This continuation of life in Thunder Point, Oregon, isn’t as good as the others. Though I love Robyn Carr and her pacific coast characters, the Chance seemed to be rushed — with more telling than showing.

What I did like was that I got to know Ray Ann a little better, and she finally found her soul mate. I also liked the three-teenagers-taking-care-of-their-sick-mom subplot, and the focus on Eric’s garage.

Eric and Laine weren’t really believable as a couple. She’s type-A FBI, he’s a mellow mechanic with a criminal record. I don’t know, it just didn’t jibe for me. I liked their individual stories – he’s the boss of some new Thunder Point characters, she’s the daughter of a demanding surgeon who is showing signs of Alzheimer’s. But together? I couldn’t see their attraction to each other.

One technical thing that bothered me was that there were a lot of typos and misspellings. I realize I read an Advance Review Copy, but a handful of erroneous phrases like “towed the line” instead of “toed the line” cropped up repeatedly.

I enjoyed The Chance. It just didn’t wow me like I expected a Robyn Carr novel to. I will absolutely read Carr’s next novel, Four Friends, because I believe when you write more than one novel each year, there is bound to be one that doesn’t impress me like the rest. I know Robyn Carr excellence is up next.

–Calliope

If you’re a Thunder Point fan and want to read Eric’s story:
Buy The Chance