Barefoot in the Rain (Barefoot Bay #2)
by Roxanne St. Claire
Blurb:
They say you can never go home again .
. .
When
"Life Coach to the Stars" Jocelyn Bloom is embroiled in scandal, the
only place she can hide is the one place she wishes she could forget. She left
Barefoot Bay-and the boy next door who knew all her secrets-years ago. Now
nothing about the tiny island off the coast of Florida is quite how she
remembers it, especially Will Palmer. He's even more gorgeous and tempting . .
. and still capable of turning her world inside out.
But what if someone is waiting for
you?
To
Will Palmer, Guy Bloom is more than the elderly, senile neighbor he looks
after-he's the last connection to Jocelyn, the woman Will loved and lost. But
the reunion with Jocelyn doesn't go smoothly. Shocked by the change in her
father's personality, Jocelyn struggles to reconcile her dark childhood with
the sweet, confused man who has grown close to Will. Jocelyn has guided
countless clients to happiness-but can she escape the rainy days of her past
for a new sunny future with Will?
Review:
Another crazy
and emotional addition to the Barefoot bay series, Barefoot in the Rain, shows
us the healing power of love and forgiveness. Roxanne St. Claire’s second
installment in this new series is exciting and full of turmoil for both Will
and Jocelyn. Our story picks up almost a
year after the ending of the first story.
Jocelyn is running from a bit of a scandal and
runs to the only safe haven she knows, her college friends, who unfortunately
are living in the one place she never wanted to have to return to. Faced with no other option, she heads to Casa
Blanca, settling into one of the private villas until the smoke can blow
over. What she doesn't expect to find is the only man she’s ever loved and the one she’s scarified her happiness for
since the fateful night 10 years before that left both their lives irrevocably
changed.
Will is surprised to see Jocelyn hiding in the
villa, almost as surprised as he was to find out that she has changed so much. Becoming
an adulterer is not something he’d ever imagined her capable of. Is her returning now a sign that it’s time
for him to come clean with her?
When Will enlightens Joss about her father’s
situation, she is determined to fulfill her obligations to the evil father she
hoped never to have to see again.
Determined to ease the burden for Will, Joss decides it’s time for her
father to go into a home, despite Will’s persistent denial of the
necessity. Working together, reluctantly, the two of them
begin to find some of the closeness and connection they once shared and soon
the feelings that never really died for either of them come to the fore.
As passion leads them down a long awaited road,
becoming lovers only seems to complicate things for both of them. Jocelyn is dealing with the hard truths of
her past while trying to find some semblance of happiness for her future. A future she can’t imagine having with Will,
no matter how much she still loves him.
When a secret revealed pushes them further apart and deeper into the unacceptable
truth of their past, Will and Joss have to decide just how much pain can be forgiven
and forgotten to allow them to move on.
This was a very intensely emotional story, even
more so than usual for Roxanne.
Jocelyn is dealing with the very profound issues of abuse, fear, and
betrayal that have shaped her life. Will
is trying to come to terms with his protective instincts and his love for
Jocelyn, as well as the fact that sometimes changes are needed whether we
realize it or not to find our happiness. Both Will and Jocelyn have obviously
never stopped loving each other and the youthful passion they felt as kids has
grown into something real and lasting.
I loved reading this story. It was rich and full of the real life issues
that so many deal with instead of just skimming them. The romance was both sweet and sensual, while
allowing the H/H to come together without their past fears drowning them. Working through their issues together they
are able to build something we know will last forever and will keep them from floundering
when those fears rise. I loved the
little glimpses of Lacey and Clay and the new lives they were building, as well
as the future plots for Zoe and Tessa. I’m
really looking forward to the rest of the series. If you haven’t started this series yet, I suggest
you get started before all the books are snapped up. A Great read, no matter the season or
setting, bringing you to the warm beaches of the gulf coast in a hot summer
oasis where love can happen at any time if you just let it in.
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