I have to say that this was an odd read for me. I felt like it wanted to be a psych thriller but also a thriller…but also a family drama. It definitely kept me hooked, but I’m not sure it was for the right reasons.
To begin with, I really didn’t like any of the characters, except for Lexi (more on her in a minute). After finishing the book, I totally understand why the author wrote them all the way she did (especially Jake) but in the midst of reading, they all pretty much came across as unlikeable.
I suppose that could be chalked up to the overall theme that “money corrupts.” It certainly seemed as if Emily and Jake got more carried away than Logan and Lexi did. That could absolutely be because teenage boys need a lot less to be happy than teenage girls? I don’t know.
But the frimily (as Lexi called them) also didn’t seem to be likeable, almost to the point where I kept wondering how they had all remained friends for so long even before they fell out.
The story is primarily Lexi’s although we do get a few chapters here and there from Emily’s point of view. As such, we are supposed to (I think) feel sorry for Lexi as she stands to be the voice of reason when the rest of the family goes a little off the rails.
I have to agree with one of the other characters, though, that there were times where she came across as sanctimonious. Maybe that was (again) because the others lost their marbles a bit.
About half-way through, the action began to pick up, with the planning of an event and lots of fall out from it. I started to feel like there was too much going on. It might have just been my frame of mind when I was reading, which was entirely possible.
It seemed that everything started to go a little gonzo and not all of the choices seemed rational to me. Again, could just be illustrative of money giving people bad judgment. There was definitely a lot of that.
Characters like Colleen and Toma had interesting roles in the bigger picture, but they kind of faded and came back into focus. There were some moments near the end where I thought one of them was going to have a much bigger part in the whole story…but they didn’t.
There were also a few things that seemed to come out of nowhere as issues were revealed and resolved. And the last couple of chapters felt hurried to me, especially with the information that they contained.
The last chapter actually raised more questions for me than answering anything. It did make me re-evaluate what I thought I understood from earlier in the story, and I even went back to read a few sections to see if I could have caught what the author was plotting.
I would recommend this book but hold on to your hat because it really goes a bunch of different directions leading to the climax.

Don’t we all dream of winning the lottery? Lexi and her husband Jake are big winners when their numbers finally are picked. Unfortunately two other couples think they should get a share of the winnings. For 15 years the three couples have played the same numbers together. Did the other couple’s put in their share for this ticket or not? They say yes! Lawyers get involved and the stories are varied depending who you are listening to. Meanwhile Jake goes crazy with a spending spree that shocks Lexi. In fact Jake’s personality seems to be completely changing. So what was the true story about the lottery win? You have to read this one to find out. Thank you Harlequin Books for my free review Netgalley copy.

A winning lottery ticket. All your dreams are about to come true. But what if it turns into a nightmare instead?

Lexi and Jake just hit the jackpot! They are over the moon and ready to spend their winnings. But there may be one small problem. Two other couples went in week after week on lottery tickets with Jake and Lexi…until last week.

Can these two couples still stake a claim to the winnings?

This read captured me from the beginning as I was caught up in the excitement with our winning couple. But as the former friends spoke up wanting their share my anxiety was off the charts. Why you ask?💁🏻‍♀️. I’m not sure what it was about this scenario that left me completely unsettled.

I do play the lottery occasionally but after reading this book I will not be participating in a lottery pool!🙈

A buddy read with Susanne!

Posted to: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend...

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing.

Review posted to blog: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend.com/

Anxiety Inducing!

I used to think winning the lottery would be an amazing thing, however after reading this book, I have changed my mind.

From greed, to overzealous spending, to truly despicable characters, “Just My Luck” gave me heart palpitations.

Lexi plays the same numbers on the lottery year after year with nothing to show for it, until one day when she wins it big. I’m talking $18 Million Pounds (think $25.5 Million Dollars). For years their friends had a pool and played the same numbers, but the weekend before, their friends pulled out of the pool and low and behold, the following week Lexi wins and now their friends want a piece of the pie.

Can you say MEOW?!

A display of how despicably people act when money is on the line.

From the exorbitant purchases made, to his complete disregard for his wife, Jake, Lexi’s husband, made my blood boil. Though this novel ramps up in suspense as the novel gets going, I admit that the premise made me way too anxious and frankly, gave me nightmares.

Thank goodness I had a glass of bourbon in hand, and a buddy to read this book with. Kaceey - I wouldn’t haven’t gotten through this one without you!
2.5 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin - Mira and Adele Parks for the arc.

Published on Goodreads and Twitter.

Oh my!! Money did change a lot of people especially when they won the lottery of £17.8 million.

Lexie and Jake bought a lottery every week with the same numbers where 4 of their friends contributed money too. And one day after a dal out with their friends, Lexie bought one. And they won. Then came the nasty from the woodwork wanting a piece of the win.

The author Adele Parks brought out the delicious pearls of human psyche. Good and bad. The writing was on dot. The author added a parallel story about a homeless man who lost his family in a boiler burst. It was obvious there had to some connection, and soon the man Toma played an important role.

With multiple POVs, I was shown the changed dynamics, some of them really horrified me, especially husband Jake. He was a louse. The friends soon brought in lawyers to fight for the slice of the pie.

It was an interesting premise, to begin with, then dragged a bit on the mid section, finally ending in a surprise. I would say there was an honest portrayal of human behavior, especially when they became nouveau-rich overnight.

The characters were quite typical in their attitude. I wished Lexi showed a bit of a backbone in most of the book. But overall it was a fun read.

This was such an exciting ride! Dramatic and fun and witty. Just my luck is an amazing story to eat right up.

Having read Adele Parks before, I knew I wanted to check out her new book Just My Luck when I heard it was coming out. Adele Parks is well known for her domestic thrillers and I love a good thriller. Just My Luck was definitely full of twist and turns.

The story follows Lexie mostly as her family wins 17 million pounds in the lottery and right away drama ensues. They use to have a syndicate with friends to share it, but people backed out the week before. Now they want a cut. The husband is spending money like he will never run out and tensions are definitely high. I don’t want to spoil the story, but there are lawyers, there are giant parties, there are a LOT of secrets, and there is criminal activity!

One thing I was not loving about this book is the filler space. It seemed that the characters inner monologues were very active and went on and on even when the information wasn’t all that useful. It sometimes came across as just trying to fill space and made the story drag. The last 1/3 of the book was definitely not dragging and is where most of my happiness with this story comes from. I wish the rest of the book flowed as smoothly and as exciting as the end.

With that said, the end definitely made up for some of that lag in the beginning, but I definitely still remember it. I did enjoy the book and Adele Parks definitely knows how to write a story that makes you want to know how it is going to end. And with all my guesses, I never figured it out until the very end. I’ll definitely keep reading Parks’ books when they come out.

If you love domestic thrillers, Adele Parks is your girl. Check out Just My Luck on April 6, 2021 when it releases and you won’t be disappointed.

I really wanted to like this book and give it a higher score than 3.  

Lexi and her husband Jake have been buying lottery tickets with two other couples for the past 15 years.  The three couples have spent every weekend together and their kids are close.  The family's seem inseparable until Lexi and Jake win the lottery.  Although, the other families have pooled in with them for the lottery tickets all these years.  The Heathcotes and Pearson no longer want to participate until the lottery ticket wins.  Slowly you see the relationship between these families unfold.
Jake has suddenly become very impulsive and on a never ended spending spree.  Lexi remains reserved and cautious.  I found most of the characters in this book annoying and I didn't develop any connections with them.  There were a bunch of plot twists in this book but I wasn't too vested in the story.

Adele Parks books ever fail to engage me draw me in keep me up late reading.This one about winning the lottery and it’s aftereffect on a group of couple was a dark page turner,really enjoyed.# netgalley#harlequin

What happens when your world is suddenly unrecognizable - when everything, everyone, you thought you knew; in fact, you built your life around; is suddenly, dramatically (explosively) shifted.

Meet Lexi Greenwood. Wife. Mother. Friend.

Lexi and her family live in a quiet middle-class British suburb just outside of London. Lexi is dedicated, compassionate, a tireless worker for social justice, a “worthy” person (if a bit of a stick-in-the-mud) when compared to her two closest and more glamorous friends, Carla and Jennifer. The three of them, along with their spouses, Lexi’s children and her work, are the pillars of Lexi’s life - a life comfortable and solid, cozily unexamined.

Until, quite suddenly, everything changes.

A toss of the dice, a gigantic lottery win, and Lexi, her husband Jake and teenage children, Emily and Logan, are, in the blink of an eye, fabulously and mind-bogglingly rich.

What would you do with £17.8M?

In one dramatic moment - Lexi’s family’s world becomes one of luxury, bliss, decadence. A chance to own and experience every material thing ever thought about or wanted. An opportunity to give to charities, share the wealth and do good, so much good in a world Lexi knows first-hand to be desperately in need of.

And just as suddenly, wild and enviable wealth is an open invitation to unimaginable darkness.

Yes. Wealth beyond Lexi’s wildest dreams cannot help but be life-altering. Or does it merely crack wide open what has been there all along?

Lies.

A great big thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an advance review copy of this thrilling and explosive book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts presented are my own.

Do you play the lottery? What would you do if you won £17.8 million? Would you share it, keep it all for  yourself or would spend like there is no tomorrow? Just My Luck by Adele Parkes demonstrates a few of the scenarios likely to occur in such a situation. All I will say is, I am glad I don't play the lottery.

Just My Luck by Adele Parks was all sorts of crazy.  From start to finish it had me wracking my brain, trying to come with words to describe these characters. Greedy, deceitful and evil would be the most fitting words.  They had no redeeming qualities whatsoever, and the deeper the reader got into the story the worst they got. Thank goodness not all were like that. 

The heroine, Lexi despite not being like the others got on my nerves for the majority of the story.  The story  portrayed her as someone without a backbone, who allowed her greedy and conniving husband to run roughshod over her. Then the ending revealed her in  light that ran contrary to what was previously portrayed.

This story acts as the perfect guide as to what one should not do when playing the lottery and the pitfalls to avoid if by chance one wins.  The actions of  the main characters shocked and dismayed me. The lengths they went through to get their hands on the money. Mind you these people were friends for fifteen years and all it took was £17.8 million to destroy it all.  The person who actions proved to be most shocking of all was Jake, Lexi's husband.  His greed came to light early in the story, but his actions near to the end shocked me to the core. How can a person be so evil?

Conclusion/Recommendation

Despite my not being a huge fan of the characters I could not put the book down. I had to know how it would all end, and what an ending.  Everyone got what they each deserved.  Just My Luck is a well paced thriller, which  will have you turning the pages. Fans of domestic thrillers should consider adding it to their shelves.

Imagine winning the lottery after you've just had a falling out with your friends whom you happened to be in a lottery pool with every week until now. That is the premise of Just My Luck. 3 couples for 15 years have bought a lottery ticket together, until now when a rift left Lexi and Jake to buy their own ticket. However The other two families feel that they need a portion of the winnings, and they aren't going to take no as an answer, but how far will they go to get some of the winnings?

This is a slow burn, and one that I probably could have passed up from reading. I really wasn't a fan of any of the characters in the story and felt like there was way too much drama going on. I'll admit, the ending twist was entertaining, but it wasn't worth the read in order to get to it. This is a re-release of this novel. If you have read it, I would love to hear your thoughts about it!

Just My Luck by Adele Parks is one of those books that initially interested me, but once I started reading I could not finish it. It just didn't hold my interest. Good premise, but poor execution.

WOW!! Just wow! Adele Parks has truly written a page turner here. Lots of surprises to be had too.

I think most people have dreamed of winning the lotto. I know my hubby and I have. Though I honestly have always said that we are not rich for a reason. I believe it would have made us so different if we had been rich or won. I'm afraid of what it would have done to our lives. Would it have torn us apart. Made our love and respect for each other weak and useless? I believe we are meant to be right where we are. After reading this book I am even more sure of that... We may not be rich but we are happy. We have each other!

"You never know your luck, our numbers might come up next week, and then all our lives will change forever." How true these words are. Little did the three couples know exactly how true.

Lexi and Jake have been friends with Patrick, Carla, and Fred, Jennifer, have been friends for over fifteen years. They get together at one's home each week to eat, drink and socialize. Also to play the lottery. They dream of what they will do with the money should they ever win....

When the numbers come up and they do win things take a huge turn. The three couples lives will never be the same. Greed, hate, selfishness, and kindness take over each person's life. Jake is to me the worse person in this whole story. From the minute he and Lexi win it seems like he changed. He became a very self centered man. It was all about me me me.. Lexi didn't wish for big things. She started wanting to help other right from the start. But they did cut out their best friends. When you read this you will understand why.

This is a story that will make you have deep feelings about a few things. It's two stories that run together. At the beginning you meet Toma, who lost his wife and child. He lost everything after that. He gave up on life. You will find out all that happened and who was at fault. Who helped him and was truly his friend. This book is deep in my opinion. It shows what extent people will go too for money. I think the children did exactly as a child would. No matter how good a parent you are if you come into lots of money the child is going to want things. Expensive things. That is just being a child. They want what other kids have. Human nature possibly at it's worse but it's there.

A lot happens to Lexi and her family after they win the lottery. Some things will leave you breathless. A few shocks thrown in to make it even more intense. At least for me it was. When I read one sentence my breath literally hitched. I was not expecting it. Not all of it anyway.

The ending brings all answers. Closes great. You won't be left with any questions. The characters are mostly unlikable with the exception of Lexi and Toma. I loved them both. The children of course. You have to love them. They are just children who do stupid things sometimes and end up regretting...

Thank you #NetGalley, #AdeleParks, #Harlequin, for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

I gave it 5/5 stars. I was going to go with 4/5 but when all was revealed I had to go with that extra star. It was in my humble opinion brilliantly done. I do highly recommend this one.

If you have ever dreamt about what you would do if you won the lottery, this book will make you think twice about buying that ticket! Three couples are best friends who buy lottery tickets together. When they finally hit it big, they start to realize some of them are awful people. This was a quick read that is suitable for a beach holiday. The characters in this book are so horrible you will keep reading just to know what happens!

The publisher made a copy of this book available for review via Netgalley. This is my honest review.

Just My Luck is the perfect book for anyone who has ever played the lottery. Adele Parks writes an intriguing story about a group who play the lottery and finally win. The impact of the winning lottery ticket leads to major drama.

Lexi and Jake win the lottery and find their whole lives upended. First, even though they both feel like they are united in how to move forward with this unexpected turn of events, the reader slowly becomes aware of how divided the couple is and how their problems reach far deeper than a sudden change in lifestyle. Lexi wants nothing more than to keep her life normal by continuing her job and staying in her home and giving the majority of the money to charity, but Jake is determined to begin living the high life and starts spending carelessly and outrageously.

As the couple is trying to adjust to the new issues facing them, they must contend with the animosity of their friends: two other couples whom they have weekly dinners with, and, who it turns out, have all donated to a pot of money to purchase weekly lotto tickets to play the same numbers week after week. The difference this time was that the other two couples had decided to back out of the weekly pot, but Lexi had bought a ticket that week anyway, playing the same usual numbers.

As the couples hire lawyers and fight this one out, secrets come to light, and few of the people in the group were what the others thought.

I enjoyed this book - I have always thought that winning the lottery is not exactly the windfall that it might appear to be - your whole life would have to change, your friends would become suspect, and it would be hard to make new friends. All of this and more happened to Lexi and Jake, and I think it is a good tale of what happens on the other side of a crazy, lucky win such as this. The one part of the book I didn't like was how Lexi and Jake's daughter faced one trauma after another - to the point it was just too much. I feel like Emily was the one who paid a price in spades for the lottery win. I did like the twist ending, I wasn't quite ready for how it all played out, which is always fun to read a book with an unpredictable ending.

Good book - I would recommend this for someone who wasn't quite sure what they were in the mood to read or who was looking for something entirely different than there normal genres or authors.

For 15 years three families have gone in together on the lottery. One week, two of the families decide it's not for them anymore, it's stupid and they never win anyway. The third family continues to buy the ticket the next week and they win 17.8 million pounds. Should they share the winnings with their friends or keep it all for themselves? Jake the husband in the winning family is ready to keep the money and is spending it before it hits their bank account. The kids are all on board. Lexi, the wife is a little more hesitant. They go from living day by day to not having to worry about a thing, but it's all too much. They decide to throw a party to celebrate the win and from that moment life will never be the same.

Thanks to Harlequin/Mira and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.


At the start of the book, I wasn't sure how the story was going to go. But knowing Adele Parks like I do, I knew I had to hold on because there was going to be something to look forward to. As you go through the book, little twists are thrown at you. Adultery, teenage pregnancy, robbery, fighting, theft, secrets, and more. Sometimes winning the lottery isn't all it's cracked up to be.

What would you do if you won the lottery? Would you go public if you didn't have to? Would you spend all of the money right away?

Just my Luck by Adele Parks is a fantastic book.
The premise is quite different. I really enjoyed this book.
Two couples go in every week for a lottery ticket.
The couples have a falling out and stop going in on the lottery ticket.
Thats when the first couple hits the lottery and all heck breaks loose.
This was such a great book that I highly recommend!