This is my second book by this author and another fun read! The story is told in a dual, past and present timeline, which is one of my favorite thriller set ups. The characters are well written and Jessica Payne does a great job with the pacing of her books. I was able to guess the ending and didn't feel like this one had the edge of your seat feeling that her first book had. With that said, I did enjoy this story and wanting to keep reading just to find out what happened next.
This is a solid second book and I look forward to reading more by this author!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Really great book. I enjoyed it a lot and have enjoyed previous work by this author.
Payne’s books will certainly be a must buy as she puts out new ones!

Now this amazing book I could not put down. It was so good I just kept wanting to pick it up. The two storylines was intriguing and kept me hooked and I couldn't resist the cat and mouse trope. It was fun and I loved all the twists. Definitely give yourself time to indulge in this one. Thanks to Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was SO excited to get this e-ARC after reading Jessica Payne’s first book and while I didn’t love this one as much as the last, I still enjoyed it! We follow Norah who comes back to her hometown to settle affairs after her father passes and we slowly learn that years ago, she escaped from a serial killer who now may be back with a vengeance. I liked the back and forth between present day/past. I definitely saw the end coming, which I felt like didn’t draw me to picking up the book as quickly as normal, however overall enjoyed this one and it was an easy read! Just wished for a bigger twist (especially after her last book”

“What was the statistic of being attacked by a serial killer? .00039%. And the odds of it happening a second time? They’d assured me it wouldn’t.

They called me the lucky one.”

Special thanks to NetGalley, Jessica Payne and Bookouture for the advanced reading copy of “The Lucky One,” a psychological thriller that will keep you turning the pages. Just when you think you have the story figured out, you don’t! This double-twist novel is one that I would recommend to fans of books that will have you on the edge of your seat!

I loved this book, however I felt like it got dragged out way too long! The story line was different which I enjoyed so much. I think sometimes it better to get to the point then to drag it out like this one was.

I went into this book with high hopes based on the many 4 to 5 star reviews. I am obviously in the minority in my opinion of this book, but it just wasn’t for me. I did not enjoy the MMA fighter aspect, and I just found the plot fairly predictable. The middle of the book was hard to get through, and sadly, this ended up being underwhelming for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture, and Jessica Payne for an ARC of The Lucky One.

This book was amazing, and it was so hard to put down. The characters were well developed and likable. It was a quick pace thriller about Norah who escaped from the serial killer Hansel who would leave a bread trail to his victims. She left her hometown and trained to become an MMA fighter and coach to escape her demons. When she returns to her home town she has to deal with her past which is impacting her future. It was fun trying to guess who the serial killer was. I was able to correctly figure out who Hansel was by paying attention to the bread crumbs in the story.

I highly recommend adding this book to your reading list.

They say a book has three parts a beginning, middle and ending and this was apparent in this book.

The middle was hard work it was a slow burn and I felt it was very drawn out and lacked the oympth of the beginning and end and I did struggle to keep engaged.

I would've finished The Lucky One in 2 days if not for my mom falling and breaking 7 ribs. My life has now become about taking care of mom as I'm her caregiver. It's been tough to find time to read as I'm having a hard time keeping up with everything and only getting 4-5 hours of sleep a night. Having said that, this book is so fantastic, that I thought about it every day and found some time no matter how little to read some daily. This book was such a great distraction! Jessica Payne weaves a masterful read filled with suspense and twists!

Norah and her best friend August were taken by a serial killer, Hansel, when their car broke down leaving prom 10 years ago. Hansel killed August, but Norah was able to get away. The police, press, and true crime solvers all wondered how Norah was able to get away all those years ago. For the first time in years, Norah is back in her hometown due to her father's death. She's also there for Janie, August's twin sister, who is getting married soon and needs help finding a dress. As soon as Norah is back in town she's visiting Janie in the restaurant that she owns. They're waiting for Esme to come so they can celebrate a bit. Esme is late and her body is later discovered in the parking area of the restaurant. She was murdered and there are bread crumbs leading to her body.....that's what Hansel always did when he killed someone!! Is Hansel back or is this a copycat? Why is this happening just when Norah gets back to town. Another high school friend, Owen, who was August's boyfriend is also back in town and hanging out at Janie's restaurant. They all grow closer as they all knew Esme and what happened ten years ago.

Norah has never recovered from being taken by Hansel. She is now a well known MMA fighter and MMA coach. She wanted to learn to defend herself more than anything after that horrible experience and her friend Rob has made her into quite the fighter! She lives and trains in California now wanting to get as far away from her hometown as possible. Is Norah safe? Are the true crime people right that her father was murdered? The police told her it looked like suicide. Norah's mother disappeared when she was a child and was never heard from again. What happened to her?

Get ready friends because this book will have you staying up late to finish! I can't recommend this book highly enough. Go get it and enjoy every moment! I'd like to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for an advanced copy in exchange for a fair review.

Wow just wow! Jessica Payne has wrote another amazing story that had me on the edge of my seat frantically turning pages to find out what will happen next. I just had to finish this book in one sitting because its impossible to put down. This was a fantastic story line and just when you think you know what will happen next bomb a plot twists that you will never see coming. This book is sure to take you on an amazing roller coaster ride of a journey. Her writing style is definitely one of the best thriller writers I have read. And I have read a lot of thrillers . I just loved Norah's character and how she developed. Especially how she dealt with the police not helping her despite the evidence she finds. The pace of this story will leave you with whiplash so strap in for the ride of your life. I just love these fast pace thrillers.

I love how the book switches between the past and present as this really helped creat the epic sense of atmosphere and tension. So much tension I love it!! 

I really can't recommend this book enough. If you loved psychological thrillers with a fantastic pace emmursed in atmosphere then this book is definitely for you. 

Only the highest of praise goes out to the author and publishers for creating such an amazing story-line that keeps you on your toes. With an incredible ending. I will definitely be reading every book this author writes and I am already eagerly impatiently waiting for the next thrilling book.

The above review has already been placed on goodreads, waterstones, Google books, Barnes&noble, kobo, amazon UK where found and my blog today https://ladyreading365.wixsite.com/website/post/the-lucky-one-by-jessica-payne-bookouture-5-stars either under my name or ladyreading365

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture, and Jessica Payne for an ARC of The Lucky One in exchange for an honest review.

This is Jessica's second book and once again, she knocked it out of the park! I was immediately captivated with the storyline and drawn into the book quickly. I found myself staying up late (which I never do anymore with a 7 month old) because I needed to figure out who Hansel was. I loved that I suspected everyone throughout the book and I was pleased with how this one ended. I also appreciate that Jessica tied in the true crime community and I loved her explanation on why in her authors note.

Pick up this popcorn thriller today and thank me later. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 for GR!

I didn’t want to stop reading this book! It kept me on the edge of my seat filled with awesome twists and turns. I would definitely recommend if you’re into the cat and mouse storyline! I really enjoyed this read!

I didn’t love this one nearly as much as her previous book, Make Me Disappear. The whole MMA fighting thing didn’t interest me in the slightest. I wasn’t interested by the plot one bit.

<b>Note</b> I received an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley.

We were all there that prom night, but one of us didn’t make it home… Ten years ago: We laughed together on the dance floor that night, our dresses glittering in the swirling lights. One final night of fun before the rest of our lives. We couldn’t have known that for one of us, it would be our last…

Now: They say that I’m the lucky one, the survivor. But no one knows the truth—the thing I’ve been running from all this time. How I escaped.

Back in my hometown a decade later—the place I’ve avoided—I can feel the questioning eyes on me, the whispers. The rumors. I can’t shake the feeling that I am being followed, the shadow of a reflection in the glass storefronts, the murmur of footsteps before I turn to look. But no one’s ever there, and I tell myself it’s all in my head. Then the anonymous messages land in my inbox, overly familiar and insistent: I’m watching. I’ve been waiting for you. I should have known I couldn’t run forever. I want to feel safe surrounded by my best friends. But everyone has something to hide, and I don’t know who I can trust. Someone out there won’t let me forget what really happened that night, what I promised. What if, this time, I’m not so lucky?

The author did a good job of keeping the reader on their toes, even though I did figure out who the murderer was pretty quickly. Overall, it was an entertaining read and one that I would recommend for a nice thriller.

This book was quite enjoyable but I found it dragged out a bit. It struggled to keep my attention but the ending was good

(I read this book a few weeks ago now, but I’ve been delayed in giving my review due to illness, so I apologise for that).
Now….this book was a brilliant read!
I haven’t read any previously by this author, but this book alone is enough to make me want more.
I found it an intriguing synopsis, so I had high expectations. This didn’t disappoint.
It started off strong and the story held its own.
The author has a real flair for building up the tension and the characters are just…..ah, chefs kiss! Such a depth of personality shown, I love it.
So, would i recommend this book to others? Absolutely, without question.
Thank you to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for my arc.

I really enjoyed this physiological thriller and was very interested to read the second book by Jessica Payne - The Lucky One and I think it was even better than her first book.

Ten years ago Norah survived a serial killer while leaving their school prom, but unfortunately her best friend August did not. Norah left home and moved to LA where she became a cage fighter/MMA fighter/ trainer as she didn't want to be in the same position again and feel weak. Ten years later she heads home as her father has passed away and suddenly she's right in the middle of another murder investigation and the original killer or a copycat is back and in contact with her again.

She meets up with old friends and the officer who dealt with the case before, and it takes on a new course of it's own. A real twisty page turner that keeps you guessing and wanting more.

I did worry at the beginning if I would like this book, as I'm not a great fan of the fighting scene, but I needn't have worried as the book and the characters were brilliant.

Thanks to Bookoutre and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This was my second Jessica Payne and I LOVED IT! I loved the plot and thought it was so gripping. Who doesn't want to read about a possible serial killer back in town and the search to uncover who it is?! It was a great pace and entertaining throughout. The mix of past and present chapters was great. Overall I really enjoyed this book.

Thank you Jessica Payne and NetGalley for an ARC of this book!

Make sure you have an open schedule when you begin this addictive thriller as once you begin reading you will not want to put it down. The main character, Norah, escaped from a serial killer 10 years ago, while unfortunately her friend was not so lucky. Norah’s turns to MMA fighting and then coaching - I can’t help but think to protect herself. She has trouble trusting people. Ten years later she returns to her home town. She is immediately thrust into threatening notes and calls, still unable to trust. And when she does…
Loved the pacing and the hang by your nails ends of chapters which compel you to continue reading. I had a difficult time warming up to Norah, probably the intent of the author, Jessica Payne. She is definitely a tough cookie.
The story goes effortlessly back and forth in time, setting the stage for the suspicions and guesses the reader makes to solve the mystery. There are so very many possibilities! I stayed up very late reading “just one more chapter”.
Many thanks to Jessica Payne for writing this aptly named thriller, Bookouture for publishing it and NetGalley for providing me with the pleasurable opportunity to read an arc of this recently published gem.