AUTHOR: Cathleen Armstrong
DATE: 2015
PUBLISHER: Revell
STARS: *****
The inhabitants of Last Chance, New Mexico, could not be more pleased. Dr. Jessica McLeod has opened an office right on Main Street. Andy Ryan, the best athlete the little town ever produced, has ended his short career in the NFL and has come home to coach the mighty Pumas of Last Chance High.
Unfortunately, Dr. Jess immediately gets off on the wrong foot when she admits that she's never seen a football game, isn't really interested in doing so, and, in fact, doesn't know a first down from a home run. Meanwhile, Coach Ryan is discovering that it's not easy to balance atop the pedestal the town has put him on.
Despite having little in common, Jess and Andy find themselves drawn to each other. But when a disagreement over the future of an injured player puts them both on the defensive, it begins to look like this game is over.
I haven’t (yet) read the first three books in this series, but I found that didn’t matter. Within the first pages of this novel, I was drawn into the small town of Last Chance. I enjoyed meeting the locals as Dr. Jess encountered them: Rita, the town’s mayor and over-the-top booster, Juanita, the local diner’s outspoken and often cranky waitress, and of course Miss Elizabeth, the cherished matriarch of the large Cooley clan.
Ms. Armstrong’s characters quickly feel like friends, and her descriptions of the desert setting make me want to prolong my visit. The story is well-paced and easy to read. I loved the hesitant relationships, not just between Jess and Andy, but also between Jess and the town.
Last Chance Hero is a warm, well-written story and convinced me to read the first three books of this series. It earns five stars.
This book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.