Roxanne St. Claire

I loved this book. Colin, the patriarch of the Brannigan family, died eight months earlier, after an illness he kept from his seven sons. Though he tied up his billions in a trust for five years, he left each of his sons unique legacies. James received ownership of a tiny winery on the Amalfi coast of Italy, a bequest that left him thoroughly confused. He never knew his dad owned a winery, and running a hedge fund is not conducive to winemaking. Besides, James doesn't drink wine or anything show more alcoholic because it can lead to a loss of control. The best thing he can do is unload it fast and get back to what he does best. With an offer already in hand, James heads to Italy to check the place out before signing on the dotted line. He doesn't expect to get blindsided by Kyra, the pretty and bubbly tourist liaison for the winery.

Kyra toured the winery during her world travels and never left. After moving from place to place for most of her life, something about Positano made her want to put down roots. She was embraced by the Sebastiani family who quickly made her feel like one of them. When they hear that the new owner is coming to visit, Kyra is determined to find out his intentions. She'll do anything to help her family.

I loved the development of the relationship between James and Kyra. It got off to a slightly rough start as laser-focused, business-only James was confronted by bright and cheerful Kyra, who refuses to be deterred by James's cold demeanor. I laughed out loud at Kyra's success at rolling right over James's attempts to avoid going with her, then at his reaction to riding the Vespa. James realized from the very beginning that Kyra was going to be trouble for him, and he was right. There was no denying the attraction between them, but worse than that was the way she got past his walls.

Both James and Kyra were raised by workaholic parents. James's dad buried his grief at his wife's death by immersing himself in work, leaving James to watch out for his younger brothers. It was Colin's influence that had James following in his footsteps, both in business and in choosing work to avoid his feelings. Kyra's mother was also a workaholic, leaving Kyra in the care of nannies most of the time. All Kyra wanted was her mother's attention, but all she got was watching her mother coldly destroy people's lives in the name of business. Instead of becoming like her mother, Kyra became the opposite. She left home at eighteen and traveled the world, getting to know people of all kinds, always in search of a sense of belonging.

It was so much fun to watch Kyra teach James how to relax and enjoy himself. The more time they spent together, the stronger the attraction became. They also developed a sense of trust in each other that enabled them to share painful parts of their pasts, and in that sharing began to heal. The attraction and trust deepened into stronger feelings. Kyra knew she was going to hurt when James left, but she couldn't stop what was happening. It took James longer to realize what he was feeling. I loved his moment of revelation and his determination to show Kyra the depth of his feelings. Who knew that stuffy old James had the capability for something so romantic? But fate threw them a curveball in the form of trouble at the winery. I ached for Kyra and her feelings of betrayal, and for James and his bewildered devastation. I loved the ending and how both James and Kyra found what they were looking for.

The winery itself was at the center of the story. In previous books we saw how James's father had his reasons for each bequest, each son learning something about himself and his parents along the way. At the beginning James was closed off and determined to sell the winery at the earliest opportunity. But as he got to know the Sebastiani family, the rush to sell began to fade and thoughts of keeping it began to grow. When the matriarch of the family shared her memories of James's parents and their visit there, it brought back memories of happier times. I loved seeing the effect it had on James and laughed a little at the confusion it caused him. His conversations with assorted brothers only confused him more. At the same time, James began to question some things about the winery itself. I had my suspicions long before James did and wondered if he would figure it out. I loved when the light went on and James realized what was going on. His reaction was fantastic and I loved seeing the combination of the old ruthless businessman James and the new and improved James with a heart. The confrontation at the hotel was great, followed by him riding to the rescue (on a Vespa, by himself, with no helmet!) at the winery. That scene was exciting and heartwarming and perfectly showcased the new James. The epilogue was great, and I loved the conversation with Finn, the last man standing in the Brannigan family - for now. show less

The title makes this book sound like a light beach read, but actually BAREFOOT IN THE SAND packed more of an emotional punch than I expected! The story was about love, forgiveness, and finding the strength to start over.

Lacey and her teenage daughter Ashley lost everything when a hurricane tore across Mimosa Key, a barrier island near Fort Myers, Florida. Surviving the disaster inspired Lacey to pursue a longtime dream – building an inn of Barefoot Bay. First, she wants to hire her dream show more architect for the job, but instead ends up with Clay Walker, the wayward son of her dream architect.Though there’s an immediate spark between them, winning Lacey over will not be easy for Clay. She’s hesitant to trust a hot younger man with her resort project or her heart.

Things get more complicated when Ashley’s absentee father suddenly reappears in their lives. It doesn’t help matters that Ashley wants Clay to disappear so her parents can get back together. On top of everything else, there are a couple of cantankerous locals hell bent on stopping Lacey’s dream project!

I could really empathize with Lacey’s struggle as she rebuilt her life. And, her arrogant ex-boyfriend, David! Ugh. I don’t think I’ve been so angry or annoyed with a character in a long time. The nerve of him pushing his way back into their lives after a 13 year absence. I wanted to whack him on the head with the tart pan he bought for Lacey. ;-)

This is the first book by Roxanne St. Claire I’ve read, and I enjoyed it. BAREFOOT IN THE SAND is a contemporary romance, but I will say that I thought the romance part took a back seat at times to other parts of the story. The book had a chick lit feel as well, because Lacey’s group of girlfriends played a big part in the book too. I really liked Clay. He was exactly what Lacey needed to help her get her life back on track, and to break down the protective walls she’d built around her heart. And, oh my, the chemistry between them was sizzling hot! A gorgeous setting and engaging characters make this book the perfect summer read. I’m looking forward to seeing where Ms. St. Claire takes the series in the next book.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. show less

At first glance, this is the typical story where the outcast girl is not satisfied with her life and wants to be one of the popular girls. Then something happens, and she finds herself on the other end of the spectrum--and then wishing for her old life back. And it is. What made this worthwhile is in the way the story is told.

Annie is a real, relatable character. I didn't attend a school like hers, but it wasn't necessary to understand her feelings of wanting to belong, of finding love, and show more of having everything. If my mom suddenly found herself dissatisfied with our lifestyle, I would have wanted to upgrade too. And if I then found myself living the "dream" life, I would go with the flow and try out things that I never did before.

Which is what Annie does. At first it's exciting, being the girl that everyone wants to be, but as Annie learns more about Ayla Monroe, the less sure she is that she wants Ayla's life. Although she's rich and gorgeous in Ayla's life, she still remembers being a nobody. Plus, there is cute, sweet Charlie who's the lowest on the social ladder because he used to live in a box (as the rumors say). Note: He's the guy I want for my soulmate.

My heart is still fluttering from the ending. It is so cute! I talk about how much I love it, but that involve giving spoilers--which I can't do because it would ruin the surprise. If you're open to a cute, fun contemporary read with a sci-fi/fantasy twist with the parallel universe aspect, I recommend reading Don't You Wish! show less

Make Her Pay
4 Stars

Former Navy SEAL, Constantine Xenakis, has spent years on the questionable side of the law. Now, after rejoining the Bullet Catchers, Con must prove himself by investigating a series of thefts on board a salvage ship. Thus, no one is more surprised that Con when he catches diver Lizzie Dare red-handed in the treasure room and decides to help her recover a stolen ancestral legacy. But someone else is also on the trail and will stop at nothing to satiate their greed. Can Con show more and Lizzie beat them to the treasure?

Con was an intriguing character in the last book and he more than lives up to expectations in this one. There are one or two moments when the secret keeping trope raises its ugly head and Con's actions are rather questionable. Thankfully, this is very short lived and does not undermine either the suspense or the romance.

Lizzie is a charming heroine and her initial encounter with Con is one of the best (and steamiest in the series). The romance is sweet and the conflicts realistic.

The treasure hunt aspects of the story are exciting and the backstory on Lizzie's ancestor is very compelling. The mystery has some good twists and the identity of one of the villains comes as a complete surprise. St. Claire has some excellent misdirection here.

On a side note, Lucy Sharpe is an exceedingly unlikable woman and she does not redeem herself in her own book or in this one. Her tendency toward making snap judgments about people and twisting her view of professional ethics to suit her purposes is annoying in the extreme. Can you tell I don't like Lucy? :)

All in all, an excellent conclusion to the series and I'm glad I didn't give up on it with Lucy's book. show less