Review: Barefoot Summer

Barefoot Summer by Denise Hunter
My rating: 💛💛💛💛

I really liked this. Sometimes I'm wary to read romance because I don't like the "fall in love, misunderstanding, break up, get back together after misunderstanding is cleared" plots. I'm glad that this was anything but that.

Maddison and Beckett was easy to connect with and love, both individually on their own but also together. Maddison's struggle with her twin's death felt so real and raw. Beckett's own struggle with his messy heritage and how it could affect his future was heartbreaking to see, because as an outsider, you can clearly see what a great guy he is. I loved that Maddison wasn't one of those girls who waited for the guy to reach out but also took the courage to confront and get answers. I loved Beckett's gentleness in helping her overcoming her fear of water.

I really loved the message "The truth shall set you free" - for Maddison this was true in realizing just how God felt about her, but both she and Beckett also received freedom when the truth about Micheal's death came to light.

I adored the McKinley family and are really looking forward to the rest of the series, which luckily I have. And I really hoped Layla (Beckett's sister) will feature again and will also find love, I really loved her.

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About the book:

Madison’s heart closed the day her twin brother died.

Since losing her twin, Michael, in a drowning incident, Madison has rejected the faith he lived by. Instead, she’s devoted her life to fulfilling Michael’s dream—winning the River Sail Regatta in their small Indiana town, Chapel Springs.

As she trains for the regatta, Beckett O’Reilly is teaching Madison to swim. But he’s keeping a painful secret from her—and as they grow closer, that secret threatens to upend their lives . . . and the lives of both their families.

About the author:

Denise Hunter is the award-winning author of more than 40 novels, three of which have been adapted into Hallmark movies.

Denise writes heartwarming, small-town romances, peopled with layered characters who have real-life issues. Her readers enjoy the vicarious thrill of falling in love and the promise of a happily-ever-after sigh as they savor the final pages of her books.

In 1996, Denise began her first novel, writing while her children napped. Two years later it was published, and she's been writing ever since. Her books contain a strong romantic element, and her husband says he provides all her romantic material, but Denise insists a good imagination helps too!

Denise and her husband live in Indiana, where they raised three sons, and are currently enjoying an empty nest.