When Rachel, a forty-something single woman, finds herself running out of options on her path to motherhood, she seeks treatment at a fertility clinic in Central Europe. Telling half-truths to her family and the clinic’s medical team, Rachel questions how far she will go to become a mother, even though she struggles to articulate her desire to become one.
Meanwhile, expat Jess loves her new life with Viktor despite their struggle to make ends meet and her confusion about her life’s purpose. Viktor and his friends live their lives passionately while Jess just seems to be living.
With the city preparing for a green-energy expo, Jess sees the opportunity to ignite a career dream, while Rachel fears that it might jeopardise her dream of having a child. Will a chance encounter between the two women give each what she desires?
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Last Best Chance introduces us to two women, Rachel, 42, Australian and divorced, so desperate for a baby she has travelled across the globe to an foreign IVF clinic after repeated failures in embroyo transfer at home. Jess, 26, an English expat living with her local boyfriend Viktor in an unnamed eastern European country, struggling to make ends meet by tutoring grandmothers in conversational English and bar work at night in a hotel that caters to business people and IVF patients. The desperation of each woman, one fuelled by her fertility issues and the other by the desire to do more than simply exist, brings the two into each other’s orbit, with the chance that they may be the key to providing what the other needs. I found this to be a very personal, thoughtful and deeply provoking story. The characters were well-rounded and the writing, descriptive and emotive. I don’t want to give too much away, so I’ll just say, I can definitely recommend this if you want a read that is more than surface-deep. Thank you Better Reading for my advance reader copy. Juanita, NSW, 5 Stars
“Last Best Chance” by Brooke Dunnell is a captivating journey weaving together themes of love, loss, and redemption. Dunnell’s prose paints vivid landscapes and crafts compelling characters that resonate deeply with readers. The story’s emotional depth and poignant moments stay with you long after the final page. Through its exploration of human resilience and the power of connection, “Last Best Chance” is a thought-provoking and uplifting read that reminds us of the importance of finding hope in the darkest of times. Emilly, VIC, 4 Stars
An unexpectedly entertaining read that I thought would feel chicklit but was not at all. Rachel is ‘over the hill’ and single and running out of fertility treatment options in Australia so sets off for an unnamed Eastern European country for her last chance option. Jess met Viktor while he was studying in the UK and eventually moved to join him in his home country. The story is about fertility, family dynamics, the environment, government corruption and cultural differences and has quite a gripping sense of urgency even though not a lot happens. We spend most of our time with Rachel and Jess although they don’t meet until quite far into the story. Rachel’s desperation was a bit off putting for me and connecting with Jess was much easier, she was more relatable to me. Last Best Chance introduces so many different thoughts but I also found it good humoured and calm. Amelia, VIC, 4 Stars
I really enjoyed this book. The characters felt real to me and it was definitely a situation that I can imagine would happen. I just wish it hadn’t finished the way it did. It’s like the last chapter it was missing. I know it was meant to be that way, but I needed an ending. Kay, QLD, 4 Stars
It’s hard to put into words exactly why I liked Last Best Chance, but I did. Perhaps I liked that it seemed fairly unpretentious and it spoke to me with clarity. Or perhaps I just liked that it spoke to me. I think I was in the right audience for this book. It focuses on 2 protagonists – Rachel, 42 and single, now wanting to conceive a child. Jess is a coupled-up woman with no interest in having children but wanting to further her career in journalism and looking into opportunities at a technology futures expo. Very different women, thinking of their lives and it makes you think about the choices of careers and kids and different stages of your life. The story simply guides you through Rachel and Jess’s journey without too much manufactured drama, but they are realistic enough protagonists. It doesn’t try to push the questions of life, ethics and so on at you, so it’s more about making of it as you wish. Yet it isn’t boring. Rebecca, NSW, 4 Stars
Last best chance by Brooke Dunnell was a wonderful read. It’s not my typical go-to book and I was pleasantly surprised as to how easily I was drawn into the lives of Jess and Rachel – even though I had nothing in common with them. I really enjoyed reading about the subject of fertility and the choice of having children, no children. It feels like it is really the first time that this topic has been written about in a way that makes you feel for both sides of the equation and learn so much about how it feels to live through someone’s experience. I think Brooke told the story of these two ladies beautifully and I loved getting to know them both and their heritage and where they each were with respect to their lives. I loved the juxtaposition of the remote country and the comparison between the two about what was beauty, what was a need, to survive in their respective worlds. I did find the ending totally disappointing if I am really being honest but I am so hopeful that there will be a future book show casing where their lives lead. Jodi C, QLD, 4 Stars
Last Best chance was a fascinating read encompassing two very prevalent issues in society today, infertility and climate change. I loved that the story was set in a lesser known Eastern European country and reflected on how the choices made by people across the globe affects all nations. Bringing children into an unknown future is a concern for many and this was delicately addressed within the story, while being juxtaposed against the desperation of the many who will go to extraordinary lengths to have children. It was a refreshing insight into the two issues, although I would have preferred a different ending. Karyn, WA, 4 Stars
Rachel wants a baby, having exhausted many avenues already, decides to travel to Central Europe hoping a fertility clinic can help her. Jess’s lived in the nation’s capital with her partner Viktor for a while and loves it her new life. The green-energy expo comes to the city sparking a new opportunity for Jess and potentially crushing one for Rachel. The two happen to meet by chance. Could this meeting help each other with their dreams? Sarah, QLD, 3 Stars
I loved the setting of the book, in Central Europe. The topic of fertility was delicately discussed, and the story was not too heavy. Overall, an interesting and light read! Roz, VIC, 3 Stars
Rachel, divorced, single, and desperate to become a mother, heads to an unnamed Central European country in the hope of falling pregnant via IVF. She has exhausted all avenues in Australia, and overseas is her “Last Best Chance”. She is in a fragile state when she arrives, meeting Jess, an expat who loves living in the country, but who is struggling to make ends meet. This story is told chapter by chapter by Rachel and Jess alternately. Two very different women with different views on having children. Whilst the basis of the story was good, at times the book failed to engage me. Anne, ACT, 3 Stars
I enjoyed reading ‘Last Best Chance’ a book that follows an IVF journey with lots of interesting twists along the way. Seeing the story from two different character points of view kept it entertaining. Without giving anything away, the ending frustrated me. Overall a good read, I imagine there’d be lots of people who could relate to the story. Bianca, NSW, 3 Stars
I really wanted to love this book, but unfortunately it fell a bit short. I enjoyed both sides of the story separately, and I thought that the points of view of Jess and Rachel were interesting and thought-provoking. However, because the book is so short, the story felt a bit rushed and underdeveloped. I will look out for the author’s next book with interest. Marjolaine, WA, 3 Stars
This was not the type of book I would normally read. However; what was interesting was learning about all of the procedures that are required when trying to have a child by IVF. It must be quite a saga when trying many times, only to keep a positive mindset each time it fails and continue on again. Aside from the expense, people are prepared to do whatever it takes to get what they want during a very emotional time in their lives. It must be even more difficult without a partner’s support, which happens in this case. The chance meeting between the two female characters in this book, just shows how strong the girl code can be when complete strangers are willing to help and support each other to get the outcomes that they are hoping for. Although I read many different genres, I guess my type of book feeds you the relevant information whilst building to a big ending. This one was more of an even keel throughout. I wouldn’t be swayed by my opinion, and that’s all it is, as you may very well enjoy it. Vicki, VIC, 3 Stars
Last Best Chance, Brooke Dunnell. Rachel is single, over 40. Her relationship with her mother is cold, her siblings are a non event. In her attempt to conceive Rachel travels to a European country to have fertility treatments. The clinic sounds wonderful in theory, but I was left with a doubtful feeling about the ethics behind it. Jess is British, but lives in this same European country with her boyfriend, together they work multiple casual jobs to try to piece together a living. Their relationship seems happy, but I didn’t feel invested in it. Jess seems lost and unsure of many things. She obviously loves her boyfriend and her adopted country, but again I’m not sure why. Jess meets Rachel and they seem to somehow strike up an unlikely relationship. They help each other through their individual struggles. A story with a great premise, but one that left me feeling like I didn’t get to know the characters or feel invested in them. I’m sorry to say I struggled to finish. Libby, NSW, 2 Stars
After reading The Glass House a year or so ago, I was excited to read Brooke Dunnell’s next novel. Last Best Chance follows two women on their very different lives – Rachel on her IVF journey and Jess, who is very career focused. I found it hard to connect with the characters, and I feel Rachel’s story could have been developed a lot more at the beginning to give us a real understanding of what she had experienced in her journey so far. Laura, WA, 2 Stars
Thanks to Better Reading for the chance to read this ARC. From the start I struggled, the story didn’t grab my attention and I found my mind wandering whilst reading it. The blurb sounded interesting, but the actual book was very slow and had such long chapters. Keryn, SA, 2 Stars
Thank you to Better reading for the gifted copy. Last Best Chance by Brooke Dunnell was a slow read and unfortunately not for me. I feel we don’t really get to know the characters of Rachel and Jess as it just gets straight into the book. It would’ve been nice to have some more character development to understand these characters better. Rachel doesn’t try for long in Australia before going overseas to have IVF. I would have thought we would have followed her story more closely as this could have been an emotional roller coaster with her having the treatment in a foreign country not speaking the language. The country in which she goes to also is not mentioned. It is good to imagine the country where she is going to. It would have been nice to get closure however the book just ended. I think we followed Jess more than necessary with the green energy expo. Julie, NSW, 2 Stars
I’m not sure what I was expecting with this one, but I didn’t quite receive it. A story of Rachel’s infertility – following her divorce, aged 42 she’s suddenly desperate for a baby and can’t articulate why or how far she’s willing to go for it. She finds herself in Central Europe at a clinic set up for Westerners. Meanwhile we follow Jess’s life in that Central European city and its really not clear why for 3/4 of the book. Claire, VIC, 2 Stars
A slow read and felt like some of the story was missed and the character development was missing. I found it hard to connect with the story and the characters leaving me not wanting to finish the book. Evelyn, NSW, 2 Stars
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