Review: Carolina Dreaming by Virginia Kantra

The fifth installment of the Dare Island series is a solid, entertaining entry. We meet Jane, a bakery owner and life-long Island resident, and Gabe, a former Marine who is dealing with several life setbacks.

Both Jane and Gabe are great characters who have not been dealt the easiest of hands in life. When we meet them, they are both at a point of rebuilding or starting over and neither is really looking for a romantic relationship.

I found myself enjoying the way Ms. Kantra allowed us to get to know both Gabe and Jane as individuals and see their budding friendship before a romantic relationship began. Initially, both seemed to be fragile, almost hovering on the edges of their circumstances. As we got to know them, and they got to know each other we discovered that they are really a lot stronger than they think and that together they are even better.

Carolina Dreaming is a great relationship book. Not only do we get to watch the growing relationship between Gabe and Jane, but also between Gabe and Jane’s son, Aidan. The supporting cast isn’t large, but they are all important in the scheme of things. Fans of the Dare Island series will be glad to see the characters from previous stories appear, some more than others, for glimpses of where they are now.