Title: Last Second ChanceSeries: Second Chance #1
Author: Caisey Quinn
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: May 6th. 2014
Synopsis
Buy Links
Review
Wanted. Needed. Whole. These are the things that Stella Jo Chandler thirsts for, but she has never felt them, and she never thought she would until him.
Regret. Addiction. Broken. Van Ransom has lived with these things for more years than he cares to remember. His past haunts him, so he does anything he can to drown out the memories…to feel anything but pain.
In a twist of fate, Stella Jo and Van, two seemingly unfixable people, meet at Second Chance Ranch – a place where high profile clients go to break free from the vices that bind them. One’s there to help while the other is there to receive one last chance at redemption. But what actually happens between them is perhaps what they’ve needed all along – the chance to become the best versions of themselves through love and trust.
Stella Jo has amazing strength. Her dreams were stripped from her, but she continues to fight and live. She thinks she’s a cold, unfeeling woman, but the walls that she has built to protect herself from her parents’ neglect and pressures is the only way she’s survived. Van breaks that impenetrable barrier and shows her that she is worthy of love and praise, but she has to believe it herself first before she can truly trust what he says.
Van’s addictions stem from feelings of inadequacy. He didn’t come through when someone needed him the most, and his inability to do so torments him on a daily basis. He doesn’t feel like he’s good enough for Stella Jo, but that doesn’t stop her from becoming his new addiction, and while staying away from the drugs and the booze gets easier, trading one addiction for another is probably not what his psychiatrist would suggest.
Last Second Chance tells the story of two people who on the surface couldn’t be more different, but if anyone cared to look closer, they would see that Stella Jo and Van are both looking to break free from the chains that bind them – feelings of inadequacy and self loathing. Together, they give each other what they both desperately need. The connection they share on both a sexual and emotional level can be both their saving grace and their undoing because their attraction for one another should not be acted on; it goes against all of the rules at Second Chance Ranch, but sometimes breaking the rules can lead to redemption instead of disaster.
Overall, I enjoyed Stella Jo and Van’s story. I had a hard time getting into the story due to the use of the third person point of view. At the beginning, I felt disconnected from the main characters because of it, but once I got used to the omniscient perspective, I really enjoyed it. What I liked most about the hero and heroine is that both of them are flawed; both are struggling with pretty heavy demons, and there’s no easy way to break free from them. Stella Jo and Van’s issues are realistically portrayed, and the steps they take to overcome them illustrate how someone’s past can have him/her spiraling out of control. Even though I would have liked to have seen their problems as well as Stella’s relationship with her parents be worked out a bit more, it’s definitely a story worth reading.
A complimentary copy was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
4 poison apples
Exclusive Excerpt (MA 17+ Content)
“Tell me. Tell me how you feel.”
His hand reached over and clasped the riding crop. She couldn’t stand the thought of letting him hit her with it again if he wasn’t going to finish what he’d started.
“I feel pissed, all right? And if you hit me with that fucking thing one more time and do not let me come, then you better leave me tied up.”
His answering grin made her want to slap his face. “What do you want to do to me right now?”
“Slap you. Hard,” she answered honestly as hot tears filled her eyes.
“But you can’t, can you?” The gleam in his eyes further ignited her fury. Her chest heaved, bringing her breasts into her own line of sight.
“No. I can’t. But I doubt you plan to leave me like this forever.” She would’ve shrugged to feign nonchalance if it were physically possible.
“Tell me what you’re going to do when and if I untie you.” He stared down at her, clearly exerting his dominance.
Just as she opened her mouth to answer, he thrust two fingers roughly inside her.
“Oh!” she cried out unexpectedly.
“Tell me or I stop,” he said, plunging in and out steadily.
“I need to know… I need to know where this is going,” she whispered as she fought for breath. She had no idea how much more her body could take. His arm flexed as he controlled every bit of her pleasure with his hand. Licking his lips, his eyes met hers.
“Seriously? I think a better question might be where is it not going. And whether or not I plan to untie you.”
About the Author
Caisey Quinn lives in Birmingham, Alabama with her husband, daughter, and other assorted animals. She is the bestselling author of the Kylie Ryans series as well as several New Adult Romance novels featuring country girls finding love in unexpected places. You can find her online at www.caiseyquinnwrites.com.
Fairest Of All Book Reviews 
Thank you so much for the kind review and for participating in the blog tour!