Giveaway & Review: Home at Last Chance by Hope Ramsay & Home Sweet Home by Bella Riley

Dear Reader,

You won't believe what's happened. My son Tulane has come back home! You remember Tulane? He'd set out to find fame and fortune in the big, wide world outside of Last Chance, and I'm mighty proud. But that's not the half of it-Tulane isn't only back, he's brought a young lady with him.

Now Sarah-she does PR for Tulane's stock-car team-she's from Boston, but she's just about the sweetest girl you could meet. I think she's meant to keep Tulane out of trouble after that story in the papers, but he doesn't want to talk about it. Anyhow, the Ladies Auxiliary can't wait to start matchmaking and introduce Sarah to our Reverend Ellis. But mark my words, Sarah is tired of being a good girl. And no one is better at breaking the rules and raising Cain than my son...

Listen to me going on and keeping customeres waiting. I best get back to work, but you come round again. The Cut 'n' Curl's got hot rollers, free coffee, and the best gossip in town.

See you real soon,

Ruby Rhodes

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Fun Facts:
Hope's mother-in-law was really good at expressing her disdain just by raising one eyebrow. Hope's husband always referred to this expression as Mother's look. One time Hope tried to give one of her kids this look and the kid looked right back, shook his head, and informed her that her LOOK was inferior. "Mom," he said, "You look like you've got gas pains." This sassy comeback found its way into the opening scene of HOME AT LAST CHANCE.

Hope is a big fan of the singer-songwriter David Wilcox. Wilcox's song, "Language of the Heart," is the one she plays every time she needs to write a love scene. The song is all about how what people say in words is different than what their bodies say when they are making love. Nothing could be more true of Sarah and Tulane in HOME AT LAST CHANCE.

About the Author
Hope Ramsay was born in New York and grew up on the North Shore of Long Island, but every summer Momma would pack her off under the care of Aunt Annie to go visiting with relatives in the midlands of South Carolina. Her extended family includes its share of colorful aunts and uncles, as well as cousins by the dozens, who provide the fodder for the characters you’ll find in Last Chance, South Carolina. Hope earned a BA in Political Science from the University of Buffalo, and has had various jobs working as a Congressional aide, a lobbyist, a public relations consultant, and a meeting planner. Read more...

My Review:
Sarah is a prissy, uptight woman who is looking to let her hair down. Tulane is just the man to help her with that.

This book is filled with off-beat, quirky characters. It's entertaining and kept me laughing along the way. I loved Tulane's niece, Haley. She was always eavesdropping just a little too hard and getting her information a bit confused. But she kept me laughing.

Tulane and Sarah were well written and developed. I just was unable to connect with them and their relationship. However, I did enjoy all the family interaction. I'm always a fan of romances that involve the family to see how significant others get along with them.

Home at Last Chance is a nice read for those looking for a Southern romace with a few laughs along the way.

What if you can go home again?

Ten years and two hundred miles. That's what separates Andi Powell from quiet, secluded Emerald Lake-and that's exactly how she likes it. But now her job brings her back to the hometown she's tried so hard to forget . . . and to Nate Duncan, the man she's never been able to.

Nate once looked at Andi with love in his eyes. But that was before she left him in the dust to pursue her big-city dreams. Now he's the town's ruggedly handsome mayor with the power to break Andi's career like she broke his heart. As the two clash over the future of Emerald Lake, the sparks that fly between them rekindle a passion neither of them can deny.

Andi may have left town looking for the life she thought she wanted. But could everything she needs have been in Emerald Lake all along?

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Fun Facts:
Before writing romance novels, Bella was a professional musician. Now, instead of writing and playing music, she listens to it all day as she writes. While writing Home Sweet Home, she was inspired by such songs as "The Gallery" by Joni Mitchell, the Sound of Music soundtrack, and Taylor Swift's latest album (particularly "Back to December" and "Last Kiss").

At one point, Andi and Nate (the heroine and hero) are looking up at the clouds in the sky and Nate starts pointing out shapes that look like people and things, rather than just clouds. This was entirely inspired by Bella's husband, who sat with her on the end of the dock one day and showed her the magic of the sky. The very next day she wrote that scene.

About the Author
Bella Riley has always been a writer. Songs came first, and then nonfiction books, but as soon as she started her first romance novel, she knew she'd found her perfect career. Since selling her first book in 2003 (under the name Bella Andre), Bella has written more than twenty "empowered stories enveloped in heady romance" (Publishers Weekly). Read more...

My Review:
This was a heartwarming tale of one's journey home.

Andi never felt like she fit in or belonged in Emerald Lake, but she finds herself returning there for a big project she's working on. To see this project become a reality, she's going to need the help of the town mayor, who just so happens to be the love she left behind.

This story draws you in from the start with the beautiful backdrop and interesting townspeople. Not only do you fall in love with Nate and Andi, but everyone in Emerald Lake. Riley does an amazing job of painting a town you'd love to visit and wish you were lucky enjoy to live.

The love Andi and Nate shared was evident from the start. As a reader you can't help but to hang onto every word to see how these two are going to work it out.

The ending isn't what I expected. That isn't to say I didn't like the ending, because I did. That is to say I enjoyed it more because it wasn't predictable.

If you're a fan of Debbie Macomber's Blossom Street series, you'll definitely love Emerald Lake. An amazing start to this series and I'm definitely looking forward to reading more from this author.

*Thanks to Grand Central Publishing for providing the prize!