Gutsy, sassy and if they were men you could say they walked with a swagger -- an inborn sense of self, confident and smart. No one's fool but ah ha that's the rub. Three women all set up by the same con man -- all of them thought they were Mrs. Conrad Steele. Only one was correct.
Vintage Carolyn Brown who proves once again that no matter the genre she is the absolute master at creating the best female characters. Whether bartending with western twang and sarcasm dripping of their tongue or high powered corporate executives with sharp tongue and keen intellect -- there's no mistaking a Carolyn Brown woman.
I don't usually include any quotes from any book I am reviewing but I have to make an exception this one time. This about sums it up: "Tell me the truth. Did you find out about those other women before or after he was killed?" "If I'd known about those other two wives, he wouldn't have been alive on Thursday to be buying flowers in that shop."
In short don't mess with any Carolyn Brown woman and in THE BAREFOOT SUMMER you will meet three women whose paths never would have crossed under any other circumstance. Kate, Jamie and Amanda have good reason to be royally annoyed with recent events that found them in a very compromising position. They meet at the funeral of Conrad Steele. Through Carolyn Brown's imagery we see the air crackle as these woman discover something too strange to be true. Kate, Jamie and Amanda are all married to Steele. But of course that isn't possible. Each of them can rationalize Conrad's road time. They've learned to live with a man who spends little time at home.
Sure this should have been a red flag but these women easily justify his absence. After fourteen years Kate had basically little to do with Conrad missing in action most of the time. He was pressing for a divorce so he could get part of her wealth. Kate was all for Conrad getting the divorce. But their pre-nup specifically said he would walk away with what he came to the marriage with -- essentially nothing but an inflated ego. Jamie and her daughter Gracie fashioned their lives around a man home one week a month. Sure it bothered Jamie but she had Gracie to consider. Any time with her father was good for Gracie. And then we have very pregnant Amanda who is having the most difficult time thinking these women were still married to her Conrad.
Carolyn Brown has a great sense of humor. So while this is essentially a murder mystery as in who killed Conrad Steele while he was purchasing yellow roses at a florist Brown has us smiling page after amazing page.
In the meantime poor Kate has to deal with a detective dogging her every step. With her money she seems the likely candidate to either kill or arrange for the kill. All three wives have moved into Conrad's cabin -- each with their own personal reason. So we have three wives basically co-habiting while the investigation continues. Each there to claim that cabin as theirs.
Watching these three interact and somehow make the situation livable was beyond good entertainment. Each has personal issues aside from their doomed relationship with this conman. At one point each had loved Conrad. As the tale continues we start to see when cracks in the veneer began. Again pointing to Carolyn Brown's love of the absurd -- each of the marriages of these women are exactly seven years apart. Talk about a seven year itch. But what's even worse -- if anything could be -- the elephant in the room. Are these three the only widows of Conrad Steele? How many others are going to pop up during the investigation?
Are you ready for a fabulous romp? THE BAREFOOT SUMMER by Carolyn Brown is at first a story about coming to grips with marriages that were not even legal. But that would be way too simple for Carolyn Brown. THE BAREFOOT SUMMER is about rediscovering the best part of who you are. Kate, Jamie and Amanda are good people that needed to see their future more clearly. Brown uses the women's relationship as the vehicle to get them on the right path. For me THE BAREFOOT SUMMER is one of the best stories about women, friendship, love, trust and family.
Leaving one widow behind is unfortunate. Leaving three
widows behind is just plain despicable. Oil heiress Kate
Steele knew her not-so-dearly departed husband was a con
man, but she’s shocked that Conrad racked up two more wives
without divorcing her first. The only remnant of their
miserable marriage she plans to keep is their lakeside cabin
in Bootleg, Texas. Unfortunately, she’s not the only woman
with that idea.
Fiery, strong-willed Jamie wishes Conrad were still alive—so
she could kill the scoundrel herself. But for their
daughter’s sake, she needs that property. As does
Amanda—twenty-eight, pregnant, and still weeping over the
loss of her true love. On a broiling July day, all three
arrive in Bootleg…with a dogged detective right behind who’s
convinced that at least one of them conspired to commit
murder. One momentous summer filled with revelations, quirky
neighbors, and barefoot evenings on the porch offers three
women the chance to make the journey from enemies to
friends, and claim a bright, new beginning.
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