At Home in Last Chance

November 24, 2014
Armstrong continues her popular A Place to Call Home series with this third installment, featuring two black sheep: Kaitlyn Reed, back in Last Chance, N.Mex., after leaving her daughter Olivia with her brother six months earlier; and Steven Braden, a handsome ladies’ man whose family thinks the worst of him. Kaitlyn is rebuilding her relationship with her daughter, working at her own brother’s diner, and trying to figure out her future. Steven, heading off to the police academy in several months, is coming to grips with his past and wondering how Kaitlyn might fit into his future. This likeable tale weaves in several threads from previous books—Chris and Sarah’s nuptials, Ray and Lainie Braden’s return to Last Chance, and the indomitable Elizabeth Cooley, matriarch of them all—while keeping Kaitlyn and Steven front and center. Fans of Last Chance will find much to love here. Agent: Karen Solem, Spencerhill Associates.

January 1, 2015

Kaitlyn has had a rough past, not always making the best decisions. Dumping her seven-year-old daughter on her brother's doorstep was the biggest regret of her life. Returning to Last Chance and trying to regain custody of her child is the only thing that matters, and she is not looking for another man in her life. Steven has always been known as a ladies man, turning on the charm and getting what he wants. Lately, even that hasn't been working with his sweet Gran, let alone Kaitlyn. Finally realizing it's time to change people's perception of him, Steven wonders if it's too late or if he will finally find love. VERDICT Devotees of Armstrong's "Last Chance" series (A Place To Call Home) will be thrilled to return to this small town. First-time readers will be delightfully entertained as the author carefully weaves plot threads with details of each character's backstory so that one can jump easily in with this installment. Fans of Melody Carlson will be quick to snatch up this entry that is full of adventure, romance, and fun.--Shondra Brown, Wakarusa P.L., IN

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2014
After years of missteps, and now losing guardianship of her daughter, Kaitlyn Reed is at a dead end. She hates working at her brother's diner in Last Chance and is easy bait for the local gossips. But no one is as intrigued with the beautiful, spike-haired Kaitlyn as handsome though immature Steven Braden. Steven sees a kindred soul in Kaitlyn, as they both have a reputation for being a disappointment. In their hesitant but hopeful courtship, they can choose to stay shackled to the past or learn to believe that people, including themselves, can truly change for the better. In the third installment in her A Place to Call Home series (following One More Chance, 2014), Armstrong breathes fresh life into the familiar faces and places of Last Chance as she introduces new characters with their own compelling problems and continues, with satisfying results, ongoing plotlines. Once again, Armstrong demonstrates her gift for capturing tiny details and creating moments of descriptive magic that will captivate new and returning readers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)