Monday, September 5, 2022

Short Story #Review ~ Last Chance Summer: A Short Story (Last Chance, #5.5) by Hope Ramsay

 


ASIN: ‎ B00BL3P5DW
Publisher: ‎ Forever Yours
Publication Date: ‎ August 6, 2013
Print Length: ‎ 56 pages
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Bb2gx8
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18121278-last-chance-summer

About the Book:

It wouldn't be summer without the Watermelon Festival, and single mom Amanda Wright is looking forward to a carefree day eating funnel cakes and sipping sweet tea. But with her inquisitive son and elderly grandmother in tow, she's not in the mood for carnival rides or the kissing booth, until she hears a charming, funny voice over the loudspeaker.

Grant Trumbull is the new DJ at the local radio station, and his deep, booming cadence has all the ladies of the church auxillary atwitter. Even without seeing his face, Amanda can't help but wonder if he's the one for her. When she finally comes face to face with the man behind the mic, summer is about to get a whole lot hotter in little Last Chance, South Carolina.

Last Chance Summer: A Short Story (Last Chance, #5.5)Last Chance Summer: A Short Story by Hope Ramsay
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Last Chance Summer is a thought-provoking short story about loss, family, and the concept of soul mates. Amanda has her hands full as a single mom to a four-and-a-half-year-old son and as a caretaker for her grandmother with slowly developing dementia. When she decides to take both to the annual Watermelon Festival, things go as good as can be expected right up until they don’t.

Grant wakes up one morning and decides he’s no longer happy in Chicago. Sure, he has a distinguished career and access to unlimited dating partners, but it’s no long fulfilling. He chucks it all and takes a chance by buying a small radio station in Last Chance, South Carolina. Little did he know just how much more his life could change by broadcasting live at the town’s Watermelon Festival.

This is a cute short story with plenty of drama, hope, and tough decisions. I didn’t care too much for the abrupt ending. The story builds up the potential romance and I was disappointed in how unfulfilling the ending truly was. Can this really be classified as a romance if the only interaction between the couple is their eyes meeting? They never talked, kissed, or were even close enough to one another to gauge body language. There is no closure and now I sit here wondering if they really liked each other and were able to make a go at it or not.

I enjoyed the author’s writing style (until the end) and loved how she brought Amanda, Ethan, and granny to life. I watched my own grandmother succumb to Alzheimer’s Disease and it’s a slow, agonizing process for everyone involved. I understand how four-year-old children are and how exhausting a public outing can be, and Hope Ramsay did a wonderful job writing Ethan and Amanda’s interactions. I loved the journey the author takes to introduce Amanda to Grant, even though what brings them together was heart-stopping and would terrify any parent or guardian. I just wish we would have gotten more than meeting eyes.

I was provided a copy of this book to read.  

View all my reviews

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