Chance of a Lifetime by Jude Deveraux and Tara Sheets

 

3*

If this book hadn’t ended with a cliffhanger, I would have given it 4*. However, it wasn’t billed as such (a big disappointment), so I’m giving it 3* (2* for cliffhanger and 4* for being a thoroughly engaging story). The story begins with Liam meeting 2 angels at the pearly gates who have assigned him the task of righting a wrong he caused in 1844 Ireland. Liam and his family are suffering because of the potato famine, so he has turned to theft to help them survive. When he sneaks into the local Squire’s home to steal some jewels, he encounters 17 yo Cora, the squire’s daughter. Instead of being scared of this stranger who climbs through her bedroom window, she’s intrigued and gives him a tour of the house. She tells him she’s engaged to her father’s solicitor, Finley, but has no desire to marry him. As time goes on, they contrive a way to see each other and fall in love. 

It’s the actions of the star-crossed lovers that lead the angels to give a Liam on chance to avoid eternity in hell. He must get 21st century Cora to fall in love with Finn, her father’s attorney, and get destiny back on track. The problem is that Liam still loves her and struggles to put his own feelings aside to do what he must to avoid eternal damnation. Unfortunately, due to the abrupt ending, we don’t know if he’ll succeed. We’re also left with an unsolved murder mystery, wondering if the angels have ulterior motives, and whether Cora will eventually realize that the dreams she’s having about Liam are actually memories. 

Deveraux and Sheets have masterfully combined magical realism, romance and a murder mystery that kept me thoroughly engaged, but the abrupt ending with multiple unresolved issues is beyond frustrating. This needs to be billed as part of a series (Providence Falls #1), not a standalone, if they don’t want to frustrate readers. At the very least, give a hint to when the second installment will be published. Recommended.

 

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Harlequin Mira through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.