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.

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.

If you’ve read the other books in this series you will recognize the characters and some of the events. This was a great side story to give us a little more insight into Tina and George. George and Tina are new to their jobs and meet on their first day. Their working conditions are interesting which forces them to work in close quarters and get to know one another. This is a fun, quick read with laughs, banter and some heat.

I really enjoyed Tina & George’s story! The cartoon imagery is so creative and delightful. I love the Dawson’s Creek references. This story was a really fun nod to the 90s. There are some great, snort-laugh moments tucked into this sweet, whirlwind romance. This novella is a wonderful world-building story that introduces the reader to Karen’s new Carolina Classics series. Once George & Tina started interacting more and clicking, the story started to flow beautifully. I love that What Happens In Carolina gives the reader a glimpse of events in You Get What You Give from a different POV. I adore the Carolina crew! It was so fun to read a bit more about Ben and Puck from the Boston Classics series as well!