Photo credits: Yuri_B, k-images Edited by Vaishali Title: One Last Chance Series: Finding Love In Scotland #1 Author: Gina Azzi Publisher: Self published Year of Publication: 2019. Genre/Themes: Contemporary Romance, Format: E-book - kindle app R E V I E W... One Last Chance is a multicultural age-gap workplace romance set in Scotland that speaks to new adult adventure, a commitment to living undaunted, adjustment to settling into pastures new and playing at hopeless distance and senseless attraction with a love-phobic Scotsman. Gina Azzi writes a great roll-up-her-sleeves, kick-starting kind of heroine, very down to earth in that unexceptional place where starting her career means leaving a hometown life. Launching into the professional work-sphere across an ocean and flirting with the idea of a stubborn Scotsman broaches something tastier than Scotland’s national dish. I’m new to Gina Azzi romance but that doesn’t humour a lot about me because I’m practically inexperienced next to most romance readers (much as I’m diehard for this genre), and that’s to say I’d be fresh-eared and deer-eyed to most romancing wordsmiths if you threw a name at me. Go ahead, I probably won’t know. What I loved most about this story is Daisy’s no-fear, ‘go get ‘em’ spirit. It’s scary, it’s fresh, it’s exciting, it’s tummy-stuttering anxious to not only declare a bittersweet goodbye to your home but to pick life back up on foreign land. Azzi made me care about Daisy’s new life and I had my own resolve to her flourish In this welcoming city setting. The Sunday market scene was an especial favourite. When I’m obliged to hold onto the coattails of someone else’s adventure, you better assume I’ll sit thrilled and straddle the journey with a half-moon on my face and some hope in my heart. Decidedly upbeat Daisy definitely gave me something to get excited about. I was giddy over her delight in wanting to discover a new city but I also appreciated the realness of representing her homesickness; calibrating to this move, enjoying the new social experiences and professional excitement but still grieving the difference, still missing her brothers back home in Savannah, Georgia. In any case, I Ioved her no regrets, it’s time to be brave and live boldly maxim. Azzi characterises her heroine’s personal progress really well; she’s believable, aspiring and genuinely appealing. With desperately jaded Finn, he’s someone who professes every reason not to repeat an aforementioned kiss shared with Daisy just Christmas passed. That’s why this book doubles as a second chance romance. It’s the quintessential battle of the head and the wounded heart for Finn. He’s tried investing in forever but it was a tragedy that hurt him enough to lock down his heart and never choose love. Nobody is exceptional and neither is his fear of diving into someone’s heart while offering up his own, but it still slays hope for any future open to loving someone, anyone. Some things though? They’re a long time in wait, even for no-commitment Finley… It’s when Daisy is employed in Finn’s family’s business; when they’re not divided by countries, ocean and land, she’s all he can think about. The desireability between them shows no signs of wilting to a fine dust even when they’re tables away in the same workspace. Wasting his life by hiding behind a wound, reasoning his bachelor lifestyle away with excuses and defending their relaxed, uncommitted friends-with-benefits fling by blowing up boundaries that speak to age gap, perspective, history and workplace complications is Finn’s pathological fallback. Finn Anderson might not yet know it, but he’s destined for what he vetoes with confidence. With any romance, you’ll find that a reader wants to enjoy the selling the point: the romance. Finn and Daisy’s chemistry is decent; the heat is there, the tension, the flirtatiousness, the angst and the dialogue is always natural and never strained. That’s why I was admittedly crestfallen by the lack of sexy scenes. That, and the romance lacked substance and forward movement because of Finn.I’ve read enough romance that when two protagonist’s have a genuine, subtextual/on-page desire, I want to see the spark manifest and the burn to blow me away. It’s like a runner at speed made to shelve his run from the full mile; without a place to unload all that brimming, burning adrenaline. I naturally felt unsatisfied because I expected more fire from them. Romance enthusiasts, be prepared for a romance sans smut. Every romance has the right to take its own path and it’s every author’s right to pilot their own story. I love that Daisy’s purpose for living in Scotland is bound to her goals and not because Finn’s life is there. I love that she commits to the idea that any chance to be with Finn would be a luxury, knowing she’s here to have a life for herself, but I’m not sure how much of this holds true when I felt that she was always ‘in wait’ for Finn. Too many books in this genre represent main characters who live utterly reliant on each other; lives are sacrificed in this ‘I live only for you’ roulette. I was truly glad that the author didn’t follow in those footsteps with Daisy and Finn, but I also believe that living fearlessly doesn’t always mean saying yes. I was proud every time Daisy put herself out there, but I wanted her to speak up, to not let Finn walk away without having her say and holding her own against him. To speak her full mind, angry, upset or otherwise. And I wanted FInn to fight for her, to not resist her/hide from her or bemoan his incapability to be more for her. I have my doubts with the ‘keep it casual’ trope. A few reasons being: the relationship can come off as the shallow-with-no-meaning sort, too much angst betrays real feelings that are hidden and only come out come the finale or hearts naturally get hurt despite the hero and heroine lying to themselves the whole way through. In spite though, it can absolutely hit the heart in the feelers with a satisfying outcome. I do like a man who goes after what he wants but for me Finn took his sweet time in dropping his guard. He seemed resigned even after the big split up storm. I wanted to see him make strides with Daisy because he wanted to. He never says what he wants or means, even though he’s there for Daisy in the right moments. The problem I have with emotionally absent guys Is you don’t know how long they’ll maintain the emotional absence for and the ball is usually in their corner because of their reluctance. I love a story with a big cast; there’s something to be said for that sort of fallback support and level of energy. When I quickly became aware that lady Kane had not one, not two, oh yes but three older brothers with established relationships, I got my fingers moving and educated myself in what Azzi coins The Kane Brothers series. If you’re looking to see how Daisy’s older brothers got heir HEAs, you can imbue yourself in their series of standalones. As it was, my first sweep with Gina Azzi began with the first book in the Finding Love In Scotland spin-off series. There’s the Christmas kiss that’s alluded to (I don’t know if this happened in a previous book) and we’re acquainted with the fact that Daisy and Finn have history but I don’t know to what level/extent they share history. For readers who have habit of unknowingly diving off into spin-offs, I would appreciate a bit more backstory; To summarise history with supporting characters and to explain Finn and Daisy’s background. I’m just a reader who loves those details to dine on. One Last Chance is not a book of big surprises and electric showdowns, but of real challenges and relatable growth. A nice blend of individual development, career-focus and friends/family comfort bolsters Daisy’s NA coming-of-age. The writing has a neat and natural tenor that ties into a well-written story. A sharp, collected businessman meets a bright-side-up sweetheart; the deep doubts rattle and hearts shake from the possibility. If young love was enough to benchmark every relationship to follow, this best friend’s cousin’s romance foreshadows a second coming for one last chance. I gave this book 3 stars -C O N T E N T W A R N I N G: Mention a past death by cancer. Drinking, no explicit/graphic sex scenes. Sexual assault and some swearing. --------------------------------------- M Y R A T I N G S Y S T E M: ★ - 1 star: I did not like the book ★★ - 2 stars: The book was okay ★★★ - 3 stars: It was a good, solid read ★★★★ - 4 stars: A great book ★★★★★ - 5: A phenomenal read --------------------------------------- E X T R A T H O U G H T S: 1) I’d definitely recommend this one for readers who appreciate fade-to-black, alluded to or vaguely expressed bedroom scenes with no graphic content. I might have pouted with disappointment without some sexy content, but that being said, the sensuality was written well. I just really felt the vacancy. 2) In the break up scene I didn’t like that Finn manipulated the fight by morphing his projections into blame that he piles onto Daisy. He felt betrayed by her hopes for the relationships when he had those same hopes. I really wished Daisy had taken the chance to drop some truth bombs on him for the sake of perspective. It’s clear that he’s the sabotaging type but we really miss out on the best parts of a potential get-together when one protagonist pushes at the boundaries of commitment. I preferred the first half to the second because I was just sort of waiting for Finn to make a move but when they finally have a real feeling talk at the almost-end of the book, it’s mostly a case of Daisy readily accepting without making Finn work for it. The make-up scene was also kind of underwhelming and things were wrapped up quickly between them. 3) At one point Finn mentions that a conversation with his ex unloaded half a decade of emotional expression. I’m not sure that’s really realistic, and i think he should have had some sort of therapeutic intervention if his history with one woman had affected him so deeply. 4) There are a few continuity errors - At the start, we’re told Jax is Daisy’s older brothers but then it later says Denver is. In another scene Daisy puts on a robe, enters bed and is then in a state of undress (without said robe) - there was a similar thing with Finn where he’s wearing jeans after a work day when he’s usually decked out in his usual work suits. There might have been a few character names swapped out for each other too. I love interacting with fellow readers, reviewers, bloggers and writers. Hearing about reader opinion is the fuel to my reader appetite, so get in touch and comment below! SHARE ON FACEBOOK L E A V E A C O M M E N T A N D L E T' S T A L K A B O U T |
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