Featured Reviews
"Just try to put this book down. I dare you. No regrets on this 5-star read."
Calvin Dean, author of A Door Unlocked and the Epitaph of Jonas Barloff
♥♥♥♥♥ 5 of 5 Stars for Last Second Chance
Tim Reardon has paid his debt to society — five years in prison. Now it’s time to pick up the pieces and start a new life, but jobs for ex-cons are scarce. A phone call to his sister, first met with skepticism, lands Tim his Last Second Chance. He’ll have to make the most of it or crash land back in prison. A bus ride later, Tim finds himself learning the ropes as a ranch hand in Kansas, far removed from the only life he’d known: meth runner in Denver for a well-stocked drug lord who just happens to be his ex-girlfriend. Five years removed, she is not ready to let go. And while adjusting to life on the prairie is paying off, a few ranch hands don’t take too kindly to Tim and his new-found love interest, Janie. Jealousy? Revenge? Perhaps, but it cuts a little deeper. Regardless, Tim is up against multiple forces that want to knock him down a few rungs on the ladder to say the least.
Last Second Chance is a cowboy romance that reads like a Louis L’Amour suspense novel. It’s sagebrush, trail dust and hard rides in the saddle set against a modern Kansas wilderness. And if you think you know how the story ends, prepare to be thrown from the saddle. Make no bones about it, author Kristi Cramer’s story meanders and flows like a Rocky Mountain stream. One minute you’re riding the current, the next you’re shooting the rapids, and by the time you catch your breath, you’re turning the pages of the final chapter. Don’t miss out on this one, partner. My recommendation is to take the reins and head on over to Amazon right now. Just try to put this book down. I dare you. No regrets on this 5-star read.
"This book stand(s) out, and is a nice change from all the erotica."
Kiki - Goodreads reviewer
♥♥♥♥4 of 5 stars for Last Second Chance
**4 super sweet stars**
I almost didn't get past the first couple of pages in this book, being that third person POV is really not my thing, but I'm so glad I did.
The main characters were fully developed, and completely realistic. Janie was super relateable, and honest.
And don't get me started on Tim, he has this bad boy edge to him but it's coupled with sweetest, and a need to get his life back on track.
It makes this book stand out, and is a nice change from all the erotica. I think I want to date a cowboy. ;)
P.S. If you love romantic suspense, this is a must read!
"Kristi Cramer knows how to keep the suspense pumping in this never-a-dull-moment thriller."
Calvin Dean, author of A Door Unlocked and the Epitaph of Jonas Barloff
♥♥♥♥ 4 of 5 Stars for Last Shot at Justice
Mitzi Reardon should be dead right now. The bullet that killed a prostitute in downtown Denver was intended for her. Fleeing the scene, she winds up in the protective embrace of Blue Thomas, a “dumb cowboy” from Kansas and recent transplant looking for work. Blue promises to help Mitzi get to the bottom of the attack. Assuming she is just another prostitute, he soon learns she is an accomplished boxer and a police officer who just happened to be on duty enticing Johns when the fatal shot was fired.
Meanwhile, the mayor of Denver has ordered a change in Denver’s crime solving methods – prevention instead of incarceration. This doesn’t set too well with the Police Chief. Of course, all Mitzi knows is that the mayor’s daughter has been kidnapped and that she and Blue are being railroaded. But why?
To find out, you’ll have to visit Blue’s tiny camper, the public library at the risk of being recognized, downtown Denver, which is crawling with cops, and then sneak your way into an apartment where the mayor’s daughter is being held.
A little apprehensive at first, Blue soon takes a shining to Mitzi – after he learns she isn’t a call girl. And Mitzi? Well she is immediately taken with Blue’s chiseled good looks and his good ole boy manners. Is there a future for these two? Only if they can solve the kidnapping, beat the wrap and turn the tables on a corrupt police department.
Let’s just say, author Kristi Cramer knows how to keep the suspense pumping in this never-a-dull-moment thriller. When you’re done, you won’t know whether you’re out of breath due to the buzz of the police chase or the romance budding between Mitzi and Blue. Either way, you’ll be glad you picked up Last Shot at Justice.
"Impeccably edited, evocative, and easy to read."
Cy Wyss, author of Dimorphic, a thriller.
Cy Wyss "Write. Finish what you write."
♥♥♥♥♥ 5 of 5 Stars for Last Second Chance
I don’t ordinarily choose the romantic-suspense genre, having been sorely disappointed in the past, but I’m glad I picked up this gem. Don’t hesitate to get this book, especially if you are in fact a fan of romantic-suspense.
Last Second Chance is the story of Tim Reardon, an ex-con who trades the Denver city lights for the Syracuse ranch life. When the story opens, Tim has pretty much hit rock bottom as an ex-con sleeping on the street who no one seems to want to give a second chance to. He swallows his pride and calls his sister, a cop in Syracuse. She reluctantly agrees to vouch for him and pays for a bus ticket out to Kansas. Tim is a hard worker and the patience and perseverance he learned in prison help see him through the first month, even the mild hazing he gets from a couple of the less savory ranch hands. Because of a sick horse, Tim gets to spend a lot of time with local veterinarian Janie Thomas and they get to liking each other quite a bit. Meanwhile, a vicious drug dealer from Denver follows Tim out to Syracuse and is hell bent on bringing him back --- either that or killing him.
The book is impeccably edited and Cramer's prose is evocative and easy to read. Every character is realistic and well-drawn, the main characters are especially compelling and you can't help but love them, warts and all. The story is familiar, yet Cramer manages to encompass many twists and turns that keep you interested and satisfied. There is decent action but at a good pace, not too breakneck, and never boring. Cramer likens the hero's appearance to Loki in the recent Thor movies which really resonated with me as I'm a sucker for Tom Hiddleston. There's also a ton of detailed scenes with horses, and who doesn't love horses? All in all, I loved the book. It was a good story and a great read. Five stars, without question.