Phoebe had moved away from the low country as soon as she was old enough, as far away as she could get, until her sister, Addie, called her in a panic and said she needed help with their mother, who was becoming very forgetful.
From the time she arrived, all the old anger and trouble she suffered as a child came flooding back. On top of it, she had been hit by lightning as a child, had horrible dreams with premonitions -coming back to the low country made them start all over again. Learning to be around her sister again and her mother, who was dealing with dementia, just compounded all of the family drama.
The book contains lots of dysfunctional family drama as they all try to find a way forward.
It was a good story and shows how family does come together, no matter what.

DNF at 15%. Thank you for the opportunity, but the story and writing didn’t really click with me this time. I could notice some mistakes and the premise didn’t really intice me enough.

I really enjoy Karen White’s books, and I think this is one of the best she’s written. Thoughtful and true to life, “That Last Carolina Summer” is a great read. The complicated family relationships, love story, and mystery come together in this very compelling read.

Thank you to Park Row and NetGalley for the ARC!

That Last Carolina Summer by Karen White is a reflective and emotionally layered novel that explores family caregiving, memory, and the fragile threads that hold relationships together. Told through multiple perspectives, the story moves gently between past and present, tracing how unresolved trauma, sibling tension, and the slow erosion of a parent’s identity shape the lives of adult children still searching for clarity. Subtle elements of intuition and memory deepen the narrative without pushing it into the realm of magical realism, grounding the story in emotional truth.

What I appreciated most was how the romance stayed in the background. It’s there—quiet, believable, and tender—but it never overshadows the novel’s central concern: the bittersweet experience of loving and losing someone while they are still alive. The depiction of caregiving felt honest and often poignant, especially in how it reflects the complicated roles adult children fall into. That said, I did find the psychic elements a touch repetitive and wished they had been used with a bit more variation or depth. Still, the emotional impact of the story resonated with me, and the themes of grief, family repair, and memory made this a compelling and satisfying read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

OMG! A phenominal read. I was hooked from the very first page and just could not stop reading. It was very difficult to put this book down until I was done reading. I loved the authors writing style, the characters were awesome and relatable. What a treat this was. I look forward to reading more books from this author. Bravo Karen!!


#Harlequin Trade Publishing# Karen White#Dementia

🌅That Last Carolina Summer 🌅

Title : That Last Carolina Summer
Author: Karen White
Publisher: Park Row
Format: Kindle
Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫
Pub Date: July 22, 2025

Thank you NetGalley and Park Row for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

“Even during harsh winters when food is scarce, bluebirds will continue to cheerfully sing because they know better days are ahead. They remind us to never lose faith, even in our darkest hours, and to hold on to our belief that in the end everything will be all right.”

Every summer my family and I visit Hilton Head, SC, and I was instantly drawn to this book, as I was hoping I would be transported to SC. Boy was I and so much more. The descriptions of Charleston are so detailed it feels like you are there smelling the marsh and in The Low Country. This book tells the story of Phoebe and Celeste from duel POV. Phoebe after being hit by a strike of lightening, develops the gift of premonitions but leaves Charleston after college. She’s is drawn back to Charleston many years later to help care for her ailing mother. Long lasting tension with her sister Addie causes Phoebe to only commit to a summer of caregiving. Phoebe meets Celeste, whose granddaughter went missing in high school. What unravels is a story that is written with deeply emotional prose about lost childhoods, parenting and caregiving of an aging parent. There is also the premonitions to figure out…..

Likes
🚤 The intro quotes for each chapter is a small narrative about birds and it’s completely captivating and a small insight into what you will be reading with our characters.
🚤 The small side love story of Pheobe and Liam is similar to Sweet Home Alabama!
🚤 Very accurate descriptions of living with a parent with dementia and all the pain that comes with it.
🚤 how the story comes together in the end
🚤 Ophelia’s love of books and how she converts Will into a book lover. She’s a 9 year old booksagramer!

Themes: caregiving, Dementia, low country vibes, small town romance, birds, trauma

#lowcountry #charelston #southcarolina #dementia #ARCreview

A fun, fast read with a great sense of place — I could practically feel the Carolina heat and hear the birds in the marshes. I really enjoyed the bird/human parallels, and the story does touch on some deeper emotional topics, all while keeping that “perfect-for-summer” page-turner energy.

A few things didn’t totally work for me. I tend to struggle with narratives where a character who's endured emotional abuse is nudged toward forgiveness purely because the other party "had their own pain." The protagonist had valid reasons for keeping her distance, and while I understand the intent behind a redemptive arc, this one felt a bit too neat. I also saw the central twist coming around the halfway point, and some of the phrasing leaned into well-worn territory.

Still, this is a heartfelt and accessible read — perfect for readers looking for a weekend escape with a compelling, uncomplicated story.

Big thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the opportunity to read this early — always a pleasure to discover new stories ahead of release.

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.