Summer Book Club: Every Summer After (and the Persephone Moment)

Some book club meetings just feel like summer.

Our Every Summer After gathering was exactly that — sunny, nostalgic, effortless, and one of those nights that instantly becomes a favourite memory.

We read Every Summer After by Carley Fortune, the ultimate summer romance: cottage vibes, old love, second chances, and that bittersweet feeling of looking back on the summers that shape you.

It was such a fun seasonal read, and the hosts absolutely delivered by turning book club into the perfect pool party.

The Most Accidental Outfit Coordination

Somehow, without a single plan or group chat about it, we all showed up perfectly matched — a mix of denim, white, and black outfits that looked like we had coordinated on purpose.

It felt very “effortless summer book club aesthetic,” which made it even funnier that it was completely unintentional.

Book Details Brought to Life

The hosts did an incredible job incorporating little touches from the book into the décor and menu — and I love when people do that. Those extra details make the whole evening feel so immersive, like you’re stepping into the story for a night.

It was thoughtful, beautiful, and so well done.

The Persephone Pronunciation Incident

This book will always make me laugh for one very specific reason:

The main character’s name is Persephone.

And while reading, I had absolutely no clue how to pronounce it. I kept thinking… why would an author choose such a hard name?

So for the entire book, in my head, I was reading it as:

Per-ce-phone-ey.

Yes. Really.

I didn’t realize I was wrong until book club, when I confidently said it out loud… and everyone erupted into a roar of laughter.

The correct pronunciation?

Not what I was doing.

And to this day, we still get a chuckle out of it.

A Perfect Summer Ending

We ended the night the best way possible: with a fire, a swim, and that lingering feeling that only summer nights bring — warm air, good friends, and a story we got to share together.

One of my favourite book club nights from that summer, and one I’ll always remember.