Book cover of Second Wind

Book description

Action. Suspense. Mystery. Romance.

Desperate to escape her abusive fiancé, sculptor Laurel McDowell pawns her engagement ring, loads everything she owns into her VW Beetle, and heads for the sanctuary of her family home in Big Sur.

After her ex’s body washes up on Carmel beach, she finds herself dragged…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked Second Wind as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

This story is filled with quirky characters, a beautiful backdrop, suspense, and sweet romance, perfect for a romantic comedy. Escaping an abusive fiancé, Laurel McDowell flees with her feisty feline Rufus and her few belongings to her family home in California’s Big Sur. Trouble quickly follows. Soon, she is embroiled in a money laundering conspiracy and finds herself in the cross-hairs of the Russian Mafia. Luckily, FBI forensic accountant Jake Carlson is on the case. This author has a gift for humor, and I found myself chuckling as I read. The supporting characters—Laurel’s restaurateur mother, her two artist sisters, and…

If you love Second Wind...

Book cover of These Blue Mountains

These Blue Mountains by Sarah Loudin Thomas,

A moving story of love, betrayal, and the enduring power of hope in the face of darkness.

German pianist Hedda Schlagel's world collapsed when her fiancé, Fritz, vanished after being sent to an enemy alien camp in the United States during the Great War. Fifteen years later, in 1932, Hedda…

Want books like Second Wind?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 27 books like Second Wind.

Browse books like Second Wind

Book cover of Beach Heart
Book cover of The Case of the Bygone Brother: An Alex O'Hara Novel
Book cover of Midnight Reckoning

Share your top 3 reads of 2025!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,339

readers submitted
so far, will you?

📚 If you like Second Wind, you might also like...

Book cover of Fine Eyes & Beastly Pride

Fine Eyes & Beastly Pride by Tiffany Thomas,

All Elizabeth Bennet wants for her father to bring back from Lambton is a cutting of Pemberley’s famous roses. Little did she know that her humble request would lead to her father’s imprisonment, putting both her father’s life and her childhood home of Longbourn at risk. 

All Fitzwilliam Darcy wishes…

Book cover of Holy Terror

Holy Terror by John R. Dougherty,

Across America, a wave of brutal, inexplicable killings leaves hardened detectives and desperate federal agents grasping for answers.

But what appears to be vigilante terror is something far more ancient - an invisible war between the forces of light and the agents of darkness, playing out on the streets of…

5 book lists we think you will like!