I got a copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. I ended up grabbing the whole series on audio, with the short novella in e-book format. These books could have been read as standalone novels.
The blurb of this book wasn’t accurate. Avila hadn’t been kicked out of the house because she got pregnant. She chose not to return home because she got pregnant. Also, the male main character’s name was Terrance. She left home before he did so the notion that she felt abandoned was lost somewhere in the shuffle.
Avila comes home with her pre-teen daughter after finding out that her mother died. She is supposed to just be getting the house ready to sell and making sure her mother’s affairs are in order. Terrance lives a few doors down in his family’s home. He is a professor at the local college. He steps up to help Avila with getting things together. She is reluctant to ask for help but can’t seem to turn Terrance away.
Just before they both left for college, he told her that he loved her. She couldn’t say the words back because she knew that they would be apart and didn’t want to complicate things. As an adult, he still feels the same way about her. She also has feelings for him but she is reluctant to admit them. She has a fear of him leaving.
This book moved very slowly. She kept pushing him away. He didn’t give up. Finally, she was able to see a future for them.
I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I enjoyed the other books. The only tie that this one had to the others was that it was set in the lowcountry. This was a good book but not exactly what I had expected.
Four star read. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Inside the Shell 
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