Publishers Weekly
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Bestseller Fortune (One Golden Summer) delivers a tender tale about a childhood friendship blooming into more over the course of a weeklong getaway. Former sous chef Francesca “Frankie” Gardiner is ready to tie the knot—until her fiancé dumps her during their wedding weekend via a note. Blindsided by the breakup, feeling directionless in her career, and lamenting the idea of having to start over again at age 30, Frankie returns to her family’s home. While there, her best friend of more than two decades, George Saint James, arrives with a proposition: the two of them will go on her honeymoon in Tofino, British Columbia, where he’ll help her process the breakup with the aid of a meticulously researched itinerary. Frankie agrees to this picturesque vacation with the hope of rebuilding their recently strained friendship, but along the way she comes to realize she no longer views George in a purely platonic light. As tension brews between the leads, Fortune expertly intersperses glimpses into the highs and lows of the pair’s past, showcasing their ever-evolving dynamic. The inevitable third act conflict feels somewhat predictable and underwhelming, but readers will be charmed by the idyllic setting and Frankie and George’s unwavering devotion to each other. People We Meet on Vacation fans should check this out. Agent: Taylor Haggerty, Root Literary. (May)

Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

Frankie is holding her breath at her rehearsal dinner, awaiting her best friend George’s arrival. He shows up, despite their big blow-up when he told her she shouldn’t marry her fiancé, Nate. The next morning, Frankie wakes up to a “Dear Jane” note from Nate. The story flashes back to Frankie’s and George’s childhoods, when a heartbroken Frankie, whose mother left her family behind for a dream job, meets George, who has just started living with his grandmother. They quickly become inseparable, and, although Frankie’s mother returns, the only person Frankie can count on is George. Alternating between present and past, Fortune (One Golden Summer, 2025) shows how Frankie and George’s friendship grows, from nine-year-old playmates to twenty-something roommates to their current phase: distant, but still showing up when it matters. George persuades Frankie to go on her honeymoon and, while she’s in paradise, he plans daily events to try to heal her broken heart . . . but Frankie sees the trip as an opportunity to fix their strained friendship. What neither really bargain for are the romantic feelings that start to bubble up. This novel has romance, friendship, heartache, and steamy scenes, a perfect fit for fans of Emily Henry. It’s nothing short of perfection.

Library Journal
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Frankie and her best friend, George, have been inseparable since they were eight years old, but their relationship has shifted in the past few years as George travels more for his successful career as a reporter. Now, on the eve of her wedding, Frankie isn't even sure that he'll show up to be her best man until she sees him at the rehearsal dinner. When her groom-to-be shockingly and unexpectedly calls off the wedding the next morning, a devastated Frankie doesn't know what to do next, until George suggests that the two of them go on her already paid-for honeymoon to Tofino, on Canada's lush west coast. Frankie sees the trip as a chance to fix the rift that has developed between them, even as long-buried feelings surface for both of them. However, George is keeping secrets that might ruin their friendship forever. Frankie and George are compelling main characters, even if the third-act conflict is a bit predictable. VERDICT Longtime fans will devour Fortune's (One Golden Summer) latest, full of her signature lush Canadian scenery and dual-timeline storytelling. Good for all public libraries and contemporary romance fans.—Whitney Kramer

Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Best friends confront feelings for each other when they take a honeymoon trip together. Francesca Gardiner and George Saint James have always been best friends—just like Jo and Laurie fromLittle Women, which they both love. Frankie has a big, complicated family and George was the boy next door who’d moved in with his eccentric grandmother. Their friendship survived childhood, awkward teenage years, and living together as young adults without ever venturing into the romantic—well, except for one kiss, but they don’t talk about that. When Frankie gets engaged to an older professor named Nate, George isn’t happy and a huge fight ensues. Despite his misgivings, George shows up to be her best man, but Nate leaves Frankie right before the wedding with only a cryptic letter. Devastated, Frankie goes to a friend’s house to recuperate, but her honeymoon is already planned and paid for—so she decides to travel to Tofino, a picturesque town on the coast of Vancouver Island, with George taking Nate’s place. Frankie wants to fix her friendship with George, but now that they’re in a romantic suite in a beautiful location, things are more complicated than ever. She’d always thought a relationship would be a bad idea, but she’s slowly beginning to realize they’ll never be able to go back to being kids. Maybe the only way forward involves forging a new kind of relationship. Fortune, the author of romances likeThis Summer Will Be Different (2024), returns with another love story full of longing and intense angst. The many allusions toLittle Women are charming, and Frankie is a delightfully headstrong, feisty character. She and George have explosive chemistry, and Fortune manages to make the “will-they-or-won’t-they” nature of their relationship feel like life-or-death stakes. A powerfully strong romance for readers who like their love stories full of torment and passion. Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.