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.

Book Review:

I received an ARC of “Chance of a Lifetime” by Jude Deveraux and Tara Sheets from Netgalley for my honest opinion.

This book begins with Liam O’Connor awaiting the decision of the Angels of Destiny as to whether he will be sent to heaven or damned to hell. Liam was a thief and not a very honorable man and is told he altered history by falling in love and taking away his beloved Cora McLeod from her real destiny to marry Finley Walsh. In 1844 Ireland. He is told It is imperative that he rights this wrong. because his actions have created a repeated life cycle where Cora is unable to successfully ever live a happy life.

Liam must go to Cora in her present day life in Province Falls, NC and get her to marry Finley so that history will tight itself. Liam however only goes back with memories of Cora and his life in Ireland in the 1800’s which make his mission painstakingly difficult since he is still so deeply in love with her. He also does not know the rules of this present world and struggles with this as well.

Liam tries his best to ignore his feelings for Cora and learn to live in the present time but things don’t always go as planned and he struggles. The Two Angels Agon and Samael visit Liam several times to keep him on track but as Liam learns free will and doing the right thing don’t always turn out as planned.

Liam walks a fine line with his job to right destiny and walk away from the love of his life. This leaves us with a grave dilemma and so what will become of them all.

Verdict:

I truly wanted to love this book but I found it a bit disjointed and I really did not feel for the main characters. The authors plot was off as well and had me looking for a little more details to fill in gaps in the storyline. Based on this I give this book 3.5/5 stars.

If you know me, you know I am fascinated by time travel, so I was sure I’d enjoy Chance of a Lifetime, in which the main character travels from 1800’s Ireland to present day to made up for falling in love with a young woman and changing the course of her life. His job? Make sure that she marries the right guy this time around — their offspring will change the course of history.
This was a fun read! You have to suspend disbelief a bit in order to make it all “work” – and I will admit to not loving the end as I love things all wrapped up nicely in the end – but it was the kind of story that made me chuckle at times. I really enjoyed these characters. I kept thinking that it would make a great Hallmark movie!

Thank you for making me part of the Harlequin Fall Reads blog tour and for my ARC! I will look forward to the next book in the series.

I am a Jude Deveraux fan and chose to read this without knowing what it was about. And I got to the end before realizing it’s book one of a series, so doesn’t really wrap up. Liam and Cora knew each other in Ireland is 1844. She is a young, sheltered squire’s daughter and Liam is a young, local thief. He steals to be able to support his brother’s family. They meet and connect and have a clandestine friendship that apparently evolved into young love.

Something happens and we fast forward to present times. Liam is given a chance by two angels to right a wrong that he caused back in 1844. He gets plopped down in present times in Cora’s life. His goal is to make her fall in love with her previous fiancé (there are a lot of the same people in each time period). Cora is a police officer and that’s Liam’s new identity as well. He has some working knowledge of current times (like cell phones and how to drive), and some gaps (like computers). The angels show up for encouragement every so often. There is a mystery to be solved.

This was a readable book and Liam and Cora are both likable as are many of the side characters. Despite some of the confusion of the story, I do want to know what happens next and will pick up the next book in the series. Maybe think of this more as a story of possible redemption vs. a love story. I really have no idea what’s going to happen next and that’s what will bring me back.

* Review will be live 9/11/2020 on my blog*

If you enjoy love stories that stretch through time, this book is the perfect addition to your summer reading list!

Reincarnation is introduced into the hero’s story when he is brought before the angels on his Judgement Day, but it doesn’t go as he would have planned. They have another story for him to endoure, and this book is the journey through time, changing the course of history forever.

The love story has heartbreak and heartwarming moments. But are second chances enough to save “soulmates?”

I liked how the authors played around with time travel between POVs in the 1800s and present day. It was just the right mashup to get me invested in how in the world this was going to play out!

A solid 4 out of 5 star read from me, and I would recommend this one if you liked the idea of opposites attract, a roller-coaster plot, and secret loves. The conflict throughout the novel made me fly through the book in just one sitting

Title: Chance of a Lifetime
Author: Jude Deveraux, Tara Sheets
Genre: Romance
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

In one century she loved him madly, and in another she wants nothing to do with him
In 1844 Ireland, Liam O’Connor, a rogue and a thief, fell madly in love with a squire’s daughter and unwittingly altered the future. Shy and naive Cora McLeod thought Liam was the answer to her prayers. But the angels disagreed and they’ve been waiting for the right moment in time to step in.

Now Liam finds himself reunited with his beloved Cora in Providence Falls, North Carolina. The angels have given Liam a task. He must make sure Cora falls in love with another man—the one she was supposed to marry before Liam interfered. But this Cora is very different from the innocent girl who fell for Liam in the past. She’s a cop and has a confidence and independence he wasn’t expecting. She doesn’t remember Liam or their past lives, nor is she impressed with his attempts to guide her in any way.

Liam wants Cora for himself, but with his soul hanging in the balance, he must choose between a stolen moment in time or an eternity of damnation.

This just didn’t work for me. There was too much that didn’t make sense. The blurb says Cora has confidence and independence, but she comes across as more of someone interested in only superficial things and pretty clueless than a tough, observant cop. And Liam, he didn’t work for me, either.

The premise and set-up didn’t really work, either. It was too erratic. The angels gave Liam knowledge of how the world works and he can use a cell phone and drive a car…but he can’t use a computer? And there didn’t seem to be a reason why he couldn’t. It didn’t make a difference to the plot. He was given law enforcement knowledge…but he still thought it was a good idea to hide the fact he was in a relationship with a murder victim’s wife? The whole idea was too clunky to make sense.

Jude Devereaux and Tara Sheets are award-winning authors. Chance of a Lifetime is the first book in the Providence Falls series.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin/MIRA in exchange for an honest review.)

Chance Of A Lifetime by Jude Deveraux and Tara Sheets is for the most part a very sweet second chance romance / loosely formatted police procedural. Heavy on the romance. Kinda?!

Confused yet?
Yes?
Thought so...

Picture it!
Ireland 1844.
Liam O'Connor is a young and impoverished commoner with sticky fingers. Heading a gang of thieves bound and determined to rob the local Squire's house. While he and his household are away.
Only Liam, wary of the plan because the Squire had done his brother and his family a kindness the previous winter. And secretly hoping to thwart other dastardly deeds sure to be associated with it. Decides that he will be the one to burgle the noble house well ahead of the proposed date. And thereby prevent an unnecessary damage that the others of his crew intend.

Only to find that it is he who has hos heart stolen. When upon scaling the house and entering an open upstairs window. He finds himself face to face with Cora McCleod. The daughter of the Squire. And apparent 'love at first sight' to our Liam.

The problem...

Young Cora, it seems has been fated to marry her father's solicitor, Finley. And Liam's suit derails that. Thereby not allowing for the birth of a child destined to help humanity.
A crime which Liam must answer for at judgment.

Bring on the reincarnation...
Along with the all too convenient story set up.
Wherein Liam is transported from 1844 Ireland, to heaven, and then on to present day Providence Falls, North Carolina.
Without so much as a GPS, 21st century tips and tricks guide, or at least a list of the latest slang and technological advancements.
Only a duffle, some clothes, some money, A cell phone...
(Which he knows how to use. Strangely enough.)
And one directive.

Get Cora to fall for Finley Walsh at all costs.
Although I'm quite sure that they did not intend that he become a murder suspect in the process.

Go figure.

As mentioned before. This is a very sweet romance turned mystery.
Albeit with a few flaws.
The first of which is the fact that quite a few people from Cora and Liam's shared past have all managed to settle in the same North Carolina town. And now either work together or know each other personally.
Really???
Also...
Liam is a cop with no training, no knowledge of procedure or law. But he can just waltz into the local police department and immediately be partnered with his reincarnated long lost love.

What?????

Annd the coincidences just keep coming.

The only thing that works to save this story is the fact that Liam and Cora are extremely likeable. And readers spend the majority of the book hoping for some sort of "happily..."
The attainment of which this reviewer is at liberty to neither confirm or deny. Although one may be in sight by book two.

This is a light read. With just enough readability to keep one on the hook til the end. But sadly lacking the staying power to leave a lasting impression beyond the last page.

This review was commissioned by Harper Collins.

So, let me start by saying that this seasoned author pairing up with newer voices dynamic is a thing these days and I'm here for it. James Patterson does it (plucking people out of his MasterClass, which is kind of awesome in my opinion) and it is amazing to see even renowned novelists supporting people who are newer to the industry this way.

Jude Deveraux was the first romance novelist I ever read, actually, way back in something like 1993 when I was in high school. Michael Taggert, the hero in that book was my first ever book boyfriend, and I still love him to this day. So finding out Jude Deveraux was paired up with a novelist I hadn't heard of before, Tara Sheets, and being offered a chance to review was super duper exciting for me. The grande dame and a new, fresh voice as well? Sign me up.

I was not disappointed; Liam O'Connor is a bad boy in the 1800s and he is a bad boy now. Sent back to Earth to right the wrong he committed back then when he fell in love with Cora McLeod, with the strict instructions that he must send her on the right path and that (and this is especially important) sex is off the table, too? I mean, he's a cad and she's adorable; what could possibly go wrong?

The most stunning thing to me in this novel was how the writing and the story sparkled; there is mostly a very constant flow to the story and everything is very conversational but not in an annoying, bantering way. It is very natural and entertaining from beginning to end, blending historical and contemporary romance seamlessly.

I am attributing this sparkle to Tara Sheets; I have read enough Deveraux over the years to know that she does symbolism and gut-wrenching love and people moving on from tragic circumstances very well, but sparkle is often times missing in those works where she is going them alone.

It isn't missing here- I am very anxious to see what other works Tara Sheets will have to offer in the future.

If this book hadn’t ended with a cliffhanger, I would have given it 4*. However, it wasn’t billed as such (a big disappointment), so I’m giving it 3* (2* for cliffhanger and 4* for being a thoroughly engaging story). The story begins with Liam meeting 2 angels at the pearly gates who have assigned him the task of righting a wrong he caused in 1844 Ireland. Liam and his family are suffering because of the potato famine, so he has turned to theft to help them survive. When he sneaks into the local Squire’s home to steal some jewels, he encounters 17 yo Cora, the squire’s daughter. Instead of being scared of this stranger who climbs through her bedroom window, she’s intrigued and gives him a tour of the house. She tells him she’s engaged to her father’s solicitor, Finley, but has no desire to marry him. As time goes on, they contrive a way to see each other and fall in love.

It’s the actions of the star-crossed lovers that lead the angels to give a Liam on chance to avoid eternity in hell. He must get 21st century Cora to fall in love with Finn, her father’s attorney, and get destiny back on track. The problem is that Liam still loves her and struggles to put his own feelings aside to do what he must to avoid eternal damnation. Unfortunately, due to the abrupt ending, we don’t know if he’ll succeed. We’re also left with an unsolved murder mystery, wondering if the angels have ulterior motives, and whether Cora will eventually realize that the dreams she’s having about Liam are actually memories.

Deveraux and Sheets have masterfully combined magical realism, romance and a murder mystery that kept me thoroughly engaged, but the abrupt ending with multiple unresolved issues is beyond frustrating. This needs to be billed as part of a series (Providence Falls #1), not a standalone, if they don’t want to frustrate readers. At the very least, give a hint to when the second installment will be published. Recommended.

A story straddling two centuries. Liam is getting an opportunity at a relationship with his lost love, Cora, almost 200 years later. It is a fun story where one person has all the information and the other is being kept in the dark. Liam has to adjust to living in his new life without giving anything away. This is the first in a series and the story is therefore inconclusive when the book ends.

I loved the premise and waa excited to dive in unfortunately the story fell flat for me and the discovery that there was no HEA and that the story will continue disappointed me. I am not vested enough to continue.

I enjoy this author but not this particular story.

I enjoy Jude Deveraux books particularly her Medlar series. Characters are always delightful and interact with humor and connection. This time the connection is not there. The concept of love of long ago and renewal in the latest century is brillant but the resulting combination of Deveraux and Sheets needs to be further develped and coordinated. When I saw the book had two authors I immediately headed for Jude's website to discover more about Tara Sheets and how the book came about. Jude's development, Tara telling the story. Connection is vital if the series will work. I'm very curious to see how Liam and Cora will find their way through the 21st century so will look forward to hopefully a better coordinated effort on the part of two very good authors.

It’s 1844 and a thief and the daughter of a squire fall in love, they weren’t supposed to, and that act altered the future. Now, in order for that thief’s soul to get to his final destination, that thief needs to head to the future and ensure that the soul of the squire’s daughter finally ends up with the man she was meant to. With the help of two angels, and some knowledge gifted, that thief is now in the modern day to set it right. Great premise, right? We’ve got angels, an altered future, and a love that needs to be set right.
Liam O’Connor is that thief who’s been sent to make sure Cora McLeod finally ends up with the man she’s supposed to. It’s revealed that every lifetime since the two were together, she’s died before getting together with the love she was supposed to live with. The angels Samael and Agon have tasked Liam with getting Cora with the man she’s fated to be with. They send his soul to the present day, to make sure it finally happens. If he fails, he’ll be sent to Hell. Liam is given certain knowledge that he would need to get along in the present, but not everything. He needs to learn to drive, and has yet to master how a computer works, but there’s other things he has knowledge of. This is not an HEA, this is the beginning of a series and you’re left hanging.
I’ve written and rewritten this review numerous times. I don’t want to give too much of the story away, but the story is part of the reason for my review only having three stars. For some reason this story was just lacking something. I really wanted to love this book, but it seemed like something was missing. Yes, it’s a good book, but I think it could’ve been great. There’s a great premise, and good characters, but something just didn’t fully meld.
**I received an ARC of this story from the publisher and NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

The story opens in 1844, with Liam as a thief. He breaks into his landlord’s house to steal jewels when he runs into Cora, the landlord’s daughter. From there Liam is quickly brought to the decision point with angles deciding if his soul will go to heaven or hell. He’s told he has one chance to get Cora to fall in love with Finn because Cora and Finn have any important part to play in life. Since Liam stole Cora’s heart in 1844 when is was meant for Finn, he has to make it right. If he fails, Cora will continue to die early in her lives and Liam’s soul will go to hell.

I was not sure about this book when I first read the description but I’m so glad I picked it up. I loved the scene with the angels in the beginning! I love the idea that people live again and again. It’s referenced many times in the book how the people in Liam’s current life are the same as in his 1844 life.

Liam gets a chance at life in the present. He is a police officer, which is ironic given he was a thief in 1844. In addition to getting Cora to fall in love with Finn, he has to solve a crime in which he is a suspect. The entire book draws you in.

The only disappointment in the book was the ending. I got to the end and had to check to make sure I had not skipped some of the book because it ended so suddenly. This book is part of a series and I can’t wait to read the next one. I have so many open questions and I wish some of them were cleared up in this book.

There are going to be many readers who enjoy this book, and although my star rating reflects my overall dissatisfaction when I reached the final page, there were some things that I very much liked about this book. There was great dialogue, humor, and interesting secondary characters.

Ultimately, I had an extreme dislike for the way this book ended. It felt as if the story were written in a continuing soap opera or serial installment, and nothing was resolved with this book. More than a cliffhanger, it was as if the story was chopped off with the rest to come. This will not bother all readers.

I am interested in reading the next book to see how this story progresses. I hope that the romance element will be stronger than it was in this book. I also hope that the reason for the angels becoming involved their confusing rules will become clear. I hope that this love story can be resolved in the next book. Finally, I want to mention the beautiful cover and how it perfectly captures the mood of the book.

***3/5 stars- liked it!

From 1800s Ireland to modern-day North Carolina, Chance of a Lifetime is a clean romantic read lacking a little substance.

Recommended readers:

If you love Jude Deveraux, Nora Roberts
For those looking for the perfect summer/beach read
And for those looking for clean, romantic read

Here's my Rankings:

3/5 characters
3/5 plot
3/5 overall
REVIEW FROM BOOKS FOR HER:

In the mid 1800s, Liam O'Connor was a thief by survival and falls in love with the squire's sweet daughter Cora. An incident sends Liam to heaven, where the angels interfere and send Liam to modern-day North Carolina. There he meets modern-day Cora and he's tasked with making Cora fall in love with another man.


Book 1 of the Providence Falls Series offers a dual storyline in 1800s Ireland and modern-day North Carolina. Chance of a Lifetime will leave you wanting more ... more romance, more action and a little more substance to the plot - though still a light, easy read.

Preorder Sept. 15: Chance of a Lifetime