'A beautiful, heart-tugging, love story about secrets, lies, missed connections and second chances' JILL SANTOPOLO'A breathtaking tale of star-crossed lovers that gripped me from page one' ELENA ARMAS 'A perfect summery blend of sexy romance and second chances' ASHLEY POSTON 'A tender, sweet story that captures the joy and sorrow of growing up' ELISSA SUSSMAN 'Carley Fortune is the master of the love story' ANNABEL MONAGHAN 'THE quintessential book of summer' AMY LEAA 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 author of the New York Times bestselling and TikTok hit Every Summer After........................................... One day. One promise. Two lives changed. Fern Brookbanks has wasted far too much of her adult life thinking about Will Baxter. She spent twenty-four hours in her early twenties with the aggravatingly attractive, idealistic artist - a chance encounter that spiralled into a daylong city adventure. 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 hasn't turned out how she imagined it. She's back home, running her mother's lakeside resort, which is in disarray - and her ex-boyfriend is the manager. She needs a lifeline. To Fern's surprise, it comes in the form of Will, who arrives - nine years too late - with an offer to help. Will may be the only person who understands what Fern's going through. Yet how can 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: 'Radiant' EMILY HENRY '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 'A quintessential summer novel, full of longing and lost love, and hits on so many beloved tropes' BuzzFeed

Fortune, Carley

Viking, an imprint of Penguin Canada, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited

Prentice Hall Press

United States, United States of America

Toronto, 2023

INSTANT #1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER
INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
*SHORTLISTED FOR CANADA READS 2024*
In this breathtaking new novel from the #1 bestselling author of Every Summer After, 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.
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 spiraled into a daylong adventure in Toronto. 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 Muskoka 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. 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?

"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 and #1 Globe and Mail 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 spiraled into a daylong adventure in Toronto. 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 Muskoka 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. 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?"-- Provided by publisher

2025-06-10