At Home In Last Chance by Cathleen Armstrong is the third book in a series, A Place to Call Home. While each novel includes characters from prior books, this book stands alone. I did not feel like I was lost at all, in fact I actually did not realize it was series until I had finished it.

From the back cover:

Kaitlyn Reed and Steven Braden have always had a similar philosophy of life:when the going gets tough, they get going-out of town and away from the problem. Now they are both back in Last Chance, New Mexico, and trying to start over.

Kaitlyn is working to reestablish a relationship with the seven-year-old daughter she left behind six months earlier. Steven is trying to prove to his family that he is not the irresponsible charmer they have always known him to be. As Kaitlyn and Steven find themselves drawn to one another, one question keeps getting in the way: How will they learn to trust each other when they don’t even trust themselves?

There are several things I really liked about this book. I loved the idea of a cafe called the Dip ‘N’ Dine and the character Juanita Sheppard who waitresses there. We all know a Juanita and I thought Cathleen Armstrong did an excellent job of evoking an emotion from me just by Juanita being present. I worked with a Juanita once…it wasn’t my favorite job. I also appreciate the slow development of relationship between characters. I am never a fan of “hello, my name is, will you marry me,” books. There is no love at first sight happening in this book. Apparently, the characters from the last book in this series are just getting serious about marriage in this novel. However, like a small town sometimes feels…this particular book was a little slow for me. On the bright side, it was perfect for breaking up the monotony of books I have been reading.

While At Home In Last Chance will not make my top 10 list this year, after reading it I would be interested in reading more by Cathleen Armstrong. I will likely pass my copy on to a friend for their enjoyment. I give this book 3.5 stars for its small town feel, real people, and life-like relationships. I was given a complimentary copy of this book by its publisher, Revell, in exchange for an honest review. I have not been compensated and all opinions are my own.