As we near the end of February, weâre spilling the tea on everything you need to know about our pick of the month. This oneâs an out-and-out romance, complete with a meet-cute, small-town setting, and a slow-burn trope. You can almost feel the sun on your skin and the wind in your hair while reading it. Itâs the one thatâs made the rounds of most best romance lists of 2025: One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune. (On Goodreads, one reader has likened the book to spending a day under an umbrella on the beach, while another has called it a âshimmering love letter to memory, grief and healingâ.)
âGood things happen at the lake.â Thatâs a direct quote from the book, and boy does it ring true (mostly). The protagonist, Alice, burnt out from her job as a photographer, takes her grandma to spend the summer at the lake, a spot filled with old memories for the both of them. Enter Charlie Florek, resident lake hottie (picture washboard abs, piercing green eyes, and a killer smile), with whom Alice has a meet-cute at the townâs only grocery store. Flirty banter ensues despite each character dealing with their own issues. While Alice is getting over her own heartbreak and professional setbacks, Charlie is hiding a secret, and if that isnât a recipe for a good romance novel, I donât know what is. For more on why you need to read it, and some bonus BTS from the author herself, scroll below. Also join The Nod Book Club's Instagram channel to stay in the loop on all things books.
