The List of Last Chances

by Christina Myers

At thirty-eight years old, Ruthie finds herself newly unemployed, freshly single, sleeping on a friend’s couch and downing a bottle of wine each night. Having overstayed her welcome and desperate for a job, Ruthie responds to David’s ad: he’s looking for someone to drive his aging mother, Kay, and her belongings from PEI to Vancouver. Ruthie thinks it’s the perfect chance for a brief escape and a much-needed boost for her empty bank account.

But once they’re on the road, Kay reveals that she’s got a list of stops along the way that’s equal parts sightseeing tour, sexual bucket-list, and trip down memory lane. As David prods for updates and a speedy arrival to his home in Vancouver, Kay begins to share details about a long-lost love and Ruthie takes a detour to play matchmaker, but finds herself caught up in a web of well-intentioned lies.

With the road ahead uncertain, and the past and present colliding, will Ruthie be able to forge a new path? Heartfelt and humorous, The List of Last Chances follows a pair of reluctant travel companions across the country, into an unexpected friendship, new adventures, and the rare gift of second chances.

Genres: Fiction, Book Club, Canada, Contemporary, Road Trip, Friendship

224 pages, Paperback

First published September 30, 2021

About the author

Christina Myers is a writer, editor and former journalist living on the west coast of Canada.

She is the author of THE LIST OF LAST CHANCES (2021) and HALFWAY HOME: THOUGHTS FROM MIDLIFE (2024.) She is also the editor of two anthologies, BIG (2020) and BEYOND BLUE (coming 2025.)

She has been a finalist for the Fred Kerner Book Prize, the Leacock Medal for Literary Humour, the SCWES book prize, among others, and won the 2023 Canadian Book Club Award in the fiction category.

Reviews

[Laurie • The Baking Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

The List of Last Chances is the debut novel by Canadian author Christina Myers and is a story about two women who make an unlikely friendship during a cross-country road trip.

83-year-old Kay is reluctantly moving in with her adult son in BC and her one requirement is that she drive from her home in PEI to BC as a last big hurrah! Armed with an old van and her 38-year-old aid worker Ruthie, these two women learn more about themselves as they create an incredible and unlikely bond.

This is a cute story about friendship, self-discovery, overcoming life's obstacles and letting go and I LOVED recognizing many of the stops on Ruthie and Kay's cross-Canada journey. The story successfully balances humour and lightheartedness with deeper issues all set within a burgeoning and authentic friendship that has its own trials and tribulations.

The story will have you smiling, blushing a bit, and reveling in the wonderful bond between these two women from different generations. But I'll admit that I was expecting a bit more in the way of shenanigans (I pictured Kay as a sassy Cloris Leachman-type character) and I found the dialogue a bit contrived at times. Otherwise, this is a fun read and I particularly appreciated how believably flawed Ruthie was with her negative internal dialogue and insecurities.

With relatable characters and relevant topics (including ageism, the roads untaken and self-discovery), this was a charming read with a satisfying ending about the journeys of two women who gain not only friendship but a better sense of who they are and what they need out of life.

[Rachelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somewhere between a 3 and a 4. I am feeling indecisive 😂

It’s a fast, easy read, which meant I was able to finish within the library loan period for once - yay!

It’s Canadian, and I was familiar with some of the locations - yay!

It’s pretty raunchy without actually having a single sex scene. I thought it was all rather unnecessary, but I suppose it added some humour.

The main character was immature and somewhat annoying, yet I was rooting for her.

Overall, enjoyed.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite honestly, this is one of the best books that I have read this year. It is a short 215 pages long, but this book sure packs a punch! Powerful emotions emerged in me as I read it and there were moments where I was laughing and moments where I was crying and feeling the surge of old emotions coming to the forefront. The fact that this story took place in Canada, makes it even more meaningful to me.

Thirty-eight year old Ruthie McInnes lives with her best friend, Jules, on Prince Edward Island. She is unemployed and single. Her ex-boyfriend, Jack, whom she thought she was going to marry one day, was caught by her cheating with the clerk who worked at a nearby flower shop. So now Ruthie's days are spent drinking, not taking care of herself, and half-heartedly looking for employment as a senior care assistant. Her self-esteem is shot and her heart is broken.

Lo and behold, Ruthie gets an unexpected job interview thinking that no one will ever hire her, and is surprised to get hired by David March. Her new job is to help David's senior mom, Kay, pack up her house and drive her and her belongings all across Canada to Vancouver. Ruthie is excited to see more of Canada as she has never travelled past Ontario and is looking forward to the trip.

The journey is quite the adventure, especially once Kay shows Ruthie her "list" of last chances. There are over 20 items on this list of things Kay wants to do and places she wants to see before they arrive in Vancouver. This is when the fun begins, and when the hardships, emotions, and difficulties begin.

I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed this book! It was uplifting, yet caused me to look deep within myself in a way that I haven't in a very long time. There is so much meaning and lessons to be learned within these pages.

Christina Myers, you are a such a talented writer! I hope to read many more of your books in the near future, so you'd better get writing, lol! Thank you to Goodreads and Caitlin Press for providing me with a complimentary copy of this unforgettable read.

[Peggi Peacock · Rating 5 out of 5]

I judge books by my emotional response to them. The List of Last Chances gets 5 stars - more if possible - because it made me laugh and cry and blush and cheer. Ruthie and Kay are characters that will stay with me and remind me to live life like every day is my last chance. Last Chances is a bright and brilliant read by an even brighter and more brilliant new author, Christina Myers. I look forward to reading anything else she publishes, hopefully soon.

[Jeanine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book for the most part. It reminded me, at times, of my own drive from Toronto to the Lower Mainland of BC when I first moved here, so was a bit nostalgic. I also enjoyed Kay’s list and attempt to recapture her youth along the way, before she would be moved into her son’s home. She had a lot of spunk, which I always appreciate.

[Taryn Hubbard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vivid characters and a fun story. I enjoyed how the friendship between Ruthie and Kay progressed throughout the trip.

[Story Circle Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

The List of Last Chances is a sweet novel about two women travelling across Canada from Prince Edward Island to British Columbia. They’re not a couple; in fact, Ruthie just became uncoupled when her partner Jack chose another woman. Kay March, seventy-two, is a widow and her son David in Vancouver, B.C. figures as she ages, his mother ought to live closer to him.

David places an ad for an “experienced care attendant” to drive his mother across the country in a minivan. Thirty-eight-year-old Ruthie applies and gets the job .

Ruthie had been employed by Just Like Family, “a seniors homecare agency,” until she spent too much time on the couch, drinking copious amounts of wine, following her break-up with Jack. She gets it together enough to take on the assignment and meets Kay a couple of weeks before they set off together. She helps Kay pack up her old house.

David has an itinerary planned for them and Kay has her own list of things to see and do along the way. Kay calls her to-do list “last chances.” I appreciated reading about an older female character who visits a sex shop, gets a new hairdo, reads three Canadian writers, meets new people, and goes dancing. It's not all fun and games: Kay pines for a lost love when they stop at a cottage where she had spent time many years before.

Kay will arrive in Vancouver in her own good time. She’s the one with gumption in the pair and it’s a delight to see an older woman pursuing her passions and creating her own itinerary. Ruthie, although she’s the one driving, is really along for the ride. 

For Ruthie, there are second chances. The van breaks down and there are other mishaps along the way, but Ruthie gets to see parts of Canada she’s never seen: the prairies, the Rocky Mountains, and the Pacific Ocean. A flirtation begins between her and David via text and Skype. And there are new possibilities available to her in Vancouver.

The adventures aren’t death-defying and there isn’t a mystery to be solved. The book is like a letter from a friend, which is why it was a joy to read something fun though quite ordinary.

Story Circle Book Reviews thanks Mary Ann Moore for this review.

[Carolyn Whitzman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun book. Ruthie, an unemployed personal care worker, is stuck in a wine-soaked depression after finding her boyfriend in another woman’s arms. She gets a chance to literally move on, when she is offered a job driving Kay from PEI to Vancouver. Kay isn’t happy to be forced to move in with her son, David, but she has a fun bucket list to accomplish on the way. Kay and Ruthie are both charmers, there is Canadian travelogue and romance, and I breezed through this short book in two days.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Your job is to drive an elderly women across Canada to live with her son, easy right? It should be however when the elderly women has a bizarre list of items she wants to accomplish before the journey is complete things will be interesting.

For the full review, check out my blog (link in bio).

[Charlene Groome · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Christina’s writing. It was light, fun and fast-paced. I loved that it was Canadian with details of the major highways and Canadian cities. I only wished the ending played out a little longer.

[Karla · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75/5 A quick read, but very wholesome. Honestly Ruthie kinda annoyed me cause she was double my age and making worse decisions than me. But luckily she had character development. Also personally I would be so frustrated with a controlling son like David. I understand his paranoia but let an old lady live yunno? Anyways, brought me some joy so I guess that’s good.

[Nik von Schulmann · Rating 3 out of 5]

For some reason the characters didn’t grab me in this cross-Canada journey.

[Judy Decaigny · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*. Delightful. A really fun read.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I'm always looking for good Canadian fiction, and this one was so much fun!

I thought the romance undertones were incredible, and the history of both characters gave a lot of depth to the story. But the true joy came from the relationship between Ruthie and Kay. I couldn't get enough of the two of them.

Maybe I should take a little cross-country road trip of my own?

[Bill Arnott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our provincial Health Ministry had just announced we were permitted, for the time being, to travel between health regions within BC. And I was on the next ferry leaving the mainland. I saw it as an opportunity to further explore our province, something I hadn’t truly done since the government marked a sesquicentennial celebration a number of years ago. This time around I was sticking to the coast; islands specifically, concentrated around BC’s southwest. I was also stopping in at bookstores to sign copies of my "Gone Viking" travel books. And while I picked up other new titles at each store, I hadn’t set out on this excursion empty-handed. In additional to a duffle full of comfy clothes, I’d also packed some books I was eager to read, one of these being Christina Myers’ "The List of Last Chances."

This is not my usual go-to in a book, and I’m delighted I went with it. Knowing Christina from author associations and having read together at on-line events, I liked her style and trusted her as a writer. So I jumped into her novel with confidence. I also liked the fact that despite this being a work of fiction, it does draw from facets of Myers’ childhood, that being regular long distance summer road trips as a family, driving great swaths of the country. Which, along with personal growth and a bourgeoning self-assured independence, is the central theme of the book. The perspective is well articulated and communicated. Myers also captures dialogue exceptionally well. Our protagonist is likeable, as flawed as any and all of us, susceptible to mood swings and insecurities, with a relative objectivity that makes the reader want the best for her.

Along the way, figuratively and literally as the story progresses along roadways across Canada, we’re able to vicariously enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of a proper road trip: scenic landmarks, motels and truck stops, historic and sentimental milestones, and deepening relationships amongst our characters. This lovely novel is itself a journey, wherever you are in life, from new relationships to old, youth to old age, this tale is a good one. Irrespective of the season or travel restrictions, if you’re looking for a worthwhile journey, shared in an engaging manner, Christina Myers’ "The List of Last Chances" is a trip you can embrace, enjoy, maybe even learn from, and not soon forget.

***

[Briana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really lovely and nuanced characters, plus an unforgettable road trip across Canada. It’s an easy and fun read, yet this story has more depth than you might expect.

[Hollay Ghadery · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book absolutely needs to be optioned for film. The List of Last Chances is a spirited and deeply moving fusion of rom-com and literature. I read the book in one night, and while I'm paying for the lack of sleep today, it was absolutely worth it.

The story follows Ruthie, who has recently left her cheating boyfriend and is busy drinking herself insensible on her friend Julie's couch. With Julie's prodding, Ruthie--who has been let go from her job as a home health aide for her poor performance post-break-up--applies for and accepts a job as a companion for Kay, an indomitable octogenarian whose arguably overly-cautious and concerned son, David, is (basically) forcing to her leave PEI and move in with him in Vancouver. The bulk of the story takes place on this road trip as we watch the friendship between Ruthie and Kay develop while they tick off items on Kay's bucket list. We're also witness to an awkward romance blooming between Ruthie and David. (You know in rom-coms when one character is doing something SO embarrassing you just can't watch? Yeah, well, same here. There were a couple of points I had to roll over and bury my face in the pillow, squirming and giggling with discomfort.)

Myers' writing bubbles and drifts beautifully; it brings us into the heart and minds of the characters and is also, at times, gorgeously lyrical. So, yes, while this book does follow many of the tropes of the rom-com genre, there's also a depth of perception and feeling that puts The List of Last Chances squarely into the category of literature too.

An addictively readable, delightfully entertaining book! Highly recommend.

[Hannah Cp · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful novel. I didn't want to stop reading it, so, for the most part, I didn't. I've heard it said that books are more about the reader than the writer; you start to put yourself in the book, you start to agree, disagree, to wonder what you would do, how you would do it, why. This was definitely one of those books for me. Although I am not 38 or 71(?) it doesn't impact the relatability for the characters and their situations. I wish I had read it in a book club so that I could talk about it for hours.

[Janet Broder · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh - I enjoyed the setting (Canada) but this was very much like a Hallmark movie.

[Dora Viazzo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read it if:
* You like short but rich stories that pack a lot of meaning into just over 200 pages
* You enjoy well-defined characters, each with their own distinct voice and language style
* You prefer a book with balanced pace with a mix of quick adventures and reflective, slower moments

Don’t read it if:
* You’re not into stories about personal growth
* You don’t enjoy reading about emotionally struggling characters
* You prefer neatly wrapped, closed endings

Why 4 stars:
- [ ] Theme: 4 (the main theme of the book is travel—a road trip across Canada, from east to west, in a minivan. And really, who wouldn’t want to just drop everything and do that?)
- [ ] Plot: 5 (the plot follows a journey, but it’s unclear whether there will be a return or not. Onte of the main characters doesn’t know what her future holds after this trip, which leaves the ending open and adds an extra layer of interest. I think the plot is really well put together because it’s full of unexpected events, and what I especially appreciated is that, even though the book is short—just a little over 200 pages—it’s rich and well written. The journey doesn’t follow a predictable day-by-day structure like “morning, lunch, dinner” or standard travel diary entries. The pacing is varied, the adventures are diverse, and one particularly interesting element is that one of the protagonists—the older of the two—has written a list, which gives the book its title. She doesn’t think she’ll ever be able to do a road trip like this again (though you never know), so she treats it as her last chance. Eventually, this personal list becomes something shared between the two women, creating anticipation for the reader and opening the door to surprises)
- [ ] Characters: 4 (I really liked the characters, even if they’re a bit predictable in the sense that they’re quite clearly defined. The story mainly revolves around three of them: the two women traveling together, and the son David of the older woman (Kay), who hired the younger lady (Ruthie) to take his mother on this road trip and bring her to live with him. Then, at a certain point, another character enters the story—and I really liked that addition too)
- [ ] Fun/adventure/surprise: 4 (The level of adventure is really impressive for such a short book, and honestly, the surprises genuinely surprised me. It’s not a predictable story at all. For example, I loved the scene where the two women go dancing and Ruthie gets drunk and texts Kay’s son something quite personal. I also liked the moment when the minivan breaks down—right after Ruthie finally finds the courage to make an important decision. And of course, I loved how brave she was in reaching out to Kay’s ex and bringing them back together. Every story tied to the list really worked for me)
- [ ] Profoundness: 4 (the book is deeper than it might seem at first—especially given its length. It speaks about our past, our present, and our future, and about the strength and courage it takes to move forward, make new choices, mess up again, and still keep going. It captures the feeling of being out of place, of not belonging anywhere. It also shows the wisdom and freedom that can come with age. At the beginning, there’s a lovely example of female friendship that eventually fades—but that serves the story, because it leaves Ruthie increasingly alone, and in that loneliness, more and more free)
- [ ] Length of the book: 5 (extremely short and incredibly rich—what more could you want?)
- [ ] Language and style of writing: 5 (in this very short book, each character speaks with their own tone, vocabulary, and style, so the language level shifts and feels well adapted. The storyline is linear, which I personally like. I enjoyed the immediacy, but also the reflective moments—it has a great balance between quick, lively scenes and slower, thoughtful pauses. The pacing is just right)

Favorite part
- [ ] My favorite part is, without a doubt, the ending—when Ruthie meets Kay’s son David, and there’s a chance they might have a future together, despite everything. Even though he had completely lost trust in her for not taking good enough care of his mother—who ended up getting hurt—there’s still a glimmer of hope

Least favorite part
- [ ] The part I liked the least, of course, were all the scenes where Ruthie drinks too much to drown her pain. Even though they serve a purpose in the story—and I wouldn’t take them out—they’re definitely the heavier, more difficult parts to read

[Lucie Aran · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jednou z mých nejoblíbenějších knih je Tisíce metrů ode dna od Jasmin Schreiber, a z anotace jsem měla pocit, že by se mohlo jednat o podobně laděný příběh. Není tak divu, že jsem nedokázala odolat. Navíc, bláznivá jízda napříč Kanadou s dvaasedmdesátiletou stařenou, která má připravený seznam věcí, které by ještě chtěla zažít a vidět? To samo o sobě je příslibem příběhu plného zážitků.

V tomto směru jsem se však docela hodně mýlila. Pokud jsem si naivně myslela, že se dočkám jak popisů nádherné Kanadské přírody, tak nějaké té hlubší myšlenky, byla jsem hodně naivní. Ruthie mi tak úplně nesedla už na samotném začátku, ale říkala jsem si, že se to s časem poddá, Kai byla fajn a vlastně ani ten její seznam, mi nepřišel až tak šílený, však proč by ne. Záhy se však z road tripu příběh překulil do dvojité romance, plné malicherných rozmíšek a nedorozumění vzniklých jen díky nedostatku, a hlavně neochotě ke komunikaci. Některé pasáže, zamýšlené jako vtip, působily až trapně a nezáživně a netrvalo dlouho, a já dočítala spíše setrvačností, než že by v tom bylo nadšení. Konec pak všemu ještě nasadil pomyslnou korunu.
Možná je to tím, že jsem měla přehnaná a mylná očekávání, a tato kniha je tím pádem ani zdaleka nedokázala naplnit, bohužel však výsledkem pro mě bylo celkem zklamání. Ono totiž i kdybych nečekala road trip, ale jen oddechovou romanci, jednalo by se víceméně o sice čtivě napsaný, ale stále celkem průměrný kousek.

[Lucy Lillianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Typický zástupce tohoto žánru, který však nikdy neurazí. Zvlášť, pokud člověk potřebuje nenáročnou literaturu bez velkého přemýšlení a hloubání. Nebo po tom, co dlouhou dobu čte jeden žánr a pak potřebuje změnu. Jednohubka na den, dalo by se říct.

Opravdu jde o klasickou osnovu, kdy jedna z postav si projde nějakou špatnou životní situací a obrátí se jí život naruby. Pak je potřeba, aby se něco stalo, co tuto osobu vyvrhne do úplně nové éry, díky které otevře oči a spoustu věcí si uvědomí. A to je přesně tento případ.

Ruth se rozejde s přítelem dost nepříjemných způsobem a ze začátku z toho viní jen jeho. Až když přijde nabídka doprovodit jednu starší ženu přes celou zemi za jejím synem, a jak postupně se seznamuje s touto ženou a jejím životem, zjišťuje, že všechno není jen černobílé a pravda je vždy mezi. A na to, aby se něco pokazilo, jsou obvykle potřeba dva.

Kniha nepřinese nic převratného. Téměř po celou dobu jsou karty odhalené a je víceméně jasné, co se bude dít. Přesto jsem se nasmála mnoha vtipných i trapným chvilkám, sledovala jsem jejich dlouhou cestu a dobrodružství a stejně mě to bavilo. Ruth někdy až moc přemítala sama o sobě a omílala stále stejné myšlenky a pocity. Ale na konci, i když odhalitelném, jsem byla částečně překvapená, protože tentokrát příběh skončil jen naznačením, popostrčením určitým směrem, přesto trošku otevřeně.

[Sarah Perry · Rating 5 out of 5]

"We save ourselves, if we want to. If we can. People can survive awful things."

Yes, yes and more yes!! The List of Last Chances will have readers craving that freeing feeling of a road trip. This book is filled with adventure, second chances, self-discovery and the vast Canadian landscapes that I hope to explore one day.

Ruthie is hired to drive David's aging mother Kay from the east coast to British Columbia. What sounds like a straightforward job turns into much more than that when the two women start to form an unexpected bond, and Kay introduces Ruthie to "The List". Both of these women captivated me. Ruthie, looking for a new start and really having nothing to lose in taking this job. Kay, quirky, hilarious, and so determined to live life on her own terms. Their journey had me entertained, laughing out loud at times and eager to see where their adventure would take them next.

Christina Myers transported me to so many different places along the way giving me just a taste of each one and piquing my curiosity. It has always been a goal of mine to travel this country from coast to coast, but it is an even higher priority now. I can't wait to see what Myers comes up with next! If you're looking for a fun and quick summer read to add to your list, this is it.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This may be "Female Fiction" (my new term for ChickLIt which I despise) but it's also a darned good read AND the first novel for a young Canadian author. In her late thirties, Ruthie has gone into a deep depression since discovering her live-in boyfriend cheating on her and has been living on her friend's couch for a year. Her friend finally convinces her to apply for a job driving an elderly woman and her belongings across the country from PEI to Vancouver. And it turns out to be a very enlightening road trip for all involved. The author, however, deserved a much better editor. Did nobody read this before it was printed? Early on in the book, Ruthie's sister Becky is making a costume for her five-year-old but a couple of pages later her youngest who is seven years old comes into the house for a popsicle. Wha? Much later in the book, Bernie takes Ruthie up to the top of a mountain early in the morning to see the "sunset"? Ruthie also worries about someone being "dead or worse"? I probably missed others. Christina Myers is a darned good writer and she deserves better editorial assistance.

[oblakaknihahlavavnich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Opět malé vybočení z mé komfortní zóny, jelikož tato kniha není přímo tou, po které bych primárně sáhla. Potvrdilo se mi, že někdy se risk vyplatí a já jsem ráda, že mě tato milá a odpočinková kniha neminula!

Milé a odpočinkové čtení, přesně to jsem od knihy čekala a přesně toho se mi i dostalo. Navíc ve spojení s road tripem, což mám v knihách moc ráda. Nebudu lhát, ta pravá atmosféra na mě z tohoto příběhu úplně nepřešla. Děj byl totiž více zaměřen na postavy a jejich minulost.

Jelikož dostávají postavy mnoho prostoru, hrdinky Kay a Ruthie čtenáři okamžitě přirostou k srdci. Obě mají minulost, která se v příběhu postupně odkrývá a ovlivňuje je na cestě. 

Kniha se báječně četla! I přes sníh má v sobě jakousi letní atmosféru.

Příběh je sice jednoduchý, nijak zvlášť čtenáře nezasáhne, ale přesně o to v této knize jde. Přesto mě během čtení potkalo nejedno překvapení. Navíc jsem se i zasmála, což se mi u knih zas tak často nestává.

Upřímně bych se klidně obešla bez romantické linky, ale ta zde není až tak výrazná.

Knihu můžu s nadšením doporučit, zvlášť pokud hledáte odpočinkové čtení. A jestli vyrážíte na road trip, tak tato v přihrádce auta prostě nesmí chybět!

[Eva Francova · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ruthie se poslední půl rok ve svém životě pěkně plácá. Je jí 38, rozešla se se snoubencem, spí u kamarádky na gauči, nemá práci a žal utápí ve víně. Když ji kamarádka přesvědčí, aby se stala společnicí ženě Kay, kterou má dovézt přes celou Kanadu za synem, tak se jí změní život.

Kniha, od které jsem nic neočekávala a dostala jsem úžasný příběh, který jsem nemohla odložit. Při čtení jsem se musela nahlas smát, ale i brečet. Skvělé čtení!

Mám ráda knihy, které se odehrávají jako road trip, je to akční, jsme stále na cestě, poznáváme nová místa. A tady navíc, co ty dvě spolu všechno prožily a vymyslely, bylo super. Je to svižné, vtipné, milé i dojemné. Má to spád, má to hlavu i patu. Jsou tam vážná témata, je tu láska i romantika, je tu dobrodružství. Ač je to předvídatelné, víte, jak to celé dopadne, vůbec mi to nevadilo, užívala jsem si každou stránku a příběh jsem doslova hltala.

Rozhodně se i vy vydejte na cestu společně s Ruthie a Kay, odpočiňte si u jejich nápadů, lásek i karambolů. Stojí to za to.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The List of Last Chances, by Christina Myers, is a great journey across Canada. Thirty-eight-year-old Ruthie is hired as a caregiver to drive 72-year-old Kay from independent living in PEI, to live with her son, David, in Vancouver. That sounded too young to me, and Kay proved me right - I loved her. Ruthie grew on me as she grew out of herself. The relationship between them is good, and their journey is what they make it, not what David planned. I enjoyed the trip!

A favourite passage for me was a character named Bernie describing a city planning term called ‘desire lines’: “They spend all this time designing a park let’s say. A path should go here, and another one there, and so on. And then a year later there’s all these little footpaths where the grass has been worn down, in between real paths, cross-cross, where no one had thought the paths should go. Those are desire lines: where people want to go, even when there’s a route laid out for them already.” I loved this - a great reminder that not all who wander are lost. This debut from Myers makes me hope for another.

[Annette LeBox · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading The List of Last Chances by Christina Myers. What a joyous romp! Last Chances is a perfectly plotted, character-driven comic novel about a cross-country road trip with a surprise at every stop. What kept me turning the pages was the relationship between Ruthie, a messed up, hard-drinking unemployed young woman nursing a broken heart and the ‘elderly’ mother, Kay whose son hired Ruthie to drive his mom across Canada to Vancouver where she’ll live with him. Kay is less than happy with her fate, and she sets out to experience a bucket list (think sex toys and shoplifting) that challenge’s Ruthie’s risk-aversive personality in every way. The List of Last Chances proves that no matter what our age, unexpected romance can occur and that making a new friend who sees the world differently from ourselves can bring new meaning to our life. I laughed out loud in several places and teared up in others. A 5-star read!

[Lisa Goodmurphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable, quick read (just over 200 pages) about the unlikely friendship that develops between two woman on a cross-country road trip from Prince Edward Island to British Columbia. 38 year-old Ruthie, depressed and unemployed for months after breaking up with her long-time boyfriend, is hired by David to help his 72 year-old mom, Kay, pack up her house in PEI and drive her across the country to his home on the west coast. David has carefully planned out a strict route and itinerary but Kay has a list of things to accomplish en route and is determined to do the trip her way. The two women develop a strong bond on their coast-to-coast road trip and both learn the importance of taking chances and taking control of their own lives. It's a story that is both touching and funny at times and also serves as travel inspiration - I hope there's a cross-country road trip in my future!

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really loved this book read it in 2 days. 215 pages of delight. If you want to learn a bit about Canada without being too heavy, this is a great little read woven within the story line.
It's also a lovely story about love, loss and hoping again. I am a similar age to the main character and resonate alot.
My only down point about this is the ending is left open and I wanted the main characters ending to go on to see what happens more. I felt like it was built up and then a none resolute ending. Some may like this so they can decifer their own ending but I wanted more. Maybe this has chance to explore a second book. Otherwise absolutely loved it and learned some interesting things about rocks and xxx stores ;)