Barefoot Season (Mallery) - Book Reviews

Book Reviews
A character-driven tale of complex relationships, the costs of forgiveness, and the abiding security we can find, lose and rediscover within the complexity of feminine friendships.... With strong characters, a vivid sense of place and intricate relational dynamics Barefoot Season will hold its own against best-selling women's fiction titles and please fans of mainstream romance as well. The first book in Susan Mallery's new Blackberry Island series, Barefoot Season is a well-written story of healing, letting go, and making room in your heart for hope.
USA Today


With a compelling twist on the wounded war hero story and an intense exploration of what makes up a family, Mallery has set the bar high for the books to follow in her new Blackberry Island series. The characters—both furry and human—come to life in their small-town setting and will touch readers' hearts and funny bones.
RT Book Reviews


Gritty and magical, angst-ridden and sweet, this coming-home story by bestseller Mallery (Only His) pulls no punches. Veteran Michelle Sanderson has survived multiple deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq, but she’s never forgotten the little island inn on Puget Sound where three generations of her family have welcomed visitors. After Michelle’s mother dies, onetime friend Carly Williams—whom Michelle betrayed by sleeping with her fiance—is left to manage the inn until Michelle returns. Michelle wants nothing more than to fire Carly and reclaim the family legacy, but with a shotup hip, PTSD, and an unforgiving bank loan, she has no choice but to make their uneasy reunion work. This is only the beginning; Mallery adds layer upon layer to the women’s history, while revealing the raw core of each with expert pacing guaranteed to keep a reader up way past bedtime to see how it all works out. There’s a touch of romance, too, but it’s secondary. This first installment in the Blackberry Island series is about the journey from girlhood to womanhood to sisterhood, and the simple power of an honest apology.
Publishers Weekly


The close childhood bond of Michelle Sanderson and Carly Williams suffered shocking blows that sent Michelle running to join the army, leaving Carly behind... [until Michelle returns to her newly inherited bed-and-breakfast on Blackberry Island.... [The two] must work together to bring the inn out of financial ruin. Verdict: With this debut volume in her new series, best-selling author Mallery (Already Home) skillfully reveals insights into each woman’s life to create a poignant tale of forgiveness, friendship renewed, and family. For Mallery and Debbie Macomber fans.‚ Joy Gunn, Henderson Libs., NV
Library Journal


Barefoot Season will appeal to book clubs (great discussion topics abound!) and fans of Barbara Delinsky and Jodi Picoult. Susan Mallery weaves a tale of broken friendship with enough twists and turns to keep even the most seasoned reader of commercial women’s fiction guessing about where the story will lead.
Book Reporter