Review - - Barefoot at Moonrise

Barefoot at Moonrise
By Roxanne St. Claire
Publisher: South Street Publishing
Release Date: August 1, 2016

When I was a teen, I was sure that people over the age of forty couldn't possibly be having sex. Now that I'm a woman of *cough cough* years, with forty a distant image in life's rear view mirror, I know that love and romance are possible at any age. I not only know it, I want to read about it and, thanks to Roxanne St. Claire's Barefoot Bay Timeless trilogy, I can.

Fire Captain, Ken Cavanaugh and successful businesswoman, Beth Endicott have a painful history, with a short-lived high school relationship that ended badly. Though his feelings about what happened haven't changed, it wasn't Beth's fault and Ken knows he owes her a long-overdue apology for words said in anger and grief. Serving on their 25th high school reunion planning committee should give him the opportunity to do so but when he finally runs her to ground in a beach cabana under a beautiful moonlit sky, the desire that flowed between them in their teens explodes in a passion that can't be denied. Sunrise brings the knowledge that their chemistry is as combustible as ever but the accident that tore them apart twenty-five years ago still stands between them and the possibility of a second chance.

After growing up under her rich and influential father's thumb, Beth has worked hard to carve out a life of independence as an adult. She views the passion she shares with Ken as the one-night stand it clearly is - at least in her mind - though Ken would like a chance to see where a relationship might take them. An unexpected surprise has him working a home renovation with her and throws all of her carefully-made plans into chaos. The more time they spend together, the more tempted she is to consider a permanent relationship but how can she trust her heart to a man who still blames her father for his father's tragic death?

As with all her books, St. Claire infuses Barefoot at Moonrise with an ample amount of heart, heat, and humor. The main couples in the Timeless books are older - late 30s to early 50s - and with age, comes more wisdom and depth of character. In Ken's and Beth's case, it also brings more baggage from past history to overcome. Their journey to a happy ending is, by turns, endearing, frustrating, poignant, sizzling, and perhaps most important, forgiving. I enjoyed each twist, turn, laugh, and sigh along the way.

I liked both Ken and Beth and cheered for their happy ending. I also enjoyed the family dynamics at play in this journey, especially Beth's evolving relationships with multiple members of her blended family. Ken's firefighting family was a fun addition and I wouldn't mind seeing more of them in future books. I wasn't sure how St. Claire was going to eliminate the obstacle between Ken and Beth and their happy ending but she did so in a believable and satisfying manner with a few surprises along the way.

I highly recommend both Barefoot at Moonrise and Barefoot at Sunset (6/1/16) and can hardly wait for Barefoot at Midnight, due out in October. I have the feeling that one, with bad boy Lawson Monroe as hero, is going to be a wild ride!

~PJ

Review - - Barefoot at Sunset

Barefoot at Sunset
Barefoot Bay Timeless - Book One
By Roxanne St. Claire
Publisher: South Street Publishing
Release Date: June 10, 2016

When forty-eight year old widower Mark Solomon arrives in Barefoot Bay for his high school reunion, he's not quite prepared for the onslaught of memories or the attention from interested single women who've gathered for the annual event on the beach. He's ready to ditch the whole thing and resume his life as an adventure-seeking world traveler until he discovers a woman sobbing on his doorstep...and has an idea.

By her own admission, advertising copywriter Emma DeWitt is jaded, jilted, and jobless, but she goes over the edge when she learns that the resort villa that was supposed to be the site of her romantic honeymoon is occupied by a single man. But when the sexy silver fox who's staying in the villa surprises her with an irresistible offer to pose as his fake fiancée, Emma sees a way to have her week in paradise and begin healing her broken heart. 

Mark believes every person has only one soul mate...and he's met, married, and buried his. Emma believes that love is a marketing concept created to sell fairy tales and expensive weddings. What if they are both wrong...and completely right for each other? 


With Barefoot at Sunset, Roxanne St. Claire kicks off a new trilogy set within the Southwest Florida world of her popular Barefoot Bay series. This trilogy differs from the other Barefoot Bay books in that it features what many readers (including me) have been begging for: heroes and heroines with more years of life experience under their belts. But don't think that an almost 50-year-old hero and almost 40-year-old heroine mean fewer sexy-times! The Barefoot Bay Timeless stories are filled with all the humor, heart, depth of emotion, and delicious sizzle that I love and expect from a Roxanne St. Claire book.

Mark and Emma's story gave me all the feels I wanted. There are scenes that made me laugh out loud and others that had my heart clenching with compassion. Emma and Mark are both great characters and I was invested in them and their happiness from the start. I appreciated the slow journey they take, both individually and as a couple, from strangers who are closed off from the possibility of a new love to a chance at a happy life together. As a widower of 16 years, Mark is open to desire but he's had his "one love" and doesn't believe he can find that deep, forever kind of love again. Emma, a 37-year-old career woman, finally took a chance on marriage only to be jilted by her fiancé, who also happened to be her boss, and now finds herself single and unemployed, with not the slightest desire to throw her hat into that ring again. These two need time to get to know one another, build a foundation of friendship, and explore the desire that sparks between them and St. Claire wisely gives it to them...along with a little otherworldly nudge that adds a poignant element to the happy-ever-after they deserve. 

Grab your beach bag and a cool drink and take another delightfully delicious trip to Roxanne St. Claire's Barefoot Bay with her newest book, Barefoot at Sunset.


How do you feel about heroes and heroines in their 30's and 40's?

Do you like second-chance romances?

Have you explored Roxanne St. Claire's Barefoot Bay stories yet?

I'm giving away a Kindle copy of Barefoot at Sunset to one person who leaves a comment on today's post. Deadline for leaving comments to be included in the giveaway is 11:00 PM (EST) June 17, 2016.