Cathleen Armstrong

Present Day - Last Chance, New Mexico

"...If you end the Lord's Day more tired than you began it, you might need to rethink the way you spend it." -Elizabeth

This is book two in the 'A Place to Call Home' series and it's about Sarah Cooley and Chris Reed. Sarah had recently returned to her hometown of Last Chance after graduating college and breaking it off with Brandon, the guy she had been dating since her sophomore year. Brandon was controlling and always making her decisions for her and show more Sarah knew it was time to take her life back. Now she is teaching second grade at the local elementary school, living on her own and finding out what life could be. She hates change and that's exactly what Chris Reed is aiming for... Change. But she soon realizes that change is just what she needs. It was great to watch Sarah come into her own without Brandon making all the decisions for her. She really blossomed as a character but she was very indecisive. Many times I wanted to shake her and tell her to make her mind up already! But I loved her as a character and hope to see more of her in the next book.

Chris Reed is one of my favorite characters. He is the new owner of the Dip 'n' Dine restaurant and he has a very hard time fitting in at first because he wants to change things a little and folks aren't very accepting in the beginning. Chris has a lot on his plate with the new diner, his niece Olivia (she will melt your heart) and his sister Kaitlyn but he handles it well and I think that's one of the reason I like him so much. Kaitlyn had Olivia at a very young age and is going through a stage where she wants to have the fun she had missed out on when she was younger. Olivia came to live with Chris and, with the help of Sarah and her grandmother Elizabeth, Olivia changes drastically. My heart went out to this little girl for only life she had ever known.

Oddly enough, Sarah's grandmother Elizabeth is my favorite character. She is always ready with cookies and great advice. She is exactly as a grandmother should be and I warmed up to her very quickly. Brandon is probably my least favorite character in a romance book EVER. He is a very smooth, slick talker. He is always doing something and then lying to make it look like something it isn't. Don't even get me started. I did, however, love the town of Last Chance and it's citizens. Carlos the cook at the Dip 'n' Dine who was adamant about his kitchen and his menu, Juanita the waitress who can't even whisper without the entire diner hearing and Sarah's friend Megan who talks so much that Sarah simply tuned her out until she was finished (reminds me of my sister!). Last Chance is an adorable little town and One More Last Chance is a coming home, inspirational romance that will make you feel good about reading it. It's loaded with endearing characters, has a very strong storyline and Christian overtones that don't over take the story. I really enjoyed it and I'm looking forward to going back and reading book one and then moving on to book three. You don't have to read the books in order but getting to know the characters from the beginning always adds to the story for me. I'll be watching for new releases from Cathleen Armstrong as she has now been added to my list of favorites. Highly recommended for contemporary romance lovers!

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through Litfuse Publicity Group for my honest review. The opinions expressed are mine alone. I received no monetary compensation for this review. show less

I really liked Cathleen Armstrong’s novel, Welcome to Last Chance. But I think I liked this book even more. She introduces three new characters to the already strong cast found in book 1. And while this book may be contemporary romance, the small town feel and the themes of change and fitting in make this more than a simple love story.

Chris Reed is the new owner of the Dip n Dine in Last Chance, New Mexico. He has great hopes for adding creative new dishes to the diner’s menu, but show more there’s strong opposition from the cook, Carlos, and some of his clientele who think any change is bad. Sarah Cooley has come back to Last Chance to teach second grade and she likes things just the way they have always been. But nothing ever stays the same as the two find out. With the arrival of Olivia, Chris’s seven year old niece, Chris and Sarah are thrown more and more together. Can they stay just friends.

Characters are a strong element of One More Last Chance. I loved the ensemble cast that make their way from the first book, including wise Elizabeth, opinionated Juanita, and stubborn Carlos. Chris and Sarah are highly likable characters that the reader knows from the start are meant for each other. Then there is Olivia, a kid who hides her vulnerability behind a tough veneer. The main characters are believers and take their faith seriously, but are just like the rest of us as they struggle with trust, insecurity and fitting in. The faith message is natural, never preachy. Armstrong also creates a small town feel that makes the reader want to settle in.

One More Last Chance can be read as a standalone novel, but I recommend you start with book 1. You won’t want to miss anything about the people or the place Armstrong has created.

Recommended.

Audience: adults. show less

Following on the heels of its predecessors – Welcome to Last Chance and One More Last Chance – the third book in Cathleen Armstrong’s popular series catches readers up on beloved characters and follows two more troubled souls who now call Last Chance, New Mexico, home.

Kaitlyn Reed and Steven Braden, each the proverbial black sheep in their respective families, struggle to rise above the expectations of failure that the long memories of a small town continue to set for them. True, show more neither of them have a stellar reputation to look back on (sort-of appalling actually) and true, both of them are known for hijacking it out of town when the going gets tough. But, does anyone realize – or care – that Kaitlyn and Steven might have changed for the better?

My favorite character across all three books that (so far) make up the Place To Call Home series is Elizabeth/Gran. I guess it’s because she reminds me of my own late grandmother – spunky, feisty, independent… but someone who has an incredibly tender heart toward Jesus and others. Elizabeth has been a figurative lighthouse in Last Chance, a refuge of sorts for the broken people who need more than just a place to sleep. In At Home in Last Chance, she is once again serving up a side of unconditional love with her trademark hot tea but at eighty-nine she is starting to show her age a bit more. While it was sad for me to read, I thought Cathleen Armstrong did a wonderful job depicting the emotional struggle this introduces into families as the caregiver begins to need some care.

The other characters, most of whom are familiar to those of us who have read the previous two books, are all sharply written and spot on in their representations of life in a small town. I particularly found amusing Steven’s absolute bewilderment when neither Kaitlyn nor Olivia seemed particularly into him at first charm. Gotta come up with a new game plan, coach! :-)

Cathleen Armstrong’s writing, as always, is finely tuned, easy to read, and hard to put down. In fact, it was so hard to put down that I was quite put out when the book ended far sooner than I wanted. This is actually my only complaint – I felt it finished too abruptly and that some parts of the story needed more completion. Some characters needed more vindication. Some characters needed more reassurance. However, all is not lost! I was thrilled to discover that a fourth book in the series is coming out in September. (And there was much rejoicing!) I am therefore hoping that the loose ends that bothered me in At Home will be nicely tied up in Last Chance Hero.

Bottom Line: While this is the third book in a series, you could certainly read it as a stand-alone without feeling very lost. But I would highly recommend the first two books as well – especially if you like books set in small towns with a theme of redemption and restoration. And even if you don’t, you’ll love Elizabeth so you should read them anyway :)

(I received a digital copy of this book from Revell Publishers via Netgalley in exchange for only my honest review.)

Read my full review here: https://readingismysuperpower.wordpress.com/2015/07/05/review-at-home-in-last-ch... show less

This book was entertaining, heartwarming and filled with entertaining and quirky characters - just the sort of book I enjoy. My only complaint and the reason for the loss of one star, is the lead character, who I felt was a little bit silly with her decision making, and her unwillingness to trust the new people she found herself among in the small town of Last Chance when they seemed more than willing to give her plenty of chances.
The story is well-written and thoroughly entertaining, show more although I did find the religious sections a tad preachy, but this is probably because I'm not a religious person. The growth of the main character was handled realistically and was enjoyable, so highly recommended. show less