BAREFOOT IN THE SAND by Roxanne St. Claire

I have to admit that I was hesitantly anticipating Roxanne St. Claire's new series. I adored each and every one of her romantic suspense novels, devouring them as soon as they were out. I didn't doubt that Ms. St. Claire's writing would be brilliant because she is a master at storytelling, but I loved her romantic suspense so much that I wasn't excited about the switch to contemporaries. I was so wrong to not be excited. BAREFOOT IN THE SAND is a wonderfully written book and I know that romance readers will be as pleased as I was and will be anticipating the next book in the series, BAREFOOT IN THE RAIN, coming at the end of October, 2012.

Roxanne St. Claire's comments on this new series:

I’m so excited to be writing “contemps” again -- and just overjoyed to introduce my readers to the warm and wonderful world of Barefoot Bay. Set on the fictional island of Mimosa Key, this enclave is home to a whole new set of characters who will find heartache and hope in every story. Centered around four women who’ve been friends since college, each book is first and foremost a love story, but the characters have to deal with more than broken hearts and sexy heroes. They have to overcome universal challenges that all women face...with humor, grace, friendship, and no small amount of wine.

With a new Barefoot Bay book scheduled to release every six months for the next two years, I hope to treat my loyal fans to a fresh cast of unforgettable characters and capture new readers who love to return to a community that feels rich and real.

I hope you love Lacey, Jocelyn, Zoe, and Tessa -- and the men who steal their hearts, touch their souls, and change their lives forever.

My Romance Junkies review:

With BAREFOOT IN THE SAND, Roxanne St. Claire gives readers the first taste of an exciting new contemporary series.

When Lacey Armstrong loses everything she owns to a hurricane, it goes without saying that she is thankful for the sheer determination that kept her and her daughter alive.  She excitedly decides to make a fresh new start by building a B&B where her family home once stood.  She has a teen daughter to raise, an ex-husband to fend off, three long-time friends to confide in, and an architect to resist. When Clay Walker designs a retreat for Lacey, she is stunned to see that his visions are perfect for her beach property. When their attraction intensifies and Clay’s secrets are exposed, Lacey needs to make decisions that could drastically affect her future.

Architect Clay Walker recognizes a prime opportunity when he sees it. When Lacey Armstrong needs an architect, he’s excited to show her his ideas. Clay has some secrets and obstacles of his own and Lacey quite possible holds his success or failure in her hands. Given his attraction to Lacey, despite her concerns about being a handful of years older than him, he’s determined to convince local officials to approve her building plans. Romantic competition in the form of Lacey’s ex-husband may prove difficult as she becomes increasingly agitated by all of the decisions she’s confronted with.

Roxanne St. Claire has penned a uniquely different romance in BAREFOOT IN THE SAND. This new series from an author best known for her popular romantic suspense novels, takes readers in a delightfully different direction with a sweetly sensual contemporary flare. Lacey and Clay are charming and their relationship is fresh and potent and while their age difference is discussed and understood, it isn’t harped on continuously. I typically don’t care for the “older woman” storyline, but because of the way it was written, it wasn’t a negative for me. Secondary characters play a crucial role in this book and I’m looking forward to their stories in the future. I hope all readers, especially Ms. St. Claire’s most loyal who may be like me and dislike change, will give this new series a chance because there will be no disappointments.

Of course there's a giveaway! I'll give a Kindle copy of BAREFOOT IN THE SAND to one lucky winner, to get you started on the series. Just leave a comment about Ms. St. Claire's books you've read or are looking forward to reading. I'll draw a winner on Monday, July 9th.
Thanks for taking the time to check it out!