Just My Luck is a fun and thrilling read, one that is a poignant reminder of why one should never mix friends and money.

Lexi has picked the same numbers for the lottery – for fifteen years straight. They were her lucky numbers, even if they never won her or her friends any money. That is, until the day their numbers were pulled.

They say that money can't buy happiness – and that's a lesson Lexi is about to learn the hard way. What it can buy is a whole lot of trouble, betrayal, and heartbreak. Not exactly what Lexi had in mind when she started this tradition all those years ago.

“The numbers glare at me from the computer – 1,8,20,29,49,58. Numbers I am so familiar with, yet they seem peculiar and unbelievable.”

The premise in Just My Luck is an enticing one – a dream gone wrong. Lexi (and her friends) had a special bond over the numbers they repeatedly used for the lottery, and it's that very bond that got torn apart because of it all.

There's irony there, sure. But it goes deeper than that as well. I was shocked by how far events went in this novel. It's easy to take in the summation of this story and create opinions and expectations on the matter – both of which will get twisted up along the way, as Just My Luck brings about many thrilling surprises.

Growing up, I was always told never to mix friends (or family) with money. 'It never ends well,' I was told. Well, I feel like Just My Luck is the embodiment of that sentiment. Or perhaps it's better to say that it grabs that sentiment and stretches it to the farthest points possible. Either way, it made for a fascinating read, one that really drove that point home!

Favorite Quotes:

He is being crass. I am not sure what the elegant response to winning nearly eighteen million pounds is, but I doubt it is demanding the money like a highway robber.

These so-called friends of theirs are a bunch of sharks. There are more holes in their stories than there are in my kitchen colander.

I think we both wish we were in some sort of nineties cop show where she could open the drawer of her desk and pull out a bottle of whiskey and a couple of glasses.

Toma stares at me with unadulterated admiration. It’s the best look one human being can give another. He looks at me with respect, approval, gratitude and eagerness.

How do you manage it? … Caring so much for people you don’t even know? In my experience, it’s cruel enough caring for those you do.

I wish them well, but mostly I wish them well away from us.


My Review:

I couldn’t seem to start this review for over a day, as I needed to ruminate, ponder, and mull. This was a prickly pickle. Most of the characters were not likable or annoyed me greatly as they were snide, greedy, snobby, selfish, unreliable, and conniving. They also disappointed me, as even the few likable ones tended to be wishy-washy and weak. However, I am aware that most people, regardless of culture, have a bit of all of these failings in their bag of traits. And I am also highly aware that as much as the characters were antagonizing me, I couldn’t have stopped reading about them as I was intrigued and rather desperate to know what was going to result from their flailing. The plotlines were maddeningly paced but when I reached the conclusion and looked back, I registered the cunning and shrewd craftsmanship in the storytelling. Adele Parks is a wily one.

For fifteen years, a group of six friends have bought a lottery ticket every week using the same numbers. Lexi and Jake always buy them for the group. One night, they have a fight, breaking the group apart. However, the following week, their numbers come up, and Lexi and Jake have the winning ticket. Despite their fight, their four friends want a share of the winnings. This is only the start of a series of devastating events, which they can’t recover from.

Everyone dreams of winning the lottery, but it doesn’t have the dreamy outcome everyone imagines. Once you come into a lot of money, everyone you’ve ever met expects some of it. This happened in this story when Lexi and Jake won the lottery. It was complicated since they had been in a group, buying tickets together for many years. The question is did they really had a fight and dissolve the group or are Lexi and Jake just saying that to keep the money. This prize of 18 million pounds led their lives to spiral out of control, with affairs, a kidnapping, and many betrayals.

This story had some shocking and disturbing scenes. There was some abuse of a teen and a miscarriage. These scenes were intense and made the story suspenseful, but there were many flashback scenes which slowed down the pacing. There was a lot of unnecessary information that gave a full story of all the characters, but wasn’t necessary to understand the whole plot. It would have had much faster pacing if some of the flashback scenes were shortened or cut.

This was an intense thriller that will make you think twice about buying a lottery ticket.

Thank you HarperCollins for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I am happy to be taking part in the Harlequin Trade Publishing Winter Blog Tour for Mysteries and Thrillers, featuring JUST MY LUCK by Adele Parks. I loved this book so much! The story centers on three families of best friends and what happens when one of them wins the lottery. A huge issue is that they normally – for years – have shared a ticket weekly. This time they supposedly didn’t. However what I loved about this book was that it showed how complicated money can be. People often think that all their problems will be solved if they are rich; this book shows that it can be quite the opposite. I loved the main character so much. One of my favorite parts was when they won and everyone made a list of what they would buy first. In among the expensive cars, designer clothes, and high end travel, was her item: a new couch. 🙂
This would be a GREAT choice for book clubs. What would you do with millions of dollars? And what do you think about that ending….?

Thank you for making me part of the tour and for my review copy!

Winning the lottery is something most people dream about, but what happens when your dream turns into your worst nightmare? Best-selling author Adele Parks explores this in her chilling and twisted new thriller, Just My Luck.

For the last fifteen years, Lexi and Jake have laughed, cried, celebrated and commiserated with two other couples. Having known each for so long and having shared the highs and lows of married life together, the ties that bind this tight-knit group together are rock solid. The six of them are always there for one another. Always willing to lend a helping hand, an understanding ear or a shoulder to cry on whether it’s one of the kids behaving badly, a crisis at work or a disagreement with one of their spouses, there is nothing this group wouldn’t do for one another. For almost two decades, they’ve played the same six lottery numbers and every time they fail to win anything. They always laugh it off and shrug off their disappointment and continue with their lives. After all, what are the chances of actually winning the lottery?

Life for this group follows a very predictable trajectory – until the unthinkable happens. There is a rift in the group that severs forever the bonds that have bound the six of them together so tightly for the last fifteen years. A devastating lie has put paid to both a reconciliation and to any hope that things could ever go back the way they were. As each couple vows to give the others a very wide berth, something unexpected and shocking happens: their lottery numbers come up.

Lexi and Jake might have the lottery ticket, but their former friends also want their share of the money. Those numbers weren’t just Lexi and Jake’s, but they belonged to each and every single one of them. If Lexi and Jake don’t want to listen to reason, then they have two choices: either they stop being so stubborn and give them their share of the winnings or else they pay the consequences. As the chasm between the three couple widens and widens, one thing is certain: each and every one of them is willing to do whatever it takes for the winning ticket. Even murder…

Adele Parks is so good at getting under her characters’ skins and in Just My Luck, she brilliantly examines the fragilities and frustrations of friendships and the devastating effects of lies, deception and unexpected wealth on even the strongest of relationships. Just My Luck is deftly plotted and chillingly written and Adele Parks exquisitely ratchets up the tension and despair in a nerve-twisting page-turner that kept me reading way past my bedtime.

An engrossing thriller from a talented writer, Adele Parks’ Just My Luck will make readers think twice about buying that lottery ticket this week.

Winning the lottery seems like the best thing to EVER happen to you, right? No, not always...
Well, not if you're Lexi Greenwood. Winning the lottery literally upends her entire life, from her husband who is suddenly flashing and spending the money at every opportunity, and her kids are angry that she is so uptight about the money. Friendships that have lasted 15 years come to an end, pitting each couple against each other for who gets the money in the end.
This book was bingeworthy, there were more secrets and lies unraveling on every other page. I gobbled this fantastic book up in a day. If you're looking for family drama, secrets and lies, and adults behaving badly, then I HIGHLY recommend Just My Luck by Adele Parks. It was the right combination of unlikeable characters and characters to cheer for. I rate this one ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.

Everybody wants to win the lotto. We all think that money can help all of our problems but, from this story, it’s the total opposite. This story will make you not buy another ticket for the rest of your life.

Special thanks to NetGalley, the author and Harlequin for the review copy. I devoured the plot and the development of the characters was so deep. It was truly a good read that you can get lost in.

Three couples who always chip in for a lotto ticket every week. What happens if they all win or if just one of the couples win because the other two didn’t want to be part of the group anymore. Is that even the truth, who truly knows what happens in a room with 6 people who have been drinking and carrying on? They do win and it becomes apparent that winning the lotto is not all fun and games. It’s lives they’re dealing with, it’s jobs and businesses and kids lives at risk.

Truly another great read from Adele! A definite must read!

This was a fast and highly entertaining read about a family that wins the lottery only to have their win contested by a group of friends who want to be included in the winnings. I loved the whole winning the lottery premise. It was interesting to see how each of the characters reacted to getting money. It brings out some not so savory characteristics in people. This held my interest throughout and had many satisfying, unforeseen twists that I really enjoyed. The ending was well-done. An overall excellent read.

I gravitated to this one because the synopsis reminded me of the Friends episode where they play the lottery. It's like that, only horrifying. Would recommend.

Lexi and Jake live in an ordinary house with their two children. They struggle to make ends meet. They struggle to give their children the best they can. They have a group of friends others would be enviable of. They have been through births, deaths, happy and significant times in each other’s lives. They even still get together once a week after all these years of friendship. They also play the weekly lottery together as a group and imagine what it would be like if they actually won. What they would buy? Where they would go and what they would give to charity?

But that all changes one Saturday night when the group gets into an argument and two of the couples decide they don’t want to play the lottery anymore, and it seems don’t want to even associate with Lexi and Jake. Heartbroken, Lexi and Jake decide to play the lottery numbers alone, and they win! But even before they get to enjoy the excitement of what comes with winning millions in a lottery, their friends decide they are entitled to some of the winnings.

And thus begins not only the unraveling of years long friendships, but secrets, deceits, lies and hidden agendas which had been hidden for many years. As the group breaks apart, their children who have been friends since birth must decide whose side they are taking. And some of them decide to take their jealousy a bit too far.

Jake and Lexi try to adjust to a life of not worrying about money and spending as fast as they can (well, mostly Jake), Lexi believes in giving back, something she seems to be trying to convince her husband to do. Greed swiftly begins to take over. As does the harassment from people trying to cheat them out of money.

And when the family decides to have an extravagantly lavish party at their new mansion, something incomprehensible occurs during the celebration which tears the families apart. Is all this money worth the jeopardy? When the dust finally settles and they get to the bottom of who was the mastermind, the shocking revelation and the accumulation of all the lies blow up and leave everyone horrified, revolted and traumatized.

Just My Luck is a story with a moral. Be careful what you wish for. It shows the evil side of what could happen with instant wealth and the greed with which some will go to receive their just rewards. And then there are those in which no amount of money will ever make them happy. The ending is both astounding and impressive.

Thank you #NetGalley #MIRA #AdeleParks #JustMyLuck for the advanced copy.

Decades long friendships break up over money, or perhaps they are broken to begin with and the quest for money brings out all the fault lines. That is the premise of Just My Luck by Adele Parks. What this story lacks for me is focus in terms of one strong main character that I can root for. Unfortunately, beginning to end, I am not the reader for this book even though I enjoyed Lies, Lies, Lies by the author.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2021/04/just-my-luck.html

Reviewed for NetGalley and the Winter 2021 mystery/thriller from Harlequin Trade Publishing blog tour.

Three couples have played the lottery for fifteen years, always playing the same numbers. But then there’s a right in the group and two couples supposedly drop out. Then Lexi and Jake Greenwood, playing the same numbers, hit it big. £18 million big. Now it gets dirty.

I kept trying to like this book but just could not. I really detested Jake. The money went to his head before he even got it. I was appalled at how quickly he could blow through the money. And, of course, the losing two couples do not admit that they dropped out and, thus, have a claim on the winnings also. I did not care for any of the characters, except perhaps Logan Greenwood, the son. The pace of the book was too slow to hold my interest.

A story of friendship, greed, betrayal, and dishonesty. The manipulations, some quite subtle, among these six people were twisty and sickening. I was left shaking my head, trying to sort it all out. If the writing had been tighter, might have enjoyed it. But the writing was just all over the place making reading it a real chore.

I received an advance copy from NetGalley and MIRA. Opinions expressed here are my own.

Money destroys even the strongest of things. Did they have an agreement to split the money or did their friends dropout right before Lexi and Jake struck it rich?
‘Just my Luck’ takes you on a trip of tales, lies, webs spun by affairs and schemes not meant for the faint of heart. Adele Parks strikes platinum, not gold, but platinum again. If I could give this one six stars, I would.

There was a frantic effort for me to dive into this story. Imagine a group of friends playing the lottery for 15 years only to pull out the week before and the numbers hit?

Oh my gosh. I cannot even imagine. My heart is breaking as if I just lost the winning lottery ticket and I know it was the winning lottery ticket. Get it? Ha Ha… the old saying “You never miss what you never had” well that may not work either.

Meet the Greenwoods, Heathcotes and the Pearsons. Just My Luck is told in multiple POVs. I learned several things while reading this story:
• Some people do not need to win millions of dollars.
• Teenagers cannot be trusted to keep family secrets.
• Being a good person can be taken to the extreme.
• Europeans want to go on holiday in NYC in grand style.
While Lexi is dreaming of a new sofa, her husband is dreaming of a new Ferrari. Yeah, this is why I say some people do not need to win the lottery. And there is more of this “small purse dreaming” I could not get pass.

How do you skip over donating 1000s to charity to millions? I was getting angry and angrier with everything Lexi Greenwood was proposing with their winnings. Maybe it is the capitalism in me. If I were to win $17million buying Michael Kors or a new sofa would not be my first thoughts.
In my opinion, this lottery was wasted on this family. If you want to read how one family foolishly threw away more than half of 17million in less than a year – this is the book for you!

I did not like it. I would have loved to see them in New York City staying at the Plaza and shopping on 5th Avenue just to leave their problems behind temporarily. Sad, this did not happen.
But reading this story was life affirming. I know if I ever join a syndicate lottery , I will continue to contribute even on my death bed and demand my family to continue.

If you ever drop out its guaranteed to hit next and you are crap out of luck. Winning the lottery for these three families was a curse. Being a goody two shoes was a curse.
I could not enjoy their winnings even in a make-believe land or escapism. This story was not for me. And the ending?

I will let you be the judge. Tell me your thoughts. My inbox is available.

I think all of wishes we can win the lottery, but after reading this story, you might rethink that decision. After Lexi and Jake win the lottery, what should be an easy, carefree life, becomes riddled with problems. Friends becomes enemies, overspending from greed, and the list goes on.

I had a difficult time reading this novel. The characters are very unlikable. The plot was poorly written. This book could have been an amazing cautionary tale, but was poorly executed.

Just My Luck by Adele Parks

Three couples
Six people
In it to win it

Friends for years
Or
Were they?

When I started reading, I couldn’t fathom why the news article that opened the book was even there. It eventually made sense as I skimmed along, though. I had trouble relating to any of the characters in the story and by that, I mean that I could not put myself into the shoes of any of them or feel that I could have been any one of them. So, I found myself skimming and reading quickly to get the gist if not the details of the story. About midway to two-thirds of the way in I became a bit more interested and the big twist that twisted again was not expected. I came away hoping that some of the selfish-minded wised up but have a feeling they probably didn’t.

I liked the premise of the story, the look into how money can impact relationships, and what some will do for money but again, couldn’t really relate to this lot of people and would have liked to. That said, I am pretty sure there will be many who do enjoy this book and that is just as it should be.

Did I enjoy this book? It was okay…better on the end than in the beginning
Would I read more by this author? Perhaps

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin-Mira for the ARC – This is my honest review.

3-4 Stars

Wow! This was a different but still very enjoyable read! Just My Luck by Adele Parks starts with a family that wins a large lottery jackpot, which ironically is a week after their friend group decides to stop playing together after several years (lotto pool). Drama of course occurs to who is entitled to a “share” of the winnings as several lies and secrets come out.
I found the first 2/3 of the story to be a bit slow/repetitive (especially the continuous frivolous spending Jake did that seriously angered me so much.. probably more than it should have hehe). It really picked up towards the end, and although I suspected where the storyline would go, it was still a satisfying ending with one little “extra” surprise at the end.
Definitely worth picking up for a quick thriller read.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 because I the storyline is one I haven’t read before.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!

Who hasn't dreamed of winning the lottery? I have made lists in my head of what I would do with my winnings, but they did not include some of the things that happened to Lexie and Jake. Every Saturday night three couples got together for dinner and companionship. They had been doing it for 15 years, since the women met at pre-natal classes. They also watched the lottery draw as they purchased a ticket each week using numbers they had come up with. They were all part of a syndicate, until the Pearsons and the Heathcotes dropped out. That was the week, their numbers finally came up and they win almost eighteen million pounds.

This is an interesting story with many twists along the way. I really liked Lexie. She was the only sensible one in the bunch. As she tries to real her family in, Jake goes on a spending spree. He buys a lamborghini, allows their children to buy whatever they want and flaunts his winnings to everyone. I did not like him one bit. The others in this cast were complex, secretive and easily corrupted. Even the teenagers showed a mean and nasty side. Suddenly we find out that the friends have secrets that will rock their friendship. This is a story of greed and what that will cause people to do. It also has themes of selfishness, elitism, jealousy and lust. The story was mostly told through Lexie's and Emily's POV. As the final twists were unveiled, my jaw dropped. I will be honest, there were times I shook my head and skimmed some of the descriptions of Jake's purchases and decadence. Maybe it is a good thing that I haven't won the lottery. Fans of Domestic and Psychological Thrillers will enjoy this story.

Just My Luck by Adele Parks was just not what I expected at all. The premise of the story is that there are three couples who buy lottery tickets together. They'd had the same numbers for years. Then, due to a rift in the group, they decide not to buy tickets together. One of the couples buys the ticket on their own, and then they win. What follows is an exploration of the not so great sides of being a lottery winner. This includes the friends claiming they deserve a share, random people coming after the money, and just adjusting to being a family who suddenly has all the money. About 3/4 of the way through this one, the tone and plot of this one took a pretty significant turn. It caught me way off-guard because it was just so much - too much for me really. This was an interesting exploration of the untold side of winning the lottery and also just so freaking many plot twists. Thanks to NetGalley for the early look at this recent release!

Everyone's dream is to win the lottery. This is the story of a bunch of tight friends who play the lottery for years, just hoping for the win, and then the actual win comes. The effects of winning make all of these people go down a dark path. They each have their own issues and belief's in the way they think things should be. Interesting take of how winning can really be losing!