Review copy was received from Library. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Last Chance Christmas by Hope Ramsey Series: Last Chance #4
Published by Forever on September 25, 2012
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 338
Format: eBook
Source: Library
Goodreads
Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple
Dear Reader,
I've been wishing for a miracle for my oldest boy, Stone, and this Christmas my prayers might just be answered!Her name is Lark, and she's here in Last Chance, looking into her father's past-and stirring up a whole mess of trouble without meaning to. As the chief of police, Stone sure has his hands full trying to keep up with her. Ever since his wife died, Stone's put everything into raising his daughters and dodging the Christ Church Ladies' Auxiliary matchmakers. And it's clear Lark has been through some trouble and could use a place to finally call home. I only hope Stone can let go of the past soon enough to keep her . . .
Goodness, I need to stop talking and finish up Jane's highlights so we can make the town tree-lighting. You come back by because the Cut 'n' Curl's got hot rollers, free coffee, fresh-baked Christmas cookies-and the best gossip in town.
See you real soon,
Ruby Rhodes
I discovered the Last Chance series and Hope Ramsay’s heartwarming and whimsical small town romances by reading the Last Chance Book Club, book five in the series. I always meant to go back for the earlier books in the series. Finally, a readathon challenge provided me the impetus to do it with Last Chance Christmas.
Last Chance Christmas is the fifth of the standalone romances in the Last Chance series. This is a series connected, particularly through the early books because each Rhodes family sibling gets their romance, but I think it’s more nice than not necessary to get them in order.
Last Chance Christmas is the oldest Rhodes’ sibling, Stone’s story. Stone is a widower and the Last Chance police chief. He’s still emotionally tangled up in his guilt and grief over his wife’s death years before so he has no desire for another relationship and struggles to even connect with his two girls. Into his life comes Lark, a war journalist suffering from PTSD and her own emotional traumas. Lark Chaikin has come to Last Chance to fulfill her estranged father’s final request to have his ashes scattered at the Golfing for God miniature golf course Stone’s granddad built and his dad is having renovated.
Lark’s arrival stirs up an old mystery surrounding Stone’s granddad’s death and her dad’s involvement in it and some old racial tensions of the time. Stone isn’t thankful for the extra trouble she brings or the way she’s forcing him to face his unresolved grief. Meanwhile, Stone’s oldest daughter, Lizzy is in earnest to interview Lark about being a photo journalist and Lizzy with her Jewish friend want to solve a present day crime while Stone’s youngest daughter, Haley, insists a sorrowful, crying angel is hanging about Stone and has a message for him about his past and Lark. It’s enough to make tough Stone’s emotional wall crumble just in time for little Haley to get her Christmas wish come true.
I had forgotten how much I enjoyed the quirky town of Last Chance with matchmaking Miriam Randall, in-the-know Ruby Rhodes at the hair salon, and the rest of the funny engaging characters that people the town and happenings. Along with the festive and fun small town happenings, Hope Ramsay dug deep with how class difference, racial tension, corrupt cops, bullying, war wounds, unresolved grief and guilt, family secrets, and murder can liven things up nicely. And, like some of the other entries in the series, there is a strong dose of magical realism with the angelic presence for Haley and Stone and Miriam Randall’s matchmaking predictions.
Stone and Lark’s romance is sizzling with attraction and Hope Ramsay shows through several scenes how they are so right for each other once they work through their issues. I loved that there are soft, tranquil moments like they share out fishing at dawn on the dock as well as exciting moments when they are investigating a crime. In between, Lark experiences the strength of family when she joins the Rhodes when they gather for the Christmas holiday season. There are some wonderful scenes with Stone stumbling hard with his girls and then Lark helping him with them. Lizzy gets her own secondary thread navigating having a Jewish friend who is unpopular at school around racial bullies and even unpopular with his parents because they aren’t of the same race and religious backgrounds.
All of it came together for a wonderfully, satisfying holiday read. It sparked my need to finish with the series backlist for the other books. Those who love southern small town romantic charmers should give the Last Chance series a spin.
About Hope Ramsey
Hope Ramsay is a USA Today bestselling author of heartwarming contemporary romances, set below the Mason-Dixon Line. She’s inspired by her husband of forty years, a good ol’ Georgia boy who resembles every single one of her Southern heroes. She has two grown children, a demanding lap cat named Simba who was born in Uganda, and a precious Cockapoo puppy named Daisy. She lives in Virginia where, when she’s not writing, she’s knitting or playing her forty-year-old Martin guitar.
As a lifelong reader, it was inevitable that Sophia would discover book blogs and the joy of blog reviewing.Sophia is a prolific reader and audiobook listener which allows her to experience so many wonderful books, authors, and narrators.Few genres are outside her reading tastes, but her true love is fiction particularly history, mystery, sci-fi, and romance.Though, sorry, no horror or she will run like Shaggy and Scooby.
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Thank goodness for readathons and challenges. They create opportunities to pick up the books we have been planning to read for so long. This one sounds delightful.
Exactly, Nadene! It felt good to get caught up on the whole series, but these were also some fab stories that I would have really been missing out on. 🙂
Merry Christmas!
This sounds so cute! Plus, there’s a character named Lark in it so how can I not read it? ;D
I wish you a very Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!
Ha! For sure. Not a name you see often in books. It was a warmhearted country charmer. 🙂
I do enjoy small town romances! Glad you enjoyed this one too. Great review!
Glad to put a good small town romance on your radar, Lisa.
Oh this sounds good! I do like plots that involve digging into past mysteries. I read a book by this author ages ago and enjoyed it but somehow never got back to reading anything by her.
Yes, it was definitely more than a romance. I loved it.
Nice holiday read Eeee I am so far behind in commenting!!
Tough time of the year to keep up with lots of things. 🙂