Carolina Man by Virginia Kantra (Dare Island #3)
Contemporary Romance
March 4, 2014
Berkley

Reviewed by Helyce

Luke Fletcher is a Marine. It’s everything he knows and all he wants to do.  His priority has always been the mission and keeping his men safe.  But while in Afghanistan he learns that his high school girl friend has died and left him custody of her ten year old daughter, Taylor–his daughter, a daughter he never knew anything about.  He heads home as soon as he can in order to straighten everything out.

Kate Dolan is the attorney for Dawn Simpson’s estate and making sure her daughter Taylor, is placed exactly where she wanted, with her father Luke Fletcher.  She’s left clear instructions for Kate and she’ll do everything she can to make that happen because Dawn was not only her secretary, but a good friend.

But Kate is worried.  She grew up in a military family with a father who was gone a lot and a mother who pretended not to notice what happened when he returned home.  But Kate sees a totally different family dynamic when she meets the Fletchers and she certainly notices Luke. As they go through the process of getting Luke sole custody of Taylor, Luke and Kate spend time together and slowly each of their walls come down and they let each other in.

We met Luke and Taylor and got a little bit of their story in book one, Carolina Home.  Luke is away, gets word of Dawn’s death and the surprise of his life when he learns he’s a father.  He takes emergency leave, comes home, gains temporary custody, and then leaves Taylor with his parents and his brother Matt on Dare Island while he returns to Afghanistan to finish out his tour.  He stays in contact with Taylor using Skype but it’s not enough to truly get to know her. Taylor is doing as well as she can with the Fletchers.  She’s back to school, and has adjusted pretty well to her life on Dare Island.  But there is something in her past; the “why” of her mothers adamant refusal for her to be placed with her maternal grandparents.

Carolina Man has Luke returning home for an extended six month stay where he hopes to reconnect with his family and especially with Taylor. He also needs to finalize the custody arrangements set forth by Taylor’s mom.  This is where Luke and Kate begin to spend time together.  Kate is able to recommend a great attorney for Luke and she’s also instrumental in everything that needs to happen with CPS and the home visit required by them.  Kate is Luke’s only connection to Dawn.  He learns that Dawn worked for Kate and that she packed up all Dawns things and placed them in storage, saving them for Taylor.  There are hints here that Dawn may not have been especially close to her family and it’s inferred that they were anxious to get her “stuff” but not for the sentimental value,  but for the financial aspect of it.  I also felt that their push to get custody of Taylor was for the money they might get from Dawn’s estate. But this is all circumstantial-we gets facts later in the story.

I have to say, Kate is not who I expected Luke to end up with.  In fact, I don’t even remember her in book one, though she must have been mentioned as she handled Dawn’s estate.  I’m a firm believer in opposites attract and Luke and Kate are too alike.  Both a bit closed up and not really wanting to let anyone breach their walls.  It’s obvious that they find each other attractive, and though Luke flirts a little, Kate doesn’t really give any encouragement. While Luke is going through the custodial process, though, he leans on Kate for advice and they end up spending some time together.

The Fletchers are a family unlike anything Kate has experienced and they welcome her into their open arms when they catch the tiniest clue that Luke might be interested in her.  When they learn that she’s on her own for the holidays, she’s included immediately and though she fights it, that feeling of belonging and family-she’s unable to hold out for very long. The romance here is quick; it isn’t drawn out with dates and getting to know each other.  I was okay with this because Luke only has so much time before he has to head overseas.  They both fall hard, fast and there is a definite insta-love quality to their relationship.  Luke soon realizes he has an important decision to make.

We finally learn Taylor’s secret and can make pretty good assumptions as to why Dawn did not want Taylor placed in the care of her parents.  Kate sums it up here, talking to Luke:

“Dawn never talked about her childhood.  I never talked about mine.  She grew up in that house.  She left Taylor in your care.  She must have had reasons. But she never shared them with me.  We had this bond we never knew about, never spoke of.  Because you don’t.  Because you think you’re different.  Because you believe you’re alone.  Because you wonder if what happens is somehow your fault.”

From here, things move quickly and a little too smoothly and the situation is cleaned up nice and tidy with a big red bow.  I’m a bit torn with how this part of the story played out.  On one hand, I would have liked there to have been some sort of confrontation, but this would have lead to a long drawn out battle and Taylor, who had lost so much already, would just be dragged down further by it all.  So, in the end, I guess what happens to the bad guy had a certain kind of justice after all.

While I liked this book, I can’t say it met my expectations when compared to the first two. The romance was too subtle and while Kate had all the attributes I like in a heroine, something was just missing, though I can’t put my finger on it. I also expected more from Luke. Perhaps because there was a child in the mix and she needed to be Luke’s priority, I don’t know.  Luke and Kate just didn’t have that all consuming love and passion-I just didn’t feel it at all.

Rating: C+

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