NO TAN LINES – Kate Angell
Barefoot William , Book 1
Kensington Brava (Trade Paperback)
ISBN: 978-0-7582-6919-5
June 2012
Contemporary Romance

Barefoot William/Saunders Shores, Florida – Present Day

A town shaped by history and feuds, Barefoot William/Saunders Shores is divided into two distinct areas. If you grew up on the Barefoot William side, you are related to William Cates, an eccentric, laid back man who didn't want to see the town's quaintness disturbed. The residents of Saunders Shores are all about luxury and drawing in the big bucks. A Barefoot William resident doesn't associate with a Saunders Shores resident.

Shaye Cates grew up on Barefoot William and is the only one of her immediate family to remain, so she runs the family “business,” though her office consists of a beach chair on the sandy beach. She is familiar with Trace Saunders, who had left town but came back a few years later to run Saunders Shores. While Shaye would prefer not to have contact with Trace, she needs his permission to hold a pro-am volleyball tournament on part of his beach. Surely he'd agree to something that will bring in tourist dollars for both sides of the town? But Trace doesn't like the way Shaye planned everything without even consulting him first. As payback, she has to agree to come over to his side to finalize the tournament plans. Shaye balks, but has no choice if she wants the tournament. Thrown together, sparks fly between the two adversaries, but the sparks soon turn into flames of passion.

NO TAN LINES is opposites attracting with deeply instilled histories between the couple. Trace is rich and sharply dressed, while Shaye prefers bikinis and being barefoot. Shaye doesn't want the pristine beauty of Barefoot William to be destroyed by the money grabbers who want to build resorts and spas. However, Barefoot William's economy is suffering and needs the volleyball tournament. When Trace turns the tables on Shaye, she has no choice but to agree to his demands, though she drags her feet. For Trace, he can't understand why the Cates family has no desire to change the laidback aura of their town. Situated on a beautiful sandy beach, conglomerates like Trace's company could bring in huge bucks with resorts. But for Shaye, it's the principal of it all—keep life simple and you'll be happy. As they banter about the specifics of the upcoming tournament, it becomes harder to ignore the sexual attraction between them.

While NO TAN LINES has Shaye and Trace as the main couple, there are also a couple of subplots that also fills the pages. Trace's now former lover Nicole needs a shop to sell her jewelry. Barefoot William would be the perfect place for her eclectic designs, so Trace coerces Shaye into letting Nicole rent one of her shops. Shaye's cousin Kai has the job of remodeling the shop to meet Nicole's specifications—and like Shaye with Trace, discovers an attraction to the beautiful Nicole. Shaye's brother Dune, a top professional volleyball player, arrives in town for the tournament. To his surprise, he's paired with Sophie Saunders. Yes, one of those Saunders. Sophie is short in stature, sweet, and not athletic, but she makes up for it all in sheer determination, one that Dune can't help but admire. Will another Cates fall for a Saunders?

A lot is going on in Kate Angell's NO TAN LINES, and readers may need a scorecard at first to remember who is who, but by the end, we have three possible happy endings. Every romance revolves around Cates vs. Saunders and how the barriers are broken down to hopefully achieve peace in the town. Can Shaye and Trace discover a way to merge the families and folks of their divided towns plus find love? Find out for yourself in NO TAN LINES.

Patti Fischer