I really wanted to love this one, but it was just okay for me. This was my first read of local author Denise Williams, and I'm not sure why I couldn't get into it. I loved the Des Moines locale feature, feeling like I was exactly where the characters are. But I think the FMC bothered me more then she should have, as I found myself not really cheering for her in the end.

Thanks so much for the gifted arc in exchange for a review--I can't wait to read others from this same author!

I've been trying to chase the high since Williams' How To Fail at Flirting, but unfortunately this was a miss for me. The premise sounded fun, but I really didn't like the characters.

Sybil was too immature and too much of a hot mess with little accountability or care for her actions. Kiran also seemed to have multiple personalities where one moment he's flirty and hooking up with a stranger and the next he's super grumpy and awkward about everything.

The book kind of drags and I never felt a genuine connection between the characters.

Thanks Berkley and NetGalley for the complimentary copy.

Just Our Luck by Denise Williams
⭐⭐⭐
Spice: 🔥🔥

Yummy donuts and a winning lottery ticket
Yes, please. I love when the Maine characters hookup in the beginning of the book but then it becomes a delicious slow burn and you add in fake dating. I eat it up every single time, the anticipation, the flirting it's so good. Sybil has always felt lucky but she's not able to keep a job and her love life is not going so well so after she loses her job and her date doesn't show up and sends her an unwanted photo... she decides the only things she needs in her life is to try her luck by play the lottery and get something sweet for comfort. When she walks into Kiran's family donut shop there's chemistry right away and things quickly get hot and heavy. Kiran has quit medical school on hold so that he could help his grandfather with his donut shop. He's in a lot of student debt and he's not sure when he's going back to medical school. He's been so focused on helping his family and getting himself together that he hasn't really paid attention to women until Sybil walks into the family shop and there is an instant attraction. They get interrupted during spicy time and Sybil runs out of the shop not realizing she left her lottery ticket. Kiran attempting to return the ticket with a video that goes viral and brings in lots of customers to the donut shop all curious to see if Kiran's mystery girl with the beautiful smile will come back to claim the lottery ticket. When Sybil comes to pick up the ticket, she convenience Kiran to fake date her to help bring in more customers and keep the shop afloat, everyone love a good love story right? and he will always help show her family that she can make good relationships choices something she hadn't been great at in the past.
It's hard not to fall in love with Sybil and Kiran they really open up and are vulnerable with each other. This was a sweet love story and now I need to go get a sweet treat from my local donut shop. 😂

Tropes:
- Fake dating
- slow burn
- donuts
- winning lottery ticket
- Grumpy x Sunshine
- loveable side charters
- curvy FMC
- interracial Romance
- he falls first

After being fired from another temp job, Sybil just wants money and donuts. So she buys a lotto ticket and goes to a donut shop open late at night. Kieran is the grandson of the owner of the donut shop. He sells her the donut with a little side of spice. When his sister interrupts them, Sybil runs off. When the lotto ticket wins, Kieran makes a plea to find Sybil on social media, which looks like a romantic gesture. She suggests faking dating so that they could get his donut shop publicity and get her family off her back and he agrees. Even with all that money, love cannot be bought.

There are so many aspects to love about this book. Sybil is a highly relatable character. She’s a plus size woman, who tries her hardest to do good things that don’t always turn out well, who seemed like she was all over the place, and then was diagnosed with late in life ADHD. It was for these reasons that I really wanted to read the book in the first place. I do wish, however, there was more discussion about the ADHD. I don’t mean that it had to take over the book, but maybe a bit more of a discussion.

Kieran was a great MMC. He was stoic at first, and then loosened up and was really sweet and supportive. He was able to see who Sybil really was and liked her because of what he could see. It really sends such a great message. They were really cute together, the silly banter and the flirting.

The village that Sybil surrounds herself with, her friends, are also amazing. I would love to have friends like that. Friends who just show up without even asking, who step up without even asking. We all need people like that in our lives. I’m so glad I read this book. It was really enjoyable.

I enjoyed this one! I liked the growth in the main character, but thought it could’ve developed more and sooner. And some of her quirks just seemed like blaring faults and mistakes. But otherwise a solid love story with a unique plot!

My first Denise Williams book! And that cover! It's so freaking cute 🥹

This was a sweet romance with lots of donuts and lots of luck. 💓 and although I enjoyed this story overall, I have some mixed feelings. First, it was about 50 pages too long. I was invested in the romance but imo some scenes could have been cut out. And second, there was mental health rep (ADHD) but it was dropped at the very of the book. I wish there had been a larger discussion around that kind of diagnosis.

Regardless, I absolutely adored Sybil, our Black plus-size FMC. She comes across as flighty and a bit chaotic, but she's also creative and loving. I really enjoyed following her story . Kieran was steady and serious and the complete opposite of the FMC. It was cool to see their dynamic navigating polar oppposite personalities and though Kieran irked me at times, there were also cute moments that I loved. The secondary characters were also so fun to read about!! They all played important roles in the main characters' development and the story overall which I really enjoyed.

Although the premise is centered around a winning lottery ticket, it's not the focus of the plot. Instead there's an emphasis on whether luck or intentional effort is more important in making a relationship successful. This worked for me personally given how well it was centered around the main characters dilemma throughout the book.

Just Our Luck is a cute opposites attract romance with fake dating and I would recommend this for lovers of donuts, lucky pennies, and found family. 🍩💞

3.75 rounded to 4 stars.

After reading Technically Yours by Denise Williams, I was really excited to read this one! I loved the premise of this one. Winning lotto ticket with some fake dating, sign me up. Sybil was such a hot mess express and just trying to learn how to adult.. girl same lol. Enter Kieran, that finds her winning lotto ticket that doesn’t feel right keeping it. So the fake dating begins. Both trying to figure out how to achieve their goals and figure out what that looks like together. This was a fun book and had a really fun fast burn between these two. I didn’t fully love the way that Sybil’s family treated her and that she always seemed to be the butt of every joke.

Overall, t his was a cute book with a fun premise that I really enjoyed. There were a lot of laugh out loud moments also sweet and spicy! If you’re in the mood for a insta-lust, faking dating romance this will be the book for you!

Thank you Berkley & Berkley Romance for the free copy of this book and thank you to Netgalley and Berkley for the e-arc!

This was such a fun, flirty book, with characters who I couldn't help but root for.

One night Sybil buys a lottery ticket, and stops at a donut shop where she meets Kieran, the owners grandson. His sister interrupts their one night stand and Sybil rushes out, leaving her ticket, which turns out to be a winner. Kieran uses social media to track her down and the video goes viral. They decide to fake date to bring business to the donut shop and give Sybil a date to her sister's wedding. Of course as the weeks go on, real feelings start to creep in.

Sybil was such an endearing character. She was flighty and directionless, but had such a good heart. Her family was always making jokes at her expense and it made me sad for her because she truly meant well in everything she did. Kieran was a little grumpy, and focused on taking care of his family at his own expense. His immediate feelings for Sybil were obvious, no matter how much he tried to hide them, and he truly saw her for who she was. The two of them complemented each other perfectly, and I was on the edge of my seat waiting for them to acknowledge that they were falling for each other. The author managed to build so much tension between them, and it was perfect.I highly recommend this one for anyone who loves a classic romcom, full of witty banter, silly antics, lots of flirting and some steamy moments!

This book had an amazing premise and it started out STRONG. I instantly loved Sybil and the meet cute with a bang (literally) I was like okayyy. But then I just didn't love Kiran and his attitude was not great for the start of the book. Also I think we were supposed to hate Sybil's mom and while YES it drove me nuts how she spoke to Sybil sometimes, I think she had some valid points. I also come from a family where we all joke about each other, so that part didn't seem so egregious to me, but I get why she could feel hurt by it. I don't think Sybil is a screw up; I think she is adorable head in the clouds adhd. However, I think that part of her was not really well fleshed out. Like she never "holds down a job" but also works for a temp agency so like.... that's what happens. I can't event tell if / what she wants as a regular job. The romance also just fell flatish for me. Like I love a fake dating storyline, but it never really felt fake, especially with the way they met, so even that troupe didn't hold my attention. Also, the winning the lottery thing was like a minor blip and barely influenced the story so I wanted more of that if that was the ploy. A lot of the plot was just going in circles

Overall, I felt like this was an okay, light story but missing a lot of the pull and development to make it great.

The latest from a fav author did not miss!! I loved this fake dating, forced proximity, dual POV romcom that has a down on her luck fat girl, Sybil winning the lottery and sharing it with Kieran, an aspiring doctor turned donut shop owner slash caregiver to his ailing grandfather and also the hot guy she met the day she bought (and lost) the ticket.

Let's be honest, Sybil is a bit of a disaster but everything she does, she does with good intentions, even though money can't buy happiness, Sybil tries to spread her wealth to make others happy. Sadly for her, some of the time there are disastrous consequences.

This book gave me the BEST 'It could happen to you vibes' (who else remembers that classic romcom from the 90s??)! It was also great on audio, especially the male narration by Teddy Hamilton and there is excellent late in life ADHD diagnosis rep (Sybil) and amazing found family/friend group rep. (I can't wait for the next book in this 'hopefully' start of a new series!)

10/10 recommend this one if you are looking for something fun, flirty and with emotional depth and a TON of heart!! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!!

i wanted to love this one!!!! it just wasn’t for me as i couldn’t connect to the characters and overall story. i felt myself putting it down often. although this made me want a donut and i would like to read more from the author (i just don’t think this one was for me sadly)

i did like the fake dating aspect and donut shop setting!

Thank you to PRH Audio for the ALC and NetGalley for the e-Arc in exchange for this review.

I am a big fan of Denise William's writing and I'm also a fan of the two narrators (Teddy Hamilton and Emma Ladji did an amazing job!)

I also just want to take a moment for this COVER which is absolutely stunning and perfect and I love it so much.

Now for the book. It's cute, and sweet, and has some lovely moments. I think overall I struggled a bit with Sybil and her messiness, but it was also a really good example of late diagnosed ADHD. I think the thing that got to me is that she has little to NO self awareness.

Kieran is a typical MMC, he likes to eat the cat but he's also kind of mean and grumpy at weird moments.

I loved the fake dating that was never actually fake aspect because that's a trope I enjoy, and the kind of grumpy/sunshine thing it had going on. And it had some spicy moments that were great!

Overall though the plot kind of dragged at times and I didn't connect as deeply with these characters as I wished.

In fact, I liked ALL the side characters more and I'm looking forward to their books, should they get them.

Still a cute read!

DNF @ 75%

I was so excited to receive an e-ARC for Just Our Luck, as I love Denise Williams’ earlier books, How to Fail at Flirting and The Fastest Way to Fall, and have read all her other books since. So I was disappointed that this was such a grating and draining reading experience for me.

While generally well-written (I expected no less!), the chemistry of the main couple Sybil and Kieran felt totally contrived. I failed to feel their connection, made even more unbelievable by the fact that they decided to fake date–instead of actually date–when supposedly being so attracted to one another initially. Kieran constantly noting how uncomfortable he was with lying about them being together was a huge flaw in their ruse–fake dating as a trope just doesn’t work when there isn’t mutual effort, even less so when one side is having moral qualms about it.

My biggest issue overall, unfortunately, was the main character Sybil. Frankly, she was insufferable to the point of detriment to the story. From a reader’s standpoint, she is seemingly living with undiagnosed ADHD that is negatively impacting her life and her relationships, however, by 75% in it was not addressed. Instead, we hear that Sybil just can’t get it together, she can’t be on time, she’s poor at managing money, she gets distracted by side quests and shiny pennies, but that’s just how she is and it doesn’t matter because luck has always been on her side. Her mother un-empathetically berates her, her sister constantly covers for her, and it makes her feel bad yet nobody tries to help her figure out what’s going on. There’s no movement towards recognizing a pattern that could be addressed, allowing her to come more into herself and give her more direction and confidence. It begs the question, what is the intention of such representation?

Usually what draws me to Williams’ books is a sense of groundedness to them; they’ve always had weight and maturity, presented through the stakes of the characters and how their relationships develop, and I just didn’t feel that in Just Our Luck. I honestly couldn’t place the ages of the characters based on their life situations and their personalities, and while Kieran’s struggle between his dreams and his obligations was something, it was constantly addressed in the hypothetical, which negated the potential for its groundedness. Yes, we romance readers adore tropes, but a story prompted by tropes and not led by a weighty, soul-searching, and complex story just doesn’t carry much impact.

While this wasn’t the book for me this time around, still I thank Berkley Romance for giving me the e-ARC to read!

What a cute book with so many laugh out loud moments. Sevilla is one of the most charming and charismatic characters I've met in a while and I loved her immediately. She has a complex relationship with her family as she thinks they see her as a flake who is good for laughs but lacks discipline. In contrast, Kiran is orderly and detailed ans has never met a plan he doesn't break down step by step. I liked their relationship- they brought out a lot of good for each other. My biggest issue was the third act conflict. While I agree with the end result, I'm not sure i would have been able to get over the way it came about. But overall still a great read.

This is the first novel I've read by Denise Williams, and I'm excited to look into her other novels after it! I really liked her writing style and the way the story moved forward. I also am a big fan of dual POV romance novels, even though a lot of time I'm mad the characters aren't talking each other about how they fully feel.



This book has a lot of really great romance tropes, there is fake-dating, he falls first and then mutual pining. Both Sybil and Kieran have a lot on their shoulders and a lot of people who are watching what they do. Sybil just wants to prove to her family that she isn't the mess they all seem to think she is. She is definitely impulsive, but at times it feels like her mom and sister are truly looking down at her. Kieran deferred medical school to help out his grandpa, who is the owner of the donut shop. When they meet, and briefly hookup, it ends with Sybil leaving quickly, and leaving behind her winning lottery ticket.



In order to find the mystery girl, Kieran's sister has his post a video online about missing this perfect girl and wanting to make sure she gets the ticket. Suddenly, Sybil has more money then she could imagine and is hoping Kieran will let her help him out. When they decide to fake date to help the shop make back it's money after a break-in and make Sybil's parents believe she is finally in a good place after winning the lottery, they figure they just need to make it through Sybil's sister's wedding.



Their town is obsessed with their relationship, and the sudden support is keeping the donut shop afloat. Even if sometimes their fake dating does seem too fake. But as they spend more time together without people watching, they realize their feelings might be more real than the think. The problem is Sybil doesn't know her next steps and Kieran has every intention of going back to medical school in the fall, states away.



Overall, I really enjoyed the story and really liked the idea of the family run donut shop and that being a main setting of the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with a copy pf Just Our Luck by Denise Williams in exchange for an honest review.

After a lifetime of impulsive behavior, poor dating choices, and a spotty employment record, Sybil Sweet is ready for her luck to change. She’s got lots of offer: charm, looks, and a bright, caring personality. She just can’t, quite, find the right combination of factors to settle down. So why not buy a lotto ticket?

Meanwhile, responsible, serious Kieran Anderson is feeling pretty rooted, as in stuck. He’s taken a sabbatical from med school to care for his grandfather and his grandfather’s donut shop. This is a significant detour on the path he envisioned for himself, but it’s worth it because family comes first. But he doesn’t anticipate a steamy after-hours encounter with customer Sybil, who then leaves behind a winning lotto ticket. Kieran is nothing if not honest, so he makes the effort to return the ticket.

What follows is a fake-dating, “I’ll pay you to fake-date me since dating a good guy will make me look more responsible” story. The setup might be a little cringe, and it takes the full length of the book for both characters to fully grow and mature into their relationship, but that payoff does eventually arrive.

Sybil is… a mixed bag, honestly. She has an enormous heart. She’s charming and friendly and creative. Unfortunately, she also messes up all the time, usually in a spectacular fashion. Which would be fine, if she took responsibility for these mistakes, but she usually doesn’t. For example, she’s late for something that she forced Kieran into doing. He’s upset and her response is pretty much, “Yeah, I’m late but I’m here now so it’s fine.” Nary an apology in sight. She starts to mature in the latter half of the book, only to make a colossal mistake that honestly, Kieran would have been completely justified in leaving her for. But this is a romance, so there’s an out readily available to make this mistake more ok. (It really doesn’t, but whatever.)

It’s pretty clear early on that the author has a particular explanation in mind for why Sybil acts the way she does. To avoid a spoiler, that won’t be discussed in depth here but Sybil comes across more like the generalized poster child for that explanation, rather than a nuanced depiction. It might have worked better had the issue come up earlier in the book, but it doesn’t until the very end.

If you are a reader who has a hard time suspending disbelief, this may not be the story for you. The problem with “We won the lottery” stories is that, for all the good that money can do, 350 million dollars would necessarily bring on a lot of trouble and possibly danger too. But that doesn’t really happen in this book. She wins the money, she finds romance with an upstanding guy, and apart from one scammer, it’s pretty much all ok. Despite Sybil’s highly publicized lottery win, she doesn’t have friends, exes, distant relations, or con artists suddenly hoping for a piece of the pie. Everyone just shrugs and says, “Oh, hope she doesn’t spend it all in one place because you know how impulsive she is!” That’s the biggest worry. It feels very unrealistic.

That said, if you’re cool with ignoring the dark side, then this might be the light hearted story you’re looking for. Recommended for folks who love big hearted, curvy FMCs along with the serious men who adore them, and for readers who would really, really, really like to forget that the world is a dark, challenging place right now.

Thank you Berkley for the gifted copy. I am a huge fan of this author because her books always making me smile, swoon, and laugh. This one was no exception. The concept was fun. You get a meet cute turned fake dating romance all around the idea of luck. Sybil is the kind of protagonist you adore, but also you want to shake a few times. And Kieran is her perfect counterpart. This book will cause you to want infinite amounts of donuts so to be warned.!!

Thank you to @netgalley & @prhaudio for the gifted advanced copies of Just Our Luck in exchange for my honest opinion!

New Denise Williams is out next week and, while it’s not my fav by her, it’s still a fun time! Fun, good character development, steamy, & a grandpa character I absolutely loved!

This book’s ending was bananas in my opinion. The conflict was also introduced in the last 10% which made things feel rushed and threw off pacing a little bit.

If you’re a Williams fan, absolutely go for it! If you are not already familiar with her, I’d say give a different book a try to fall in love with her first! Then mosey on over to this one. Highly recommend the audio too - you can’t go wrong with these narrators.

This managed to be absolutely adorable and have solid depth at the same time. The FMC, Sybil, is Black, plus size, and neurodivergent, and as someone who fits into all of those categories myself, I loved the representation in this novel. Sybil is vibrant and creative, but struggles with forgetfulness and impulsivity. I was impressed that Kieran, the MMC, is not just a bland romantic hero, but someone with his own struggles and flaws, who also happens to turn out to be a perfect balance for Sybil — patient, organized, understanding, and most importantly, appreciative of the fact that she operates differently. I'm a sucker for a fake dating trope, but it was almost unnecessary with these characters. I would have been happy to read them in pretty much any plot or situation. Although I will say, the winning lottery ticket + struggling donut shop storyline was pretty fun! Overall a great read, and I'm happy to see a romance like this one out in the world!

Just Our Luck by Denise Williams is an absolute gem! The emotional depth, sizzling chemistry, and heartfelt journey between the characters had me hooked from the start. Denise Williams always delivers strong, relatable protagonists and swoon-worthy romance, and this one is no exception. The growth, humor, and perfectly paced tension made this a 5-star read that I couldn’t put down!