What Happens in Carolina

This novella is book 1.5 in Karen Grey’s Carolina Classics series. Some of the events are concurrent with those in book 1, You Get What You Give and also contains slight spoilers for it. Series is definitely best enjoyed in order.

Fun addition for fans of the series. I enjoyed George and Tina. They’re kind of opposites attract and find they have more in common than they realize. I admit I love forced proximity and “only one hotel room with only one bed” tropes, so this was great for me.

George is a bit of a gentle giant/quirky nerd and Tina is an empathic writer who is bucking her family’s vision for her life. Lots of laughs in this one as well as hunkering down during a hurricane. I adore that Tina loves what so many others have criticized George for.

They get a cute and somewhat open ended HFN. I’m hoping Grey will give us glimpses of them in future books. They’re an adorable couple.

I received an advanced copy of the ebook from Home Cooked Books and am leaving an honest review.

What Happens in Carolina is a bonus treat for you to read right now. Author Karen Grey (in addition, of course, to writing those delicious, sexy, funny retro romantic comedies set in the 1980’s and 1990’s) is the magical master of the in-betweener. A little story that fits perfectly in between two of the regular entries in the series, giving you a peek into events and people that were briefly mentioned earlier, and leaving you begging for more, while at the same timewalking you down memory lane with some of the characters you already know and love.

Our in-betweener event this time is the hurricane (with all its fallout for regulars Sullivan, Ford and Whitney) and the people are that odd couple who kept coming to Carolina to write and wouldn’t leave their hotel room. The teasers we had were intriguing. What we get now is funny and serious and sweet and satisfying.

That couple, Tina and George, are newbies who have been hired as writers for Lawson’s Reach, a new live action television series about teenagers who live at the beach. They’ve hit the big time! At least it felt that way until they actually got there, there being their shared office which is the size of a broom closet. They are welcomed (?) by senior staff with, “Ah, baby writers. Growing like Tribbles around here.” Broom-closet size office isn’t an exaggeration: Tina has to crawl over the desk every time the door opens. And Grumpy George (in Tina’s mind, Clark Kent and she’s Vintage Dress Girl to him), what’s with him, anyway? YES - Hot, hot, hot, but cranky, cranky, cranky – and he sees in CARTOONS. If that seems weird, well yes it is, but it is also very, very, very interesting and a hilarious integral part of this delightful story.

What Happens in Carolina is another example of the excellent writing we have come to expect from author Grey. The plot is fast paced, draws you in and keeps you engaged, turning pages faster and faster, entertaining you with sparkling dialogue, running jokes and references to our retro ‘80’s and ‘90’s pasts that we had thought (or hoped) we had forgotten. When you finish reading What Happens in Carolina you will be thoroughly satisfied, except for that thing about wanting another installment right now.

I was sent a free book and am voluntarily leaving this honest review. I recommend this book and any and everything this fantastic author writes without hesitation. All opinions are my own.

This sweet novella was short sidestep in Grey’s Carolina Classics series. George and Tina have popped up in other books, so it was fun to see their romance get some space. Novellas don’t leave much room for character development, but Grey makes the most of the short form. There is the hint of some stereotype in both leads, but they are still charming and their interactions with the series mains and each are entertaining. George also has personality quirk I found unique despite his other more by-the-book nerdy traits. Tina was slightly less compelling on her own, but I still found the romance between her and George appealing and was happy they found a work around for their romance.

A definite recommendation, especially for those who are enjoying the Carolina Classics.

I received an advance copy via the author. All opinions are my own.