The Education of Caroline by Jane Harvey-Berrick

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Education of Caroline brings us back together with Caroline now Carolina (Lee) Venzi and Sebastian Hunter, ten years after the end of their ill-fated affair. Lee is, after many years, having some success with her writing career that brings her back face to face with a more experienced and alpha’d up Sebastian. The tension between them is very real as they try to bridge the lost years and forgive the mistakes of the past. Nothing in this is a foregone conclusion, from the emotional discomfort of renewing their acquaintance on a spontaneous road trip through Italy to the physical discomfort and psychological horror of war torn Afghanistan. One thing Harvey-Berrick does well is to keep you guessing about their relationship while painting a very vivid picture of both the locations and military life.

The emotional journey is incredible. There were moments when I disliked Sebastian as much as I wanted to fall in love with him again. Lee is so much stronger and self-assured this time around but with the vulnerability that goes with having never wanted to let another man fully into her life. I found myself wanting them to be together but believing that it just wasn’t going to be possible or the same. The supporting cast are great, including bringing back a much changed David. The locations are the real stars – I saw every part of the heat and dust of Afghanistan, the beautiful Italian coast line, the crisp clarity of Geneva, and the relaxed ambient beach life of suburban Long Island. As with The Education of Sebastian, Harvey-Berrick’s writing had me in tears. This is definitely a two-tissue box read.

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