Swoony. That's one word to describe every single book I've read by Jenn Bennett. Chasing Lucky is my 5th books by her (4 of which are contemporary), and I love every single one. Even if her books have similar 'patterns', I'm never bored reading it because in every book, there's something that made it intriguing, and Chasing Lucky is no different.

This book follows Josie Saint-Martin, aspiring photographer who has been moving around with her mom since she left Beauty, Rhode Islands, when she was 12. Five years later, she and her mom came back to manage her family's bookstore. That's when she found out that Lucky Karras, her former best-friend and now dubbed as the town's bad boy, works across the street. When old and new feelings mixed into one, Josie realized that maybe, Beauty is where she belongs, after all.

I liked Josie from the beginning. Coming back to her hometown is hard since there's quite a scandal revolving around her mom, but she doesn't waver and manage to stay strong. I admire her resilience and persistence. I've got to say though, the one who steals the spotlight here for me is Lucky. He's the very definition of 'rough exterior, soft on the inside' and I just love that kind of guy (fyi, the definition is an actual quote from the book). Since the beginning, I think he's practically in love with Josie--both in the friend and lover way--that made him took the fall after Josie did her revenge. And throughout the book, he continuously prove that he's actually not the bad boy everyone think he is.

As always, relationship is the main theme of this book. Obviously, I love Josie and Lucky's relationship--from being friends again to something more. There might be some obstacle in the way, but I think Jenn Bennett handles it well and realistically, just like relationship in real life. Not only romance, Chasing Lucky also handles family relationship. Basically, her mom and her grandmother aren't on speaking terms due to something in the past, and it strained Josie's relationship with her mother. I think this book resolve this problem well, and I could learn one thing from this: sometimes all you need to do is communicate.

In the end, I'm not sure if Chasing Lucky is my favorite out of her books, but it's because I love them all (I think I even rate them all 5 stars?). It is my favorite setting out of all, though. There's just something beautiful about Beauty, and I wish it was a real place so I could visit it. If you haven't read any of Jenn Bennett's books, I definitely recommend this one. And if you love her other books, I think you won't be disappointed.

this was so cute! it’s actually my first jenn bennett book and it did not disappoint, now to add the rest of her books to my tbr! lucky was honestly so cute, and josie has such an interesting backstory with her secretive mom!! i couldn’t put it down.

When I pick up a Jenn Bennett book, I expect a cute and quirky story with fun banter and lots of drama. Chasing Lucky was all those things.

What I Liked

-I’ve read some so-so reviews of this book, so I went in with lowered expectations and I think that worked out for me. I enjoyed Chasing Lucky. While it felt a little too long at times, I did fly through this 400+ page book in about 24 hours.

-While Josie did frustrate me (more on that later), she was mostly pretty likable.

-I adored Lucky! He was so precious. He put on a front for awhile, but once he and Josie started spending more time together, he kind of wore his heart on his sleeve and was just so sweet. He pretty much made this book for me.

-I definitely shipped Josie and Lucky together. I loved watching their friendship grow into more. I thought they went really well together. And I loved their banter!

What Didn’t Work for Me

-I felt like there were too many storylines that were just enough to add some drama, but lacked any real substance. Josie has a cousin in a horribly toxic relationship and it’s not really given the attention such a serious topic deserves. There’s a lot of stuff Josie says about her mother’s actions and possible depression that aren’t really explored. Lucky’s behavior is attributed to an event that is explained in about a paragraph and barely addressed again, even though it’s pretty obvious the boy would benefit from some mental health counseling. I just wish some of these would have been either cut out or addressed more fully. I didn’t feel closure with any of them. It just added a lot of unnecessary drama and made this book much longer than it needed to be.

-Bennett went to a lot of trouble of describing the cute and quirky town and while it sounded like it should be charming, I felt like we weren’t supposed to like it. While the town is cute, basically every person in it sucks. Except for Luck’s family.

-One of my biggest pet peeves is when all the drama is caused by lack of communication and that was basically the whole plot of this book. Josie’s family is famous for their inability to communicate and it drove me nuts. They did eventually get better by the end of the book, but it didn’t lessen my frustration with them.

-Josie does something she shouldn’t and Lucky ends up taking all the blame for it and it really made me mad that Josie just let him. Even when it became obvious that he could get in serious trouble for it, she just kept her mouth shut. I had a hard time respecting her at all for awhile.

Overall

Overall, I enjoyed Chasing Lucky. I loved Lucky and shipped Josie with him. I liked their banter and the romance. There was a little too much drama and lack of communication for me, though. I think some of it could have easily been cut out to make the book a little shorter and more focused. I think fans of Bennett will still enjoy this one, though.

Overall Rating (out of 5): 3.5 Stars

Josie and Lucky used to be best friends. That was before Josie's mum took her away from the town of Beauty just after Lucky was burnt in a fire. Now that they are back after 5 years of wandering Lucky seems to be a bad boy, a bad boy who turns up everywhere Josie goes. Will they manage to rebuild their friendship over the feeling of abandonment and gossip? Will their bond change into something more?
I really enjoyed this book, especially witty dialogues between two main characters who couldn't stop flirting.

Title: Chasing Lucky
Author: Jenn Bennett
Pub. Date: November 10, 2020
Rating: 3

This will be a spoiler free review. Thanks to NetGalley for providing a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to love this book. I thought I was going to love it. My expectations were that I was going to love it. So, I’m really bummed that I didn’t.
I don’t even know if I can really pinpoint exactly what I didn’t jive with in this book. I want to say the characters, because I really didn’t buy into their relationship. I didn’t like Josie, and I didn’t really care for Lucky.
They kind of felt like caricatures of characters and they didn’t feel like teenagers.
Maybe if this book had been NA – even though I would say it’s Upper YA already – their characters would have made more sense to me.
But if I had to think about it, I think maybe my biggest issue were the emotional weights in this book. They felt like they were all over the place. I felt like I wasn’t feeling the right emotions at the right times and that kept pulling me out of the book. The weird emotional weights mixed with the characters just created a mess in my head.
For two teens, Josie and Lucky didn’t have the emotional maturity…immaturity of them. I get that they’ve both been through some stuff and those kind of things can cause you to grow up faster, but they felt juxtaposed doing typical teen stuff, with emotional ranges of adults…or how they thought adults felt, and it just felt wrong to me. For me, it didn’t work.
I also didn’t like how photography was such a huge part of Josies life, and other than a few moments, we don’t see her taking pictures. And Lucky’s whole I’m a bad boy shtick, felt like that, a shtick. Also, I kind of hate his name. Ultimately, I just wasn’t a fan of either of them. I really didn’t care for any of the characters, actually, now that I think about it. None of them made a truly lasting impression.
I will say that the formatting of the eARC I had was atrocious and made it a little difficult to read, so there could be a very real possibility that contributed to my dislike.
I’m so bummed I didn’t enjoy this book, and I think some of my irritation is stemming from that. This book wasn’t horrible, it wasn’t. It just wasn’t for me. While that sucks, I do recommend you check out this book when it comes out in November. This was my first Jenn Bennett book, and I’m definitely going to check out some of her other books. I enjoyed her writing style, and I felt like I was in New England, she brought the town of Beauty to life in my mind. I’m just sad this book wasn’t it for me, and that happens. So, check out Chasing Lucky when it comes out in November!

This is the first book I've read by Jenn Bennett and I'll be honest. What has always drawn me to her books ( I have several others downloaded to my kindle already) are the covers. There is something immediately appealing about her titles and the artwork.
I am so pleased to say that what was inside of "Chasing Lucky" more than matched the cover for me. I immediately fell in love with the town of Beauty primarily because it's on the East Coast and near the ocean, both true loves of mine. Throw in some strong women, hints of curses and a good looking motorcycle riding guy and I was sold.
It was easy to become invested in Shutterbug and her trials and triumphs. I enjoyed watched the relationship with her mother, and the mother's relationship with HER mother, evolve and develop. There are themes of friendship between childhood friends and cousins that add to the story line.
The fact that Josie and Lucky started as best friends and then fell in love hit home for me. I also appreciate that Bennett didn't sugar coat anything. She paints a true portrait of tough issues like single parenthood, betrayal, promiscuity, family dysfunction and poverty and still creates a charming story that still embraces romance and levity. I completely enjoyed this book and can't read to go back and read her previous books (with the awesome covers). As a high school librarian, I will definitely be putting a copy on the shelves. Thank you for giving me such a great reading experience!

Once again, Jenn Bennett succeeds at writing a YA contemporary romance with great characters, good drama, and even better sense of place. The characters are just quirky enough to set them apart from most YA characters and the drama that unfolds is not only relatable but important in this day in age. My biggest issue, though, is that I'm tired of the bad boy love interest is secretly a sweetheart trope, which is the crux of this book. I don't mind that characters are multi-faceted, but it's hard to see how someone with a bad boy reputation can also be considered sweet and kind and it happens too often in YA.

The drama that ensues in this story is caused by lack of good communication between Josie and almost everybody she has a relationship with, which also came across annoying. While I understand that the point of the book was that their family has a lot of communication issues, I wanted to grab Josie by the shoulders and shake some sense into her when she made poor choices because she wouldn't just go talk to someone about what happened or what was said.

Did I enjoy the book, though? Yes. Did some parts annoy me? Also, yes. But would I recommend it to fans of YA contemporary romance, especially fans of Jenn Bennett's other books? Most definitely.

Jenn Bennett is one of my favorite authors and this book is my favorite. I read it in one sitting and could not put it down.

✨Chasing Lucky by Jenn Bennett✨⁣
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So it’s no secret around here that I am a big fan of Jenn’s writing. I’ve absolutely loved the last two of her books that I’ve read and Chasing Lucky does not disappoint either!⁣
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I would say of her books, this is most similar to ‘Serious Moonlight’ in terms of pace and having a few stories intertwined throughout the main one. ⁣
You will absolutely fall in love with Lucky as soon as you start reading, he is the perfect bad-boy-but-not -actually-really-a-bad-boy!⁣
⁣ ⁣
Here is the blurb...⁣
“Budding photographer Josie Saint-Martin has spent half her life with her single mother, moving from city to city. When they return to her historical New England hometown years later to run the family bookstore, Josie knows it’s not forever. Her dreams are on the opposite coast, and she has a plan to get there.⁣
⁣
What she doesn’t plan for is a run-in with the town bad boy, Lucky Karras. Outsider, rebel…and her former childhood best friend. Lucky makes it clear he wants nothing to do with the newly returned Josie. But everything changes after a disastrous pool party, and a poorly executed act of revenge lands Josie in some big-time trouble—with Lucky unexpectedly taking the blame.⁣
⁣
Determined to understand why Lucky was so quick to cover for her, Josie discovers that both of them have changed, and that the good boy she once knew now has a dark sense of humor and a smile that makes her heart race. And maybe, just maybe, he’s not quite the brooding bad boy everyone thinks he is…” ⁣
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The story between Lucky and Josie is definitely my favourite part of the book but I also just adored the family relationships that were explored and resolved too between Josie and her whole family!⁣
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This is a super sweet coming of age YA, it has Jenn’s trademark heartfelt writing and is such a lovely read!⁣
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Mark your calendars as it’s out May 5th (although I think it might be out June 11th in the UK.) Advanced copy from Netgalley ✨

What Jenn Bennett does to my reading soul is simply the best, I can rely on her that her books will hit the spot, make me happy and smile. CHASING LUCKY was no exception and this story of old friends getting to know one another as teens was gorgeous. There was an eclectic story that had Bennett’s characteristic uniqueness and whit; I got wholly wrapped up in all of it.

Lucky was Josie’s best friend until she left town with her mom, age 12. Returning at age 17 was a different experience with Lucky 2.0, family issues, a mom who frankly was hard to fathom and the grandmother matriarch from hell. Lucky 2.0 though, was the kind of puzzle worth fathoming.

“Whoa,” Evie says, leaning over the counter to peer out the window with me. “Got to admit. Phantom cleans up real nice. He’s the male Medusa. Don’t look into his eyes. Might get your pregnant.”

If you’re familiar with Jenn Bennett’s male characters, you’ll be pleased to know that Lucky was one of her most excellent beta male creations. I loved him in every way; he was genuine, with personality in bucket loads. Josie’s journey to friendship and more with Lucky was worth every page turn.

Josie’s family relationships made for avid reading. The family was truly dysfunctional but not beyond help in most cases. Josie’s relationship with her mother was probably the most frustrating but I felt pretty annoyed with Evie too at moments. The family was able to make me laugh though.

“Be careful” is all Mom warns me very seriously. I’ve got this. It’s only grandmother. Not an actual weapon of war.

I read this book with a smile on my face some of the time. That’s all the recommendation that you need. Go forth and enjoy.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster for the early review copy.

I went into CHASING LUCKY with a little bit of trepidation as my last few forays with Bennett post-STARRY EYES haven't been great. Some I liked ish, others I didn't at all, so when the first 30% of this book was both not wow'ing me and also veering into not great, uncomfortable, directions? I was anticipating the worst.

But this did, eventually, level out for me. And that up there isn't a pity round up.

This story does give off a bit of a STARRY EYES vibe in the sense that Josie and Lucky were friends as young'ins and then something happened to split them apart and now they are trying to reconnect and understand, and navigate, the whys of what happened. And also maybe what could happen if they got close again. I'm still not quite sure I feel we got any real closure, or explanation, as to why they couldn't continue their friendship from afar but, honestly, that's the least of my complaints (don't worry, I really did like it, but yikes). Overall I do think there maybe was a bit of a pacing issue? Or maybe it's just that we were thrown into a town, and a world, where there's so much history and so many pre-existing characters from the backstory, that you're kind of left playing catch up, and not always getting as much time spent on some things, giving them their due, and others have too much time spent on them or spent on nothing much at all? It did sorta give me the Stars Hollow vibe of Gilmore Girls, mixed in with a non-magical Practical Magic-esque family, so that gave it some feeling of familiarity but also the book was also nothing like those things, so. Samey but not?

One of the main components of this story deals with side-bar relationship between Josie's cousin and an on-again-off-again boyfriend, who causes a lot of drama outside of his stalking and drunken nonsense, and that whole thing? It's good to see it on page for the younger readers, to understand it's not acceptable, but yikes how I hated it. So that's a personal thing for me. I can handle uncomfortable subject matter, have read heaps of things worse than this, but it just rubbed me wrong. And it's supposed to. Again, I don't know. Maybe I just wasn't in the right headspace to deal with it, because we also have lots of lies and miscommunications amongst all sorts of characters, and that ontop of the toxic BS? It was just a lot.

But there was also a bunch of good, too, a bunch of sweet, a bunch of gentle fun, mixed in there in the middle. We had a few big revelations that turned the tide for both the main character and her family and it was around that time where this story just really worked for me. I love that moment where you get the payoff and things come together. I don't know that I quite liked Josie but I could feel for some of her baggage. And I really liked Lucky. And, as a pair, I really liked when they were sweet on each other and to each other; even when they bickered. Maybe especially then? This story is a bit strange in that so much happens and also not much, it's both loud and kind of quiet. I did get to that like stage for CHASING LUCKY but this won't be a favourite.

If you're a Bennett fan, I think you'll be very happy. If you've yet to read this author and are looking for more good YA contemporary, you can't go wrong

I think everyone who knows me, follows me on social media, or has seen any of my posts anywhere.. you might know Jenn Bennett is by far my favorite YA contemporary author. I’ve loved everything she has written. I still think about some of my favorites, and most of them were read way over a year ago! Her writing is addictive and fun, her characters are relatable and real, and her books feel very mature for the age of her characters.

I feel like it’s important to point out that I am 22 years old and have been noticing my lack of enjoyment to YA contemporary recently, even though it used to be a fav, just because I just can’t relate to the characters anymore. I have been leaning towards Adult romance way more, but I never pass up the opportunity to read Jenn Bennett’s newest releases, and I always manage to connect to her characters, even though they are younger than me and still in high school.

I want to start off this review by talking about her characters. I love how real they are. I’ve enjoyed watching the struggles Josie goes through. I liked that she, as well as Lucky, had flaws. Teens are not perfect. Hell, no one is perfect. And I feel like Bennett always portrays these teens so well and authentically. I enjoyed reading about her issues with her family, specially with her mom, and I enjoyed the growth their relationship had by the end of the story. I loved her friendship with Evie, and I enjoyed seeing that it wasn’t perfect either - friends fight... and even more so if you’re also family.

I also really loved the romance. I loved the little twists the author always adds to the tropes she uses. We had the classic childhood best friends, but also a little bit of dislike in the beginning when they reconnect again, and then they become friends again before they ever dive into anything deeper. It was such a fun and sweet relationship, and their interactions were always fun to read. If you enjoyed The Anatomical Shape of A Heart you might enjoy this one a lot as well. Not only was the romance giving me the same bad boy vibes, but a few of the family struggles & Josie’s fights with her mom reminded me of TASOAH!

Another thing I always enjoy is how sex positive Bennett’s books always are. It’s something I feel is so important to include in YA, and it makes me so happy to see her always include it. I sometimes I wish i had read these books in my early teens, and I’m glad other teens have that opportunity. Portraying sex positivity in these books is so important, and she always does is brilliantly.

Lastly, I really enjoyed the setting & plot of the story. I love reading books set in a small town, and the addition of a family owned bookstore was the cherry on top. The curse plot was so fun too! I think it added a lot of depth to the Saint-Martin family, and made me understand the women a little bit better!

All in all, another winner in my book. I wouldn’t say it’s a fav, I don’t think anything can ever top Alex, Approximately and Starry Eyes for me, but it was still an enjoyable read with everything that I love about Jenn Bennett’s books!

Jenn Bennett does it again! I swear, this woman cannot write a bad romance contemporary. I'll admit I did struggle to get into the book a little bit, but once the love interest made his appearance I was sucked right in. 

I like the way that Jenn weaves a romance plot in with familial conflict. This book had it, and it focused on communication, and even some touches on mental health - depression. Jenn adds these into the story in a way that really gives life to the book, and a realistic aspect that I really appreciated.

If you've read a Jenn Bennett book before (the romance ones at least), you'll be no stranger to her writing and plot/conflict . This one was a best friends to lovers, with the best friend being a softie on the inside with a bad boy reputation. Which is literally one of my all time favorite tropes. So, of course, I ate this book up.

I don't really have much else to say other than I really freaking loved this book and I'm pretty much dedicated to writing all of this woman's contemporary novels.

I received this free eARC novel from NetGalley. This is my honest review.

I was very intrigued by the synopsis of this book, so I'm very glad I got it as an early copy. And for the most part I enjoyed it. I loved the feeling of being in a small town - reminded me of my hometown I grew up in. Josie is a bit dramatic, but her whole family is so I can't blame her for her genes.

The one thing I wish more than anything is that people start COMMUNICATING to each other. In books and in real life, honestly. SO many things would have gone better if everyone would have said what they were thinking instead of just assuming things. But that is life, isn't it?

I liked Lucky but he had his issues as well in this novel. Plus he definitely didn't make things easier on anyone with the attitude he had.

Seeing Lucky and Josie get reacquainted with one another was probably my favorite part of this novel because they were becoming the friends they once were, but also something more.

I'm glad I got a chance to read this eARC. I have a feeling many readers will enjoy this novel.

**3.75 stars**
Jenn Bennett is proving to become an auto read and buy author. She crafts great stories with complex feelings, growth, raw emotions and great settings. This was a fun and cute story to see how Josie lets down her guard and lets her ;childhood best friend back in. I liked how Bennett shows how Josie is a product of family mistakes that don't get fixed and how she repeats them but learns to change. Lucky grew on me, with his honesty and his quiet way of being strong. The way he sticks up for Josie in the end shows great trust that needs to be in YA books more often. While some plot threads were too neatly wrapped up and the token rich kid whose a jerk wasn't really dealt with was a little disappointing. But still another fun and well written installment. Can't wait to see what she writes next.

Jenn Bennett is my go-to YA contemporary author. She writes the genre so perfectly. Her writing has plenty of humor and wit, but allows for darker moments, cute moments, and heartbreaking moments. I really loved the setting for this book: a small harbor town fueled by gossip (oof this is a little too close to home for me). She managed to make the town of Beauty feel alive and I felt transported there.

This book has the perfect blend of romance and drama. I never wanted to put it down. Chasing Lucky was perfectly paced, with something interesting always happening. There was honestly never a single dull or boring moment. Between the relationship building between Lucky and Josie, the tension and resentment growing between Josie and her mother, and the added aspect of Adrian and the citizens of Beauty- this book is addictive.

Once again here to gush about how great of an author Jenn Bennett is. Her characters are just always so realistic, down to earth, and relatable. Each one has their quirks and unique personalities that make them seem so real. Josie is an aspiring photographer, who is tired of being dragged around the country by her mother. Lucky is... well, the mystery of who he is half the fun of this book. But when you find out? Yeah you’ll love him, like I do. Josie and Lucky are absolutely adorable, and I loved their banter so much. I also really loved the relationship between Josie and her mom, and her entire family as a whole. They were just as interesting as the romance plotline.

Full review to come closer to release date (and to be posted on all social media and retailers).

I love all of Jenn Bennett’s books, which keep getting better and better. Smart, sexy, feminist, and funny, Chasing Lucky is no exception!

Jenn Bennett has done it ONCE AGAIN.
I am in love with Jenn's books, not even going to try disguising that, but each new book she publishes make me fall more and more in love with them. She just has this magical way of making the characters feel so authentic. The issues they encounter are real and situations other teens and young adults have been through. They aren't your typical ones either.

In Chasing Lucky, Josie feels she's been cursed just like every other female in her family: she tends to fall in love stupidly and make terrible romantic decisions. When her mother moves them back to the town where she grew up, she's expecting to love it, but everything she hopes won't happen actually does. The quiet New England town quickly brings up her mom's past and turns into being about Josie. Then, out of the blue, she finds her childhood best friend Lucky DOES still live in town, even though he's changed. A lot. Gone is the nerdy boy that played DnD with her by the bay. Here is Lucky 2.0, town troublemaker and resident bad boy. He keeps popping back into her life and just isn't quite sure what these feelings are she's having.

I never knew that ex best friends to friends to...you know what was a trope I loved, but this book showed me that it's really something I can get into. I was drawn in to every conversation, every moment Josie and Lucky shared. The ticking time bomb of her grandmother coming back home and the decisions she'd have to make when that happened loomed above our heads the entire time I was reading and I found myself getting nearly as panicked as Josie wondering when that would happen.

The reasons for Lucky's change into Lucky 2.0 are heartbreaking, the way that the characters develop and grow over the course of the book inspires you to do the same. I really just can't say enough about Jenn Bennett's books and I can't wait to see the finished copy. The formatting is always spot on and I know this won't disappoint. A must read for sure!

I'm quickly becoming a big fan of Jenn Bennett and her Chasing Lucky is catapulting my love of her work. I'm finding it more and more difficult to not become very irritated with a protagonist in love stories because I start to find them annoying. Josie wasn't like that. I loved that Bennett created a vulnerable young girl who was confident and secure enough to open herself up to someone she was once closest too. I loved that the two characters boosted each other up and helped themselves find the best version of themselves. I'm also a sucker for the best friends turn lovers theme.

I'm a huge fan of Jenn Bennett - I've read everything she's written. This might be my least favorite of hers. I didn't dislike it, but nothing about it struck me as exciting or memorable. I read it a couple of days ago and I actually had to go back and read the synopsis to remind me what it was about and what the characters' names were. Not a great sign! But I'll still be picking up whatever she writes next.