
Meet Me at the Lake
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 Toronto. 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 Muskoka 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?
- Spice
- 2/5
- Burn
- Slow
- Pages
- ~368
- Ending
- HEA
HEA means happily ever after: they end up together, for good.
How spicy is Meet Me at the Lake?
Meet Me at the Lake is a 2 out of 5 on our spice scale: simmer (closed door). Sex happens, but the door closes (or it is brief and non-graphic). Tension without the details.
- Steam: Behind closed doors
- Burn: Slow burn
- Pairing: One man, one woman
- POV: Heroine's POV only
- Ending: Happily ever after
Content warnings
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Show 2 content warnings
- Death of a loved one
- Mental illness / anxiety / depression
Our editorial notes, which may be incomplete. If something is a hard limit for you, check the author's own content notes too.
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Meet Me at the Lake: quick answers
How spicy is Meet Me at the Lake?
Meet Me at the Lake is a 2 out of 5 on our spice scale: simmer (closed door). Sex happens, but the door closes (or it is brief and non-graphic). Tension without the details.
Is Meet Me at the Lake a standalone?
Yes, Meet Me at the Lake is a standalone. You can read it on its own.
What tropes are in Meet Me at the Lake?
Meet Me at the Lake features second chance, small town. It is a slow burn M/F romance that ends with a happily ever after.
Does Meet Me at the Lake have content warnings?
Our notes for Meet Me at the Lake include: death of a loved one, mental illness / anxiety / depression. This list may not be complete; check the author's own content notes if anything is a hard limit for you.
What should I read after Meet Me at the Lake?
If you loved Meet Me at the Lake, try Every Summer After by Carley Fortune, Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson, Love at First by Kate Clayborn. They share its second chance and small town energy at a similar spice level.











