Though his family owns the charming beachside town of
Barefoot William, Aidan Cates is as down-to-earth as the locals. He's also
practical to a fault and doesn't believe some psychic on the boardwalk can
predict his future.
Jillie Mac is as free as an ocean breeze, so when the hot
stranger and his date mistake her for a fortune teller, she's ready to have
some fun. But one devastating secret told, one mistaken identity revealed, and
numerous long summer nights later, it's Jillie and Aidan who discover that
sometimes love comes with a simple twist of fate.
Fun book. It opens as Aidan, who owns the successful
construction company building the new baseball training facility, and his
girlfriend wander the Psychic Festival on the pier at Barefoot William. Lily wants
to know what's in store for their relationship, while Aidan knows exactly where
it's going - and it isn't the altar. When Lily settles on a psychic, neither
she nor Aidan expects the reading they received. In a great scene, the psychic
opened Aidan's eyes, then disappeared before he discovered she was an imposter.
Determined to confront her, Aidan sets off in hot pursuit, eventually catching
up with her.
Jillie arrived in
Barefoot William a few days before she starts work. As the Community
Liaison for the Richmond Rogues, it's her job to drum up support for the team
while their new spring training facility is built. On her first day in town,
she explores the place she'll live for the following year. While resting her
feet at an empty table, she couldn't resist the chance to have a little fun and
save Aidan from disaster at the same time. But while she knows who he is, he
has no idea that they'll soon work together.
I enjoyed the first meeting between Jillie and Aidan. The
sparks flew between them from the start, though not all of them were pleasant.
Jillie tends to bend or stretch the truth on occasion, while Aidan is a
straight shooter. Jillie's revelations were a slight blow to Aidan's pride
though he wouldn't admit it. Jillie felt a little guilty, but having been on
the receiving end of a similar situation, she thought Aidan should know sooner
rather than later. When they meet again, once Aidan gets over his anger at the
deception and learns of their connection, he wants to get to know her better.
Jillie is a little gun shy, having just ended a relationship.
I liked watching Jillie and Aidan get to know each other.
Aidan is a nice guy, confident, and well-known for his kindness. He's close to
his family and protective of them. Jillie is fun and free-spirited, but she has
trouble trusting in others' ability to commit, thanks to childhood baggage. I
enjoyed watching Aidan show Jillie around his town and work his way past her
walls with the help of his dog, Sadie. He quickly realizes that he more than
likes her but tries to be patient with her fears. Jillie's feelings for Aidan
are just as strong, but she has trouble believing that he's in it for the long
haul. When she freaks out over those feelings, it takes patience on Aidan's
part and some advice from her friend Carrie to help her past her fears. I liked
Jillie's courage in facing her fears and confessing her feelings to Aidan.
I loved seeing Jillie settle into life in Barefoot
William. She is very much a people person, and there were some terrific scenes
of her doing her job around the town. I thoroughly enjoyed the Rogues vs. town
softball game and how Jillie made it work. Aidan had an amusing flare-up of
jealousy regarding one of the Rogues players, and I laughed out loud at the
resolution of that incident. She showed her creative bent with community
relations with an exciting idea involving the facility's sidewalk. I hope to
see more of her and Aidan in future books.
There was a secondary romance between Jillie's friend and
coworker Carrie, and Aidan's second-in-command, Mike. Mike is a rough around
the edges guy who is bitter about how his baseball dreams ended. He tends to be
snide and sarcastic when he isn't comfortable. This attitude is front and
center when Mike and Carrie meet, making some very obnoxious remarks to and
about her. A victim of severe abuse as a child, Carrie came out the other side
with a surprisingly good attitude. However, she does have some self-esteem
issues, which make her wary of Mike's interest. I liked seeing them first become
friends. Mike turns out to be surprisingly sweet and protective, and I enjoyed
seeing him do little things to make her life easier. It didn't take long for
attraction to blossom, and deeper feelings quickly followed. Mike's life takes
a surprising twist, and I liked Carrie's effect on how he viewed it. I liked
the ending of their story.
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