Gitana Sothers thought she had her happily‑ever‑after lined up — a loving husband, a future family, the whole picture‑perfect life plan. Instead, after years of trying for a baby, her husband John—a prominent doctor—trades her in for his pregnant mistress. At thirty, Gitana is suddenly single, broke, and living on a weathered houseboat in Sausalito while pouring wine for tourists at a winery. Not exactly what she planned.
Then, mid‑meltdown in the park, she’s literally tackled by Cade DeVerine—rugged sculptor, gallery owner, and the kind of man who looks like trouble in all the right ways. Cade is instantly intrigued, not just by Gitana herself but by the artistic talent she’s been hiding from the world. And since he’s made it clear he’s not looking to start a family, Gitana lets herself relax into something she hasn’t felt in a long time: a second chance at true love.
But John, now her ex, keeps popping up, observing her as if she’s an interesting specimen instead of a woman with actual feelings. And just when an intense attraction and relationship escalate with Cade, a shocking secret threatens to unravel it all.
If you love quirky, witty characters, the art scene, and a heroine rebuilding her life with grit and humor, this second chance love story will sweep you right in. An addictive read.
Character Interviews
How did it start?
Gitana: It was on the day I received my last alimony check. My ex-husband hand-delivered it to me as I was walking in the park. The smug bastard. He left me for his pregnant mistress, you know. All those years I tried getting pregnant—the fertility treatments and the letdown—it was hard. I always wanted children, but I guess that wasn’t in my cards.
How did you meet Gitana?
Cade: I saw this gorgeous woman dancing around, swearing at the seagulls. She had a bottle of pills in her hand, trying to open them. And then it hit me. She was going to take the pills. I had to save her. When she brought her hand up to her mouth, I tackled her to the ground. I thought I knocked her out, until she fought back, hard. Man, she was angry (whistles). According to her, she was going to throw the pills at a seagull to get her check back.
Gitana: I needed the check. My job at the winery was barely enough to cover my expenses. I loved my job, working in a castle-like building, but I had to figure out my life, another plan.
Layne: We were neighbors. She had rented the shitty houseboat next to me. I watched her struggle as she moved in. I offered to help but she refused. When I couldn’t take seeing her hot and flustered, I placed an ice-cold beer on the post, dangling it like a carrot. She took the bait. She downed the first one and then watched me finish hauling her stuff into the boat while she drank the second. She’s something else. A spitfire.
Last thoughts?
Gitana: They always say that things happen for a reason, but it’s a hard lesson to learn. Or for me it was. I had one plan: husband, family. And that failed. I never expected what happened next. Not in a million years.