(PREORDER) The Last Good Summer (Book 14 South Carolina Sunsets - EBOOK)

She came to Seagrove to scatter her mother's ashes and go home. She never expected the island to hand back a piece of herself she thought was gone for good.

For six years, Nora Quinn's world shrank to the size of her mother's illness. Early-onset Alzheimer's took the woman she loved slowly, one memory at a time, until the travel photographer who once chased sunrises across the world hadn't picked up a camera in years. Now her mother is gone, and Nora is left holding two things she can't put down: a small box of ashes, and a guilt she can barely admit to. The quiet, shameful relief of a caregiver whose long goodbye is finally, mercifully over.

Among her mother's things, Nora finds a letter. It names Seagrove Island, and one hidden sandbar that surfaces only at low tide, as the site of the happiest day of her mother's life. It's where her mother asked to be returned.

Ford Hartley is the only charter captain willing to make the run. A widower raising a spirited seven-year-old named Hattie, Ford carries a grief that's the mirror image of Nora's. He lost his wife in a single instant, with no goodbye at all. Nora lost her mother slowly, twice over, grieving the woman long before she was truly gone. Two opposite shapes of the same wound.

What was meant to be one trip becomes a whole season. As Nora retraces her mother's long-ago summer on the island, she uncovers a version of the woman she never knew, and a secret about Seagrove that turns everything she believed about where she came from upside down. Little by little, the island starts giving Nora back the one thing caregiving took from her. Permission to want a life of her own again.

Some goodbyes are really beginnings. Nora just has to be brave enough to pick the camera back up.

About The Last Good Summer

The Last Good Summer is Book 14 in the bestselling South Carolina Sunsets series, set in the beloved coastal town of Seagrove, South Carolina. Like every book in the series, it reads as a complete standalone, though longtime readers will love catching glimpses of familiar faces like Dixie, Julie, and Dawson along the way.

• Series: South Carolina Sunsets, Book 14 (reads as a standalone)
• Genre: Emotional women's fiction with a clean, slow-burn Southern romance
• Heat level: Just Kisses. No explicit content, no profanity
• Themes and tropes: Caregiver grief and renewal, widower hero, single dad and his little girl, a mother's hidden past, retracing a loved one's footsteps, reclaiming a lost identity, found family
• Setting: Seagrove, South Carolina Lowcountry
• Content notes: Tender themes of grief, caregiving, and the loss of a parent, always handled with warmth and hope
• Perfect for fans of: Mary Alice Monroe, Kristy Woodson Harvey, and Patti Callahan Henry

Why preorder directly from Rachel's store?

When you buy here, you're buying straight from the author. More of your purchase supports the stories you love, and you'll always find bundles and editions you won't get anywhere else.

Preorder details

Your ebook will be delivered to your inbox by BookFunnel on release day, July 27, 2027. BookFunnel makes it easy to read on any device: Kindle, iPad, Nook, Kobo, your phone, or your computer, with friendly human support if you ever need help loading your book.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to read the other South Carolina Sunsets books first?
No. The Last Good Summer is Book 14 in the series, but it follows a brand-new heroine and reads as a complete standalone. If you'd like to start at the beginning, the series opens with The Beach House, and you can find the full reading order on our Reading Order page.

Is The Last Good Summer a clean romance?
Yes. Like all Rachel Hanna books, it's a Just Kisses romance with no explicit content and no profanity. It's a story you can share with your mother, daughter, or book club.

Does The Last Good Summer have a happy ending?
Yes. It's a tender story that treats grief with real honesty, but it's ultimately hopeful and uplifting, with an ending that leaves you feeling full. This is a book about healing and second beginnings, not heartbreak.

What is The Last Good Summer about?
A former travel photographer comes to Seagrove Island to scatter her mother's ashes at a hidden sandbar, hires a widowed charter captain to take her there, and slowly discovers both her mother's hidden past and a life of her own worth wanting again.

When will I get my book?
Ebook preorders are delivered by BookFunnel on release day, July 27, 2027. Paperback preorders ship from our warehouse for release day.

What authors is Rachel Hanna similar to?
Readers who love Mary Alice Monroe, Kristy Woodson Harvey, Patti Callahan Henry, and Debbie Macomber feel right at home in Seagrove.