Saturday, May 31, 2014

Book Review: Skinny Bitch Gets Hitched

Skinny Bitch Gets Hitched (Skinny Bitch #2)Author: Kim Barnouin
Publication Date: May 6, 2014
Publisher: Gallery
Series: Skinny Bitch # 2


SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW, SOMETHING VEGAN, SOMETHING BLUE . . .

For the second time in just a few short months, Clementine Cooper’s professional reputation hinges on one restaurant review. Clementine’s No Crap Cafe is poised to score the Holy Grail of publicity a mention in the New York Times Sunday travel section if Clem’s veggietastic lasagna can bowl over the food critic.

Clem has no time for distractions. Or surprises. But when her meat-eating millionaire boyfriend Zach Jeffries shocks her with a sweet and romantic marriage proposal, of course she says yes! Now she has to plan the most important menu of her life while fending off her domineering future mother-in-law’s extravagant plans for the wedding.

As if there wasn’t enough on her plate, Clem decides to open a second restaurant on her parents farm Clem’s No Crap Outpost against Zach’s advice. Just when she needs his support the most, Zach grows distant. The only person who really seems to understand is Clem’s friend and biggest competition, the cute vegan chef Alexander Orr. Putting out fires in the kitchen is easy, but in her relationship? Suddenly, her time with Alexander feels . . . hotter . . . than usual, and Clem starts to wonder if the charming carnivore she’s engaged to is really the man she should spend her life with.


I had a big-ass wedding cake to bake – for my soon to be sister-in-law.

A diamond ring. Round, glittering diamond. Two carats. Platinum band.


First the ring wasn’t a surprise and freaked me out. Then it was a surprise and freaked me out even more – in a good way. When had Zach Jeffries not kept me on my toes? 


Be warned! You are about to read the review of a diehard Skinny Bitch fan! The first book in this series was published last June, and I read it in one day. This book took me a little longer because I am planning my own wedding, but it was equally as good. I devoured both of them and I cannot wait for more from Kim Barnouin. Both of these books follow Clementine Cooper, a vegan chef, on her journey to become one of the greatest chefs around. She stumbles across quite a few speed bumps on the way, but ultimately becomes a success. In the second book, the one in which I am reviewing, she has finally achieved her dream of owning her own restaurant and thinks she has life pretty much figured out. She is dating the perfect guy, but what she doesn’t expect is a big, fat marriage proposal. After that everything else is sent spiraling out of control!

Clementine Cooper will forever be my best friend. The girl has gained my utmost respect and support since the very first page of the first novel. She works overtime in order to achieve all that she has. I am in no way a vegan, but Clem makes me want to be. She is a very passionate character and puts her goals and ambitions first. Her parents are also a very important part of her life and some of my favorite parts are when she is on her father’s farm or is reminiscing about how she grew up and her parent’s way of life. I love following her and especially hearing about all the meals she prepares in her kitchen, which is of course her happy place!

Clementine’s life spiraled a little out of control in this book, but it was something I could definitely relate with because I am planning my own wedding as well. Clementine has to brave her mother-in-law through the wedding planning process and I was so entertained by these particular parts because she was not the nicest character around. Clementine did such a better job than I would have done if someone tried to take over the planning of my wedding. The book is well-written and well-paced and adds a few interesting twists that I definitely did not see coming at all.


***A free copy of this book was provided to me by the publishers at Gallery Books in exchange for my honest review*** 





Thursday, May 29, 2014

Book Review: Biggest Flirts

Biggest Flirts (Superlatives, #1)Author: Jennifer Echols
Publication Date: May 20, 2014
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Series: Superlatives # 1


Tia and Will’s lives get flipped upside down when they’re voted Yearbook’s Biggest Flirts in this sassy novel from the author of Endless Summer and The One That I Want.

Tia just wants to have fun. She’s worked hard to earn her reputation as the life of the party, and she’s ready for a carefree senior year of hanging out with friends and hooking up with cute boys. And her first order of business? New guy Will. She can’t get enough of his Midwestern accent and laidback swagger. 

As the sparks start to fly, Will wants to get serious. Tia’s seen how caring too much has left her sisters heartbroken, and she isn’t interested in commitment. But pushing Will away drives him into the arms of another girl. Tia tells herself it’s no big deal…until the yearbook elections are announced. Getting voted Biggest Flirts with Will is, well, awkward. They may just be friends, but their chemistry is beginning to jeopardize Will’s new relationship—and causing Tia to reconsider her true feelings. What started as a lighthearted fling is about to get very complicated…


Kaye might not believe it, but even I had morals.

I had a tendency to frighten underclassmen.

Only I understood him, and in some small way, in a tiny warped corner of my mind, that made him mine.


The school thought we were flirting with each other?


I have a new obsession and it is this brand new series by Jennifer Echols! OMG! A series based on senior superlatives?! How ingenious is this? It’s so ingenious that only Jennifer Echols could have come up with it! This series focuses on a group of seniors at a Florida high school who realize who they really are and even question what that means once the yearbook votes are cast for senior superlatives. Tia is the life of the party and works hard to be the biggest flirt. She finds herself falling fast for the new Midwestern cutie named Will. However, being the life of the party doesn’t come easy and she knows that she cannot afford a huge commitment. But then Will starts seeing another girl, and when Tia and Will are voted “Biggest Flirts” it makes things awkward for them both, not only because of their past but also because they have obvious chemistry that no one can deny!

Tia is a character that you might find yourself loving but you might also find yourself hating her because she is very outspoken, is the life of the party, and enjoys toying around with boys. Personally, I really enjoyed her. Echols wrote her like a very typical teen. She is realistic and focuses on things that most teenage girls do. She is a girl who is not afraid to go after what she wants and doesn’t care what she has to do to get there, even if that means stirring up a bit of drama. Tia is sometimes catty and selfish, but I feel like most teenage girls possess both of these traits more than they sometimes admit.

Romance does play a big part in this book, but before you think to yourself that you might be too old to read something like this or it might be a bit childish think again. I was pleasantly surprised with how I felt about this book and the romantic features of it. Will is a bit immature, but come on he is a teenager! I am very excited for this series to build and I have already gone to Goodreads and marked the next book TBR! This was an awesome start to what I am sure will be one of my favorite new series of books.


***A free copy of this book was provided to me by the publishers at Simon Pulse in exchange for my honest review***


Book Review: Murder Gone A-Rye

Murder Gone A-Rye (A Baker's Treat Mystery, #2)Author: Nancy J. Parra
Publication Date: May 6, 2014
Publisher: Berkley
Series: A Baker’s Treat Mystery # 2


Toni Holmes is the best gluten-free baker in Oiltop, Kansas—okay, she’s the only one—but when her grandmother becomes a murder suspect, she’s more concerned with keeping Grandma free… 

When Toni’s beloved—and eccentric—grandma Ruth is arrested for the murder of her archenemy, Lois Striker, it’s time for a senior moment of truth. Telltale tracks from a scooter like the one Grandma Ruth rides lead the police to suspect the outspoken oldster, but Toni knows her grandmother wouldn’t burn a cookie, let alone extinguish a life.

In fact, the case has Grandma more revved up than her infamous scooter. A former investigative journalist, she decides to solve the murder herself—with help from Toni—by digging up long-buried town secrets. But as Grandma scoots in where others fear to tread, Toni needs to make sure she not only stays out of jail but out of harm’s way…


My goal was for the community to think of tasty gluten-free baked goods first and murder last.

These days I preferred the comfort of my oversized queen bed.


I had lost my mind. It was the only reason I could think of that I would be hanging out in Phyllis’s van in the middle of the night, helping these two old women.


While this is the second book in the series, this is the first that I have read. I loved getting to know Oiltop’s gluten-free bakery owner, Toni Holmes. Toni is preparing for the Thanksgiving rush when the unexpected happens; her grandmother becomes the prime suspect in a murder investigation. Grandma Ruth is a suspect in the murder of Lois Striker, who was formerly known as the secretary to the mayor of Oiltop, Kansas. Toni has to put her shop behind her for a little while so that she can focus on freeing her rather ornery grandmother from a fate worse than death!

The murder case in this book was very well-written. It focuses on a cold case from 1959 and was extremely suspenseful. It kept someone like me, who reads mysteries all the time, intrigued right up until the end. The characters also add to the story because of their spunk and downright hilarity. In this book we meet Aunt Phyllis and when she and Grandma Ruth get together they are so much fun and constantly had me laughing. Toni gets right in the middle of them, and seeing them all interact is a very nice touch that helps me connect to each of them. They seem like a real family, flaws and all!

The bakery was my favorite part of this book. I loved listening to Toni’s wonderful creations and the time of year was perfect. This book took place during the big Thanksgiving rush, and as we head into summer here it was a nice change of pace for me to read this. I felt very comfy and warm as I imagined all the cookies, cakes, and hot coffee being served. I am looking forward to spending more time in Toni’s bakery very soon!

***A free copy of this book was provided to me by the publishers at Berkley in exchange for my honest review***






Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Debut Review: A Girl Called Fearless

A Girl Called Fearless: A NovelAuthor: Catherine Linka
Publication Date: May 6, 2014
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin


Avie Reveare has the normal life of a privileged teen growing up in L.A., at least as normal as any girl’s life is these days. After a synthetic hormone in beef killed fifty million American women ten years ago, only young girls, old women, men, and boys are left to pick up the pieces. The death threat is past, but fathers still fear for their daughters’ safety, and the Paternalist Movement, begun to "protect" young women, is taking over the choices they make. Like all her friends, Avie still mourns the loss of her mother, but she’s also dreaming about college and love and what she’ll make of her life. When her dad "contracts" her to marry a rich, older man to raise money to save his struggling company, her life suddenly narrows to two choices: Be trapped in a marriage with a controlling politician, or run. Her lifelong friend, student revolutionary Yates, urges her to run to freedom across the border to Canada. As their friendship turns to passion, the decision to leave becomes harder and harder. Running away is incredibly dangerous, and it’s possible Avie will never see Yates again. But staying could mean death.From Catherine Linka comes this romantic, thought-provoking, and frighteningly real story, A Girl Called Fearless, about fighting for the most important things in life—freedom and love.


I rage at the darkness in my life
The stolen love, the stolen light
Death was silent, but I’m
Not silent anymore.

She’d grow up in this world never knowing what she’d missed.


Dad stalked off, leaving me in the hall, my voice as dead as my mother.


This was a new take on a dystopian novel for me. While most dystopian novels that I have read take place in a new, revolutionized world, this one is far from it. Ten years ago a synthetic hormone in beef killed fifty million American women, leaving young girls, boys, men, and elderly men and women to make sense of all that was left. Women’s rights are diminished in this society that Linka has invented, and Paternalists are ever fearful that something else will happen to their beloved women. Avie, our main character, is faced with a decision that will change her life forever. After finding out that her father is going to force her to marry, she decides that running away might be the better alternative. Along with a lifelong friend who calls her “fearless”, Avie decides to make a decision that might ultimately give her a chance at adventure and a life free from angst and disappointment.

The concept behind this book was very interesting and intriguing. Of course, being the feminist that I am, I had some issues with the patriarchal dominated world which Avie lived in. However, I thought that Linka’s world and the idea that all of the women were killed off years ago, was all very powerful. It added a lot of angst and emotion to the characters, and it was easier to understand them because as a reader I understood their world and why it was the way it was. Understanding Avie’s background helped me to put some of my hesitations about her behind me and give her the benefit of the doubt.

I love short chapters and books that are light enough for me to fly through in a short matter of time. This book was full of action, romance, and drama; it was a constant thrill from start to finish. The romance in this book was not overpowering, but was like other dystopian novels: full of emotion and all about taking chances. The romance was just enough for me!


***A free copy of this book was provided to me by the publishers at St. Martin’s Griffin in exchange for my honest review***



Monday, May 26, 2014

Book Review: Booty Bones

Booty Bones: A Sarah Booth Delaney MysteryAuthor: Carolyn Haines
Publication Date: May 20, 2014
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Series: Sarah Booth Delaney # 14


Sarah Booth Delaney’s fiancé, Graf Milieu, has become depressed while recovering from a severe leg injury, but Sarah Booth knows just how to help him heal. She’s arranged a romantic getaway for the two of them at a lovely beach cottage on Dauphin Island off the Gulf Coast. On the first day of their island adventure, they take a historical tour led by Angela Trotter, a young woman well-versed in local lore, including rumors of pirate treasure hidden somewhere on the island. In fact, Angela confides to Sarah Booth and Graf that her father, a sailor and treasure hunter, was murdered just when he thought he was closing in on the treasure. Angela's convinced that the wrong man was imprisoned for her father’s murder, and she manages to persuade Sarah Booth to take the case. And Sarah Booth soon realizes that there's much more going on than meets the eye. With untold amounts of treasure offering plenty of motive for murder and a fiancé falling deeper into depression, Sarah Booth's peaceful island vacation is quickly spinning out of control.

In Booty Bones, Carolyn Haines will once again delight readers with her trademark blend of clever plotting, witty prose, and Southern charm.


The end of an October day is nothing less than stunning on the small barrier island named for French royalty: Dauphin Island, Alabama.

“She must have been a mighty wise woman.” Truer words were never spoken.


“Or you could pull on your big-girl panties and confront him about the woman on the beach. Don’t let him dodge the issue.”


Sarah Booth Delaney is one of my absolute favorite characters of all time. This time of year is one of my favorites because I know the next installment of this series will be released. This series is always fun, charming, and will keep you on your toes and on the edge of your seat. In this particular installment Haines takes readers to Dauphin Island where Sarah Booth is about to solve a murder and possibly discover a buried treasure. I loved the alternate setting in this book. The beach was so peaceful and it was nice to see Sarah Booth in a different setting. Dauphin Island came with a wonderful cast of characters and some interesting folklore as well!

Graf and Sarah have reached a steep hill in their relationship. Because of Graf’s accident, which occurred in the last book and I am not going to spoil for those of you who haven’t read it, Sarah and Graf are at a rocky place and Sarah is not sure that their relationship will ever be fixed. This issue in their relationship was not so overpowering that it took away from the mystery, but it was a nice little twist in the story. It was nice to see a different side of Sarah; she is not always put together and does have issues in her own life to work out too.

I can never say enough good things about this series. Each mystery is always a change and Haines always mixes things up for readers. Each mystery brings something new and exciting, and I must add that I hope Haines does not decide to stop adding to this series anytime soon. I enjoyed the beachy feel in this book and I wished I had been sitting on the beach to read it like I was last summer. I encourage all of you that are looking for a good mystery series to pick this one up!


***A free copy of this book was provided to me by the publishers at Minotaur Books in exchange for my honest review***





Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Book Review: Deep Blue

Deep Blue (Waterfire Saga, #1)Author: Jennifer Donnelly
Publication Date: May 6, 2014
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Series: Waterfire Saga # 1


The first in a series of four epic tales set in the depths of the ocean, where six mermaids seek to protect and save their hidden world.

Deep in the ocean, in a world not so different from our own, live the merpeople. Their communities are spread throughout the oceans, seas, and freshwaters all over the globe.

When Serafina, a mermaid of the Mediterranean Sea, awakens on the morning of her betrothal, her biggest worry should be winning the love of handsome Prince Mahdi. And yet Sera finds herself haunted by strange dreams that foretell the return of an ancient evil. Her dark premonitions are confirmed when an assassin's arrow poisons Sera's mother. Now, Serafina must embark on a quest to find the assassin's master and prevent a war between the Mer nations. Led only by her shadowy dreams, Sera searches for five other mermaid heroines who are scattered across the six seas. Together, they will form an unbreakable bond of sisterhood and uncover a conspiracy that threatens their world's very existence.


Deep in the black mountains, deep in the Romanian night, deep beneath the cold, dark waters of the ancient Olt, the river witches sang.

Daughter of Merrow, leave your sleep,
The ways of childhood no more to keep,
Wake now, child, find the five
While there’s time, keep hope alive.

The princess lifted her head, swam through the doors to her antechamber, and joined her court.


“In olden days, royals had their unruly nobles beheaded. What a pity that custom fell out of use.”

It seems that mermaid books are few and far between, but everyone I have ever read has given me great pleasure and I have finished them in one to two days. This wonderful book comes with a lot of hype because it is going to be this elaborate series made up of four books all about beautiful, imaginative tales of mermaids in the depths of the ocean. The cover is absolutely gorgeous and sets a nice tone for the rest of the book. The cover makes readers wonder about the world building, especially since we are dealing with merpeople, and I must say that the cover is a great interpretation of the novel. The colors are beautiful and the world is completely and utterly fascinating!

The first half of the book is the strongest part. We are first introduced to Seraphina and the world she is very much a part of. I loved reading about her interacting with other mermaids and following her as she explored her own world. Her characterization was fantastic, but it did become more confusing as the book continued because we are introduced to more and more mermaids. Seraphina is a great character. She is under a lot of pressure from her mother and all that is expected of her. She is believable and realistic, even though she is a mermaid.

Being the first book in this saga, a lot of information is frontloaded, and I have read several reviews in which several bloggers did not care for this. I, however, did not mind it at all. I loved all the information about Seraphina’s world and I felt that it was necessary in order to fully understand the plot of the story. Jennifer Donnelly, along with the publishers at Disney, have created a world that will fascinate any reader with even the hint of an imagination. I cannot wait for the next book in this series!

***A free copy of this book was provided to me by the publishers at Disney in exchange for my honest review***



Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Book Review: We Were Liars

We Were LiarsAuthor: E. Lockhart
Publication Date: May 13, 2014
Publisher: Delacorte Press


A beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.
 
We Were Liars is a modern, sophisticated suspense novel from National Book Award finalist and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart. 
Read it.
And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE.


The Sinclairs are athletic, tall, and handsome. We are old-money Democrats. Our smiles are wide, our chins square, and our tennis serves aggressive.

It doesn’t matter if divorce shreds the muscles of our hearts so that they will hardly beat without a struggle. It doesn’t matter if trust-fund money is running out; if credit card bills go unpaid on the kitchen counter. It doesn’t matter if there’s a cluster of pill bottles on the bedside table.

It tasted like salt and failure.


Wow! That is really all I can say about this book. The synopsis for this book was very vague and I am afraid that my review is going to have to be as well so as to not give anything away. The writing style in this book is something that I am not used to reading every day, and it will not be for everyone; I am just going to say that upfront. For me, however, this book was a nice change and a thrilling read!

This book is full of fairy tale twists. That’s right, I said fairy tales! There are many subtle hints of several fairy tales that are dispersed throughout the novel. This books reads like a fairy tale, and by that I mean that it feels a little dark and mysterious, and you might never get that from the cover of this book. I honestly thought this book would be contemporary fiction just based on the cover, but then when I started doing research I found that the book had bits and pieces of other famous fairy tales that we all know.

The cast of characters is large and very dynamic as well. Again, I cannot give away too much because I don’t want anything to be spoiled. I will tell you that in the beginning of the book there is a nice, informative family tree. I am such a sucker for family trees. I will say that it takes a little while to get the characters in order, but it was all worth it!

Trust me when I say that this book will not be for everyone, but if anything I have said so far interests then please give this book a try!


***A free copy of this book was provided to me by the publishers at Delacorte Press in exchange for my honest review***



Friday, May 16, 2014

Book Review: Blue Notes

Blue NotesAuthor: Carrie Lofty
Publication Date: May 6, 2014
Publisher: Gallery


For fans of Jamie McGuire and S.C. Stephens, a sizzling new adult novel featuring the tumultuous relationship between a young piano prodigy and a reluctant billionaire playboy—set against the vibrant backdrop of a New Orleans college campus.

After being bounced from foster family to foster family, Keeley, a talented pianist, is ready to start over as a junior at Tulane. But when she plays a small concert that attracts the attention of Jude, a brooding playboy and heir to an enormous fortune in the wake of his parents’ tragic death, suddenly Keeley’s life is thrown off balance once again.

Jude is the first person to confront her about the pain behind her music, and she struggles with whether or not to let him into her life, or to keep protecting herself from the hurt that relationships have caused her in the past. But Keeley’s about to learn that the melancholy young billionaire who appears to have everything he wants can open her eyes to exactly what she needs…


“Turn me on, sugar,” he says, smoldering and daring. “Just you and that piano.”

“I’m Dorothy trying to get to the Emerald City. Only, someone forgot to paint the sidewalks yellow.”


“What will be left of me when I’ve got Pandora’s open box slicing holes in my soul.”

This book starts with Keeley as a younger girl in which readers find out what happened that caused Keeley to be placed in the foster care system. Please don’t forget to read the prologue; it is very important! I love books that center around music and the character’s love for music. I don’t get to read that many of them because it feels like they are not common in the fictional world, but when a new one comes along I am always happy to give it a try. Keeley is a fabulous character to lead us through this story, and even though the prologue is a little dark please do not let that scare you from reading the rest of the book!

Keeley meets cocky, arrogant Jude when she goes off to college. At first, if I am being completely honest, I wanted to put the book down because I did not like Jude. He is so arrogant and just downright snotty. I kept going, however, and it was all well worth it. The more you read the more you will learn about Jude’s background, since we already know so much about Keeley’s upfront. This is not a mushy gushy romance. It has a realistic pacing and is not too overwhelming. I think more romances should be written just like this one!

I said before to not let the prologue of this book scare you. I stand behind that. Both Keeley and Jude have terrifying pasts, and even though that part of the book is dark the rest of the story is not. Both of these characters learn to rise above the waves. This book and the premise behind it is very sweet, even if we have to endure what the main characters initially had to face. And believe me, I felt so sorry for Keeley in the beginning, but something about her seemed so powerful and strong. This is one of those books that you will be able to fly through in a matter of hours!


***A free copy of this book was provided to me by the publishers at Gallery in exchange for my honest review***





Thursday, May 15, 2014

Book Review: Murder in Murray Hill

Murder in Murray Hill (Gaslight Mystery, #16)Author: Victoria Thompson
Publication Date: May 6, 2014
Publisher: Berkley Hardcover
Series: Gaslight Mystery # 16


When facing injustice, the residents of nineteenth-century New York City’s tenements turn to midwife Sarah Brandt and Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy to protect their rights. Now, as the Edgar® and Agatha Award–nominated series continues, the two must track down a cruel criminal preying on the hopes and dreams of innocent women…

A Gaslight Mystery

Frank Malloy has never known any life other than that of a cop, but his newfound inheritance threatens his position within his department. While trying to keep both his relationship with Sarah and his fortune under wraps, he’s assigned to a new case—finding a missing young woman for her worried father, Henry Livingston.

It seems the girl had been responding to “lonely hearts” ads in the paper for months before she disappeared. Her father thinks that she’s eloped with a deceptive stranger, but Malloy fears the worst, knowing that the grifters who place such ads often do much more than simply abscond with their victims. But as Sarah and Malloy delve deeper into a twisted plot targeting the city’s single women, it’s their partnership—both professional and private—that winds up in the greatest peril…


Frank just hoped they would find her alive.

“My life won’t be worth living. So I have to tell her today.”


This time the blood really did drain from his mother’s face, and from her head, too, because she slumped to the floor in a dead faint.

This series is a step above what I would classify as a cozy mystery series. However, I will say that they are just as good and always has been one of my favorite series to read and follow. The characters are engaging and the plot hardly ever leaves me disappointed. I just hate that I have to wait an entire year for each new book to be released. In this installment, Frank and Sarah’s relationship has progressed even more and now the two must find a way to tell Frank’s mother about their upcoming nuptials. Not to mention there is a killer on the loose and the two must work together to save and protect the women that have been kidnapped.

Frank and Sarah are two extraordinary characters, and their relationship has been fun to follow and watch grow. They both compliment the other and this is especially charming when they are working together to solve a mystery. Frank and Sarah are so convincing in all that they say and do. Their trials and triumphs will just make you love them all the more. If you are not Team Frank and Sarah by the time you finish one book, then we need to have a very serious convo!

Nineteenth century New York City is a place that I would love to visit. I feel like even though I have read several books in this series, Thompson always gives me something new and exciting as far as the setting is concerned. Everything is written to be so believable and so realistic. The detail is to die for; I love books where I have to stop and picture what is going on around me because the imagery is just so vivid.


***A free copy of this book was provided to me by the publishers at Berkley in exchange for my honest review***





Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Book Review: One More Last Chance

One More Last Chance (A Place to Call Home, #2)Author: Cathleen Armstrong
Publication Date: May 6, 2014
Publisher: Fleming H. Revell Company
Series: A Place To Call Home # 2


Sarah Cooley has come home to Last Chance, New Mexico, for one reason--because it doesn't change. After an engagement gone bad with a man who wanted to change everything about her, Sarah is more than ready for the town whose motto may as well be, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Chris Reed, on the other hand, wants nothing more than to spark some change in the little town. As the new owner of the Dip 'n' Dine, he's shaking things up to draw folks from all over the Southwest into his restaurant.

As it turns out, the winds of change are blowing into Last Chance--just not in the ways that Sarah or Chris might expect.

With the same evocative writing and fascinating characters that won fans for her debut novel, Cathleen Armstrong invites readers back to Last Chance for a soul-searching, romantic story of two people navigating the twists and turns of small-town life.


“Not that you aren’t as cute as a bug’s ear, of course. That just makes it icing on the cake.”

“I’m a small town girl now.”


There were no secrets in Last Chance.

Much like the first book in this series, One More Last Chance provides readers with a cozy small town feel and a heroine who is ready to change her life and make a difference. Sarah Cooley is a college graduate who is ready to start her career as an elementary teacher back in her hometown. Sarah returns and is able to rent a small house just down the street from her grandmother. She notices that not much has changed in the small town since she last saw it, nothing except the new owner of the Dip ‘n’ Dine, Chris Reed.

Anything that happens in a small town is sure to make readers laugh and feel that they are part of all the banter. Last Chance, New Mexico is no different. There is a wide range of fascinating characters, including Sarah and Chris, who keep Last Chance afloat with all their gossip, drama, and overall togetherness. Anyone who has ever lived in a small town will of course be able to relate to this charming story.

The romance as well as all the endearing characters made this book a really fun, easy read. I often thought to myself that this would be a perfect series for a young adult or preteen who is just starting out in the romance genre. The book has some really great messages behind it, and having read the first book in this series I can say the same for it as well.


***A free copy of this book was provided to me by the publishers at Revell in exchange for my honest review***