Hello, and welcome back! It’s been a bit soggy here this week, which makes for lots of good reading time. That’s fantastic when you have a great selection of books waiting to be read, as I do right now.

This time out, we’re starting with the March reviews, and I have a debut from Hope Ramsay, Welcome to Last Chance (Grand Central, received from publisher). Jane arrives in the tiny town of Last Chance on the bus, knowing it is her last chance. Last Chance is home to Clay, and, while he tries to keep others at a safe distance, he slips with Jane on her very first night in town. But that doesn’t mean it’s going to happen again, no matter how sexy she might be, or how much in trouble. On the other hand, if he can help her out, well, that might be okay. Jane knows she has issues to work on, and eventually the trouble she’s run from will track her down and involve everyone she has come to care about in the little town. There are all sorts of interesting secondary characters in this one, peppering the story with bits of humor and additional emotional tugs. I liked Clay, who has issues of his own that he hasn’t fully dealt with yet, which will, of course, add more roadblocks to his budding romance with Jane. I don’t love having the bedroom door closed in my face, however, which does happen here, and I’m not a fan of some of the rather preachy aspects to this story, something I’ve noticed in recent books by an author I used to adore. I understand that in some places, that might be the norm, and if a reader went into this one looking for an inspirational romance, both of those things would make them happy. I liked parts of this story quite a lot, but other parts not at all, which left me disappointed. Readers who’ve enjoyed recent Catherine Anderson and Debbie Macomber releases will likely love this one, or who love a small-town story. I’m sad to say I didn’t find it a keeper. It’s earned only three of Cupid’s five arrows.

Until next time, happy reading!