Customer Reviews

The Last Chance Cafe

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Stunned by the death of her beloved stepfather Lou, Hallie St. George desperately grieves her loss. Lou had been shot in the chest five times. While investigators dismiss his death as a burglary, Hallie has her own suspicions, confirmed when a friend passes her a key that unlocks the truth regarding corruption and drug dealing. When her ex-husband discovers her with the incriminating evidence, Hallie immediately flees with her young twins in a battered pickup truck, leaving behind bank accounts, her business, and her home.

Living out of a plastic suitcase and cheap clothes does not frighten Hallie. But her inability to care for her children and keep them safe does. While Hallie is long accustomed to independence, the danger threatening her and her children leaves her profoundly alone and vulnerable. When her truck breaks down in a snowstorm, however, misfortune leads her to a community where she will find love and acceptance, and a handsome man by the name of Chance Qualtrough.

Chance immediately suspects that Hallie is on the run. When she refuses charity, Chance suggests a place she can housesit and the waitress of The Last Chance Café offers her a job. Waitressing is a long way from being the chef of her own restaurant, but Hallie gratefully accepts. Soon her heart longs to put down roots in Primrose Creek, but with a vindictive ex-husband determined to find her, Hallie cannot trust her newfound friends with the truth, because the truth could get them all killed.

THE LAST CHANCE CAFÉ becomes a place of redemption and new beginnings with Linda Lael Miller's powerful pen. The vivid characterizations fill the novel with warmth, wit, and sensitivity. Hallie's need for community and connectedness makes her both believable and endearing. Chance gives the novel a deep tie to community and heritage, providing Hallie with the very things that were previously lacking in her life. In addition, Miller's talent excels with the seven year old twins. Whether they are petulant, sassy or charming, they are fully rounded characters. Secondary characters likewise sparkle, especially the wonderful romance between Jesse and the town vet -- a romance they thought they had concealed for thirty years. I confess to being a new fan of Miller's work, and although THE LAST CHANCE CAFÉ is part of an ongoing series, I delighted in reading it as a standalone. Very highly recommended.

I really would give this 4 1/2 stars. The story of Hallie and Chance is wonderful. The passion between the two of them smolders and explodes!! And who says a cowboy has to be the aloof type? Chance is caring, giving, generous, and selfless. Not to mention the dream lover. I now know the answer to the question "Where have all the cowboys gone?". They are in Primrose Creek, and Chance is the standard by which they should be judged!!

The modern people of Primrose Creek still possess that timeless quality that helped to build the fictional town during the pioneer days from Women of Primrose Creek. They embrace Hallie and her two precocious twins Kiley and Kiera, even though Hallie possesses a dangerous secret that could bring turmoil and heartache to the close knit community.

The story of Chance and Hallie has romance, adventure, humor, intrigue, and mystery. This is a good book to curl up with on a rainy day and get lost in the mystique of The Last Chance Cafe.

Finding a safe haven for herself and her twin daughters is utmost in the mind of Hallie O'Rourke as she flees her Arizona home. Someone has murdered her beloved stepfather, and the evidence contained in an old strongbox reveals the prime suspect to be her ex-husband. So Hallie loads her belongings and her children in an old pickup truck and takes off for points unknown, no real destination in mind; just somewhere safe and remote. When mechanical problems and a raging blizzard force Hallie to stop outside the tiny Nevada town of Primrose Creek, it almost seems as if fate has brought her to this refuge of safety. Maybe this would be the place where she and her small family could start life over again?
When rancher Chance Qualtrough encounters Hallie and her girls at the Last Chance Café, his first instinct is to protect the frightened and homeless young woman and her family from whatever danger is pursuing them. As he discovers the true story behind Hallie's flight from danger, he vows to keep them safe, whatever the consequences.
Trouble in the form of Hallie's deranged ex-husband catches up with them in the sleepy little town, and Chance pulls out all the stops in order to protect the woman and children he has come to love, even if it means sacrificing his own life.
In her latest novel, "The Last Chance Café," author Linda Lael Miller combines an absorbing mystery along with a mature romantic storyline to achieve a fascinating book that will keep readers captivated to the very end. Fans of her romance novels will enjoy the return to Primrose Creek, the fictional town made popular in her series "The Women of Primrose Creek." This time around, it is the descendants of the pioneering families that are featured in the story.
But don't be fooled into thinking this is just another romance novel. The element of danger and surprise that Miller incorporates into this book makes this story a spine-tingling mystery as well. Proof once again that a story can have the best of both worlds, a little thrill and a little chill.
- Sharon Galligar Chance, Times Record News

Hallie O'Rourke wandered into Primrose Creek by mistake, thrown into the town by snow and a broken-down truck. With her were her two twin daughters, Kiley and Kiera. They had themselves, one suitcase with recently bought clothes, and hard evidence that could get them killed. Numerous people, people Hallie didn't even know, wanted to kill her - for what she knew and what she had. In this bunch of people she did actually know one of them. He was Joel Royer, her ex-husband and father to her children.

Chance Qualthrough lived in Primrose Creek all his life and just happened upon Hallie by chance. Taking them into his home, he began to break her hard exterior of guarded secrets just as she broke down his resistance and drove his loneliness away. As time passed, Chance and Hallie became closer. Chance began to become a permanent part of Kiley and Kiera's lives as well.

After awhile, trouble came knocking at the door and together Hallie and Chance fought and destroyed what wanted to take them away from each other. Their love overcame everything, from doubts, to secrets, to madmen who wanted to kill them.

I've read the previous books in this series, the ones that were historical. Throughout the book, the characters from the previous books are tied in and it is interesting to read something in contemporary times, descents of the people we've previously read about. LAST CHANCE CAFE was enthralling from the start and didn't let up even at the end. Throughout it, I always rooted for the couple and hoped their love would overcome all just as it did. Ms. Miller did not let me down. I sobbed when Hallie left her other life behind to run for cover. I smiled at the first sexual interaction between Hallie and Chance and I sobbed again at the end when they came together forever. I eagerly look forward to further books that Ms. Miller writes for she is a master with the pen - please keep it up!

Romance At Its Best

I read this book and really enjoyed it. I like how the everything fell into place the way it did. Not too fast and not too slow. It almost makes you feel like Hallie did go back in time, when really, she was just in another town. She is there and meets all the town people, who all seem like they are from another time. And Chance is described as a cowboy, kindof sexy. ;) Jessie is more apt to ride a horse than drive her car. It is a great book. Any one who is any one will absolutely love this book and the ending doesn't leave you hangin. Highly recommended.

Loved the book, had me hooked from the start and couldn't put it down, that i read it in one day. Can't wait for the movie with Kevin Sorbo as Chance. Can just picture him as Chance as you read the book.

Wonderful loved every minute of it.

I was surprised to read all the good reviews for this book. I was not impressed though I read the entire book. From what I could gather, Hallie wasn't in town long enough to form any great relationships with anybody. It was a bit on the cheesy side. And everything worked out just a little too smoothly all the time. From the moment she walked into the cafe she had a job, a beautiful home to stay in, a decent vehicle to drive and money. Course, she had the perfect kids and everything went along perfectly and the neighbors were instantly all her friends. I didn't feel any real chemistry between the two main characters and I thought the plot had a lot of holes. The big climax with her ex-husband was boring and I thought it was ridiculous when she left. I am a Miller fan, but this just didn't do it for me.

The Last Chance Café by Linda Miller was a story of Hallie O'Rourke who escapes her home and her old life because she knows too much. She finds herself broken down on the side of road in the middle of snow storm with her twin seven year old daughters. Chance Qualtrough takes one look a snow covered family and finds himself offering let them house sit at his cousin's ranch. It is a nice mix of romance, mystery and danger. This book sat for too long of my shelf I am glad I finally got around to reading it....

Chance Qualtrough is a woman's dream lover...caring and gentle, sexy, patient and determined to protect the woman he loves. It takes Hallie a while to realize this because she's running from real danger and is reluctant to drag Chance into her line of fire.

I'm not much of a murder mystery book lover, but I do like books that tend to have a bit of mystery mixed in with a love story. A fluffy book that won't scare the heck out of me! That's exactly what the Last Chance Cafe was...a good love story with a bit of a murder mystery in there.

It is the story of Hallie and her twin daughters. They are on the run from people who murdered her stepfather. Her car breaks down in a snow storm and she finds the Last Chance Cafe...and a wonderful cowboy. The story goes from there...love, trust, murder, and thrills. It's a good, quick read. Especially if you're looking for a light-hearted mystery romance!