Carley Fortune Books: Reading Order, Spice & Adaptations

There’s something about a lakeside summer romance that keeps readers turning pages well into autumn. Carley Fortune’s novels capture that feeling so consistently that four of her five books have landed on the New York Times bestseller list. This guide lays out everything you need to pick your first read, understand the spice levels, and catch up on the Prime Video adaptation before it drops.

Novels published: 5 ·
New York Times bestsellers: 4 consecutive novels ·
TV adaptation: 1 (Every Year After on Prime Video) ·
Instagram followers: 180,000+

Which Carley Fortune book should I read first?

Reading order by publication date

• Every Summer After (2022) — debut, second-chance romance, lake setting
• Meet Me at the Lake (2023) — enemies-to-lovers, resort backdrop
• This Summer Will Be Different (2024) — friends-to-lovers, Prince Edward Island
• One Golden Summer (2025) — forced proximity, connects directly to Every Summer After
• Our Perfect Storm (2025) — single dad/nanny trope, returns to lake community

Publication order is the safest route because it respects Fortune’s storytelling arc. Entertainment Weekly recommends starting with the debut to get the clearest sense of her beach-read style before moving to later books.

The catch: readers who begin with One Golden Summer will encounter a character from Every Summer After and may spoil plot reveals. BookScouter advises treating that book as a direct sequel in all but name.

Choosing your starting point based on your trope preferences

• Second-chance romance: Start with Every Summer After (2022)
• Enemies-to-lovers: Start with Meet Me at the Lake (2023)
• Friends-to-lovers: Start with This Summer Will Be Different (2024)
• Forced proximity: Start with One Golden Summer (2025) — but only if you’ve read Every Summer After first
• Single dad / nanny: Start with Our Perfect Storm (2025)

Most titles are self-contained, so a trope-first approach works well. Ink and Imaginings confirms that the catalog can be read in any order except for the linked pair.

The implication: if you only read one book in your life, Every Summer After is the entry point that unlocks everything else.

What is the spice level of the Carley Fortune books?

Detailed spice rating for each Carley Fortune novel

Five books, one pattern: every novel sits at a medium-low to medium spice level, often described as “closed-door” or very mild compared to authors like Tessa Bailey or Colleen Hoover.

The pattern: none of her books cross into high-steam territory, so readers who want explicit scenes should look elsewhere.

How her books compare to other popular romance authors

• Carley Fortune: medium-low to medium steam, focus on setting and emotional arcs
• Colleen Hoover: medium to high steam, often darker themes
• Tessa Bailey: high steam, explicit and playful
• Emily Henry: similar medium-low steam, comparable beach-read appeal

What this means: readers looking for a slow-burn summer escape without heavy explicit content will feel right at home. Those seeking steamier fare may want to supplement with other authors.

What book made Carley Fortune famous?

The breakout success of Every Summer After

Her debut novel, Every Summer After (2022), is the book that launched Carley Fortune into the spotlight. It became a New York Times bestseller and gained a massive following on BookTok, where readers praised its nostalgic lake setting and second-chance romance. Marie Claire calls it the novel that solidified Fortune’s beach-read style.

The book’s popularity also drove interest in her subsequent titles. According to Cosmopolitan, each new release has debuted on bestseller lists, a rare winning streak for a relatively new author.

Carley Fortune’s journey from journalist to bestselling author

Before writing novels, Fortune worked as a journalist and editor at The Globe and Mail and Chatelaine. Knowledge Compendium notes that her journalism background sharpened her narrative instincts for pacing and dialogue. She left the media world to focus on fiction full-time, and the gamble clearly paid off.

Are the Carley Fortune books part of a series?

Understanding the interconnected standalone universe

Fortune’s novels share a fictional lake community in Ontario, with recurring minor characters who appear across multiple books. Each story follows a different couple, so they work as standalones. But reading them in publication order enriches the experience, because later books reference events from earlier ones. Entertainment Weekly describes them as “interconnected standalones,” not a strict series.

Which characters appear in multiple books

• Every Summer After protagonists reappear in One Golden Summer
• Friends and relatives of the main couples pop up in later novels
• The lake setting itself becomes a recurring character, tying the books together

The pattern: you don’t need to read them in order, but you’ll get more out of the world if you do. Marie Claire confirms that the connected pair is the only spoiler-sensitive sequence in the catalog.

Are there Carley Fortune movies or TV shows?

Everything we know about the Prime Video adaptation

Every Summer After is being adapted into a limited series titled Every Year After for Prime Video. The series is produced by Amazon MGM Studios. Entertainment Weekly reported the news in 2025, noting that the adaptation will likely follow the novel’s dual-timeline structure. No cast or release date has been announced yet.

Potential for future adaptations

Because Fortune’s books are self-contained, each novel is viable as a standalone project for streaming services. BookScouter points out that this lowers the barrier for adaptation from page to screen. If Every Year After performs well, fans can expect announcements for Meet Me at the Lake or This Summer Will Be Different to follow.

Steps: How to choose your first Carley Fortune read

1. Decide your tolerance for spoilers. If you want the full interconnected experience, start with Every Summer After and read in publication order. If you don’t mind missing callbacks, pick any standalone by trope.
2. Check the spice level. If you prefer closed-door romance, any Fortune book works. If you need higher steam, consider supplementing with another author.
3. Consider the setting. Each book features a distinct location: a lake in Ontario, a resort, Prince Edward Island. Choose the backdrop that appeals most.
4. Look at the adaptation pipeline. If you want to be ahead of the TV series, start Every Summer After before Every Year After drops.

Timeline: Carley Fortune’s publishing career

• 2022 — Publishes debut novel Every Summer After, which becomes a New York Times bestseller.
• 2023 — Publishes second novel Meet Me at the Lake, also a New York Times bestseller.
• 2024 — Publishes This Summer Will Be Different and One Golden Summer.
• 2025 — Publishes Our Perfect Storm. Prime Video announces the adaptation Every Year After.

What we know and what remains unclear

Quotes and perspectives

“Carley Fortune’s novels are the perfect summer escape — emotional, atmospheric, and full of heart.”

— Carley Fortune’s official website (author bio)

“Every Summer After is a masterclass in dual-timeline storytelling, a debut that feels effortless.”

— Entertainment Weekly (pop culture authority)

“The interconnected lake world Fortune has built is a gift for romance readers who love revisiting familiar places.”

— Cosmopolitan (lifestyle media)

For readers new to Carley Fortune, the choice is clear: start with Every Summer After, or risk missing the emotional foundation of her interconnected world. The Prime Video adaptation will bring her lake-side romances to an even wider audience, but the books remain the best entry point. Whether you’re a BookTok devotee or a casual summer reader, Fortune’s catalog offers a consistent, satisfying escape — just don’t skip the first one.

Related reading: romance novel screen adaptations

Frequently asked questions