I promised myself I would only read a few chapters of this book because I had so many other things I needed to do. And I did manage to put it down a few times, but picked it up again and read while exercising, eating, and in between chores, finishing it in one day. This was a beautifully written story of dealing with dementia, family dynamics and ghosts of the past. Phoebe receives a frantic call from her sister demanding she leave the west coast and come home to South Carolina to care for their mother. Phoebe agrees and quickly discovers the situation is worse than she imagined and her sister is incapable of taking care of herself let alone her mother and daughter. This a story of dementia, sibling rivalry, past mistakes, and how love and understanding can eventually conquer all. The addition of a bit of romance added a nice touch. Kudos to the author who has written an engaging story without resorting to the use of foul language or explicit sex, a fault of so many of the novels written today. 5 stars. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing/Park Row for the ARC. That Last Carolina Summer tackles heavy themes, including caring for a loved one with dementia, physical abuse, an unsolved disappearance, and fractured family ties. For readers who enjoy family dramas with mystery, romance, second chances, complex characters, and a vivid Southern backdrop, I recommend this book.

A pretty average beach read with a few hiccups. The characters were pretty well drawn, including the location itself serving as a very atmospheric presence. I got soooo sick of reading about the dang dream. And the mystery itself was a bit predictable. I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing/Park Row for the ARC. Another great read by Karen White. I love reading about Charleston I can see the whole picture. I did have this book figured out early on but that didn’t take away from the book. It was a great family saga. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

That Last Carolina Summer is everything I’ve come to love and expect from Karen White—rich storytelling, deeply layered characters, and an atmosphere so vivid it feels like stepping right into the Carolina Lowcountry.

White masterfully weaves together past and present, unraveling family secrets that are both heartbreaking and redemptive. The characters feel real and flawed in the best possible way, and the emotional depth of the story lingers long after the final page.

The sense of place is stunning—the cicadas, the salt air, the old family home with its creaking floorboards—it all feels alive.

If you love Lowcountry fiction with heart, mystery, and a strong emotional core, this novel is a must-read. Karen White has delivered another unforgettable story, and I’m already looking forward to her next.

I read all of Karen White's Tradd Street Series, so I was thrilled to be able to get my hands her latest Lowcountry novel.

This is a story of Phobe Manigault returning home to Mount Pleasant, South Carolina to help care for her aging mother. As a child she was struck by lighting and developed a sense of premonition. Now that she has returned home, the dreams have returned. She becomes close with a women by the name of Celeste whose granddaughter, Julie has been missing for over twenty years. Celeste and Phoebe become close and the more time they spend together, shocking truths from the past are revealed. This is a wonderful story that navigates sibling bond between Phoebe and Addie, dementia within family, secrets and a touch of romance. I loved reading about the familiar spots in Charleston and the bird behavior facts. I will highly recommend this to everyone.

I was hooked from the start. Enjoyed the characters and their flaws. Although, it was somewhat predictable, I found it endearing and was sort of like a comfort read despite the nature of what they were going through. The story seemed to plateau midway and dragged on a bit but picked back up at the 80% mark. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it and will be reading more books by the author.

This book hooked me from the first page. Even after reading a few chapters, I knew it was worthy of 5 stars. I couldn't put it down.

10 stars! I was so excited to see Karen White back to writing a lowcountry book and even more excited to be able to receive an early copy! I have read her books for decades and she never disappoints. The lowcountry setting along with secrets and caring for a mother with dementia along with a tad of romance makes for a great read. I enjoyed the stories of all the characters and how they developed from youth to older ladies. Don’t miss this wonderful summer read!

This was my first book by Karen White, and I absolutely loved it! The storyline was so engaging, and the characters felt real and relatable. I was hooked from the start. I really enjoyed the themes of sisterhood and uncovering long-buried secrets, and the way the main character faces her past was both emotional and powerful. I’ll definitely be reading more of Karen White's books!

Absolutely phenomenal book! I wished I could rate it more than 5 stars. This is a really good book that is about a gripping southern tale of sisterhood, secrets and a haunting power of their past. I always love Karen white’s books that she writes. They are always a very easy read and they are super fast paced books.

In The Last Carolina Summer, Phoebe returns from Oregon to South Carolina to care for her mother with dementia. She returns to find a dysfunctional sister, a neglected niece and family secrets.
At age 9, Phoebe was struck by lightning. A boy, Liam preformed CPR and revived her
Part of the reason Phoebe left South Carolina 10 years prior was to escape the premonition dreams she has had since the lightening strike , especially the fragmented nightmare surrounding a car crash. These return upon her return.
She also becomes involved with a grown Liam, his family and the disappearance of his sister 17 years prior.
The plot is somewhat predictable but the description of the landscape pulls you into the story. Another enjoyable read by Karen White
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This was a great book. I loved the way it described the struggles of taking care of a sick parent. All while also telling us the joys of coming back to your family home and making new friends and relationships. I thought it was overall a great book that described both the struggles and sometimes the joy of life. I thought the way the two families bumped into each other and were both able to got the closer they needed was nice.

I am utterly blown away by this book. This book, if you haven’t read the description, is about a girl who moved away from her small town to Oregon to start a new life. When her sister Addie calls and lets her know that someone is happening with their mother, she flees back home in a hurry to figure out what is happening.

I won’t go into spoilers, but I will say the biggest trigger for this book is definitely dementia/broken home. I started this book this morning and did not stop till I got to the end. The writing is phenomenal, I’ve never even heard of Karen White till today and I fear I will need to read more of her books as they come out after reading this one.

As far as how this book made me feel— emotional, angry, distraught. I have an Addie in my life, but the one that I grew up with was 100x worse than the one in the book. It was extremely hard for me to sympathize with her because of how my metaphorical Addie treated me, but in the end I really did try to understand her as a character instead of just constantly being angry with her.

I am Phoebe, Phoebe is me. I loved her character and understood so much of her that I even was reliving memories (some unpleasant, some pleasant.) myself.

All in all this book was incredible. The writing was amazing, the story telling was beautiful, it hurt most of the time, but I am so glad there were at least one or two happy moments in there even if it was brief.

4.5 stars

I need a moment…whew!!! Okay, let’s begin.

That Last Carolina Summer by Karen White is a standalone women’s fiction with some paranormal aspects to it that hit hard in more ways than one. This is such a beautiful yet intense and eventful story about sisterhood, struggles, and bringing up old stuff. You know, the usual.

I really enjoyed the essence of this story. I tend to gravitate towards genre fiction, mostly fantasy and romance, but this one actually hit home in various ways. Between the crazy and supposedly once in a lifetime events that happened to Phoebe and just her trying to live life in general while being different from everyone else, there was a lot to enjoy and a rollercoaster of emotions.

I went in thinking it was one thing and came out knowing it’s so much more and I’m glad I took the leap and tried something new. The way the writing is within this book is so freaking beautiful. From the descriptions and just how things are expressed, it’s great! This may be a gateway into more books like this, we shall see.

If you’re looking for a southern story with crazy twists and turns, unexpected events, this is for you. On top of that, this women’s fiction, chicklit story that’s set in South Carolina, is a contemporary fiction which focuses on sisterhood, secrets, even special spiritual gifts. Dive on in, it’s waiting for you!

*This was an honest review for a complimentary copy of That Last Carolina Summer from Karen White via NetGalley

That Last Carolina Summer by must read author, Karen White, tells a story of family, of sisters, of secrets, of friendships and love. The author delves into motivations and coping strategies of several generations of characters as the story of sisters Phoebe and Addie unfolds requiring both to come to an understanding about their mother’s dementia. Adding to the tension are the troubling dreams Phoebe keeps having. Karen White’s longtime fans know they will be immersed in beautifully descriptive prose that sucks the reader completely into the settings as well as the story. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book from NetGalley. Most highly recommend.

Karen White had done it again. As soon as I see a new book by Karen, I grab it up and read it. In this book, she definitely knows how to describe a southern summer. I loved the description of this family drama. Great for readers who enjoy gothic settings and family conflicts. I would absolutely recommend this book.

Thank you NetGalley, Karen White, and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC novel.

Wow - another shocking stunner from Karen White. She is one of my favorite authors and this is another amazing low country surprise. The fact that she includes dementia in such a stark way will definitely resound with her audience who might be facing their own journey with the disease in a parent. This is poignant and so good. I wish it was another series. Thanks for another great summer read that is really great!!

This author didn’t great job helping you feel like you were right there in that Carolina summer.

This was a slow starter for me but it grabbed my attention and I enjoyed the book. The author is very good at making sure you feel like you are there and can really see the characters and their surroundings.

I chose this Read Now option from Net Galley because of the author. I have read a dozen or more of Karen White's novels but this one dragged a little for me, probably because the plot is similar to many books I have read - set in SC, with touches of family conflict and drama and romance.

There are two unique parts of the plot: 1. The main character, Phoebe, was struck by lightning as a child and she discovered that she had premonitions when she dreamt. The dreams return when she returns home to help her sister care for their mother. 2. The story deals with heavier subject matters such as caring for a loved one who is experiencing dementia and how it affects each character plus an unsolved disappearance.

The story culminates with a terrible storm, and loose pieces of the story being connected in the end.