The Lucky One is my second time reading Jessica's (Author) work, I really enjoyed Make Me Disappear so my expectations were fairly high.

The Lucky One follows Norah a serial killer survivor, going back to her home town to bury her father and help her best friend choose her wedding dress. Norah has worked hard to protect her self since she was 15 years old when 'Hansel' the serial killer took her and her friend, but only let Norah walk away. Always looking over her shoulder, she's felt Hansel has always been watching and waiting.

The story is fast paced from the get go and it really did feel like a true 'whodunit' books except there's a lot more to the 'it' in this book. Red herrings are a plenty, everyone is a suspect and with Norah feeling vulnerable even with her fighting skills and fitness it makes for a really great read.

There are a few key players in this book who I don't feel comfortable talking about, namely as I feel you need to 'meet' them your self and make your own conclusions. As I said before, everyone is a suspect, trust no one. Although early on in the book I had a fairly good idea who did it and this didn't change I'm sad to say I did work it out. But again, this didn't spoil things. I'm glad the book ended how it did as I felt there was more of a final conclusion and I was happy with the ending.

Jessica's book so far for me have been really easy reads. I don't have to try hard to enjoy them or give them time. The characters bounce of the pages for me, the stories are intricate, clever... If you haven't read Make Me Disappear I'd highly recommend that one too. The Lucky One was read over a few sittings and is perfect for those who like a good thriller with a low police present (Minimal crime jargon, too many players in the book etc). This book has a little of everything and that made it more enjoyable.

A solid 3.5 stars, I'd like to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for kindly supply me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I could not put this book down. I finished it in one sitting. I loved the world building in the story, everything connected so well and there were many twist throughout the book. It was very refreshing and engaging.

**Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this title in exchange for a fair and honest review**

A fast-paced thriller with believable characteres and a fluid writing style which had me hooked quickly and the whole book finished within 24 hours.

Lots of twists and turns with "breadcrumbs" along the way. I did guess the true culprit before the big reveal but I have an annoying habit of doing that!

I really liked Norah as a lead character, especially how she reacted to her early trauma by training to become stronger than any potential attacker.

A side note, this would have been a solid 5/5 but the formatting made it very hard to read. No matter what I did, the text was stuck in italics. It's testament to the writing that I struggled through this issue to finish the book but it might be a breaking point for some readers.

Thank you @netgalley and @bookouture for an advanced reader copy of “The Lucky One” by Jessica Payne.

I absolutely loved her debut novel, “Make me disappear” which had undertones of You and Gone Girl. What could be better?

Enter: Norah Silverton. A badass MMA fighter and coach.

“I break into a run.
I barely escaped being the victim tonight. Though I can barely think with the terror pounding through me, I know one thing.
I’ll never be anyone’s victim again.”

A female badass protagonist. A serial killer she barely escaped a decade ago. But what are the chances she’ll escape him TWICE now that he seems to be back?

What if the person killing off your loved ones is someone you know? What if you’re next? What if a person who you know that has a totally normal life, job, spouse and kids is maybe also… a serial killer on the side?

Read on for so many twists and thrills. A must read psychological thriller, just like her debut novel!

ARC Review: The Lucky One by Jessica Payne

publication date September 14, 2022

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 stars

This is my first novel by this author and I must say, after reading this I am a fan. I read this in one day, in 10 hours at that. I haven’t had a book pull me in that quick in a while. It kept
me on the edge of my seat, constantly guessing and trying to be one step ahead. I have a feeling I will think about this one days from now.

This is a fast paced thriller of cat and mouse. Norah escapes a serial killer on prom night while her best friend does not. She moves away but never seems to ever let go. Then a tragedy brings her back to her hometown, and she begins to wonder if the killer is back after all these years.

The Lucky One will be available on September 14, 2022.

Thank you NetGalley, Bookatoure, and Jessica Payne for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

When I read the synopsis of this book, I marked this book as a must read and I was not disappointed. This was a thriller that I couldn’t put done and had to finish prior to going to bed. It kept me guessing until the end. I can’t wait to read more from this author. Thanks NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC in order for my honest opinion.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of The Lucky One.

I finished this earlier today and had to decompress to write my thoughts. I posted immediately on my instagram and said that this thriller had me spinning and everything about it was... *chefs kiss*. When I put the book down, I was just sooooo happy with the entire story - the twists, the characters, the spice, the romance, the friendships... All of it.

I love me a badass female lead and you definitely get that in this book. She was well balanced with friends and some romance, while still keeping her strong independence. There were so many times I thought I had it all figured out, but alas I was wrong. Part of me hoped for the fairytale ending (once you read it you'll understand) but part of me wondered if that was possible - some things seem too good to be true.

But did Jessica leave us a little nugget at the end for us to imagine a future? Absolutely. So thoughtful after the ups and downs she put us through haha.

Definite 5 star for me. Add to your TBR pronto.

I loved the Lucky One!!

This is a slightly different thriller, the main character is an MMA Fighter which I'm not used to, although it was great reading about such a strong female and I loved the concept of "not being a victim again". I'm not sure whether you could call a character in a thriller a role model but Norah's message is definitely inspiring.

The book was meaty but not overwhelming. I read it fairly quickly and I'm actually considering reading it again (that should you everything)

As I said previously, it is a different type of thriller (in my opinion), it's not one of those with outrageous twists and turns (which I also love) but a story of personal growth. The ending was relatively easy to figure out but that didn't deter me from enjoying the book. Norah's choices also make sense, this is definitely NOT the kind of book with one of those main characters who make one stupid choice after another (we all know which ones...) which was super refreshing.

The only criticism I have for this novel is that it is called the same as a Nicolas Spark's novel, which is not ideal when Googling it. Perhaps a different name would be a better way to market it.

My copy of The Lucky One contained an excerpt of Jessica's new novel which actually sounds super interesting.

This was a very intelligent psychological read and I did have to concentrate whilst reading. I must admit some plot holes but just went with it but all in all really enjoyed reading it. This author always delivers.

I was given an advance copy by net galley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own

10 years ago Norah and her friend August were kidnapped by a serial killer named Hansel and August was killed. Not being able to cope with the tragedy Norah leaves, but on publication of a book around serial killers and the death of her estranged father Norah returns to Kansas. But within hours of arriving another tragedy occurs and Norah fears she's being watched, has Hansel resurfaced and is Norah in further danger?
This book grabbed me from the start, it's fast paced, tense and like all thrillers has you wondering who the protagonist is. It's told in the present and the past, the original kidnapping, and both storylines end the chapters on cliffhangers so you have to read just a little bit more.
I thought Make it Disappear was a fabulous book but Jessica has surpassed it with this cracker
Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this advanced copy, I am under no obligation to leave my review

Wow wow WOW I have not read a book this good in quite awhile it had me at the edge of my seat heart thumping butterflies in my stomach it was so thrilling!!!! It was very well written and that ending OMG shocked me to no end!!!! I will definitely be highly recommding this book to everyone!!!!

Much thanks to #netgalley and #bookoture for allowing me to read and review this ARC

I will also be posting my review in the Facebook group I created in the near future
@DOMESTIC THRILLER READERS BOOK CLUB

This was a great thriller with a bit of romance. I thought the pace of the book was great as it kept me intrigued until the end. I did have the murderer figured out but there was a bit of a surprise at the ending. I am definitely looking forwarding to reading more books by this author!

“The Lucky One” is a thriller by Jessica Payne. What I really liked about this book was that I quickly became engaged with both the story and the writing. The main character, Norah, manages to escape a serial killer in an unusual way. Over the past decade, Norah has worked at becoming stronger - taking up MMA and being hyper aware of her surroundings. I will admit that there are a number of characters in this book but most were fleshed out enough so that their uniqueness made them easy to keep apart. I will admit to being a bit surprised at the identity of the killer (I had someone else pegged), so my hat off to Ms. Payne for me not narrowing that down correctly. However, why Norah missed it I find a lot curious! I did like the inclusion of MMA holds and the different types of martial arts … along with the training routine Norah did each day (took me back to some routines my MMA friends used to do). A quick and engaging read that held my attention.

Made me feel like I actually want to look over my shoulder and make sure no one was watching me from the shadows , fast pace from the beginning, and at every twisted and turn I had to know more about what had happened. So if your looking for absolutely addictive, mind blowing page turner that will keep you up with a racing heart until you've finished then this might be it .

Thank you to bookatoure and netgally for the arc in exchange for my honest opinion

This book is about Norah, who survived being kidnapped by a serial killer by convincing him she loved him. She manages to live a normalish life until she has to go back to her home town, and a close friend is killed again. Is the serial killer back?

Payne has said she was inspired by reading about a woman who managed to escape a serial killer this way, and it surely is a riveting beginning to a novel. The book was fast-paced, but I struggled with believing in it. I felt more lenient after realizing someone could escape from a serial killer this way, but I don’t quite buy that a serial killer would be so besotted to change his ways or to not realize after such a long time, that she might not have loved him.

The author did a good job ‘throwing breadcrumbs’ for the reader to follow, and it made the novel enjoyable. I was curious about who the serial killer could be, Payne managed to keep my interest despite my misgivings about the future plot itself.

I will read more books by the author, she is a skilled writer and with the right plot I will be overjoyed like I was with make me disappear.

Fat paced, tense and unpredictable. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time and kept guessing right until the end. Really enjoyable

The Lucky One by Jessica Payne was a fast-paced psychological thriller. There were abundant twists and turns, although I found the ending to be quite predictable. If you like stories of serial killers, secrets of the past, ongoing relationships and evilness, then this is a book you will enjoy.

Wow, what a great book! Norah is a total kick ass woman. Watch out serial killers! Totally kept me on the edge of my seat and had a surprise ending . Can’t wait to read Make Me Disappear.
Thanks NetGalley, Bookouture and Jessica Payne for ARC!

Slightly predictable thriller including different timelines. Guessable ending. Thank you netgalley for the advanced copy

I am a sucker for a good high school drama/thrillers/romance. Let me just say that this one did not disappoint. I loved my time with this book and I highly recommend it. Can't wait to read more from the author.