A fascinating mystery novel that keeps you guessing as you try to figure out the truth along with the main character and narrator.

Synopsis:

What if you had the winning ticket that would change your life forever, but you couldn't cash it in? Lucky Armstrong is a tough, talented grifter who just pulled off a million-dollar heist with her bf Cary, When things go sideways, she finds herself alone for the first time. When she discovers a lottery ticket she bought is worth millions, she realizes cashing it means she'll be arrested and sent to ail for her crimes. As she tries to figure out a way to cash it, she must confront her past by reconciling with her father; finding her mother, and coming to terms with the man she thought she loved--whose dark past is catching up with her, too.

Review:

This is a very unique story, unlike anything I've ever read. Lucky is born into unfortunate circumstances, with her mom leaving when she was a baby and her dad scamming people to get by - she follows in his footsteps and continues to live an unfortunate life. It made me think of the nature vs. nurture debate - how much of it is genetics and how much is it the fact that it's all she's ever known? I found it hard to sympathize with her, although maybe that was the point, but that meant I wasn't as invested in her journey and growth.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for my eGalley.

Marissa Stapley is quickly becoming one of my preferred authors.

Her newest book hit all the points for an engaging and page-turning read. I particularly liked that we get to know the main character, 'Lucky', as an adult as well as a child. These two perspectives gave a nuance to the character and more depth to the plot as a whole.

Sometimes books that have both past and present stories can become confusing, but I thought that this author did a great job at keeping the reader clear about the timelines.

To me, the writing really engaged me from start to finish, and I liked how the writer really made you understand Lucky and want the best for her.

This was a fun read that was exactly what I needed. It was fast-paced, full of twists, and a perfect book club pick.

I will absolutely buy another Marissa Stapley book in the future, and have now begun to explore more of her backlist.

Lucky by Marissa Stapley is the first Book by a Canadian author to be selected as one of the picks for Reese’s book club. Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for an eArc. This was a story about a woman named Lucky, whose life seems to be anything but. Her childhood experience and relationship with her father, taught her the hard side of life and how to get by on the backs of others. Ironically, she is lucky enough to win a lottery but due to her circumstances she is not able to use the winnings to set her life straight. This is an easy, entertaining read and you can’t help but root for Lucky! 4 stars!

I'm a big fan of Marissa Stapley's book and Lucky didn't disappoint. I love the format of going back and forth in time, and I was drawn to the main character right away. The suspense kept me hooked. Overall, it was a fun read, and I couldn't put it down. If you're a fan of Stapley's other work, you'll want to pick this one up as well!

I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review. Thank you very much to the publisher and to NetGalley!

I loved the premise of this novel, but the first time I picked it up, I couldn't get into it. The second time, I raced through it, which maybe is a reflection of how subjective "enjoying" a book can be! This is a fast, light read with twists that aren't entirely unexpected.

This one took me a few tries to get into and not because I wasn't interested just life got in the way. Once I finally settled down to read it I was drawn in. 

I like the idea a con artist with a conscience. Someone that was brought up in this life, not wanting to be in it and struggling to get out.

I enjoyed the mixture of flashbacks between now and then where you got to see how she came to end up in this position.

I was a twist I didn't see coming, but I'm so glad it did.

I think Marissa is a new favourite author for me, since I've now enjoyed two of her books.

Such a great story. Kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time.
We had love, mystery, a con, another con, the long con, some epic good luck and some horrifically bad luck. Oh, and the bestest best dog that's ever existed. It seems like there was a lot going on, but the writing and the flow was just right. I really liked Lucky, and although I couldn't exactly relate to her situation, I could relate to her personality and her connections with others.
All the pieces that strung together to make this story a memorable one were so original, so fabulously done. I've never come across a story that has quite the same pieces as this one, making it a great choice for those that love a great mixed bag story.
Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this story in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I enjoyed it. It was more of a character study than the thriller I was expecting and started off a little slow for my liking but it soon picked up the pace. I found my feelings about Lucky fluctuated throughout the book and there were definitely some aspects of the story I enjoyed more than others but overall I found it to be an enjoyable read and I would read more from this author in the future. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

I did not love this one. As I was reading it, I did continue to think it would be better as a limited series than as a book. This story was meant to be seen not read for me, I think. Lucky's story was so complicated and her journey had so many twists and turns that I'm not sure the author was able to go into any of it as much as needed. More hours on a screen would flesh the character out better for me and add some depth to the story.

What if you had the winning ticket that would change your life forever, but you couldn’t cash it in? Lucky Armstrong is a con-artist who has just pulled off the biggest heist of her life, with her partner Cary. They are about to start a new life in Dominica when shit goes sideways, and Cary disappears on her. Lucky finds herself abandoned with little to her name; will she have what it takes to survive on her own? Definitely binge worthy and well worth the read!

This book delivered so much more than I was expecting! It was entertaining, well-written, and fast-paced. I was instantly drawn into the story of Lucky, a con artist on the run from the law who is also harbouring a winning lottery ticket worth millions. Told in alternating timelines, we learn about Lucky as a child growing up with a con artist for her father vs her life as a con artist in the present. I found both storylines utterly fascinating as I have the exact opposite personality of a con artist, but it sure is interesting to read about!

The book kept me turning pages, anxious to know how Lucky would get herself out of the mess she's in and if she would ever be able to claim her fortune. She was such a likeable character and even though she's the "bad guy", you can't help but root for her. Lots of twists at the end that I didn't see coming!

Highly recommend adding to your summer reading. A good mix of entertaining and serious, without it being too suspenseful.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for the advanced copy. All opinions my own.

This is a case of '3 star but I really enjoyed it' type rating. Sometimes I wonder if I should even give books star ratings, because it can be so hit or miss with 3 stars, sometimes even 4. While I did enjoy it, it wasn't super memorable for me, enough to rate it a higher 4 star or more. I liked the length of this book, the flow of it, and the strong female main character who fights for herself.

It did take me a little bit to get into Lucky, as I was having a hard time feeling the way I was supposed to feel about Lucky, and her situation, but I was slightly intrigued enough to continue and see where the story took us. There were a lot of twists and turns throughout this book, which I really enjoyed and didn't see any of them coming really. I thought the ending all happened very quickly, considering how long it took to get to that point, and could have done with a few extra chapters, to give us a little more. Overall though, this one was a quick, fun read for thriller fans.

I absolutely loved this book. A suspenseful story of Lucky who wants to live a certain life but crime and commitment to love and her Dad keep her away from living the dream of a "normal" life away from conning people. I loved the character development and the ending was just on point! Would recommend!

This book is a bit tough for me to review and I didn't love it but I also didn't hate it. Too blunt maybe, but I'm not sure how else to describe it. The book read quick which I really liked. I found the myself rooting for Lucky to really try to make a go of living a true honest life. It sometimes felt like the main character, Lucky, wasn't developed enough or couldn't quite figure out what she really wanted out of life. She seemed like a real pushover and naive at times. The supporting characters felt a little flat to me and predictible. i also didn't love how neatly everything came together in the end. I know this review sounds very critical and negative but I did enjoy the writing and it was a light and easy to devour read.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada and Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Lucky is a bit down on her luck one might say, she’s just had her boyfriend ditch her in Vegas and has taken all their money. Her dad’s in prison, and she has zero people left in her life that she can trust. And to top it all off, she’s wanted all over the country for embezzlement and fraud. But there’s more... she has a winning lottery ticket that could make all her problems go away, but honestly how could she cash it without getting caught?
This book follows Lucky throughout her life, going between current day, and throughout her past so we see how she got into her current situation. I liked going through the different timelines and then having them meet up. I also really enjoyed how it all came together at the end. Lucky is a fast paced “quick read” that keeps you guessing how she’ll figure everything out until the very end! I recommend if you’re into strong independent female protagonists, or love a good underdog story! Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for this E-ARC.

“LUCKY” by Marissa Stapley is a fast, page-turning crime novel about a beautiful grifter on the run. Lucky Armstrong had a natural talent for numbers starting at an early age. She used her mathematical skills along with her acquired scheming skills from her father. He taught her how to con people out of their money and steal whatever they could to make ends meet. It was a lucrative business, but she sometimes made a few too many gutsy moves proving to be bad choices. The story flips back and forth in time as the reader gets glimpses of her childhood nestled between chunks of the present storyline.

As the story progresses, her boyfriend, Cary (who is equally conniving as she is) helps her successfully complete a million-dollar heist, but then he disappears, leaving her with nothing but a lottery ticket. However, it is a winning lottery ticket worth several millions of dollars. The only problem is that she can’t cash it without alerting the police. Lucky needs to plan the perfect way to cash in the ticket without getting arrested or caught by the greedy people who are hunting her down. Because, of course, everyone wants that money. Is there anyone left that she can trust?

Marissa Stapley has outdone herself in this fantastic story about the relationship between a father and daughter, and the daughter’s search for her long-lost mother. My favourite part of this novel is how the author digs deep into the psychic mind of a criminal who feels guilty about every move she makes. A criminal with a conscience is definitely an intriguing concept. This novel was an exciting and captivating read, and it made me smile so much.

My rating is 5 out of 5 stars because... I love reading books about troubled father and daughter relationships, books about characters with a criminal mind and the reasons behind their crimes, books that take us on a fun journey, and books that make it easy to imagine the story as a cinematic movie. This book nailed all of that.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for allowing me to read a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. I could see this novel being developed into a kickass crime adventure movie. Yes, yes, yes!

Lucky by Marissa Stapley follows the tumultuous life of a female grifter coming to terms with those around her and also her own history of lies and hurt caused by them.

Lucky, a name which is both sarcastic and apt at different stages of her story, had her life start by being left at the steps of a church in New York. She was claimed on those steps by a man who would train her in the art of the grift, seeing them travel all over America taking people for their money and their goods. Nobody was safe from their cunning ways, not even when her or her father found themselves attached to their marks emotionally. As Lucky entered into adolescence she found herself falling for someone who turns out to be in the same line of “work” which serves as both an attraction and an aversion for Lucky.

Along the way at a small town gas station, Lucky decides to buy a lottery ticket in the mega draw worth $390million which she comes to find out a few weeks later is the actual winning ticket. This forces her to make a big decision: come forward and claim the winnings, risking her being caught for all the scams she has run and being thrown in prison or come up with a way to claim it in some other fashion.

It would have been quite simple for Stapley to centralize her novel on the one story line and make it all about cashing in the ticket, but she takes us on a fantastic journey with each chapter telling the present day story and then flashing back to Lucky’s earlier life. This is accompanied by very strong and well defined characters with twists and turns and interconnections that turn this novel into the proverbial page turner.

A quick spring read that is definitely worth picking up.

With thanks to Simon & Schuster for providing a copy for review via NetGalley.

Book review ✨

Lucky by Marissa Stapley
Rate 4 ⭐️ (CawPile rating is 8.10)

C- characters -8
A - atmosphere -8
W - writing Style -8
P - plot -9
I - intrigue -8
L - logic -8
E - enjoyment -8

First I want to say that I love the author's dedication and before I read the book I knew that I’m going to like this book: “The book is for my mother, Valerie (1951-2020), who taught me to be brave and resilient. But not to how to grift; that, I had to research.” Marissa Stapley

I enjoy the book and it kept me wondering who is the mother of Lucky. The beginning of the book was really good, quick and I was hooked from the first page. I especially enjoyed in the middle when the two stories came together!
I love how Lucky’s character is very interesting and after all that pain in her life and all that thinking, she finds herself where she belongs, and her emotions are too strong and too hard to describe!

My friend @torontobibliophile wrote: “Lucky is a con-artist who has pulled off the biggest heist of her life.” And yes this is who Lucky is. Also, she is a good person who wants to have a nice family life with her father and live somewhere where she can be herself and don't pretend to be someone else.
I notice that in some events Lucky has two voices in her head. One voice is telling to do good things, while the other is telling to do bad things.

This was an exciting read and it is a perfect read for summertime and beach read!
Lucky is a unique character.


Few critics:
Other characters are also interesting but a little underdeveloped.
The end was for me really rushed. I felt that two or four more chapters would be good to end this book.

Thank you @simonandschuster and @netgalley for this ARC.

Lucky is about fitting in anywhere but belonging nowhere.
Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for my eARC for review!
Luciana "Lucky" Armstrong and father John are grifters, con-artists. While I was expecting more of an action thriller, instead it's a fast-paced, character driven story. And a very readable, interesting one at that.
Lucky is evading arrest for a high-level heist after her partner suddenly disappears. She changes her looks and identity as often as she changes locations.
Meanwhile she's carrying a winning lottery ticket worth $390 million, that she can't cash due to being a fugitive.
Told in varying timelines from infancy, childhood and adulthood; Lucky is a strong, smart and often sympathetic character whose situations touch on loss, survival, searching for one's roots, and redemption.
Lucky is the May pick for the Canadian Book Enablers and we look forward to our Zoom meet with author Marissa Stapley on May 26.
This is the first novel I've read of hers and can't wait to hear more behind the scenes from the creation of Lucky.
Recommended!
Released on April 6.