Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Book Review: Barefoot in the Sand by Roxanne St. Claire

Barefoot in the Sand by Roxanne St. Claire
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Publish Date: May 1, 2012
Paperback, 432 pages
Fiction, Romance, Contemporary
 ISBN: 9781455508211
Barefoot Bay #1





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My Review:
I love romances and Roxanne St. Claire's return to contemporary romance is a real winner (she has primarily been doing romantic suspense for those unfamiliar with this wonderful author).

First this involves four friends, each with some kind of baggage to work through, so these aren't "young" women.  These are women who are my age.  So that was a plus to me.  Then they were college friends.  Women who could lead separate lives, but when one is in trouble, they are there to help.  So when Lacey loses her house during a hurricane, the other three return to help out.  In Barefoot in the Sand you get hints of the other three and hints of their pasts and issues but the main story is about Lacey, her daughter, Ashley and Clay. 

But not only do you get the romance, you get the backdrop of building something larger, a resort that the women will be involved in and I love that sort of thing added to stories.  And of course Clay is the architect, and a younger man (go Lacey!)  But there is so much more to the story.  Ms. St. Claire has really built layers to the story and to the characters that kept me interested in the book and reading.  And unfortunately the book was over all too soon (even though it's over 400 pages) and now I can't wait for the next book to get more of Barefoot Bay.

The romance, the setting, the characters, the plot were all executed very well.  I loved the supporting characters and the way the town was controlled by just a few people, but how things could be changed.  I also liked the realistic look at dealing with a teenage daughter.  Some things were dealt with a little too easily, but it's fiction, it's a romance and it's meant to be fun and not heavy so I can deal with it.

In the end, I think that Barefoot in the Sand is the perfect book to put into your beach or pool bag for this nice warm May weather, or wait until your weather is warm and you are heading to the beach.  But it is sure to put you in the mood for the beach, warm water and sun plus a little romance.  I love this type of book, it leaves me happy in the end and I will be waiting for the next in the series, Barefoot in the Rain, featuring Jocelyn in November 2012.


My Rating: 4.5/5.0


About the Book:
When all you hold dear is taken away . . .

When a hurricane roars through Lacey Armstrong's home on the coast of Barefoot Bay, she decides all that remains in the rubble is opportunity. A new hotel is just what Mimosa Key needs, and Lacey and her teenage daughter are due for a fresh start. And nothing, especially not a hot, younger architect, is going to distract Lacey from finally making her dreams a reality.

A second chance is the only thing you have left.

Love has already cost Clay Walker everything. And if he's going to have any chance of picking up the pieces of his life, he needs the job as Lacey Armstrong's architect. What's not in the plans is falling for the headstrong beauty. Her vision of the future is more appealing than anything he could have ever drafted for himself. Will Clay's designs on Lacey's heart be more than she can handle, or will she trust him to build something that will last forever?


About the Author (from Goodreads.com): 
Roxanne St. Claire is a bestselling author of nearly thirty novels of romance and suspense. A four-time nominee and one time winner of the prestigious RITA Award for outstanding romantic fiction, her books have also won the National Reader’s Choice Award for best romantic suspense for two consecutive years, as well as the Daphne du Maurier Award, the HOLT Medallion, the Maggie, Booksellers Best, Book Buyers Best, five Awards of Excellence, the Aspen Gold and many others

Prior to launching a full time career as a novelist in 2003, Roxanne spent most of her professional life as a marketing executive and public relations consultant. She is a graduate of UCLA, an active member of several national writing organizations, and a lecturer on a wide range of writing-related topics. She lives in Satellite Beach, Florida with her husband and their two teenagers, and if you know her, you call her Rocki.


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FTC Information: I received this book from the publisher, Grand Central Publishing for an honest review.  I do make money from purchases made at The Book Depository, Alibris and B&N.com, but all money is used to fund giveaways and shipping for giveaways from the blog.