Having just watched We Were Liars, this book fulfilled my craving for more stories that had a summery beach feel. The dynamics and drama of the family were perfect to read while I was at the beach.

An atmospheric Lowcountry family drama and mystery with a little bit of magic realism, this novel caught my attention because of it's beautiful cover. (That, and a summer vacation trip to South Carolina made this a perfect read for me).
The dysfunctional family dynamics, and dementia was well done. The magic realism fit well in the story. There were a lot of coincidences meshing these characters together, and it was pretty obvious to the reader the gist of the mystery, but still pretty engaging watching the characters revelations. The love interest was just ok for me. Overall, It's been a while since I've read one of Ms. White's novels, and I'm glad I had a chance to revisit her writing. I would recommend!

~Thank you to NetGalley and Publisher

solid and interesting fiction work. the discussion of dementia is well-done and feels real, the magical realism is integrated well, and the dual POVs, though occasionally similar-seeming, retain enough individuality. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

Phoebe Manigault was struck by lightning at her home in Charleston, SC. She’s saved by a mysterious young boy who provides CPR until help arrives, then disappears. The incident left her with the gift of premonitions, which she doesn’t think of as much of a gift. She has dreams that haunt her, one in particular, and feels the need to escape from her home and her family. She never felt that she lived up to her mother’s expectations and always felt she stood in the shadows of her sister, Addie. She finds that the dreams don’t haunt her as much on the west coast as they did in Charleston, and she’s relieved not having to try living up to anyone’s expectations.

When Addie calls and insists that Phoebe return home to help care for their ailing mother, she reluctantly does so, planning to leave again at the end of summer. However, the things she finds happening when she returns home are appalling and she’s not sure how she’s supposed to handle them when it appears that her perfect sister isn’t handling anything. Not caring for her own daughter or their mother. Addie has secrets of her own that she’s been hiding.

Phoebe befriends Celeste and her grandson, Liam, who turns out to be the boy who saved her life years before. The more time she spends around them, the more that one particular dream seems to haunt her sleep. Secrets are revealed, new friendships made, old friendships renewed, but can anything relieve the tension between Phoebe, her sister, and their mother? Can Phoebe get to the bottom of the haunting dream and, if so, what will it mean for her future?

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

If I can convince you to read one book this summer!

This was a 4.5 star read for me.

The Last Carolina Summer was set in South Carolina during the summer. But, I would not call this a light summery read. This was a complex family drama.

The writing, the imagery, the metaphors, the use of birds, and nature to tell this story really brought it to life and made it so achingly beautiful.

Addie and Phoebe are sisters. Addie stayed home and lived with their mother and her daughter, while Phoebe fled far away after high school. Addie calls Phoebe home because their mother is ill. She has dementia. But, old hurts that have been left to fester emerg and cause the sisters to be at odds. Both struggle to cope with their mother's illness and decline.

Any book where a character is ill gets me, but for some reason dementia does me in even more. What a horrible and cruel disease.

The book was told mostly from Phoebe's point of view, but it also alternated with that of Celeste. I woman Phoebe, met and befriended who helps Phoebe and Addie care for their mom. Through Celeste's perspective we don't only see how difficult it is for Phoebe and Addie to come to terms with their mother's diagnosis and properly care for her, but we get a glimpse of how things are for Elizabeth in that time where she still has moments of clarity and how lonely, scared, and frustrated she must feel.

But, Celeste is also the reason why this isn't a perfect book for me. She was a lovely character, but for some reason, I always felt her point of view was a little flat or not as developed.

The Last Carolina Summer has some paranormal aspects to it, which I normally don't enjoy outside of a horror read. But, it worked for this story and brought to conclusion a couple of decades old mystery that allowed some closure for everyone.

Overall, The Last Carolina Summer was a beautiful and emotional read. As I said at the beginning, this so far is my recommendation of the summer.

That Last Carolina Summer is an atmospheric read filled with generational trauma and deep rooted secrets. Phoebe has returned home to help her sister care for their mother, and it’s tough going for poor Phoebe. It’s easy to understand why she left and never came back until now. There’s some magical realism and mystery woven into the story. As a paranormal lover, I really enjoyed that Phoebe has premonition dreams. The story is told in dual POV, alternating between Phoebe and Celeste. Celeste’s granddaughter, Julie, went missing when she was eighteen, and the story follows Celeste’s hopes and dreams for the day they might be reunited. I really enjoyed the tidbits about birds. The mother’s illness was brutal and well portrayed.

If you’re looking for an atmospheric summer read with mystery, a family saga, and birds woven throughout, this one’s for you.

A very special thanks to Park Row for the gifted copy.

I've been so immersed in Karen White's Charleston series that I forgot how great she is at writing standalone books!!!!!!!!!!! This book really touched my soul and I know it will yours as well!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

thank you to NetGalley for this arc! My actual rating was 3.75. this was my first time reading from Karen White and I loved it! I felt like I was a part of these relationships. It was a little slow towards the middle but it ended up reeling me back in. I loved it and it's a really nice summer read. I read it by the beach and the vibes were perfect!!

The Last Carolina Summer is a book about relationships, secrets, reconnecting with family, facing your past and fears even though you don't want to but know it is the right thing, and more. Phoebe, a science teacher in Oregon gets a call from her sister asking her to return home to SC and help care for their mom. After receiving her sisters call, Phoebe starts to have an old dream about a car accident. What does this dream mean? When did the accident occur? Who is involved in the accident?. These are questions that Phoebe is seeking answers to along with readjusting to living with her older sister, mom, and niece. Returning home stirs up memories of her childhood and Phoebe's struggle for acceptance and being seen by her family. Phoebe is thrown into a chaotic situation of not only dealing with her feelings but also caring for her niece, a mom with Alzheimer's, a sister who is struggling in her own life, a person from the past who she is having feelings for but also brings up old family secrets and more. The book will keep you engaged and turning pages until the end. I loved the short blogs about birds at the beginning of each chapter. These blogs were informative and interesting tying into the story through Phoebe's and her Aunts love of nature. This book beautifully walks through the difficult relationships of family, working through our past struggles and secrets so we can have hope, healing, and new beginnings. I enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading more books from Karen White. I received an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley for my honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

A heart wrenching story of familial dysfunction beautifully written to evoke emotion toward the characters. Ms. White crafts the story of sisters Phoebe and Addie, their dementia afflicted mother, and Addie’s daughter, Phoebe was struck by lightning at age nine, was revived by a young boy, and began to experience premonition dreams. She has been plagued by a dream of a horrible accident for years. When she returns home, the dream comes back with force. Addie runs from responsibility, endangering her daughter. The mix of resentment, anger, and sister love propel you into a world of deep emotion and conflict. A do not miss novel.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

White’s newest book packs an emotional wallop!
Phoebe is summoned home to a family in chaos: a mother battling losing who she is, a sister who is irresponsible, and a niece who truly needs her.
I felt really sorry for Phoebe because beset by a nightmare she doesn’t understand she has to fix everything.
My favorite characters were Will and Celeste. Will’s comments were funny and Celeste was truly kind and forgiving, something I wouldn’t have been.
Halfway through I sucked in my breath as I realized a major connection in the story. I got it half right and the truth made me dislike one character even more.
This book will tug at your heartstrings if you’ve dealt with elder care with dementia or face that prospect so it hit really close to home.
The birds flutter all around so feather friend lovers will have lots to tweet about,

Karen White is one of my go to authors when I'm in need of a great story. What I enjoyed most about THAT LAST CAROLINA SUMMER is that it felt real. It was about family, friendship, mystery, and a touch of romance. Phoebe was my favorite character, she loved birds and in each chapter she references them. She helped everyone, like her mother and her sister Addie. She was also a great aunt. I thought it was neat that their last name was Manigault. If you ever get a chance to visit Charleston, one of my favorite places to visit, you will learn about the real Manigualt family and can even do a house tour. I can't recommend this book enough!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Park Row for my gifted ARC.

This review will be shared to my Instagram account @coffee.break.book.reviews shortly.

I love a good e-book, but this one I might've set a record for me. I think I read it in less than 48 hours.

I was immediately taken with Phoebe-- such a kind, free spirit. And I absolutely LOVED her aunt.

The story slowed a bit for me when we get to Phoebe all grown up and moving back home. It wasn't that she wasn't relatable, but the story just took a bit longer to build than I normally prefer.

HOWEVER, I think that that worked in its favor. While it wasn't a terribly long book, I felt that the author did a wonderful job of make each moment with each character count.

I did see the twist coming a bit earlier than the author intended, I think, but that didn't take away from the story for me. I wasn't sure how she was going to pull if off in the end, but I am happy to report that she did so very well.

My first time reading a Karen White book, and throughly enjoyed it. The book was beautifully written with a story of the main character as she navigates coming back home to a complex family relationship between her mother and sister. While back to the town she grew up in dealing with new family issues, she also deals with her haunted past with supernatural element to solve a mystery. Thank you Netgalley for the Arc!

I very much enjoyed this book. The complicated family relationships kept my attention, and the underlying mystery of what happened to Julie was always there. Very good read!

What a wonderful story! I was completely engrossed in these relationships. I will definitely be reading more by this author. This isn’t my typical genre but this book had me captivated from the start! What a great surprise!

A great summer read. The story is bout relationships both short term and lifelong. It deals with complex family issues that bring two unrelated families together over decades of secrets. Secrets that cause wounds that can not be healed till there are no longer secrets. Loved the complex story line

Phoebe,who was struck by lightning as a child, has disturbing premonitions, which usually come true. She moves to Oregon as a teacher, to escape her bad memories of her small southern town. Her older sister,,Addie insists she come home for the summer to take care of their mother who has dementia. Addie, a former beauty queen, is mother to a precocious daughter, and must work,as well as help with their mother. Celeste, a kind caretaker for her grandson, agrees to help the sisters out. Her son Liam, takes an interest in Phoebe, bur she is insistent she will return to Oregon. As her premonitions worsen, Phoebe realizes the answers lie in South Carolina
Ms White is one of my favorite Southern Writers. You can feel the heat and humidity every time a screen door or window opens. The characters feel true to the languid pacing in this coastal Southern town As usual, she adds a touch of mysticism to encapsulate the Southern genre.

Karen White's That Last Carolina Summer is a captivating dive into complex family dynamics, particularly mothers and daughters and the intricate bond between sisters. The story follows Phoebe Manigault, who, with her premonitions, returns to South Carolina to care for her ailing mother, forcing her to confront her sister, Addie, and a past tragedy. As her nightmares intensify, Phoebe connects with an older woman whose granddaughter vanished years ago, slowly uncovering a shocking truth. White masterfully weaves a multi-generational narrative, bringing these lives vividly to the page. While there's a central mystery, the true heart lies in how past events shape the present and how forgiveness leads to healing. If you love Southern charm, family drama, and a touch of mystery, you'll be hooked!

The last Carolina summer- where do I start? Phoebe was such a great character and I loved learning her story. Celeste brought so much to the story and I loved how intertwined the families were. Past history & future buildings. Honestly really enjoyed this read, and would recommend anyone looking for a little small town drama, mystery, family reunion and romance.
The twist was not a surprise to me, but I LOVED how it was revealed slowly.
I need more of Liam and Phoebe!