Barefoot Summer by Denise Hunter

About the Book:

Madison’s heart has been closed for years. But one summer can change everything.

In the years since her twin brother’s tragic drowning, Madison has struggled with her ability to trust God—or anyone else, for that matter.  It was her brother’s dream to win the annual River Sail Regatta in their small harbor town of Chapel Springs, Indiana. And Madison’s determined to honor his legacy by making his dream her own. Maybe then she can finally find closure.

But learning to sail means learning to swim. And her instructor is Beckett O’Reilly, a man who already has two strikes against him in Madison's eyes.Being on the water terrifies Madison. But Beckett’s calming presence and unwavering confidence eases her fear. And as much as she’d like to deny it,  the chemistry between them is electrifying.

As her feelings for him grow, a fledging faith begins to take root in her soul, as well. With Beckett, Madison feels alive for the first time in years –carefree and confident she can win the regatta, maybe even find love.

But Beckett harbors a secret that will test the limits of their love and the depth of Madison's faith. Will their love survive summer's challenge? And will achieving her brother's dream give Madison the peace she desperately seeks?

My Thoughts:

I don't know if I'm just burned out from so much reading, or if romantic fiction just isn't my genre anymore, but this latest novel from Denise Hunter just never really grabbed me as a reader.

The characters are well written, but neither Beckett nor Madison had the ability to leap off the written page and dwell in the imagination.  I enjoyed meeting Madison' family, but no one stood out from the crowd of background characters.

A lot is made of Madison's fear of water and her desire to sail the regatta in the memory of her twin.  As I read I felt distanced from the story, like I was just reading as opposed to seeing the events in my imagination.

I'm hoping as the series goes along it will gain traction.  I've enjoyed most of Denise's novels, and was looking forward to a new series. This book just didn't meet my expectations.

"Barefoot Summer" was provided for me from Thomas Nelson Publishing in exchange for taking part in a virtual book tour with LitFuse Publicity.  Mildly recommended.
Happy Reading!





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