Inn at Last Chance

Last Chance #7

by Hope Ramsay

Jenny Carpenter is the unrivaled pie-baking champion of Last Chance, South Carolina's annual Watermelon Festival and the town's unofficial spinster. With her dream of marriage and children on hold, she focuses on another dream, turning the local haunted house into a charming bed-and-breakfast. But her plans go off course when the home's former owner shows up on her doorstep on a dark and stormy night . . .

Mega-bestselling horror writer Gabriel Raintree is as mysterious and tortured as his heroes. His family's long-deserted mansion is just the inspiration he needs to finish his latest twisted tale, or so he thinks until he learns it's been sold. The new innkeeper proves to be as determined as she is kind, and soon Gabriel finds himself a paying guest in his own home. As Jenny and Gabe bring new passion to the old house, can she convince him to leave the ghosts of his past behind-and make Last Chance their first choice for a future together?

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Paranormal, Fiction, Ebooks, Chick Lit

328 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Hope Ramsay is a USA Today bestselling author of heartwarming contemporary romances, set below the Mason-Dixon Line. Her children are grown, but she has a beloved fur baby, Daisy the Cockapoo who keeps her entertained. Hope lives in the medium-sized town of Fredericksburg, Virginia and when she’s not writing or walking the dog, she spends her time knitting and noodling around on her collection of guitars.

Reviews

[Erin Burns · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book from the Publisher, via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Jenny Carpenter, pie baker extraordinaire and spinster, purchased Jonquil House to set up a bed and breakfast when she realized her dreams of a husband and family were not going to happen. Gabriel Raintree is the former owner of Jonquil House and a famous writer. He's currently suffering from writer's block and heartache from a past he can't quite remember. When he decides that his former home is the best place to hide out from his editor and rabid fans he finds that a spinster can be a heck of a lot more stubborn than he'd thought.

This is an odd book. The prose is florid, and the dialogue is stilted. There's also a ton of internal monologue. It takes telling instead of showing to an extreme. It's also odd in that it has heavy Christian themes of the typical inspirational type, but it's also got a supernatural element in the form of a ghost, and there is premarital sex. There's also a fairly nice plot twist but due to the heavy foreshadowing some readers may find it easy to see ahead of time.

While I can't say that this is my particular cup of tea, it's oddly readable for all that the story is very slow until about the last 50 pages.

Cross-posted http://erinsburnsbookshelf.blogspot.c...

[Kelly Moran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jenny Carpenter has put her dream of marriage and children on hold to focus on another dream--turning the local Victorian haunted mansion into a B&B. But plans veer off course when the house's former owner shows up wanting it back. Bestselling horror writer Gabe Raintree is as tortured as his characters. He's on a deadline and needs home to finish writing his next book. But ghosts and pretty inn owners aren't the only distractions. Memories return and suddenly he doesn't know which ones are real.

I love this Last Chance series by Ramsay, but this one is my favorite to date. A few ghosts, a few memories, a few crazy townsfolk, a few secrets, and quite a few stolen glances of longing. The characters were dimensional and interesting, the setting ideal, and the plot well-developed. I had a hard time putting it down. Very highly recommended!

[Penny Ramirez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I needed a nice, comfortable, heartwarming read, and I got it with the Inn. I also got a ghost story, some horror, and a beautiful dog that broke my heart.

I love the Last Chance stories. I'm a bit sad to be this close to the end of the series.

[Elle aka Leftie aka Shoebelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I tend to prefer some angst and darkness in my romance reads, every now and then, I do get in a mood for a light one which is why I grabbed this one from Netgalley while I had the opportunity. This just ended up being less than so-so for me.

I actually thought I haven't read any Ramsay novels when I was about to start this but after a few pages, I realized I have, from A Christmas to Remember. Then it dawned on me, "Oh crap". Not that Ms. Ramsay's short story from that one was bad, it was just underwhelming. And true enough, I got the same feeling here.

Before anything else, it probably would have helped if the ghost aspect was mentioned in the blurb bec that certainly threw me off. As far as the story and the writing goes, the story had potential but I realized Ms. Ramsay's writing and I are unfortunately not compatible. Too much extraneous details for my taste, I skimmed thru a big chunk of the book.

In the end, this did not really float my light romance boat.


*Courtesy, via Netgalley*

[Elizabeth Spragins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just discovered the Last Chance series, and of course I had to start near the beginning! The Inn at Last Chance has strong characters, including a delightful female lead, Jenny. Jenny is funny, strong, determined, and Southern with a capital "S." Throw in a "difficult" male writer, a petulant ghost, an old house near a swamp, and a half-starved stray dog, and you have a recipe for an engaging read that pulls you in from the first page. The writing is extremely well done, and the pace is just right.

[Sarah (is clearing her shelves) · Rating 3 out of 5]

22/8 - I previously read #4 in the series, Last Chance Christmas, and wasn't particularly impressed with the romance side of the story. I saw this at the library and thought I'd give the series another go, I'm having pretty much the same feelings with this one. The plot is slightly more interesting (there's a ghost), but the romance and any hint of sexual tension is completely missing. So far, in 262 pages, they've kissed once. One kiss doesn't equal romance, it doesn't equal growing sexual tension either if the woman is very inexperienced and sees no reason why he would be interested in her and the man doesn't think he's good enough for her and uses his diabetes as an excuse for that thinking.

I don't understand Gabe's diabetes. I have type 1 diabetes that is controlled by insulin. Gabe refuses to taste, even touch, one of Jenny's breakfast muffins, but is perfectly happy to eat Cheerios every morning. Did Ramsay not bother to check the sugar content on the side of a Cheerios box before writing the book? Each average size serving of Cheerios contains 9.7 grams of sugar - 11% of a normal person's daily intake, not a diabetic person's. If Ramsay was going to make Gabe a diabetic it would have been more believable if she'd had him eating Cornflakes (only 2.8 grams or 3% of DI of sugar) or a single piece of toast spread with Marmite (or some other sugarless spread). It's not that hard to do a little research - it took me about one minute per website to find out the sugar content of Cheerios and Cornflakes. Why couldn't Ramsay have done this? If you're going to have a diabetic character, don't make them a caricature of a diabetic, make them real enough that RL diabetics like myself say "Yeah, that happens to me". Find an actual diabetic and ask them about their diet. I eat pretty normally; except for dessert, soft drinks with sugar and too many carbs in one meal (can't have corn, potato and pumpkin all at once or pasta and herb bread for the same meal). I would have no problem trying half a muffin along with my breakfast because if you're going to stray from a highly regimented diabetic's diet (which is what Gabe seems to follow) the best time to do it is as part of a meal because you know you're going to have insulin anyway to counteract your normal food. A couple of times Gabe is mentioned as having his usual Cheerios for breakfast, a sandwich at noon and then going out at eight - for most insulin-dependent diabetics this would be a highly dangerous routine as eight hours between a sandwich and dinner is waaayy too long, he'd be going hypo every night (which is a very unhealthy and unsafe practice).

Also, Gabe's reticence regarding telling Jenny about his diabetes is unusual behaviour because as a, I'm assuming, long-term type 1 diabetic Gabe would know that's it's important for his safety that those around him know what's happening to him if he suddenly passes out. If no one knows he's a diabetic they wouldn't know what signs to check for to see whether his unconsciousness is related to the diabetes or if he just had an aneurysm. Also, as the grocery shopper of the house Jenny would need to know what to buy for everyday eating, as well as emergencies. Plus, if he takes insulin, as almost all type ones do, it needs to be kept in the fridge. In fact, the more I think about it, the more inconsistencies I see, and the more annoying I find the ones I've already noticed. The ending will make up my mind as to whether this can stay a three star, or will have to go down to two (there's no chance it's going up to four). To be continued...

Later - This was just meh for me, 2.5 maybe 3 stars. On second thoughts, definitely 2.5 stars. There was nothing offensive, but I didn't feel much of anything for Rochester...I mean Gabe, and while Jenny was a reasonable character I didn't see any reason for her to fall in love with Gabe. On of the reasons she gives for loving him is that he made her change her locks twice because he thought she was in danger. Her sewing circle and book club both suggested similar things, but she's not contemplating marriage with any of them is she? No because that's not a reason to fall in love with someone, that's just a suggestion that anyone worried about the safety of someone else would make. Police officers called to a break in suggest it to the owners of the house all time, imagine the chaos if marriage was proposed with every broken lock. At the moment I'm telling myself not to let myself get sucked in by any future pretty covers on Hope Ramsay books, because they just seem to be a bit dull and romanceless. Hopefully I won't forget my edict or be tempted by another cover, because I've got better things to do than read books that move along at a snails' pace and push Christian values over romance (I want my smoochies, damn it!).

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good book that is both romance and ghost story. Jenny has given up her job as a high school math teacher to follow her dream of owning an inn. She bought Jonquil House, which has been deserted for years and is said to be haunted. She is just a few weeks from opening when Gabe arrives. He is a best selling author and the former owner of the house. Suffering from writer's block, he wants to buy the house back and live there while he gets his writing mojo back.

Their first meeting doesn't go so well, as Gabe is quite rude to Jenny and she feels fully justified in slamming the door in his face. Thanks to some other circumstances, Jenny ends up letting Gabe stay at the house with her. She is basically a caring person, and senses that Gabe is not a happy man, so she tries to take care of him. She's also attracted to him, but having been burned a couple times in the past, she is determined to resist the attraction. Gabe is attracted to her also, but has enough secrets and unhappiness in his life to keep him from giving in.

I liked Jenny's determination to follow her dreams. She has multiple people telling her that she's making a mistake, but she isn't giving in to them. She doesn't believe in ghosts and has her plans well in hand. When Gabe arrives, things start to get a little freaky. The bedroom where he's staying used to be his brother's, until he was killed in a hunting accident at the age of fifteen. Gabe was there when it happened but has no memory of it. It soon becomes obvious that the ghost is that of his brother, and Gabe is forced to face the demons of his past.

The relationship between Jenny and Gabe grew pretty slowly, Both are determined to protect themselves. Jenny has a couple failed relationships behind her and believes that love and marriage are not likely to happen for her. She's attracted to Gabe, though she doesn't want to be. She can see that he's unhappy and the more she learns about his past the more she wants to help him. Gabe is keeping quite a few secrets that he sees as obstacles to any kind of relationship. He tends to use rudeness to keep Jenny at a distance, but when strange things start to happen he's determined to protect her. Jenny is equally determined to help Gabe deal with his own past.

Everything that has happened comes to a head at the library fundraiser, where Gabe finally learns the truth of what happened. There's a lot he has to deal with and Jenny is there to help him. The aftermath has a couple of strange twists that I didn't see coming, especially the identity of Jenny's attacker. The scene at the vet's office was very moving and I thought it was a good resolution to the ghost problem.

There were some pretty funny moments in the book. The ladies of the town keep trying to push Jenny and the new preacher together. Though it had its dark moments, I enjoyed the dinner that he came to and the way he and Gabe seemed to be competing for Jenny. What happened to him there was funny, and his later visit too. The ghost certainly didn't like him. The dog also brought some lighter moments into Gabe and Jenny's lives.

There were some down sides to the small town actions also. That same preacher was a self-righteous ass, and I didn't like the way he treated both Jenny and Gabe. I also didn't like the way so many people treated Gabe like he was evil, just because of the type of books he wrote. I completely understood Jenny's frustration when her friends tried to warn her away from Gabe.

Overall I enjoyed the book, though it was darker in tone than the others of the series. I'm looking forward to the next one, though I hope it goes back to a lighter read.

[Issa · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Jenny Carpenter hits a crossroads in her life and realizes marriage is not in the cards, she embraces her spinsterhood, gives up her teaching job, and buys an old run down B&B that she fixes up. As she’s finishing the former owner, Gabriel Raintree arrives. He’s grumpy, unkind, and tries to push his way in the inn and buy it back. Jenny declines quite forcefully but Gabe is a well renowned writer and in return for him giving a speech to help save the local library, Jenny allows him to stay with her. But there’s a ghost haunting this house, Luke Raintree, Gabe’s brother, who died years ago when they were kids who is trying to get everyone’s attention. Gabe knows it has something to do with Luke’s death, the circumstances of which Gabe can’t remember. But when Jenny is victimized by non-ghostly forces and towns people butt into his affairs, Gabe realizes he needs to finally face his secrets head on.

One of the best things about this story is Jenny. She’s strong, practical, and doesn’t let people push her around. I loved when she slammed the door in Gabe’s face at their initial meeting. But she’s also sweet and unsure and a great friend all around. She tries desperately to take care of Gabe while he’s at the inn, as a test and because she wants to. She also fends off her well meaning friends who always think they know best.

I haven’t read any other books in the series but I don’t think that detracted much. The townspeople are written very colorfully and I felt I knew them fairly well with just a few sentences.

Those and Jenny were pluses but there was much that detracted.

Gabe is a mixed bag. He's pushy, grumpy, and an all around pain. He's a mystery writer so I did expect that to a certain extent. He cares about Jenny but is caught up in his writer’s block and his own personal demons. At first he resists the idea of a ghost but when the facts are too many to dispute, he accepts and the ghost, his brother, seems to try and help him. However I could never warm up to Gabe and in the end felt little sympathy for him. He keeps too much secret even to the point it's ridiculous like not telling Jenny he's diabetic though he knows she's trying desperately to bake something he will eat.

I became frustrated with the side story with Zeph and Nina, two very annoying people who get involved in other people’s business, Nina especially who makes decisions for Gabe that are none of her business.

I often wondered what this story wanted to be. A romance? Well that moved so slowly and required the inclusion of Gabe’s oversexed editor and Jenny’s attack to get it to move anywhere. A ghost story? Well Jenny sums it up well that the ghost is a child who needs to get over himself. Besides breaking things and hurting people the story behind it is quite thin and not explained in sufficient detail. Then we have the end where Jenny’s kitchen is vandalized that forces the reveal of Gabe’s big secret which comes out of nowhere and the story takes care of that secret so quickly that I wondered why it was there in the first place. I lost a lot of respect for Gabe for not telling Jenny the secret before they get together. An inspirational story? Well I these characters are far less than inspiring.

It’s certainly not a bad book. As stated, Jenny stole the show. And I liked the idea of the ghost story, I just wish it has been executed better.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jenny Carpenter, a former math teacher, has poured everything she has into a B&B, The Jonquil House, which should be opening soon. Gabe Raintree, a successful best-selling author, returns to Last Chance to the house his family owned for years—which just happens to be the inn Jenny is refurbishing. Gabe has always been the second son in a family where everything hinged on the first son, Luke, until his accidental death as a youth in a hunting accident. Though having been with him at the time, Gabe has no recall about the accident or what happened. Through some strong persuasion, Gabe has convinced Jenny to let him stay at the not yet ready for operation inn. However, they are not the only ones staying at the inn. The inn has the reputation around Last Chance as being haunted by a ghost of Gabe’s dead brother. An old friend of the family, Zeph Gibbs, a well-known, eccentric recluse tells both Jenny and Gabe to get rid of the house, though he never does explain why.

This latest installment in the series is unlike any other part of the series. In fact, it is unlike any of the author’s other books. The new ingredient the author has added is the paranormal element in the form of Luke’s ghost presence. I am not sure I like this new twist in the story. There is a definite romance budding and growing between Gabe and Jenny, which definitely holds the reader’s attention, and I am not sure the inclusion of the ghost helped that element or detracted from it. The ghostly presence is very evident, but somehow did not seem as realistic as it has in other paranormal books, or perhaps the author had difficulty with it because this is her first foray. It just seemed to get in the way most of the time, though it was an integral element. I did enjoy the book, but I think I would have enjoyed it as much or more without the inclusion of the ghost.

Once again, Hope Ramsay has captured the small town feel of Last Chance, which could easily be any other small town in the area or in many other areas of the country. I enjoyed meeting up with other characters I have come to know and love, as they “helped” Jenny along with her romances. The picture the author painted of Gabe Raintree, the well-known author struggling with his latest book, was quite well done. I am not sure, however, about the surprise inclusion from his past. I found that strange and saw little or no foundation for it before the event.
I will always enjoy Hope Ramsay’s books, as she writes a good, solid, heart-felt romance and definitely know how to put things into a great setting. I am not sure about the paranormal twist, however. I am not sure she has that down pat yet or if it adds to this book or will to other, future books. I am sure this book will appeal to other Hope Ramsay fans who have devoured her other books. It can also serve as a great summer read, flowing along easily and smoothly. I received this from NetGalley to read and review.

[L.A. Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was given this book in exchange for an honest review by Netgalley. Normally I wouldn’t have chosen this book based on the cover but the description made me take the chance. I enjoyed the book. It was a love story, ghost story and a suspense story all in one. Gabe was the typical dark brooding male lead that women want to save. Jenny was the heroine who had been burned twice before and had decided to give up on love. The story had sexual tension, twist and turns and its share of surprises. Add to it a loveable dog and you have all the makings of a great story, so why not five stars?
I loved Gabe. His character stayed true from the beginning to end. He was haunted by a past he couldn’t remember, tortured by the mistakes he made when he first dared to love and hunted by not only the fans who loved his work but by his own editor. Going home to Last Chance seemed like the only solution.
Jenny was the problem for me. Having been raised by a domineering mother, she is trying to finally become an independent woman. Having quit her job as a teacher, she has purchased an old broken down home and is investing her time and money into restoring the place into a bed and breakfast. She lives in a small town where the Sunday gossip conflicts with the pious nature of the good standing women of the church. Having already been the point of gossip when the man she was seeing runs off with another, Jenny is determined not to risk her heart again. However, when Gabe arrives on her doorstep those plans change. She fights the attraction but it is clear in the end both will succumb. So why was Jenny the problem? I hated the fact she kept attempting to attract Gabe with her baking skills, and each time he turned her down was a wound to her ego. Any woman with intelligence would have made two attempts, after that, figured out something else.
Overall though the book was well written, flowed from beginning to end, had enough twists to keep your attention and didn’t rely on sex to carry you though the sexual tension was there. If you are looking for erotica, this book is not for you. If you are looking for a good old fashioned love story with a little heat you will not be disappointed.

[Sharon Redfern · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series has been one good book after another! In the latest one, recently jilted Jenny Carpenter has purchased the Jonquil house from reclusive author Gabriel Raintree and is getting it ready to be a B&B. When he shows up in town and ends up staying at the house, Jenny finds herself drawn to the handsome but surly man. Strange things have been happening at the house and it seems to be tied to the death of Gabe's brother many years ago.

The death of Luke Raintree and the circumstances surrounding it have been a recurring theme in some of the previous books and it finally comes to a head in this one. This book is darker than the previous ones and it has a couple of big red herrings in it and a homage to a literary classic. Gabe and Jenny seem destined for each other but outside influences seem to be working to keep them apart. Add a self righteous preacher, a man who seems to pop up whenever things happen, and rumors of past problems, and it seems that this couple will never have a happy ending.

I have enjoyed all of my visits to Last Chance and hope that there will be more.

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story in the series is about Jenny Carpenter and her starting a B&B the Jonquil House that was formerly owned by the Raintree Family. Jenny brings the runned down place to life. Gabriel Raintree writer of thrillers used to live in the house 25 years ago. He finally comes back into town and wants the house back after 25 years of being away. Gaberiel has memories that are hidden in his mind that are trying to come out. Things start happening at the Jonquil House and Zeph keeps saying it is the ghost. Zeph brings a stray dog to Jenny that Gabriel says looks like his dead brother's dog Bear. Things start happening between Jenny and Gabriel and they both love Bear. Zeph and Nita Wells had feelings for each other back in high school but never followed thru on. Will they get together now. Than there is Delilah Gabriel's estranged mental wife who he has been trying to get a divorce from but the woman is too crazy and does dangerous things. I loved every minute of the story and I hated to see it end. Looking forward to another book in the series.

[Susan (susayq ~) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've had this one for a while, and put off reading it. I'm glad I finally got to it :) while this was a romance, there was a definite darkness to it. That's probably because of the ghost that is on there.

Gave Raintree has come to Last Chance hoping his writing muse will come back to him if he's back in the small town he spent summers in. He imposes on Jenny Carpenter,the inn keeper who bought Gabe's family home and turned it into an inn. What follows is an entertaining story that is a little dark and has a real twist I never saw coming.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series! I want to live in Last Chance!!

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Last Chance series is definitely one of my less than guilty pleasures that offers a bit of small town country charm, sweet romance, quirky yet loveable characters and even a touch of the paranormal. Each book offers up the modern retelling of the book the book club has on tap for that month. For this latest installment, the chills, thrills and atmospheric feel of Jane Eyre was the retelling as the residents of the Jonquil Inn deal with a ghost problem and a doomed romance.

The series is one that should be enjoyed in order since many of the background characters have had their own story, but it also has the benefit of being written in such a way that each book is also able to be read as a standalone.

The story opens with thirty-six year old, Jenny Carpenter, out at the old home near the river that she has purchased to turn into a lovely B&B. With the married of the local pastor to another local gal without half her homemaker gifts, she has decided to give up on finding a man. She will embrace her single womanhood and put her efforts into getting the inn up and running. A chilling event on her first night alone at the inn gives her a few second thoughts, but with the light of day comes other problems to her doorstep namely a rude stranger who insists she let him stay because he is Gabriel Raintree the house's previous owner and he needs a quiet place to work on his latest book.

Gabe returns to Last Chance out of desperation. He has already missed one publishing deadline and he might miss this one two if he can't get past his writer's block. The old hunting lodge on the edge of the swamp that used to belong to his family is ideal. He would love to buy it back, but the determined owner refuses his outrageous offer, but after he uses his newly broken foot as leverage and her need for him to guest at a charity benefit for the local library, he at least is allowed to stay there long enough to finish his book.

With the arrival of Gabe, odd things continue to happen around the inn including the startling appearances and warnings from local oddity Zeph who once worked there for Gabe's family. Inexplicable events are being blamed on the ghost of Gabe's dead brother Luke, but both Gabe and Jenny watch each other askance thinking that the happenings might be from a more natural explanation. Beyond the ghost, various elements around town take notice of Gabe's arrival. He writes thrillers and the uber religious element decide that his books are of the devil just like him. A not so honest politician capitalizes on the fervor about town for his own gains. The book club is speculating wildly that the new vicar in town might be just the guy for Jenny while they crack open Jane Eyre for a try. Someone leaves a graphic and scary scene in Jenny's kitchen reminiscent of Gabe's most popular book proving that someone a bit more hands on than a ghost might be involved. And in the midst of it all, Jenny divides her attention between setting up her B&B and the brooding, grumpy Gabe who has slowly grown on her.

Gabe finds Jenny's wholesome goodness a soothing balm for his soul just as being back in his old family home starts to unleash his repressed memories from before when his brother was killed. Something tells him that the truth of the past is different from what he has been told. Good or not, he knows he has to keep his distance from Jenny and he definitely has to discourage her from getting close to him. He has dark secrets and he doesn't want her touched by them.

While I've always enjoyed this series, it wasn't completely satisfying either even if I had a great time reading them. In this one, I finally got the whole package. Truthfully, this one is a bit different from the rest of the series so it's possible that others will feel the exact opposite from me. There is still the small town in the south and the quirky characters that really sparkle, but there is the touch of something more too. I think because it was the touch of chilly paranormal and thriller happenings along with the characters' personalities that engaged me and kept me turning pages. There was the 'is it a ghost or isn't it?' for a long time, the side story with Zeph that has been a long time coming and the characters of Gabe and Jenny who had their issues, but undue angst or immaturity weren't some of them.

The main characters and their relationship gave me no issues. They were mature in age and I was glad to see that it translated into their dealings with each other and those around them. Alright, there was one thing that Gabe did that made me really want to smack him. He had good intentions which was why I sucked it up, but he hurt Jenny deliberately to achieve it and that wasn't okay in my book. Gabe and Jenny were attracted, but it had to go all the way from enemies to friends to lovers so it was a long developing romance. It's a sweet romance in that the sexy time or two is fade to black. I liked what these times said of Jenny more than Gabe. She has long been suppressed and living under everyone else's expectations. Her thing with making the inn a success and being with Gabe let the real Jenny out of the cage and she was great. Gabe is so weighed down by his past that I'm surprised he could even breathe. I loved seeing Jenny help free him. He's like a wounded bear in the beginning just as she was trying to be an unseen mouse. They brought out the best in each other and that's what I love to see in a romantic pair.

The parallels to the Jane Eyre story were great. I love how the author does these retellings to the classic. I was freaking out at first that she picked the horror story that Jenny was reading at the beginning of the book because I am not one for the skeavy books. Nope the atmospheric feel of Jane Eyre is scary enough for me, thank you very much. It was cool to meet up with some minor characters who were recognizable from the original too. That twist at the end was pretty cool. Author got me there since I never saw it coming.

And speaking of minor characters, I loved bumping into all the familiar characters from the former books. I was particularly glad to get Jenny's niece's update since the Christmas novella with her story ended so abruptly. And Zeph! Thank you, Ms. Ramsay! I have been feeling for that poor man through the whole series. His secrets are out there and he gets up a bit of romance too.

To summarize, I loved this one and wouldn't change a thing. I would love a chance to live in a play like Last Chance even if the gals down at the beauty parlor would be all up in my business. I recommend this one for those who enjoy small town romance with a bit of paranormal flavor and the series as a whole for those who like the sweet romance set in the small town south.

My thanks to Net Galley for the opportunity to read this one in exchange for an honest review.

[Vania Nunes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jenny Carpenter, a former teacher, has plans for her spinster life: she buys a haunted mansion and decides to turn it into a B & B.
A new problem arises in her life when former owner, the famous horror writer Gabriel Raintree, arrives in the city wanting the house back.
Jenny does not agree to resell for him, but agrees to him stay there, after he has done something to help the town library.

At first glance the couple does not seem to have any connection.
Gabriel is going through a difficult transition in his life, which makes him unable to finish writing his next novel, and still brings ghostly memories of the past.

Over time, the two become friends, and from that friendship, something else can arise.
Jenny takes on the responsibility of helping Gabriel overcome the past and make him less grumpy.

Although this was #7 in the series, I did not know any of them.
The cover resembles another Debbie Macomber series and I think that's what made me curious about the book, but the characters, though interesting because they were more mature in age, did not catch me.
3 stars

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these books about Last Chance, South Carolina but I think this one was the best so far. The story was filled with emotions, laughter and ghosts. Jenny Carpenter bought the old Jonquil House to turn it into a Bed and Breakfast but before she was finished with the remodel, Gabe Raintree, the past owner showed up on her door step one cold rainy night wanting to but the house back. He was a writer who had hit a roadblock in his work and thought that three months living next to a swamp just might get the juices coming. As you can readily tell, she was not selling her dreams even at a large profit but did agree that he could stay in the room off the kitchen until the house was finished. Gabe had slipped in the mud going back to his car and broke his ankle so this was the least she could do. There are so many funny incidents and scary moments that make this book very enjoyable. Great read.

[R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inn at Last Chance by Hope Ramsay # 7

This is the 7 th novel in a series about the little town of Last Chance in southern USA. The town itself and the people in it are all very interesting and full of character. I guess I am enjoying stories about people who are trying to figure out how to do life together. What brings people that happen to live in the same town to want to work at actually being a real community of people who care about each other - warts, eccentricities and all.
I think Miriam, the town matchmaker, said it well "Last Chance is a homey kind of place. Mark Twain would have felt comfortable here."
Jenny Carpenter is a pie baking champion, former math teacher, & hopeful new inn keeper but there are problems when Gabe Raintree, former last chance resident and current best selling horror novelist decides to pay her inn a visit and brings along a ghost.

[Mum · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am struggling with the review. It was nowhere near good enough to steal the plot of Jane Eyre. At this point that would make it at best, 1 Star. I hate when she ruins an excellent novel. Setting aside that egregious sin, it had a good plot with a lot of interesting characters and plot twists. I wish she’d just let it stand on its own. It would have been more effective. It would then have received 4 Stars. If she wants me to read Jane Eyre, she’s too late. I reread it every couple of years for the sheer enjoyment of an excellent vocabulary, a delightful story of a confused misunderstood woman trying to find her way in life, with numerous upsets and complications. (I also thought the book club review in this novel was atrocious on too many levels to even begin to list.)

[Devynne Andrews · Rating 1 out of 5]

Bad. This was bad. Jenny was nice, and she'd been in so many books that I was hoping for a good story for her. But no. The hero is an asshole. And I know it's modeled after Jane Eyre (which has never been my favorite anyway), but there's no excuse for a modern hero to be as overbearing and rude as Rochester. I mean, he told a group of women helping the heroine to shut up. At the beginning of the book, Jenny claims that she stands up for herself, and then she spends the whole book rolling over and apparently falling in love with a jerk.

The whole ghost story subplot didn't bother me. What bothered me was a man cheating on his wife (because apparently he's never heard of a default divorce?) and also treating diabetes like it's something that should be kept secret. Why?

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked this up for the cover and was expecting a nice lovely romance. Instead, I got a...ghost story? Ok. And a semi-Christian one at that?

Once I got over that, this book wasn't too bad. The Christian elements weren't that overdone and the ghost story was neat. The only thing that did annoy me is that the hero was Mr. Grumpy-pants and the heroine should have whacked on the nose at least once to let him know such behavior was not appropriate.

So...sort of...recommended? Decent for whiling away some time.

[Denise Kulesa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jenny Carpenter has given up on finding true love as every time she falls for a man he breaks her heart with lies.

Gabe Raintree comes to Last Chance to finish his book at his family's mansion which had been sold to Jenny.

Jenny and Gabe tried to fight their attraction. Gabe did not remember what happened the day his brother Luke was shot to death by accident but one of his brother's friends shared the details.

The "ghost" who has been messing with Jenny and Gabe is actually his mentally ill wife.

[Vanessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this story. Watching maryanne n Jenny interactions. Last chance residents m8sinterpretations of miriams sayings. Seeing zeph get his happy ending. Gabe battle his past. Though luke n bear's journey brought severals tears to my eyes. Good scenes where reverends true colours came thru.

[Jane · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a Jane Eyre retelling and was published in 2014. It feels incredibly ableist to have the "crazy" ex-wife being mentally ill and violent, when the majority of mentally ill people are not violent and are actually at higher risk of experiencing violence themselves. The romance was going quite well, and I enjoyed it. I just hated the sharp turn to ex-wife part.

[Ang · Rating 1 out of 5]

Eh

This was an ode to a few of my least favorite classics of all time. I rarely enjoy rewriting classics, after all there is a reason they are the classics. If I hadn’t wanted so much to see a happy ending for Jenny I would not have finished this book.

[Virginia Lloyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Must Read

W whatever you do, wherever you go, the truth follows. Especially in small town south, where folks know your business and don't mind telling you what they think. Read Inn at Last Chance if you dare and relish in life in the south.

[Miriam Kahn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah, the joy of a good cozy mystery / romance on a hot summer day.

The combination of author as main character, a mystery, a ghost, and a determined woman makes this book an enjoyable summer read. I don't know if I'm hooked enough to want to read the rest of the series, but this one was memorable.

[Greta Picklesimer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book, couldn't put it down.

I decided to read this book because it was a love story with a haunted inn in it. This book did not disappoint. It was action packed with a brooding hero. I want to read everything by this author now. And probably will.

[Marilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story!! I love Last Chance!!!

[Shirley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Ghost story and romance all in one. It was a very interesting read. I particularly liked the tie-in to Jane Eyre.