Book number 12 in my Goodreads Reading Challenge is Derailed in Chancey by Kay Dew Shostak.

‘Carolina’s in-law’s marriage didn’t survive the holidays visiting in her and Jackson’s new home in Chancey, Georgia. Now both families have left, but she’s not sure how much longer she’ll still be in the small town. She knew moving teenagers from the Atlanta suburbs to a small Georgia mountain town last year was a horrible idea. She knew opening a B&B for railfans was an even worse plan. What she didn’t know, was that her marriage might not survive what was beginning to feel like an honest to goodness train wreck.

Oncoming headlights aren’t only aimed at her family, the town of Chancey is being set up for a collision that could change everything. And as that unfolds, Carolina’s husband Jackson is smack dab in the middle of it all, his hand on the throttle, going full steam ahead.

Drama unfolds on the high school stage, but it can’t match the drama happening right in Chancey when everything is suddenly on the line. Yet even in the midst of change and heartache, a small town must keep it’s sense of humor, and you can count on Chancey to be able to laugh at itself!’

Derailed in Chancey is the third book in the Chancey Book series.  Firstly, I must confess to not having read books one and two.  Obviously I have no idea if I would have enjoyed this novel more if I had read books one and two, but I felt it worked well as a standalone novel.  In fact, I couldn’t actually tell who books one and two were about, so I really did feel that reading it on it’s own was fine.

So…Carolina.  The novel is told from her viewpoint, as she slowly learns to live with the changes that her family have undergone – two teenagers now living in a rural town after having a suburban life, and a husband becoming increasingly distant.  Carolina has to learn to embrace her new way of life as a B & B owner housing railroad enthusiasts whilst throwing herself into a new role within town.

I have to say, I often found Carolina a little annoying.  She seemed to spend a lot of time looking for reasons to dislike living in Chancey rather than really appreciating the friends and lifestyle she now had in her new home town.  This is not to say I did not enjoy the novel – I enjoyed the setting and the small town politics!  I also enjoyed the storyline between Jackson and Carolina as they worked their way through a new stage in their marriage.  I enjoyed this novel as a light read, and would happily read another of Kay Dew Shostak’s novels.  If you’ve read this novel, let me know what you thought!

Rating: 📖 📖 📖