Barefoot in the Sun (Barefoot Bay #3)
by Roxanne St. Claire
Blurb:
When running is all you've ever known . . .
Caught
between fight and flight, Zoe Tamarin has always picked flight. Since she was
rescued from a nightmare childhood by her great-aunt Pasha, they've been on the
move, never staying in one place long enough to risk exposing their precarious
past. But now that they've reached the sun-baked shores of Barefoot Bay, Zoe
may have to stay and fight--for her aunt's life . . . and for a love she ran
from years before.
Sometimes the bravest act of all is to
stand still.
Oliver
Bradbury came to Florida to start over, as both a doctor and a father to his
eight-year-old son. He never expected life to hand him a second chance with the
woman he lost years ago--but one look at Zoe Tamarin and he knows he'll do
whatever it takes to prove that this time, he can be the man she needs. But
when demands of family and friendship threaten to shatter their rekindled
passion, Oliver must heal Zoe's lifelong wounds with more than hot kisses . . .
but will that be enough to keep her from flying off with his heart?
Review:
The
third installment in the Barefoot Bay series is a wonderfully sexy and
intensely moving read, full of second chances and the return of lost love, not
to mention a wonderful mystery buried deep in the secrets of the past. I have
loved all of Roxanne St. Claire’s books since I picked up the first novel in
her Bullet Catchers Series. This series is a great addition to the bookshelf of
a great author, with heart, redemption, and true and abiding love. Barefoot in the Sun is no exception to
the expectation. If you’re a fan of this
author, you will not be disappointed.
Our
story begins with a glimpse of the past, showing us the moment that Zoe and
Oliver’s love story took its first downward turn. Her secrets come out and Oliver’s world is
rocked by a discovery of his own, leaving the distance widening between them
and ultimately Zoe cannot trust her heart enough to stay. Oliver’s heart is broken, but he’s determined
to make the best of his life and moves on, never forgetting the only woman he’s
ever really loved. When their paths unexpectedly cross almost a
decade later, Zoe is terrified to have to face the man she’s always loved and
her regrets about her sudden exit from his life. And
when Zoe’s need for his help becomes too great to hold back, begging becomes
her only option. Working together to
save her Aunt, they quickly realize that the past isn't as far from their
hearts as they both thought. Their
passions and emotions are forced to the forefront and when things become even
more complicated they have to battle to overcome the odds.
Zoe
and Oliver’s passion is explosive from the second they are together again. She’s keeping secrets from all those she
loves, but Oliver knows her biggest secret and seeing him again forces her to accept the past and
overcome the fear that has shaped her life.
Zoe is a very flawed person, but that’s what makes her a great character!
We get to see her growth as Oliver helps her to move beyond her past and shows her
the hope for a bright future; one that hopefully will include him in a major
role. She’s still the fun loving, semi-flighty woman that he fell in love with,
but as she grows he sees a deeper side to her and comes to love her even
more. Oliver is the perfect mix of alpha
and sweet. His sexiness knows no
bounds! He is determined to make his
second chance with Zoe into something they can build a life on together and if
that means forcing her to confront some truths about herself and her Aunt, he’s
willing to rock the boat enough to do it.
His sensuality and Zoe’s volatility lead to some very interesting challenges
between them, arguments leading to passionate embraces and love scenes that
make the reader need a cool down before you can return to reading.
Though
there is a great sadness to this story with Pasha’s illness and sordid past darkening
everyone’s lives, Roxanne is able to keep those cloudy patches from overcoming
the brightness of the love between Oliver and Zoe. It was great to get to see the interactions
between Oliver and his son, as well as Pasha and the little guy. With Zoe’s help Oliver is able to become a
better father and finally see that his son needs his attention and love just as
much as he needs his financial stability and care. There were also some great
glimpses into past and future characters, revisiting the couples from the
previous two stories and seeing Tess’s character as she makes some interesting
decisions in preparation for her book.
Barefoot in the Sun
was a terrific read. Full of emotion and
depth, Roxanne takes us on a journey through the human heart with her characters
and their return to love. There were some
cloudy days to block the sun for these lovers, but overcoming those obstacles
together shows them that sacrificing for love is really no sacrifice at
all. I cried a bit near the end of the story
and I think you will too, but in the end everything works out for the best and
you’ll be able to see that the love between Zoe and Oliver is stronger for the rollercoaster they've been on. I would
be remiss in neglecting to mention again that the heat between Zoe and Oliver
is so strong you might want to be sure to have an ice cold drink handy while
you read, just in case. I personally can’t
wait to find out how Tess’s life will be thrown for a loop in her book. If you’ve missed the first two in the series I
recommend you spend a weekend in the sun reading all three of the fabulous
Barefoot Bay Novels.
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