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Cypress Coast #2
Once Burned
After a long string of dating disasters, Sage McDowell has reason to be leery of men. She prefers to spend her time managing an organic farm in idyllic Carmel Valley, California, and making raku pottery for the gallery she owns with her sisters. But when two men from her past resurface, her well-ordered life turns upside down.
Adam Wingate, her “almost” prom date, returns to the valley to take over the helm of his family’s vineyard and winery. And Spencer Silveira, her high school tormentor, persistently tries to push her beloved elderly employer into a shady real estate deal.
When Spencer is found murdered, Sage and Adam must join forces to unravel a tangled web of events before becoming the killer’s next victims, all while navigating the growing attraction between them. Their quest is sometimes threatened, sometimes aided, by a sinister drug cartel, a mysterious restauranteur, and a pair of high-flying turkeys named Wilbur and Orville. Welcome to mayhem in paradise.
Adam Wingate, her “almost” prom date, returns to the valley to take over the helm of his family’s vineyard and winery. And Spencer Silveira, her high school tormentor, persistently tries to push her beloved elderly employer into a shady real estate deal.
When Spencer is found murdered, Sage and Adam must join forces to unravel a tangled web of events before becoming the killer’s next victims, all while navigating the growing attraction between them. Their quest is sometimes threatened, sometimes aided, by a sinister drug cartel, a mysterious restauranteur, and a pair of high-flying turkeys named Wilbur and Orville. Welcome to mayhem in paradise.
311 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 6, 2021
41 people are currently reading
11 people want to read
About the author
Alison Henderson
15 books72 followersI grew up in Kansas City on the edge of the prairie. Like any good pioneer, I’ve always been intrigued by new places and experiences. I went off to New York to study art history at Vassar College, and by the time I was twenty-one I had traveled the world from Japan to Tunisia. Little did I know I was collecting material for future stories!
Unlike many writers, I didn’t grow up knowing I wanted to write, but I’ve always been an avid reader and eventually decided to try my hand at writing the kind of stories I loved. I was quickly hooked on the creative process.
I recently retired after a long career in business and moved with my husband to the glorious Central Coast region of California. If we ever get homesick for the Midwest, we can hop on a plane and visit our daughter in Chicago.
Unlike many writers, I didn’t grow up knowing I wanted to write, but I’ve always been an avid reader and eventually decided to try my hand at writing the kind of stories I loved. I was quickly hooked on the creative process.
I recently retired after a long career in business and moved with my husband to the glorious Central Coast region of California. If we ever get homesick for the Midwest, we can hop on a plane and visit our daughter in Chicago.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 7, 2021
Sage McDowell enjoys the glories of California in bucolic Carmel-by-the-Sea surrounded by family-owned wineries, organic farms, vegetarian restaurants, and shops full of artisans...until greedy people darken the scene. Sage works for Valley Farms and her new friend, Adam Wingate, works with his family at a winery…introverts, both, who love their jobs. Neither are prepared for the danger sneaking into town. Henderson deftly builds characters, plot, and intrigue for a page-turning experience. A great read!
May 6, 2021
This long-awaited second installment in Alison Henderson’s Cypress Coast series featuring the three McDowell sisters focusses on Sage, who manages a Carmel Valley organic farm owned by Frannie Burton, and crafts raku pottery in her spare time.
When Frannie rejects a purchase offer for a piece of land on which she has decided to plant an olive grove, both she and Sage receive threats that escalate from verbal harassment to slashed tires, to bodily harm.
The romance in the story is supplied by Adam Wingate, an old high school almost-beau of Sage’s who has returned to Carmel Valley to manage his family’s winery.
And then there are the animals: a herd of goats and a pair of tom turkeys named Wilber and Orville. No spoilers here. You’ll have to read the book to find out how they figure into the plot.
As with Second Wind (first book in the series), Henderson’s knowledge of and love for Carmel-by-the-Sea and the Carmel Valley is revealed in every scene of Once Burned. Whether or not it was intended, the settings are the stars that illuminate the action.
This is a fine, gentle romance coupled with a complex mystery and leavened with just the right amount of humor. Henderson’s prose is smooth and sure, and is a joy to read. Five stars.
When Frannie rejects a purchase offer for a piece of land on which she has decided to plant an olive grove, both she and Sage receive threats that escalate from verbal harassment to slashed tires, to bodily harm.
The romance in the story is supplied by Adam Wingate, an old high school almost-beau of Sage’s who has returned to Carmel Valley to manage his family’s winery.
And then there are the animals: a herd of goats and a pair of tom turkeys named Wilber and Orville. No spoilers here. You’ll have to read the book to find out how they figure into the plot.
As with Second Wind (first book in the series), Henderson’s knowledge of and love for Carmel-by-the-Sea and the Carmel Valley is revealed in every scene of Once Burned. Whether or not it was intended, the settings are the stars that illuminate the action.
This is a fine, gentle romance coupled with a complex mystery and leavened with just the right amount of humor. Henderson’s prose is smooth and sure, and is a joy to read. Five stars.
June 12, 2021
A real page-turner with well developed characters. The second in the Cypress Coast series, this is a standalone book with references to the first book that are easy to understand without being an info dump. The main characters have to work at forgetting the past before they can work on a future.
May 11, 2021
Super!
As usual, wonderful characters in the beautiful Carmel setting, and a plot with multiple surprises keep the pages turning. Well done, Alison Henderson. Hopefully, Angelica's story is already on the way.
As usual, wonderful characters in the beautiful Carmel setting, and a plot with multiple surprises keep the pages turning. Well done, Alison Henderson. Hopefully, Angelica's story is already on the way.
June 8, 2021
Oh, the setting of this delightful story! Alison Henderson writes an action packed story set in Carmel Valley, California rife with twists and turns and characters chock-full of modern-day personality! I read this atmospheric, past-paced novel on Kindle and enjoyed following the character Sage McDowell, a pottery maker who runs an organic farm and is written so vividly all readers will think they personally know her. This novel has something for everyone: drama, mystery, intrigue, murder, wine, animals, and the lure of budding romance. If you love a suspenseful read shot through with a sense of story as place, you'll love Once Burned for every reason a reader is engaged with a book-- my favorite being Ms. Henderson's delightful, cheeky sense of humor!
May 30, 2021
A real winner! I loved this funny, action-packed romance. The story has an intriguing mystery and characters you'll cheer for, along with a breath-taking setting. The author addresses all the elements of the story with skill and humor. I highly recommend this whole series!
November 7, 2021
This is the second in the series, but if you haven't read the first don't worry about it. I love that these books are about sisters with a mom thrown in who runs an organic veggie restaurant. This book is very California. Ms. Henderson paints the setting beautifully with much of the action taking place on or around a vineyard. I routed for Sage and Adam to get together and for Spencer to get what he had coming to him. In the end, it’s a surprise. You’ll be thoroughly entertained.
May 31, 2021
A complete miss
Author describes the main character as practical but she is anything but. Not only impractical but outright stupid behavior to the point you hope whoever is behind what is going on takes her out of the picture. I quit reading before getting to the end.
Author describes the main character as practical but she is anything but. Not only impractical but outright stupid behavior to the point you hope whoever is behind what is going on takes her out of the picture. I quit reading before getting to the end.
March 24, 2023
Once Burned by Alison Henderson
Ms. Henderson writes pleasant, easy reading novels. There is some action and mystery, and it’s entertaining, but lacks that certain punch. However, if you want a relaxing read, you’ve found it.
Reviewed by Heide Katros, Winter Haven News, Florida
Ms. Henderson writes pleasant, easy reading novels. There is some action and mystery, and it’s entertaining, but lacks that certain punch. However, if you want a relaxing read, you’ve found it.
Reviewed by Heide Katros, Winter Haven News, Florida
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews