For a debut novel Last Chance Chicago is a well written story focusing on the legal and corporate trading worlds.

The story revolves around attorney and recovering coke addict Sam DiCiccio as she finds herself defending her ex-wife Amy Igarashi, against charges for insider trading. As Sam work tirelessly to keep Amy out of prison and clear her name, she’s also facing an uphill battle to win the love of her life back; realising in the process that money can’t buy you everything, and certainly not love.

I enjoyed the unusualness of the nature of Sam and Amy’s relationship i.e. that the story focuses on two ex-wives; it adds a different layer to the character interactions and how the plot is driven forward. However, I think that because Sam and Amy are ex’s and therefore the assumption is that they have a depth of history already, it does leave the actual character development somewhat lacking. As a reader I never really felt I knew either of the main characters nor their shared past on more than a superficial level which made it difficult to gel properly with either Sam or Amy.

That said, what is immensely likable is the intricacies and finer points in the execution of this legal drama. The author digs right into the murkiness of the power hungry, money loving corporate world, where anything goes in the fight to stay on top.

Whilst there is a second chance romance running alongside the action, it does take quite a back seat to the investigative and legal aspects of the book. For that reason I’d predominately only recommend this to readers who are content to have less romance in their stories, and instead take enjoyment from the thrill of unraveling a high stakes situation.

I received a free copy of this book from Bywater Books in exchange for an honest review.

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