I have been a Marissa Meyer girly since I read the Lunar Chronicles back in middle and high school and they altered my brain chemistry! I love her writing so, so much, and it’s been so fun to see it in a new genre as she’s ventured into the world of YA contemporary romance. I really enjoyed Instant Karma and was super excited about this spin-off story.

This is a story of coming of age and self-discovery and a young man learning to accept himself just the way he is and not try and be someone who he’s not, and it was so good! Jude was such an endearing protagonist and his interests in art and D&D that influenced his thinking were super cool to read about. I thought the way he interacted with his friends and classmates and crush felt pretty realistic and I could empathize as he navigated the different aspects of that part of life.

I think the inclusion of the tiniest bit of magic was such a great way to explore the themes of luck and fate and the control you have over your own circumstances. It was fascinating and intriguing and I always wanted to know what would happen next, and the way it served as a physical, tangible symbol of character development was very well done. I do feel like the romance took more of a back seat than I personally would have liked, but I thought the friendships that took the forefront were so great, and the dynamic between Jude and his family was one of my very favorite parts! I would love to see more from this family in the future. The record store and music elements were also fantastic.

The audiobook for this was excellent, and if you like a true YA contemporary coming of age story with a hint of magic and copious references to Dungeons and Dragons and The Beatles, then definitely give this one a try!

I love Meyer’s writing and as usual, I found it creative and a bit unexpected. I really liked how D and D was used to tell the story, What did break down for me, I think, is Jude. I didn’t love his storyline of pining for the girl he liked and even though he was respectful, I just wished he’d figured it out sooner who he really liked. It lacked something for me. Also, while the narrator was fine, I wished he had the same sparkle that Meyer’s usual narrator has.

A big thanks to NetGalley and MacMillian for providing both an eARC and advance audio book in exchange for an honest review.

Screaming. Crying. Throwing up because I got a Marissa Meyer arc!

With a Little Luck by Marissa Meyer is a YA contemporary novel about Jude, who is determined to fly under the radar. He just wants to draw comics, host D&D night with his friends, work at his parents’ vinyl record store, and escape high school as unscathed as possible. That is, until the night he finds himself inexplicably gifted with a bout of supernatural good luck. Suddenly, everything Jude has ever wanted is within reach. His art is being published. He helps his friend’s song become a finalist in a songwriting competition. And he wins a pair of coveted concert tickets, which he can use to ask out the popular girl he’s been crushing on since elementary school. But how long can Jude’s good fortune last? And why does he find himself thinking about Ari, his best friend since forever? If Jude has been dreaming of the wrong girl this whole time, does that mean he's doomed to be unlucky in love forever?

I'm not the biggest fan of Meyer's contemporary novels, as I am a fantasy reader. But I really liked how we got an expansion on Instant Karma's story. I did also enjoy the splash of the nerdiness when it comes to contemporaries, as it's always love drawn. Overall, I liked this book and can't wait to have it as a physical copy to add it my ever-growing collection.

With a Little Luck was a cute YA romcom. I also read the first book in this series (Instant Karma) and enjoyed it immensely. I did think this book fell a little short compared to the first. I don't know if it was just a character thing in that I didn't connect with Jude quite as much as with Pru. I found Jude to be a little more whiny and immature, and ultimately was annoyed by him a lot of the time. That said, I really did enjoy the Dungeons and Dragons connections and sections. I have been around the game quite a bit, so this was a fun way to jump into the story.

One big thing that frustrated me was that Ari was not in most of the first half of the book much. For being supposedly such a big part of Jude's life, I felt like she was never there. It was all Maya all the time. I did like Maya, but I don't think the romance of this book really hit for me. It was more frustrating than anything else. Maybe this was just a little young for me, though normally that doesn't bother me with YA books.

I did really like the narrator. They did a really fantastic job of getting the emotion across and fitting the tone of the book. I could have done without the fourth wall breaking though. This just threw me out of the story and didn't seem to really be for a purpose. I found it unnecessary and would have liked everything better without it.

All in all, this was a cute story. I enjoy the magical realism of it and Marissa Meyer is a wonderful writer. This book just didn't catch my interest like so many of her others have and just fell a little flat for me.

Thank you to Marissa Meyer (author), Stacy Carolan (narrator), Macmillan Audio, Macmillan Young Listeners, and Netgalley for this advanced listener copy of "With a Little Luck" (Fortuna Beach #2) for an honest review.

Once upon a time, I had this deep love affair with Meyer, and I don't remember what made me wander off the path of following her books (nothing terrible, assuredly), but this was a reminder to get back on the right straight and narrow with her words in my world. I did not realize that 'With a Little Luck' was the second book in a series, and, as such, it stood just fine as a solo, standalone read as well.

I love that this book plays with the notion of getting what you think you want vs what you actually want, with the fact we can blind ourselves to what that is by force of repetition. The family, both natural and found (of people adopted into the main characters' family and those of the close friends), scenarios in this are all so warm and wonderful. My heart soared at how much music played into this. My heart swelled for all three of the main characters in this triangle that was most certainly not a triangle. It was such a beautiful, fresh take on getting what you thought you wanted to realize what you did and how it set everyone involved free in the process.

I'm looking forward to reading book #1 (and #3!).

This was a great light story filled with every possible recent nerd reference. For those a fan of playing D&D, I’d recommend reading or listening to it. All others will enjoy it as well, it’ll just steal a special place in the heart of the D&D fans.

This is a sweet coming of age story about realizing your potential lies within and is not dependent upon external happenings. Jude and Ari are cute as friends and adorable as romantic partners. I enjoyed Jude's family and how supportive they were and that they shared a love of music. The audiobook is a delightful listen and a wonderful way to enjoy this book.

Sweet little romance with a lot of nerdy elements. Te characters read younger to me than juniors in high school.
I didn’t realize this was from a series, but I would probably read the first one.
I felt like the romance plot was a little predictable, but overall very wholesome.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for this Advanced Readers Copy!

I really enjoyed this book. Marissa Meyer is an auto-buy author for me, so I was incredibly excited when I got the opportunity to read this early. As a nerdy music lover, this book was so perfect for me.
I love Marissa Meyer's take on magic realism. The magic added enough to make the story really intriguing. While the magic is the draw of the story (given the title,) it takes a backseat to the relationships and characters, which I loved. The cast of characters and relationships within the story captured my heart right away. This is a pretty character-driven story, but the plot is substantial enough to keep your attention. My only complaint is all the gen z slang thrown in there (some of which is already pretty dated).
Overall, I think this is a really cute, easy read (and it's perfect for Valentine's Day)! It's all about discovery, and love (both romantic and platonic).

With a Little Luck was straight up adorable. Our main character, Jude, is a bit awkward and lacks confidence in his own capabilities. He’s also super creative, very supportive of his family and friends and, from my limited experience, a pretty awesome Dungeon Master. I enjoyed seeing his growth and self awareness develop.
The story had a couple of slower moments and its plot was predictable, but it was still super cute. This will be an easy book to recommend to young readers.
3.5 rounded up.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
#NetGalley

This story reminds me of books by Emma Lord! It's a sweet YA book, with some fun themes. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

I love loved jude so much. He was such a fun and shy protagonist and I loved how kind and thoughtful he was. Loved the side characters too.

A thoroughly enjoyable geeky, humorous tale.

With a Little Luck felt authentically geeky-teenageresque and I really appreciated that. I could completely imagine myself in their shoes when I was that age, being too shy and/or oblivious to realise what was happening.

The characters were realistic, adorable, and sometimes infuriating. The plot was simple, enjoyable, and predictable - but in a good way!

I loved the inclusion of the snippets of their DnD campaign, and the way these were included in the audiobook was very enjoyable.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to teenagers and YA-loving geeky ex-teenagers alike!

I didn’t realize this book was a sequel/companion, but I don’t think it matters. I saw who the author was and nostalgia made me pick it up.

Though I am not the intended audience, I found this book cute and wholesome. It is an story about friendships, first love, DnD, and music. With a little speculative aspect that it’s intentionally left vague if it was real magic or placebo.

One of my favorite aspects in YA books, even is it’s a romance, is when they have a strong emphasis in the friendships or familial relationships, and this book delivered having a strong development in both.

This was a fun and quick read. Though I may just as quickly forget it, but as I am not the intended audience, taking that with a grain of salt.

Plus Stacy Carolan did a great job as a narrator. It felt immersive and each character uniquely their own person.

Random things to note:

Liked ☑️
“I released a held breath” <— phrasing it like this made sense to me. I am so glad that we’re moving away from the YA cliched of not realizing when the breath is being held.

This book has a very simple plot, but the very good storytelling really makes it enjoyable. This definitely checks the box with teen drama, with a nerdy side.

Jude finds a lucky D&D dice and everything goes his way including spending time with his childhood crush. When he loses the dice, oh boy does everything go wrong, or maybe it's just perspective.

The D&D parts of this really weren't my thing, but I somewhat overlooked those parts since I really enjoyed the record store setting and music references. I think Ari was one of my favorite characters since she was pretty chill. This book had a nice vibe a flow which came through in the audiobook version.

Thank you to MacMillan Audio and Netgalley for providing me a copy of this ARC for my honest review.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."
It was a little weird to turn on a Marissa Meyer audiobook and not be greeted by the voice of Rebecca Soler. It totally makes sense given that it is written from a male perspective, but I inherently just expected the connection. Stacy Carolan, the voice of Jude, did an excellent job and I easily adapted to listening to him tell the story.
I loved this book so much and I was thankful for the ability to get my hands on it a little early. The D and D tie ins and Judes "ability" in this book were probably my favorite. Great work as always!

This was such a cute and fun read. Not usually the type of book I would read but I really enjoyed it! I loved the characters and the storyline.

This was a fine ya novel. Unfortunately it never really captured my attention and felt like the storyline wasn't entirely unique or engaging. Still I'm sure it will hit better with a true YA audience. I also didn't realize this was in a series - but fans of the first will like this similar style of story.

I want to preface this review by saying that I am a Marissa Meyer stan. <i>The Lunar Chronicles</i> will forever hold a special place in my heart (and a spot on my all-time favorite series list). The <i>Renegades</i> trilogy was a fantastic, fun, morally-gray romp. The <i>Gilded</i> duo was only okay to me, and <i>Instant Karma</i> was fun, but definitely one of her weakest entries. Slowly but surely, the quality of her novels has been trending downward for me and my tastes, and I have to say that I’m massively disappointed by that. <i>With a Little Luck</i> unfortunately follows right in line with that trajectory.

There are two major issues with this story for me. The first is a quick comment on the writing style that was chosen. Meyer consistently breaks the fourth wall in this novel. Jude repeatedly speaks to readers, often times interjecting in the middle of an otherwise gripping moment or setting the scene by directly telling (rather than showing us) important details about his characterization. I know Meyer wanted the writing style to match Jude’s personality quirks so that his voice could come through. However, this specific way of doing that is a massive mistake. It reads like a middle grade or children’s novel, and comes across as an overly clunky or lazy way of getting important information across to the reader. I was not a fan of this.

The second and final issue with this novel is the way the story was concluded, and its overall impact on the message conveyed. This is where I am going to get into spoiler territory, so anyone who wants to go into this spoiler-free should exit stage left.

As is clear from the synopsis, Jude finds a magical die that grants him good luck. Halfway through the novel, he loses the die and suddenly falls into an unshakable streak of bad luck. Near the end, as Jude is hung up on his misfortune and resigned to never do anything worthwhile without the lucky die on his side, his sister Pru challenges his defeatist attitude. She tells him that it’s <i>him</i> who matters, not the die. The luck comes from within.

So what does Jude do? He finds out a friend has the lucky die that he lost and he immediately goes to her house to grab it before he asks his love interest out. So much for not relying on his security blanket.

About 2% before the end of the novel, Jude lashes out at the die, destroying it, because his love interest doesn’t show for his grand proclamation. Immediately, she shows up at his location, justifying the random appearance as the result of “feeling” that she needed to go to him. <i>Give me a break.</i> So basically, in the eleventh hour of the novel, Jude gets his love interest delivered on a silver platter straight to his location, without him having to lift a single finger. He’s immediately rewarded for destroying the die. So much for Pru’s wisdom of him needing to take control of his life without the die. He gets everything he wants as soon as he destroys it.

The reason the whole narrative falls apart here is that it proves Jude hasn’t learned anything. Even when he destroys the die, he does so in a fit of rage because his love interest doesn’t show for his grand gesture, and not because he is truly ready to move on from his obsession with the superstition. While the story is structured to convey the message of standing on your own and putting yourself out there (versus hiding behind superstition), this ending firmly posits that destroying magical items will break your bad luck curse, which just doesn’t jive with a YA contemporary that has elements of magical realism.

Couple all that with Jude forcing his romantic pursuit on a girl who gives off clear non-verbal indications that she is uncomfortable with him trying to force romantic interactions onto her, and I was done. Honestly, this is only a two star read because of the sweet familial elements and the amazing audiobook production that I will touch on below.


<b>Audiobook Review:</b>

This is a must-listen for me. Based on the fact there is an illustrator attached to the physical edition, my guess is that there will be some sick artwork if you read it with your eyes. However, the audio production during Jude’s writing breaks and the D&D sessions were super cool. We had background music and cool sound effects. The narrator also did a decent job of emoting in his performance.


<b>OVERALL RATING:</b> 2 stars.


<i>A big thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for providing me with an advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review!</i>

I had so much fun listening to this Young Adult novel and watching as the main character Jude learned all about himself, first love, true love, friendships, and more.
Jude is a teenager who loves Dungeons and Dragons, his old pair of favorite sneakers, and drawing comic book art. When he finds an unusual dice in his parents’ record store, everything seems to suddenly start going his way. With new found luck comes new found courage and a confidence Jude didn’t display before, but when that luck suddenly runs out, he can’t help but think maybe he had some of it all wrong and worry he’s doomed to an unhappy fate.
I loved the way this explored the ups and downs of life and how what may or may not seem lucky or unlucky may actually be the right thing for us in disguise helping us find the path that will make us most happy. The characters were realistic and fun. I loved the bits of magic and all the music stuff. The romance was clean and age appropriate in my opinion, though there was some minor language. Overall, I liked the narrator and found her engaging to listen to. The audio also had some fun elements when they were playing D & D that made it even more entertaining as an audio read. I recommend this book.
I received an advance listening copy of this book through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.