"A Marine has to care for the daughter he never knew"
Reviewed by Clare O'Beara
Posted May 3, 2014
Romance Military | Romance Contemporary
I'd read the first in this Carolina series and
enjoyed
it. This latest instalment focuses on the same people but
can be taken as a standalone. The CAROLINA MAN of the
title is a soldier serving overseas in heat and dust. Luke
Fletcher is surprised when a lawyer contacts him. She's a
family law specialist and she tells Luke that a girl he
dated at school, but lost touch with ten years ago, has
died. She leaves a daughter who she says is Luke's.
After the paternity tests and debates, the matter comes
down to leaving young Taylor with her grandparents while
Luke is serving. Once he's home in his folks' island
guesthouse in Carolina though, Taylor's late mother's
parents make applications to have the girl returned to
their care. They go as far as to accuse him of neglect.
This brings the family lawyer Kate Dolan, who was a good
friend of the dead woman, to speak with Luke again. She's
sure he's being a good father but family issues can become
fraught, and the children are the losers.
Getting to know each other, as Kate is the executor of the
estate, means the two single people start to feel an
attraction. Ever conscious of her status though, Kate
decides that a relationship would be unprofessional. What a
shame... he seems a very nice man. As an officer's
daughter though, she's had enough of army life to last a
lifetime.
Cats and dogs come into this story, including a dog adopted
by the troops. I was surprised to see that this dog could
be shipped back to America; in Ireland the dog would spend
six months in quarantine for rabies. The fact that young
Taylor's maternal grandparents and uncle had abandoned her
pet cat warns that these might not be ideally kind,
responsible guardians. By contrast the Fletchers are a
friendly, family-oriented group of people, ready to welcome
a child. From the other cases Kate handles, we get a
glimpse of how tense some situations can become, making
this a well-rounded book and showing a strong side of this
legal lady.
As an adult relationship this story works well and Virginia
Kantra again brings her settings to life with great
character. CAROLINA MAN is worth a read whether you are
new to her books or a fan. Her next tale will be
called 'Carolina Blues'. I recommend a visit.
SUMMARY
Meet the Fletchers of Dare Island
Steady Matt, the son who stayed
Ambitious Meg, the daughter who never looked back
And warrior Luke, the Marine who never expected to return. A heartwarming new novel in New York Times bestselling
author Virginia Kantra’s beloved series about family ties,
second chances, and the power of love… Marine Luke Fletcher is determined to do his duty—first to
his country and now to his ten-year-old daughter, the
unexpected legacy of a high school girlfriend. But his
homecoming to Dare Island in North Carolina's Outer Banks
challenges his plans for the future and forces him to face
everything that's missing in his life. He wasn't prepared to
lose his heart to this child he never knew. Or to fall hard
for coolly reserved small town lawyer Kate Dolan. Former military brat Kate knows Marines can make lousy
fathers...and she's got the scars to prove it. Giving her
heart to a man who's bent on leaving seems one sure way to
have it broken. Now, no matter what it takes, Luke must prove to Kate and to
his daughter that Semper Fi is more than a motto—and to
himself that there’s more than one way to be a hero.
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