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Pajaro Bay #2

Under the Boardwalk

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Kindle Edition.

Wounded artist Hallie Reed comes to Pajaro Bay for a summer job at the town's funky old amusement park. But when she wakes up after a mysterious car accident with a gap in her memory, she soon discovers the missing hour is the key to uncovering a secret that could get her killed.

Danger, romance, and a new beginning await Hallie during her summer at the beach, and she—and the whole town—will be changed forever by what she finds Under the Boardwalk.

250 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2012

721 people are currently reading
2566 people want to read

About the author

Barbara Cool Lee

43 books197 followers

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5 stars
456 (40%)
4 stars
360 (31%)
3 stars
229 (20%)
2 stars
64 (5%)
1 star
28 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
Profile Image for Kat.
Author 14 books603 followers
September 27, 2023
UNDER THE BOARDWALK is the second book in the Pajaro Bay cozy contemporary romance series. Hallie is on her way to Pajaro Bay to work at an amusement park with her college roommate (she’s a 30 year old divorcee, her roommate is a teenager—that’s the one part I didn’t quite understand), when she’s in a car accident and suffers amnesia. Suddenly Wendy, her roommate is missing, as well as another teen, and she and Kyle, the missing teens’ brother and guardian have to figure out who took them and why. A carnival owned by the family plays a major part--this was the coolest part of the book!! I enjoy the Pajaro Bay mysteries. A little touch of romance. An interesting mystery. Nothing too graphic. This one had some interesting history on carnivals.
Profile Image for JoAn.
2,456 reviews1 follower
October 23, 2021
Under the Boardwalk was another great afternoon read. The mystery is compelling and the slow blossoming romance between Kyle and Hallie made this an entertaining story. This one was more suspenseful than the previous book, Little Fox Cottage, but still a comfortable read. Friendships, healing from the past, educational about the carousel horses and a gripping mystery made my afternoon slip away.
Profile Image for Susan Barton.
Author 6 books94 followers
June 21, 2016
Hallie Reed is a thirty-something divorcee who’s had a difficult life. She spent her childhood in the foster care system and ended up marrying an abusive control freak who permanently scarred her. After her divorce, Hallie goes to college and becomes roommates with teenager Windy Madrigal. The two become close friends and Windy invites Hallie to work at her family’s amusement park in Pajaro Bay for the summer. A car accident on the way to Pajaro Bay leaves Hallie with amnesia and Windy missing. Hunky Kyle Madrigal helps Hallie heal while they try to piece together the mystery of Windy’s disappearance.

This is the third book I’ve read by this author and I have to say I wasn’t nearly as impressed as I’d been with the previous ones. I had some trouble getting into the story and sticking with it. I didn’t find the plot to be as well developed as I’d expect from an author I’ve really come to enjoy. My first thought was, how likely was it that a teen and a grown woman had become such fast friends and room together at college? Yet, I was able to get past that and read on.

My other issue was that the story seemed to drag on a bit. There wasn’t nearly as much action moving the story along as I would have liked. I became bored several times throughout the book, but stuck with it. For a book with just 185 pages, it seemed much longer.

Perhaps Under the Boardwalk is a book that’s geared more towards teens, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as I had expected I would. There was a bit of amusement park history included, which I found to be a nice touch and I do like that the author gives ten percent of her book sales to charity. I’d still read more of Barbara Cool Lee’s books, but this one isn’t one of my favorites.

3 of 5 Stars, Review by Susan Barton for http://ebookreviewgal.com
Profile Image for Mary.
69 reviews1 follower
September 5, 2014
Makes no sense (??spoilers))

The idea was good,the writing not bad, but the story made no sense. A woman is in a car accident and has amnesia one day, the next she's working in an amusement park and solving mysteries with condescending Kyle. She wants to be on her own, but immediately wants to be with Kyle. (Who is obnoxious.)
The big mystery also makes no sense. The items that are prized can't really be hidden in a suitcase. Again, the woman with amnesia, has the most clarity in solving the crime, and gets shot down by Kyle at every turn. Where are the dectectives??
Profile Image for Terese.
132 reviews
October 22, 2014
A Nice Mystery and romance too

I would recommend this to woman of all ages. Even though it's got romance it's pretty much a "G" rating. The story was interesting, written well. I could almost picture the park and ranch so much so that I wished it really existed. Although the mystery was solved too quickly, it was still a good read. I would read another story by this author.
Profile Image for Julianne Niespodziany.
25 reviews1 follower
July 2, 2013
Could not put it down! Read it in one sitting! I'm also happy to see where some of the proceeds go. I'm looking forward to Christmas In Pajaro Bay!
Profile Image for bex.
2,435 reviews24 followers
June 24, 2017
I was a little confused initially, but turned out that was the point. I liked it a lot. 4*
Profile Image for Polly.
1,550 reviews7 followers
July 26, 2020
Charming addition to the series, loved meeting the Madrigal family.
Profile Image for Paddy O'callaghan.
249 reviews69 followers
Want to read
December 3, 2012


When someone says that their middle name is Cool we usually take it to mean that they consider themselves very "cool", however, in this case, the terrific tome's author does indeed have Cool as a middle name, and must be pretty cool as well, because she has managed to produce this absolutely brilliant, and extremely cool "romantic suspense" novel.

Part of the profits from this book go to very worthy charities, and the author's website contains recipes for the mouthwatering and unusual dishes mentioned in the story.

Some package, eh; entertainment, charity and din-dins!

I'll certainly be seeking out, and reading the rest of the "Pajaro Bay" books, of which I believe there are several.

There's a sneak peek of "Christmas in Pajaro Bay", at the end of this one, and it sounds very promising.

Thank you Cool Barbara.
Profile Image for Bj Hoover.
182 reviews1 follower
September 15, 2012
This is the second book in the Pajaro Bay Series by Barb Lee, and I enjoyed it even more than the first one, The Honeymoon Cottage (which I totally loved)
It starts out sounding like a sweet romance, but suddenly becomes a big mystery where danger and excitement and soul-seaching abound! I couldn't put it down until everyone was out of harm's way and life's purpose and romance triumph! What a great read.
72 reviews
July 11, 2021
Creative writer. Story of a college friend who goes to work at her roommate's families amusement park.
The roommate disappears and the town and family struggle to find her. Quick read, nicely written.
Profile Image for Betty Wronski.
146 reviews
February 10, 2016
Little

Well it was good but I did not get the story line maybe it just wasn't my kind of story
Profile Image for Linda.
90 reviews6 followers
January 12, 2017
Very enjoyable books. Lively and engaging characters, great detail and descriptions. Whimsical and uplifting, but not sappy.
Profile Image for Nikki.
1,415 reviews12 followers
February 2, 2018
Loved this 2nd book in the series, based in Pajaro Bay.

Windy Madrigal is at college with Hallie, and they're the best of friends. Dieing the Summer, Windy offers Hallie work at her family run amusement park at the bay.

Windy picks Hallie up from the bus then something happens which turns Hallies world, along with Windy's big brother Kyle's, upside down.

Kyle, being a little older than Windy and the younger twins, took over the family after their parents were killed in a fire at the amusement park some years before. Kyle meets Hallie when Windy's car crashes through the barriers off the road and into his farm. Where is Windy and why was Hallie found in the drivers seat?

It becomes apparent that Windy is misding, and when Zac, one of the twins also goes missing, something is very wrong in Pajaro Bay.

Hallie and Kyle, along with Chris (Zac's twin) do all they can to bring the pair home safely.

A really good story series, which doesn't have to be read in any order. I'm looking forward to reading the next book, already waiting on my kindle.
108 reviews
July 5, 2023
just enough tension and a satisfactory ending

The title was misleading. There was no boardwalk cottage. It took a bit to connect the beginning with the rest of the story- one minute Windy and Hallie were driving toward Windy’s home, the next Hallie was alone in the car that had crashed. Then Windy and her younger brother disappeared, and the next section was a bit slow going. Finding out who the villain was and what he was after moved at a good pace, with a tense climactic scene. It was wrapped up nicely, with Hallie finding both a purpose and a forever love with Alex, Windy’s older brother.
Profile Image for Neena Christianson Martin.
1,185 reviews11 followers
July 13, 2017
A family history and mystery.

Hallie Reed is coming to Pajaro Bay to start a new job for the Madrigal family. Her first day in town she's run off the road, and can't remember anything leading up to the crash, or what has happened to her best friend Windy Madrigal. When one of Windys brothers turn up missing too, she's drug into the middle of this mystery, and into Kyle Madrigals life. Great mystery, excellent handling of abusive pasts, and a wonderful descriptive lesson in old wooden carousels.
Profile Image for Pamela A..
727 reviews12 followers
November 9, 2025
𝑩𝒂𝒓𝒃𝒂𝒓𝒂 𝒄𝒐𝒐𝒍 𝒍𝒆𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒘𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒅 𝒎𝒆 𝒚𝒆𝒕 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝒏𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒍 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒘𝒂𝒚. ☺️☺️☺️

𝑰 𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒂 𝒈𝒖𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒂𝒅 𝒈𝒖𝒚𝒔 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒊 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒅!! 𝑲𝒚𝒍𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒛𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒓𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒍 𝒊 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒐 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒚 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒄𝒄𝒆𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒅. 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒌𝒆𝒆𝒑𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒌𝒆𝒆𝒑𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏. 𝑭𝒖𝒏 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝒏𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒍 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒘𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒏 𝒍𝒐𝒍 𝒇𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒆!! 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝑩𝒂𝒓𝒃𝒂𝒓𝒂 𝒄𝒐𝒐𝒍 𝒍𝒆𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒘𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔. 😙😙😙
Profile Image for Avalon.
618 reviews3 followers
January 12, 2021
Hallie is going to her room mate Windys family house for summer in Pajaro Bay but someone forced her off the road and she knocks her head suffering from amnesia. Windys brother finds her and looks after her. She is rostered to work at the family's amusement park. Both Windy and her young brother Zac are missing. Someone tries to strangle Hallie. What is going on and will she see her friend again?? Couldn't put this book down.
49 reviews
February 28, 2023
Boardwalk Cottage

When college is out for the summer Hallie and Wendy head to Panadol Bay were Wendy is from. Wendy has told Hallie so much about the town and her family! Hallie is so excited. Wendy and one of her brothers Zac are always working together to found out more of their family the Madrigal and the amusement park. The characters are well written. There romance, haunting and suspense. I really enjoy reading this one. Recommend to my family and friends!!!
Profile Image for Lillie.
Author 21 books44 followers
July 18, 2017
I liked the characters, although it seemed odd that a 30-year-old divorcee would be rooming in a college dorm and close friends with a 19-year-old woman. The setting--a seaside amusement park--was interesting and made for an unusual mystery. There was enough romance and mystery and a satisfying ending. I appreciate that the author donates part of her sales to charity.
Profile Image for Cynthia.
106 reviews
October 9, 2017
UNDER THE BOARDWALK

Once again another homerun....these are really good Mysteries/Love stories...with great back stories.....
I have seen a Illion and they are breathtaking....even if this set is fictional you seemed to do it justice
And the back story was great.....I hope the rest of your books are as good as the first two and the short story I have read. THANK YOU so much
184 reviews3 followers
January 11, 2023
boardwalk cottage

A feel good story. Hayley. Can she begin to understand what has happened, was she driving the car, or is it something more sinister. A Missing friend and sibling alongside the fear and worries of her past life are what is haunting her. Can she help Kyle find his missing family and will she keep her heart in the process
993 reviews5 followers
January 27, 2023
Boardwalk

No cottage. A mystery with family history and manipulative bad guy. The backdrop of an old small family amusement park is enjoyable. Seemed wrong to believe Windy would run off without even getting her friend to the house... And other beginning clues ignored by characters not depicted as stupid.
65 reviews1 follower
June 3, 2023
Didn't want to put it down.

I love all the books I have read by Barbara Cool Lee. They are a lighthearted and suspenseful enough to keep you wanting to read more. I would love to live in Pajaro Bay if it were real or at least visit. Thanks for sharing your talent in writing wonderful stories.
45 reviews
November 21, 2020
Good romantic mystery

I enjoy this author very much. Her series Pajaro Bay, are the kind of books that you could read on a cold, rainy day curled up on the couch with a soft blanket and your book. The characters are interesting and the mystery is intriguing.
209 reviews3 followers
May 14, 2024
Entertaining, fun, clean romance/adventure set in an old amusement park. The author has great empathy for sensitive, abusive situations, and has the characters reflect the real consequences of that. I enjoyed it very much!
42 reviews4 followers
May 18, 2017
Great new series!

Love the stories as well as the settings! Be sure to try this series. Amusement Park info was interesting and new.
52 reviews
October 23, 2017
Enjoyable

I liked the coziness of this book. I felt connected to the characters and the setting. A bit slow in some places but all in all a good read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews

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