“Known for her charming beach reads.”—Kirkus Reviews Will a first love get a second chance? Zane Cates has fallen in love twice—once with flying, and once with Tori Rollins, the girl who stole his heart in high school. For a brief, shining moment, their future looked bright. Then the offer of a place at the Air Force Academy got between Zane and his beautiful young wife, and he found his … between Zane and his beautiful young wife, and he found his marriage over as abruptly as a wave washing back to sea. After taking comfort in the wide open skies, he’s ready to return to the sunlit beach town of Barefoot William—and the woman he never wanted to leave behind. Starting over with Tori is the plan—if only his stubborn ex will have him . . .
A vagabond childhood left Tori shy and withdrawn, but after her family arrived in the pretty resort town, she made the first real friend she ever had—Zane. Opening up to him was a risk she didn’t regret taking, but she never looked back once she decided to end their brief marriage. Seeing him again now is a startling shock—and an irresistible temptation. Can she let him back into her life—and finally find joy in their love?
Praise for Kate Angell and her novels
“Grab a beach chair, sunscreen, and a Kate Angell book for a great summer read!”
—Roxanne St. Claire, New York Times bestselling author
“Fast-paced. Fun characters.”
—Lori Foster, New York Times bestselling author
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You just can’t go wrong with a Kate Angell book.
In No Kissing under the Boardwalk, we see Zane and Tori as high school sweethearts. They love each other desperately and Zane would do anything for Tori.
We see young love, heart-break, angst, and possible second chances. Choices may rip them apart, literally, but will adult choices bring them back together or will past hurts never heal?
We have got to see Zane and his crazy dog Oswald in past Barefoot William books, but it was good to see him as a grown man. I would suggest this book to anybody who likes romance books.
I had a real problem with the timeline in this story. I’ve read other books by this author and enjoyed them. This book was good until the characters were frozen in an emotional time loop for almost two decades. Other failed relationships would have had the characters grow and make the story work.
I really enjoyed this book in the Barefoot William Beach series. This time we get Zane Cates and Tori Rollins. They were high school sweethearts that got married young when tragedy struck Tori’s family and Zane wasn’t sure of his future. You could tell they were really in love and you really wanted them to work out. I liked the side story of Race and Blu. Race was a cousin to Zane and Blu was Tori’s coworker and good friend.
I liked how the book opened in 1999 and told you the story of Zane and Tori meeting their senior year of high school and then continued into 2000 and told how they went their separate ways. The second half of the book was present day and how these two people who were still in love but had hurt each other tried to find their way back to each other. Again I really enjoyed the present day story of Race and Blu. I really enjoyed he back and forth between those two.
If you have read other books in this series then you would enjoy this book and I would recommend it.
No Kissing Under the Boardwalk by Kate Angell
Barefoot William Beach #7
I have loved the books set in Barefoot William Beach and looked forward to reading this one even though second chance romances are not my favorite as so often what was wrong to begin with is still wrong in the future. The fact that nearly twenty years elapses between the first and second chance at love for Zane Cates and Tori Rollins is hard to take in.
What I liked:
* The early relationship between Zane and Tori
* The love Tori has for her grandmother
* The closeness of the Cates family
* That there ended up being a HEA for the couple
What I didn’t like:
* The reason Zane left
* The lack of communication when the couple was faced with a difficult decision a week into their marriage
* The feeling that there was more to the story that should have been told about the couple during their years apart
* The questionable ability of a Dalmation to live as long as the one in the book – did find that a few HAVE but that it is not the norm
* The entitlement and cockiness of Zane
* The patheticness of Tori and her lack of gumption and ability to move on
Did I enjoy the book? For the most part
Do I want to read more by this author? Yes
Was this believable to me? Not so much…I could not relate to this one as I could not see myself acting as Tori did.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC – This is my honest review.
3-4 Stars
I thoroughly enjoyed this touching tale of first love, heartbreak, and second chances. Tori suffered more heartache than one person should ever have to endure in such a short time and my heart broke for her. Zane – sweet, reliant, protective Zane – became her rock during the storm, but when his dream of being accepted to the Air Force Academy came true, he had a tough decision to make. Follow his dream or his heart.
I wanted to wring his neck for leaving her behind. But at the same time I understood that this was an opportunity that he couldn’t pass up. He was being handed his dream. And it gutted me that he had such an enormous decision to make at such a young age – one that would impact not just his life, but Tori’s too.
I felt Tori’s pain deeply. My heart broke not only for her losses but in giving up her dream. While Zane was off chasing his dream, she was dealing with the cards that life dealt her. She had to shoulder so much responsibility at such a young age but she endured and I admire her strength and tenacity.
All in all, I really enjoyed this book. Oswald was adorable and it warmed my heart that he took to Nana Aubrey. And Blu and Racer were a fun and sassy side plot.
The first half of this book was great, and the whole thing was skillfully written and well edited. I loved the idea of two very different people having a chance at love. Zane comes from a large, wealthy extended family with several generations who have made a touristy, Florida beachside community home. Tori’s parents have moved from place to place, eking out an existence. In spite of their differences, Zane and Tori fall in love but delay any marriage plans until after college – interior design school for her and Air Force Academy for him. That all changes the night of their senior prom when Tori’s parents are killed and she’s left with the responsibility of caring for her infirmed grandmother. Not having heard back from the academy, Zane asks Tori to marry him, and although they’re young, they’re very much in love and blissfully happy. For all of one week, until Zane gets his acceptance into the academy and they get divorced, because married applicants aren’t accepted.
The advance copy I read of this book is my first by this author and I’m on the fence about trying her other work. This plot may have been easier to accept if we hadn’t been given great detail about the blissful before that took up half of the book. To experience Tori’s everyday challenges, to have her parents die and her become responsible for her grandmother, and then for Zane to leave her? That’s not the choice or action of a person in love. He goes off and fulfills his dream of flying planes and chasing hurricanes and leaves Tori utterly devastated and completely broken. For eighteen years!! He blissfully lives his life and she stays stuck in her devastation, barely existing. Then he waltzes back in and has the nerve to expect she’ll give him a second chance. Sorry, but no. Just no.
Then there were minor things that didn’t add up. Zane’s dog is a puppy when they first meet, which would put the age of the Dalmatian at around nineteen years old when Zane returns home for good. It’s slightly possible but largely improbable. Then there’s Tori’s car. She buys a used 2000 Camaro in 2000, and living paycheck to paycheck as a high school senior working at a pizza place it’s highly unlikely, if not impossible, that she could have afforded it. There’s also her friendship with Blu, who is as close as a sister. Blu is there for Tori, moves in with her after Tori’s divorce to help with the rent and is wonderfully supportive. When Blu gets her own place again, Tori works her interior decorating magic on the place. We’ll it turns out Blu has purchased a vegetarian restaurant with all the tips she saved working at the pizza place. If they’re such great friends, why didn’t Blu offer Tori a decent job at her restaurant so Tori wouldn’t have to work seventy hours a week to barely scrape by? This book has some quality writing with heart and emotion and held my interest well enough, but there was too many things just didn’t work for me.
I loved, loved, loved Zane and Tori and their second chance story in No Kissing Under the Boardwalk by Kate Angell. This wonderful book brings the reader once again back to Barefoot William and the Cates family. Zane was the first real friend Tori ever had, since her family moved around a lot, and was able to open up to him despite knowing she was opening herself up to being hurt. Zane understood how difficult her life was and wanted to make sure she knew she was loved and had someone to lean on; but Tori was too independent, basically raising herself and taking care of her grandmother, to lean on anyone. Their love for each other and their connection was amazing. With the arrival of an acceptance letter to the Air Force Academy, Tori decided to end their brief marriage and sent Zane off to the academy. This showed me how much she truly loved Zane. When Zane retires from the service he returns permanently to Barefoot William with only one goal; to win back his ex-wife, the only woman he ever loss his heart too. It’s understandable how angry and stubborn Tori is toward Zane when he reappears, but deep down she still has feelings that she does not want to admit to. I loved how Zane got Tori to attend a counseling retreat to see if they could salvage any of their relationship. He also proved how well he knew her, breaking rules to give her peace of mind, taking walk together, even crying together. How could she not love Zane?
Ms. Angell wrote a wonderful, emotional, and sexy second chance story that is not to be missed. This story is filled with sexual chemistry, fun dialogue, and endearing characters. I totally want to retire in Barefoot William or at least winter there. This book should definitely be on everyone’s reading list. I highly recommend this book to other readers and cannot wait for the next Barefoot William/ Rogue story by Kate Angell.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
I love the little town of Barefoot William that author Kate Angell has created and this book and characters are a addition to the series. This is a wonderful tale of two people finding that perfect love too early in life and not always knowing how to handle life’s ups and downs. It’s a love that’s lasting. A love that years apart can’t end. Zane realizes this and returns home hoping for a second chance with Tori. Tori’s pain is still too real and convincing her to trust him again will be the biggest challenge Zane has ever faced. These two are amazing characters as are secondary characters Race and Blu. I would love to have their full story. I definitely recommend this one.
This was my first book by Kate Angell, but it definitely won’t be the last. I’ve already put the first six books on my TBR list. The setup of the book was interesting. I expected, from the blurb, that the early part of Tori and Zane’s romance would be covered in a chapter or two, with the larger part of the book devoted to them getting back together. Instead, it was evenly divided between the two. While I thoroughly enjoyed seeing them fall in love, I would have liked a bit more time and depth to their reconciliation. This was especially noticeable because Zane and Tori shared page time with their friends Race and Blu.
Be that as it may, I loved the relationship between the young Zane and Tori. He is practically town royalty, descended from the town’s founders. He’s handsome, charming, and a really nice guy. He has big plans for his life – go to the Air Force Academy, become a fighter pilot, then a hurricane hunter, before retiring back to Barefoot William. Tori is new to town, the daughter of vagabond parents, with big dreams of her own. She wants to be an interior designer and works hard to earn both the grades and the money needed to attend the school of her choice. Their meeting was adorable, facilitated by a mischievous dalmatian dog who stole Tori’s bikini top while she snoozed on the beach. Zane was cute with his teasing as he returned it, and flirted with the girl he’d noticed in school but hadn’t yet met. I loved his pursuit of her, as he hung out at the pizza place where she worked, just to be close to her. Their connection was quick and deep; they could and did talk about anything and everything. Zane’s big heart was also obvious in the way he acted toward Tori’s grandmother. I loved watching her bloom under his attention.
Zane and Tori’s lives were turned upside down at the end of their senior year when Tori’s parents were killed in a plane crash, leaving her alone except for her grandmother. I cried for Tori as she gave up her dreams to stay home and care for her grandmother. I loved how Zane was there for her, a rock she could lean on. Zane’s own dreams were falling apart as he waited in vain for his appointment to the Academy. Instead, he takes a different path, marrying Tori and providing a home for her and her grandmother. I smiled at their sweet, young love as they settled into married life. But fate wasn’t done with them. One short week into their marriage, a late acceptance arrives for Zane. But cadets can’t be married, leaving Zane and Tori with a difficult decision to make. I ached for them both. Zane doesn’t want to leave Tori, but he’s spent his whole life dreaming of that moment. Tori doesn’t want to let him go, but she can’t stand the idea of killing his dreams. So they divorced, with Zane having every intention of remarrying Tori after graduation.
Fast forward eighteen years. Tori still works at the pizza place, takes care of her grandmother, and barely makes ends meet. She’s bitter about the way her life has turned out. She has seen Zane occasionally on his visits home but wants nothing to do with him. Then Zane returns to Barefoot William for good. He’s retired from the Air Force and is ready for the next stage of his life. And part of that stage is trying to win back Tori. He has never stopped loving her. I ached for him as he tried and tried to get her to talk to him. He could see the changes in her, and they made his heart hurt. I ached for Tori also. She had never forgotten Zane, but she has spent years nursing her anger and hurt. Having him back in town scares her because she can tell that her feelings for him are still there, but she won’t risk trusting him with her heart again. It’s harder and harder for her to resist him, as he tries to show her that he never stopped loving her.
Zane’s last ditch effort was a suggestion for counseling. I ached for him on the drive there, as Tori’s attitude was so negative. I wanted to shake her because of it, and tell her to open her eyes and see how much he cared. I felt like the attempt could go either way. I loved seeing them open up to each other, with Zane finally seeing just how much he had hurt Tori. I also loved seeing Tori finally let go of the past and consider the future. That scene between Zane and Tori was heart-wrenching, but also sweet as Zane helped Tori through it. I loved seeing them actually communicate with each other about their hopes and dreams for the future. The final scene of the book was sweet, romantic, and very satisfying.
A big part of the book was also spent on the relationship between Zane’s cousin and friend, Race, and Tori’s friend, Blu. In the first half of the book, we saw the young Race – handsome, charming, flirtatious, and determined to pursue Blu. He’s quite brash in his attitude, and he treats her as if a relationship is a matter of when not if. Blu is two years older than Race and recovering from another relationship. She isn’t about to get involved with a flirt like Race. Their relationship is pretty funny, as Blu shoots down every attempt that Race makes to get to know her and Race refuses to be discouraged. This adversarial relationship continues for years, as Race pursues Blu whenever he comes home on leave. In the second half of the book, their relationship begins to change. Blu’s reasons for resisting come out, as do Race’s motivations for some of his actions. It was interesting to see Blu finally say yes to a date with him, then panic and sabotage the date. I ached for Race at that point, because he was truly into her and didn’t understand what was happening. I loved the aftermath of that date and seeing them make progress in understanding each other.
I also loved the dog, Ozzie. His mischievousness brought Tori and Zane together. I also loved the way the dog took to Tori’s grandmother. His protectiveness and devotion to her were awesome. I was amazed by the way he brought her out of her shell. I loved how Zane was sweet enough to leave Ozzie with Tori and her grandmother when he left, and laughed at his “visitations” when he was home on leave.