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Dare Island #2
Carolina Girl
Meet the Fletchers of Dare Island
Ambitious Meg, the daughter who never looked back
Steady Matt, the son who stayed
And rebel Luke, the Marine who thought he’d never return
Meg Fletcher spent her childhood dreaming of escaping Dare Island—her family’s home for generations. So after she landed a high-powered job in New York City, she left and never looked back. But when she loses both her job and the support of her long-term, live-in boyfriend, she returns home to lick her wounds and reevaluate her life.
Helping out her parents at the family inn, she can’t avoid the reminders of the past she’d rather forget—especially charming and successful Sam Grady, her brother's best friend. Their one disastrous night of teenage passion should have forever killed their childhood attraction, but Sam seems determined to reignite those long-buried embers. As Meg discovers the man he’s become, she’s tempted to open her vulnerable heart to him. But she has no intention of staying on Dare Island—no matter how seductive Sam’s embrace might be…
Ambitious Meg, the daughter who never looked back
Steady Matt, the son who stayed
And rebel Luke, the Marine who thought he’d never return
Meg Fletcher spent her childhood dreaming of escaping Dare Island—her family’s home for generations. So after she landed a high-powered job in New York City, she left and never looked back. But when she loses both her job and the support of her long-term, live-in boyfriend, she returns home to lick her wounds and reevaluate her life.
Helping out her parents at the family inn, she can’t avoid the reminders of the past she’d rather forget—especially charming and successful Sam Grady, her brother's best friend. Their one disastrous night of teenage passion should have forever killed their childhood attraction, but Sam seems determined to reignite those long-buried embers. As Meg discovers the man he’s become, she’s tempted to open her vulnerable heart to him. But she has no intention of staying on Dare Island—no matter how seductive Sam’s embrace might be…
322 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 4, 2013
40 people are currently reading
1130 people want to read
About the author
Virginia Kantra
48 books1,014 followersNew York Times bestselling author
Virginia Kantra
is the author of thirty books of women's fiction, contemporary romance, paranormal romance, and romantic suspense.
Kindred spirits and Anne of Green Gables fans, look for Anne of a Different Island , coming January 20, 2026.
Her latest release, The Fairytale Life of Dorothy Gale , a contemporary reimagining inspired by Dorothy's adventures in Oz, follows Kansas graduate student Dee Gale as she flees personal heartbreak and public humiliation to enroll in the writing program at Trinity College Dublin (the Emerald Isle!).
Meg and Jo , a contemporary novel inspired by the classic story Little Women, received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Booklist and was a People Magazine pick.
Beth and Amy (May 25, 2021) "continues her delightful 21st-century retelling of Little Women...Kantra’s compulsively readable update will attract a whole new group of readers, as well as satisfy Alcott devotees."—Publishers Weekly
Her stories have earned numerous awards including two Romance Writers of America's RITA (R) Awards, ten RITA nominations, and two National Readers' Choice Awards.
Carolina Dreaming, the fifth book in her Dare Island series , won the 2017 RITA (R) Award for Best Contemporary Romance - Midlength and was named one of BookPage's Top Ten Romance Novels of 2016. Her work includes the popular Children of the Sea series and, in e-book format, The MacNeills stories.
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Kindred spirits and Anne of Green Gables fans, look for Anne of a Different Island , coming January 20, 2026.
Her latest release, The Fairytale Life of Dorothy Gale , a contemporary reimagining inspired by Dorothy's adventures in Oz, follows Kansas graduate student Dee Gale as she flees personal heartbreak and public humiliation to enroll in the writing program at Trinity College Dublin (the Emerald Isle!).
Meg and Jo , a contemporary novel inspired by the classic story Little Women, received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Booklist and was a People Magazine pick.
Beth and Amy (May 25, 2021) "continues her delightful 21st-century retelling of Little Women...Kantra’s compulsively readable update will attract a whole new group of readers, as well as satisfy Alcott devotees."—Publishers Weekly
Her stories have earned numerous awards including two Romance Writers of America's RITA (R) Awards, ten RITA nominations, and two National Readers' Choice Awards.
Carolina Dreaming, the fifth book in her Dare Island series , won the 2017 RITA (R) Award for Best Contemporary Romance - Midlength and was named one of BookPage's Top Ten Romance Novels of 2016. Her work includes the popular Children of the Sea series and, in e-book format, The MacNeills stories.
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I love to connect with readers! Find me on Facebook and Instagram.
And for exclusive content and news of my latest releases,
join my mailing list.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 151 reviews
June 17, 2013
I'm a long time Virginia Kantra fan girl because every time I read one of her books, she reminds me why I read romance. Her voice is lush, yet smart and strong at the same time. As lush as the wonderful Dare Island where her newest series is set, and as smart and strong as her characters. Her families, and the situations they face, are also so realistic, I feel as if I know her characters personally. They're people I continue to think about long after I get to the inevitable, perfect happy ending.
Meg, sister to Matt and Luke Fletcher, spent her life planning to escape Dare Island, where not only does everyone know your name, they know everything about your life. Well, almost everything. In this case, she and Sam Grady, her childhood friend (who's also her brother's best friend), have a secret. A secret night of teenage passion she's been determined to forget. She's also gained everything she dreamed of: a high powered career in NYC, an equally high-powered boyfriend, and a condo in the city even I've fantasized about from time to time.
Then, after her world is rocked when she loses her job due to a company merger, needing time to lick her wounds, regroup, and figure out how to climb her way back, she follows that inevitable yellow brick road back home.
Sam Grady is everything a hero should be. Comfortable in his skin, determined to do the right thing, despite the odds stacked against him, even as he offers Meg comfort and support, a touch of bad boy edge and charm make him a walking testosterone bomb that threatens to blow up not only Meg's carefully constructed life plans but her own view of herself. Their chemistry is apparent from the beginning, and their banter is wonderful. It's obvious they belong together. But, in a Kantra book, choices aren't easy and even as characters grow, they remain true to themselves.
Although Meg comes to realize that her mother wasn't at all the subservient Marine spouse she'd always thought her to be, she also knows that she wouldn't be satisfied with a solely domestic life on Dare Island. Just as Sam knows that as much as he loves Meggie, Dare Island is where he belongs.
As they work their way through these life obstacles, the secondary characters are dealing with their own issues, including a threat that brings the entire family, and Sam, together to battle.
I loved this book for so many reasons and believe it's Kantra's best, ever. That's the good part. The bad part is that I don't know how I'm going to wait until next March for Carolina Man, when Marine Luke Fletcher returns home from war and his complex, absolutely endearing ten year old daughter who was a surprise legacy from a teenage romance.
Meg, sister to Matt and Luke Fletcher, spent her life planning to escape Dare Island, where not only does everyone know your name, they know everything about your life. Well, almost everything. In this case, she and Sam Grady, her childhood friend (who's also her brother's best friend), have a secret. A secret night of teenage passion she's been determined to forget. She's also gained everything she dreamed of: a high powered career in NYC, an equally high-powered boyfriend, and a condo in the city even I've fantasized about from time to time.
Then, after her world is rocked when she loses her job due to a company merger, needing time to lick her wounds, regroup, and figure out how to climb her way back, she follows that inevitable yellow brick road back home.
Sam Grady is everything a hero should be. Comfortable in his skin, determined to do the right thing, despite the odds stacked against him, even as he offers Meg comfort and support, a touch of bad boy edge and charm make him a walking testosterone bomb that threatens to blow up not only Meg's carefully constructed life plans but her own view of herself. Their chemistry is apparent from the beginning, and their banter is wonderful. It's obvious they belong together. But, in a Kantra book, choices aren't easy and even as characters grow, they remain true to themselves.
Although Meg comes to realize that her mother wasn't at all the subservient Marine spouse she'd always thought her to be, she also knows that she wouldn't be satisfied with a solely domestic life on Dare Island. Just as Sam knows that as much as he loves Meggie, Dare Island is where he belongs.
As they work their way through these life obstacles, the secondary characters are dealing with their own issues, including a threat that brings the entire family, and Sam, together to battle.
I loved this book for so many reasons and believe it's Kantra's best, ever. That's the good part. The bad part is that I don't know how I'm going to wait until next March for Carolina Man, when Marine Luke Fletcher returns home from war and his complex, absolutely endearing ten year old daughter who was a surprise legacy from a teenage romance.
October 7, 2025
October 2025 Funny what the passage of time does to you because I loved this book on this re-read. Maybe because I'm older, maybe because I recently started seeing someone that I've known for almost 20 years so I get the Sam and Meg dynamic now, maybe because I am Meg in personality but I just adored this book this time around. Absolutely loved it. And the Fletchers! Ah, what a good family. I think I read this book in almost one sitting. I just breezed through it because I couldn't put it down. 5 stars
March 2014: I did not like this one as much as the last one. For some reason, I didn't like Meg. I didn't like her (sorta) cheating on Derek with Sam (even though I really liked Sam). I didn't understand why she was with Derek for six years when they had more of co-worker relationship than a true romantic relationship. So I spent must of the book not liking her because she seemed off putting but like Sam said, that's just Meggie.
However I did like Sam and seeing the family again and after I finished I was very intrigued to find out what was going to happen to Taylor. Thank goodness I had #3 on hand, I don't think I could have waited.
March 2014: I did not like this one as much as the last one. For some reason, I didn't like Meg. I didn't like her (sorta) cheating on Derek with Sam (even though I really liked Sam). I didn't understand why she was with Derek for six years when they had more of co-worker relationship than a true romantic relationship. So I spent must of the book not liking her because she seemed off putting but like Sam said, that's just Meggie.
However I did like Sam and seeing the family again and after I finished I was very intrigued to find out what was going to happen to Taylor. Thank goodness I had #3 on hand, I don't think I could have waited.
July 22, 2014
3.75 stars rounded up
I always love "second chances" story. So I thought, with Meg and Sam having history between them eighteen years ago (he was her first kiss, first sex partner, first love), the romance was better than the first book. I thought they had chemistry and I surely loved to found way back to love.
I liked Sam, I thought he was indeed charming, but at the same time he knew he made a mistake all those years ago, and Sam was willing to make things right. Having said that, I did experience an upset moment when Sam . Lucky that his words to Meg in way of groveling were quite good *lol*.
I didn't warm out to Meg though, there was something in her attitude and way of thinking that just made her a 'detached' character. Maybe because she was quick to judge other people's decision (Matt marrying Allison after only knowing her for short time, Sam's sister Chelsea marrying in very young age, even her own mother's decision to stay at Dare Island).
Having said that, I didn't really like the principle of "big city is bad vs. small town is good" theme. I like the idea of big city girl who are restless and dreams of living in small town because it means that that kind of heroine does want to live in small down. However, here, I thought Meg did strive in big city, despite her love life going nowhere. She said several time that New York was her home. Yes, she made wrong judgment of her mother's decision but deep down, I felt like Meg actually liked the dynamic of big city and I didn't see anything wrong with that. Big city has its allure too, you know?
So I wasn't exactly happy that the plot seemed to push Meg to go back to the island under bad circumstances and not because she truly wants it. Despite the compromise that she made in the end. Besides, why is it the girl that should make the compromise?!? #justsayin'.
I always love "second chances" story. So I thought, with Meg and Sam having history between them eighteen years ago (he was her first kiss, first sex partner, first love), the romance was better than the first book. I thought they had chemistry and I surely loved to found way back to love.
I liked Sam, I thought he was indeed charming, but at the same time he knew he made a mistake all those years ago, and Sam was willing to make things right. Having said that, I did experience an upset moment when Sam . Lucky that his words to Meg in way of groveling were quite good *lol*.
I didn't warm out to Meg though, there was something in her attitude and way of thinking that just made her a 'detached' character. Maybe because she was quick to judge other people's decision (Matt marrying Allison after only knowing her for short time, Sam's sister Chelsea marrying in very young age, even her own mother's decision to stay at Dare Island).
Having said that, I didn't really like the principle of "big city is bad vs. small town is good" theme. I like the idea of big city girl who are restless and dreams of living in small town because it means that that kind of heroine does want to live in small down. However, here, I thought Meg did strive in big city, despite her love life going nowhere. She said several time that New York was her home. Yes, she made wrong judgment of her mother's decision but deep down, I felt like Meg actually liked the dynamic of big city and I didn't see anything wrong with that. Big city has its allure too, you know?
So I wasn't exactly happy that the plot seemed to push Meg to go back to the island under bad circumstances and not because she truly wants it. Despite the compromise that she made in the end. Besides, why is it the girl that should make the compromise?!? #justsayin'.
November 27, 2013
This is the second book in the series about the daughter Meg, who lives in New York with her boyfriend of six years. Meg puts a lot stock into how her life is planned and will not be like her mother's and then she is fired and when she comes home, she runs into Sam, her high school crush, her first who keeps reminding her at every turn what is missing from her relationship. Meg for me was a tough character to like while I adored Sam because he was just so good to everyone. All in all we see Matt and Allison get engaged, Meg's mom come home after her accident and Meg remembering what matters. I cannot wait for the next book!
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January 7, 20166 January 2016: $1.99 on Kindle
June 20, 2013
Originally posted at Romance Around the Corner
I’m a long-time fan of Ms. Kantra’s books. Last year, the first book in the series, Carolina Home, was one of my favorite books, and I was anxiously waiting to read the next one. I’m happy to say that it was just as good as expected.
This is a pretty standard book with a pretty standard set of tropes.
First we have our heroine, Meg. She grew up in a loving home and had dreams too big for the small island. She was in love with her older brother’s best friend; a guy who broke her heart the day he took her virginity and left. Eighteen years later, she’s incredibly successful, lives in New York and shares her life with a long-time boyfriend who is clearly all wrong for her because 1. He’s never asked her to marry him and 2. He doesn’t console her after she loses her job. So she decides to go back home to put her life in order, figure out what to do and in the meantime help take care of her mother who was recently in an accident.
Then we have Sam, the hero. Unlike Meg, his family was a mess. His mother abandoned him when he was a kid, leaving him with a rich father more concerned with women than with taking care of his son. When Meg’s family moved back to the island, he found the love and warmth he craved, which is why he panicked when he had drunken sex with Meg. But unlike the usual tormented-by-a-loveless-upbringing, poor-little-rich hero, Sam is quite committed to proving himself, doesn’t hold irrational grudges against his father, and is pretty quick to realize that Meg is the one.
The setting is fairly predictable and trite, but as is the case with similar stories, the execution is everything, and the book delivers a romance that may not be particularly refreshing, but it was sweet, entertaining and reminded me of the reason why I love Contemporary Romance.
Meg is an ambitious and career-driven heroine; something we know isn’t usually compatible with the genre. Similar heroines tend to be dissatisfied with their work and welcoming of the magical wang that shows them how their life would be better outside the office and inside the kitchen. This book doesn’t entirely go there, although it had me worried for a second, and instead uses the rare compromise that still leaves the heroine in charge and in love with her job (but away from evil New York and directly into the idyllic small town, because what else?). I won’t lie, though, I would love to see a hero give up or make considerable changes to his career jut to be with the heroine. I’m aware that this is another unfair extreme, but it would be quite something. In the meantime, I’ll have to settle for books like Carolina Girl, in which that option is considered, but only goes as far as becoming a convenient grand gesture.
Sam was an adorable, charming hero. His main attribute was being the one who decided to risk his heart once he realized the extent of his feelings. I also enjoyed reading about a guy who had so many generic traits but managed to make them his own by the force of his personality alone. As with everything else about this book, there was nothing new about him, but it just worked.
This series reminds me of Nora Roberts’ older Contemporaries (the Chesapeake Bay books in particular). There’s even a little kid that has a secondary role throughout each book (fortunately, she’s not one of those cutesy, precocious little kids). If you liked those books, you will feel like Ms. Kantra wrote this series just for you.
There you have it. This is a small-town-ish series (without the annoying townsfolk) that revolves around a tight family that has realistic issues. None of the characters are cartoons defined by a couple of ridiculous traits, and the book is far from one of those mass-produced small-town Contemporaries that completely blend in together. Carolina Girl is a memorable book that pretty much proves that quality over quantity is always best, even if it means having to wait one year to find out how it all ends.
I’m a long-time fan of Ms. Kantra’s books. Last year, the first book in the series, Carolina Home, was one of my favorite books, and I was anxiously waiting to read the next one. I’m happy to say that it was just as good as expected.
This is a pretty standard book with a pretty standard set of tropes.
First we have our heroine, Meg. She grew up in a loving home and had dreams too big for the small island. She was in love with her older brother’s best friend; a guy who broke her heart the day he took her virginity and left. Eighteen years later, she’s incredibly successful, lives in New York and shares her life with a long-time boyfriend who is clearly all wrong for her because 1. He’s never asked her to marry him and 2. He doesn’t console her after she loses her job. So she decides to go back home to put her life in order, figure out what to do and in the meantime help take care of her mother who was recently in an accident.
Then we have Sam, the hero. Unlike Meg, his family was a mess. His mother abandoned him when he was a kid, leaving him with a rich father more concerned with women than with taking care of his son. When Meg’s family moved back to the island, he found the love and warmth he craved, which is why he panicked when he had drunken sex with Meg. But unlike the usual tormented-by-a-loveless-upbringing, poor-little-rich hero, Sam is quite committed to proving himself, doesn’t hold irrational grudges against his father, and is pretty quick to realize that Meg is the one.
The setting is fairly predictable and trite, but as is the case with similar stories, the execution is everything, and the book delivers a romance that may not be particularly refreshing, but it was sweet, entertaining and reminded me of the reason why I love Contemporary Romance.
Meg is an ambitious and career-driven heroine; something we know isn’t usually compatible with the genre. Similar heroines tend to be dissatisfied with their work and welcoming of the magical wang that shows them how their life would be better outside the office and inside the kitchen. This book doesn’t entirely go there, although it had me worried for a second, and instead uses the rare compromise that still leaves the heroine in charge and in love with her job (but away from evil New York and directly into the idyllic small town, because what else?). I won’t lie, though, I would love to see a hero give up or make considerable changes to his career jut to be with the heroine. I’m aware that this is another unfair extreme, but it would be quite something. In the meantime, I’ll have to settle for books like Carolina Girl, in which that option is considered, but only goes as far as becoming a convenient grand gesture.
Sam was an adorable, charming hero. His main attribute was being the one who decided to risk his heart once he realized the extent of his feelings. I also enjoyed reading about a guy who had so many generic traits but managed to make them his own by the force of his personality alone. As with everything else about this book, there was nothing new about him, but it just worked.
This series reminds me of Nora Roberts’ older Contemporaries (the Chesapeake Bay books in particular). There’s even a little kid that has a secondary role throughout each book (fortunately, she’s not one of those cutesy, precocious little kids). If you liked those books, you will feel like Ms. Kantra wrote this series just for you.
There you have it. This is a small-town-ish series (without the annoying townsfolk) that revolves around a tight family that has realistic issues. None of the characters are cartoons defined by a couple of ridiculous traits, and the book is far from one of those mass-produced small-town Contemporaries that completely blend in together. Carolina Girl is a memorable book that pretty much proves that quality over quantity is always best, even if it means having to wait one year to find out how it all ends.
July 30, 2013
Upon finishing Virginia Kantra's Carolina Girl, I realized that Dorothy had it right – sometimes there’s just no place like HOME. Meg Fletcher's “yellow brick road” centers on her rediscovery of just what is important in her life – power, prestige and status with her job/relationship in the Big Apple or the revelation that family, community and the seduction of Dare Island is what she really needs in her life. Combined with all this is Sam Grady, her older brother Matt's best friend and her first love as a teenager. Sam has harbored his desire for Meg over the years and when she returns home to help with her mother’s recovery from a serious accident, he’s determined to show Meg that he’s never seen her as only Matt's little sister but as a woman of strength, character and as the first - and last - love of his life.
I simply adore the way Virginia writes family/community relationships – strong, smart, sassy and very realistic – and this book is a prime example of her talent. Carolina Girl is the second in her Dare Island series and while it’s easily read as a stand-alone, I highly recommend the first book, Carolina Home, as well. Now comes the hard part – waiting for the release of Luke Fletcher's (the youngest brother) story in Carolina Man. As the much-loved beach music song says...Carolina Girl – Best in the World!!!
I simply adore the way Virginia writes family/community relationships – strong, smart, sassy and very realistic – and this book is a prime example of her talent. Carolina Girl is the second in her Dare Island series and while it’s easily read as a stand-alone, I highly recommend the first book, Carolina Home, as well. Now comes the hard part – waiting for the release of Luke Fletcher's (the youngest brother) story in Carolina Man. As the much-loved beach music song says...Carolina Girl – Best in the World!!!
June 3, 2013
Carolina Girl
Where to start... I've been eager to read Virginia Kantra's second Dare Island Novel- Carolina Girl after reading her first of this series, Carolina Home.
Why? Well, if I was delighted with the first story, I can say the author certainly impressed me again with Carolina Girl.
Carolina Girl truly swept me away. This contemporary novel is full of romance, family and small town community support. Sam Grady will charm you with his fun teasing and great character. He had me swooning with his ways, the true dream guy.
I loved the relationship between Sam and Meg, it was fun, romantic and real. Their scenes together gave me that -butterflies in the tummy- feeling . You could tell they had chemistry from the start. Other family drama fit in well with the story, kept me hooked and reading till the end. Not a dull moment while I read. Now I'm eager and will have to patiently wait for the next book to come out!
I highly recommend this one if you enjoy swoon worthy romances and true family bonds. If you like Robyn Carr, Jill Shalvis and Kristan Higgins, you will definitely like Virginia Kantra's A Dare Island Novel series. She's now on my favorite authors list! I give it a 4.5 rating.
I am a free lance reviewer and accepted a review copy of this book in return for my honest review.
Where to start... I've been eager to read Virginia Kantra's second Dare Island Novel- Carolina Girl after reading her first of this series, Carolina Home.
Why? Well, if I was delighted with the first story, I can say the author certainly impressed me again with Carolina Girl.
Carolina Girl truly swept me away. This contemporary novel is full of romance, family and small town community support. Sam Grady will charm you with his fun teasing and great character. He had me swooning with his ways, the true dream guy.
I loved the relationship between Sam and Meg, it was fun, romantic and real. Their scenes together gave me that -butterflies in the tummy- feeling . You could tell they had chemistry from the start. Other family drama fit in well with the story, kept me hooked and reading till the end. Not a dull moment while I read. Now I'm eager and will have to patiently wait for the next book to come out!
I highly recommend this one if you enjoy swoon worthy romances and true family bonds. If you like Robyn Carr, Jill Shalvis and Kristan Higgins, you will definitely like Virginia Kantra's A Dare Island Novel series. She's now on my favorite authors list! I give it a 4.5 rating.
I am a free lance reviewer and accepted a review copy of this book in return for my honest review.
June 17, 2013
So if Virginia Kantra is my Nora Roberts fix, then this book is the equivalent of Inner Harbor.
In other news, I loathe female protagonists written as 'work-committed city girls leading empty lives in *condos* who need a hometown hero and a clapboard house with four bedrooms to realign their priorities.' The whole book is a giant wank about how Meg foolishly seeks happiness in New York City and a high-powered job, which requires writing Meg as an absolute idiot who thinks her boyfriend's signature on the condo docs is a substitute for warmth or commitment. The book does get a 21st century update when Meg refuses to leave her profession entirely for the hero's pleasure, but by that point I was so fed up with the inane characterization I did not really care.
In other news, I loathe female protagonists written as 'work-committed city girls leading empty lives in *condos* who need a hometown hero and a clapboard house with four bedrooms to realign their priorities.' The whole book is a giant wank about how Meg foolishly seeks happiness in New York City and a high-powered job, which requires writing Meg as an absolute idiot who thinks her boyfriend's signature on the condo docs is a substitute for warmth or commitment. The book does get a 21st century update when Meg refuses to leave her profession entirely for the hero's pleasure, but by that point I was so fed up with the inane characterization I did not really care.
March 1, 2014
I have a soft spot for stories about people who reunite after years apart and this is a good one. I really liked both Meg and Sam as characters too. I identified with Meg's need to achieve and be independent, and while I found her attitude about her boyfriend sometimes frustrating, it was completely understandable. I like how Sam is a man unafraid to face past mistakes. I also loved how clear it was that is charming confidence did not mean he didn't have massive insecurities to deal with. He's an interesting parallel to Meg's nephew, Josh (son of Matt from first book), and I enjoyed how that was touched on a bit. I like how the stories of all the Fletcher family continued to be important. The conflict between Meg and Sam in the end was one that worked well in the context of there story and had a quick enough turn around and a compromise from both parties involved that it made me ridiculously happy. I preferred this one slightly to the first book, mostly because of how much I really liked Meg and Sam. As in Carolina Home, this is so much more than a romance. The Fletcher family is an intricate part of this story as well and I love seeing this family interact. Sam's family also plays a big part in his life and those scenes were excellent as well.
(I'm still far more interested in Josh and Thalia than is probably normal for an adult reader. I can't help it. I love YA and I work with high schoolers and now I'm FASCINATED by the idea of a YA novel set in the Outerbanks, that's not a summer vacation story, but about the kids actually growing up there. Set in winter so we just avoid the whole summer tourist dynamic. Someone please make this happen.)
Very much looking forward to reading Carolina Man which comes out Tuesday! I usually save my adult fiction reading for Friday nights, but I may be tempted to squeeze this one in on release day if my review schedule allows for it. This may be a case where I decide to say forget the stupid schedule.
(I'm still far more interested in Josh and Thalia than is probably normal for an adult reader. I can't help it. I love YA and I work with high schoolers and now I'm FASCINATED by the idea of a YA novel set in the Outerbanks, that's not a summer vacation story, but about the kids actually growing up there. Set in winter so we just avoid the whole summer tourist dynamic. Someone please make this happen.)
Very much looking forward to reading Carolina Man which comes out Tuesday! I usually save my adult fiction reading for Friday nights, but I may be tempted to squeeze this one in on release day if my review schedule allows for it. This may be a case where I decide to say forget the stupid schedule.
February 1, 2014
2 ½ stars. I wasn’t smiling but it kept my interest.
I did not enjoy Meg. I did not enjoy being in her head with her doubts and concerns. She’s irritated at everything. She always wants to get away, to leave. She’s rude.
I did not get to see a relationship develop. They’ve been apart for 18 years. She comes to town and Sam is always there, as if he’s always been in love with her and waiting for her to come back. It was too automatic. I don’t know why he liked her or how he grew to love her. She treated him bad. I did not like the way Meg held a grudge for 18 years. She had a crush on him in high school. One night he was drunk and she seduced him. After that he did not call. She acts like he committed a major crime. It’s not a crime if a guy is not into her. That wasn’t the case. He had different reasons but nothing worth a grudge. I was irritated that Meg kept her anger/grudge going so long - a mountain out of a molehill.
There were two sex scenes. They were short, not much detail, if that matters. The first sex scene happens in a hotel. Afterwards Meg says we have to leave. She didn’t have to leave, but this was the way she acted throughout the story. Apparently she enjoyed it but she stopped it. The reader doesn’t get to enjoy love and pleasure now that they’re together because Meg won’t. It was the story’s emotional vacancy.
The best part was Meg’s wonderful loving family. Family things were more interesting than the Sam-Meg relationship.
AUDIOBOOK NARRATOR:
The narrator Sophie Eastlake was good for women and general narration, but not men. I did not like her weird male voices.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Unabridged audiobook length: 8 hrs and 31 mins. Swearing language: mild, other than s*** was used once - I think. Sexual language: none to mild. Number of sex scenes: two. Setting: current day Dare Island off North Carolina, and New York City. Book copyright: 2013. Genre: contemporary romance.
I did not enjoy Meg. I did not enjoy being in her head with her doubts and concerns. She’s irritated at everything. She always wants to get away, to leave. She’s rude.
I did not get to see a relationship develop. They’ve been apart for 18 years. She comes to town and Sam is always there, as if he’s always been in love with her and waiting for her to come back. It was too automatic. I don’t know why he liked her or how he grew to love her. She treated him bad. I did not like the way Meg held a grudge for 18 years. She had a crush on him in high school. One night he was drunk and she seduced him. After that he did not call. She acts like he committed a major crime. It’s not a crime if a guy is not into her. That wasn’t the case. He had different reasons but nothing worth a grudge. I was irritated that Meg kept her anger/grudge going so long - a mountain out of a molehill.
There were two sex scenes. They were short, not much detail, if that matters. The first sex scene happens in a hotel. Afterwards Meg says we have to leave. She didn’t have to leave, but this was the way she acted throughout the story. Apparently she enjoyed it but she stopped it. The reader doesn’t get to enjoy love and pleasure now that they’re together because Meg won’t. It was the story’s emotional vacancy.
The best part was Meg’s wonderful loving family. Family things were more interesting than the Sam-Meg relationship.
AUDIOBOOK NARRATOR:
The narrator Sophie Eastlake was good for women and general narration, but not men. I did not like her weird male voices.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Unabridged audiobook length: 8 hrs and 31 mins. Swearing language: mild, other than s*** was used once - I think. Sexual language: none to mild. Number of sex scenes: two. Setting: current day Dare Island off North Carolina, and New York City. Book copyright: 2013. Genre: contemporary romance.
August 19, 2014
Maaaaaybe 3.5/5? More than 3 but definitely not 4. I liked Meg and I liked Sam, but I wasn't as into their relationship. Sam pushed a little too hard for me, I think. It made me slightly uncomfortable.
Otherwise, I did enjoy this. I love the family stuff and I appreciated how the city/small town stuff was handled (the resolution was fast and predictable but it was still far preferable to how these things usually go).
Otherwise, I did enjoy this. I love the family stuff and I appreciated how the city/small town stuff was handled (the resolution was fast and predictable but it was still far preferable to how these things usually go).
March 16, 2016
Kantra writes wonderful romance!
October 12, 2020
This is a good, solid small-town contemporary romance with wonderful characters!
June 27, 2013
Previously reviewed here: http://smexybooks.com/2013/06/review-...
Meg Fletcher grew up on Dare Island and spent her youth doing everything she could to make sure she ended up anywhere else. And she succeeded. She lives in New York, has a great, high paying job, owns a condo with her boyfriend of six years, and is living life exactly how she planned…far away from Dare Island. But when she arrives at work one morning to learn that she’s been “let go” her world is turned upside down. When she find out that her boyfriend knew about the reorganization and didn’t fight for her position, she is furious. With few options, she finds herself on a plane, back home to Dare Island.
Sam Grady grew up on Dare Island as well. The son of a highly successful real estate mogul, Sam didn’t want for much-except perhaps the attention of his father. By the time he was a teenager, his dad had been married several times and was so into his work, Sam was left to fend for himself. When the Fletcher’s moved to Dare Island, Sam became friends with Meg’s older brother Matt and spent so much time with the Fletcher’s that he became an honorary member of the family. As they grew up, Sam was very aware of Meg, but their one night of teenaged fumbling, pushed them apart.
Now, Sam and Meg are back on Dare Island and no matter how much time has passed, Sam is determined to make right what happened so many years ago.
Carolina Girl picks up where Carolina Home ended. The Fletcher’s are still recovering from the accident that put Meg’s mom in the hospital. She’d come home to help out at the inn, but headed back to New York once things settled down. Unbeknownst to her, the company she’d been working for had done some reorganizing and on the day she returns to work, she finds out she doesn’t have a job anymore. After working so hard to get away from Dare Island, she realizes she has no choice but to head home until she can figure out what to do next.
What Meg didn’t count on, was Sam Grady. He’s also back on the island helping out his dad who is recovering from a stroke. Sam and Meg have some history that includes one night together, in their teens, after which Sam ignored Meg and neither brought up the incident again. But Meg’s always had a thing for Sam and Sam has never forgotten Meg. Even after all these years, he still feels guilty for what happened and is determined to make it right.
This second chance love story hit all the right buttons for me. Sam is successful and sexy and I couldn’t wait for him to soften up and crack that shell that Meg had around her. I didn’t like Meg at first-I didn’t really understand why she hated life on the island so much. Her childhood sounded idyllic once they settled on Dare Island. Yes, she did have to help out a lot with the family owned inn and I can certainly see her wanting to get away from it all while in her teens. But for me, the sense of family came through more strongly, and it seemed Meg forgot that part of it all and chose to distance herself completely from not only the inn, but her family. Everything she’d done up until her getting fired had kept her away not only from the island, but from people who loved and cared about her. Though she claims to be happy, she starts to question what she really wants once she’s home.
Sam has never forgotten his one night with Meg or forgiven himself for how he handled the “morning after”. Now that he has Meg close, he wants to make it right. I loved how Sam went about wooing Meg. He took it slow, and made the most of the moments he was given. He knew that Derek was not the right man for Meg and though he set his sights on doing everything he could, he was patient and didn’t push…too much.
The author really took her time before putting these two together and it was really starting to get on my nerves until I realized that perhaps she didn’t want to make Meg a cheater. Yes, there are a few stolen kisses, but this couple doesn’t truly get physical until Meg has ended her relationship with Derek. But once she does, she does not hold back.
There is a lot of reflection in this story-Meg with her mother and Sam with his father. So many misunderstanding that could have been cleared up years before with simple honesty, but no one was willing to make the first move. Though there is focus on the romance and building the relationship between Sam and Meg, there is also some much needed healing in the relationship between Sam and his father.
This is what I call a ‘feel good’ romance. I love the setting, I love that it has a family at its center but nothing came too easy for the couple and they had real things to deal with in order to be together in the end. I’m very much looking forward to what the author plans to do in book three which will be Luke’s book. He’s off in Afghanistan and has left his young daughter in the care of his parents. We don’t know too much about him but I have a feeling his story may be the more emotional of the three.
Meg Fletcher grew up on Dare Island and spent her youth doing everything she could to make sure she ended up anywhere else. And she succeeded. She lives in New York, has a great, high paying job, owns a condo with her boyfriend of six years, and is living life exactly how she planned…far away from Dare Island. But when she arrives at work one morning to learn that she’s been “let go” her world is turned upside down. When she find out that her boyfriend knew about the reorganization and didn’t fight for her position, she is furious. With few options, she finds herself on a plane, back home to Dare Island.
Sam Grady grew up on Dare Island as well. The son of a highly successful real estate mogul, Sam didn’t want for much-except perhaps the attention of his father. By the time he was a teenager, his dad had been married several times and was so into his work, Sam was left to fend for himself. When the Fletcher’s moved to Dare Island, Sam became friends with Meg’s older brother Matt and spent so much time with the Fletcher’s that he became an honorary member of the family. As they grew up, Sam was very aware of Meg, but their one night of teenaged fumbling, pushed them apart.
Now, Sam and Meg are back on Dare Island and no matter how much time has passed, Sam is determined to make right what happened so many years ago.
Carolina Girl picks up where Carolina Home ended. The Fletcher’s are still recovering from the accident that put Meg’s mom in the hospital. She’d come home to help out at the inn, but headed back to New York once things settled down. Unbeknownst to her, the company she’d been working for had done some reorganizing and on the day she returns to work, she finds out she doesn’t have a job anymore. After working so hard to get away from Dare Island, she realizes she has no choice but to head home until she can figure out what to do next.
What Meg didn’t count on, was Sam Grady. He’s also back on the island helping out his dad who is recovering from a stroke. Sam and Meg have some history that includes one night together, in their teens, after which Sam ignored Meg and neither brought up the incident again. But Meg’s always had a thing for Sam and Sam has never forgotten Meg. Even after all these years, he still feels guilty for what happened and is determined to make it right.
This second chance love story hit all the right buttons for me. Sam is successful and sexy and I couldn’t wait for him to soften up and crack that shell that Meg had around her. I didn’t like Meg at first-I didn’t really understand why she hated life on the island so much. Her childhood sounded idyllic once they settled on Dare Island. Yes, she did have to help out a lot with the family owned inn and I can certainly see her wanting to get away from it all while in her teens. But for me, the sense of family came through more strongly, and it seemed Meg forgot that part of it all and chose to distance herself completely from not only the inn, but her family. Everything she’d done up until her getting fired had kept her away not only from the island, but from people who loved and cared about her. Though she claims to be happy, she starts to question what she really wants once she’s home.
Sam has never forgotten his one night with Meg or forgiven himself for how he handled the “morning after”. Now that he has Meg close, he wants to make it right. I loved how Sam went about wooing Meg. He took it slow, and made the most of the moments he was given. He knew that Derek was not the right man for Meg and though he set his sights on doing everything he could, he was patient and didn’t push…too much.
The author really took her time before putting these two together and it was really starting to get on my nerves until I realized that perhaps she didn’t want to make Meg a cheater. Yes, there are a few stolen kisses, but this couple doesn’t truly get physical until Meg has ended her relationship with Derek. But once she does, she does not hold back.
There is a lot of reflection in this story-Meg with her mother and Sam with his father. So many misunderstanding that could have been cleared up years before with simple honesty, but no one was willing to make the first move. Though there is focus on the romance and building the relationship between Sam and Meg, there is also some much needed healing in the relationship between Sam and his father.
This is what I call a ‘feel good’ romance. I love the setting, I love that it has a family at its center but nothing came too easy for the couple and they had real things to deal with in order to be together in the end. I’m very much looking forward to what the author plans to do in book three which will be Luke’s book. He’s off in Afghanistan and has left his young daughter in the care of his parents. We don’t know too much about him but I have a feeling his story may be the more emotional of the three.
May 15, 2015
Meg Fletcher is a complicated woman. She is strong, driven and refuses to settle back home. She doesn’t want to be like her mother, following a man around and giving up her dreams. However, her mother’s car accident has her back on Dare Island to help run the inn and take care of her new niece, Taylor. And to lick her wounds after being fired and her live-in boyfriend thinking they need time apart to “reevaluate” their relationship. We all know what that means.
Meg also dreads coming back to Dare Island for another reason, Sam Grady. Sam is the best friend of her brother Matt and was also her first lover. The drunken coupling twenty years ago and the embarrassment of Sam ignoring her afterwards still stings to this day. So she’s definitely all for avoiding him, until he shows up at the airport to pick her up instead of Matt. He’s still gorgeous, but she’s not going to fall for his easy smile and sweet talkin’ swagger again. Or at least she hopes not.
Sam is happy Meg is back in town. He knows he was a jerk all those years ago and he wants to make it up to Meg and start over. Sam knows his time is limited to win Meg’s forgiveness so he pours on the charm and ends up entangling himself in emotions and feelings both new and frightening. Can Meg and Sam truly make a go of things or will their different dreams for the future lead them in opposite directions destroying the already fragile relationship?
Meg, Meg, Meg. I think this girl is a little too strong-willed. I understand wanting a career, money and being successful, but not at the expense of love. All that other stuff will come and go several times in a lifetime, but real love is precious and hard to find. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wanted to shake her while reading this book.
I was surprised with Sam. He really grew up and wanted to prove that to Meg, his father and himself. Sam had a tough childhood with his father putting most of his time into his business and not into his son. We get to see Sam be the bigger man and start rebuilding the relationship with his father and step-mother.
We also get to see the progress of the custody battle between the Fletcher family and the Simpson family over Taylor. In the previous book we found out that Luke, the youngest Fletcher and active duty Marine, came home to Dare Island with a daughter he never knew about, Taylor. Taylor’s mother had just died and in her will the she stipulated that she wanted Luke to raise Taylor and not her parents, the Simpsons. Taylor has a lot of problems stemming from her mother’s death and Luke’s deployment. I’ve got a feeling this situation is going to get uglier and we’re going to see some major skeletons come out of the closet.
Meg and Sam were tough puzzle pieces to fit together; both driven by careers and success, Sam not so much. I really thought they complimented each other well. And I’m so glad that Meg got rid of her cheating ex-boyfriend. I hope something very medieval happens to him.
What I also love about this series is watching the love story between Tom and Tess; Matt, Meg and Luke’s parents. After 38 years of marriage the two are still hot for each other. Fictional or not, having a love strong enough to survive the tests of time and still continue to thrive is a beautiful thing. I love reading about the characters of Dare Island and I can’t wait to get started on Luke’s book.
Meg also dreads coming back to Dare Island for another reason, Sam Grady. Sam is the best friend of her brother Matt and was also her first lover. The drunken coupling twenty years ago and the embarrassment of Sam ignoring her afterwards still stings to this day. So she’s definitely all for avoiding him, until he shows up at the airport to pick her up instead of Matt. He’s still gorgeous, but she’s not going to fall for his easy smile and sweet talkin’ swagger again. Or at least she hopes not.
Sam is happy Meg is back in town. He knows he was a jerk all those years ago and he wants to make it up to Meg and start over. Sam knows his time is limited to win Meg’s forgiveness so he pours on the charm and ends up entangling himself in emotions and feelings both new and frightening. Can Meg and Sam truly make a go of things or will their different dreams for the future lead them in opposite directions destroying the already fragile relationship?
Meg, Meg, Meg. I think this girl is a little too strong-willed. I understand wanting a career, money and being successful, but not at the expense of love. All that other stuff will come and go several times in a lifetime, but real love is precious and hard to find. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wanted to shake her while reading this book.
I was surprised with Sam. He really grew up and wanted to prove that to Meg, his father and himself. Sam had a tough childhood with his father putting most of his time into his business and not into his son. We get to see Sam be the bigger man and start rebuilding the relationship with his father and step-mother.
We also get to see the progress of the custody battle between the Fletcher family and the Simpson family over Taylor. In the previous book we found out that Luke, the youngest Fletcher and active duty Marine, came home to Dare Island with a daughter he never knew about, Taylor. Taylor’s mother had just died and in her will the she stipulated that she wanted Luke to raise Taylor and not her parents, the Simpsons. Taylor has a lot of problems stemming from her mother’s death and Luke’s deployment. I’ve got a feeling this situation is going to get uglier and we’re going to see some major skeletons come out of the closet.
Meg and Sam were tough puzzle pieces to fit together; both driven by careers and success, Sam not so much. I really thought they complimented each other well. And I’m so glad that Meg got rid of her cheating ex-boyfriend. I hope something very medieval happens to him.
What I also love about this series is watching the love story between Tom and Tess; Matt, Meg and Luke’s parents. After 38 years of marriage the two are still hot for each other. Fictional or not, having a love strong enough to survive the tests of time and still continue to thrive is a beautiful thing. I love reading about the characters of Dare Island and I can’t wait to get started on Luke’s book.
March 12, 2014
Full disclosure: the summary of this book left me unsure whether or not I should even give it a chance.
I'm pretty over small town contemporaries and I am especially over small town contemporaries where people return to them from the city and the city is demonized. I live in a city. I like cities. I'm sick of seeing them disparaged.
But Laura Florand wouldn't stop talking about this series and then it got nominated for DABWAHA and my library had it, so I decided what the hell. And I'm glad that I read it, if still a little frustrated by the ultimate resolution of city/country plot.
To start, I really liked the characters and the small town and the family relationships the book explores. I loved the relationship that Meg and Sam rebuilt. There really wasn't any city shaming, just ex-boyfriend loathing, and that part made me happy. And the conflict between Meg's life in New York and Sam's life on Dare Island was real and I got it. I hated the fight where Sam told her she had to choose, but he was prepared to grovel and find a workable solution after the fact and the book gets points for that. It also gets points for not having Meg give up her career, but rather refocus it so she can stay on the island and just go back to New York for business trips because she's good at her job and doesn't want to lose. And I get that Sam's career wasn't especially movable. It is not the fault of this book that so many other contemporaries have women giving up their city lives for small town boys.
But just once, when there's a city/country divide, I want the dude to be the one who has to refocus his career for the heroine. Just once, I would like that to happen.
All that said, I really enjoyed this and am definitely going to read more in the series.
I'm pretty over small town contemporaries and I am especially over small town contemporaries where people return to them from the city and the city is demonized. I live in a city. I like cities. I'm sick of seeing them disparaged.
But Laura Florand wouldn't stop talking about this series and then it got nominated for DABWAHA and my library had it, so I decided what the hell. And I'm glad that I read it, if still a little frustrated by the ultimate resolution of city/country plot.
To start, I really liked the characters and the small town and the family relationships the book explores. I loved the relationship that Meg and Sam rebuilt. There really wasn't any city shaming, just ex-boyfriend loathing, and that part made me happy. And the conflict between Meg's life in New York and Sam's life on Dare Island was real and I got it. I hated the fight where Sam told her she had to choose, but he was prepared to grovel and find a workable solution after the fact and the book gets points for that. It also gets points for not having Meg give up her career, but rather refocus it so she can stay on the island and just go back to New York for business trips because she's good at her job and doesn't want to lose. And I get that Sam's career wasn't especially movable. It is not the fault of this book that so many other contemporaries have women giving up their city lives for small town boys.
But just once, when there's a city/country divide, I want the dude to be the one who has to refocus his career for the heroine. Just once, I would like that to happen.
All that said, I really enjoyed this and am definitely going to read more in the series.
May 20, 2013
I was lucky enough to receive an Advance Reader Copy of this novel. While this book is wonderful as a stand-alone, it's the second in Dare Island Series. (The first being CAROLINA HOME. If you haven't it, I highly recommend it too!)
This love story, like the first, brings the reader onto Dare Island in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Once again, we are welcomed into Pirates' Rest, the B&B owned and operated by the Fletcher family. It picks up just a few weeks after where CAROLINA HOME leaves off.
This time, the heroine of the story is Meg and the hero is Sam. Their long time history makes for instant sexual tension as these two are reunited when Meg returns to Dare Island after she's fired from her job in New York.
Sam is sexy, smart and a wonderful mix of confident and insecure (where Meg's concerned). He's a man's man, strong and quick but charming enough to remember to bring flowers to all the women in his life, just because.
Meg is sharp and determined. Searching to re-establish herself. She's spent her life proving to she can do more. When Sam comes back into her life, she begins to question if the more she can do is the more she wants.
If you're looking for an outstanding novel, I recommend Virginia Kantra's CAROLINA GIRL. But I'll warn you, it'll probably leave you as it left me, eager to read the next novel, CAROLINA MAN.
This love story, like the first, brings the reader onto Dare Island in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Once again, we are welcomed into Pirates' Rest, the B&B owned and operated by the Fletcher family. It picks up just a few weeks after where CAROLINA HOME leaves off.
This time, the heroine of the story is Meg and the hero is Sam. Their long time history makes for instant sexual tension as these two are reunited when Meg returns to Dare Island after she's fired from her job in New York.
Sam is sexy, smart and a wonderful mix of confident and insecure (where Meg's concerned). He's a man's man, strong and quick but charming enough to remember to bring flowers to all the women in his life, just because.
Meg is sharp and determined. Searching to re-establish herself. She's spent her life proving to she can do more. When Sam comes back into her life, she begins to question if the more she can do is the more she wants.
If you're looking for an outstanding novel, I recommend Virginia Kantra's CAROLINA GIRL. But I'll warn you, it'll probably leave you as it left me, eager to read the next novel, CAROLINA MAN.
June 21, 2013
Nice enough story, but two major gripes kept me from enjoying it.
First and foremost, Meg is supposed to be this confident intelligent go-getter, but she comes across throughout the book as a wishy washy dishrag. I've no idea why Sam liked her. And the whole "empty life in a condo in New York" story just left me wanting to cry. People can't have fulfilling lives in the big city?
Far more importantly, though, and the thing that kept me skimming through the pages: if this family really is so great and wonderful and "back to back to back" why hasn't someone gone to find Taylor's Snowball yet??? That kid is the star of the books so far and they just keep ignoring the obvious abuse signs and haven't gone to get her cat for her - and this is book two!
First and foremost, Meg is supposed to be this confident intelligent go-getter, but she comes across throughout the book as a wishy washy dishrag. I've no idea why Sam liked her. And the whole "empty life in a condo in New York" story just left me wanting to cry. People can't have fulfilling lives in the big city?
Far more importantly, though, and the thing that kept me skimming through the pages: if this family really is so great and wonderful and "back to back to back" why hasn't someone gone to find Taylor's Snowball yet??? That kid is the star of the books so far and they just keep ignoring the obvious abuse signs and haven't gone to get her cat for her - and this is book two!
June 7, 2013
June release
4.5 stars
This book really hit the small-town romance sweet spot for me. Completely enjoyable. I'd read the first book but I think this could work as a stand alone. I liked Meg and Sam, both separately and together. One trope she doesn't follow is having the boy who was left behind be the dirt-poor local boy who has finally made something of himself. Instead Sam is a Duke grad and the only son of a wealthy, though emotionally distant, developer. Watching the father-son relationship develop is interesting too. The ongoing story of brother Luke's newly discovered daughter is given just the right amount of space. The third book in the series is sure to be an emotional one. Can't wait!
4.5 stars
This book really hit the small-town romance sweet spot for me. Completely enjoyable. I'd read the first book but I think this could work as a stand alone. I liked Meg and Sam, both separately and together. One trope she doesn't follow is having the boy who was left behind be the dirt-poor local boy who has finally made something of himself. Instead Sam is a Duke grad and the only son of a wealthy, though emotionally distant, developer. Watching the father-son relationship develop is interesting too. The ongoing story of brother Luke's newly discovered daughter is given just the right amount of space. The third book in the series is sure to be an emotional one. Can't wait!
June 28, 2013
Really love this series. Virginia Kantra just has a way of portraying this family and their world that is so vivid and true. I love seeing the family relationships evolve, as well as the love story in each book. Can't wait for Luke's book!
June 6, 2013
Fabulous, fabulous, FABULOUS! Only problem - we have to wait an entire year for Carolina Man.
June 26, 2022
This book is essentially a written Hallmark movie, and has both the benefits - cozy small-town romance - and the bad points of these movies. Our heroine works a job in New York which the author only vaguely understands (high-level corporate marketing/PR is not, in fact, the same thing as grant-writing), has a cartoonishly evil boyfriend (who conveniently reveals heretofore unsuspected levels of evil once the heroine, who has been conducting a relationship with her brother's best friend but hasn't actually slept with the guy, comes briefly home, thereby clearing the way for her to consummate her relationship), and doesn't seem to have any real attachment to or understanding of the benefits of New York despite living there for more than ten years. The city (with associated boyfriend and job market) exists as a bugbear, a negative comparison to the heroine's close-knit small island hometown; things like salary, access to museums, public transportation, etc., are never mentioned. When the heroine loses her (vice-president!) job she just starts randomly sending out resumes and getting depressed when no one answers them. Basically, the author doesn't understand why anyone would live in New York or how the heroine's work life would exist, so it seems entirely logical to her - and is presented as entirely logical here - that the heroine could gain equal satisfaction from living with her parents, baking cookies, and attempting to care for her recently-discovered, recently-bereaved ten-year-old niece (whose military father claimed her upon her mother's death, parked her with his parents - whom she'd also never met - and then left on deployment, but for some reason we're supposed to be rooting for him to retain custody?) as she could in, you know, having an actual career.
The romance itself was boring and, as noted above, conducted mostly while the heroine was in a relationship with the Evil New York Boyfriend. The author tries to get around that by making the boyfriend Evil, but considering that the hero was actively courting the heroine and the heroine was actively reciprocating before it was fully revealed that the boyfriend was Evil, it's kind of gross. (Also, to add to the list of things the author doesn't understand: New York real estate.) Over all, as in small-town Hallmark movies, the basic message is that careers, city life, and city people are all bad for our heroine and she should return to her idyllic hometown for true happiness. Kantra sketches out small-town life well, but I didn't find either hero or heroine of this one particularly engaging.
The romance itself was boring and, as noted above, conducted mostly while the heroine was in a relationship with the Evil New York Boyfriend. The author tries to get around that by making the boyfriend Evil, but considering that the hero was actively courting the heroine and the heroine was actively reciprocating before it was fully revealed that the boyfriend was Evil, it's kind of gross. (Also, to add to the list of things the author doesn't understand: New York real estate.) Over all, as in small-town Hallmark movies, the basic message is that careers, city life, and city people are all bad for our heroine and she should return to her idyllic hometown for true happiness. Kantra sketches out small-town life well, but I didn't find either hero or heroine of this one particularly engaging.
November 4, 2014
I won four of the Dare Island books by Virginia Kantra in a Dear Author giveaway.
Carolina Girl is the second in the Dare Island books I have read. I read the first one, Carolina Home, about six months ago. I planned to pick up the others in the series, and then other books in the TBR pile got in the way. But I was very excited when I won the rest to continue the journey.
These books, so far, can be read as standalones. They have allusions and references to previous happenings, but nothing is so complex as to require an annoying info dump.
Meg Fletcher and Sam Grady have known each other for over 25 years. Sam is the best friend of Meg’s older brother. As often happens, Meg had a mad crush on Sam at the age of eight (and a bit more when she was older), but life evolves and they go their separate ways, as is the wont in romance novels.
But circumstances conspire for them to be on (guess where) Dare Island again. The reasons for neither are all positive. Sam is helping with an ailing parent, as is Meg. But Meg has other reasons for being there, a lost job and a relationship with a long-term, live-in boyfriend gone awry, she thinks.
Anyway, our couple meet up again. Sparks fly. Sparks are acknowledged, again, the fare you would expect in a romance novel. But yet it is not. Ms. Kantra has a way with words, a way with situations that makes you want to just bite your lower lip with joy (or am I the only one that does that?). The humor, the evocation of place and attitude, well, she can do it and she can do it well.
I can give many examples of this, but I think one encapsulates her style perfectly. This is a scene when Meg has returned “home” to New York.
“She was back, baby.
“She was back. The smell of sweat, cement, sewers, and dying leaves rose from the gritty sidewalk. Energy swirled from the street. Meg pressed forward against the blinking light, part of a stream of swarming schoolchildren, office workers rushing home, joggers and pedestrians racing to get in their daily allotment of exercise. She’d always enjoyed the walk home along the railings of Central Park, the elegant architecture on one side of the street, the bright pushcarts and horse-drawn carriages on the other. The city was noisier, dirtier, more frenzied than she remembered, even in the shadow of the fading trees. Taxis blared. Busses billowed exhaust. Snatches of conversation permeated the air.
“’ …had a urinary tract infection…’
“’Your face is ridiculous.’
“’…hammer out a restructuring plan.’
“’So I told her…’
“’Don’t lick your brother.’”
I wanted to wallow in that passage. It transported me back to my trips to NYC. I love not living in NYC. I have never wanted to live in NYC. But I love to visit in NYC. And this is how I feel when I go there. It is an assault of the senses. You can’t absorb it at once. You have to layer your awareness until it becomes a single entity. This passage brought that all back to me.
Ms. Kantra’s writing is like that throughout the book. You have a layering, a layering of the physical, a layering of the emotional. This book has a lot going on. There are many stories and subplots going on. You know (okay, I know since I am now in possession of four books from this series) that there will be sequels. But the sequel baiting is not glaring or oppressive. Deus ex machine sequelae, anyone? Okay. I totally made that up. But we have been victim to it. Whether it is a cute British boy in a school uniform or an LAPD homicide cop, we all love a series and hunger for the next chapter. But it is not overbearing here. Pleasant glimpses into what might be.
So basically, I love the writing. The characters are people you want to hang out with. You get a sense of family and a sense of place. You want to visit Dare Island and ride a wobbly bike from one end to the other. It is easier to pick up the books than to pack your bags and find a plane to take you there.
But here are my negatives. And this is all “just me.” I value loyalty and fidelity. I don’t usually read books when I know there is going to be a breaking of a fidelity by either hero or heroine. So I am a bit conflicted by this. Meg is involved in a six-year relationship with a live-in boyfriend. No, they are not engaged. They split everything half and half, from the mortgage to the sexual favors. The boyfriend is alluded to in the first book and he is set up as, well, not worthy of even boyfriend status let alone anything of a higher nature. But the fact remains, they are in a committed relationship, or at least Meg views it as a committed relationship evidenced by the joint ownership of pricy NYC real estate.
So we get it. But the fact remains they are still living together when Meg goes to the island for her many valid reasons. They are still together when Sam and Meg kiss. They are still together when Sam and Meg talk in deeply meaningful ways on levels that “just friends” don’t go. This is not forgotten by either of them. They mention it or think of it often. But the fact remains, their passion is just too great and those details are moot in the action. I really don’t like that. I wish that part had been dealt with earlier. But it wasn’t and the book is great so I guess I should let it go. But I know I am not the only one who doesn’t appreciate the breaking of a trust like that. Yes, you will read the story and go, “Well, he deserves it.” No doubt he does. But that is after-the-fact information.
Another issue I have is it is a bit rushed at the end. The actual occurrence of Meg and Sam meeting up again and connecting from what I can tell happens over about a two-month period. That’s fine. They have known each other 25 years. But still Meg deals with family turmoil, loses her job, deals with SO issues, deals with ghosts of her past, changes her whole view of who she is vis-à-vis her career, and on and on (no spoilers here) but in two months she uproots everything and all for the love of a good man. Done and done. But given the constraints and customs of the genre (one I love, not denigrating it at all), it “makes sense,” I guess.
I am looking forward to the next two in the Dare Island series. My negatives above in no way keep me from wanting more more more.
Carolina Girl is the second in the Dare Island books I have read. I read the first one, Carolina Home, about six months ago. I planned to pick up the others in the series, and then other books in the TBR pile got in the way. But I was very excited when I won the rest to continue the journey.
These books, so far, can be read as standalones. They have allusions and references to previous happenings, but nothing is so complex as to require an annoying info dump.
Meg Fletcher and Sam Grady have known each other for over 25 years. Sam is the best friend of Meg’s older brother. As often happens, Meg had a mad crush on Sam at the age of eight (and a bit more when she was older), but life evolves and they go their separate ways, as is the wont in romance novels.
But circumstances conspire for them to be on (guess where) Dare Island again. The reasons for neither are all positive. Sam is helping with an ailing parent, as is Meg. But Meg has other reasons for being there, a lost job and a relationship with a long-term, live-in boyfriend gone awry, she thinks.
Anyway, our couple meet up again. Sparks fly. Sparks are acknowledged, again, the fare you would expect in a romance novel. But yet it is not. Ms. Kantra has a way with words, a way with situations that makes you want to just bite your lower lip with joy (or am I the only one that does that?). The humor, the evocation of place and attitude, well, she can do it and she can do it well.
I can give many examples of this, but I think one encapsulates her style perfectly. This is a scene when Meg has returned “home” to New York.
“She was back, baby.
“She was back. The smell of sweat, cement, sewers, and dying leaves rose from the gritty sidewalk. Energy swirled from the street. Meg pressed forward against the blinking light, part of a stream of swarming schoolchildren, office workers rushing home, joggers and pedestrians racing to get in their daily allotment of exercise. She’d always enjoyed the walk home along the railings of Central Park, the elegant architecture on one side of the street, the bright pushcarts and horse-drawn carriages on the other. The city was noisier, dirtier, more frenzied than she remembered, even in the shadow of the fading trees. Taxis blared. Busses billowed exhaust. Snatches of conversation permeated the air.
“’ …had a urinary tract infection…’
“’Your face is ridiculous.’
“’…hammer out a restructuring plan.’
“’So I told her…’
“’Don’t lick your brother.’”
I wanted to wallow in that passage. It transported me back to my trips to NYC. I love not living in NYC. I have never wanted to live in NYC. But I love to visit in NYC. And this is how I feel when I go there. It is an assault of the senses. You can’t absorb it at once. You have to layer your awareness until it becomes a single entity. This passage brought that all back to me.
Ms. Kantra’s writing is like that throughout the book. You have a layering, a layering of the physical, a layering of the emotional. This book has a lot going on. There are many stories and subplots going on. You know (okay, I know since I am now in possession of four books from this series) that there will be sequels. But the sequel baiting is not glaring or oppressive. Deus ex machine sequelae, anyone? Okay. I totally made that up. But we have been victim to it. Whether it is a cute British boy in a school uniform or an LAPD homicide cop, we all love a series and hunger for the next chapter. But it is not overbearing here. Pleasant glimpses into what might be.
So basically, I love the writing. The characters are people you want to hang out with. You get a sense of family and a sense of place. You want to visit Dare Island and ride a wobbly bike from one end to the other. It is easier to pick up the books than to pack your bags and find a plane to take you there.
But here are my negatives. And this is all “just me.” I value loyalty and fidelity. I don’t usually read books when I know there is going to be a breaking of a fidelity by either hero or heroine. So I am a bit conflicted by this. Meg is involved in a six-year relationship with a live-in boyfriend. No, they are not engaged. They split everything half and half, from the mortgage to the sexual favors. The boyfriend is alluded to in the first book and he is set up as, well, not worthy of even boyfriend status let alone anything of a higher nature. But the fact remains, they are in a committed relationship, or at least Meg views it as a committed relationship evidenced by the joint ownership of pricy NYC real estate.
So we get it. But the fact remains they are still living together when Meg goes to the island for her many valid reasons. They are still together when Sam and Meg kiss. They are still together when Sam and Meg talk in deeply meaningful ways on levels that “just friends” don’t go. This is not forgotten by either of them. They mention it or think of it often. But the fact remains, their passion is just too great and those details are moot in the action. I really don’t like that. I wish that part had been dealt with earlier. But it wasn’t and the book is great so I guess I should let it go. But I know I am not the only one who doesn’t appreciate the breaking of a trust like that. Yes, you will read the story and go, “Well, he deserves it.” No doubt he does. But that is after-the-fact information.
Another issue I have is it is a bit rushed at the end. The actual occurrence of Meg and Sam meeting up again and connecting from what I can tell happens over about a two-month period. That’s fine. They have known each other 25 years. But still Meg deals with family turmoil, loses her job, deals with SO issues, deals with ghosts of her past, changes her whole view of who she is vis-à-vis her career, and on and on (no spoilers here) but in two months she uproots everything and all for the love of a good man. Done and done. But given the constraints and customs of the genre (one I love, not denigrating it at all), it “makes sense,” I guess.
I am looking forward to the next two in the Dare Island series. My negatives above in no way keep me from wanting more more more.
November 11, 2017
Sam Grady - 4th stepmom and million dollar real estate developer dad who wants a son to follow in his footsteps, who was adopted into the Fletcher family and Megan Fletcher - worked her ass off to get off the island, felt her mom gave up too much of herself for her husband, who was determined not to be her mom ... hooked up once when she was a senior and he was 1st year college... but he got scared, and didn't call...
18 years have passed... he's back in town cause dad had a heart attack... she's back because mom hurt... after 2 weeks she goes back to New York - and finds that she has been laid off, and her 7 year boyfriend (co-own condo) thinks they need a little space... so she goes back home... and Sam is determined to try and see where they will lead...
a lot of kindness and thoughtfulness and understanding... a little romance... a lot of sex appeal... and she learns to fight for all she wants... and he finds how to make his dream of family housing for the island and to rebuild a fishery... and they find each other...
and Taylor's grandparent's bid to take her back until Luke returns is thwarted... with a little help from Sam's father to the judge vouching for the Fletchers...
18 years have passed... he's back in town cause dad had a heart attack... she's back because mom hurt... after 2 weeks she goes back to New York - and finds that she has been laid off, and her 7 year boyfriend (co-own condo) thinks they need a little space... so she goes back home... and Sam is determined to try and see where they will lead...
a lot of kindness and thoughtfulness and understanding... a little romance... a lot of sex appeal... and she learns to fight for all she wants... and he finds how to make his dream of family housing for the island and to rebuild a fishery... and they find each other...
and Taylor's grandparent's bid to take her back until Luke returns is thwarted... with a little help from Sam's father to the judge vouching for the Fletchers...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 13, 2020
Harvard business grad Meg Fletcher has been living her dream in NYC as an ad executive for a prominent company. Suddenly she is fired and forced to reexamine her life and her choices. Betrayed by her boyfriend/fiance of 6 years, she returns home where she encounters her old HS crush, contractor Sam Grady. 18 years later, they have a second chance of making things right. I was rooting for this couple. You could feel their connection. Love Virginia Kantra’s series and the whole Fletcher family and how they stick together.
September 13, 2017
Wow! I can't begin to even tell you how good, no great this book was to read. It's so easy to get caught up in the each of the characters stories. The book flows so well from start to finish. I was never bored and didn't feel the need to skip any pages. This is the first book I've read by this author and won't be the last. I look forward to reading the rest of the series. I did everything I could to read it in one day but couldn't hold my eyes open. Sum it up...LOVED IT.
October 6, 2018
This was my first Virginia Kantra contemporary non-thriller romance (Close Up is my absolute favorite). I think my favorite element of the story is how the heroine takes up the challenge not to let others push her into an either/or choice. She decides how her story is to work out and it not only felt right, but for me was an example of real empowerment. I'll definitely read books one and three.
August 14, 2018
This was the second book in this series. Had already read #3 first. Liked all three of them. There are a couple more in the series but will wait on them. Need a change of authors before I go back to this one.. These books were easy reading, nothing too involved.
November 6, 2018
Wonderful continuation of the Fletcher saga
Meg and Sam's story, with the same writing style as the first Dare Island novel. Story drew me in. Great setup for Luke and Taylor's story, which I hope will reveal some secrets.
Meg and Sam's story, with the same writing style as the first Dare Island novel. Story drew me in. Great setup for Luke and Taylor's story, which I hope will reveal some secrets.
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