What happens in Charlie’s Every Year After book? One Golden Summer summary
18 June 2026, 17:40
Every Year After season 2 will focus on Charlie and his love interest Alice but what happens in the book?
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If you've finished Every Year After, you might be wondering what happens in the second book One Golden Summer.
Every Year After is Prime's latest BookTok turned series phenomenon. Based on Carley Fortune's best-selling book Every Summer After, the show is about childhood besties Sam (Matt Cornett) and Percy (Sadie Soverall) and the dramatic secret that tore them apart. Sam's brother Charlie (Michael Bradway) also plays a huge role in it.
Season 1 ends on a huge cliffhanger but what happens in Every Year After season 2? Well, the second Every Year After book One Golden Summer switches focus to Charlie and his relationship with a photographer named Alice.
Scroll down to see our plot summary of One Golden Summer and what's next for Charlie, Alice, Percy and Sam.
Every Year After - Official Trailer from Prime Video
Do Charlie and Alice end up together in One Golden Summer?
The season 1 finale of Every Year After sets up season 2 perfectly. The photo that Charlie sees before he collapses is a photo of him with Percy and Sam on the lake at Barry's Bay and it turns out that, Alice, the photographer who took the shot, is about to play a very pivotal role in his life.
In One Golden Summer, Alice takes her nan to Barry's Bay for the summer and it isn't long before she crosses paths with Charlie. In flashbacks, we learn that Alice used to visit Barry's Bay in her teens but was too introverted to ever approach Charlie, Sam and Percy.
However, Alice and Charlie quickly strike up a friendship and it evolves into something more. At the end of the summer, Alice wants to maintain a romantic relationship with Charlie but he insists it was just a fling.
Heartbroken, Alice blocks Charlie's number only to learn later that he's in hospital with a heart condition.
Charlie ended the relationship because he didn't want to let anyone into his life when he could die.
Does Charlie die in One Golden Summer?
After learning about his condition, Alice visits Charlie in hospital and they decide to date each other properly with her supporting him through his illness. The book then flashes forward to Alice hosting a photography exhibition with Charlie by her side and his heart condition stabilised. Charlie doesn't die and they live happily ever after.
As for Percy and Sam, you can check out our full breakdown of their story to find out what happens to them in the books.
Read more Every Year After news here:
- Every Year After actress Sadie Soverall age, height, past roles, where she's from and more
- Do Percy and Sam end up together in Every Year After? The book ending explained
- Why did Percy and Sam fall out in Every Year After? The dark secret explained
- Every Year After actor Michael Bradway's age, height, past roles, fiancée and more
- Every Year After season 2 release date, cast, book plot, trailers and news
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