Best Foot Forward

Joan Bauer

Published 2005

183 Pages

Rating: B-

I’m a real ace at arguing with myself.

Take a subject like Tanner Cobb.

On the one hand, he stole.

On the other, he helped his little brother read and count.

Then again, he stole the shoes in front of his little brother.

But, he brought the shoes back and offered to make up for what he’d done.

My mind said, Don’t trust him.

My instincts said, He might not be all bad.

Inconsistencies are a royal pain; the older you get, the more they multiply.

(taken from back of book)

After a life altering summer on the road, Jenna Boller is dripping with newfound maturity. She has a job she loves at Gladstone Shoes, a best friend who makes her laugh, and a dysfunctional family she’s learning how to handle. Jenna feels ready for anything – until Tanner Cobb, a guy with a past, a police record, and dangerously good looks, walks into her life. And that’s just the beginning.

Jenna likes to be in control, but that’s not easy when she’s suddenly surrounded by crises, including a shoe empire on the verge of crumbling. Tanner’s street smarts seem to be what Jenna needs, but can she trust him when the going gets tough?

(taken from front flap)

I don’t plan on talking much about this book since the two synopsis’ above tell about the book pretty well. And of course I don’t want to give anything away!

This book is the sequel to Joan Bauer’s other book called Rules of the Road. [You can read my review on that book here.] Technically it is the sequel but I think you could read this book alone without having read the first book. This book kind of recaps what the first book is about and goes more into the struggle between Gladstone Shoe Stores and the company being bought out and ruined by Mrs. Gladstone’s son.

Jenna is again struggling to make her life less hectic, in the first book she was dealing with her fathers alcoholism and the road trip with Mrs. Gladstone to Texas, but in this one, she is back at her home in Chicago and back at work before summer ends and school begins.

Tanner Cobb steals shoes from Gladstones. He returns them. And ends up making up for what he did by working in the back of the store stocking shoes. Jenna doesn’t think this is a good idea but after awhile, she finds that Tanner could teach her a thing or two about life and how to deal with the real world.

It’s a quick read and you should definitely try it, especially if you have read Rules of the Road.

-A.