Wednesday, April 22, 2020

Book Review: Barefoot on the Beach

I know it isn't summer yet but because I'm home all of the time, and surely wishing it were summer, I'm all about beach reads at this point. I feel like if you read summer books early it gets you into a summer mindset!
Barefoot on the Beach - Katlyn Duncan

Renee may be thrilled to be planning her sister’s wedding, but after witnessing her mother’s two failed marriages, she has always vowed that she is better off on her own.

But when Renee discovers that Luc Hardy has moved next door, her world is knocked off kilter. Luc was her whirlwind summer romance as a teen and, more importantly, her first love. Now he’s back in West Cove, looking more handsome than ever.

There is no escaping the romance in the air this summer. With the wedding planning in full swing, Renee begins to believe that she might be able to put her childhood reservations about marriage aside.

Yet when her mother arrives, she stirs a torrent of emotions in Renee’s heart. She’s up to her old tricks again – boasting about her latest conquests – reaffirming Renee’s lack of faith in love.

As Renee’s happily-ever-after hangs in the balance, will Luc be able to convince her that true love can last forever?

It's always nice to find a new to me author, and Katlyn Duncan is certainly that! In this book we have Renee, who has decided that love and marriage wasn't for her after watching her mother cycle through husbands her entire childhood. Over summer though, she finds herself becoming a last minute wedding planner for her sister who is getting married in a month. One morning her dog runs into the neighbor's house which is when she realized that the guy next door this summer?

Her first crush and definitely the guy she lost her virginity to. Their summer fling ended abruptly and she never heard or seen him again.

They end up hanging out over that month and she finds herself reluctantly rekindling things with him though she has no idea what she's doing. Between that and planning her sister's wedding (who doesn't seem to have a care in the world), having to deal with her mess of a mother, and trying to keep her freelance work afloat, this is an incredibly stressful time for Renee.

Overall? I liked this one, I'd give it a solid 3.5 star for sure. Renee wasn't really someone I would want to hang out with, she wasn't warm or approachable, and it seemed like using her mother's failures as her reason to not even try was just an easy excuse. What she really was feeling was scared to fail herself and she wasn't very nice to Luc. I really liked him a lot and he seemed like a genuinely good guy, he definitely didn't deserve the attitude Renee through his way.

Also, Renee's sister is the worst. I get it she has anxiety and stress but she is incredibly selfish and self-entitled and I really wanted Renee to tell her exactly where to go and how to get there. Don't even get me started on the mother.

If you are looking for a light read, something to enjoy while your kids run around screaming during quarantine, this should be your next pick. It's a fast read, you won't be swinging by the last thread of your emotions, and that's what we all need at this point!
A huge thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for providing a copy for review!  All thoughts are my own, of course. Happy reading, friends!
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