Review: Carolina Dreaming by Virginia Kantra

Carolina Dreaming by Virginia Kantra
Series: Dare Island, Book 5
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Contemporary Romance

ISBN: 9780425269701
Release Date: February 2, 2016
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N

After escaping a disastrous marriage, bakery owner Jane Clark has convinced herself that she has everything she needs—her precious son, a thriving business, and a roof over her head. But the arrival of a handsome stranger on the island shows her exactly what she’s been missing…

The only home Gabe Murphy ever had was the Marine Corps. He's working hard to rebuild his life. It will take a special place, and a special woman, to make him want to stay.

Now Gabe is determined to prove that he's worthy of Jane’s trust—and her love. But when her past reappears, that trust will be tested, and Jane and Gabe will have to fight hard to hold onto their love and make their dreams a reality…

Two endearing characters get a shot at happiness they never thought they’d have in Carolina Dreaming. In this fifth Dare Island novel, Virginia Kantra manages to deliver a romance that’s incredibly sweet, but never edges into saccharine territory.

Gabe Murphy is a hero who has been through hell – an abusive home, war, and then jail. Despite all this, Gabe has never broken. He arrives on Dare Island because it’s the home of his best friend and he has nowhere else to go as he tries to put his life back together. Dare Island is like a dream come true for Gabe. Though people are wary of him, they give him a shot to prove himself, which is more than Gabe expects from anyone. Gabe’s past and the way he’s been treated broke my heart, but I loved watching him find a life and a home for the very first time. Best of all, Gabe finds love with bakery owner Jane Clark. Jane’s life hasn’t exactly been easy either. She escaped an abusive marriage and is now a single mom working hard to make a life for herself and her son. Jane has a huge heart and is a soft touch, but she’ll go to the mat to defend those she loves, which makes her a great heroine. She and Gabe just click right off the bat, and it’s easy to be swept away by their romance, which is by turns sensual and sweet.

I have a weakness for small town romances and Carolina Dreaming is a lovely one. Ms. Kantra’s writing style is so smooth that you slip right into the story without noticing, which made the story all the more enjoyable. Dare Island isn’t an idyllic small town (that kind of perfection would be boring), but it’s close enough that you wish it were real so you could move down there. Fans of series will love revisiting some of their favorite characters, but for readers like me who haven’t read the first four Dare Island novels, you needn’t fear – this book can easily be read as a standalone. Of course, I was so hooked by Gabe and Jane’s story that I will definitely be reading the rest of the series. If you enjoy quietly romantic stories with genuinely kind characters, you won’t want to miss Carolina Dreaming.


FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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Review: Ask Me Why by Jodi Thomas, Marie Force, Virginia Kantra, and Shirley Jump

Ask Me Why by Jodi Thomas, Marie Force, Virginia Kantra, and Shirley Jump
Publisher: Jove
Genre: Contemporary Romance
ISBN: 9780515155389
Release Date: July 7, 2015
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N

From four contemporary romance stars, stories filled with first kisses, first dances, and happily-ever-afters…

Midnight Bet by Jodi Thomas: When cousins Rick and Lizzie Matheson of Harmony, Texas, wind up on the wrong side of an attempted shooting, they know they’re in deep. Still, the biggest danger is losing their hearts—Rick to an old flame and Lizzy to an old friend she’d never noticed before…

You’ll Be Mine by Marie Force: Will Abbott and Cameron Murphy are finally ready to tie the knot—as long as family, friends and a love-struck moose don’t get in the way.

Wrapped Around Your Finger by Shirley Jump: Maggie McBride is just one of the guys in the hard-knocks world of construction. Until she’s dared to ask Nick Patterson to a wedding, enticing her to knock down some walls—and risk falling in love.

Carolina Heart by Virginia Kantra: Determined to leave her wild past behind, Cynthie Lodge is forging a new life for herself and her daughters—one that’s man-free and drama-free. But when her high school crush shows up on Dare Island, he’s determined to make her break her rules…

“Midnight Bet” (Harmony, Book 8.5) by Jodi Thomas
When Cousins Rick and Lizzie Matheson are shot at on the way home from a family party, it’s only the beginning of the action. With two love stories, a series of attempted murders, and characters with some heavy issues, there’s a lot to unpack in “Midnight Bet.” Unfortunately, this is a story that would have been far better served as a novel. As a novella, each character only gets the surface treatment because there are simply too many players and too much happening for the format. I loved Lizzie, absolutely loved her. She’s the black sheep of the Matheson clan, and no one truly sees how much she has to give. No one but her mysterious neighbor, the local veterinarian. Doc McCall is a great match for Lizzie, but we didn’t get to see too much of his character; a pity, since author Jodi Thomas hinted at some interesting parts of his character that were never explored. As for Rick, his romance with Trace left something to be desired. Though they apparently are in love, we never learn much about her beyond her name. Add in a subplot about one of the Mathesons being targeted and you get a story that has a lot going on on the surface but not much depth. “Midnight Bet” was an interesting story, but one that was not nearly what it could have been had it been fleshed out as a novel.


“You’ll Be Mine” (Green Mountain, Book 4.5) by Marie Force
Return to All You Need is Love’s Cam and Will as the two try to wrangle their family and even a local animal or two. It’s Cam and Will’s wedding weekend, and even a reader (such as I) who has not read any Green Mountain books will get swept away by the romance and good cheer of “You’ll Be Mine.” Cam, Will, and their loved ones have sparkling personalities and are easy to adore. Add in some steamy love scenes, matrimonial sentiment, and a lovesick moose, and you’ve got a story that’ll charm the socks off of anyone. I haven’t yet read All You Need is Love, but after feeling like a guest at Cam and Will’s wedding, I’ll definitely go back and read about how they fell in love.


“Wrapped Around Your Finger” (Southern Belle Book Club, Book 0.5) by Shirley Jump
Construction worker Maggie McBride is always seen as one of the guys, and she’s perfectly happy that way. That doesn’t mean she wouldn’t wish for Nick Patterson to see her as more than just a coworker and friend. The gorgeous tomboy gets her wish when she takes a dare and asks Nick to be her date for a wedding. Little does she know that Nick has seen her as more than a friend for some time, only he wants to prove he’s not the playboy she believes him to be.

“Wrapped Around Your Finger” is sweet and sparkling, just like it’s protagonists. Though the story appears to be a prequel to the Southern Belle Book Club series, I first read about Maggie and Nick in Shirley Jump’s The Sweetheart Secret and have been hoping they’d get a story of their own ever since. Nick and Maggie’s chemistry is electric and I love that Maggie and Nick saw the whole of each other. That being said, Ms. Jump doesn’t make things easy on them. Insecurities and fear are powerful obstacles on Maggie and Nick’s road to happily ever after, but I was rooting for them every step of the way.


“Carolina Heart” (Dare Island, Book 4.5) by Virginia Kantra
With a sexy geek determined to win over the girl of his dreams and a single mom working to make a better life for her daughters as the hero and heroine, it’s no surprise that “Carolina Heart” is a wonderful read. Cynthie and Max are endearing characters who are wonderfully human and possess a quiet strength you have to respect. Cynthie has heard all her life that she’s not smart, that she doesn’t have it in her to be successful. She’s been told this so often that she believes it, but with two growing daughters to care for, she’s doing her best to make something of herself. What readers – and Max – can easily see is that Cynthie is far more than she believes herself to be. What I loved best about “Carolina Heart” was watching Cynthie come into her own. However, that doesn’t mean the romance is lacking – Cynthie and Max are a couple you can root for. Their romance was simply lovely to watch unfold and seeing Max become part of Cynthie’s family was fantastic. This is the first Dare Island book I’ve read, but I’ll definitely be circling back to the beginning of the series.


Ask Me Why is a lovely collection of heartwarming romances. Though each story is part of a series, they all can be read as standalones. I loved getting tastes of Mses. Thomas, Force, Jump, and Kantra’s series and in every case I want to explore the worlds further. Ask Me Why is an excellent small town romance sampler with charming stories sure to make you smile.


FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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