witchbuns

Kate Clayborn, 2017. Chance of a Lifetime #2

4.5 Stars for Assertive Swooning

Absolutely tantalizing chemistry between the two characters. This is really close to Georgie All Along in the craft and the buildup between them, plus the work on accepting past and faults that aren’t really yours to bear. I loved Zoe as FMC because she kept surprising me, with her steel and her barbs and her confidence, keeping that posture and moving forward. Aiden is also a terse, strong, hardass that starts to trust a wildcard woman (okay, I really see parallels with Georgie All Along) but I loved his work as a Paramedic and how that supported the story of his grief. Even though I see threads between the two books, this one is still a standout, and the achievements that Zoe builds are so inspiring. When she jumped, I bit my lip, I could just feel that moment.

I wanted to read this trilogy in order and I’m glad that I did, because the first book with Kit and Ben established the foundation of the trio, and this added a solid layer. The third act of this book is also stronger than her first book, because it has that buildup, and the fake dating lie. . . it all falls apart spectacularly. 

Kate Clayborn is one of my top three authors and I want her books on my shelf, but I really don’t give her enough credit for being so funny. The scenes at the camp from this one were hilarious, and the different families were so fun to witness. Somehow I think if this was a standalone I’d give it an even higher rating but as it exists as part of a larger story, I think I’m slightly still hungry for more resolution. I’ll probably re-read this and bump it up, or try the audiobook. Either way, I’m definitely reading this again as it’s among her best.