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Barefoot in the Grass
Librarian's note: This book's ISBN, 0373707150, was previously used on another book.
BAREFOOT IN THE GRASS ...
A touching and often humorous look at living and loving and surviving in the nineties. By one of Harlequin's most popular romance writers.
You'll laugh and cry with Beth Pendleton as she moves from big-city bustle and life-threatening problems to small-town serenity and small-town solutions. At least, that's the plan. But Ryan Walker and a not-so-small puppy take over her life and her heart in a very big way — and turn them upside down
BAREFOOT IN THE GRASS ...
A touching and often humorous look at living and loving and surviving in the nineties. By one of Harlequin's most popular romance writers.
You'll laugh and cry with Beth Pendleton as she moves from big-city bustle and life-threatening problems to small-town serenity and small-town solutions. At least, that's the plan. But Ryan Walker and a not-so-small puppy take over her life and her heart in a very big way — and turn them upside down
298 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 1996
38 people are currently reading
145 people want to read
About the author
Judith Arnold
183 books173 followersBarbara Keiler
aka Ariel Berk, Thea Frederick, Judith Arnold
Barbara Keiler was born on April 7th. She started telling stories before shecould write. She was four when her sister, Carolyn, stuffed a crayon intoher hand and taught her the alphabet, and she's been writing ever since.
Barbara is a graduate of Smith College, where she learned to aim for thestars, and she received a master's degree in creative writing from BrownUniversity, where she took aim at a good-looking graduate student in thechemistry department and wound up marrying him. She says: "Before myhusband and I were married, I had a job in California and he was working onhis Ph.D. in Rhode Island. I became ill, and he hopped on a plane and flewacross the country to be with me. Neither of us had any money, but he saidhe simply couldn't concentrate on his research, knowing I was three thousandmiles away and facing a serious health problem all by myself. He stayed fortwo weeks, until I was pretty well recovered. That he would just drop whathe was doing, put his life on hold and race to my side told me how much heloved me. After that, I knew this was the man I wanted to marry."
Barbara has received writing fellowships from the Shubert Foundation and theNational Endowment for the Arts, and has taught at colleges and universitiesaround the country. She has also written several plays that have beenprofessionally staged at regional theaters in San Francisco, Washington, D.C.,Connecticut and off-off-Broadway.
Since her first romance novel's publication in 1983 as Ariel Berk. Shewrote one novel as Thea Frederick, and since 1985 she writes asJudith Arnold. Barbara has sold more than 70 novels, with eight millioncopies in print worldwide. She has recently signed a contract with MIRABooks. Her first MIRA novel will appear in 2001. She has received severalawards from Romantic Times Magazine, including awards for the Best HarlequinAmerican Romance of the Year, Best Harlequin Superromance of the Year, BestSeries Romantic Novel of the Year and a Lifetime Achievement Certificate ofMerit for Innovative Series Romance. She has also been a finalist for theGolden Medallion Award and the RITA Award for Romance Writer of America. Hernovel Barefoot in the Grass has appeared on the recommended reading listsdistributed by cancer support services at several hospitals.
Barbara lives in a small town not far from Boston, Massachusetts, New England with her husband, two teenage sons, and a guinea pig named Wilbur. Her sister Carolyn died of breast cancer in 1998.
aka Ariel Berk, Thea Frederick, Judith Arnold
Barbara Keiler was born on April 7th. She started telling stories before shecould write. She was four when her sister, Carolyn, stuffed a crayon intoher hand and taught her the alphabet, and she's been writing ever since.
Barbara is a graduate of Smith College, where she learned to aim for thestars, and she received a master's degree in creative writing from BrownUniversity, where she took aim at a good-looking graduate student in thechemistry department and wound up marrying him. She says: "Before myhusband and I were married, I had a job in California and he was working onhis Ph.D. in Rhode Island. I became ill, and he hopped on a plane and flewacross the country to be with me. Neither of us had any money, but he saidhe simply couldn't concentrate on his research, knowing I was three thousandmiles away and facing a serious health problem all by myself. He stayed fortwo weeks, until I was pretty well recovered. That he would just drop whathe was doing, put his life on hold and race to my side told me how much heloved me. After that, I knew this was the man I wanted to marry."
Barbara has received writing fellowships from the Shubert Foundation and theNational Endowment for the Arts, and has taught at colleges and universitiesaround the country. She has also written several plays that have beenprofessionally staged at regional theaters in San Francisco, Washington, D.C.,Connecticut and off-off-Broadway.
Since her first romance novel's publication in 1983 as Ariel Berk. Shewrote one novel as Thea Frederick, and since 1985 she writes asJudith Arnold. Barbara has sold more than 70 novels, with eight millioncopies in print worldwide. She has recently signed a contract with MIRABooks. Her first MIRA novel will appear in 2001. She has received severalawards from Romantic Times Magazine, including awards for the Best HarlequinAmerican Romance of the Year, Best Harlequin Superromance of the Year, BestSeries Romantic Novel of the Year and a Lifetime Achievement Certificate ofMerit for Innovative Series Romance. She has also been a finalist for theGolden Medallion Award and the RITA Award for Romance Writer of America. Hernovel Barefoot in the Grass has appeared on the recommended reading listsdistributed by cancer support services at several hospitals.
Barbara lives in a small town not far from Boston, Massachusetts, New England with her husband, two teenage sons, and a guinea pig named Wilbur. Her sister Carolyn died of breast cancer in 1998.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
November 5, 2017
This book completes the Vintage HQN trifecta of dealing with breast cancer and it is a very good book.
The two other books that made an early breast cancer or mastectomy impact are Secret Fire by Violet Winspear and Sally Wentworth's Broken Destiny. All three of the books are sensitive, compassionate and inspiring and all three are well worth hunting down to read.
The two other books that made an early breast cancer or mastectomy impact are Secret Fire by Violet Winspear and Sally Wentworth's Broken Destiny. All three of the books are sensitive, compassionate and inspiring and all three are well worth hunting down to read.
November 7, 2012
Barefoot in the Grass is considered one of the top romances ever written per RT Book Reviews. Judith Arnold is one of the best contemporary or category romances authors I've read and this was .99 cents when I bought it (now $4.99). It features the heroine Beth who is recovering from breast cancer, and because of her illness, had her left breast was removed. She feels like less than a woman and leaves New York City and the law practice and moves to a small town in New Hampshire to join the law firm of her best friend and her husband, buys a fixer upper of a house and a rambunctious puppy. Thanks to her puppy she meets hunky architect and construction worker Ryan who makes Beth all tingly inside. Ryan is very attracted to Beth but can’t understand why she is so standoffish with him and won’t act on their attraction. Ryan won’t be deferred and uses some suave courting skill to break her down.
This is the only romance I can think of where the aftermath of the heroine’s cancer and her body image is front and center. Everything Beth thinks and feels from her attraction to Ryan and her disgust with her body is so real and poignant. When Ryan finds out why Beth won’t be intimate with him, it’s heartbreaking, but Ryan’s reaction makes sense. What he does after is one of the most romantic gestures, actually should be in the top 20 of all romantic gestures in romance, including a swoon worthy epilogue. Over fifteen years later this book packs quite the punch and it’s a must read for any romance reader.
This is the only romance I can think of where the aftermath of the heroine’s cancer and her body image is front and center. Everything Beth thinks and feels from her attraction to Ryan and her disgust with her body is so real and poignant. When Ryan finds out why Beth won’t be intimate with him, it’s heartbreaking, but Ryan’s reaction makes sense. What he does after is one of the most romantic gestures, actually should be in the top 20 of all romantic gestures in romance, including a swoon worthy epilogue. Over fifteen years later this book packs quite the punch and it’s a must read for any romance reader.
August 25, 2011
Originally posted at Romance Around the Corner
I have loved everything I have read by this author but her books are really hard to find so I has very happy to see that she was publishing some of her older books. I got them all except this one because for some weird reason it wasn’t available on Kindle. So I waited, and waited a little more and since the book was still MIA I contacted Judith. She told me that there were some formatting issues and that it would probably be available again in about a week. Since it’s evident that I have a serious book-addiction I couldn’t wait anymore and ended up buying the PDF version from Smashwords just to realize that it was finally available on Kindle. I know this seems like a long story and too much trouble for a little novel right? Well, let me tell you that the book was worth it more that I even imagined.
The book is about Beth. Two years ago she was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a mastectomy, now she’s leaving behind a successful career in a law firm in Manhattan to move to a small town in New Hampshire. She gets a dog, a nice job as a partner in her best friend firm and a big house with an even bigger yard. She has decided to enjoy life’s small pleasures like taking naps and walking barefoot in the grass. After one of those ever present sweet situations that we often get in romance novels, she meets Ryan. There’s an instant chemistry between them but Beth is too insecure about her body to freely engage in a relationship with him. The whole book is about their relationship, about ups and downs and about overcoming insecurities and adversities, about finding strength in love to be a better person (and this goes for Beth, but also for Ryan).
At a simple glance this looked like a typical story where the heroine is scarred and feels ugly and unlovable, and then the hunky hero comes charging and tells her he loves her, and that he finds her beautiful, and that he doesn’t care about the cancer or the mastectomy, and she feels gorgeous for the first time in years, and then they live happily ever after. Well, you can forget about it because this story was nowhere near that. This is the first romance novel I have read that deals with breast cancer, and it’s the first romance novel where the leads actually react and behave like normal people. There is no magic solution to their issues, there’s no “I’ll kiss it and make it better”, there’s none of that. Instead we get real people (maybe a bit hunkier than in reality) who deal with things how I imagine a regular person would. They get scared, they think about it, then they get scared some more. They feel insecure, they feel pain, they feel terror, they try to move on and they fight against the bad things that happen and don’t let it destroy them.
I said that the book was about Beth but it was also about Ryan. This was a fantastic hero. My favorite part about this book was the big reveal. There’s a lot of build-up towards that moment and when it comes, it doesn’t disappoint. I don’t want to give anything away but if you read the book you need to prepare yourself because Ryan might seem like your typical hero but he isn’t. He reacts like I imagine most of the people would. And I loved him for it, he was refreshingly honest, and even though some parts of the book were painful to read and absolutely heart wrenching, it just made the happily ever after even sweeter.
Beth was inspiring. She was strong but she also had her weak moments. She allowed herself to indulge in the occasional pity-party, but she knew that the only way out was fighting. I liked her very much and I was rooting for her the whole time. I admit that sometimes her self-doubt was a bit annoying mostly because she kept reciting how insecure she felt, but I also understood where she was coming from.
This book wasn’t all gloom and doom and unbearable angst (even if my review leads you to believe it is). It had its light moments and I think they were well balanced between the more dramatic ones. The cast of secondary characters was good, even if the story doesn’t focus on them that much, and the dog was adorable.
It was a great uplifting story about overcoming adversity and finding love, with a couple of unforgettable leads and some topics that aren’t normally dealt with in romance novels. If you are a fan of contemporary romance and enjoy books full of emotion then I think you should read this one. And yes, I got the book, read it and wrote the review in the same day, that’s how much I liked it.
I have loved everything I have read by this author but her books are really hard to find so I has very happy to see that she was publishing some of her older books. I got them all except this one because for some weird reason it wasn’t available on Kindle. So I waited, and waited a little more and since the book was still MIA I contacted Judith. She told me that there were some formatting issues and that it would probably be available again in about a week. Since it’s evident that I have a serious book-addiction I couldn’t wait anymore and ended up buying the PDF version from Smashwords just to realize that it was finally available on Kindle. I know this seems like a long story and too much trouble for a little novel right? Well, let me tell you that the book was worth it more that I even imagined.
The book is about Beth. Two years ago she was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a mastectomy, now she’s leaving behind a successful career in a law firm in Manhattan to move to a small town in New Hampshire. She gets a dog, a nice job as a partner in her best friend firm and a big house with an even bigger yard. She has decided to enjoy life’s small pleasures like taking naps and walking barefoot in the grass. After one of those ever present sweet situations that we often get in romance novels, she meets Ryan. There’s an instant chemistry between them but Beth is too insecure about her body to freely engage in a relationship with him. The whole book is about their relationship, about ups and downs and about overcoming insecurities and adversities, about finding strength in love to be a better person (and this goes for Beth, but also for Ryan).
At a simple glance this looked like a typical story where the heroine is scarred and feels ugly and unlovable, and then the hunky hero comes charging and tells her he loves her, and that he finds her beautiful, and that he doesn’t care about the cancer or the mastectomy, and she feels gorgeous for the first time in years, and then they live happily ever after. Well, you can forget about it because this story was nowhere near that. This is the first romance novel I have read that deals with breast cancer, and it’s the first romance novel where the leads actually react and behave like normal people. There is no magic solution to their issues, there’s no “I’ll kiss it and make it better”, there’s none of that. Instead we get real people (maybe a bit hunkier than in reality) who deal with things how I imagine a regular person would. They get scared, they think about it, then they get scared some more. They feel insecure, they feel pain, they feel terror, they try to move on and they fight against the bad things that happen and don’t let it destroy them.
I said that the book was about Beth but it was also about Ryan. This was a fantastic hero. My favorite part about this book was the big reveal. There’s a lot of build-up towards that moment and when it comes, it doesn’t disappoint. I don’t want to give anything away but if you read the book you need to prepare yourself because Ryan might seem like your typical hero but he isn’t. He reacts like I imagine most of the people would. And I loved him for it, he was refreshingly honest, and even though some parts of the book were painful to read and absolutely heart wrenching, it just made the happily ever after even sweeter.
Beth was inspiring. She was strong but she also had her weak moments. She allowed herself to indulge in the occasional pity-party, but she knew that the only way out was fighting. I liked her very much and I was rooting for her the whole time. I admit that sometimes her self-doubt was a bit annoying mostly because she kept reciting how insecure she felt, but I also understood where she was coming from.
This book wasn’t all gloom and doom and unbearable angst (even if my review leads you to believe it is). It had its light moments and I think they were well balanced between the more dramatic ones. The cast of secondary characters was good, even if the story doesn’t focus on them that much, and the dog was adorable.
It was a great uplifting story about overcoming adversity and finding love, with a couple of unforgettable leads and some topics that aren’t normally dealt with in romance novels. If you are a fan of contemporary romance and enjoy books full of emotion then I think you should read this one. And yes, I got the book, read it and wrote the review in the same day, that’s how much I liked it.
May 2, 2011
This book was a bit too mushy and the writer kept rehashing and drawing things out which turned into a boring read. I picked it to read since the person was dealing with breast cancer and a possible new boyfriend 2 years later when she moved to a small town from NYC
November 10, 2012
The heroine doesn't confess to the hero that she has breast cancer until approximately 70% of the way into the novel. After that, she still blows hot & cold, bounces on the hero, and of course.. the happy ending.
January 23, 2022
I read this book when I was in High School and I loved it. It was a very poignant story with a heroine who is a breast cancer survivor. Being a guy, the story really opened my eyes, to the challenges women who struggle with breast cancer deal with. When I as a guy, discovered there was a chance, I could have breast cancer, I re-read this story and it was still as heartwarming and comforting as it was when I was younger.
November 3, 2023
Slow moving but good story. Written well.
January 4, 2024
I enjoyed this romance. It was a nice read.
September 22, 2016
Beth Pendleton lost a breast to cancer and decided it was time to leave high stressed NYC and join a friend's legal practice in small town NH, buy a house and get a dog. When her new puppy gets away from her he is stopped by Ryan Walker, owner of a local construction company and new client. As their friendship grows Beth is constantly trying to put the brakes on any romance, since she has been burned before when her fiance learned of her mastectomy. When the truth is revealed Ryan must come to terms with his feelings and what this will mean to his future. An honest look at dealing with a disease and its ramifications. Well done.
October 7, 2013
Truly excellent book.
Well written, thought out.
Read it in one day.
This so easily could have gone maudlin and angst filled, but it didn't.
The male protag and his reactions are believable and real world likely.
The female protag was also believable, likeable, and sympathetic without obviously playing on people's feelings.
Truly one of the best category books I have ever read.
I read a Kindle edition. There were a number of places there were missing or swapped words. It was noticeable but didn't take me out of the story.
Well written, thought out.
Read it in one day.
This so easily could have gone maudlin and angst filled, but it didn't.
The male protag and his reactions are believable and real world likely.
The female protag was also believable, likeable, and sympathetic without obviously playing on people's feelings.
Truly one of the best category books I have ever read.
I read a Kindle edition. There were a number of places there were missing or swapped words. It was noticeable but didn't take me out of the story.
November 1, 2013
Beth is a lawyer in a high power NYC firm. She has battled breast cancer and treatment for 2 years. She decided to leave the city for a small town practice, own a home and a pet and go barefoot in the grass. She meets a local contractor and the connection is immediate. Beth is reluctant to become involved and is wary because she has one breast. I think this story would be really emotional for many women. The ups and downs of the relationship are well written. The character development is well done.
September 25, 2013
Really good read! Emotional, realistic, thought provoking, inspiring... I loved how the characters were so real. They were ordinary but real. And Ryan Walker... sigh. The author wrote him & Beth's character flawlessly. The characters themselves were not at all perfect (and I loved that...) the writer brought out their thoughts and insecurities so honestly, perfectly and you couldn't help but feel what the characters themselves were feeling. Amazing read. I really enjoyed it.
November 3, 2012
Loved this book. Had everything a good romance should have and even some things they dont. A very good story. I cried a few times and laughed a few times. I was up most of the night finishing it, it was that good. Highly recommend
September 6, 2010
Beauty is more than skin deep.
November 14, 2013
LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this book!!!!!!
November 14, 2013
Beautiful, heartfelt love story! I really really loved this book!!!!
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews