“It’s not every day you decide to change your entire life.”
If you’ve just finished Meet Met at the Lake by Carley Fortune and are already craving more, you’re not alone. This heartfelt story of love, second chances, and finding yourself has quickly become a favourite among romance readers. But what do you pick up next once you’ve turned the last page? Today at What We Reading, we’re rounding up the best books like Meet Me At The Lake – the perfect matches for anyone looking for that same blend of emotional depth, swoony chemistry, and small-town charm. Whether you’re a longtime Carley Fortune fan or simply adore contemporary romance novels filled with summer vibes and unforgettable connections, these recommendations will keep your TBR list stacked. From other second chance romance stories to novels about love, healing, and the magic of timing, here are the best books to read if you loved Meet Me at the Lake.
Meet Me At The Lake Summary
Fern Brookbanks spent just one day in her early twenties with the aggravatingly attractive Will Baxter, a chance encounter that led to an impromptu adventure around Toronto. The timing was wrong, but their connection was undeniable. They made a pact to meet one year later. Fern showed up. Will didn’t. Now at thirty-two, Fern’s life doesn’t look like how she would imagine it. She’s running her mother’s Muskoka lakeside resort – the place is in disarray, her ex is the manager, and Fern doesn’t know where to start.
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 might be the only person in the world who knows what Fern is going through. But, how could she possibly trust this expensive-suit-wearing mirage who seems nothing like the young man she fell for all those years ago? Will is hiding something, and Fern isn’t sure whether she wants to know what it is.
Book Lovers – Emily Henry
Kicking off our list of books like Meet Me at the Lake is Emily Henry’s global bestseller, Book Lovers. Nora Stephens’ life is books – she’s read them all – and is not that sort of heroine. The only people Nora is a heroine for are her clients, for whom she lands enormous deals as a cutthroat literary agent, and her little sister, Libby. Which is how she finds herself at Sunshine Falls, North Carolina, when Libby begs her for a sister’s trip away.
But, instead of picnics in meadows or run-ins with a handsome local, Nora keeps bumping into Charlie Lastra, a bookish, brooding editor from back in the city. It would be a meet-cute if not for the fact that they’ve met many times before, and it has never been cute. If Nora knows she isn’t an ideal heroine, Charlie knows he’s nobody’s hero. Yet, as they are thrown together time and time again, what they discover might just unravel the carefully crafted stories they’ve written about themselves.
The Love Story Of Missy Carmichael – Beth Morrey
The world has changed around Missy Carmichael. At seventy-nine, she’s estranged from her daughter; her son and only grandson live across the world in Australia; and her great love has gone. Missy spends her days with a sip of sherry, scrubbing the kitchen in her big empty house, and reliving her past – although it’s her mistakes and secrets that she allows to shine the brightest.
The last thing Missy expects is for two perfect estrangers and one spirited dog to break through her prickly exterior and show her just how much she still has left to give. Similar to Meet Me at the Lake, Beth Morrey’s The Love Story of Missy Carmichael is a big-hearted story full of second chances and self-discovery.
You Deserve Each Other – Sarah Hogle
Naomi Westfield has the perfect fiancé: Nicholas Rose holds doors open for her, remembers her restaurant orders, and comes from the sort of upstanding family any bride would love to be a part of. They never fight. They’re preparing for their lavish wedding that’s three months away. And she is miserably and utterly sick of him. When Naomi learns that Nicholas, too, wants out, the pair go head-to-head in a battle of pranks, sabotage, and all-out emotional warfare to get the other to quit the engagement and foot the bill.
But, with the countdown looming to the wedding that might or might not happen, Naomi soon finds her resolve slipping. Because now that they have nothing to lose, they’re finally being themselves – and having fun with the last person they expect: each other.
The Idea Of You – Robinne Lee
Solene Marchand, the thirty-nine-year-old LA art gallery owner, is reluctant to take her daughter, Isabelle, to meet her favourite boy band. But, since her divorce, she’s more eager than ever to be close to Isabelle. The last thing Solene expects is to find a connection with one of the members of the world-famous August Moon. But Hayes Campbell is clever, winning, confident, and posh, and their mutual attraction is immediate. The fact that he is just twenty years old complicates things even further.
What starts out as a series of clandestine trysts soon develops into a passionate and genuine relationship. It is a journey that spans continents as Solene and Hayes navigate each other’s worlds: from stadium tours to international art fairs to secluded hideaways in Miami and Paris. When the pair’s romance becomes a viral sensation, both she and her daughter become the victims of rabid fans and an insatiable media. Solene must face how her romantic life has impacted the lives of those she cares about the most.
Check Out The Best Books Like The Idea Of You
Second Chance Summer – Morgan Matson
Sandwiched between two exceptional siblings, Taylor Edwards never felt like she stood out – except for her history of running away when things got too complicated. Then her father receives unexpected, terrible news, and the family makes the last-minute decision to spend the summer together in the cramped quarters at their old lake house.
Taylor hasn’t been to the house since she was twelve, and had never thought she would set foot there again. She is soon confronted by the people she thought she had left behind: her best friend, Lucy, and Henry Crosby, her first crush. Suddenly, Taylor is surrounded by memories she would rather leave in the past, but she can’t run away this time. One of the best second chance romance books like Meet Me at the Lake, Morgan Matson’s Second Chance Summer follows Taylor as she discovers she might just have another opportunity with friends, family, maybe even with love. But once summer ends, there is no way to recapture what she stands to lose.
Every Summer After – Carley Fortune
If you loved Meet Me at the Lake, why not check out another one of the best Carley Fortune books, Every Summer After? When she receives the call that sends her rushing back from the stylish city to Barry’s Bay, Persephone Fraser is pulled back into the orbit of Sam Florek, the man she never thought she’d have to live without. For six summers, Percy and Sam had been inseparable. Eventually, their friendship blossomed into something breathtakingly more, before it all fell spectacularly apart.
When Percy returns to the lake for Sam’s mother’s funeral, their connection is as undeniable as it had always been. But until Percy can confront the decisions she made and the years she’s spent punishing herself for them, they’ll never know whether their love might be bigger than the biggest mistakes of their past. Told over the span of six summers and one weekend, Every Summer After is a big, sweeping, nostalgic look at love and the people and choices that mark us forever.
Check Out The Best Books Like Every Summer After
Things We Never Got Over – Lucy Score
Naomi wasn’t running away from her wedding. She was riding to the rescue of her estranged twin to Knockemout, Virginia, a rough-around-the-edges town where disputes are settled the old-fashioned way. Too bad for Naomi that her evil twin hasn’t changed at all. After helping herself to Naomi’s car and cash, Tina leaves her with something altogether more unexpected. The niece Naomi never knew she had.
Now she’s stuck in town with no car, no job, no plan, and no home with an eleven-year-old going on thirty to take care of. There’s a reason Knox doesn’t do complications or high-maintenance women, especially not the romantic ones. But since Naomi’s life imploded right in front of him, the least he can do is help her out of her jam. And just as soon as she stops getting into new trouble, he can leave her alone and get back to his peaceful, solitary life. At least, that’s the plan until the trouble turns to real danger.
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
