Firstly thank you for the advanced copy. I started to read One More Chance several times and really struggled to get into the story. I’m not sure if it was the story line, writing or it just wasn’t for me.

I kept reading to just over 50pc and still just couldn’t get into it. But this comes with a caveat. What isn’t for me may bring for other readers enjoyment

Very good book. Did not expect it to be so descriptive and interesting, I would gladly recommend the book to others, please read. It had me reading over a couple of nights and wanting more, it had me angry, sad and tearful at points in the book,

This book was very full it was especially for Danni .
She was in prison while her daughter was with the foster parents .
The book was from Netgalley

Set in a women’s prison this book gives an insight into the life of Dani, a young girl who makes the same mistake over and over. The characters were interesting but for me the storyline was unbelievable and perhaps aimed at a teen market?

This was quite a difficult book to get into and I found myself putting down quite regularly. Once I did get into it though it was an ok read. The flash backs were a good insight into Dani and made you feel for her.

One More Chance

Gripping and hard to believe this is a debut! Poor Dani is in prison again while her daughter is in foster care. Dani is so determined to get her back, the only thing standing in her way is Dani. A brilliant insight into the life of a prisoner told in such a clever and sympathetic way. This is a page turner that will have you gripped to the very end.

I struggled a little with the style of this book to begin with but as soon as I became accustomed to it I found it surprisingly easy to read and an enjoyable experience. The story was very unexpected and refreshingly different from anything l have read before. This book is quirky, unique and definitely stands out from the crowd. Well worth reading

One more chance by Lucy Ayrton.
Danielle Grove is in prison.  Her baby girl Bethany is in foster care. She gets a new cell mate Martha. Martha is different. Quiet.  Can dani get OUT and get her baby back? Can she get out and not go back inside like she's done in the past?
A fantastic read.  I loved the story and the characters.  Except Chris.  She was a meani.  I liked Dani and Martha. Surprised how quickly I read this. Just couldn't put it down.  Wanted to know what happened.  A great read. 5*.

Thank you NetGalley, Little, Brown Book Group and the author for allowing me read in return for an honest review.
This story centres around Dani, a young mother who has been in and out of prison. During this current prison stint, Bethany, her young daughter, is being looked after by foster parents - Dani is on a mission to get out of prison this time and get Bethany back. We are then introduced to Dani's new cellmate, Martha, a quiet girl who Dani is unsure of at first. Don't judge a book by its cover! You really get a feel for the characters in this book.

The author must have done a lot of prision research as you really get a feel of prison life and its culture.
A gritty, honest read. Really enjoyed it! Great debut novel from Lucy Ayrton. Four stars.

This book gives you a glimpse into the life of Ayrton's colourful and well drawn characters -women behind bars in Holloway prison. It cuts through the stereotypes we have seen on TV and Is a credible, accomplished debut. This book is upbeat as well as poignant, funny as well as sad. It grips you from the get-go because Danni's voice is so distinctive and unique. The themes in the book explore love and loss and pain and hardship and how self reflection and positivity can help women to come face-to-face with who they really are and find happiness.
Behind the bars and bravado, behind the disgusting archaic conditions, these women Ayrton has created — often victims of circumstance or abuse or addiction — are just like you and me. Due to their background or things hidden deep within or just because they like to commit crime, they find themselves in a spiral they can't see a way out of, They do what they've always done and sometimes that's the way it stays but sometimes there's a chance for change.
Lucy Ayrton peels back the layers and offers a glimpse inside a compelling world and complex web of female behaviour and teaches us about dreams and hopes and aspirations.

The main character, Danni, is vulnerable but she's not a victim. She's real and raw and it's this honesty, I Ioved.
Danni knows she's an ex junkie. She knows she's messed up time and time again. She takes full responsibility for all of it, but there's a surprising childlike naivety that draws you to her like a magnet. You want to rescue her. To help her. You want her to win.

And then you realise, she's perfectly capable of doing that on her own.

Danny has one focus. She wants her child back. A child that is in foster care. At the beginning of the book, Danni is childlike herself. And then she meets Martha who opens up her mind to different possibilities. As the narrative grows, so does Danni and so does her voice. I was right there on the sidelines as a reader, waving my pom-poms and willing her to succeed.

I loved this book. I loved the plot and the story arc. I loved Danni, I loved the fact that this book contains — sometimes shocking — statistics about women in prison I would never have been exposed to before. It sheds light on the archaic prison system, the lack of resources and staffing levels and good programs for women prisoners, but there's an optimism embedded in the narrative. Buried in the honest prose and layered throughout the plot, there's a chink of light, a glimpse of emotional freedom at the end of a tunnel. Lucy draws the prison staff so well and shows the challenges they face in supporting these women and rehabilitating them and the frustration they feel when they don't succeed.
This is NOT a heavy or depressing read. It is light and funny and clever commercial fiction at its best. It is written in an unusual and accomplished way and that's what makes Danni so credible. Not only that, the writing and voice are distinctive and the plot is clever. I started reading this on a plane yesterday and immersed in this world and in Danni's head — I didn't stop until the early hours.


Dialogue books have accomplished what they set out to do with their imprint and also with Lucy's book. One More Chance gives a voice to young Dani, someone we wouldn't normally hear from in commercial fiction. Ayrton humanises the stereotypes and the statistics and gives us new perspective and new insight and an opportunity to look beyond the crime and the stigma and the labels. She invites us in and let's us see these women warts and all. She also gives us a chance to realise most of these women are just "trying their best" to survive. Aren't we all?
Enjoy!
Thank you to NetGalley, Dialogue Books and Laetitia Rutherford for my advance copy.