Barefoot Season (Blackberry Island, #1)

by Susan Mallery

[Cocktails and Books]

This is the third woman's fiction book I've read by Susan Mallery and it's another book that proves that Susan Mallery has the ability to capture those little nuances in women's relationship with each other.

Michelle Sanderson and Carly Williams were best friends from elementary school through high school. But through no fault of their own, they were pitted against each other through the acts of their parents. Then when they were working towards re-establishing their relationship a man and jealousy came between them causing a rift that seemed unrepairable.

Fast forward ten years and we have an injured Michelle returning home to Blackberry Island after serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. She's broken...not just physically, but psychologically as well. Coming home to the Inn she loves should be just what the doctor ordered. Unfortunately, it also means dealing with the Carly (who now runs the Inn) and the ramifications of both her mother's actions, hers and Carly's past, and the ghost who haunt her from her tour.

If you're hoping to find romance being front and center, like other Susan Mallery books, you won't find it here. The focus here is truly the relationship between Carly and Michelle. It was interesting to see the hurt and anger that both woman had held onto for so long fall away when they soon learn that the other is not at all the evil bitch they remembered the other to be. They both need to learn how to take responsibility for their part in what caused their rift and understand that outside forces (mainly their parents) also contributed. Once they learned to forgive each other and realize that they can truly trust the other, they were able to re-establish their connection.

An emotional read that will have readers remembering those good friends who you have/had a rift with and taking a look at that relationship with new eyes.