Review of 'The Barefoot Bookshop on the Beach' by Rebecca Raisin

Review of 'The Barefoot Bookshop on the Beach' by Rebecca Raisin

Release date: March 7th, 2026

Publisher: Boldwood Books

REVIEW

This was another humour filled romance with an eclectic set of characters. As a booklover, I love stories that are centred around bookshops and those on coastal settings are extra special. So The Barefoot Bookshop on the Beach by Rebecca Raisin held plenty of charm and magical moments that kept me enthralled.

Harper is a popular online book reviewer who runs into some serious issues with an opponent on social media. She voices her suspicions about a new author using AI to write her novel—a novel that becomes a best seller overnight. When Harper speaks up, many bad things happen to her. The whole nightmare gets out of hand so Harper decides to take a break and escape the conflict by leaving London and taking a job in a bookstore on a tropical island.

While there, she meets a number of intriguing people, including the owner of the hotel and an attraction begins. But Xavier has a tough rule: no romantic relationships can occur between staff. This rule gets challenged (and broken) more than once and Harper tries to show Xavier how controlling and ridiculous is this commandment he created. For practical reasons, keeping people apart is crazy. Especially on a small island, where there are a limited number of potentials available to date at the best of times. Imposing this limitation is a recipe for disaster.

This books contains lots of important messages and one is about the horrors of AI which, we, as writers and other creatives, have good reason to be upset about. I found when this theme bubbled up to the surface, the author made many great points about the hazards of this new age tool. In fact, applying it to the story's plot was a great idea, as it presents the potential issues in a realistic and relatable way.

There are many other topics covered associated with relationships, too. A crime is committed and friends divide over it without knowing the real story behind what happened. Harper tries to intervene as peacemaker.

Another topic that caught my attention was how people deal with fears. The direct approach does not always work. In this case, it was about Harper riding in a glass bottom boat. For her it is a horrifying experience as she is deathly afraid of sharks and to see them swimming under her does not help her get over her fear: it enhances it. I can’t say I blame her as here in Australia we have lots of dangerous creatures in the water and on land!

And then there is Turt, the resident Aldabra giant turtle. His arrival in the seventies caused quite a stir when he wandered in to sun himself beside the pool! He hung around so long tourists thought he was a statue. Now he mostly stays close to the Barefoot Bookshop ‘soaking up the literary atmosphere’ and tunes in to the ‘lively literary debates.’ I was amazed with the facts shared about these tortoises and how they can live up to the ripe age of 190! So Turt has a few years yet to enjoy his life. Along with the Turtle, the three elderly ladies are a hoot! They offer a lot of surprises and lively conversation.

This is a cosy romantic story with lots of drama to keep the pages turning. If you have enjoyed Rebecca Raisin’s previous novels, you will love this one, too. Books, friendship, humour and unexpected love are some key ingredients served up on this delicious platter of surprise. The sparks between Harper and Xavier will have you cheering and secretly hoping these two get together. 4 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for the review copy.