I was hooked right from the beginning! A terrifying psychological thriller that kept me guessing until the very end. Norah is “the lucky one”… the girl who escaped from a serial killer. While she may have escaped her captor… she was not able to escape the mental trauma. Ten years have past & now Norah is returning to her hometown. The place where she was abducted & feared for her life. Can she move past the trauma or is she still in danger???
A well written novel with a terrific cast of characters. Told in alternating chapters of past & present slowly building up to the OMG ending! I never would have predicted the outcome WOW. This was my second book by Jessica Payne & it will not be my last. This one was hard to put down… I couldn’t wait to see what would happen next. I highly recommended this one for anyone that enjoys a great psychological thriller! You won’t be disappointed!
Thank you #NetGalley, #bookouture & #jessicapayne for the ARC. My review is strictly voluntary..

Interesting read. It was pretty fast-paced and I enjoyed it. The main character was relatable, and the cast of side characters were well developed as well, and you had no idea who to trust. I think any fan of thrillers will enjoy this one, but especially fans of Ellery Kane and Rebecca Heath.

This book is absolutely full of the kind of ingredients that I love, like an old crime, a steely survivor, and a still-percolating mystery. Unsurprisingly then, I was very into the execution, even if some of the later plot developments were a little hard to swallow. (Yes, nailed the recipe metaphor!)

The Lucky One was a page turner for sure. I found myself flying through this book. If you like a fast paced book that will keep you up reading late into the night, definitely grab this one.

This is the second book by Jessica Payne that I have read and loved. The first one, Make Me Disappear was so good and I was hoping not to be disappointed by this one and I definitely wasn’t! It was fast paced and kept my interest from the very first page. Love it!

Thank You to #netgalley and Jessica Payne for allowing me to read the advanced readers copy of her second novel, The Lucky One. My review is done voluntarily, and my opinions are my own.

how do you think you would handle being kidnapped and tortured? What if it happened to you and your friends the night of your senior prom? and one of your friends didn't make it? Well, that is precisely what happened to our main character, Janie. 10 years ago, she survived a serial killer, and she decided to leave her hometown. She carried secrets with her and decided she would take charge of her safety and become an MMA fighter. 10 years later and she is back home, unfortunately because of a death in her family, and she is uneasy. she feels as if she is being followed, and things start occurring and she can't shake the feeling that she is reliving the past and that the killer her killed her best friend that prom night is still very alive and trying to get to her.

This one gripped me hard right from the start. i devoured this one. It kept me awake and guessing. Jessica Payne sure knows how to trick her readers with all the unexpected twists and turns. I couldn't put this one down. i love a good page turning thriller. you think yep, I know who it is, then Jessica is like NOPE! i need to pick up her other novel, because I love her writing. Not sure she can top this one though! the final twist though!!!! like what? i still have anxiety over it! Don't take my word for it, go grab yourself a copy!

"A woman tricks her would be serial killer into letting her go… but a decade later realizes maybe she hasn’t escaped after all."

Ten years ago, Norah and her best friend, August, attended their high school dance with their other friends and classmates. They decide to leave early and on the way home they are kidnapped by the serial killer, Hansel. Only Norah survives.

Now Norah is back in her hometown to go through her recently deceased father's possessions and home. She immediately starts to receive cryptic messages from someone telling her that they are watching her and that they've been waiting for her. Then, Esme, part of the original friend group, goes missing and later found dead.

Is Norah really the lucky one from that fateful night? Or, has Hansel been waiting for another opportunity?

This story had a twist ending that I thought I saw coming but then questioned myself 🤣 so I took it back and then it did happen! Just read it to understand. 😉

Thank you @netgalley and @bookouture for this ARC for my honest review 🙂
Published September 14, 2022

Fast pace with a engaging plot that was full of suspenseful twists. Definitely enjoyed it and would recommend.

This is a page-turning serial killer thriller. Loved her first novel and this one is another success. She definitely has a style and I loved the HS timeline as well as the tough main character. Fabulous second book and can’t wait to read her next.

I am all about serial killers, so when I read the premise of this novel, I knew I had to read it.

Norah survives serial killer Hansel, but at the loss of her best friend, August. She's grown up to be an MMA fighter, working hard to become the woman she couldn't be before, a woman that could have saved August.

When Norah's father passes away, she's brought back to her old stomping grounds. And suddenly, people around her start dying.

What I loved about this book is that it focuses on what happens AFTER someone survives a serial killer. It's clear that Norah isn't okay, although she works incredibly hard to appear tough. I also really enjoyed the "coming home again" premise, and the introduction of Norah's old friends as she comes back to the town she thought she'd left for good.

The problem is that I read this novel during a difficult time in my life, and I found it really hard to concentrate on. I suppose that's my own problem, but nonetheless, it's why I'm giving this book 3 stars.

I will say the ending was good - I was almost disappointed, but Jessica Payne definitely held up her end of the bargain.

Definitely a good vacation read!

I really love this author. This is my favorite that I’ve read. There were so many twists and turns I suspected everyone and no one at the same time. I ruled out so many people I was convinced everyone did it.

I could not put this book down!

This was a fun thriller! While I felt it lagged in parts, the cst and mouse game had me turning pages to find out what happened next. I would recommend for all you thriller lovers!

This a debut book for this author, and WOW! What a thriller. I love thrillers with serial killers because they usually do just that, they thrill! This one was very fast-paced and kept me guessing the entire time. It was so good and the ending was insane.

I loved how original the story was, this is a true thriller there were so many twists, turns, and unexpected plot points, it was totally unpredictable unlike so many other thrillers. She built the suspense, and it was so worth it. I love a strong female protagonist and not only is Nora strong because of what she survived but also because she grew even stronger.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for an e-ARC of this novel in exchange for a review. This novel was released on Sept. 14, 2022.

I was beyond excited to receive an advance copy of The Lucky One by Jessica Payne from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review and opinions. OMG this books if FANTASTIC! I can't say enough good things about it - SO DARN GOOD! Do yourself a favor and read this right away as the twists and turns will keep you coming back for more. You will not be able to put this book down. I can't wait for the next Jessica Payne book to come out as she may be one of my new favorite authors.

Let me tell you I ate this book up! Read it in less than a day and I am so happy I did. It was one of those books where I couldn't turn off my commentary in real life like WHAT THE HECK and OMG and NOOOO the entire time. It was such a fun read!

This book seemed right up my alley but it really didn’t grab me. I found the characters hard to relate to and the book was somehow slow and choppy. It was as if the author wanted us to relate to to the characters immediately but they were kind of flat and when things started unfolding it was hard to be super connected to it. It was hard for me to keep picking this book up to continue it. The trope of the victim turned tough unpleasant girl was kind of cliche and the detectives hostility was strange and felt forced for drama. The main character was not very likable for much of the book and the past event was weirdly explained and just didn’t come together well for me. I think this authors writing style just doesn’t appeal to me.

All that said the story was interesting story and the end was good. It was a bit difficult for me to get through but it was a good pay off and I would recommend you give this a try if this is a genre that you enjoy. This one just wasn’t for me but I wouldn’t call it an awful read. Just kind of hangs in the middle for me. Good enough to finish but not good enough that I would jump to another book by this author.

Thanks to Bookoutre and NetGalley for the ARC of this book!

Jessica Payne is a must read Bookouture author for me. I was converted as a fan from her debut and have been desperate to read this one. I can safely say that it hasn’t disappointed.

Payne has a talent for transporting me to the setting and captivating me. I have been completely caught up and obsessed with this one. My heart has been pounding as I’ve read this one. This is explosive and action packed. Payne doesn’t disappoint.

This has been perfectly paced and unpredictable. I have had mixed opinions on the characters but I can safely say I adore how Payne writes. It is addictive whilst keeping you guessing throughout.

I can safely say that this is a gem and I cannot wait to see what Payne has in store for readers next. This is one of those books that leaves you with a feeling of not knowing what to read next.

This book is one that I absolutely recommend for lovers of the genre. It is addictive and completely unpredictable. A must read.

Two best friends are abducted by a serial killer…….one dies and the other, Norah, manages to talk her way out of the situation and go home, using her father’s illness as an excuse that her abductor believed. He trusted her.

Lucky? yes, that she’s alive; but the trauma of this event that she’s dragged around for years has changed the course of her life, her relationship with her father and resulted in her leaving town to start over. She trained and became proficient in MMA: strong, prepared and never to be a victim again.

The death of her father brings her back to the town where they have not forgotten what happened. But her arrival in town coincides with a murder that resembles what happened to her. And worse, is that his victim is her friend. Is this killer back? Is this revenge for her escape from him so many years ago?

The author really had you second guessing all possible scenarios as to who this masked killer could be. I pointed my finger at several prospects only to be totally wrong in the next chapter.

Norah is a strong character with her emotional guard up constantly that finally allows herself to have feelings and express emotions that she’s not experienced in a long time.

It’s a thriller with lots of twists to keep you turning the pages.