I love Jude Deveraux books, but this book does not feel like one of her books. It fell flat for me which makes me sad. I love her work so I feel terrible to have to say this was a no for me. I will be ok because I know her next book will be a hit!

DNF @18%
2020; Mira/Harlequin

I loved this pretty cover and the idea of romance through the times. It was giving me Outlander and The Time Traveler's Wife vibes so I was very eager to start this one. I may have put too much expectations on it, as I just couldn't get into the story. I kept turning the audio off, and wanted to listen to something but kept putting it off. I have enjoyed Deveraux's writing and books in the past, so maybe it's the dual authors....or just me. 

***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***

I'm not a big reader of time travel novels (although one of my favorite books of 2019 is Lisa Grunwald's Time After Time) but something about Jude Deveraux and Tara Sheets' novel Chance of A Lifetime called out to me.

Agon and Samael are two angels who work for the Department of Destiny. They summon the soul of Liam O'Connor, an impoverished petty thief from Ireland in 1844 who fell in love with Cora, the daughter of wealthy landowner. Cora was engaged to marry Finn Walsh, and their child was destined to help the world.

But Liam disrupted those plans when Cora fell in love with him and broke off her engagement to Finn. Because of that, "Cora's soul has never found peace, and in each new life she has been given, she has been afraid to fall in love in" with Finn and fulfill her destiny to help the world. (I hope this is not responsible for all of the problems we are having in 2020.)

The angels send Liam to Providence Falls, North Carolina in the present day where Cora is a police investigator. Finn Walsh is there too, a "reserved and somewhat stuffy" defense attorney who has a crush on Cora. But Cora is not interested in Finn.

Cora's father calls her to tell her that he has found a roommate to replace the woman moving out of Cora's apartment. His name is Liam, and he is the newest member of the police department, where he will be Cora's new partner.

If Liam wants his soul to enter heaven, he has to convince Cora to fall in love in Finn and fulfill their destiny. The only problem is, now that Liam sees Cora in the flesh again, he realizes he still has feelings for her. What if she feels the same way?

Liam has to learn all about life in the 21st century- cars, cell phones, computers, etc.- and now he is on the other side of the law, which is amusing. People he knew in 1844 Ireland are also here in Providence Falls- his fellow petty thieves, and the wealthy married woman he had an affair with is now a wealthy married woman who wants to have an affair with Liam. 

Chance of A Lifetime is the first novel in the new Providence Falls series, so the reader is introduced to the small city and all its residents. It's an enjoyable read, a cross between TV's The Good Place and Diana Galbadon's Outlander novels. Can Liam sacrifice his happiness to achieve his mission? You'll have to stay tuned, because there is no answer to that question in this novel. That may be my biggest criticism of this charming novel, it ends rather abruptly with a lot of unresolved issues. I'll happy return to Providence Falls to find out what happens next.

For those who love a time travel romance, Jude Devereux and Tara Sheets bring the first of the Providence Falls series. 

Set in two time lines, 1840's Ireland and present day North Carolina, the authors bring two star-crossed lovers who get a second chance, but what happens when the forces that bring them back together insist on lovers' happily ever afters not be with each other? 

Loaded with twists and turns, lovers of Ms. Devereux's A Knight in Shining Armor will be flipping the pages in anxious anticipation for more.

Know, this is the first of a series and the book does leave an open ending and I look forward to the follow up. 

*I received an advanced copy of this book for an honest review.

Chance of a Lifetime by Jude Deveraux and Tara Sheets is the first novel in the Providence Falls series. This book takes me back to older novels by Jude Deveraux which I really enjoyed. I will get the negative off my chest first, this one ends leaving this reader wanting to know what is happening next? There isn't a conclusion to the story, it is a "To Be Continued", which I do not like. If it was a television series, it would continue the next week, but with a book it is sometimes a year and by then, I don't remember everything that happens.

Okay, now on to what I liked. This is a dual timeline story, but it is the same characters in both times as it is a reincarnation story. Liam and Cora fell in love back in 1844 and he has been trying to find her and get back together ever since. In this life, they are both police officers. I enjoyed the characters, especially Liam. He has been a thief many times over, a handsome charmer and a bit of a cad. This story contains humor, mystery, crime, and drama. I haven't really seen the romance yet, although I know that Liam is in love. Then we throw in two angels/judges who are supposed to keep Liam on track, you see his role is to bring Cora together with someone else, also around in their past. I really enjoyed this one, until it ended and I was left hanging, as I mentioned earlier.Jude Deveraux and Tara Sheets combine history, romance, mystery, and heavenly intervention into one engaging tale. I do recommend this one, but you might want to wait until the second book comes out so you won't be left hanging too long.

In 1844 Liam O'Connor is a bit of a bad boy in Ireland; he is a known thief and consorts with all sorts of disreputable people. While on a "job," he has fallen for the squire's daughter, Cora, who is obviously an unlikely match.  Their relationship drastically changes their lives forever. Fast forward to present day, Liam has been given a second chance to erase the many mistakes he has made over and over again in his lives.  His new task is to help Cora McLeod end up with the right guy for once: Finn.  So, Liam is in North Carolina, a heck of a lot different than Ireland in the 1840s, and he must help Cora fall for Finn.  However, Cora in this century isn't shy and naive like she was in the past.  She is strong, a police officer, and she doesn't need a man.  Worse yet, she doesn't remember Liam from their past lives and isn't interested in him at all despite her father reminding her that Liam's father was a good friend of his.  Liam's soul depends on his mission with Cora, so he needs this to go well, but how can he accomplish his mission if he still has feelings for her?  Whatever he does, he can't fall back into his old habits as his fate depends on it.  Chance of a Lifetime by Jude Deveraux and Tara Sheets is a solid romantic escape that is part of a new series.

I loved the world that Deveraux and Sheets built in Chance of a Lifetime.  The idea of past lives, angels intervening, and loves that span many lifetimes is a swoon-worthy one, especially with the time travel element. It was great how they connected Liam and Cora's story back to 1844 and set the stage for their new relationship in present day.  Cora is a modern woman though, so this was a tough pill for Liam to swallow; however, we can't forget the point of him being there. It isn't for them to rekindle their love, but for him to facilitate a relationship between Cora and Finn.  Cue the drama and unrequited love vibe. I do wish I liked the characters a bit more in Chance of a Lifetime. They were entertaining enough, but I didn't connect with them at all and I feel they could have been fleshed out a bit more.

During the time I read Chance of a Lifetime, I really needed a Hallmark movie type of read and this fit the bill.  There is a murder mystery subplot that kept me engaged, but overall, it definitely read more like a light romance.  So if you like your romances with a side of time travel elements, give Chance of a Lifetime a try this fall.

This was not what I was expecting! I liked these characters and their stories in both timelines, especially the present day. But this is not a straightforward romance by definition and I was hoping for a little more closure before the book ended. Instead, it was cliffhanger-y! This is the first book in a series, which is good because I need more from these characters.

This isn‘t anything like A Knight in Shining Armor (😍) for those of you that love that book like I do, but I adore Jude Deveraux and I plan to keep reading this series as it is published.



I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you, Harlequin MIRA!

This book left me with so many mixed feelings and I'm not entirely sure if that's good or bad or something in the middle.   While I love dual-timeline and time-travel romances, this wasn't quite what I expected. (No time travel in the traditional sense and dual timeline is more a reincarnation story but not truly reincarnation, if that makes sense..)   It left me a bit muddled from that perspective.  I almost would have liked to read the historical story and then the contemporary story and somewhere had a bridge between - I feel like I didn't get enough of either to make a full evaluation.

The chemistry with the characters was spot on.  I didn't absolutely love either protagonist, but they wormed their way into my good books and I was rooting for them anyhow (but what was I rooting for?  Do I want them to fall in love? Stay out of love? I don't know!!!! It's all so very confusing.) The author has an easy-to-read voice and pacing that should not be unexpected if you've read any of Deveraux' novels before.  I"m unfamiliar with Tara Sheets so can't comment to how the collaboration reflects her style. 

In the absolutely positive column, I could not put this book down - it was gripping despite my mixed feelings about it.   I mean, the writing is descriptive, fast-paced, well done - it's just the premise that was a little too unique, I think.   The ending is another negative for me as it left me with zero closure whatsoever - I guess I'll be picking up the next book in the series just to tie up all the loose ends I've been with left.   Tangled loose ends.

i really enjoyed reading that the romance was different from other romances. I liked that in one time period they were lovers and then in another they were enemies. I look forward to more from this author.

I like Jude Devereaux and like many of her stories. This one features engaging characters, but the whole angelic-succeed-or-go-to-hell thing didn’t win any awards with me. It’s a well-written book, just as I would expect from such an accomplished author.

This is NOT your typical Jude Devereaux book, so if you go into it with expectations based on her prior novels, you need to put them to the side to enjoy this book. 

In general, the premise of this book was really super intriguing. It's the first of a series, and it doesn't really have a solid, satisfying ending, so you need to go into the book expecting that. It is not really a time travel book as much as it is soul mates reunited in a different time, and only one of them knows it. Liam and Cora's past love was a beautiful story, but Liam's soul winds up in Purgatory seeking redemption. Present day Liam and Cora is a messy tale of penance and Liam's soul seeking redemption, even though it means him suffering heartbreak. 

Stay tuned for the next book to see how this story progresses.

I’ve been a Jude Deveraux fan for years; I tore through all her books while I was in college. It’s been long while since I’ve read her recent work and I was pleased that NetGalley gave me this opportunity to preview this upcoming joint venture with Tara Sheets. I loved the premise of this novel: bound by his mistakes in the past, Liam O’Connor must guide his one true love (Cora McLeod) into the arms of another man in order to right what has been wrong throughout the centuries to provide a life for his love and save his own soul.

The story of Liam and Cora unfolds between two time periods: 1844 Ireland and present day Providence Falls, North Carolina, United States. With the help of angels, Liam remembers everything about his past and struggles to keep up in the current era. Cora, on the other hand, does not have any idea of their connection. The authors expertly weave and intertwine the characters from both timelines. The lush descriptions of Ireland and Providence Falls provide the perfect setting for two people to fall into love, or in this case, do their best to stay out of love.

I was fully immersed in the story and the setting, so much so that I was disappointed once I arrived at the end of the novel. It was then that I learned Chance of a Lifetime was the first in the Providence Fall series! Prepare yourself to want

A highly entertaining and gripping novel that kept me hooked and made me root for the characters.
I loved the character development and the world building. The mystery part is solid and kept me guessing.
The authors are excellent storytelling and you are kept turning pages as you want to know if this star crossed lovers will have their HEA.
It was a highly entertaining read and it's strongly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

3.5 Stars

The iconic Jude Deveraux joins forces with fast rising star Tara Sheets for Chance of a Lifetime, the first title in the Providence Falls series which blends humor, emotion, intrigue, romance and scheming angels whose intentions might not be as pure as they initially thought.

Liam O’Connor didn’t exactly set out to be a scoundrel, but life in 1844 Ireland was no picnic. With starvation and destitution very likely prospects for somebody like him who wasn’t born to any privileges or advantages, Liam had realised at an early age that if he wanted to survive in an unkind and unjust world, then he needed to march to the beat of his own drum and make his own rules. Naturally, this often saw him getting on the wrong side of the law, but Liam was not going to let the constraints society had imposed upon him to keep him back. If there was something he wanted, Liam went for it – even if this belonged to somebody else – and when he clapped eyes on Cora McLeod, he knew that he wanted to have her. Only Liam was a rogue and a thief while Cora was a squire’s daughter who was betrothed to a very eligible bachelor. However, Liam was not going to let this stop him. Only little did Liam realize that his decision to pursue and seduce Cora would have serious repercussions he couldn’t have foreseen…

When he set out to make Cora his, Liam never imagined that he would jeopardise his immortal soul in the process. But Cora was not supposed to marry Liam and when she had turned her back on the man she was meant for, she had ended up changing the course of her destiny forever leaving Liam permanently suspended between heaven and hell many centuries later. But Liam has been giving a chance to atone. In her many lifetimes, Cora’s life has always ended in tragedy regardless of the many times she had been reincarnated. Liam has the power to change this – but only if he convinces her to marry the man she was destined for.

Sent to the present day in Providence Falls, North Carolina by the angels, Liam must do his utmost to bring Cora and her soulmate together. However, the Cora he finds in the present day is worlds apart from the shy and naïve squire’s daughter he knew in 1844. A confident and independent police officer, Cora does not recognise Liam and is hardly going to let him dictate who she should or shouldn’t fall in love with. Liam might be trying his best to save his soul and bring Cora and the man she was meant to marry together, yet the more time he spends with her, the more he finds himself falling for her all over again.

With his soul hanging in the balance, will Liam end up choosing his heart’s desire or eternal damnation?

I was really looking forward to Chance of a Lifetime. As a long-time fan of Jude Deveraux and having enjoyed Tara Sheet’s Holloway Girls trilogy, I couldn’t wait to see what these two favorite authors came up with and with Chance of a Lifetime, they’ve written a magical, mystical and enthralling tale imbued with ingenious wit, emotional intensity and heart-warming drama.

My only qualm about this book was that I found the ending to be rather abrupt with some plot lines still not resolved, however, hopefully these will be settled in the second title in the series. 

On the whole, Chance of a Lifetime is an enjoyable read and I look forward to returning to Providence Falls soon.

I have been on such a lucky run of books lately, with several unique plot twists or storylines making for very interesting reading.

This one takes the cake, putting a spin on a time-traveling romance in a way that makes it intriguing and thoroughly plausible (especially if you have particular beliefs – more on that later).

I will admit straight off, I am not generally a fan of regency romances, they just aren’t my thing, (which kind of doesn’t make sense, because I like historical romance) so at first, I was leery of this one. I worried that there would be too much set in that part of the story and it wouldn’t be interesting.

I was totally wrong. And I may have even found a new genre to explore, or at least give another chance.

I liked the simplicity of the set-up of the initial meeting between Liam and Cora (told via Liam’s memories). It seemed as if relationships and connections were much more clear cut.

That’s important, because things get complicated quickly.

You see, Liam has a task based on his previous life actions. He needs to help Cora fall in love with the right person – because apparently he screwed up so badly in their original lives that each of her successive lives has ended in tragedy.

Can he ignore his love for her and complete his task? Can love be forced? Or are soulmates meant to be together regardless of the potential consequences?  

If you look at those questions, you may think that this has a lot of new age/past lives stuff in it, but aside from the premise, the authors deal with the concepts in a straightforward manner that made for easy and intriguing reading.

I really enjoyed Liam the most, because he was the one with the task. I thought it was funny that the angels gave him just enough knowledge to get by in the modern world, which made some of his revelations highly amusing.  He was also the only one who knew what was stake which added depth to his actions. However, I liked Cora’s slow realization as well.

For me, it was a great illustration that there are many things we don’t know – past lives is just one of them. I happen to believe that our energies continue when our bodies are gone, which is why we have feelings of déjà vu, or feeling totally comfortable with someone you’re just met. Cora puzzles over these very things.

I’m not going to give you the ending, because that wouldn’t be fair. But trust me when I say that you really should read this one for its unique perspective on undying love. I'm hoping it won't be the only book like this from these authors.

Chance of a Lifetime by Jude Deveraux and Tara Sheets is the first novel in the Providence Falls series.  This book reminds me of Jude Deveraux’s early novels which I just loved (Wishes, A Knight in Shining Armor, Sweet Liar).  I thought the story contained good writing and it moved along at a steady pace. The story has humor, drama, mystery, and, of course, romance.  I liked the characters with my favorite being Liam O’Connor.  He is a thief, a charmer, and a rogue.  I like that Chance of a Lifetime combines the present in Providence Falls with Liam and Cora’s tale from 1844.  The parallels between the two time periods was intriguing.  And let us not forget the two heavenly judges determined to keep Liam on task.  I liked the humor in the story as it added lightness and levity.   I enjoyed reading Chance of a Lifetime until I got to the end and realized the story was incomplete.  I must now wait for the next installment in the Providence Falls series to find out the identity of the killer (I have an idea and want to see if I am right) and Liam’s fate.  Jude Deveraux and Tara Sheets combine history, romance, mystery, and heavenly intervention into one engaging tale.

I enjoyed "Chance of a Lifetime" by Jude Deveraux and Tara Sheets, an interesting and unique blend of paranormal romance and mystery that featured likeable, complex characters and a compelling plot. Male lead Liam was a charming rogue, and it was easy to see why the female lead, Cora, would be drawn to him regardless of the time period in which they found themselves. 
 
I really liked the story's structure, which featured flashbacks to Cora and Liam's earlier lives in 19th century Ireland and explained how they met and got to know each other. I was particularly struck by the differences between past Cora and present-day Cora; past Cora was a sheltered, sweetly awkward, and talkative young girl who longed for adventure, while present-day Cora was a tough, independent, and capable police investigator. Present-day Cora didn't remember anything about her past life, but it seems that her soul managed to find adventure after all! By contrast, Liam retained his 19th century memories but only had the limited knowledge of the present granted to him by the angels who sent him back to Earth. There were several times I had to laugh as he struggled to make sense of how things such as technology and fashion had changed.
 
The task assigned to Liam by the angels was to make sure that Cora fell in love with another man, Finn. Even though he struggled to do so because he still loved Cora himself, Liam tried to follow the angels' instructions in order to save his soul from eternal damnation. Finn seemed to be a good guy and to genuinely care about Cora, but IMO the romantic elements in the present-day storyline were rather weak. It's still unclear to me if I was supposed to be rooting for Liam to fulfill his task or for him to find a way to outwit the angels so that he and Cora could be together. The mystery elements of the plot were much stronger, and I look forward to learning more about what the angels are hiding from Liam as well as the resolution of the murder plot that was introduced here. 
 
While I wouldn't exactly describe the book's ending as a cliffhanger, it was definitely incomplete, and I was disappointed not to know in advance that Liam and Cora's story would not be wrapped up in this book. That said, I really did like the story and characters, and I'm invested enough to continue on with the series.

Overall, I recommend "Chance of a Lifetime" for all fans of contemporary and paranormal romance. I hope it won't be long before the next book is released!

*Review copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

I’m not usually a fan of time travel books but this one piqued my interest. The story alternates between present day and Ireland in 1844. Liam, a thief and a poor commoner falls in love with Cora who comes from an upper crust family. Cora is also madly in love with Liam in 1844. Fast forward and Angels drop Liam into present day and tell him he must convince Cora to marry a man named Finn. Although this breaks his heart Liam attempts to encourage Cora to fall in love with the boring Finn. In 1840 Cora was a sweet shy girl. In 2020 she is anything but. She is a cop and a completely independent woman who is often annoyed by Liam but also intrigued. She feels a connection to him but isn’t sure why. Does Liam succeed in doing what the Angels wanted?  We don’t know as this is Book One. Looking forward to the next book to find out how the story ends.

In 1844 Ireland, Liam O'Connor fell in love with Cora McLeod, the squire's daughter. When she ran off with him, it altered the fate planned for many. Angels intervened and sent him to Providence Falls, North Carolina so that Cora's reincarnation can fall in love with and marry Finn, the man she should have married in 1844. This Cora is very different from her past life, and Liam is tempted to damn his soul just to be with her again.

We have the present-day story, and it isn't just Cora and Finn that reincarnated into Providence Falls. Everyone from Liam's old life is there as well, with some similarities to their old roles. Cora is a police officer like her father in this life, and Liam's father was supposedly his friend. That's the hook to introduce him into her life, but he's still a liar and is more comfortable hiding his true self behind half-truths. Finn in this world is a little more interesting and interactive than he's made to appear, with an actual spark of attraction with Cora. Unfortunately for the angels' plans, so does Liam.

I like the touches of friendship between the characters, and the sense of longevity behind the scenes presented here. There is an investigation that throws a huge wrench into the plans, and honestly, I don't find the angels to be helpful at all. They act holier than thou (forgive the pun!) and seem to needlessly be obtuse. I was surprised when I got to the end of the book because there was so much left to resolve! This is the first in the Providence Falls series, so hopefully, we find out more in future volumes.

A Rogue Tries Save His Soul from Damnation

In 1844 Ireland, Liam was a thief. He did it to save his family from starvation, but he was still a thief. Then he met Cora, daughter of the squire. They became friends and fell in love, but that wasn’t the plan the angels had in mind. Cora was supposed to marry Finn. 

Now it’s the present day and the angels are giving Liam a second chance. Cora is a police officer. Liam becomes her partner and the angels tell him that he must convince her to marry the man she was destined for in the 1800s. This isn’t easy. Liam wants her for himself, but on the other hand does he want to spend an eternity in hell?

This book is told in two time periods. As usual, I found one to be more interesting than the other. The historical romance is very well done. I’m not so sure about the modern counterpart. Cora is much different. She’s now a determined police officer who doesn’t want anyone to influence her decisions and that includes Liam.

The angels are a constant presence monitoring Liam’s behavior and trying to keep him on track to accomplish his goal of getting Cora married to the right man. They are amusing. I enjoyed the comic aura they gave to the story. 

This is the first book in the Providence Falls series and sets up the action for a follow-on. 

I received this book from Harlequin for this review.