Wine & Children

by Sara Dahmen

From award-winning novelist Sara Dahmen comes her first romantic drama, Wine & Children.

Single and still smarting from her divorce, Charlotte Paggo takes a sabbatical to meander through California's wine country in an attempt to rebuild herself. Her travels lead her to meet Sam, a budding garagiste wine maker and a divorcee himself. Neither of them have any illusions about what it takes to make a relationship work, and romance is complicated by Sam's pre-teen sons.

Issues surface, from ex-spouses, children and medical emergencies. Underlying everything is the battle of Charlie's insecurities that stem from her irrevocable infertility. Like so many real life couples who hope for second chances, Charlie and Sam need to work together to discover what it might take to find comfort and happiness once more.

406 pages, Paperback

First published November 30, 2016

About the author

Coppersmith, mother of 3, and novelist Sara Dahmen lives in Wisconsin, and is the author of the Flats Junction series {Promontory Press, Inc.}, historical fiction novels set in the Dakotas. The series is in development for television, with the third book, Outcast 1883, releasing on November 22, 2022.

She is the designer and founder of House Copper & Cookware - an American-made kitchenware and copper cookware line and manufactures pure metal kitchenware by herself in her copper shop. Her knowledge on cookware is featured in Copper, Iron, and Clay: A Smith's Journey (William Morrow / Harper Collins).

When not writing books or hitting metal over an anvil, Sara writes scripts and screenplays, sits on Zoom calls with entertainment executives and producers on some of her scripted projects, keeps up with her honeybees, gardens, mini-farm, and family.

Reviews

[Rebekah Bryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so great. Sara did a wonderful job of finding the emotion in even the simplest tasks. It was a quiet book, taking the reader through the everyday lives of these two established adults, but it spoke volumes about love, marriage, divorce, and the simple things in life. I was never bored and often titillated by their budding relationship. I loved how Sam was so steadfast and how Charlie trusted him right from the start, even through her understandable hesitation. The characters did have some excitement in the end. I wasn't sure how I wanted it to go, but Sara wrapped it up perfectly.

[Valerie Biel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love that this author does not write formulaic romances. She always has good surprise tucked away in her writing that keeps the suspense level high as we become entwined in the lives of her characters. This is a lovely story about the complexity of (slightly) older loves who have children, businesses, exes, and hard-to-heal old hurts. The author's attention to detail makes me feel like I took a trip to wine country myself and isn't that just what we want out of a good book?!

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heartwarming romance story about real life and second chances.

[InD'tale Magazine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is one of those that are good for a rainy afternoon while curled up on the couch.

Read full review in the 2017 April issue of InD'tale Magazine.