Rating: 4/5
Steam: 3/5
CW: ADHD, health issues with a grandparent, absent parent, difficult family dynamics

Thank you to Berkley Romance, PRH Audio, and NetGalley for the advanced copies in exchange for my honest opinion.

Gosh, this book should come with donuts attached because darn it—now I want some. Denise Williams has been a favorite author of mine for a while. Ever since her debut, I’ve enjoyed her work (some more than others), but she always adds something special that keeps me coming back.

Sybil and Kieran were an interesting couple—I liked them both as individuals and together. The plot was wild, to say the least (winning the lottery is pretty out there), but Williams did a great job integrating it into the story without making it the entire focus. And can we talk about that stunning cover? I also loved the fake dating element, especially since it came after they had already hooked up—it added a fun twist!

Sybil is at a crossroads in her life, feeling directionless and unsure of her future. To others, including her family, she comes off as impulsive and flighty. We later learn she has ADHD, which is often underdiagnosed or diagnosed later in women. I think this detail is important to mention upfront because it adds so much depth to Sybil’s character and makes her struggles feel even more real.

However, my biggest issue with the book was the conflict and third-act breakup—it felt outrageous. There was foreshadowing, but it seemed minor, so when the moment hit, I was shocked that we actually went there. It wasn’t a traditional third-act breakup, and honestly, it felt out of place. In a story that could have leaned into meaningful character growth, the way things played out was a bit of a letdown.

On top of that, Sybil’s mom was awful to her about not having a stable job or relationship. It seemed like it was meant to be lighthearted, but it didn’t read that way, and after a while, it just got old. I did appreciate that we got some resolution and growth between them, but I wish it had been explored more.

Kieran’s family, though? I loved them—especially his grandfather. His struggle to take care of his family, and how that shaped his choices regarding the shop and medical school, felt incredibly real. It added so much heart to his character and gave the story extra emotional depth.

Overall, Just Our Luck had a lot of elements I enjoyed—fun tropes, great family dynamics, and a relatable heroine—but the third-act conflict held it back for me. Still, Denise Williams’ writing is always engaging, and I’ll be looking forward to whatever she writes next!

I absolutely love Denise Williams books! Just Our Luck was such a fun book. I loved Sybil and Kieran. They were an interesting couple and good characters as individuals as well. The plot line was silly in a good way. The lottery is such a wild thing but it worked and I had a good time. Definitely would recommend to anyone looking for a good romcom with some good fake dating!

denise williams is an auto-buy author for me. i’ve read every single thing she’s ever written. i was sooo happy when i got approved for this

first of all, THAT COVER 😍😍

second of all, the synopsis was so interesting i love fake dating!!

i had such a good time with this one i cannot wait to see what else denise has planned for us i love her so much

I have to start by saying that this cover will go down in history and one of my favorite book covers of all time! It is just perfection! I really enjoyed Just Our Luck by Denise Williams. In this story we get Sybil who is at a point in her life, where she is feeling a bit directionless and isn’t sure what to do with her life. To others, including her family, she comes off as flighty and impulsive. We later find out she has ADHD, which is often misdiagnosed in women (believe me I know) I think it’s important to share this fact up front, because I think it sheds more understanding on Sybil and her personality.

When she meets Kiran things start off with a bang and their paths reconnect when she leaves behind a winning lottery ticket. Kiran is a total cinnamon roll and quickly becomes smitten with Sybil. When it turns out fake dating would be beneficial for both of them and Kiran’s grandfather’s bakery they start a ruse…just as friends. I enjoyed the juxtaposition of these personalities and I think they each had a little something the other was needing. Sybil’s character was so carefree and confident, but she also struggled with feeling less than in a family of overachievers. I loved that Kiran supported her and helped her realize that she is worthy of love, her voice matters and she has so much more to offer than she thinks.

Just Our Luck
Denise Williams
Pub: 3/25/25
3.5☆

#gifted Thank you @berkleyromance for the free book. Thank you to @prhaudio for the free audiobook

Just Our Luck has all of the fixings for a lighthearted, fake dating rom-com. It was funny, cute, and a quick read. I was drawn in and entertained right away by Sybil and Kieran’s story. Unfortunately the story just didn’t keep me hooked. I enjoyed that we eventually got to see Sybil and her Mom’s growth, however I wish we could have seen more growth and emotional depth/connection between our MC’s. I sympathize with Sybil and her struggles but as the story went on I found myself frustrated with her making the same mistakes over and over. Overall an entertaining read just maybe wasn’t meant for me.

What I liked;
🍩 Fake Dating
🍩 Banter
🍩 Plus Size FMC
🍩 Neurodivergent Rep

If you're a fan of donuts, banter, and fake dating... this might be for you so make sure to check it out.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The scream I screamed when I was approved for this one! Denise Williams is an auto-read author and I could not wait to dive in.

An impulsive lottery ticket purchase, a steamy night with the baker at the donut shop. One night could've been it but the lottery ticket wins and Kiran needs to find Sybil to get it back to her.

This is a cute, steamy romance about luck. Recommended!

I really wanted to love this book. The super cute and fun cover drew me in first, and the premise sounded lighthearted and fun and the perfect palate cleanser after reading a heavy, historical fiction book. From the beginning, I wasn't a huge fan of Sybil. It was pretty evident early on that she very likely was dealing with ADHD. While that I can totally understand and relate to, I very much feel that there comes a point in life, even more so as an adult, where if your actions are impacting your career and livelihood, there should be some self reflection to get to the root of the issue, or to make strides to improve. Sybil seemed very comfortable in her skin (which is great and not a bad thing at all), but there didn't seem to be that much desire to do better. For example, to me she was too quick to push off organizing her sister's bridal shower onto someone else (and just accepting that she's not great at organizing) instead of pushing herself/trying her best to get it done. It was like she just accepted her procrastination as "it is what it is."

What sold me over and helped me to continue reading was Kieran (and the spice, haha). He was awesome and so supportive of Sybil. I loved him so much that I started to look forward more to his chapters than Sybil's. But this is also what really contributed to my disappointment with the end. I feel like I should add that I dislike third-act breakups in general, and it is very rare for me to find one that I don't mind. They just seem so unnecessary after investing so much time in a book. In this case, there was NOTHING that could have prepared me for the conflict that arose and nothing (in my opinion), that could have redeemed it for me. If this were a real world scenario, it would easily be too big of a mistake for there to be genuine, believable reconciliation. Not to mention that the pressure that was put on Kieran to forgive Sybil and fix things was completely baffling. She was well aware from day 1 just how much medical school meant to him and the time he had already put in. If it were me, there would be way too much resentment to even continue in the relationship. Unfortunately for that, I was no longer invested in the story. I finished it for the sake of finishing, but it was just so frustrating.

3.5 - “But I think luck looks different than what I thought, because I don’t know what my professional dream is anymore. What I do know is I can’t imagine wanting any dream for myself that you’re not a part of.”

I was really excited for this one because Denise Williams has always been a solid author for me. And while this book is really cute and has some great intimate moments, it completely lost me during the third-act breakup.

Sybil is so relatable as someone who’s unaware of her clear ADHD and seemingly all over the place. She buys a lottery ticket from a donut shop where she meets Kiran. There’s a misunderstand with her winning lottery ticket and they embark on a fake dating journey. I'm always a sucker for a fake dating book and I loved how it flows naturally into a real relationship. I also loved Kiran's sister and grandfather as supporting characters who felt like they added a lot to the book.

Kiran and Sybil have great chemistry, and one of the things I loved about Kiran is how supportive he is of Sybil despite her flaws. Kiran was sweet and I love how he takes care of his grandfather and sister even though he had to postpone his dream of becoming a doctor. The focus on family and responsibility was really well done, and felt so realistic. Kiran feels like he needs to be there to continue to business, but it's clear that he longs for more and to go back to medical school.

But my big problem as the conflict and third-act breakup because it actually felt outrageous. There is actually foreshadowing of this, but it doesn’t seem significant. When the moment comes, I was immediately turned off. This was not a normal third-act breakup. This was actually insane and really turned me off to the whole book. The fact that Sybil thinks it's a good idea to bribe Kiran's school to make a decision in his favor felt so out of place. In a story that could have done a lot of good character growth, it's a bummer how this ended. Not to mention how terrible Sybil’s mom is to her about her inability to keep a stable job or relationship. It’s seems like it’s supposed to be in a joking manner, but it doesn’t read that way. It also happens so often that it gets old pretty quickly.

I wish the conflict was handled much differently because it is really jarring considering how late in the book it comes. In all honesty it feels like too much to come back from as a couple. Which is unfortunate because the majority of the book was cute and sexy, This isn't what I've come to expect from Denise Williams, so I think that's also why this feels a bit disappointing. I will continue to read her books, but this one just wasn’t my favorite.

Thanks to Berkley for the gifted copy of this book!

About the book: Sybil Sweet can't catch a break lately -- until she finally gets lucky enough to get a winning lottery ticket! Except that she leaves it behind at a struggling late-night donut shop while she's... getting lucky. Kieran returns the ticket in what looks like a grand gesture, and they go viral in a move that could save the shop and Sybil's reputation with her family.

JUST OUR LUCK was such a fresh take on the rom com genre - this is such a fun idea! Sybil and Kieran are really sweet together and I love that they had undeniable chemistry from the start. I am also a total sucker for fake dating and a donut shop. Sybil is a plus-size Black woman with adult-diagnosed ADHD, and I love seeing women like this in a starting role.

4.5⭐️ This was so freaking cute 😍

I absolutely love the way these two first meet and how their story continues. The way I devoured this should be criminal. The tension and banter was amazing but the family aspect (on both sides) was adorable and so heartwarming! The final scene between Sybil and a certain woman actually brought tears to my eyes. I am such a fan of this author - I could not put this down!

fake dating
opposites attract
forced proximity

*I received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review with my honest opinion.*

Just Our Luck
By Denise Williams
Pub Date: March 25

Sweet, Sticky & Spicy!
I loved it!!

This book is full of fun and sassy characters that are very relatable - well kinda. I have yet to win $350 million dollars.

I loved that Denise created characters who were not perfect cookie cutter models. The many character was a full figured woman who was neurodivergent with a great heart. The secondary main character was “perfect” on paper - beautiful, great body, kind, and going to medical school. He also isn’t great with communication and relationships and is pretty rigid in his thinking. Oh, and he makes donuts. That more than makes up for things.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers, and the author for my digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

What if you won the lottery and decide to fake date a hot donut shop worker who dreams about becoming a doctor? Sybil believes in luck, its the only way she can maintain her day to day life despite how chronically late and careless she is. Sybil knows she is the family disappointment and despite being newly fired from her job from once again being late and causing a scene, she buys a lottery ticket and stops by a late night donut shop where she hooks up with the hot donut store worker. Kieran works at his family's donut shop to help his sick dad while also deferring from his dream of being a doctor. Kieran is exhausted, broke, and doesn't see himself coming back to school any time soon. Then a hot woman walks into his donut shop and he decides to hook up with her only for her to run off afterward and leave behind a lottery ticket... turns out it's a winning one. Kieran decides to find Sybil and share the money with her and Sybil needs a date for a family wedding and asks Kieran to fake date her to make it look like she can make good choices to her family for three months and in return she'll help him at the donut shop and give him money. Yet for two polar opposite people who need to be in a fake relationship, it's beginning to feel very real... but can they make it work? When I tell you I was so uninterested in this book and nearly DNF'd it because of how annoyed by the main FMC I was and how much there was a lack of actual story.... it was so close. Sybil is diagnosed with late ADHD but honestly she was just so annoying, she's careless, thoughtless, and just immature for her age. She doesn't hold herself accountable but just blames it on luck, and when things do go wrong she just blames herself and says "yeah I am the disappointment my family thinks i am" like bffr. Kieran on the other hand is floundering and did not give love interest at all. Also the third act breakup?? I would never forgive Sybil for what she did, there is no coming back from that at all, like what do you MEAN ?? She literally destroys his chance at going back to med school because she bribed the school??? His literal dreams are ruined???? and then everyone is telling him he has to forgive her?? like no he does not??? His two years of med school are literally destroyed because of her carelessness. I really did not care for the romance and it just did not feel believable at all and neither characters were likable if I am being honest.

Release Date: March 25, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Thank you @berkleyromance #berkleypartner for my free finished copy and @netgalley for my e-arc 💖.

🗓️Out March 25, 2025

✨What it is about:
Sybil is a bit of a mess and down on her luck as she just got fired from her job. Kieran is a medical student who has deferred his classes in order to help care for his grandpa while he recovers from a stroke, and run his doughnut shop. Their lives become intertwined when Sybil’s winning lottery ticket lands in Kieran’s hands.✨

💭My thoughts:
I was happy to read another Denise Williams book as it’s been a while since I read one, and I really like her writing 💖. This story had some really nice moments, good tropes and an adorable meet cute (I mean, you will always get a thumbs up from me when including a donut shop!🤤). It was refreshing to see a neurodivergent character that truly showed the impact of that in all aspects of their life, not just one. Sybil’s chaotic energy and internal struggles were well portrayed, and I feel the way it was written truly lets the reader understand how neurodivergence can manifest in others, and affect their whole life. I didn’t like that Kieran had a little mean streak though. At one point I even thought there would not be a HEA. The big thing at the end of the story was HUGE, and it surprised me how easily they got past it. I did feel this story indeed had its sweet moments and some fun supporting characters. If you want to see a good representation of a neurodivergent individual, enjoy the fake dating trope, and are in the mood for a light read, I definitely recommend it. I’m looking forward to what Williams writes next.

4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Read if you like:
🍩Neurodivergent rep
💵Plus sized FMC
🍩Interracial relationships
💵Opposites attract
🍩Fake dating
💵Dual POV

⚠️CW: Parental abandonment and addiction, hospitalization of a grandparent, stroke, cpr intervention, financial struggles, sexual content.

Thanks to PR Audio for the #gifted audiobook & to Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC!

Just Our Luck features Sybil & Kiran. Kiran is temporarily working at his grandpa's donut shop to help him out. His dream is to become a doctor but that's been put on hold. Sybil doesn't really have much going on in life.. she just kind of bounces around from thing to thing. She's a big believer in luck so one day she buys a lottery ticket but ends up leaving it behind with Kiran at the donut shop. Turns out, that was a winning ticket. And being the guy Kiran is, he makes sure she gets it back.

I loved the premise for this book. I loved the idea of winning the lottery and all the things you could do with it. I wasn't quite convinced about the relationship between Sybil & Kiran. They had a quick, fun night, and then after that, he acted like he couldn't stand her for at least the first 40% of the book. So once they got together, I honestly just didn't feel their chemistry at all and it wasn't believable. Also, that 3rd act..... whew. IMO, he forgave her way too easily. I'm not sure I would've gotten past that that fast.

I did love the relationship Kiran had with family. I loved how easily they accepted Sybil into theirs. Sybil's mom was a real piece of work though. I know she was just a worried mom but it just rubbed me the wrong way. Sybil's relationship with her friends though, was nice to see! She was surrounded by a good group of friends.

With all the donut talk, I definitely need to go get some donuts STAT. I did enjoy parts of this book but overall, this book didn't quite do it for me. But just because it didn't work for me, doesn't mean it won't work for you!

🎧Audio🎧:
This was a dual narration by Teddy Hamilton & Emma Ladji. Emma is a new to me narrator and she was fantastic. The two of them really did the characters justice and kept me engaged in the story.

Have you ever wanted a donut while reading? Well, this one will make you want to eat those sugary treats!

There was so much good about this one ADHD rep, great side characters, funny one liners, plus size rep, and of course the romance was perfect.

I don’t think I’ve been this angry at a book in a very, very long time. Out of principle, I stopped reading this at 91% because I was just LIVID about how things were going to end. The whole book makes it a point that Kieran’s goal is to save his granddad’s donut shop and eventually go back to medical school after deferring to take care of his granddad after a stroke. After an insta-lust encounter, a forgotten winning lottery ticket, and the awkward first few public interactions while fake dating; Kieran and Sybil have fallen in love and are actually dating. After Kieran decides to ask for another year delay in returning to school, Sybil decides to bribe his university to approve the deferment??????? LIKE GIRL WHAT??? And when Kieran is essentially expelled for it, he’s (understandably) super upset. He breaks things off and not even 24 hours later, his family and friends gang up on him to APOLOGIZE to Sybil???? IM SORRY????? Sybil crossed a major line and in no world would an adult think blatant bribery would just be chill.

In a perfect world, this book would’ve ended with Kieran somehow getting the choice to go back to school or not because either Sybil corrected her wrongs somehow OR they only reconcile after Sybil majorly grovels and faces actual consequences for her actions. But no, somehow it’s Kieran’s responsibility to win back Sybil and you know that donut shop they wanted to save? They just sell it. WHAT WAS THE WHOLE POINT OF THIS 300 PAGE BOOK??!?!? This was such a waste of my time and I’m just so, SO angry.

Thank you to Berkley Romance, NetGalley, and the author for sending me an early copy.

4.5 stars.

I love Denise Williams! Technically Yours remains my favorite of hers so far, but I still really enjoyed this story. It was such a fun question to explore, what happens when you meet someone you really crush on and then suddenly win the lottery. How are you supposed to trust that budding relationship?? And the MMC admittedly does kind of assume their relationship will go nowhere at first, but you can see how down bad he is by his inner monologue (dual POV was essential for this one).

Yes, it was frustrating for me how far the FMC's chaos went, that's part of the reason for minus a half star. I understand and see the neurodivergence rep and this isn't a critique on that, there's just some logistical things I wish added up a bit more on her behalf. But the romance more than won me over. And I liked that the fake dating was understated.

Thank you to Berkley for the eARC!

3.5⭐️

"You made me believe in luck, and love, and wishes coming true, and I want you to have all the lucky pennies that you can because you deserve every single one of them."

Just Our Luck was such a cute romcom. Kieran is so swoony and perfect- he has convinced me that one of my love languages is definitely acts of service! I read this in 2 days, and I'm really happy this was the book I chose to read during finals week. It's one of those books that you just don't need to think about- literally just vibes and I loved that for me!

I really admired Kieran sense of responsibility and the way he cares for the people he loves. I think that was very prominent throughout the book: from the way he acts around Sybil to how to drops out of med school to take care of his grandpa. I also found Sybil's relationship with her mom very interesting- seeing her character development through the book was so heartwarming.

I can't really point out anything I found outstanding, perse, but I found the story unique and sweet. I will say, I was a little frustrated at the end of the book and wasn't a huge fan of the actions of the FMC. Also, the insta-love in this is pretty strong (so be aware!)

Don't read this book while hungry. 3 chapters into this book I texted my friend and neighbor that we needed to go get donuts the next morning...and we did!

I've pretty much loved everything Denise Williams has written so far. I wanted to love this more, but it just didn't hold my attention. I was skimming a lot. Something about Sybil just didn't hold my interest. I found her aloofness annoying and that she didn't bring a lot to the table as a main character. I wish we had seen more about her late stage diagnosis with ADHD to kind of help understand her in the past. I was much more drawn to Kiran, who had one too many plates spinning and yet takes his limited free time to help Sybil. The third act break up was ROUGH! I don't know if I could have gotten back together with Sybil after what she did, but I was happy to see them get their HEA!

Read if you like fake dating. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review. This book releases 3/25

Read This Book If…you enjoyed The Truth According to Ember!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Just Our Luck by Denise Williams

Genre: romance
Spice Level: 4/5🌶, 3-4 explicit scenes
Setting: Des Moines, Iowa
POV: dual, 1st person, past tense
Tropes: insta lust, fake dating, grumpy/sunshine, opposites attract

My Thoughts:
If you won the lottery, how would you handle it? Well, Sybil is a bit of a hot mess, so she handles it messily. But Kiran is a wonderfully steady presence and I ended up loving these two!

Sybil does tend to tell little white lies, but they don’t quote snowball as big as Ember’s in The Truth According to Ember. But if you enjoy messy characters, then this is the book for you!

I do wish a little more time had been spent on Sybil’s nerodivergency since that played a huge part in the story.

Overall, this was a sweet and steamy story!

Memorable Quote: “You make me want to lose control.” “Lose it.”

Thank you to the publisher for my advance copy!