a mirage, especially one who seems so different from the openhearted young man she met all those years ago. Will is hiding something, and Fern’s not sure she wants to know what it is. 

But ten years ago, Will Baxter rescued Fern. Can she do the same for him?

Story Locale:Cottage Country & Toronto, Canada

About the Author

Carley Fortune is the New York Times bestselling author of Every Summer After. She is an award-winning Canadian journalist who’s worked as an editor for Refinery29, The Globe and Mail, Chatelaine, and Toronto Life. She lives in Toronto with her husband and two sons.

Author Residence: Toronto, ON

Author Hometown: Barry's Bay and Toronto, ON