Reviewed by Taylin
TITLE: Real Chance
AUTHOR: Elle Keaton
PUBLISHER: Dirty Dog Press LLC
LENGTH: 58 Pages
RELEASE DATE: July 16. 2026
BLURB:
Ethan Moore said yes when he should’ve said no.
Now he’s committed to a weekend at a remote luxury hotel–a murder weekend, if you will. The only person on Ethan’s murder-list is his coworker who caught him unawares with this over-the-top shenanigan. Oh, and the man who broke his heart years ago, who just so happens to be his co-detective for the event.
If Jordan Ferguson thinks Ethan has forgiven and forgotten, he is wildly incorrect. Can two broken hearts meet again and maybe get it right this time?
Real Chance is novella set in the West Coast Forensics and Veiled Intentions universe, it may be read as a standalone but why not read all of them?
REVIEW:
Ethan is a forensic anthropologist working for West Coast Forensics. He’s a man dedicated to his job and justice. That is, until he considers murdering his co-worker, Ryder, for a not-so-subtle intervention into his nonexistent private life that sees Ethan enrolled on a murder mystery weekend. OHH, what a surprise that the man who broke Ethan’s heart eighteen years ago is also in attendance. Ethan must answer several questions. Is the spark still there? Can he forgive? Does he want to forgive? Or is resistance futile?
Real Chance is a shortie but a goodie. This fifty-eight-page novella thoroughly entertained me. Despite knowing there was an inevitable conclusion, I kept turning each page with enthusiasm.
I absolutely adore the two universes that gave birth to this tale. Therefore, in the same way that a field in the distance gives borrowed space to a garden, I feel that knowledge of the Piedras series gave the story depth, not necessarily the story itself, as it was always in the background, referenced as required. So, if you haven’t read the series West Coast Forensics and Veiled Intentions, then you must. What this story would otherwise read like – I can’t imagine.
Ethan is a sweetie, as is Jordan. While, from a writing and arc viewpoint, it took a lot of discipline to keep Real Chance focused on the weekend, I wouldn’t have minded a little more umph to the chase. Also, given what Ryder nudged, I’d have liked to read his and Ethan’s first encounter upon returning from the weekend. An extra three to five hundred words would have done it.
I was incredibly happy with what I read, but those additions would have made it perfect for my reading tastes. In view of the ending, and without divulging spoilers, could this novella be a forerunner to a more extensive story within the Piedras world and its characters?????? Maybe yes, maybe no. Food for thought.
RATING: 
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