BAREFOOT IN THE RAIN by Roxanne St. Clair

A Barefoot Bay Novel

Grand Central

October 30^th, 2012
978-1-455-50827-3

Contemporary Romance

Paperback ARC

Reviewed by Dawn (love2read28@gmail.com)

Obtained by Publisher

 

  

Jocelyn Bloom had it all and as a ‘Life coach to the Stars’, a great career until scandal forces her to go back to the one place she vowed never to return to: Barefoot Bay. It’s the one place she never wanted to return to or to the one person who stole her heart and broke her heart. But now back after years away, Jocelyn sees Barefoot Bay hasn’t changed a bit since she left years before and it doesn’t help that the one man who could always turn her world upside down is still drop dead gorgeous. But Jocelyn is in for a surprise when she sees her father after being away so long. Can she find the strength to reconcile her past memories with the confused man before her and can she find a way to let go of those memories to finally have that happily ever after she has dreamed about with Will Palmer?

Author Roxanne St. Claire delivers a lovely story of a woman determined to leave her past behind with it’s dark memories and more for a life that she worked really hard for. Until the unthinkable happens-she gets caught up in a media scandal and forced to return to the one place she never wanted to see again-Barefoot Bay. This is a story of learning to let go of the past in order to have a future that is bright with promise. The question isn’t can Jocelyn survive the scandal & go back to work for the stars but to let herself forgive herself as well as others for the past mistakes and memories that continue to haunt her today. I loved the way Jocelyn is so relatable to me. She makes you feel every emotion, each time the pain hits too close to her heart and more. The author does an amazing job in capturing her vulnerabilities and strength that had me rooting for her to survive and thrive amid the scandal. Will was a perfect foil to Jocelyn. Grown up now, he still yearns for Jocelyn, keeping his heart hidden until he finds she is back in town and things don not go according to plan the first time they meet. These two have a history together and that in it self made the story have more depth. Their connection as friends and more helped the storyline considerably. He was selfless, considerate and charming even as he tried to beat the demons inside him as well. He was a genuinely nice guy that I wanted to see happy. The secondary characters keep the story flowing smoothly and the reader is treated to some humor as well as the treat of seeing how Zoë, Lacey and Tessal had me flipping the pages to see where they came back into the story.

BAREFOOT IN THE RAIN is more than girl meets boy, falls in love and lives happily ever after. It is a story about letting go of your past, to embrace the present and chart your path for the future. This is truly one of those books you can’t help but fall in love with. Ms. St. Clair delivers a beautifully told story that will tug on your heart strings and leave you breathless. I hope you give the residents of Barefoot Bay a chance and I can guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement