--- product_id: 459232075 title: "Meet Me at the Lake" price: "£10.80" currency: GBP in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/459232075-meet-me-at-the-lake store_origin: GB region: United Kingdom --- # Meet Me at the Lake **Price:** £10.80 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Meet Me at the Lake - **How much does it cost?** £10.80 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.uk](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/459232075-meet-me-at-the-lake) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ∙ 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 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 aggravatingly attractive, idealistic artist, a chance encounter that spiraled into a daylong adventure in the city. 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 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? Review: Engaging summer story - 4.75 stars Meet Me at the Lake is the latest release from Carley Fortune, and an absolute winner for me! I was immediately drawn into this story and could hardly put it down. I found it utterly engaging and what I wanted. Fern and Will meet early in their twenties when they are both trying to find their own path in life. Both are tasked with a heavy sense of obligation to family, but have aspirations of their own. They spend 24 hours together touring the town and there is a click of recognition, a spark that ignites unlike any before. But life takes them in different directions and they promise to meet up in one year. Fast-forward ten years, life has not been easy for either one, as is often the case, and they are thrust back into one another’s lives. After the unexpected death of Fern’s mother, she comes back home to take over the family resort, not her first choice, and in walks Will…a decade late. He’s there with the purpose of helping the resort thrive and get back on it’s financial feet, and though the two resurrect their relationship, Will is still battling his own demons. The two have a lot to sort through, but Will is slow to open up. In a way, this is a coming of age story. It’s about discovering what you really want and how to balance your own needs with those of others. The romance felt authentic and fraught with real life struggles. There is a weightiness to this story, and layers that make it feel realistic and believable. It’s a thoughtful, feel-good story, and though it’s steamier than I’d prefer, it’s beautifully heart-warming. I’ve loved both of this author’s books and look forward to whatever she writes next. (And you can’t beat her gorgeous covers!) Review: Not my favorite Carly Book - It took me awhile to get into this book, but it was a decent read, It just didn't have great content to keep me interested to keep wanting to pick it up and read so it took me awhile to finish this one. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #840 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #24 in Contemporary Women Fiction #157 in Contemporary Romance (Books) #667 in Genre Literature & Fiction | | Customer Reviews | 4.1 out of 5 stars 29,085 Reviews | ## Images ![Meet Me at the Lake - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81vfoXdLTxL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Engaging summer story *by M***T on June 21, 2023* 4.75 stars Meet Me at the Lake is the latest release from Carley Fortune, and an absolute winner for me! I was immediately drawn into this story and could hardly put it down. I found it utterly engaging and what I wanted. Fern and Will meet early in their twenties when they are both trying to find their own path in life. Both are tasked with a heavy sense of obligation to family, but have aspirations of their own. They spend 24 hours together touring the town and there is a click of recognition, a spark that ignites unlike any before. But life takes them in different directions and they promise to meet up in one year. Fast-forward ten years, life has not been easy for either one, as is often the case, and they are thrust back into one another’s lives. After the unexpected death of Fern’s mother, she comes back home to take over the family resort, not her first choice, and in walks Will…a decade late. He’s there with the purpose of helping the resort thrive and get back on it’s financial feet, and though the two resurrect their relationship, Will is still battling his own demons. The two have a lot to sort through, but Will is slow to open up. In a way, this is a coming of age story. It’s about discovering what you really want and how to balance your own needs with those of others. The romance felt authentic and fraught with real life struggles. There is a weightiness to this story, and layers that make it feel realistic and believable. It’s a thoughtful, feel-good story, and though it’s steamier than I’d prefer, it’s beautifully heart-warming. I’ve loved both of this author’s books and look forward to whatever she writes next. (And you can’t beat her gorgeous covers!) ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Not my favorite Carly Book *by A***4 on January 4, 2026* It took me awhile to get into this book, but it was a decent read, It just didn't have great content to keep me interested to keep wanting to pick it up and read so it took me awhile to finish this one. ### ⭐⭐⭐ Missed opportunity. *by S***E on May 28, 2023* 3 stars Do you ever feel bad for the author when writing a less than perfect review? Because that’s how I feel right now especially after having read the author’s notes in which Carley explains that she really struggled to write this one. But I swore to always be honest in my reviews so here we go, no matter what. Is that book bad? No. There are plenty of things that I loved like: -The set of side characters. From Fern’s best friend looking like an overenthusiastic puppy to the Roses, the old eccentric guests making cocktails, to Peter’s solid and discreet presence, they all helped me see that world, make it real. -The setting. A resort alongside a Canadian lake. I could see myself swimming or hiring a canoe. I heard the birds in the trees, saw the dining room with guests etc. It felt like being on holiday. -The pacing. It was just right for the story. We switch between past, when Fern met Will and now, ten years later. It was steady, not too fast nor too slow and fitting to have the story unfurl slowly, recounting past events and present traumas. -The meet cute. Fern and Will’s day in the city ten years ago was the perfect romantic meet. It felt like a bubble in time where everything is ripe with possibilities. Will was the promising and handsome artist, Fern was prickly and undecided yet about her future. Both on the brink of a new life. -Fern. I think Carley Fortune wrote Fern very realistically. She is full of doubts, is looking for her path in life. Past Fern had her demons, understandably so and went through a wild phase. New Fern is more mature but still struggling after her mother’s death. She will grow a lot in the story. -The ending. Thank god we had these last 10 percent! That helped explain a lot about Will’s decision and had me feeling a smidge better. But I am a reader and reviewer very much driven by my emotions and feelings. And what I felt very often was extremely frustrated! I was angry with Will. He never showed up nine years ago and now that he is back, he gives no explanation, no excuses. And Fern chooses to go with it??? Sorry but if you don’t show up and you make a mistake, you GROVEL! You explain and hope it’s a fantastic explanation to beg for forgiveness. Not knowing what happened had me keeping Will at arm’s length. I didn’t trust him and didn’t warm up to him, even if he was kind of a baby whisperer. And I didn’t understand Fern in her decision to take a risk, knowing that her heart could be crushed again. Even if at the same time I admired her bravery. As a character driven reader, not liking Will really dampened my enjoyment and is the main reason for my low rating alongside the lack of groveling. What I would have liked to see more of was grief. Fern just lost her mom. We get passing mentions that she misses her mom and see her reading her diary but I think the story would have gained even more depth if we focused more on the grief stages. I don’t mean to make it a sob story or the core of the book but it was nearly brushed under the rug. Or at least, that’s how I experienced it. As you can see, that book has a lot of assets but also missed the mark for me. Does that mean that Carley Fortune is a “one book” author like she feared? Certainly not as she has proven that she can write. I just hope for her that her next story will “spill out” of her like Every Summer After did. Also, I haven’t looked at any review yet so I might be in the minority here. So go check other opinions (like I’ll do now 😉 ). ## Frequently Bought Together - Meet Me at the Lake - This Summer Will Be Different - Every Summer After --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/459232075-meet-me-at-the-lake](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/459232075-meet-me-at-the-lake) --- *Product available on Desertcart United Kingdom* *Store origin: GB* *Last updated: 2026-05-29*