Book Review
Wind Chime Cafe by Sophie Moss
Book 1: A Wind Chime Novel Series
Publisher: Sea Rose Publishing
Publication Date: February 4, 2014
Format: Paperback - 288 pages
Kindle - 2137 KB
Nook - 3 MB
ISBN: 0615949258
ASIN: B00I8OS77S
Genre: Contemporary Romance
BUY THE BOOK: Wind Chime Cafe
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by IndieSage Promotions.
Book Description:
Book Excerpt:
Will drove into town. He felt like a live wire, ragged and fraying around the edges, ready to snap. He hadn’t slept. Again.
He was running on adrenaline now—every sense heightened, every thought twisted and fragmented.
It wouldn’t be the first time. He recognized the feeling. He’d experienced it on enough overseas ops. It had fueled him through Hell Week ten years ago when he’d first joined the SEALs. One of the reasons the instructors pushed them so hard in BUD/S was to see if they could carry out a mission in an exhausted haze.
He knew how to function in this state.
It was all mental.
He just had to get control of his mind.
Marshes and soybean fields gave way to the playing fields of the Heron Island Elementary School. Faded orange soccer nets flanked the flat stretch of grass, and he slowed when he spotted a woman with long red hair sitting alone on the bleachers.
Wasn’t that the woman he’d met last night?
What was she doing at the elementary school?
Unless…
Shit. Did she have a kid?
That would explain why she hadn’t wanted him to come in last night, why she’d kept looking back toward the stairs leading up to the apartment. He tapped his fingers over the steering wheel. Kids complicated things. He didn’t do complicated.
But he wanted to see her.
He’d thought of little else while he’d lain awake last night, staring at the ceiling.
Turning the wheel at the last minute, he steered the SUV into the parking lot. He pulled into a parking spot facing the playing fields and cut the engine. Screw it. He had six weeks to figure out how to un-complicate things.
He climbed out of the driver’s seat and walked across the grass to where she sat. When she lifted her gaze, he expected her to say something sarcastic about the chicken tenders she’d given him last night. He wasn’t prepared for the pale face and haunted eyes that stared back at him.
Whoa.
There was nothing uncomplicated about that. “Is everything all right?”
“I’m fine.”
Her hands were wrapped around the bench on either side of her, curled into a death grip. “You don’t look fine.”
“Thanks.”
“No,” Will said, backpedaling. “I mean, you look like you could use someone to talk to.”
“Actually, I’d really like to be alone right now.”
Will paused a few yards away from her. He hadn’t risen to the rank of Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy without recognizing that most of the time, when one of his men said they wanted to be alone, what they really needed was someone to talk to. He wouldn’t let one of his men off that easily, and he sure as hell wasn’t leaving Annie alone in the middle of a panic attack. Not until she told him what was wrong.
“Look,” she said after several moments of silence when he made no move to leave. “I just dropped my daughter off for her first day at a new school, and I’m worried about her. I want to stay close by in case she needs me.”
“How old is your daughter?”
“She’s eight.”
Eight? Will’s gaze combed over Annie’s face. She didn’t look old enough to have an eight-year-old daughter. He’d pinned her as twenty-six, twenty-seven at the most. She must have been pretty young when she’d gotten pregnant.
He took a moment to study her. She was wearing a stretchy black top and dark jeans again. She wore her hair long and loose, spilling in red waves over her shoulders. The wind whipped a touch of color back into her cheeks, but her eyes still held a hint of fear.
What was she afraid of?
“You’re not wearing a ring,” Will said, “so I’m guessing the father’s not part of the picture.”
“No.” Annie brushed her hair out of her eyes. “He’s not part of the picture.”
Will wondered if he’d ever been part of the picture. Or if he could have something to do with what she was afraid of. “If your daughter’s eight, shouldn’t you be used to leaving her at school by now?”
“It’s a new school. She doesn’t know anyone here.”
Still, he thought. She seemed pretty shaken up for someone who was just dropping her kid off at school. “What grade is your daughter in?”
“Second.”
“Who’s her teacher?”
“Becca Haddaway.”
Becca? No kidding? “I didn’t know Becca was a teacher.”
“I thought you said you grew up here?”
“I did.” Will rocked back on his heels. “I haven’t been back in a while.”
Annie glanced back up at him, shading her eyes from the sun. “How long is a while?”
“Listen,” Will said, changing the subject, “you look like you could use something to eat, and I bet your daughter doesn’t want you hanging around when she comes out for recess. Let me take you to breakfast.”
Annie shook her head. “I need to stay here.”
“For how long?”
“Until I’m ready.”
“You can’t say no to a fried egg sandwich from The Tackle Box. I’ll even throw in a bottle of orange juice.” He smiled down at her, trying to put her at ease. “We can call it a date.”
“I told you last night. I’m not dating you.”
“Why not?” Will feigned a hurt expression. “Don’t I look dateable?”
“Yes,” she said. “You look perfectly dateable. For someone else.”
“But not you?”
“No. Not me.”
“Why not?”
Annie’s gaze drifted to the brightly colored playground and row of swings near the school. “Because I don’t date.”
Will walked to the bleachers, lowering himself to the bench beside her. “Ever?”
“That’s right.”
“That seems closed-minded.”
“It’s not closed-minded. It’s just easier.”
Will’s eyes widened in mock horror. “What’s easy about not dating?”
“Well, for starters,” she answered, “not having to explain to my daughter where I’m going and who I’m going with.”
“Your daughter’s busy with school right now, so you don’t have to explain anything.”
“But I’d have to tell her later. We don’t keep secrets from each other.”
Will studied her for several moments. “You tell your daughter everything?”
“Yes.”
“Everything?”
“Yes.”
Will leaned in and brushed his lips over hers. Before she could react, before she could do anything, he eased back and winked. “Let me know what she has to say about that.”
He was running on adrenaline now—every sense heightened, every thought twisted and fragmented.
It wouldn’t be the first time. He recognized the feeling. He’d experienced it on enough overseas ops. It had fueled him through Hell Week ten years ago when he’d first joined the SEALs. One of the reasons the instructors pushed them so hard in BUD/S was to see if they could carry out a mission in an exhausted haze.
He knew how to function in this state.
It was all mental.
He just had to get control of his mind.
Marshes and soybean fields gave way to the playing fields of the Heron Island Elementary School. Faded orange soccer nets flanked the flat stretch of grass, and he slowed when he spotted a woman with long red hair sitting alone on the bleachers.
Wasn’t that the woman he’d met last night?
What was she doing at the elementary school?
Unless…
Shit. Did she have a kid?
That would explain why she hadn’t wanted him to come in last night, why she’d kept looking back toward the stairs leading up to the apartment. He tapped his fingers over the steering wheel. Kids complicated things. He didn’t do complicated.
But he wanted to see her.
He’d thought of little else while he’d lain awake last night, staring at the ceiling.
Turning the wheel at the last minute, he steered the SUV into the parking lot. He pulled into a parking spot facing the playing fields and cut the engine. Screw it. He had six weeks to figure out how to un-complicate things.
He climbed out of the driver’s seat and walked across the grass to where she sat. When she lifted her gaze, he expected her to say something sarcastic about the chicken tenders she’d given him last night. He wasn’t prepared for the pale face and haunted eyes that stared back at him.
Whoa.
There was nothing uncomplicated about that. “Is everything all right?”
“I’m fine.”
Her hands were wrapped around the bench on either side of her, curled into a death grip. “You don’t look fine.”
“Thanks.”
“No,” Will said, backpedaling. “I mean, you look like you could use someone to talk to.”
“Actually, I’d really like to be alone right now.”
Will paused a few yards away from her. He hadn’t risen to the rank of Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy without recognizing that most of the time, when one of his men said they wanted to be alone, what they really needed was someone to talk to. He wouldn’t let one of his men off that easily, and he sure as hell wasn’t leaving Annie alone in the middle of a panic attack. Not until she told him what was wrong.
“Look,” she said after several moments of silence when he made no move to leave. “I just dropped my daughter off for her first day at a new school, and I’m worried about her. I want to stay close by in case she needs me.”
“How old is your daughter?”
“She’s eight.”
Eight? Will’s gaze combed over Annie’s face. She didn’t look old enough to have an eight-year-old daughter. He’d pinned her as twenty-six, twenty-seven at the most. She must have been pretty young when she’d gotten pregnant.
He took a moment to study her. She was wearing a stretchy black top and dark jeans again. She wore her hair long and loose, spilling in red waves over her shoulders. The wind whipped a touch of color back into her cheeks, but her eyes still held a hint of fear.
What was she afraid of?
“You’re not wearing a ring,” Will said, “so I’m guessing the father’s not part of the picture.”
“No.” Annie brushed her hair out of her eyes. “He’s not part of the picture.”
Will wondered if he’d ever been part of the picture. Or if he could have something to do with what she was afraid of. “If your daughter’s eight, shouldn’t you be used to leaving her at school by now?”
“It’s a new school. She doesn’t know anyone here.”
Still, he thought. She seemed pretty shaken up for someone who was just dropping her kid off at school. “What grade is your daughter in?”
“Second.”
“Who’s her teacher?”
“Becca Haddaway.”
Becca? No kidding? “I didn’t know Becca was a teacher.”
“I thought you said you grew up here?”
“I did.” Will rocked back on his heels. “I haven’t been back in a while.”
Annie glanced back up at him, shading her eyes from the sun. “How long is a while?”
“Listen,” Will said, changing the subject, “you look like you could use something to eat, and I bet your daughter doesn’t want you hanging around when she comes out for recess. Let me take you to breakfast.”
Annie shook her head. “I need to stay here.”
“For how long?”
“Until I’m ready.”
“You can’t say no to a fried egg sandwich from The Tackle Box. I’ll even throw in a bottle of orange juice.” He smiled down at her, trying to put her at ease. “We can call it a date.”
“I told you last night. I’m not dating you.”
“Why not?” Will feigned a hurt expression. “Don’t I look dateable?”
“Yes,” she said. “You look perfectly dateable. For someone else.”
“But not you?”
“No. Not me.”
“Why not?”
Annie’s gaze drifted to the brightly colored playground and row of swings near the school. “Because I don’t date.”
Will walked to the bleachers, lowering himself to the bench beside her. “Ever?”
“That’s right.”
“That seems closed-minded.”
“It’s not closed-minded. It’s just easier.”
Will’s eyes widened in mock horror. “What’s easy about not dating?”
“Well, for starters,” she answered, “not having to explain to my daughter where I’m going and who I’m going with.”
“Your daughter’s busy with school right now, so you don’t have to explain anything.”
“But I’d have to tell her later. We don’t keep secrets from each other.”
Will studied her for several moments. “You tell your daughter everything?”
“Yes.”
“Everything?”
“Yes.”
Will leaned in and brushed his lips over hers. Before she could react, before she could do anything, he eased back and winked. “Let me know what she has to say about that.”
My Book Review:
Single mother Annie Malone and her daughter Taylor move to Heron Island to start a new life. Annie puts her life savings into opening a French restaurant, hoping that the small town environment will help her daughter recover from the horrible school tragedy that occurred at her school.
Navy SEAL Will Dozier has returned to Heron Island after ten years to sell his deceased grandparents’ inn. When Will meets Annie, he craves the solace of her arms to silence his own emotional demons from a mission gone wrong. He only plans to stay a short time on the island because of his dedication to fighting terrorism, despite silently suffering from PTSD. However, Annie and her troubled daughter weave a spell on his heart, encouraging him to long to stay around much longer than he expected.
Wind Chime Café is a sweet contemporary romance set in picturesque Heron Island on the Eastern Shore of Maryland in the Chesapeake Bay. This is a wonderful story that takes the reader on an emotional roller coaster ride and tugs at the heartstrings. The reader can't help but feel compassion for Annie and Will’s difficult pasts, their emotional connection is heartwarming, and when you add in young Taylor, it's a endearing relationship that will leave a smile on your face.
I would be remiss if I didn't mention that the author does an amazing job of transporting the reader to Heron Island with the richly vivid description of the tranquil small island setting and the supportive community spirit of the islanders.
Wind Chime Café is a wonderful story about the courage of facing fears, overcoming struggles, and the healing power of love. It is a beautifully written story about one woman's efforts to build a better future for her daughter, a young girl's strength to let go of her fears, and one man's struggles to accept the things he can't change. Wind Chime Café is a story that will resonate with you long after the last words have been read.
RATING: 5 STARS
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Tour Schedule:
May 23 – Pretty Girls Read Books, Excerpt
May 24 – Mama’s Reading Break, Excerpt
May 25 – Cajun Book Lover, Excerpt
May 26 – A Literary Love Affair, Review
May 26 – Short and Sassy Book Blurbs, Review
May 26 - Kirstie’s Passionate About Reading, Review
May 26 – Love, Lust & and all the Pages in Between, Excerpt
May 26 – Anny Books, Review
May 27 – Randy Raunchy Romance Book Blog, Review
May 27 – Surrender to Books, Review
May 28 – Books and Friendz, Review
May 28 – Spreading the Word with Denise&Donna, Review
May 28 – All About a Book, Review
May 28 – Ms. Me28, Spotlight
May 29 – The Book Obsessed Momma, Review
May 29 – The Reading Cow, Review
May 29 – A Thousand Lives Book Blog, Review
May 30 – Jersey Girl Book Reviews, Review
May 30 – Elizabeth McKenna Romance Author, Excerpt
May 30 - Amazeball’s Book Addicts, Review
May 30 - Agents of Romance, Review
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