Heading back to her place for the night.

She was the one who’d started this. She was the one who’d decided to take this step. But was she really ready? Was she really going to do this? Risk her heart like this? 

It was only one night, right?

Then why did it feel like so much more?

“Annie.”

“Yes?”

“Look at me.”

She lifted her gaze to his. In the moonlight, his eyes seemed impossibly dark. Dark and deep and full of secrets. She couldn’t stop thinking about what Colin had said at the table, that Will could get out of any trap, any bind, any knot.

Did he see her as a trap? As someone who would tie him down, make his life complicated?

He could get out of any knot, but she was just learning how to tie them. All she wanted was to root herself to this island with as many knots as she could.

“You’re nervous,” he said.

She nodded.

He stopped walking, pulling her close under the shivering boughs of an ash tree. His hand came up, cupping her cheek. “You have nothing to be nervous about.”

But didn’t she? Didn’t she know exactly what she was getting into? There was no way she would have decided to spend the night with him if she wasn’t already halfway in love with him. And if she was already halfway in love with him, there was no way he could leave now without breaking her heart.

He ran his thumb gently over her bottom lip before his mouth lowered, brushing over hers.

Butterflies, low in her belly, began to stir. They floated up, fluttering tentatively, then flapping their wings faster, until an orange glow fanned out around her heart.

Stay.

The word pulsed inside her, a reckless hope that built with every beat of the wings.

My Thoughts

Annie Malone had always dreamed of opening her own business. With being a waitress for so many years, she wanted nothing more than to own her own French Bistro. After a shooting at her daughter's school, Annie purchases a small business on Heron Island with the intention of renovating it to become her dream restaurant.

Heron Island is the perfect place for Annie and her daughter Taylor to call home. It is safe, the Islander's are friendly, and when the intended resort is built on the Island, her business would bloom.

Will Dozier is a Navy SEAL returning to Heron Island after being away for 10 years. His grandparents had died six months earlier and he needed to collect some personal items and fix the inn up ready to sell. He sees Annie on the first night he returns home, and there are instant sparks between the two.

Through the screen door, he saw a slim woman with long red hair surrounded by cardboard boxes and piles of crumpled newspaper. At the sound of his footsteps on the porch, she straightened, turning to face him, and cupcakes took on a whole new meaning.

I absolutely LOVED Annie and Will's story. It was such a sweet one, although it wasn't all smooth sailing for them. Sophie Moss' writing style is extremely captivating. The characters were very easy to connect with and relate to. Wind Chime Cafe had a great vibe to it, and the emotions of the characters was tangible. I found myself in tears on more than one occasion. This will definitely be a re-read for me! I can't wait for the next book in the series, and I hope that Sophie writes more on Annie and Will in the future!

I received an ARC as part of the blog tour in exchange for an honest review.

My Rating