REVIEW: Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune

In Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune, Frankie Gardiner almost can’t remember a time before she and George Saint James were best friends. They met at eight-years-old on what turned out to be one of the most difficult days of her young life. Well, the toughest day until now. Because at age thirty, Frankie was fully prepared to get married to her fiancé Nate and then embark on their magical honeymoon to Tofino. They make it to the day before their wedding and then everything crashes down. Nate breaks things off through a letter. And Frankie is so distraught she goes into hibernation mode, not working or communicating with anyone–even with George.

“Love is the simplest thing. Relationships are the hard part.”

Then weeks later, Frankie gets a surprising offer: George wants her to go on her trip to Tofino. But with him. She’s always up for an adventure with her bestie but is it weird to go to such a romantic place with him? In all honesty, she doesn’t care. If it means she gets some time to hash out the recent weirdness between them and have George in her life more, then Frankie is all in. As her long-time friend figures out ways to help her heal from her breakup, she starts to notice all the feelings she’s kept locked up tight for him are starting to break free. Day after day, one amazing experience after another brings Frankie back to herself. And it has her wondering if she and George might have what it takes to turn their friendship into forever.

“I love you, Frankie. You are everything I know about love.”

A springtime TBR just wouldn’t be the same without a Carley Fortune novel on it. And OUR PERFECT STORM, her newest romance, is arguably my favorite yet. Set in Canada, taking us from one coastline to the other, Frankie and George’s story was decadent, humbling, achingly romantic, fun, and all about the transition from being best friends for twenty-two years to finally admitting a romantic connection. And I was there for every glorious, heartfelt moment of it.

Fortune writes some of the most relatable, down-to-earth characters in contemporary romantic fiction in my opinion. Not only were George and Frankie people I would love to meet in real life, but their family and friends were also just as unique and likable. There were certainly some more difficult parts of their pasts that Frankie and George needed to work through. But they were the type of couple that just seemed fated to be together. They were better when they were in each other’s lives and knew when to push or to support one another. Even when George or Frankie did something wrong or out of character, there was no doubt in my mind that they would reconcile. They *had* to. Because a friendship like theirs–and eventually, a love like theirs–simply had to continue on and keep growing.

TROPES/VIBES:

💞 Childhood best friends to lovers
💘 Unrequited love
🌊 Incredible setting
⏳ Multiple timelines
🎉 Family & friend shenanigans

CW: View Spoiler »Childhood abandonment, gambling addiction, trapped in wildfire « Hide Spoiler

A standalone romance with a powerful mix of nostalgia, lush backdrops, complicated emotions, and even more complex relationships, OUR PERFECT STORM is an absolute gem and a reminder of why Carley Fortune is one of my go-to authors. Highly recommended.

QOTD: What books are sitting on your spring and summer TBR this year? Anything by Carley Fortune on there?

Book Info:

Publication: Published: May 5th, 2026 | Berkley |

Best friends have one week in paradise to fix their friendship or fall apart in this heart-stopping, utterly romantic new novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Every Summer After and One Golden Summer.

Frankie and George have been best friends since they were eight years old. Both passionate, impulsive, and headstrong—they’ve always clashed . . . and come back together. Until now. It’s the eve of Frankie’s wedding weekend, and she doesn’t know where they stand or even if George will show up as her best man.

Then, at the start of the festivities, in walks George. For one glorious evening, surrounded by her loved ones, Frankie’s life is finally perfect. But it all comes crashing down when her fiancé dumps her the next morning, leaving only a note as an explanation.

Crushed and confused, Frankie returns to her family’s home to wallow. But George has a different idea and a plan for healing Frankie’s broken heart. He wants her to go on her honeymoon. With him. For one week, to the lush rainforests and misty beaches of Tofino.

Frankie agrees, seeing the trip for what it really is: one last chance to repair their friendship. Even if it means unearthing secrets and long buried feelings neither knows how to handle. Even if it means falling apart for good.