Barefoot Girls is one of the most unique and intriguing summer seeming books I’ve read in ages! It seems like it should be a completely light and fluffy summer read (even though the action doesn’t actually happen in the summer) but there’s a whole deeper plot to this book that just makes it fantastic.

The story is told from alternating perspectives, and alternating between the past and present, which I would think would be incredibly difficult to pull off for an author, but is done exceptionally well in this book. The character and tense shifts were timely, made sense, and were clear enough that I didn’t have to read half the chapter to figure out who I was dealing with at the time.

Hannah’s in her twenties, just published her first novel, is engaged to a great guy, and is having an identity crisis. She’s always wanted the kinds of friends that her mom had – four women who became friends as children during their summer’s on Captain’s and have continued their relationship into adulthood. But, she’s introverted and it never really happened for her. She’s always felt a wall between her and her mom, and is still waiting to learn more about her father, who died before she was born.

After her mother cuts her off emotionally because of a review of her book, she goes to Captain’s to spend some time reflecting and trying to learn more about her mother and her past, and how the Barefoot Girls came to be. But, the past may be more than she expects, and will change everything she knows about herself and her extended family.

Seriously, couldn’t put this book down, it’s fantastically well done, and has a really intriguing plot that’s deeper and more engrossing than you would expect.