Just One Chance

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ It's been a few years since I've read a Carly Phillips' book and she's only gotten better. Just One Chance is one of my favorite tropes, second chance. I love it because it's usually full of angst. Xander Kingston and Sasha Keaton were together in the past but she broke his heart. She had seen first hand what life was like when her mother gave up her dreams so she's determined not to make the same mistake. She wanted to be an actress. Even though they loved each other, she chose her career which broke him. Xander is ex-military and now he is a famous screenwriter of thrillers but he loves getting back to New York and his close family in order to experience a little peace. Years have passed and she has just been cast as the star of his new movie. He tries to fight her getting the role but can't deny she's perfect for the part. Her dream had come true and she was a Hollywood A-lister but she has been lonely without his love in her life. When she needs some guidance on how to approach the role, she goes to his home in the Hamptons. She might just get lucky and get a second chance. This book had my attention from start to finish. I loved Sasha and Xander but also the family, side characters and adorable dogs too. There was just enough angst to make me happy. Add in a stalker and the suspense involved was icing on the cake. The chemistry and intense attraction was impossible to resist. Great character growth along with a relatable plot. I truly enjoyed my time spent with Mrs. Phillips' talent and certainly won't wait years to read more again. Definitely recommend anything she writes. This is my honest opinion, freely given.

JUST ONCE CHANCE is the third instalment in Carly Phlllips’ contemporary, adult THE KINGSTON FAMILY erotic, romance series focusing on the Kingston siblings: Linc, Xander, Dash Chloe and Aurora. This is former Marine turned author/ screenwriter Xander Kingston, and twenty-four year old actress Sasha Keaton’s story line. JUST ONE CHANCE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary. Told from dual third person perspectives (Xander and Sasha) JUST ONE CHANCE follows the second chance romance and relationship between former Marine turned author/screenwriter Xander Kingston, and twenty-four year old actress Sasha Keaton. Four years earlier wanna-be actress Sasha Keaton got the opportunity of a life-time, and Xander knew his life would take him somewhere else. Fast forward to present day wherein Sasha has been cast as the lead actress in a movie based on the works of our leading hero, a movie that forces Sasha and Xander to work together but Sasha Keaton has a stalker whose threats have intensified such that Xander sees red and recommends private security for the woman he once loved. Moving Sasha into his home finds our couple rekindling where they had left off but the future is uncertain when Sasha is offered something more. What ensues is the rebuilding romance and relationship between Sasha and Xander, and the potential fall-out as Sasha’s stalker takes aim, and another movie deal threatens to tear the couple apart. Meanwhile, the rock band Original Kings is about to implode, and Xander’s brother rockstar Dash Kingstson struggles in the ensuing melee but the one bright light is Sasha’s best friend Cassidy Forrester, a light Dash is about to push over the edge. The relationship between Sasha and Xander is one of second chances. Four years earlier Sasha’s star was on the rise but Xander wasn’t welcome to come along for the ride. The aftermath of war left Xander struggling with noises and crowds, and in this, Xander knew he had to walk away from the woman he loved. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and intense without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text. The sexual chemistry is palpable. There is a large ensemble cast of colorful and energetic secondary and supporting characters including the growing Kingston family: Linc and Jordan, Chloe and Beck, Dash, Aurora, and their mother Melly. We are introduced to Sasha’s best friend and PA Cassidy Forrester; agent Rebecca Burton, Sasha’s mother Annika, Cassidy’s brother Axel; and Alpha Security specialists Rhodes and Jared. Dash’s story is next in JUST ONE SPARK. JUST ONE CHANCE family, friendships, and relationships: obsession, second chances and love. The character driven premise is intriguing, captivating and engaging; the romance is seductive and hot; the characters are dynamic, charismatic and wounded…but I did struggle with the quick resolution to the stalker plot line-something I had hoped would be more suspenseful, dramatic and intense.

Xander Kingston used to be a Marine but now he is a famous writer of thriller mysteries. When one of his books is being turned into a movie, he is shocked to see Sasha Keaton landed the lead female role. Sasha and Xander have a history when they were both just starting out in the entertainment industry. He thought she was his forever and she had other plans. Now that Sasha is a big star, she realizes that her life is very lonely and she wishes for what she had with Xander and wonders at the possibility at another chance. When a stalker has threatened Sasha, Xander goes into Marine mode to protect her even moving her into his house. Of course the more time these two spend together, the quicker their chemistry comes sizzling back. When everything with the stalker comes crashing down, a few broken hearts may have just realized that they found what they were looking for all along. I just loved this steamy second chance at love story. Xander is just the perfect male hero....strong, loyal and hot! I enjoyed watching him fall in love with Sasha all over again. Some times I wanted to smack Sasha upside the head. She had this perfect guy that she just walked away from without even trying but in the end they did get their happy ending. I also loved the little sneak peek of Dash's story and can't wait to read that one!