Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:8
The red warning light on her car dashboard drove Lainie Davis to seek help in the tiny town of Last Chance, New Mexico. But as she encounters the people who make Last Chance their home, it’s her heart that is flashing bright red warning lights. These people are entirely too nice, too accommodating, and too interested in her personal life for Lainie’s comfort–especially since she’s on the run and hoping to slip away unnoticed.
Yet in spite of herself, Lainie finds that she is increasingly drawn in to the dramas of small town life. An old church lady who always has room for a stranger. A handsome bartender with a secret life. A single mom running her diner and worrying over her teenage son. Could Lainie actually make a life in this little hick town? Or will the past catch up to her even here in the middle of nowhere?
Cathleen Armstrong is the author of Welcome to Last Chance, winner of the ACFW Genesis Award for Women’s Fiction in 2009 and the first volume in the series A Place to Call Home. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, Ed, and their corgi, but her roots remain deep in New Mexico where she grew up and where much of her family still lives.
My Impressions:
Welcome to Last Chance is the debut novel by Cathleen Armstrong. Book 1 in a 3-part series, is is big on small town appeal as well as a message of discovery of love and faith. This book was on my TBR Kindle list way too long. I enjoyed it so much, I ordered the next 2 books as soon as I finished it.
Lainie Davis is running from a boyfriend and his drug connections. On her way to El Paso from Los Angeles, her car breaks down in Last Chance, New Mexico stranding her in a town that is filled with quirky, yet big-hearted people. Lainie has always made it on her own, but soon learns that some people and God can be trusted.
Armstrong does a good job of creating a town that is filled with quirky, but not over-the-top characters. All of them have their faults and flaws, but love has a way of covering up a multitude of sins. Last Chance offers Lainie a family, a place to belong and a fresh view of God’s love. There is a slow-developing romance between Lainie and Ray that seemed very natural. I also liked that the conflicts and contradictions of a faith journey were handled realistically.
Welcome to Last Chance was a quick and engaging read, and I look forward to revisiting the characters and the town I grew to love.
Recommended.
Audience: older teens to adults.
(I purchased this book for my Kindle. All opinions expressed were mine alone.)
To purchase this book, click HERE. The Kindle version is currently FREE!
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