This author loves Carolina and it shows in every story she writes. You can feel the heat and smell the marshes. You really feel like you are there.
This story is a bit darker than some others the author has written. The characters carry a lot of baggage with them and they act out in different ways. There is also the slow killer dementia which effected everyone she came in contact with.
There was still a lot of hope and love throughout the story. And acceptance.
Enjoy.

This was a beautifully written book. The setting was described in such detail, I felt like I was in South Carolina in the hot July humidity! A poignant story of families, the lies we keep, and the unbreakable bonds. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a sneak peek at the latest gem by Karen White.

into dementia. It was told from the viewpoints of several of the characters in the book.

White's prose described the Lowcountry beautifully. I could see the landscape and almost smell the pluff mud.

As a fan of the Tradd Street stories, I was pleased to see the names Manigault and Prioleau used again.

I would take out the phrase, used several times, "she barked out a laugh". That has been overused to the point of being a joke in several lit groups and there's even a meme about it.

Thank you, Karen White, for another trip to coastal South Carolina!

Phoebe was struck by lightening when she was a kid and a kid with green eyes saved her. She never fit in at home with her mom always bringing her older sister to beauty pageants. Ever since being hit by lightning, are has premonitions and her family tried to hide them

Now she lives across the country as a middle school science teacher and rarely goes home to South Carolina. Her premonitions are gone in Oregon. Except, her sister calls and she's forced to as her mom is deep into dementia and Addie can't deal with it anymore.

When Phoebe gets back, she discovers her sister is not dealing with anything, including her own 9 year old daughter. Everything's a mess. Phoebe gets her mom an appointment with the local neurologist and discovers it's the same green eyed boy. And her premonitions are back...

I enjoyed this book!

Honestly, the premise feels a little tired, but I guess this might be what fans of women's fiction are wanting these days, and I applaud Karen White for her execution. As always, her characters are well drafted if a bit simplistic.

The mystery element is a bit overdone as the author does not seem to trust her readers' intelligence. Most readers want to figure things out for themselves and are capable of doing so.

While the pacing is somewhat slow, and the book could have been shorter and tighter, there is a lovely emotional resonance in this narrative that will appeal to many readers.

The approaching storm is a bit cliche. Ultimately I understand why it was included and it works well for the story.

I recommend THAT LAST CAROLINA SUMMER for fans of family dramas.

Phoebe fled her family years ago, but now her mother has dementia and her sister has begged her to come home for the summer. She fears though that her dreams will also return. She finds the house in chaos and her sister ignoring it all. Over the summer everyone's life evolved, secrets are revealed and loves, old and new appear. Absolutely wonderful.

Karen White has done it again! I adored The Last Caroline Summer. Thank you, NetGalley and to the publisher for an ARC of this lovely story!

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade for the opportunity to read The Last Carolina Summer by Karen White.

Karen White is an author I have long admired. This on has a beautiful setting and interesting - if not always likeable - characters. It's also one of the most accurate, on-point, realistic portrayals of a parent slipping into dementia along with the emotions and reactions of the family I've ever read. There are scenes that are hard to read, but never gratuitous. I found it to be a powerful story.

When Phoebe was a child she was struck by lightning resulting in premonition dreams. Because of the same reoccuring premonition nightmare and the dysfunctional relationship with her mom and sister Phoebe lives on the other side of the country., the bonus being she doesn’t have the dreams there. But years later she’s forced home to deal with her mother who now has Alzheimer’s and Addie, her sister, who lives like an irresponsible 16 year old and keeps neglecting her 9 year old daughter. Phoebe becomes friends with Liam, her mom’s doctor and the one who saved her life as a child and his grandmother, Celeste, who’s grieving the disappearance of her granddaughter. They both quickly come to play important roles in Phoebe’s life.

The book is a character driven family drama. Addie the sister is obnoxious and annoying. Phoebe is alternatively, angry at how her sister shirks responsibilities causing serious consequences, and then forgiving her. White paints an accurate picture of someone with dementia and to me the mom is the most realistic character. The scene at the end of the book in the storm had me on the edge of my seat, the writing really portrayed the scariness, and drama. But there’s a lot of repetition in other parts of the writing, and we’re hit over the head with the same clue too many times, but it’s a good family story. The cover is wonderful.

Captivating story of generations of one family trying to weather the storms of aging and dementia, with a few explosive family secrets exposed along the way.
MJPHILLIPS