Barefoot with a Bad Boy

Roxanne St. Claire

Feb 2016 · South Street Publishing

About this ebook

A man who trusts no one is forced to believe the unbelievable...

For years, former spy Gabriel Rossi has been secretly searching for CIA linguist Isadora Winter, a woman he loved and lost long ago. But recently, he learned of her untimely death in an accident...and death of her son named Gabe. Angry, hurt, and uncertain of his next move, Gabe is stunned when a woman he's never met approaches him on the beach and claims to be Isadora. She doesn't look, act, or talk like his beloved Isa, but she knows things about their past that only a lover could know, and she assures him that his son is alive and well. As much as he wants to believe her and knows that in the spy world, anything is possible, doubts and distrust plague him. Still, he sees glimmers of the woman he once knew shine through and she begins to melt his hardened heart.

A woman who is tortured by emotions must endure the pain of love...

Lila Wickham has been working deep undercover for so long that sometimes she's forgotten who she really is. Now that her assignment is over and the surgeries she endured left her utterly changed, she is determined to fix the broken life she left behind and assure that her little boy is safe. With lingering threats from an unknown source and blinding headaches that torment her whenever she feels deep emotion, she seeks Gabe Rossi for help and protection. But instead of setting her up with a new undercover identity, he insists on luring her nemesis to Barefoot Bay so he can end the threat to Lila and her son once and for all.

Can they survive the worst betrayal of all?

Even if they succeed in drawing out the killer who has Lila in his sights, a much more serious threat hovers over them...a treacherous, deadly truth that could not only destroy their love but end their lives as well.

Don’t miss a minute of the series USA Today says is “full of heat, humor, and heart!”
Here’s the entire Barefoot Bay series in order:

The Barefoot Bay Billionaires
Secrets on the Sand
Seduction on the Sand
Scandal on the Sand

The Barefoot Bay Brides
Barefoot in White
Barefoot in Lace
Barefoot in Pearls

Barefoot Bay Undercover
Barefoot with a Bodyguard
Barefoot with a Stranger
Barefoot with a Bad Boy

Ratings and reviews

Once again St. Claire has created a novel I simply couldn’t put down. Not only was this story intense & fast paced throughout, but the intricate backstory that St. Claire presented had my heart on my sleeve. The combination of everyday life in Barefoot Bay with the very spy-esque premise was fantastic. There were definitely some plot twists and turns that I never saw coming. St. Claire combines with best of real romance with subtle intrigue and some all-out action throughout to create a whole that is so much more than simply the sum of its parts. Picturesque descriptions combine with intensely, vividly in your face ones to create different feelings and moods throughout the novel. The tranquility of the setting contrasts with the intensity of the plot in a manner that left me breathless. Gabe’s bad boy attitude combined with his complete distrust of everyone created a hero that I couldn’t help but fall for. His strength despite and because of everything in his past was unforgettable. I loved how Lila was a strong heroine who still had vulnerabilities. This combination made the entire story all the more poignant for me. The complicated yet intricate relationship between these two tugged at my heart. At the same time, the off the charts chemistry made the pages sizzle at times, without detracting from the fast paced suspense of the tale as a whole. The fact that St. Claire goes in-depth with her character development for her secondary characters as well creates a feeling of completeness in the story. The complex interpersonal relationships kick the story up to the next level. This novel is going to become a staple on my shelves. It’s a fantastic read for fans of Barefoot Bay and for those just looking for a standalone to read. But I will warn you, you’ll get sucked in to this world and end up dying to read more! Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this work in exchange for an honest review.

Did you ever have a book that was so good you read it real slow because you didn't want it to end? That is what this book did to me! I loved Gabriel Rossi to start with but this story, his story, really made me fall in love with him all over again. Gabe is still trying to deal with the news of Isadora Winter and his son, Gabriel being dead. He is not sure anyone can fill her space and that he could ever fall in love again. While dealing with his loss, a stranger by the name of Lila Wickham shows up in Barefoot Bay. She smells like Isa, wearing Channel No. 5, but doesn't look a thing like her. Once they finally talk, Lila starts saying things that only Isa would have known. Gabe is convinced she is a spy and trying to hunt him down. What he doesn't accept is that she really is Isa. I just loved they way these two slowly came together. With both of them being spies, they were both very cautious about everything. I really enjoyed it when Gabe finally believed Lila that she really was Isa. I loved how bad a$$ Gabe was when he started doing what needed to be done to protect Lila. The whole mystery side of their story was awesome. Great full circle type of story! It's kind of a scary thought what happened, but I'm sure it has before! I loved Gabe's son, Rafe, aka Gabriel. What a great, spirited kid...especially at the big ending reveal...typical kid stuff! Uncle Nino is so adorable I just want to hug him and hang out with him. The way he was with Rafe was perfect! I think adult Gabe is quickly going to be replaced as Uncle Nino's favorite! ;) And Poppy....this woman is perfect! I love her wit, humor and sassiness. I really enjoy her and Gabe together. I think this woman needs her own story quick! Overall, a perfect story for such a perfectly flawed guy!

I loved Gabe's story! I highly recommend Barefoot with a Bad Boy to all Roxanne St. Claire fans, old and new! Barefoot with a Bad Boy is by far my favorite Barefoot Bay book. It was filled with everything a great book needs, amazing characters (some with six pack abs), fabulous setting, wonderful story line, and a surprising plot twist that I did not see coming. This is Gabe's story, former CIA and all around hot bad boy! Gabe is trying to reconcile the fact that Lila Wickham might be his beloved Isadora Winter, who he thought was dead. Lila looks nothing like Isa, her hair texture and color, eye color and body structure were all changed as part of a deep undercover mission with the CIA. But Lila cannot control some of Isa's quirky habits and Gabe soon comes to believe that Lila really is Isa and that Rafe is really his son. Barefoot with a Bad Boy is filled with love, passion and the right amount of humor. Uncle Nino is still one of the best characters in the book. I love how he interacts with Poppy, and how this strong Italian man is not afraid to cry when the need arises. Something that he has passed on to Gabe. Gabe's story was definitely worth the wait. It was a great read on cold winter night. It was a fabulous read and a must read for every Roxanne St Claire read. I cannot wait to see what Roxanne thinks up next, since this book concluded the Barefoot Bay Undercover series.

About the author

Roxanne St. Claire is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than thirty novels of suspense and romance, including three popular series (The Bullet Catchers, The Guardian Angelinos, and Barefoot Bay) and multiple stand-alone books. Her entire backlist, including excerpts and buy links, can be found at www.roxannestclaire.com.

In addition to being a six-time nominee and one-time winner of the prestigious Romance Writers of America RITA Award, Roxanne’s novels have won the National Reader’s Choice Award for best romantic suspense three times, and the Borders Top Pick in Romance, as well as the Daphne du Maurier Award, the HOLT Medallion, the Maggie, Booksellers Best, Book Buyers Best, the Award of Excellence, and many others. Her books have been translated into dozens of languages and are routinely included as a Doubleday/Rhapsody Book Club Selection of the Month.