Wind Chime Point

March 4, 2013
Itâs dangerous to be the first wife of any man in Sand Castle Bay, N.C.: you will inevitably die to clear the way for one of the Castle sisters, at least if Sand Castle Bay and this lugubrious sequel are anything to go by. Public relations whiz Gabriella Castleâpregnant, jobless, and dumpedâflees Raleigh for her familyâs restaurant in Sand Castle Bay, where local sculptor Wade Johnson is recovering from the accidental deaths of his wife and unborn child. Sparks fly between Wade and Gabi, but Gabi is reluctant to give up her career ambitions and wonders whether Wade can truly accept another manâs baby. With the support of her relentlessly matchmaking grandmother, sisters, and father, Gabi settles into the small town, turning her skills to helping out the locals. There are few surprises and little heat in this leisurely contemporary, but readers who like a sweet and slow read will enjoy Gabiâs process of self-discovery. Agent: Denise Marcil, Denise Marcil Literary Agency.

May 15, 2013
In the latest installment in Woods' Ocean Breeze series (Sand Castle Bay, 2013), another Castle sister, Gabriella, struggles to find herself, and love. Woodworker and widower Wade Johnson immediately fell for workaholic PR agent Gabi, but to no avail. Now that she's out of a job, pregnant, and back in town where her grandmother owns a beach restaurant, he thinks he can finally convince her to marry him. Wade's sister, however, isn't sure this is a good idea. Wade's wife was pregnant when she died, and, as far as the sister is concerned, he's courting heartbreak by falling for another pregnant woman. As Wade goes out of his way to prove that he's Gabi's rock, she struggles with whether she should keep the baby, what she's going to do for work, and where she's going to live. Once again, the three Castle sisters and their grandmother get together to tackle one sister's dilemma, while setting up a love interest for another. Readers who adore talky family dramas will again dote on Woods' newest romance.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)