Books › Carolina Moon
Carolina Moon
803 pages
A sultry, suspenseful journey through Southern secrets, where lingering ghosts of the past collide with the healing power of new love.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like stepping into the thick, humid air of a South Carolina summer, where every shadow hides a long-buried secret. It balances the creeping dread of a cold-case murder mystery with the tender, slow-burn warmth of a second-chance romance. The narrative moves at a steady, deliberate pace, allowing the sultry Southern-gothic atmosphere to seep into your bones while the protagonist's psychic visions add a layer of haunting tension. The prose is rich and sensory, grounding the reader in both the physical beauty of the setting and the emotional wreckage of the characters' pasts. It is a deeply satisfying experience for anyone who loves watching a resilient survivor confront her darkest ghosts to finally claim a peaceful, love-filled future.
- Mood
- sultry
- haunting
- tense
- Southern-gothic
- Tone
- earnest
- suspenseful
- atmospheric
- resilient
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- healing from childhood trauma · confronting the past · psychic burdens · small-town secrets · weight of unresolved grief
- The writing
- Sensory and atmospheric, the writing leans heavily into the sultry Southern setting and the emotional interiority of its characters.
- The arc
- The protagonist moves from guarded isolation and haunting memories toward vulnerable connection and a hard-won sense of peace.
- Who it's for
- Readers who crave a blend of steamy romance, small-town Southern atmosphere, and a gripping murder mystery with a touch of the supernatural.
Content notes
- child abuse (past)
- murder of a child (past)
- grief
- domestic violence
- psychic distress
About the book
Tory Bodeen grew up in South Carolina, in a small run-down house, where her father ruled with an iron fist and a leather belt--and where her dreams and talents had no room to flourish. But she had Hope, who lived in the big house just a short skip away and whose friendship allowed Tory to be something she wasn't allowed to be at home: a child.
After young Hope's brutal murder, unsolved to this day, Tory's life began to fall apart. And now, as she returns to her hometown, with plans to settle in and open a stylish home-design shop, she is determined to find a measure of peace and free herself from the haunting visions of the past. As she forges a new bond with Cade Lavelle--Hope's older brother and the heir to the family fortune--she isn't sure whether the tragic loss they share will unite them or drive them apart. But she is willing to open her heart, just a little, and try.
Living so close to those unhappy memories will be more difficult and frightening than Tory could ever have expected, however. Because Hope's murderer is nearby as well...
Description from Open Library.
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