REVIEW: Barefoot in White by Roxanne St. Claire

In Barefoot In White (Barefoot Bay Brides Trilogy #1) by Roxanne St. Claire, Willow Ambrose has changed her life drastically in just a few short years. Shedding over one hundred pounds through diet, exercise and sheer determination, she has become a wedding consultant and a completely different person. Based out of Casa Blanca Resort in Barefoot Bay, Florida, Willow has built a destination wedding business with her friends Ari and Gussie. The girls know some of what Willow has overcome in her personal life, but even they don’t realize the extent of the damage her mother and others have caused to her self-esteem over the years.

‘Was he going to leave her and break her heart? Maybe. Probably. But it didn’t matter. She couldn’t stop the way she felt about him any more than she could stop breathing.’

Willow’s newest potential client brings along a surprise when she tours the resort: not only does she have a Man of Honor, instead of Maid of Honor, but he is the guy who broke her heart in college. Nick Hershey. Willow’s first glimpse of Nick gives her quite the eyeful. But he doesn’t recognize her right away thanks to how different she looks, ten years later. Once Nick realizes who Willow is and tries to apologize for what happened in college, she wants to keep things strictly professional. But how can she stay away from a Navy SEAL with abs of steel and a kind disposition? Especially when he seems intent on winning her over?

“I never met anyone like you, Willow. I’m absolutely, completely, and totally smitten. You inspire me and excite me and,” he closed his eyes, “deserve better than me.”

Nick Hershey is on medical leave trying to find something to occupy his time while he awaits orders. Some R&R in a tropical villa seems like just what he needs to get some creative juices flowing on a project near and dear to his heart. Then he meets Willow, who he knew as Willie in college, and it all changes. He remembers that night he had to do the honorable thing and turn down her tipsy advances, never realizing how much it hurt her. Nick wants to make it up to Willow and learns along the way that the intelligent, funny girl he remembers has turned into a smokin’ hot force to be reckoned with. The longer they are together, the more complicated things get until Nick can’t imagine leaving Barefoot Bay and not seeing Willow ever again.

“I want more than your body,” he said simply. “I don’t know when that happened, but it did. And now I’m not going to be satisfied with less.”
Very slowly, she inched back, as if his words finally hit her heart. “Then what do you want from me?”

Barefoot In White is the sweet & sexy first novel in Roxanne St. Claire’s brand new trilogy: the Barefoot Bay Brides. In it, we meet Willow, Ari, and Gussie, a sassy bunch of ladies who were so much fun that I can’t wait to read the rest of their stories now!

Ms. St. Claire is simply a master at weaving romantic tales that keep me entertained and invested in the characters until the very last sentence. I loved her other two offerings set in the same tropical location: Barefoot Bay, and The Billionaires of Barefoot Bay. Both series were emotionally supercharged, leaving me satisfied with the ending yet still wanting to learn more about the resort’s fascinating employees. And that certainly is the case here with the bridal planners as well. Willow, Ari, and Gussie each bring so much to the story as they have such different personalities. But they work together flawlessly (and comically).

For me, Willow’s struggles with her weight and self-esteem were very relatable issues. The fact that she made the changes needed to lose so much weight through diet & exercise and reinvent herself was very commendable. Getting the chance to have a do-over of sorts with Nick was just icing on the cake–er, rice cake. 😉 And Nick was definitely worthy of a second chance, he was such a great guy. I had to laugh how brazen he was when it came to wandering around naked inside his villa and how he kept trying to get Willow to do the same. lol Nick had his own issues to work through, having been injured overseas and I thought it was fitting that Willow could step in and be there for him. I really enjoyed their time together, especially Operation Sweet Ambrosia, as Nick calls it. Uber sexy and so thoughtful.

I think fans will enjoy this every bit as much as the other Barefoot Bay books. Willow & Nick’s road to romance may have been bumpy, but the ending was absolutely 100% swoon-worthy. Highly recommended!

Book Info:

Published May 5th 2014 by South Street Publishing

Destination wedding consultant Willow Ambrose has fought a battle with the scale for much of her life, but she has finally won the war. By putting her past behind her and cutting off all contact with anyone who knew her before and, of course, controlling everything she can, Willow has carved out a new body and a new life. But when she comes face to face with someone who left an indelible mark on her heart years before, all that threatens to crumble.

Navy SEAL Nick Hershey is on medical leave, doing a friend a favor as a stand in “man of honor” at a beach wedding. He might not be that interested in the nuptials, but the wedding planner catches his eye the minute they meet. When he realizes Willow is really a girl he knew in college—and a girl he unintentionally hurt to the core—he knows he has some making up to do.

Willow has learned how to beat every temptation…but Nick’s sweet-as-candy kisses just might be the one thing she can’t resist. But the closer they get, the more the past threatens to tear them apart. Can they finally let go of a painful past in order to find a forever future?