The bad luck just started becoming too much and felt forced at some point, which killed the enjoyment of the tale. Plus there was a mention of the heroine going about with dried bits of shampoo flaking off her hair (power cut during her shower and she just let her hair stay all shampoo-ed up...) that grossed me out, unfortunately

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. A cute cover. Cute romcom novel. Recommend

This fun beach read is a novel of love, adventure and travel all mixed together. It is pure escapist fiction. I received this novel as an advanced reader copy from net galley in exchange for an honest review.

I knew from the beginning how this story would end (yes, even Jean-Luc's ending!) but I still got caught up in the romance of Paris! The story made me laugh out loud with Mallory's penchant for bad luck, like her apartment burning or her misspelled tattoo, but it also made me swoon with delight, especially in the closet at the discotheque. Team Benji all the way- I'm a sucker for a best friend romance!

This is a story about a young woman who believes that fate has dealt her the hand of bad luck, and that bad luck follows her everywhere. And as a reader, you might start to believe that Mallory truly is cursed with bad luck. After all, even her name means bad luck! But to me, it seems like most of her bad luck is just because she's clumsy, and perhaps sometimes because she's impetuous

But then her luck appears to change, when handsome and wealthy Jean Luc Chevalier begins to notice her. She's had a crush on Jean Luc since the first time he appeared at her job. He's the son of the owner of the company where she works, and occasionally visits from the Paris office to handle special projects. Anyway, she's thrilled because he begins paying attention to her. They begin to build a friendship of sorts, and eventually Jean Luc tells her that his father is demanding that he get married. She's thrilled when he proposes a marriage of convenience. He suggests she live with him for 30 days in Paris before they marry, to see if the relationship could work before committing. Mallory truly believes her luck has changed, and jumps at the chance to spend 30 days in Paris, and possibly a lifetime married to the handsome Jean Luc.

But Benji Chance, her best friend, tries to talk her out of her impetuous decision. Yet she shares her experiences in Paris with him, and some of the disappointments and heartache when she realizes that her relationship with Jean Luc would never go beyond friendship, even after they are married. Benji is always there for her, but she doesn't recognize his feelings for her as anything other than friendship.

Although Mallory seemed a bit young and naive at times, I enjoyed reading this book and following her growth and understanding of herself and what she really needed and wanted in a relationship. I must admit I was a bit heartbroken when it didn't work out with Jean Luc. He was so thoughtful, considerate and generous; the perfect dream guy! I was really rooting for their relationship to work and was disappointed to learn that he had other 'preferences.' But it still came out with a happily-ever-after, and that's all that matters, right?

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this book in return for a fair and unbiased review.

Mallory thinks she is cursed with bad luck, and even her name means unlucky. When she gets a chance with her boss Jean-Luc she can't believe it is happening and leaps at the chance to move to Paris with him, leaving her best friend Benji behind.
But everything is not as simple as it seems, and when it appears that marrying Jean-Luc will mean losing Benji from her life what decision will she make?

A great read, although Mallory was slightly annoying at times.

I tried to read this book, but soon realized the author and I do not share the same tastes. I could read no further than chapter 3. I’m sure younger women will enjoy this book though.

This book is so deliciously cozy. It reminds me of the comfort of eating a warm beignet for breakfast. Or people-watching in a cafe, sipping a delicious tea.

Mallory has terrible luck. She always manages to harm herself or ruin things by accident. Her best friend Benji is always there to take care of her and her quasi-boss, Frenchman, Jean-Luc is always there (in a picture on her fridge) to distract her. Mallory has a thing for Jean-Luc and when he offers her an engagement to please his father, she jumps at the opportunity. But is her relationship with Jean-Luc what she really needs or just what she thinks she wants?

Most of this book is set in Paris and I’m a SUCKER for anything set in France, where I can test my educational French and dream about going to see all the Monet’s at the Musee d’Orsay, eating so many carbs, and late dinners. I. Want. To. Go. To. Paris. (Je veux aller a Paris!) This book also has my favorite trope OF ALL TIME: Friends to Lovers. But really it’s a Friends to Love(rs) Triangle. Other tropes to look out for: Father ultimatums. Fish out of Water. Billionaire/Working Woman.

Mary Ann Marlowe, who seems cool as fuck from her bio, did this really fun thing where Mallory would talk about “when Jean-Luc came to NYC the first time,” “when Jean-Luc came to NYC the second time,” and so on, which I thought was very subtle, clever, et charmante. I also loved that the first time I heard about Mary Ann Marlowe was when we pitched for Pitch Wars and then in the Afterward of this book, we learn that this was the book she got into Pitch Wars with years prior! Just delightful.

IMPORTANT NOTE: this book has one open-door-ish sex scene. It’s not explicit, but it’s not vaseline on the lens either. So, don’t pick up this book thinking it’s going to be Paris sex-capades. It’s about building relationships and the difference between a crush and reality.

I hope you pick up this book. It’s delightful. It’s quiet. It’s oh so very French. C’est un joli livre.

Au Revoir et A Bientot! -Ford

———————-

I don’t usually talk to fictional characters, but Mallory, we need to have a word!

Firstly, girl, stop being so hard on yourself. We all have frizzy hair days. It’s OK. There are two (sometimes three) men drooling over you. You can feel yourself a little.

Second, don’t let your luck define you, what you are failing to notice is how adaptable you are in a surprising number of unusual circumstances. Just stay open to the possibilities and everything will be fine.

Lastly, opening your heart to others will sometimes lead to heartache, except you’re already doing it, we all are, we can’t help it, now you just have to be honest with yourself about your feelings.

All joking aside, this book is firmly a rom-com, the number of crazy, funny things that happen to Mallory is far beyond the norm, but so are the number of thoughtful and meaningful experiences. I would watch this as a movie in a heartbeat. (Netflix get at this!)

I wished for a more thorough examination of Jean-Luc, especially as we came to love him towards the end. I wanted so much more Remy in our lives. I feel like Marie-Laure needs her own book. (Is that on the horizon?)

If you are a fan of Paris, bakeries, family intrigue, and slightly-clueless-about-how-good-she’s-got-it leading ladies, then this is the book to get lost in. -Sky

Falling in Luck is a light, sweet HEA with a few plot twists. It’s a little angsty and the story line is a little improbable but all in all delightful read! And it was nice to “travel” to New York and Paris!

Thank you NetGalley, author Mary Ann Marlowe, and publisher for giving me a free arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
4.5 stars

This book was a very enjoyable read. I found myself really connection to the characters, the setting, and the storyline that had me finishing this book in less than one day. This book has the feelings of some of my favorite bingeable romantic comedies such as My Best Friend's Wedding and Man-of Honor. I am a huge fan of the friends-to-lovers troupe and this story hit all the best notes!
Mallory has terrible luck. She always manages to harm herself or ruin things by accident. Her best friend Benji is always there to take care of her. Her boss' son, a Frenchman, Jean-Luc is always there (in a picture on her fridge) to distract her. Mallory has always had a thing for Jean-Luc and when he offers her an engagement to please his father, she decides to take him up on his offer. But is her relationship with Jean-Luc what she really needs or just what she thinks she wants?
I loved Mallory as a character! She had such a relatable personality that I could imagine her as a person I might meet in the real world. She had a very interesting life that would make me want to be her friend just to see what happens to her next. The friendship between Benji and Mallory was so sweet yet heartbreaking. The reader could tell there were more than friends feelings on both sides, but neither was willing to make the move over the line of friendship to romance. The angst and chemistry was off the chart between Mallory and Benji.
Benji was the best! I could not get over how cute, funny, and witty, but most of all he took care of Mallory, which really showed the true depths of his feelings for her.
Jean-Luc was also a well developed character! He really came to care of Mallory and was willing to give her what she needed to make her happy! I loved how much he wanted to rise to his father's expectations even at the expense of his own happiness.
The majority of the book was set in Paris. The author did a wonderful job transporting the reader to one of the most romantic cities on earth. The added details of the language, food, and site seeing really brought the story to life.
The pacing was a little slow at times, but overall, the author did a great job wrapping all the plotlines for a very satisfying conclusion.
Overall, I would highly recommend this book to those who love the friends-to-lovers troupe. I can't wait to read more by this author in the future!

Falling in Luck was such a pleasure to read! I was laughing out loud at this book, enjoying the journey Mallory takes in love. The story was very relatable in the fact that sometimes love is messy and embarrassing when it is new. Falling in love is imperfect and and there are moments of laughter and silliness that are woven together to make the perfect love story. This is the type of book that makes the reader feel good! Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!
#netgalley #fallinginluck

This was soooo cute! I ended up reading it cover-to-cover in one sitting. Their banter, their chemistry, the complex switching from best friends to lovers....Mallory and Benji just captured my heart completely! Benji was definitely my favorite character in this story. I love how kind, sweet and funny he was. But I do wish we would've seen just a bit more of him (a sequel please???). The cover made me want to read this book, but I ended up loving the story so much just purely for the way it was written!

<b> Thank you to NetGalley and the author for kindly providing me with an eArc, in return for an honest review. </b>

Thank you NetGalley and Mary Ann Marlowe for gifting me an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
.
What’s your go-to way to get out of a reading slump? Slumps suck and I’m guessing we’ve ALL experienced them as readers. I found myself reading a few eh books recently and I could feel myself starting to lose a little interest. I needed a good book, ASAP! Enter Falling In Luck by Mary Ann Marlowe.
.
I binged this book all evening/late into the night. I finished around 1am exhausted but completely in love with this story! If you’ve been a friend of mine on Booksta for a bit you may already know the story of how my fiance and I fell in love. I related SO SO much to Benji and Mallory. The chemistry, the witty banter, the line drawn, the lingering what-if’s, the hidden feelings, the sacrifices made. I got it all. Going from best friends to lovers is not as easy as you’d expect. It’s a lot scarier than meeting someone the ‘traditional’ way IMO! There’s so much at stake and at first it’s hard to tell, do I love you or am I IN love with you? And then you cross that line and you either find out you’re better as friends or you’re soul mates! So obviously I was REALLY rooting for Benji and Mallory, but then there’s dreamy Jean-Luc. While the chemistry was never there for me and I knew the twist was coming, I still wanted the best for him. I just didn’t want his best to be with Mallory. #TEAMBENJI Mallory’s story is a good reminder that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side, and what you think you want and what you need can be two very different things! As you may know, I only buy physical copies of books if I’ve read them and loved them, and this is a must buy for me! I was smiling cheesily before I even hit 20% and legit almost cried happy tears when I finished because I just loved these characters. It could’ve had something to do with how deliriously tired I was, but I say it’s the book! Because it was THAT good.
.
Mallory Pech has the worst bad luck. Even her name means bad luck. If things can go wrong, they will. If there’s something to trip over, she will. If there’s something to spill, break, lose, etc... Mallory will. Her best friend, Benji, believes there is no such thing as luck and to prove him right, Mallory decides to go after the guy she’s pined after for forever. Too bad it’s her company’s CEO who had barely ever noticed her. Between passing out, d a drunken karaoke night, and an apartment fire, Mallory brings Jean-Luc in. And when he proposes marriage? Mallory can’t help but consider her luck has changed. But marrying Jean-Luc means leaving New York and moving to Paris, and it also means losing Benji, something Mallory soon realizes means more to her than anything else.

This was a fun read! I loved that it was a light, breezy rom com. The main character was so likable and the secondhand embarrassment for her was so real! This is a nice, refreshing book for anyone looking to lose themselves in a story for a few hours.

A light yet enjoyable read for anyone who wants to detach for a bit and set foot into another world unlike their own. Mary Ann Marlowe sets a scene you feel you know intimately.

👥🗼Good luck, bad luck: all depends on your point of view!

4.5🌟 stars
The cover of this book caught my eye; I can't resist romance and Paris when they come wrapped together in a story!

Mallory is the main character, an American office worker who fixates on the big boss's handsome son Jean-Luc. She's a bit naive and impulsive but complex, sometimes sunnily optimistic and others terribly self conscious, clumsy and convinced she's shadowed by bad luck. I loved her easy, kidding relationship with her BFF Benji. Their story arc was pretty predictable but good, as was the root of Jean-Luc's difficulty in living up to his father's plans.

There's nothing wrong with a predictable story as long as it provides an occasional surprise, fun and emotion along the way. The tone is romantic rather than steamy, though it does provide a touch of passion near the end. With the bulk of this easy-to-read novel set in gorgeous, romantic Paris, I found the journey delicious; the food, the sights and the cafe lifestyle contributed a good bit to my enjoyment of Mallory's dilemma which, it must be said, works out swimmingly in the end.😊

Thanks to the author and NetGalley for providing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

CW: orphaned, infidelity (side character in the past)

I've read a few of Mary Ann Marlowe's previous works and truly enjoyed them so I was excited for a chance to read another of her books.

This one unfortunately did not work for me I do think some of which was just personal preference. (SPOILERS)

My biggest struggle was the subject of her crush was her boss' boss/son of the owner of the company. When they started dating (I use this term loosely) and enter into the fake engagement, none of those workplace issues were explored. He started spending a lot of money on her and it was meant to be charming but I just found it to be a lot. When this type of relationship is not addressed or even acknowledged I struggle, especially in this day and age.

This was meant to be a love triangle but I struggled to see Mallory's connections with Jean-Luc or Benji. The dynamics of the fake engagement were never explored. I love the friends to lovers trope and this had a different spin, they were aware of their sexual chemistry but decided to not act on it. But this made it hard to justify why she wasn't with him for so long, or to deny her feelings. She spends the chunk of the book the MC would typically be falling for the LI not speaking to Benji, so you don't really see her feelings change for him. Their friendship seemed more immature to me, the boy likes you when he pulls your hair. I would have loved to see some emotional depth.

This book was definitely about escapism, but I was left wishing it would go deeper, making me feel like I never really knew Mallory. I did appreciate that her issues with luck were mainly about a lack of awareness about her surroundings, which was ironic because she lacked complete awareness about Benji's feelings or even her own. Definitely a beach read I think people will enjoy it just wasn't the book for me.

Rating: 2
Steam: 3 (this one was entirely closed-door almost no steam until the last 40 pages)

First and foremost, a big thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

“You are not my soul-mate, but rather a part of my soul. I could easier have lived without my heart than live without you”.

Mallory Pech says she has a spell on her. Injuries, mishaps, and miscommunications accompany her everywhere she travels. And her name (both first and last!) denotes poor luck. Benji Chance, Mallory's best friend, asserts that she has complete influence of her fortune. Following his advice, Mallory pursues her dream man, the rich and dashing Jean-Luc Chevalier, son of her company's CEO, who is visiting her New York office from Paris. He hadn't noticed Mallory on his previous twelve visits, so thirteen could be her lucky number.

But everything goes wrong from the outset. Mallory's efforts to enchant and allure Jean-Luc result in twisted ankles, house burns, and misspelt tattoos. Nonetheless, she pulls Jean-Luc closer. When a series of mishaps leads to an engagement proposal, Mallory assumes her luck has finally turned—despite Benji's increasingly dire warnings.

Mallory will have everything she's always desired by marrying Jean-Luc: financial stability, family, and a flat in France. She is so focused on her dream man that she misses her best friend's jealousy and heartbreak. Still, as she navigates a world of surprises, lies, and cultural shock, she starts to worry that her fairy-tale marriage to Jean-Luc will cost her the one thing money can't buy—the one guy who has always loved her. And losing Benji would be the worst piece of bad luck she's ever had.

Falling in Luck is a light-hearted, endearing romantic comedy. For Mallory and Benji, I enjoyed the best-friend chemistry. They gave it another go. They were aware of their sexual attraction but decided not to act on it. My heart goes out to Jean-Luc, who is such a gentleman; Marie, who is lovely and kind; and Remy, who is friendly and warm. However, the relational dynamics and character complexity could have been better. I couldn't make out dynamics between Mallory and Jean. I'd have liked to see the spectrum of emotions there. Mallory's emotional transition for Benji falls short. It's delivered in bits and pieces.

Well… If you are looking for a quick, fun, entertaining read, this is the book for you.

Mallory Pech believes she’s cursed. Her best friend, Benji Chance, insists Mallory’s fortune is hers to control. Heeding his advice, Mallory pursues her dream man, the wealthy and debonair Jean-Luc Chevalier, son of her company’s CEO. Jean-Luc finally notices her and by marrying Jean-Luc, Mallory could have everything she’s always wanted: financial security, family, and a flat in France. Fixated on her dream guy, she fails to notice her best friend’s jealousy and heartbreak... What should Mallory do? A fun rom-com. Definitely for fans who love fun romances, Paris and friends to lovers tropes.... :)

Thanks to the publisher for providing an ARC.