Two things will always be true: the people who’ve known you the longest are often most set in their expectations of how you should be, and grief will drive you in unexpected ways as it demands you succumb and deal with it. Such are lessons that Teddi is about to face head on. Six years ago her best friend since childhood, Celia, died, and Teddi, now bereft, sad, and without the other half to her every thought slipped away while the funeral was being celebrated. Now six years have passed: her career as a photographer has taken her to unexpected places, a ‘loosely’ open relationship, no home to call her own but a series of hotel suites permanently hers, as photographer to a national boutique hotel change. Renowned for her wedding photos, particularly a celebrity’s wedding that made headlines, she’s back in town at the behest of her friend’s daughter, 12 year old Shay, to photograph a wedding. Not just any wedding, Celia’s husband Miles is remarrying – and the whole small Ohio town of Chance is waiting for the celebration.

Where do you turn when every moment reminds you of the person, closer than a sister, that is no longer there? Teddi spent all of her childhood with Celia: they shared dreams and secets, laughter and even Celia’s younger brother. While everyone knows Teddi – they also all believe that she abandoned Miles, Beck and Shay when she ran away - and she’s never been strong enough to explain her reasons, or even actually deal with them. With friends reappearing and even insisting that she attempt to rejoin the life she had left behind, the contrasts between old and new, the changes in town and in her, and the slow-to-come realization that she’d been in a holding pattern since Celia’s death: afraid to commit, afraid to admit her own guilt and inability to explain that she never forgot – in fact a small bag of stones become a weight that drags her down, working as both a tether to her own feelings of rootlessness and a way to communicate moments to Celia – she slowly starts to engage as moments bring her answers, more questions and finally a sense of peace.

Nathan does portray the grief as Teddi’s determination to clutch it closely is often the first impression she gives. Her own reluctance to actually engage, using her camera as a wall from people and her emotions. Occasional repeated ‘lump in throat’ moments may feel like overkill at first, and the pockets and rock connection takes a bit to understand, but I did believe that the process as Teddi came to understand her grief and release some of the guilt as she honestly thought about Celia’s wishes for the people she cared for, brought a sense of reality to the story. Friend or family – everyone who is lost to us requires we find a way to deal with the pain, sorrow and loss eventually it just took Teddi a bit of time to get there. Sweet and complex, the story does unfold to encompass loss, love, friendship and expectations – and does show just how different ‘going home again’ can be with a change in outlook and expectation.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=”http://wp.me/p3OmRo-9sr/” > <a> I am, Indeed </a>

I loved this book from the beginning! The characters were like long lost friends. There were some wonderful twists along to way. I highly recommend this book!

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Griffin publishing for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Left to Chance by Amy Nathan.

Teddi and Celia were best friends growing up. On Scalia's deathbed an made Teddi promise she would leave and follow her dreams of becoming a photographer. On the day of Celia's funeral, Teddi left town without telling a soul. Teddi becomes a famous photographer and now lives in San Francisco.

Six years later, Celia's daughter, Shayna asks Teddi to come back to Chance, Ohio to photograph her father's 2nd wedding. Teddi knows that if she returns home she will have to face her past and the man she loved.

Left to Chance by Amy Sue Nathan is a sweet novel. The bond between best friends, families and death are part of the of the story line. The characters were the highlight of the story as the storyline continues to show how much some things change while other things do not change.

Teddi Lerner left home during her best friend’s funeral. Celia was gone and Teddi could not stay. Shayna, Celia’s daughter asked Teddi to come back and photograph her dad’s wedding to another. Teddi (Aunt Tee) does and finds so much has changed. Her small town is growing. Her bestie is still gone, but there are other friends. Teddi finds the whole thing a challenge that she is not sure she can handle, especially when secrets start to come out.

Two of the truths I took from the book, Left to Chance, forgiveness is part of loving someone and that even when someone is gone you can still listen to them. Amy Sue Nathan’s novel Left to Chance is a good read.

I really enjoyed the beginning and ending of Left to Chance—but the middle lagged a bit. I began to lose interest, and resisted the urge to skip paragraphs/pages. I’m glad I stuck with it, because the pacing picked up with the ‘meat’ of the emotions I yearned for, and the ending was satisfying.

Teddi Lerner is easy to sympathize with. She suffered a painful blow when her best friend died. Having a friend die in recent years, I could easily sink into this characters role. Shay, her “niece” on the other hand, was difficult for me to relate to. Although I lost my mother when I was young, I failed to FEEL her angst. I found her a bit annoying, and I didn’t really care for her being a central figure in this story.

I love small town stories. I love “going home” stories. Left to Chance is a nice mix of the two.

Cover: Love
Title: Love
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Pages: 288
First Lines: Getting picked up once meant flirting and free drinks. Today it meant hurrying through the airport in comfortable shoes.

I received a complimentary copy from Goodreads and NetGalley.

Left to Chance by Amy Sue Nathan is a wonderfully written story which takes place in the small town of Chance, Ohio.

Living in a small town has benefits and downfalls, and when the main character, Teddi, returns to her hometown after six years, it’s a definite downfall.

Teddi left after a heart-shattering loss of her best friend, Celia. Though she keeps a loving, yet long-distance relationship with Celia’s twelve-year-old daughter, Shayna, she has fully avoided a trip back to Chance—until Shayna begs her to come to photograph her father’s wedding.

Yep, her best friend’s husband is getting married again. Teddi is a nationally well-known wedding photographer—how can she refuse? She loves Shayna, so she does it for her.

She expects all the conflicting feelings anyone would have in this situation…meeting the new fiancé, reliving the memories, and facing the reasons she fled from town during Celia’s funeral. What she didn’t expect was the full-force repercussions from her unexplained departure.

Teddi’s emotions are heart-felt, and the things she ran away from—and ran to—finally comes to the surface. She must deal with this and mend the hearts she damaged when she left in such a hurry. But how?

The busy life she lives in San Francisco is a far cry from the one she lived in Chance--and the love interest she left in Chance is a far cry from the one waiting in San Francisco…another thing she must deal with…which she wasn’t aware was an issue until running into her old sweetheart.

The author did a fine job of portraying small town life. The characters and their many different personalities, be it quirky, fun or serious, were well developed. I loved how the serious moments were carefully depicted, and the fun times made me smile. Teddi’s perseverance endures, and is admirable—and painful at times.

The characters come to life, and I could picture the town of Chance, and those who reside there. The friendships are varied, from warm embraces to cold shoulders, but Teddi knows she is lucky for the first, and deserved the latter.

Never does Teddi take on the victim role. I like that fact. The personal growth throughout Left to Chance is admirable and realistic.


I recommend this read, and thank Net Galley for gracing me a complimentary copy.

My Review of "Left to Chance" by  Amy Sue Nathan

"Left to Chance" by Amy Sue Nathan is an emotional and heartwarming  read. The genre for this novel is Women's Fiction. The story take place mostly in the present, and only refers to the past when it pertains to a character or event.

The author describes the characters as complex, complicated and confused. Photographer Teddi  has returned to Chance Ohio, after leaving without saying goodbye six years ago. Teddi's best friend Celia had passed away, and Teddi has remained in touch with  Celia's daughter 12 year old  Shayna. Teddi is a famous wedding photographer and is going to take the pictures of Shayna's dad and his new wife.

Teddi  has mixed feelings about returning to Chance, and seeing the friends and loved ones she had left behind.  Teddi has the feelings that there are old and new secrets and different expectations from the people that she is seeing. Teddi also has mixed feelings about her past, present and future.

I appreciate that the author discusses issues such as death of a loved one, illness,, grieving, bullying, honesty and communicating.  The author also writes about the importance of family, friends, love, support, acceptance and growth. I would recommend this novel for readers of womens  fiction that like an emotional read. I received an ARC of this book for my honest review.

Teddi Lerner is coming home to photograph a wedding. She can't say no to 12 year old Shay, whose dad is getting married. Shay's mother was Teddi's best friend and when she died Teddi left Chance, Ohio without saying goodbye to anyone. Now she's back and facing questions from everyone including her old boyfriend and her family. I liked the interaction between young Shay and her Aunt Tee. The story is sad and explores grief but is uplifting as both Shay and Teddi grow and accept that life gives second chances.

This was such a treasure to read! It is a story of Teddi's return to her small childhood hometown. She had left in a hurry after the funeral of her best friend, Celia, and no one knew why. She did keep in contact with Shay, Celia's daughter who asked her to return to take the official photographs of the wedding of her father. A tender story of life in a small town, and of loss, love, friendship and families.

This book was such a satisfying read. Teddi left her hometown 6 years prior and is now back to photograph a wedding. Shay, Teddi's deceased best friend's daughter, convinces her to come back to be the photographer for her father's wedding. This journey home means coming face to face with hurts she has caused and the reason why she left in the first place. The characters in this book were so real and normal...it was refreshing and was one of the main reasons why this book captivated my attention and left me reading way past my bedtime :) You won't regret picking up this book!

At first, the characters were a little clunky. But there was development as the story progressed. All in all a decent read about acceptance, adjustment, and taking chances.

I'm from a small town in Ohio, and when the residents of Chance, Ohio said "go around the block and you'll see everyone twice" I wanted to call up my cousins and share :-)

Key to this story is, what responsibilities we have to those we love, to those we share history with, to our best friends. Grief is something everyone handles differently, but when you're the one who left in the middle of the funeral, a lot of people have things they'd like to say, even if it is a hearty telling-off.

How I can relate! When I left my small town for college and then did not go back for years, people treated me differently, including --and especially--family. Then I changed my mind and visited more, took more of a role with people I had "left behind." So, yes, I feel as if this book was written for me!

Well-written, emotionally compelling, and very relatable.

This is not a book about extraordinary people. It's about characters you might meet in your local Starbucks. They have flaws and challenges and real world problems. If that's your kind of book, this is one to add to your TBR list. The premise is that a photographer returns home to her small town to confront her past and make amends. It's an easy read and surprisingly engaging.

Truly well written and development of characters was good. I normally like strong woman characters and yet this gal struggles with relationships and coming to terms with best friend's death. It's a large part of the book and yet you see her finding peace and growth. A work in progress is how the book ends so I won't call it a true romance but still happy feel good.

Amy Sue Nathan flat out knows how to write, and her third book is just another evidence of this. While the idea of someone returning to their hometown after a period of time isn't new, the way Nathan crafts this story, the depth she gives the characters, how she spins tropes into something new are just a few examples of the freshness and incredible connection LEFT TO CHANCE has in store for readers. I'm thrilled that I got to read this book before it comes out because that means I have two months to get everyone else excited for it too. It truly is a character-driven must read.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for my review. Who says you can't go back home? For Teddi Lerner, a famous wedding photographer, the thought of going home again is almost as painful as the reasons that drove her from Chance, Ohio in the first place.

Celia and Teddi were best friends their entire lives. When Celia was dying, she challenged Teddi to live her best life and chase her dream of being a photographer, which she did. What she didn't do, was say goodbye to anyone when she left, not to Celia's husband or daughter Shayna, not even to the man she loved. Now Celia's husband is remarrying and Shayna wants to bring Aunt Tee home to photograph the wedding, but she has ulterior motives. Chance is the last place Teddi wants to go, too many painful memories and too many skeletons, but she knows that it is time to come back home.

This story was really well written. The characters were complicated but believable and I devoured this book in two days.

Teddi left Chance,Ohio during the funeral of her very best friend Celia. Teddi and Celia had been best friends since they were children. Now 6 years later, Teddi is back in town to be the photographer at Celia's husband's wedding. Besides her husband Miles, Celia left behind her daughter Shay. Shay has had a very tough time without her mom. Being back in town, Teddi has a lot to answer for leaving so hastily. But what would you do if the person you love most in the world dies? This is a beautiful story of loss and learning to live your life again without your person. I loved this book and the characters. I felt their pain and their happiness. Amy Sue Nathan is an auto buy author for me. Her books stay with you forever. Thank you so very much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of this wonderful book in return for an honest review.

This is a very well written story which tells us, hard as it is, we must face our mistakes from the past.
A highly successful fashion photographer returns home after many years of absence. The visit, which began as a business attempt, becomes a real sentimental journey. She reconnects with old friends and revisits familiar sites from her earlier years, creating a very emotional backstory.
She finds forgiveness and reconciliation with people she loves, but has unwittingly been hurt by in the past. Her visit, although brief, opens the door to many needed changes in her life.
It is very easy to lose yourself in this fabulous story of a woman's choice- some good , some not.

What I liked about this novel was the premise: photographer Teddi Lerner fled her small town of Chance, Ohio, six years earlier and landed a job photographing weddings around the world, sometimes for the rich and famous. However, she always kept in touch with her best friend’s daughter, who is twelve when Teddi returns home to photograph Shay’s father’s second wedding.

Shay is the only person Teddi kept in touch with, however. Teddi’s own parents move around the country in a camper, so her dead best friend’s kid is the only one she texts and FaceTime’s with in Chance. It’s difficult for her to come back because she has to face the people she hurt by leaving so abruptly. She also has to face the death of her friend up close instead of from a distance.

What I didn’t love about this book was that I felt the author at times was reaching to evoke emotion that, for me, did not succeed. There was a little too much swallowing and gulping, thump-in-throat sort of stuff.

Nathan does do a good job of portraying what it’s like to be unwed nonmother trying to understand and navigate the world of twelve-old-girls.

I loved this book! It's was so sweet and addicting to read. I felt a connection to each character, even the ones I didn't like much. The background story was heartbreaking, and my sorrow for Shay and Teddi seemed never ending. The entire book was so well written and really kept me engaged the entire time.