Expired Hope: A Last Chance County Novel

Natalie Atkinson is the therapist assigned to evaluate Fire Chief Macon James and his crew before he can officially be sworn is as the new Fire Chief of Last Chance County. The action starts at the very beginning when Natalie is rescued from a fire by Chief James. The crew has several issues with becoming a team but that isn't the biggest problem, someone is trying to kill Natalie and the Chief is determined to keep her safe. Battling their personal demons from their pasts, she has PTSD from her time in the military and he has unresolved family issues that he blames himself for, the two work to overcome them and be the people that God wants them to be. They learn to trust each other and his crew learns to trust each other and be a "family." The story is full of action, suspense, romance, inspiration, plot twists and turns, redemption, second chances, and forgiveness. A great second book to the Last Chance Fire and Rescue series.

I especially liked Macon James and Natalie Atkinson. They are complex characters dealing with personal issues caused by a deep sense of guilt. If you read the first installment in the series, you’ll recognize many of the secondary characters and you’ll learn more about them. I enjoyed seeing a major transformation in Amelia Patterson. There is a faith element, which is nicely done, not too preachy, but definitely a message that encourages us to surrender our ugly past of guilt and shame to God. This is the first book I’ve read by Besing, and I’ll read more by her. There’s action and suspense, but the crux of the story is about overcoming the things that keep us from living the life God wants to give us. I received an advance reader copy for review; however, I have pre-ordered the e-book.