Long and Short Reviews

Carolina Hurricane

Carolina Hurricane by Shannon Dauphin
Black Lyon Publishing
Contemporary Romance
Full Length, sweet
Review by Chamomile

A love off limits.
A storm they can't fight.

Haunted. Handsome. Alone. Following a bitter divorce, professor Jordan Eversole has thrown himself into his teaching—and into restoring the rambling old Carolina plantation house in which he lives.

Independent. Lovely. Determined. At twenty-one years of age, Sweetwater College student, Amanda Whitmore, is an old soul with a capacity for insight and devotion far beyond her years.

The two are about to collide.

Caught together in the plantation house by a category four hurricane, Amanda and Jordan fight the winds and their growing love for one another, caught by a storm that seems destined to push them together … no matter the cost.

♥ ♥ ♥

I don't always care for May-December themes but Carolina Hurricane is heartwarming and thoroughly romantic and I enjoyed the pleasant surprise.

Amanda is a big part of why I liked it so much. She is focused and dedicated to her studies, and even though she is very young, she craves her independence and fights to achieve and keep it. She recognizes that she is lonely but doesn't really have much in common with her contemporaries. She is described as an 'old soul' and her actions, thoughts and decisions support this. I think that Jordan senses her inner wisdom without even realizing it which is why the matching of these two makes sense and really appealed to me.

My heart immediately went out to Jordan. Still recovering from his divorce, he too is lonely and isn't very social, but he enjoys being a professor and restoring his old farmhouse; basically living day-to-day. Out of concern for her safety, he seems compelled to seek Amanda out, and even though he has a brief thought that it might be inappropriate, it doesn't stop him from going after her. This was done so well and his apparent obliviousness to any feelings he may harbor for Amanda kept me riveted to the story, wondering when he would get a clue! He does, of course, and it was wonderful to see him experience a level of joy that he had thought out of his reach.

They experience several challenges that test their commitment and I was amazed by the sacrifices that each is willing to make to prove their love. The results of the actions are poignant and real and I was blown away by the emotions conveyed. A feel-good, sweet and tender romance, I enthusiastically recommend Carolina Hurricane.