I am not leaving a review due to the fact that this book did not interest me enough to finish the story.

Some of you might have read this book before as it was previously released under a different title ‘Jacaranda Wife’. I hadn’t read the book either under its old title or its new title. Until now that is. I read the synopsis of ‘The Chance Of A Lifetime’ and it sounded like my kind of read. I absolutely loved reading it but more about that in a bit.
I felt a great deal of sympathy and empathy for Katie as the story began. She is the mother of two cute but mischievous young boys and she is married to a man called Tom. Their marriage used to be happy but they have hit a few bumps in the road. Katie has developed feelings for somebody she really shouldn’t have and she feels ever so guilty as a result. Their finances are also stretched beyond belief and it’s clear that something drastic needs to happen. That drastic something comes along when Tom informs her that his employers have given him a job overseas. The snags being that not only is the job overseas but it is all the way over in Australia. Tom convinces her that it is the only way that they can get their debts paid off, which were incurred by some dodgy financial dealings. The family move to Australia and Katie gets one heck of a shock. She has landed somewhere where she knows nobody, she knows nowhere, she has no domestic help and her husband is away from the family home a fair bit. I wouldn’t have blamed her for having doubts about the move. That said after a short time of feeling sorry for herself, she pulls up her big girls pants and sets about making a life for herself and her family. Will Katie’s marriage to Tom survive? Where will Katie decide is ‘home’- the United Kingdom or Australia? Well for the answers to those questions and more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out as I am not going to tell you.
I picked up this book at the right time for me, as I was in need of a light hearted, part funny, part emotional read to distract me from the back pain I suffer with. Well distract me this book did and then some. I binge read this book over the space of a couple of days because I found the book to be extremely addictive. I certainly didn’t notice how quickly the time was passing or how quickly the pages were turning. The author’s writing style is such that you are drawn in to the story and you end up caring about the characters so much that you feel as though they are your friends. That’s what happened to me anyway. Reading this book took me through a whole range of emotions- one minute I would be laughing out loud at the scenarios that I was reading about as I imagined them in my head and another minute I would develop a lump in my throat because I felt so upset about something I had read.
In short I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘The Chance Of A Lifetime’ and I would definitely recommend it to other readers. I will definitely be looking out for any further books that Kendra Smith releases. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 4* out of 5*.

Fantastic fantasy storyline here. One we wish we were the main character of. Easy to read. It’s a all round feel good book. Perfect for these cold winter nights

Katie and Tom have problems with their marriage and debt problems and so when Tom is offered a transfer with his job to Australia it feels like a new beginning for both of them and their two sons....... only problem is Katie hates spiders, the heat and she can't swim..... maybe Australia isn't the best place!

I enjoyed the book, although it wasn't the light hearted book I expected from the cover, and had mixed feelings about some of the characters - I did feel that Katie could have embraced her new life a lot more and not been so negative about things but overall a good read.

From the cover, I thought this story was going to be more light-hearted than it was. Actually, it errs more on the side of women's fiction and family drama than chick lit or romance.
 
The novel deals with some fairly gritty issues too - infidelity and miscarriage being two of them. But this book is mostly about roots and family, and the realisation that you can't run away from your problems.

Definitely well written, it is both thought-provoking and uplifting.

In The Chance of a Lifetime, Katie and her family move to Australia to escape her husband's debts. Based on the synopsis, I was really looking forward to this book but it was a real disappointment.
The main character, Katie, is whiny and annoying. I can understand the difficulty in moving to another country (I myself moved to another country where I didn't even speak the language) but her constant complaining made sympathy impossible. I couldn't care less about her or her equally annoying husband. The book was too long, for example, the whole diving thing was a bore. I get what the author was getting at but it was unnecessarily dragged out.

I'm not sure this is the book I was expecting to read, but it's a packed story line with plenty going on.

Katie loves her life in England; with a new extension to the family home she shares with husband Tom, a nanny to help with raising their two boys and a wide social circle she is happy and settled. But Katie's keeping a secret from Tom - and while she worries about that, her husband blindsides her with a new job in Australia and a move for the whole family. Katie is shocked; she doesn't like the heat and has a real fear of spiders, but staying isn't really an option and she finds herself on a flight to Sydney, however reluctantly.

It's fairly obvious from the beginning that Katie and Tom don't operate as a team anymore; as he heads off to work almost immediately leaving her in her new and - in her view - unsuitable home, she struggles to settle the kids and deal with the day-to-day reality of living in a new continent. Missing her family and friends doesn't help and she only wants to go home. When she discovers that Tom has forged her signature on documents, their relationship drops to an all time low and what follows is two people struggling separately with their new life and money worries.

I thought this would be a lighter, fun read but at times it's quite deep. There are a lot of lows as well as highs and at times I struggled to stay with the story but it's only fair to say there were other times when I was racing through the book.. Overall, it's a good read and finishes on a positive note but, for me, it could have done with a little more sparkle. Still worthy of 4 stars though, and a very decent book with a gorgeous cover.

My thanks to publisher Aria for my copy via NetGalley. This is my honest, original and unbiased review.

The Blurb :
Katie and Tom's marriage is in trouble. As is their bank account. So, when Tom tells Katie that they need to talk, she knows it must be about one of two things, and neither are good. But when he blind-sides her saying that his boss is sending him to Australia – permanently – Katie realises it might just be what they need to save their marriage.
Trouble is, she doesn't like the heat, can't swim and hates spiders. Not to mention the bouts of homesickness – and Tom's endless business trips. Katie is finding the hope of saving their marriage slowly slipping through her fingers. But Katie is determined to take the bull by the horns – and her Speedos by the strap – and tackles her new life.
When all is said and done which side of the globe will she decide to call home?

My Thoughts:
This book has such a beautiful cover that it will draw you in instantly.
This book was previously released under the title Jacaranda Wife, which I never got around to reading, so I was glad it had been re-released with a revamp.
When Katie’s husband Tom tell her they are leaving London and moving to Austraila to save his job, Katie is far from keen, she hates hot weather, creatures and cant swim. From the moment Katie steps in OZ she already decides she wont like it there but with their children in tow she needs to suck it up and make the most of the opportunity. It was interesting how the story unfolds, it has a few twists and turns, laugh out loud moments. Can this couple make a go of it or is it time to call time on their marriage?!.
I found myself really warming to Katie as a charactor and felt emotionaly invested in her life, but not as keen on Tom as you will read in the story.
This does start a little slow but its well worth turning the next pages and finishing the book
Kendra Smith reallys draws the reader in with her writing, although a little rushed at times I did love the descriptive surroundings in the story. Looking forward to more from Kendra in the future.

This is a book I absolutely jumped at because firstly: who doesn’t love Australia? (hint is in the blurb as to one person who doesn’t!), and secondly, I felt I had to find out what happens to Katie! So this is one of those stories where you totally feel for the lead character as they’re really dropped in it. Katie, who now has her dream kitchen and idyllic existence, is suddenly told that their financial issues are substantial and their only hope is to relocate to Australia for the ‘short term.’

The book very much flits between Katie being gung ho and ready to take it on (or at least make it to the end of the agreed amount of time) and totally struggling as she feels her life has been taken away and not really coping at all. Overall I liked Katie but there are times you can waiver in your opinion of her.

The characters are a mix of likeable and unlikable, with some awful people being all judgemental and brash and this knocked the book a bit at times, I couldn’t fathom how they could consider themselves friends. I also had a few issues in that I couldn’t figure out timelines and stuff, but I think that could be just me. The drama was excellent, with you being hit between the eyes constantly as new issues arose. There were some great little dashes of humour thrown in and I smiled a lot throughout too. All in all very enjoyable and recommended.

Thanks so much to Aria for the book in return for an honest review

The Chance of a Lifetime is is a story that pulls you in from page one with a well written and poignant story I'm certain there was every emotion under the sun squashed into this smorgasbord of a narrative. I mean talk about an emotional roller coaster!

This book tackles a huge variety of difficult subject matters but manages to keep the tone light and well balanced. The story line is brutal in places with an honest portrayal of real life and I felt that Kendra didn't shy away from the harsh realities that marriage and day to day living has to offer.

My favourite element came in the form of Katie's endless internal monologues, it was like reading two stories, the one on the page and the one in Katie's head. It provided many a witty moment indeed. The polar opposite has to be said for the gruesome details of deadly spiders, snakes and sharks....I wasn't in love with those by any stretch of the imagination for obvious reasons.

This book is an honest look at life and the trial and tribulations faced along the way. It doesn't shy away from the truth but portrays situations in a light yet poignant manner and I applaud Kendra for an authentic and real story.

I would liked to thank Aria for asking me to review this book and to be part of the blog tour.
This is a lovely read and one I very much enjoyed. The vibrancy of the cover reflects well inside the book to some interesting characters. A marriage needs saving but will going across the globe save it? Poor Katie is going through some struggles and moving across the world might not be the the right move to make as first thought. This is a book filled with lots of action and interesting things happening.
I would have liked to have come away after reading feeling I really knew that characters and setting better but other than that it was a great read with some very funny moments thrown in.
A great debut from Kendra.

I was really looking forward to this based on the synopsis and title. It sounded promising and the cover is amazing. It's the most eye-catching part of the book. Colourful and exotic.

I felt the first chapters were rushed and thought Katie, a mother and wife, was immature and self-centred Instead of accepting her family's move and new life in Australia due to her husband Tom being transferred there and also a way to help sort out debt problems.

The people I most felt for in the book, in fact, were their young children. Their excitement on the flight from London to Sydney was realistic and palpable.

I felt Katie was neurotic, paranoid and even childlike a lot of the time and especially when visiting the kids' new school for the first time. It was understandable that she'd compare things to England but that wore me down quickly.

She seemed spoilt and ungrateful from the moment they set foot on Australian soil and I kind of wished she'd stayed in London in the house she so clearly loved and near the friends she liked. being around. I felt the book was too one-sided with her POV and that Tom was too passive and accepting of her in many situations.

I'd have loved to have got more of an insight into her and Tom's characters, personalities feelings motivations-but the positive side of things. I didn't get many good vibes from either character. Both were not honest people and manipulative in their own way in life and love. I don't want to give too much away on this and feel you need to read the book for yourself to get a real sense of what they are like and their pasts.

A problem I had was that the descriptions of the surroundings felt rushed. When I am faced with a novel set in a different country and about moving to a different culture I expect to see, live and breathe that culture through the book's words. I felt pulled out of the story like I was an observer rather than immersed in it and living Katie's adventures and struggles. I felt so much more could have been made of the descriptions of the house, school and everywhere they went in general so that the essence of Australia is captured through imagery.

I've reviewed a lot of this type of book yet seen in others that the scenery and lifestyle will just take my breath away I will root for the characters, admire them laugh and cry with them, almost live their lives with them and the whole book will be so powerful I'll be sad to finish and want to dive into it again or herald it as my best book of the year and be itching to tell everyone I know to read it.

This is not that book. I just feel like it could be so much more powerful and engrossing. I got some type of feeling for what it was like to move all the way to Australia, and identified as I have some family there. I have never been and felt even the initial move could have been made more emotional in this book.

Thanks to Kendra Smith and Aria for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review and a chance to take part in the blog tour for this title. 3-3.5 stars.

Angst, betrayal and forgiveness are the stars of thia book. Kendra is a master storyteller and you can feel all the characters emotions like you were there with them.

I really wanted to like this book but it was very hard due to the characters infidelity.
Thank you Netgalley for the AO in exchange for an honest review.

I saw similar opinions on this book as mine which were that while this book did have it's moments, the characters just weren't that interesting. It was hard to connect to them and hard to understand their actions. I like when books make characters so defined that you can tell who is saying what without it being shown to you but I didn't really find anything uniquely compelling within the characters which bummed me out because I did like the premise.

I really, really wanted to like this book.

NO, but really. I’m moving from NYC to Sydney in 2019 and was thrilled to see a book about an expat living in Sydney come up on NetGalley. I jumped at the chance to read this book and couldn’t wait to dive right into it.

The cover is fantastic – it gives you the Australian setting and almost looks like this will be a light, fun beach read. The blurb, too, makes you think this is about a woman taking ownership of her life.

What it turned out to be is a hot mess. From a writing standpoint, the sense of time jumps around with flashbacks and memories. Things happen off the page that the reader doesn’t know about (talking to the real-estate agent in England, for example). The single POV means we never get Tom’s side of things. And, worst of all, because we never get a deep POV, the characters, including Tom and Katie, are very shallow and narrow sketches. We only get a vague idea of what motivates Katie and Tom. I never really got an idea of what Katie feels passionate about or what her goals are. Even with the diving course, she admits she doesn’t like diving and is only doing it to show Tom that she can do it because she’d failed it once before. When she fails again, she moves on with something else. What does that say about her? How are we supposed to root for her?

Don’t even get me started on Tom. He’s a liar, a cheater, and so narcissistic it’s painful to read. She should’ve left him. Hell, if she’s so concerned with reclaiming her identity, she should leave him and give him primary custody while she moved back to England. The end. I’d have more respect for her if that had happened.

Most of all, though, I think readers should know that this is women’s fiction, NOT romance. The focus is on Katie’s emotional journey, NOT the relationship between Katie and Tom. And, while they do end up together in the end, I’m not convinced they’ve obtained a Happily For Now, let alone a Happily Ever After. There should also be a content warning for pregnancy and infidelity, in case that is a trigger or something readers like to avoid.

I enjoyed this book. I liked the cover and the subject matter and found it to be very well written. However, I did feel it was just a bit too long. There was so much that happened to Katie and her family in this book that I felt some of it could have been left out for maybe a sequel. That said I enjoyed reading it and finished it in two days.

The Chance of a Lifetime by Kendra Smith didn't live up to my expectations.

From the short description I had hoped for a funny, entertaining and lifting read and instead I found a main character which I didn't particularly care for.
When Katie's husband declares that they are moving to Australia in order to save his job and put some money on the side, Katie is devastated. She hates hot weather and bugs and can't swim. She also hides a secret. She made out with the husband of one of her friends. But she is still trying to save her marriage and combat her fears and dislikes.
I found Katie quite neurotic, she constant whining and complaints really didn't sit with me well. I also didn't care for her husband. Not only did he cheat he also forged her signature. It seemed to me that it is a match made in hell. The whole situation seemed so depressing to me. They both had issues and were not committed to the marriage.
Overall even though the idea is a good one, I simply didn't care for any of the characters.
I loved the cover and the narrative was quite interesting.

Right up front- Katie's husband Tom is a rat. He's a cheating rat. AND, now they've moved to Australia where everything is different for British woman who is already a bit at sea in her life. Katie's not the best person either- she seemed a drama queen to me. Adjusting to life in another country while coping with the slowly creeping realization that Tom has not changed, is not easy. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A nice debut about a woman learning to put herself forward.

I found this book interesting but found it very hard to connect with Katie. She was so focused on the things she hated about Australia that it was hard to be sympathetic to her situation and how they got into it in the first place. I hope they have a sequel to see if there is any character growth.