Carolina Home (Dare Island #1) by Virginia Kantra

Home to the Fletcher family for generations, Dare Island is a fishing village rocked by changing times--its traditions slipping away like sands of the North Carolina coast. Single dad and fishing boat captain Matt Fletcher deferred his own dreams to support his innkeeper parents and build a future for his sixteen-year-old son. Matt has learned to weather life's storms by steering a steady emotional course...and keeping a commitment-free approach to love.

Newcomer Allison Carter came to Dare Island to escape the emotional demands of her wealthy family. The young teacher aims to build a life here, to make a lasting place for herself. She doesn't want to be another Woman Who Once Dated Matt Fletcher. It's both tempting and dangerous to believe she can be something more.

Then Matt's brother Luke makes a sudden return home, with a child of his own--and a request that will change all their lives. With a child's welfare at stake, Matt must turn to Allison to teach him to let go of the past, open his eyes...and follow his heart.

Type: Contemporary Romance
Heat: 3 out of 5
Rating: 4 out of 5

Some authors have a way of making you feel right at home from the very first page and Virginia Kantra definitely has that talent. There's such a comfortable easy feel to Carolina Home that it was a real treat to read. It's so easy to slip into the world of Allison and Matt and want to immediately surround yourself with all of the people around them. From the setting of an Inn on the coast of NC to the lovely unexpected romance and even the family drama that sneaks in it was just a delightful book to read and left me in such a good mood by the time I finished reading the last page.

I really loved both Allison, who has just moved to town, and Matt, a long time resident and fisherman. They're both complicated and wonderfully done characters you want to just push together :) She's such a good person who loves helping others and is trying to find her "home" and Matt's the single dad of one of her trouble students. Lord love him the man's a bit stubborn and struggling with his feelings but I absolutely loved him nonetheless.He's been hurt badly in the past and omg your heart just aches for him and how much he takes on his shoulders. 

The romance really snuck up on both of them and was so wonderful to watch. I loved how she sort of just slipped into their lives and "fit" them all. The two had one of my dream dates too which made me love them even more <g>. The steamy scenes are emotionally charged and sexy as hell and the sweet scenes had me sighing in pure bliss. Gah, I just loved these two together no matter the situation.

He stood in her entry as if he wasn't sure of his moves. The slight awkwardness in a man so confident was unexpectedly endearing. 

"What's in the bag?" she asked. 

He held up the small brown paper lunch bag he carried. "Snickerdoodles." 

She smiled. "You don't have to court me with cookies, Matt." 

His answering smile started in his eyes. "Maybe I want to. Besides, these reminded me of you." 

"Um...Pale? Round? Bland?" 

"The smell," he explained. "Cinnamon, vanilla. Sugar." 

He leaned forward to kiss her, a gentle, unhurried, hello-how-are-you-kiss that stole her breath and disturbed her heart. 

She sighed when he was done. "That's sweet."

One of the things I loved so much was that you get bits and pieces of the other relationships in the family as well. Matt's parents and their incredible marriage, his brother who is serving overseas and the surprise arrival of his ten year old daughter who is dealing with terrible emotional trauma, Matt's teenage son and what he's going through at school, etc. I absolute loved how they all interacted with each other and the deep down real family feel to them. Life's not always easy for them and there are some terrible things thrown in their paths but they pull together and you can feel the love and devotion they have for each other. It's such a family story, really, and makes you eager to pick up the next book and see what will happen next in all of their lives. 

Carolina Home was one of those stories I would love to be a part of and that I was enjoying so much I flew though it before I even realized it was almost over. Kantra did an excellent job creating a rich world that feels real and makes you want to just pack your bags and head there this very instant. I love when an author really pulls me into the world they created and makes me never want to leave :) 

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Do you have a favorite comfort read? 

One that just makes you feel like you're home?

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