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romancejunkie1025's review
5.0
wow another great addition to a series that continues to break my heart, make me laugh, make me cry, and remind me to always believe in love.
Barefoot with a Stranger is one of those stories that sucks you in from the very first moment and leaves you dying for more as you turn the last page. Full of vivacious characters, flawless storytelling, and the obvious love between the characters, Roxanne manages to keep you on the edge of your seat wondering what will be around the next corner and how the H/h will cope with the next disaster. Chessie is one of the best female leads I have found in a while, her strength and vulnerability matched perfectly by her wit and intelligence, she is simply the whole package. Chessie really grows in this story as she discovers her abilities are not actually restricted to cyberspace and she can kick butt as well as the next guy (or gal). Mal too is a great character, though at times readers will find themselves ready to punch him; he is the kind of guy that has been through so much all his life, but really just needs to embrace the love offered to him and find a way to accept that while his past definitely sucked, his future doesn’t have to. A lone wolf finding his perfect mate, Mal is ready to be the true man he is ready to be once Chessie shows him his true place in the world—right by her side. I and many of the other fans of this series are dying to read Gabe’s story and I am pleased to say it is coming next, sometime in early 2016 according to Roxanne, but the important moments in this story for Gabe will leave reader ready to tear their hair out. The message I always share with new Roxi Fans remains true: “if you don’t want to go insane waiting, don’t read the Epilogue.” Because of course that is where Roxi likes to give us hints to the future stories that will make any true fan rabidly crazy waiting. Barefoot with a Badass is coming soon though and I for one will be first in line for a copy!
for full review check out the blog tomorrow.
Barefoot with a Stranger is one of those stories that sucks you in from the very first moment and leaves you dying for more as you turn the last page. Full of vivacious characters, flawless storytelling, and the obvious love between the characters, Roxanne manages to keep you on the edge of your seat wondering what will be around the next corner and how the H/h will cope with the next disaster. Chessie is one of the best female leads I have found in a while, her strength and vulnerability matched perfectly by her wit and intelligence, she is simply the whole package. Chessie really grows in this story as she discovers her abilities are not actually restricted to cyberspace and she can kick butt as well as the next guy (or gal). Mal too is a great character, though at times readers will find themselves ready to punch him; he is the kind of guy that has been through so much all his life, but really just needs to embrace the love offered to him and find a way to accept that while his past definitely sucked, his future doesn’t have to. A lone wolf finding his perfect mate, Mal is ready to be the true man he is ready to be once Chessie shows him his true place in the world—right by her side. I and many of the other fans of this series are dying to read Gabe’s story and I am pleased to say it is coming next, sometime in early 2016 according to Roxanne, but the important moments in this story for Gabe will leave reader ready to tear their hair out. The message I always share with new Roxi Fans remains true: “if you don’t want to go insane waiting, don’t read the Epilogue.” Because of course that is where Roxi likes to give us hints to the future stories that will make any true fan rabidly crazy waiting. Barefoot with a Badass is coming soon though and I for one will be first in line for a copy!
for full review check out the blog tomorrow.
nellesnightstand1's review
4.0
I'm so dang excited to get back to the romantic suspense Rocki is known for! We met Gabriel Rossi in the Guardian Angelino's. He was the brother who sneaked in and out and had some awesome snarky , arrogant lines. It was all leading up to his story when her publishers cut it short. BOO! If you've been a fan of Rocki's for long you'll know we all waited for Gabe's Story. She found a way to tell in this arc of the Barefoot Bay stories.
But wait!! This story isn't about Gabe yet! His baby sister Chessie gets her story first! And oh what a heck of a one it is too! I loved the chemistry between Chessie and Mal! The shenanigans these two get into on their adventure! Once Chessie realizes that Mal was wrongly convicted, she insists on using her skills to finding the real culprit. Can she find out who he/is though before he finds and eliminates them in Cuba?
I loved how Chessie realizes she's more like her badass family than she thinks. Mal has some life learning to do as well. Over all, this was a fast paced, suspenseful story.
Gabe's point of view is shown in the story in bits and pieces as he grieves the loss of the love of his life and waits to find out more about his son. Rocki drops some clues in there at the end so we'll eagerly anticipate the next book, Barefoot with a Badass. Gabe's Story! Finally! *Sigh* Is it the new year yet?!
But wait!! This story isn't about Gabe yet! His baby sister Chessie gets her story first! And oh what a heck of a one it is too! I loved the chemistry between Chessie and Mal! The shenanigans these two get into on their adventure! Once Chessie realizes that Mal was wrongly convicted, she insists on using her skills to finding the real culprit. Can she find out who he/is though before he finds and eliminates them in Cuba?
I loved how Chessie realizes she's more like her badass family than she thinks. Mal has some life learning to do as well. Over all, this was a fast paced, suspenseful story.
Gabe's point of view is shown in the story in bits and pieces as he grieves the loss of the love of his life and waits to find out more about his son. Rocki drops some clues in there at the end so we'll eagerly anticipate the next book, Barefoot with a Badass. Gabe's Story! Finally! *Sigh* Is it the new year yet?!
nellesnightstand's review
4.0
I'm so dang excited to get back to the romantic suspense Rocki is known for! We met Gabriel Rossi in the Guardian Angelino's. He was the brother who sneaked in and out and had some awesome snarky , arrogant lines. It was all leading up to his story when her publishers cut it short. BOO! If you've been a fan of Rocki's for long you'll know we all waited for Gabe's Story. She found a way to tell in this arc of the Barefoot Bay stories.
But wait!! This story isn't about Gabe yet! His baby sister Chessie gets her story first! And oh what a heck of a one it is too! I loved the chemistry between Chessie and Mal! The shenanigans these two get into on their adventure! Once Chessie realizes that Mal was wrongly convicted, she insists on using her skills to finding the real culprit. Can she find out who he/is though before he finds and eliminates them in Cuba?
I loved how Chessie realizes she's more like her badass family than she thinks. Mal has some life learning to do as well. Over all, this was a fast paced, suspenseful story.
Gabe's point of view is shown in the story in bits and pieces as he grieves the loss of the love of his life and waits to find out more about his son. Rocki drops some clues in there at the end so we'll eagerly anticipate the next book, Barefoot with a Badass. Gabe's Story! Finally! *Sigh* Is it the new year yet?!
But wait!! This story isn't about Gabe yet! His baby sister Chessie gets her story first! And oh what a heck of a one it is too! I loved the chemistry between Chessie and Mal! The shenanigans these two get into on their adventure! Once Chessie realizes that Mal was wrongly convicted, she insists on using her skills to finding the real culprit. Can she find out who he/is though before he finds and eliminates them in Cuba?
I loved how Chessie realizes she's more like her badass family than she thinks. Mal has some life learning to do as well. Over all, this was a fast paced, suspenseful story.
Gabe's point of view is shown in the story in bits and pieces as he grieves the loss of the love of his life and waits to find out more about his son. Rocki drops some clues in there at the end so we'll eagerly anticipate the next book, Barefoot with a Badass. Gabe's Story! Finally! *Sigh* Is it the new year yet?!
angela_evans's review
5.0
Roxanne St. Claire is a master at weaving unforgettable characters you will fall in love with over and over again, Barefoot with a Stranger is no exception!
Chessie Rossi isn’t like her siblings, she doesn’t live for the adrenaline rush of chasing down a bad guy. She is much more comfortable with problems that can be solved with the perfect string of binary code on her computer. She lives life by a plan, never going off script. Until everything goes off script one night stranded in an airport with a sexy stranger. When she throws caution out the window and decides that a one night stand is the perfect cure for nursing her broken heart she thinks she’ll never see Mr. Tall Dark and Handsome again. Until he’s standing in her brother, Gabe Rossi’s, kitchen the next morning as Gabe tells them he needs them to go to Cuba and find his son for him.
For Malcom Harris a call for help from none other than Gabe Rossi is not something to be ignored, even if you just got out of prison. He knows the CIA has eyes on him, they’re not about to let that half a million dollars he went to prison for embezzling disappear without a trace. Only, he doesn’t have it, and he’s not about to tell them who does. Four long years without a woman makes Chessie irresistible to him—okay so she would be irresistible no matter when they met. But the last thing he expects is to find out Gabe is her brother and for the two of them to be partners on the most dangerous mission of his life.
Chessie is determined to not let anything get in the way of helping her brother find his son, and since Gabe can’t go to Cuba himself she’s the next best thing. Computers won’t help her on this mission, and she has to trust the untrustworthy Mal to help her find her nephew.
Their chemistry is combustible, and not even the danger of being in Cuba under false pretenses, and being watched by a CIA agent on the wrong side of the law can keep them apart. In the end, it all comes down to whether or not Mal will believe he can have the family and happiness that he grew up without, or if he believes he’s destined to live his life alone.
Either way they will end up back in Barefoot Bay giving Gabe the news they know may be the final straw for the strongest man either of them know.
Roxanne is an amazing storyteller who has the talent of drawing you into a world she creates, filled with characters you wish you could continue getting to know long after the last page is turned. Chessie and Mal’s story is almost too good for words, and you will find yourself gasping on the edge of your seat as they play out their love story for you in this book. Like all of Roxanne’s books it will find its home on your “keeper” shelf, and you’ll read it again, and again telling all your friends they must read it for themselves to believe it! Be sure to warn them their house may fall down around them as they read, and they’ll never notice a thing.
If you, like me, are a longtime fan of Roxanne St. Claire you will be thrilled to see the character of Gabe Rossi back on the pages of her novels, but I should forewarn you that the conclusion of this book will leave you begging for more!
Chessie Rossi isn’t like her siblings, she doesn’t live for the adrenaline rush of chasing down a bad guy. She is much more comfortable with problems that can be solved with the perfect string of binary code on her computer. She lives life by a plan, never going off script. Until everything goes off script one night stranded in an airport with a sexy stranger. When she throws caution out the window and decides that a one night stand is the perfect cure for nursing her broken heart she thinks she’ll never see Mr. Tall Dark and Handsome again. Until he’s standing in her brother, Gabe Rossi’s, kitchen the next morning as Gabe tells them he needs them to go to Cuba and find his son for him.
For Malcom Harris a call for help from none other than Gabe Rossi is not something to be ignored, even if you just got out of prison. He knows the CIA has eyes on him, they’re not about to let that half a million dollars he went to prison for embezzling disappear without a trace. Only, he doesn’t have it, and he’s not about to tell them who does. Four long years without a woman makes Chessie irresistible to him—okay so she would be irresistible no matter when they met. But the last thing he expects is to find out Gabe is her brother and for the two of them to be partners on the most dangerous mission of his life.
Chessie is determined to not let anything get in the way of helping her brother find his son, and since Gabe can’t go to Cuba himself she’s the next best thing. Computers won’t help her on this mission, and she has to trust the untrustworthy Mal to help her find her nephew.
Their chemistry is combustible, and not even the danger of being in Cuba under false pretenses, and being watched by a CIA agent on the wrong side of the law can keep them apart. In the end, it all comes down to whether or not Mal will believe he can have the family and happiness that he grew up without, or if he believes he’s destined to live his life alone.
Either way they will end up back in Barefoot Bay giving Gabe the news they know may be the final straw for the strongest man either of them know.
Roxanne is an amazing storyteller who has the talent of drawing you into a world she creates, filled with characters you wish you could continue getting to know long after the last page is turned. Chessie and Mal’s story is almost too good for words, and you will find yourself gasping on the edge of your seat as they play out their love story for you in this book. Like all of Roxanne’s books it will find its home on your “keeper” shelf, and you’ll read it again, and again telling all your friends they must read it for themselves to believe it! Be sure to warn them their house may fall down around them as they read, and they’ll never notice a thing.
If you, like me, are a longtime fan of Roxanne St. Claire you will be thrilled to see the character of Gabe Rossi back on the pages of her novels, but I should forewarn you that the conclusion of this book will leave you begging for more!
jonetta's review
4.0
Francesca (Chessie) Rossi is on her way from Boston to see brother Gabe in Barefoot Bay after discovering he may have a child by his deceased former lover and colleague, Isadora Winter. She's grounded in Atlanta due to weather and has a chance encounter with Malcolm (Mal) Harris that turns into a one-night stand. He doesn't know she's Gabe's sister, she doesn't know he's Gabe's closest friend and neither realizes their headed to the same destination. Great start to an interesting relationship.
I loved that there were so many layers to this story...Gabe's relationships with Mal and Chessie, Mal's past that figures strategically in this story and Chessie's discovery of her identity outside of the Rossi family. Not to mention the smoldering romance between Mal and Chessie where, despite their bizarre start, they proceed down a pretty good path. I really liked that there weren't any tedious and protracted misunderstandings. Their relationship developed honestly, realistically and with maturity.
Much of this story takes place in Cuba and I got quite the education about the current environment, both political and otherwise, and the realities faced by its people. This was an unexpected and welcomed aspect of the story, especially as it was in the context of changing US political policy towards the country. Very well done.
Loved the story, the characters and the setting. The underlying mystery regarding Gabe's maybe son and Mal's past just made an interesting book even better. And, given how it ended, I'm glad I've got the next book in the queue.
4.5 stars
I loved that there were so many layers to this story...Gabe's relationships with Mal and Chessie, Mal's past that figures strategically in this story and Chessie's discovery of her identity outside of the Rossi family. Not to mention the smoldering romance between Mal and Chessie where, despite their bizarre start, they proceed down a pretty good path. I really liked that there weren't any tedious and protracted misunderstandings. Their relationship developed honestly, realistically and with maturity.
Much of this story takes place in Cuba and I got quite the education about the current environment, both political and otherwise, and the realities faced by its people. This was an unexpected and welcomed aspect of the story, especially as it was in the context of changing US political policy towards the country. Very well done.
Loved the story, the characters and the setting. The underlying mystery regarding Gabe's maybe son and Mal's past just made an interesting book even better. And, given how it ended, I'm glad I've got the next book in the queue.
4.5 stars
mslizalou's review
5.0
So freaking good!!!!
Review copy provided by publisher
I've said over and over again I'm a huge fan of Roxanne St. Claire. I found her books when she started her Bullet Catchers series, so her romantic suspense books have always been my first love. I'm so glad we are getting new romantic suspense books with the Barefoot Bay Undercover books from Roxanne St. Claire!
I absolutely loved Barefoot with a Stranger from the first page to the very last page. I've loved Francesca Rossi (Chessie) since we met her in the Guardian Angelinos books, and loved her pairing with Malcolm Harris, who just happens to be her brother Gabe's best friend. I loved Chessie and Mal had no idea who the other was when they first met and loved their smoking-hot chemistry together. Seriously loved Chessie's chance for a one-night stand was with a super hot ex-spy. I also loved when Malcolm said Francesca, as in my head it was in a super hot, super sexy voice.
I honestly expected Gabe to explode when he found out about Chessie and Mal. I mean hello, this is his baby sister, even if she is 30 now. I loved that both Mal and Chessie stood up not only for being together, but being the right team to go to Cuba to take care of business for Gabe. I love me some Gabe and absolutely loved watching him realize his baby sister was no longer a baby, but a woman with her own goals and ideas for her life. Chessie and Mal were an awesome team and work well together to complete their mission while in Cuba. Their chemistry as a couple only grew stronger the more time they spent together and I completely fell for Mal and Chessie as a couple. I loved how hard they worked to find Gabe's child that he never knew existed. As Mal and Chessie worked together to find Gabe's child, they ended up having to go all over Cuba and even back to Gitmo where Chessie worked hard to clear Mal's name and Mal was able to locate a secret message for Gabe.
I honestly felt every single emotion possible while reading Barefoot with a Stranger. I was laughing one minute and crying another. Roxanne St. Claire gave her fans another winner with Barefoot with a Stranger. Her romantic suspense chops are as awesome as ever, and I'm so excited for the next book in the series. For readers who loved the Guardian Angelinos books, we are finally getting GABE ROSSI'S BOOK!!! Barefoot with a Bad Boy is Gabe's book and the end of Barefoot with a Stranger set up Gabe's book perfectly. Thank you Rocki for another awesome story!
Review copy provided by publisher
I've said over and over again I'm a huge fan of Roxanne St. Claire. I found her books when she started her Bullet Catchers series, so her romantic suspense books have always been my first love. I'm so glad we are getting new romantic suspense books with the Barefoot Bay Undercover books from Roxanne St. Claire!
I absolutely loved Barefoot with a Stranger from the first page to the very last page. I've loved Francesca Rossi (Chessie) since we met her in the Guardian Angelinos books, and loved her pairing with Malcolm Harris, who just happens to be her brother Gabe's best friend. I loved Chessie and Mal had no idea who the other was when they first met and loved their smoking-hot chemistry together. Seriously loved Chessie's chance for a one-night stand was with a super hot ex-spy. I also loved when Malcolm said Francesca, as in my head it was in a super hot, super sexy voice.
I honestly expected Gabe to explode when he found out about Chessie and Mal. I mean hello, this is his baby sister, even if she is 30 now. I loved that both Mal and Chessie stood up not only for being together, but being the right team to go to Cuba to take care of business for Gabe. I love me some Gabe and absolutely loved watching him realize his baby sister was no longer a baby, but a woman with her own goals and ideas for her life. Chessie and Mal were an awesome team and work well together to complete their mission while in Cuba. Their chemistry as a couple only grew stronger the more time they spent together and I completely fell for Mal and Chessie as a couple. I loved how hard they worked to find Gabe's child that he never knew existed. As Mal and Chessie worked together to find Gabe's child, they ended up having to go all over Cuba and even back to Gitmo where Chessie worked hard to clear Mal's name and Mal was able to locate a secret message for Gabe.
I honestly felt every single emotion possible while reading Barefoot with a Stranger. I was laughing one minute and crying another. Roxanne St. Claire gave her fans another winner with Barefoot with a Stranger. Her romantic suspense chops are as awesome as ever, and I'm so excited for the next book in the series. For readers who loved the Guardian Angelinos books, we are finally getting GABE ROSSI'S BOOK!!! Barefoot with a Bad Boy is Gabe's book and the end of Barefoot with a Stranger set up Gabe's book perfectly. Thank you Rocki for another awesome story!
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