Member Reviews
Fun read. I've read a few books by this author. The town and characters made for a perfect summer beach read story.
I loved the characters and the storyline development of this book. It was absolutely one of my favorites so far and I can't wait to delve in to the next one that this author writes. The storyline was simple, enjoyable, and entertaining.
Katie Angell always come through for me! I enjoy reading all of her books and she weaves a beautiful story of love lost and reclaimed. When I read her books I feel like I am at the beach and smell the ocean. Love series books and can't wait for more!
No Kissing Under the Boardwalk is the newest book in Kate Angell's Barefoot William Beach series and it is an excellent addition. Well worth reading.
I love the town of Barefoot Williams and the Cates family in general. I enjoyed the teen romance of Zane and Tori as they fall in love. I didn't like their breakup and this weird time in the middle before they come together again years later.
Angell does give all the emotions.
This is my first book read this year, and my 1800th listed in Goodreads. If I’d realized going in that this book would be so non-momentous, I might have chosen something else. I gave this book two stars because of its only redeeming quality — the characters seem to be good people. But oh my, was this book poorly written. The sex scenes made me laugh instead of tingle, and the constant discussion of erections every time each of the couples interacted was just embarrassing. Often nouns were left out so that sentences sounded really chopping and sing-song: it often sounded like how I write when I’m dashing off an email and conserving words to save time, not how I would tell a story. There are holes in the plot you could drive a truck through, starting with the dog and Nana Aubrey’s lifespan. Apparently this is a series that has lasted through six prior books, with no end in sight, so apparently somebody likes this series. I found the cover and initial premise appealing, but the reality of this book was one that didn’t work for me at all.
I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This book was quite surprising. It started off as just another sweet teenage romance set in a tourist area on the beach, but then takes quite a turn with death, devotion, heartbreak, struggle and reconnection after 18 years apart. It was a much meatier drama than your traditional romance. As adults with different perspectives of what happened as teens, it was interesting to see how the author wove the story as it came to conclusion. I have to say the author wove quite a story and I would be intrigued to read more from her in the future.
Kate Angell knows how to write an exciting love story normally, unfortunately, this book fell short compared to other books she has written. The book moved really slowly and the pace didn't make me want to quickly move through the story. More than half of the book was like sludging through mud and I found it difficult to stick with.
Zane and Tori were childhood sweethearts who got married very young and who's marriage ended abruptly when he joined the air force as a pilot. Now back after many years Zane is determined to find Tori and win her back as she had always been the one that got away..... but how will Tori feel about that after all those years?
I enjoyed this second time around book I liked the characters, although I thought it a bit arrogant of Zane to think he could just come back and get her back, I haven't read the others in the series and it was fine as a standalone book
Cute story. Fun and easy read. Great beach read ! I would recommend to any light romance reader. Looking forward to more from this author.
This story follows the lives of Zane Cate and Tori Rollins who meet on the beach in the fall of 1999, their senior year in high school, and begin a love/hate relationship that leads up to the present day. Zane has fulfilled his dreams of becoming a pilot and a storm chaser while Tori has remained working at the same restaurant in the same town for twenty years. Zane wants Tori and he wants to rebuild their relationship even though it will be a real challenge.
Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for an ARC; all opinions are my own.
My first Kate Angel book. A pleasant summer read. Not a story I was wild about. Read other review, you might be interested.
No Kissing under the Boardwalk is the latest in Kate Angell's Barefoot Williams series. The series is among my favorite beach-reads. No Kissing tells Zane and Tori's second-chance love story. While I loved catching up with Barefoot William's cast of characters, this one didn't quite hit the mark for me. I loved the first half of the story, and it kicks off with one of my favorite meet-cutes. However, the conclusion felt rushed and a wrapped up a little too neat for me.
While I'd recommend this book to anyone keeping up with the series, if you are new to Kate Angell or Barefoot Williams, I recommend starting the series from the beginning.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.
Great contemporary romance series! This is the 5th book in the Barefoot William Beach series. I've read most of the books in the series and was looking forward to Zane and Tori's story. I wasn't disappointed. Highly recommended!
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
Zane yelled at Oswald/Ozzy/Oz that the bikini top had better came from the lost and found at the lifeguard station .Ozzy was Zane’s dalmation puppy. The puppy had stolen Tori’s bikini top. Tori had found a secluded spot and untied her top as she laid on her stomach. But Oswald tugged on her top and it came untied and off came her top and then Ozzy stole it to play with it. Tori hadn’t planned on falling asleep but HS during the day and the night shift at Zirrotti’s Pizza Shop took up her time and exhausted Tori. Oz was notorious for his antics. Oz stole whatever he could wrap his little mouth around. Zane had yet to break Oz of his stealing habit. Beachgoers lost lost frisbees, flip flops, paperbacks, water bottles, whistles, sunglasses now a bikini top. Zane then apologetically returned the items to the owners. Zane’s reputation preceded him: good looking, clean cut, smart, athletic, friendly, and outgoing. Whereas Tori was aloof. Tori always kept to herself, it was a protective measure taken to hide that she was an outsider. Tori was a virgin. Her parents had problems holding jobs, so the family moved each year. She had abandoned friendship with every move. There’d be no future attachments in this resort town. She did alone just fine. Zane was mature for eighteen. He recognized his place in life.The Cates name was well known. Tori told Zane she had been in town six weeks since the start of school. Zane then said he had seen her in a couple of the classes they had together. Zane wants to go to the Air Force Academy and eventually be a hurricane hunter. Tori has a dream to study interior design and she told Zane after he promised not to tell anyone her secret. Texture made her fingers itch. Interior design was in her soul. Her future goal. She was starved for success. Her parents had yet to achieve. Tori’s graders were good she had used all her free time to study. Read. She would graduate at the top of ehr class. Tori worked five nights a week , willingly picking up extra hours when she could. There were people who got under Zane’s skin, warmed his heart and Tori was one of them. Zane had never felt anything before like hs response to Tori. It was more of than a physical change. Zane liked Tori a lot. She stayed on his mind. Tori made Zane crazy. Love had came hard and fast for Zane. He knew Tori cared but was taking her time telling Zane she loved him. They were an exclusive couple. Tori was a different girl from the previous fall and she was Zane’s. Tori got accepted to the college she wanted to go to but Zane had not been accepted to the Academy. Then Tori’s parents were killed in a plane accident Tori gave up her scholarship and place at the college she had to take care of her grandmother. . Tori and Zane decided to marry. Zane’s parents let them move into a two bedroom cottage Zane’s aunt used to live in and it was rent free. Tori’s grandmother could come to. A week after they were married Zane got a letter- a late acceptance letter as someone had given up their spot and it was offered to Zane. Tori and Zane got a divorce and she and her grandmother and Ozzy moved back into the White Heron Apartments.
I had mixed feelings on this book. This had me on an emotional roller coaster.Why did Zane want to go to counseling for two days after eighteen years he got to do all he wanted to do at Tori’s expense. As long as he got to go after his dream and fulfill it I really didn’t care to much for Zane after he left Tori. He may had felt bad but not enough to go to his wife and make her knew she was his life and they had taken vows he planned on keeping but he didn’t do that. Tori sacrificed and lost everything her parents, her dream of college and interior design and then her husband who was her security and centered her was gone. I wish this would have showed more of the decision to divorce and how it was brought up - that period in Zane and Tori’s relationship. My heart went out to Tori. Anyway I was very disappointed with Zane and his selfishness at least that is my opinion. How did they get divorced so quick. I absolutely loved Ozzy and how he got Tori’s grandma responsive and walking again. I did like the pace for the most part. . I also loved the fact Zane at least left Ozzy for Tori’s grandma and Tori. Also when he remembered her grandmother's birthday. I did however feel this was rushed at times. So as I said I had mixed feelings.
I have enjoyed many of Kate Angell's books in the past. They were great beach reads filled with fun, sun & sexy times. This book was a bit of a departure as there were some very serious issues uncovered. It was a great book! The story of Tori & Zane's high school romance and subsequent marriage. The second half of the book focused on Zane trying to win his love back. I loved this book!
For me a second chance romance seem to be a hit or a miss. This one was a big time hit. I enjoyed watching Zane and Tori fall in love in high school. I enjoyed even more the couple dealing with their past and learning to trust and love a second time.
Kate Angell, wrote this story beautifully letting you feel the emotions her characters felt as I was reading. This was an excellent 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.