Carolina Dreaming by Virginia Kantra – a Review

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Description:
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

Review:

Carolina Dreaming by Virginia Kantra is the 5^th book in her Dare Island series. I did not read the earlier books, but Carolina Dreaming read very well as a standalone, as Kantra does a good job of bringing in the previous characters of Dare Island. I will say that one day I will go back and read the earlier books, as I loved Kantra’s writing style.

Gabe Murphy is our hero. He is a former marine, who just got out of prison after serving time for accidently killing a man while he was defending a woman being raped. Gabe comes to Dare Island to see his old marine buddy Luke (previous hero); he hopes to find a job and try to start fresh. This will not be an easy task, as Gabe has had a tough life, and thinks of himself as unworthy.

Jane Clark, our heroine, has built a life in Dare Island, running a successful bakery. Jane has many friends in town, who care about her and her young son, Aidan. Jane’s father is also a police deputy, who lives with her. Everyone knows Jane’s story of a bad marriage, with her ex in jail, soon to be released. Jane has no desire to meet another man; all she cares about is her son and hoping to expand her bakery…. Until she meets Gabe.

Both Gabe and Jane are immediately attracted to each other, but both will try to avoid each other like the plague. Gabe gets a job working for the local contractor, and ends up working on Jane’s bakery. Being there daily, puts stress on both of them, as their attraction keeps building.   I loved everything about Gabe, who despite his rough past, and his feeling of being unworthy, turned out to be such a sweet caring man, who began to fall in love with Jane and Aidan. Jane, despite her misgivings of repeating her past fiasco, couldn’t resist Gabe. Though she knew he was trying to avoid being too close, Jane invited him to stay for dinner one night, as payment for the extra work he was doing on the bakery on his own time. The dessert that Jane served was the temptation that was beyond resisting.:)

What follows is a wonderful story about two people who found themselves again, and despite the road blocks, such as Gabe’s worry of not being good enough for Jane; Jane’s fears of getting hurt again; her father’s terrible treatment of Gabe, and how will young Aidan react; a beautiful sweet romance grew.

Needless to say, I loved Carolina Dreaming, not to mention the town of Dare Island. Virginia Kantra does a wonderful job of bringing two lost people together, making us care strongly for them, as well as for Aidan. The secondary characters were also great.   I suggest if you like a well written sweet romance, in a small town, with wonderful stories and couples, read California Dreaming and the whole Dare Island series.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher