Review: Barefoot Beach by Debbie Mason

Barefoot Beach is the latest addition to the Harmony Harbor series and it is now available online and in stores.

For more information on the book and the entire series, visit Debbie Mason's website here.

Continue reading below for the blurb and my thoughts on the story.

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B L U R B :

*As found on Goodreads

Can a summer of love make up for a lifetime of secrets? Wedding fever has taken over Harmony Harbor this summer, and the local matchmakers have set their sights on Theia Lawson, a former navy pilot who's in town for a stay at Greystone Manor. And while Theia's got her reasons to put this small town behind her as fast as she can, there's a certain tall, dark, and irresistible man that she can't seem to get off her mind. Firefighter Marco DiRossi wants to beat the matchmakers at their own game so he conspires with Theia to pretend they've already fallen in love. It's only for the summer. What could go wrong? Yet as the beach season draws to a close, Marco and Theia find their pretend relationship has led to very real attraction. But when a secret from the past is revealed, jeopardizing everything they hold dear, can this unlikely couple find their way to a happily-ever-after?

M Y T H O U G H T S :

Barefoot Beach is the 8th installment of the Harmony Harbor series, and the first in the series I have read. While it is possible to read it as a standalone, I feel it would greatly benefit the reader to start the series from the beginning. The story had a strong and likable heroine named Theia, and a hunky firefighter for a hero, named Marco. To keep meddling family members at bay, the two main characters faked a romantic relationship. What seemed like a solid plan to start, soon began to appear less so once feelings took the turn from fake, to real, and buried secrets started to come to light. I enjoyed the mix of mystery, family drama, and romance in the plot. I remained invested in the story as it drove forward, and I grew to love the developing relationship between the main characters.

There were times where I was overwhelmed by the amount of supporting characters. I found it hard to keep track of them as there were quite a few. I believe if I had read the first seven novels it would have been much easier to correctly place or recall each person. Overall, this was a fine story. It was light-hearted, fun, and entertaining. Check it out if you're interested in reading something new in contemporary romance this summer.