8 Canadian books to read if you loved Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune
Fans of the first romance novel on Canada Reads will enjoy these other titles
Fashion influencer Mirian Njoh championed Meet Me at the Lake on Canada Reads 2024. The romance novel was the first of its genre in the show's history!
Meet Me at the Lake finds 32-year-old Fern Brookbanks stuck — she can't quite stop thinking about one perfect day she spent in her 20s. By chance, she met a man named Will Baxter and the two spent a romantic 24 hours in Toronto, after which they promised to meet up one year later. But Will never showed up. Now, instead of living in the city like she thought she would, Fern manages her mother's Muskoka resort by the lake, a role she promised herself she'd never take on. Disillusioned with her life, Fern is shocked when Will shows up at her door, suitcase in hand, asking to help. Why is he here after all this time and more importantly, can she trust him to stay? It's clear Will has a secret but Fern isn't sure if she's ready to hear it all these years later.
Here are eight Canadian books to read if you loved Meet Me at the Lake.
Every Summer After by Carley Fortune
Every Summer After is a coming-of-age novel involving friendship, romance and forgiveness told over the course of six years and one weekend. Childhood summer friends Percy and Sam were inseparable — until a fateful moment forced them apart. Years later, a funeral draws them together once more to navigate love, loss and broken hearts.
Carley Fortune is a Toronto-based journalist who has worked as an editor for Refinery29, The Globe and Mail, Chatelaine and Toronto Life. Her next novel, This Summer Will Be Different, is coming out in May 2024.
Jana Goes Wild by Farah Heron
Jana Goes Wild is a romantic comedy about a woman named Jana who finds herself in a less-than-ideal situation — she is attending a destination wedding that her ex Anil is also at. However, although they had broken up on not-so-nice terms, Jana soon realizes that she might be falling for Anil again. With the backdrop of the Serengeti and wandering safari animals, hilarious chaos ensues as Jana tries to make it seem like she's got it all together.
Farah Heron is a writer based in Toronto. She is also the author of the books The Chai Factor, Accidentally Engaged and Tahira in Bloom.
Where We End & Begin by Jane Igharo
In Where We End & Begin, two star-crossed lovers named Obinna and Dunni reunite at a wedding, rekindling their old high school romance. They had broken up when Dunni left Nigeria to go to college in America. While things have changed, they are still drawn to each other. However, as they rediscover each other — bringing up secrets, and incidents from the past, Dunni must figure out if their love from their younger days is enough to keep them together.
Jane Igharo immigrated to Canada from Nigeria when she was 12 years old. She currently lives in Toronto. She is also the author of the novel Ties That Tether.
Much Ado About Nada by Uzma Jalaluddin
Much Ado About Nada is about Nada Syed, who is almost 30 and still living at home with her parents. She dreams of making her app Ask Apa into a tech success, but her parents are focused on her finding a partner and getting married. Her best friend Haleema wants things to turn around for Nada and thinks there's no better place to do that than at a large Muslim conference downtown. But when Nada finds out Haleema's fiance Zayn and his brother Baz will be there, she knows she can't go. No matter what. Why? Because her and Baz have history.
Uzma Jalaluddin is a teacher, parenting columnist and author based in Ontario. She is also the author of Ayesha At Last and Hana Khan Carries On.
The Catch by Amy Lea
When influencer Melanie Karlsen finds herself in a rural fishing village on Canada's east coast, she's taken aback by the burly and grumpy bed-and-breakfast owner Evan Whaler in the romance novel The Catch. Weren't Canadians supposed to be nice? After a boating accident sends Evan to the hospital, his family mistakes Melanie for his fiancée. The two strike up a deal: she'll fake their engagement for one week if Evan helps her create some social media content.
Amy Lea is an Ottawa-based contemporary romance writer and Canadian bureaucrat. Her other novels include Woke Up Like This, which was on the Canada Reads 2024 longlist, Exes and O's and Set on You.
Reasonable Adults by Robin Lefler
Reasonable Adults is a charming romantic comedy about a young woman named Kate Rigsby. Kate takes a job at an arts retreat in Muskoka cottage country after her life falls apart. She imagines three idyllic months in an artistic wonderland as she plots her next chapter. But reality isn't anything like she expected. Can Kate pull it together? And can she successfully avoid her gorgeous — and off-limits — new coworker?
Robin Lefler is a writer from Kitchener, Ont. Before she wrote fiction, she worked in the tech industry. Reasonable Adults is her first novel.
Time to Shine by Rachel Reid
In Time to Shine, hockey player Landon Stackhouse has just gotten his call up to the big leagues from the Calgary farm team, though he doesn't get to play much. When he and Calgary's star player Casey Hicks hit it off, this bromance evolves into a romance between the two. But what will happen to the budding relationship when Landon's time in Calgary comes to an end?
Rachel Reid is a romance writer and die-hard hockey fan from Nova Scotia.
Roaming by Jillian Tamaki & Mariko Tamaki
Set on a trip to New York City in 2009, Roaming is a graphic novel that follows best friends Zoe and Dani during their first year of college. As a queer romance blossoms between Zoe and Dani's classmate Fiona — who tags along — friendships get put to the test and all three girls learn more about who they are.
Mariko Tamaki is a writer based in California. Her other books include the YA novels (you) Set Me On Fire and Saving Montgomery Sole. She's also the author of many superhero comics for DC Comics, Darkhorse and Marvel.
Jillian Tamaki is a Toronto-based cartoonist, illustrator and educator. With her cousin Mariko Tamaki, she co-created the YA graphic novel Skim, which was the first graphic novel to be nominated for a Governor General's Literary Award. Another collaboration, This One Summer, won the Governor General's Literary Award for young people's literature — illustration.
