Beautifully written, tender story of one family's journey through the ups and downs of life. Rick, his wife Ava and their daughter Carly are the perfect family until a terrible diagnosis. Plans are made and thwarted and all the while, they are a family. Grab your tissues because you are going to need them!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!

I’d like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Her Last Chance’ by Alison Ragsdale in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Ava, Rick and ten-year-old Carly have moved into her Grandmother Flora’s house in Dornoch Firth when Carly starts having problems with her eyesight. As they’re coming to terms with her diagnosis they’re involved in an accident that will change their lives.

‘Her Last Chance’ is the incredibly moving story of a family and the terrible choices they have to make. It’s a beautiful novel written with warmth, empathy and compassion, heart-breaking, harrowing at times, yet a joy to read. I was there rooting for Ava and Carly and was so absorbed in the story I found it impossible to put down. When I wasn’t reading I was thinking about it and by the time I reached the epilogue I was sobbing with tears streaming down my face. Congratulations to Alison Ragsdale who’s written a wonderful story, one that will stay in my thoughts for a long time.


‘Her Last Chance’ is the incredibly moving story of a family and the terrible choices they have to make. It’s a beautiful novel written with warmth, empathy and compassion, heart-breaking, harrowing at times, yet a joy to read. I was there rooting for Ava and Carly and was so absorbed in the story I found it impossible to put down. When I wasn’t reading I was thinking about it and by the time I reached the epilogue I was sobbing with tears streaming down my face. Congratulations to Alison Ragsdale who’s written a wonderful story, one that will stay in my thoughts for a long time.

Her Last Chance by author, Alison Ragsdale
(ARC)

Ms. Ragsdale has never faltered in bringing to this particular reader a story that touches the heart in the most meaningful of ways, and 'Her Last Chance' is one of those stories. By filling the pages with the bittersweet of life and love, the rich, charming, and true to life descriptions, and her ability to spin beauty from chaos and devastation, Ms. Ragsdale once again had me captivated before I finished the first chapter.

Her Last Chance~ a beautiful, breathtaking, tender yet compelling story of heartache and healing, with its greatest of joys and equally emotional elements of pain during unsurmountable circumstance, the author weaves a story of one family's hopes and dreams that will tickle you with its playful humor and shatter you with its soul-tugging sadness, a deep sorrow that will make your heart cry.

Ava, a loving wife and mother, is looking forward to the next step in a bright future with her devoted husband Rick, their one true love they share and adore, their daughter Carly, as they make their way on to a new and exciting life together within the enchanting backdrop of Scotland. But their lives soon spiral in the most devastating of ways...

Ava soon finds herself amongst the shards of tragedy and uncertainty~ having to face the realization that the most important things in her life are being threatened and quickly slipping beyond her control. As she rides the waves of emotion, from the darkest of hours, to the sporadic glimpses of hope and light that she desperately clings to, she must dig deep to find the courage and strength in meeting head-on the constant challenges that threaten those she loves most.

Her Last Chance is an emotional journey through the joys and disappointments of life that gives to its reader the gift in knowing that even a whisper of love is stronger than any storm.

I thank Ms. Ragsdale for this most wonderful story. One that has touched my heart, and happily recommend to anyone looking to experience something very special.

5 Stars

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Wild Sage Book Blog

This is the saddest book I have read this year. The saddest I have read in a while. It's such a heartfelt story of love, loss, and family. A lot of what ifs. What would you do if you was faced with an impossible choice? What would you do to save your child's eyesight? Or possibly the love of your life's, life? Could you ever let go of either? Your child or your soulmate?

Ava, Carly and Rick are a family. A family who love each other do deeply and completely that when things do go wrong it's devastating and unreal. More than they can face at times. When Ava and Rick have to face that their daughter's life is changing there is nothing they can do to stop it they pull together and try to make things better. Try to make memories that will last her a lifetime. But in doing so the unimaginable happens. Things take a turn that they were never expecting.

This book is told with such pure love and feeling. So powerful and honest. I do not see how this author wrote this without weeping her heart out. It has been one of the hardest books I have ever read yet one of the best also. What happens to this family is so unfair yet so realistic and heartfelt that you will not be able to stop reading. Even through all the tears that have flown down my face I kept on reading. I did have to take a break a few times so I could see the words. I felt Ava's pain and fears. It was so real. So honest. Like you are living it. Seeing it each day. Each page. This book is just so good and so sad. So emotional and so honestly heartbreaking. So full of true love. A family that has to go through the worse time ever.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #AlisonRagsdale, #Bookouture for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

5/5 stars and a million more. I recommend this one and please have lots of tissues handy when you read it. I promise if you are human you will need them.
Links to all the sights coming on the 15th. I read as part of a blog tour and can't post on them yet...

Wow, this was such a fantastic emotional read. It really pulled on my heartstring and honestly it blew me away. So well written, and an absolute gem!

I think I'm about ready to run my tear ducts dry! This is the second book I've read this week that caused me to cry like a baby. At one point I was doing the ugly cry. I highly recommend you read Her Last Chance by Alison Ragsdale. You will need to have a box of tissues handy.

The characters are so warm and loving. I was drawn into their story from page one and had a hard time putting it down to go to bed. My dreams were filled with this story and the tragedies this family were facing. I loved when Rick told Ava "We are strong enough". That is such a beautiful sentiment. With God's love we are always strong enough!

Alison knocked this one out of the park! The medical situations that had to be researched were well done. There was also art and art history, tourist destinations in other countries, guide dog information. There were so many things in this book that went above and beyond just a story.

If you've read anything by Alison Ragsdale then you need to read Her Last Chance! If you haven't read any of her books, I strongly recommend that you pre-order this one so you can start it as soon as possible. This one is worth taking a day off work!

I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher and Netgalley for a fair and honest review! Thank you!

“One of the most beautifully written, emotional novels I’ve ever read. An unexpected plot twist left me with my heart in my throat, and I’ve never had to try so hard not to cry!” - Soraya M. Lane, Amazon Charts bestselling author of The Last Correspondent.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'Her Last Chance' by Alison Ragsdale.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Alison Ragsdale, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous

Publication date 13th April 2020.

This is the first book I have read by this author.

I was originally drawn to this book by its beautiful eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis. It also stated in the synopsis 'Readers of Kate Hewitt, My Sister’s Keeper and Diane Chamberlain will keep this story in their hearts forever'.
I am a fan of Kate and Diane's books and LOVED 'My Sister's Keeper' so am looking forward to see if it loves up to this. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists of a prologue, 31 chapters and an epilogue. The chapters are short to medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

This book is based in a fictional town based in Scotland, UK 🇬🇧. The bonus for me of books that are partly or fully based in the UK is that I live in the UK and have sometimes visited places mentioned in the book which makes it easier to picture.

This book is written in third person perspective and the protagonist is Ava. The benefits of third person perspective are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.

It is set over multiple timelines via flashbacks When books show what has happened in the past and what is happening in the present I find it really helps the reader (if it is well done) understand why things are happening and what has lead to the present activities and decisions. It also shows the bigger picture.

'Her Last Chance' discusses some topics that may trigger some readers. I like to point this out ahead of time in my reviews so you can judge if this book is for you or not. In this book Alison discusses children's health, car accident, coma, end of life care and more.

Well ladies and gents if you are looking for a tear jerker you have come to the right place!!! This book has been beautifully written and it completely drew me in with its vivid descriptions. The storyline and synopsis worked perfect for this book.

The storyline is stunningly devastating and it had me on the edge of my seat throughout. The cover states that this book is 'Utterly heartbreaking, gripping and emotional' and I couldn't agree more!!! It is such a powerful storyline that will stay with me for a long time. It was filled with love, heartbreak, friendship and loss and I was completely absorbed throughout. If you have ever read 'P. S I love you', 'Me before you' or 'My Sisters keeper' and enjoyed them then this book is definitely for you!! I love the fact that Alison focused on Stargardt disease and the fact that she most definitely did her research shines through!!! I have never heard of this before and I'm sure many others haven't either so it is great that she is bringing such awareness whole weaving it into such a beautiful storyline, that takes talent.

The characters were well defined, realistic and strong. I cannot even begin to imagine the pain and suffering that Ava was going through, especially as a Mum myself, such a strong and passionate woman. However it wasn't just Ava that was string but also Carly who had all that to go through whilst being just a child. Ava, Carly and Rik are a perfect family unit and to watch them go through all that was absolutely heart wrenching. However where there was dark the light shone through and I was very glad of Cam and Jenna's friendship to them both and the support they both gave while having their own problems to deal with.

This book absolutely grabbed my heart and mind and didn't let go while bringing tears to my eyes and I do not cry easily unless it comes to animals. So do make sure you have tissues at the ready!!
Although this book brought me to tears I also think that it ended perfectly and would absolutely love to see this made into a film!!! Alison welcome aboard the favourite author train, I just need to make a stop at amazon to add all your books to my wishlist!!!

Overall a devastatingly, heartbreaking and yet beautiful story that will leave you in tears.

Genres covered in this novel include Literary Fiction and Fiction amongst others.

I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of of 'P. S I love you', 'Me before you' or 'My Sisters keeper' or just anyone who is looking for a beautiful tear jerker.


311 pages.

This book is just 99p to purchase on kindle via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 5/5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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This is the first book I have read by this author but I loved the style of her writing and the story was simply beautiful. An emotional read about the love a mother has for her child, the lengths she will go to to protect her and how strong a woman can be whe faced with a crisis. Ava, seems to have it all when her and her husband Rick and their 10 year old daughter Carly move back to her home town to renovate the barn her aunt left her. They soon start to realise that Carly isn't well. What does the future hold for this little family. I was drawn into this story, unable to resurface until the ending, crying at times with the emotion of the story and how it was unfolding. A brilliant read I can't recommend enough.

This book has so many great reviews that I feel a little embarrassed to admit that I didn't completely like it. Or better, I liked it, but didn't love it.
It is exquisitely written and the idea of the plot is very good and fascinating, but (there's a but of course) I don't know why, I wasn't engaged by it, it was like I couldn't "feel" it, if you know what I mean. I felt the characters were almost too perfect, I was put off by it.
Truly sorry, I really wanted to like it more, but I guess maybe it wasn't the right time for me to read this book, that's why we didn't click.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Part of the title of this book is “utterly heartbreaking, ripping and emotional fiction”. That about says it all. I have enjoyed all of Ms Ragsdale’s books, but I think this one is the best one yet. A young family, devastated by a diagnosis that will change a young girl’s life forever, is again struck down by another tragedy. Learning to cope with their new way of life, decisions no one should have to face are made. This book is tragic and touching at the same time. I received an arc of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.

Alison Ragsdale
Her Last Chance
311 pages
5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Description
My darling girl, I watch you playing outside in the grass. Your long blonde hair sweeps back and your blue eyes are bright with joy. You are utterly perfect, I never imagined something could be so wrong and I’d be powerless to protect you…

Ava’s daughter Carly is everything a ten-year-old should be: energetic, creative and the light of her parents’ lives. But when she starts stumbling down stairs and walking into doors, Ava wants to rush to the doctor. Her husband Rick is sure she’s fretting over nothing – kids can be a little clumsy sometimes. But Ava’s instinct is telling her something is seriously wrong.

Against Rick’s advice, Ava takes Carly to see a specialist and is given a devastating diagnosis: a rare genetic condition that will change her future forever. When Rick realises the truth, he is determined to do all he can to help Carly enjoy what light she has left. The close-knit family take it one day at a time, walking to the beach and watching the sunrise.

Just as Ava begins to imagine a new future for them all, a tragic accident throws their lives into chaos once more. To give her daughter a chance at a full life, Ava faces a devastating choice. How can she possibly choose between the two people she loves most?
💔MY REVIEW💔
Her Last Chance is a
well written,unforgettable, heartbreaking,emotional, beautiful story about a mothers love .I was drawn in from the beginning and my interest kept throughout. I could not put this book down.
The author writes in such a way that you feel like you are there. It was so good i didn't want it to end.I really enjoyed the characters and story. This was such an Intense read that had all of the feels.This book took me on one heck of an emotional roller coaster.
You feel every emotion of the characters as you turn the pages. All of the scenes were perfectly described. It was easy to feel as if you were right there in the middle of all of it. I cried laughed , and cried some more. I just want to say Thank you to author, publisher, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this 5 star story . I truly appreciate it!

*******Disclosure*******
I received a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family.
*************************
As always if you like the book you read please take the time to leave a review for the author in places like goodreads & Amazon. It does not have to be long. Just a few sentences saying you liked the book will do. Authors really appreciate every review they get !
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I have worked doing diagnostics tests on eyes for 30 years. One of the conditions we diagnose it that of Stargardts which Carly in the story is diagnosed with. I never see the patients again. What the author has done in this book is give a fabulous insight into the condition and how a young girl learns to live with her dismissing eyesight.
Alison Ragsdale has created a wonderful family. Rick and Ava have there daughter as the centre of their world. On discovery of her diagnosis they decide to go on a trip of a life time to give Carly all the memories she can before she loses her sight. However, tragedy strike. A tragic accident leaves Ava torn between her husband and her daughter.
I can safely say I shed a few tears. Beautifully written and a descriptive journey of sight loss and loss.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC

HER LAST CHANCE by Alison Ragsdale is a beautifully-written and heart-wrenching story of the power of a mother’s love and the strength of the bonds of family. This highly emotional story touched my heart and held me captive from beginning to end. Ava and Rick Guthrie have just moved to the Scottish highlands with their ten-year-old daughter, Carly to start a new chapter of their lives. Not long afterwards, Ava senses that something is wrong with Carly and their world is soon rocked by a devastating diagnosis that will change their futures forever. Determined to focus on what Carly can do rather than her new disability, the family plans an epic trip together that Carly can treasure for the rest of her life. But a tragic accident calls everything into question, forcing Ava to make unthinkable decisions about the lives of her husband and daughter. The story brought me both tears and smiles. The vivid descriptions made me feel I was right there with the characters. I loved everything about this story of love, heartache and resilience of the human spirit and highly recommend it. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read an early copy.

I absolutely love this authors books so I was excited to be able to read this. This was such an emotional and heartbreaking read and also makes you really think about your own life and the little things which you take for granted. It is hard to review this book without giving spoilers. The author has written this book from the heart and has put a lot of thought into the story and also into bringing a lot of sensitive topics out into the open and addressing them in a very sensitive way and has also looked at how friendships blossom and are formed during difficult times and how tragedy can make family bonds stronger

"Get ready to be blown away by Alison Ragsdale's Her Last Chance. It is the story of a mother's love, a wife's devotion, and the bond that ties a family together. Set in the highlands of Scotland, it strikes a sharp contrast between the tranquil beauty of life and the heartbreak of a decision no one ever wants to make. This is one of those books that will remain in your thoughts for a good long time." - Bette Lee Crosby, USA Today Bestselling Author

Wow. Just wow. I love this book. Could do relate to it as I have vision problems myself.

Really touching story and never has a book made me cry. This was first book to make me cry

Recommend

Grab your tissues! This book was an emotional roller coaster the whole way through and I couldn’t put it down until I was finished with the whole book. Heartbreaking story but oh so good. I will recommend this one to everybody.

I always love Alison’s books, they never fail to touch my heart, and this one certainly did, many times ❤️
Such a beautifully written book that was so incredibly emotional. Yes I cried, many times, however it was also so uplifting and inspiring too, you could not help but will on the characters.
So many times I gasped out loud, and I seriously could not put this book down!
Days later I still think about this gorgeous book and characters, I completely took them to my heart 💜
I’m absolutely sure that this amazing book will feature in my top five books for the year. I just can’t stop thinking about it 💕

To me, there is nothing better than reading a book with my whole heart. Her Last Chance is a beautifully-written book that reached every crevice of my heart, infused with warmth and the deep love between a wife and husband, and a daughter and her parents. When the family in this book receives devastating, life-altering news, they must rely on their devotion to each other to get them through the darkness and the pain. Ava, Rick, and Carly felt like my own family; I laughed with them, I rejoiced with them, I cried with them, I shared their grief and their hope. Such tender care is given to this family by the author; even in their despair, there was never any doubt that love would sustain them.