The Captain's Cook: A Novel

"The wind is like a dance partner, always changing, always leading us in a different direction . . ."
When an ad for a luxury yacht searching for a chef crosses Jessica Kline's eyes, she knows this is it: the chance for a fresh start. Broke, divorced, uninspired in her career, and unlucky in love in her late fifties, she finds herself at Marina del Rey's California Yacht Club, staring down the Slow Dance as it waits to embark on a voyage to Tahiti and beyond. It is time for her interview to be the captain's cook.

Jess's culinary skills aren't in question. The real test is whether she's willing to take the leap of rediscovery into unchartered waters—with no guarantee this time she'll make it out unharmed. But as soon as Jess meets Captain Cliff Reed, she begins to get the sense she's not the only one who's been tossed around by life's waves . . .

Once upon the high seas, Jess must balance her ship duties with navigating the unpredictable winds of the skies and her crewmates alike—her enigmatic captain not excluded. But as she becomes filled with the breath of adventure and the fire of renewal, she soon realizes that it will be up to her to find the courage to face what lies ahead with an open heart and a sense of wonder.