Review: One Last Chance by Emma Connor

One Last ChanceOne Last Chance
(Last Chance Brides #1)
by Emma Connor
Adult Historical Romance
Ebook, 106 Pages
March 7th 2014 by Eve Paludan Books                  



Summary

Go West, young man! In a young country where men went West to seek their fortunes, there was something important that most of them forgot to bring: women!

Successful, respectable men seek twenty-two healthy, proper, unmarried young ladies to relocate to the booming town of Last Chance, in Washington Territory. Purpose: Matrimony. Safe passage and all expenses paid.


Four visionary men who longed for land instead of gold went further north--into the Washington Territory--and founded the boom town of Last Chance. The town needs the civilizing influence of proper women in order to grow and prosper.

Together, these friends decide to bring 22 brides-to-be to Last Chance, for a small fee to the prospective grooms. It's going to be a long process: the advertisement, choosing the women, and sailing around the Horn with them back to Last Chance.

- Logan owns the lumber mill. He's only interested in one woman, the one he foolishly left behind in New Orleans, a week before their wedding, some years ago.

- Cole, the ambitious second son of an earl, runs ships that carry the lumber and other goods. He's focused on his business and he's filthy rich.

- Joshua builds things and wants to build more. He's only interested in soiled doves, and no commitment.

- Garrett is the salt of the earth, the hardest-working foreman they have ever known. He wants a bride, but doesn't know how he can even afford one.

As One Last Chance (Last Chance Brides #1) opens, no one is more surprised than Logan when he comes face to face with Charlotte, the woman he jilted years before. He's shocked, shocked that she has answered the advertisement. And she's devastated to come face to face with the man who wrecked her life, and especially under these embarrassing circumstances.

Charlotte wants to escape the aftermath of the war-ravaged South and insists that she wants to find herself a husband in the Washington Territory. She's certain she doesn't want to marry Logan because, after all, he left her to survive the war on her own! Logan has a long voyage in which to try to convince Charlotte he's not the same guy who broke her heart. Of course, some of the other women are interested in Logan, too.

It's going to be a bumpy ride around the Horn! There will be historical romance, perils, humor, friendship, competition, heartbreak and adventure. Get ready because here come the brides of Last Chance!

Emma Connor is the new pen name of an award-winning historical romance novelist. She takes the concept of "mail-order" brides to a whole new level. Her heroines are gutsy, beautiful, smart and anything but meek! And the Washington Territory in the Pacific Northwest is the perfect place to cheer, "Here come the brides!"

My Review

One Last Chance was a quick and sweet read. I really loved the whole concept of these short stories telling about these women who would become mail-order brides and the men who ended up marrying them. I liked that each woman had her own personality, voice, and background, especially considering that most of the women chose to be mail-order brides because of the circumstances following the Civil War. This was really their only chance to have a better life and not remain destitute or in servitude to others for the rest of their lives.

I came to really like the main characters and their stories. The women had lots of spark. There were only two men who played major roles in this story. I don't know if I really respected Josh because of the situation he instigates on the ship with one of the matrons. It also made me disappointed in the matron involved. That was my biggest disappointment in the book. I did really like Logan. He had come into his own in the time he was away before finding Charlotte again and I liked that he was willing to do whatever it took to earn Charlotte's love.

Overall this was an enjoyable and quick read. I'd recommend it to fans of historical romance.

Content: Mild swearing, innuendo, closed-door sex.

Source: From the author, which did not affect my review in any way.


16 comments

  1. This sounds like a wonderful new series! I love historical fiction, and also the entire mail-order bride component of history.

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  2. The cover and synopsis makes it clear that Ella is a caged bird in this changing world, but the excerpt makes me think that perhaps Penn is too, being kind of the "black sheep" of the family, different than the rest. It looks like a great read!

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  3. I have read the first two stories and am at the front of the line for the library copy when it arrives, and (to my disgrace) I just realized that I hadn't even read the premise of the story yet! It's a different plot for Christian fiction, isn't it? Curiouser and curiouser.

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  4. I love the mail-order component as well, especially in regards to it being after the Civil War. I hope you enjoy it if/when you read it.

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  5. I do love the cover. Doesn't it just make you feel in the mood to walk along a beach? :)

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  6. I hope you enjoy this if/when you read it!

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  7. I haven't read a lot of hers... in fact this may be my first. I did like the writing style. I can be so analytical sometimes, so that was where my issues lied.

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  8. Lol! Sometimes reading the premise can be a disadvantage, so I think that's just fine. :)

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  9. It is also summer and the perfect time for such walking...

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  10. Interesting.Love the story.Thanks for posting.

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  11. I haven't read anything by Colleen Coble yet, but this series sounds great.

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  12. Great sounding book, I'm adding it to my shopping list

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  13. It does. I like reading suspense with some romance. :)

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  14. I hope you enjoy it if/when you read it.

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