Carolina Man

A Dare Island Novel

By: Virginia Kantra

Narrated by: Sophie Eastlake

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

A heartwarming new novel in New York Times best-selling author Virginia Kantra’s beloved series about family ties, second chances, and the power of love…

Marine Luke Fletcher is determined to do his duty—first to his country and now to his ten-year-old daughter, the unexpected legacy of a high school girlfriend. But his homecoming to Dare Island in North Carolina's Outer Banks challenges his plans for the future and forces him to face everything that's missing in his life. He wasn't prepared to lose his heart to this child he never knew. Or to fall hard for coolly reserved small town lawyer Kate Dolan.

Former military brat Kate knows Marines can make lousy fathers...and she's got the scars to prove it. Giving her heart to a man who's bent on leaving seems one sure way to have it broken.

Now, no matter what it takes, Luke must prove to Kate and to his daughter that Semper Fi is more than a motto—and to himself that there’s more than one way to be a hero.

©2014 Virginia Kantra (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"With a swirl of successful and engaging features—small-town charm, family loyalty, a strong-but-gentle warrior hero—combined with strong writing and powerful storytelling, Kantra delivers a sexy, satisfying love story. Contemporary romance as warm and gratifying as a perfect day at the beach." ( Kirkus Reviews)

"Filled with tender moments and sexy, sparkling exchanges, Kantra’s latest Dare Island romance is satisfying and sigh-worthy. Kate and Luke must learn to trust and let go of their guilt in order to find happiness together. A shivery, sensual and sensational read." ( BookPage)

Dad of the Year

If for no other reason, I would have loved this book and Luke for ditching his military career to raise a daughter he didn't know he had.

It was heart-warming and sometimes humorous as Luke learned to love and appreciate Taylor with the support of his family and attractive lawyer Kate.

Kate had daddy issues yet stepped out of her comfort zone to help a motherless girl who needed security and understanding.

Carolina Man. was an entertaining mixture of romance and family drama.

No Dog Left Behind

Boy l thought book 4,5 were good but reading 3 was wow! Simpers Fi even with a dog. This stole my heart and also when our heroine rescues snowball. Good women and great men with a plot and not just sex scenes. This series showcases ms Eastwood great voice range. Don’t miss out
Were my comments of help?

Carolina Man

This is a very entertaining series. I do wish that the books would refer more about the previous people. More of a continuation of the characters.

Top notch story and narrator!

Virginia Kantra is a new-to-me author, but she's quickly become a new favorite! I absolutely loved this book. Yes, I read book three in the series first, but I was not at all lost with the characters or storyline. However, I don't think I was even halfway done with it when I added books one and two to my wish list--and I ended up buying them with my next available credits.

I loved Luke, Kate, and Taylor--Taylor especially is such a sympathetic character. Watching her try to deal with everything life has thrown at her is absolutely heartbreaking. I just wanted to reach in and give her a hug! (Not that she would have let me. But I really wanted to, anyway. That poor little girl...) I've always had a soft spot for heroes in the military, and Luke is no exception. His progression from a guy focused on his career into the kind of father his little girl deserves is fantastic. I did feel like Kate held on to her "I can't get involved with a Marine because he'll be just like my dad" attitude a little bit too long, but it wasn't unrealistic. It was a case of "it's not her, it's me": I loved him, so what was her problem? ;)

The narrator did a great job. I've listened to a couple of books lately where the narration was only so-so, but that was not the case here. She did an especially well with her male voices--not always the case with female narrators. (To be fair, there's an equal amount of men who don't do women's voices well either; it's always a pleasure to find any narrator who does a good job with the opposite sex.) I was very glad to see that she's narrating the entire series, because I'll be listening to the other two--soon!

Truly Heroic

This is the kind of story I expect from Virginia Kantra, a truly beautiful story of love, family and doing the right thing! There were so many heroes in this story, so many small heroic moments, it is the kind of story that leaves you feeling good and wanting these characters to be your friends. The back drop the Outerbanks and small town life blends well with the reality that is in every town. Great story and a fabulous series!

Great series

Any additional comments?

Love how the characters' story lines in the series continued in all books of the series.

Awesome

Love this series! The narrator did an excellent job of narrating characters. Would love to hear more... This author is awesome. Congratulations on another hit.

Love Luke; a Marine Living Up 2 EVERY Challenge

This is the third in the Dare Island series. If you plan to read the entire series in order you may want to wait to read this review as it could contain spoilers.

Luke Fletcher is in the Marine Corps he has just learned that about that his high school girlfriend has died leaving him with a 10-year-old daughter! Now he must make decisions and faces challenges whose first thoughts were for country, order and leading his men, now needs to figure out what the heck he is going to do.

When he goes home to Dare Island he gains full custody of his daughter thanks, in part, to Kate Dolan, the attorney who represented the estate of his former girlfriend. (The mother of his child.)

I really enjoy this Virginia Kantra series. I have been waiting for a long time to listen to them and it was well worth the wait.

Sophie Eastlake does a wonderful job in narrating the books, I've run out of words positive words for describing her.

Note: There are some heavy, intense scenes and discussions of child abuse.

Thanks for reading my review if you have found it helpful please select yes under this text.

Carolina Man - loved it!

Any additional comments?

The third book in the Dare Island series, Carolina Man is my favorite so far. It’s an emotional addition to the contemporary romance series that addresses issues such as death of a parent, abuse, and the importance of unconditional love from family. I liked Sophie Eastlake’s narration and look forward to listening to the next in the series.

Hope this series continues

Would you consider the audio edition of Carolina Man to be better than the print version?

Yes, the reader gave the characters more depth I think. I listen to A LOT of books and I really enjoyed the reader but do fill there is room for improvement. some of the characters just sound to much alike

Who was your favorite character and why?

Luke! What's not to love

Which character – as performed by Sophie Eastlake – was your favorite?

I think she does the females better so any of the women.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I find the inclusion of the parents very touching and enduring.

Any additional comments?

The author has set the stage for many more additions to the series I do hope there will be more.