I adore Denise Williams. This book ranks at the bottom of the pack of my reads of hers thus far. I really disliked the two main characters and the central conflict - esp the lack of communication good lord. But it did keep me entertained enough to finish.

I’m a sucker for a forced proximity fake dating
romance and Denise Williams did her big one with this book. I fell in love with this book from jump with its Cinderella meet cute and 90s rom com vibes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for an advanced reader copy of Just Our Luck by Denise Williams in exchange for an honest review. I really wanted to like this book more - I’ll start with the positives! I really liked the spice level as well as the plus sized FMC and ADHD representation. The premise for the story was fun - who wouldn’t want to win the lottery, especially if your life was in shambles?! However, the FMC fell flat for me. I also didn’t enjoy a good portion of the dialogue between the two main characters - at times their chemistry felt random and unrealistic. The overall story was light hearted and easy to read, but I expected more. 2.75/5 stars

Just Our Luck is an irresistibly cute and fun romance. Sybil, who lives her life carefree and directionless, crosses paths with Kieran, a no-nonsense premed student taking a break from his studies to help his grandfather run a donut business. Throw in a winning lottery ticket and fake dating, and you’ve got yourself a delightful read!

I truly enjoyed how Sybil and Kieran, despite being complete opposites, managed to help each other grow. Their differences made for a refreshing and heartwarming dynamic. And the introduction of a disorder in the storyline was handled with such sensitivity and depth—it added a meaningful layer to the narrative.

This book had me hooked from start to finish! A perfect blend of romance, humor, and heart. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a feel-good read. 📚💖🍩

'Just Our Luck' was one of my most anticipated romance releases for 2025. This is a story about two people down on their luck trying to get their lives together when a winning lottery ticket falls into their laps and they have to fake date for mutual benefit.

Denise Williams is one of my favourite contemporary authors. In my mind, she can do no wrong! I'm a little sad that this book didn't live up to my expectations or what I expected from the exciting synopsis/tropes. I loved the chemistry between the two main characters, Sybil and Kieran. They're attracted to each other right away but it's a bit of a "right person (?), wrong time" situation. This book is an easy and quick read - I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys a nice fluffy romance.

My disappointment is on a few different aspects of the plot and the characters. The lottery aspect of this story is so negligible. Sybil wins upwards of $200 million and it's mentioned as an afterthought. Even the money that's supposed to be split with Kieran, which is a big a huge amount that alleviates his financial worries, is mentioned a couple times at best. The last quarter of this book also felt so rushed and the main characters were behaving so rashly. It was in character, but deserved to be explore with a few more chapters than it got.

I'd give this a rating of 3.5 overall - I had a great time with this and found it to be the right kind of fluffy read for the winter and spring season!

Thanks so much to @berkleypub and @berkleyromance for the free book and the opportunity to read and review!

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a digital copy of this book to review!

I have read several Denise Williams books now, and I keep going back for more! In this book, our two love interests were “fake dating” for a majority of the book. However, it was pretty evident from almost their first interaction that it wasn’t fake at all, and that there were feelings involved from the jump. This wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it was definitely something I noticed. It did lead to moments of really intense tension in the book, which was great to read! Another aspect of this book was the third act breakup, which I think could have been handled a little bit better because it felt a little abrupt. I would have loved if Sybil’s diagnosis/ Kieran’s career setbacks were addressed more at the end. Again, I didn’t necessarily mind the third act breakup, just how it felt a little sparsely written.

Overall, this was a cute story! It wasn’t my favorite ever Denise Williams book, but I still had a good time reading it. I would definitely read more romances in this world between some of the other characters we were introduced to in this book!

eARC Review; Just Our Luck by Denise Williams
Pub Date: March 25, 2025

Thank you to @berkleyromance for the advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily #berkley #berkleypartner

Just Our Luck follows Sybil who can't quite hold down a job long term and who just sort of generally struggles with being an adult. After a chance encounter at a donut shop and some incredibly chemistry, Sybil gets tracked down by Kiran. But not because of their chemistry, instead because she left a lottery ticket behind, and it just happens to be a winner! Overnight her life changes and she and Kiran go viral and decide to keep using that virality to their benefit.

I had a bit of a mixed experience with this book. While I did like parts of it and thought other parts were pretty charming, I had some major issues with other parts of the book. I really struggled with Sybil as a character. As someone with ADHD, I know each persons experience with that diagnosis is different. However Sybil's experience felt almost like a caricature and made her feel MUCH younger to me. It wasn't until towards the end of the book that I realized she didn't know she had ADHD. While that did help explain some stuff to me, I find it somewhat unrealistic that she had gone through 30some years of her life with NO ONE ever mentioning it to her, especially nowadays where I feel like we are much more conscious of it. I also hated the third act conflict so much. I did think that Sybil had really grown as a character and it felt like we lost all that growth at the end.

I've liked this authors books before but ultimately I think this one just wasn't quite for me!

This book started out so outlandish that I was hooked from the jump. I'm always a fan of an interracial couple getting their time to shine, especially one's that do not conform to "standard beauty conventions". This story featured two folks at different points in their life (they're probably 22+ year olds) who meet by happenstance.

I thought that their initial meeting was plausible BUT what I was not excited for was how much of a backburner the major plot mover took to other things throughout the story. The main male character, whose a baker for now but has his eye on medical school was not a nice person to our main female character, a girl just trying to figure out her place in the world and how to stand up for her self. They were completely different personalities, both I'm very familiar with, so I thought the depiction of, and the reactions from people around the main female character were also plausible.

The book immediately has the main male character being obsessed with the female main character after a "sneaky" link in his place of employment. Their banter was cheesy but funny. Overall I had high hopes for the book but the more it went I was not seeing the growth I thought I should have and for the most part I don't see why the main male character would have ever talked to her again.

Adult | Rated R for spice

This story was sprinkled with cuteness and a whole lot of luck!

Sybil Sweet is lost in the world. Her family doesn’t take her seriously, she’s often the one her friends laugh at, and her career is nonexistent. When she’s fired from her job, she decides to drunkenly buy a lottery ticket on a whim. That same night, she stumbles into Joe’s Donuts. Kieran Anderson has been managing Joe’s since his grandfather’s stroke, putting medical school on pause. When he meets Sybil that night, sparks immediately fly. On her way out the door of the bakery, however, she accidentally leaves her lottery ticket behind. The ticket, it turns out, is a winner, and Kieran’s attempt to return it to Sybil goes viral. The two hatch a fake dating plan to help Joe’s Donuts and to keep Sybil’s family off her back. But as the fake dating progresses, the “dates” start to feel much less fake and a whole lot more real.

It took me a little while to get in to this, but I ended up really enjoying it! Firstly, I love the cover! I found myself repeatedly going back to it while reading to find all the little hidden details. Secondly, I loved the progression of Sybil’s relationship with her family. It was so heartwarming to see her family come to love and respect her for who she was (not who they wanted her to be). I also loved Grandpa Joe and Tom’s characters!

I will admit that the third act of the book was not my favorite, but I did enjoy the very cute grand gesture at the end! This was my second book this year that featured a lottery winning heroine (the other being Best of Luck by Kate Clayborn) and I definitely want to read more!

Preorder or request Just Our Luck from your library in time for its release this upcoming spring.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC!

3.5 stars I received an ARC from Netgalley. Denise Williams is an author from Iowa and this story takes place in Des Moines which extends the charm of the novel since I’m familiar with DSM. The FMC is a fun hot mess and the MMC is the stoic protective man taking care of everyone around him and sets his goals aside to take care of his grandfathers donut shop. A winning lottery ticket changes the lives of all parties.

JUST OUR LUCK by Denise Williams is the first book I read by the author and I really enjoy it. It had an enjoy premise with the unique plot and the characters were so intriguing.

I appreciated the various representations in the story as well as how the author intertwined important topics like mental health (ex. ADHD) into the story, it was done beautifully. She displayed a realistic view of what one goes through everyday with ADHD.

I really enjoyed the romance between the two characters, seeing how their relationship progressed and deepened as the story went on. Despite being complete opposites they have a connection and their chemistry was so sweet and adorable.

I’m excited to read more of the authors work
Thank you Netgalley and Berkley for this digital arc

This was adorable! Anytime we have main characters who deserve happiness and seem like good people - I'm INTO it!! Our main characters are down on their luck - but they're both truly such generous and loving souls that they were easy to love and want to be together. This is one of those that I call a 'bathtub' read - and it will definitely be relaxing because none of it is too heavy.

If you're down on your luck or having a hard time getting things to go right for you no matter how hard you work - this will be a heartwarming read!

**Thank you to Berkley for the advanced reader copy. I received this book for free, but all thoughts are my own. – SLR 🖤

Engaging and escapist. A recommended purchase for collections where contemporary romance is popular.

I was super excited to read this one because I am a big Denise Williams fan and the premise sounded so interesting! While I really enjoyed the premise and earlier parts of the story, I did struggle a bit with feeling like the resolution was satisfying.

We see Sybil struggle throughout the story with "adulting". This is something I really sympathize with because I often find there are a lot of things no one taught me. However, I feel like it was a bit extreme in her case. She makes mistakes that hurt people and I felt like she needed to do some learning and growing before she was ready for a relationship. Kiran also had some figuring out of his goals to do and I wish we had seen more of that growth on page.

At the end of the day, I enjoyed parts of this story but don't know that I would recommend it. It is a quick read and has some great parts but it wasn't one where I really felt the story was over.

I typically love Denise Williams books, but this one was not my favorite. Overall, I think that there was something missing in the story. I couldn't connect with the characters, and the last 10% of the book ruined my enjoyment of it. The ending really didn't sit right with me, and because of this, I didn't really enjoy the book.

I liked the idea of winning the lottery and it changing your life, but I don't feel like it was executed well.

Just Our Luck - Arc Review
one thing about me? i LOVE a messy fmc trying to figure her life out, and that’s exactly who Sybil Sweet is - a hot mess just trying to get her life together. that’s not all she is, though. Sybil is also extremely lucky and always has been. after a disappointing dating app experience, Sybil decides to swear off men, and that all of her problems will be solved by a donut and winning the lottery, and if the lottery falls through, at least she has the donut. that’s where she meets Kieran, the guy running the donut shop while his grandfather has been sick. after an almost-hookup, Sybil leaves behind her lottery ticket in her rush to leave, but no big deal. except it’s a winning ticket of over a million dollar lottery and Kieran has used their local news channel to get the ticket back to her, bringing a crowd of romance and donut lovers alike. Kieran needs help getting his family’s shop back on track, and Sybil needs a date to her sister’s wedding in a few weeks. here enters their deal to begin fake dating for their mutual benefit. Sybil is just about everything he despises in a person, so there’s no chance of anyone falling in love, right?



the details 🍀
- grumpy x sunshine
- plus size fmc
- fake dating
- found family
- mental health rep

This is a new author for me but I’ve heard many good things about Denise Williams. Characters are solid, plot was promising and romance was a balance of emotional and sweet! I am here for Williams’ next release now!

I love the concept of Just Our Luck—a lottery ticket, donuts, and fake dating. It’s everything I hoped for in a cozy yet steamy romance. Sybil Sweet is such a vibrant character, and I was rooting for her to grow into herself genuinely. Her journey to finding confidence despite her family’s treatment is compelling, but sometimes, certain scenes hammered this point home too much. We didn’t need every moment of her insecurity spelled out to understand where she was coming from.
The romance itself was sweet and had some heartwarming moments, especially with Kieran’s backstory and dedication to his family’s bakery. However, I wanted more from Sybil’s relationship with her mom—it felt anticlimactic. I kept hoping for more depth, a real moment of understanding, or a sense of growth between them, but it never quite delivered the emotional payoff I was waiting for.
Sybil and Kieran had great chemistry, and the fake dating trope was executed well. The viral lottery ticket moment added a fun, modern twist to the story, and the bakery setting was such a cozy backdrop. While it didn’t completely live up to my hopes, I enjoyed spending time with these characters and their journey toward love and self-discovery.

Fake dating is my favorite trope of all time! And add donuts I enjoyed this book so much! I could relate to Sybil so much and Kieran was a sweet cinnamon roll. This story was warm, cozy and gave all the feels.

If you enjoy adorable interracial romances filled with instant chemistry, this book is a must-read. It centers on a female protagonist with ADHD, who has been told throughout her life that she never follows through on anything. The male lead is a medical student who has postponed his admission to care for his recovering grandfather. He’s currently managing his grandfather's struggling donut shop. Their paths cross dramatically when the female lead loses her winning lottery ticket, prompting the male lead to search for it. When someone captures the incident on video, they both find themselves in the spotlight. To support the donut shop and help the female lead with her mother, they agree to enter into a fake dating arrangement.