Unfortunately, I have not been able to read and review this book.

After losing and replacing my broken Kindle and getting a new phone I was unable to download the title again for review as it was no longer available on Netgalley.

I’m really sorry about this and hope that it won’t affect you allowing me to read and review your titles in the future.

Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity.
Natalie.

Hope is not your typical fifteen year old girl. She is the youngest in the film dynasty of Valentines. She can’t wait until her sixteenth birthday, when her road to fame will start. In her head she plays out her daily scenarios like a film scene, and when she meets a gorgeous boy, it’s like the romance film she’s been craving.

Is Hope as happy as she comes across though? Her character seems a little annoying at the start, but you really do warm to her and begin to realise that her ‘happy girl lucky’ personality is just a cover for all the problems in her life. I enjoyed this book, and I’m sure my daughter who is a huge Holly Smale fan will love this story.

I love Holly’s previous series Geek Girl and I was excited to see she was writing another series. A great cast of character, I liked that the book switch between the settings of Richmond and Hollywood. I’m not Holly’s target audience but I did enjoyed this book but I felt like I wanted to know more. There are some important messages in the book such as gaslighting and a toxic relationship. A great start to a new series!

Rating: ★★
Format: Netgalley EARC

This book was just a bit…much. I found the emotional abuse and gaslighting wasn’t necessarily addressed properly. I might follow on with the series, depending on the synopsis. This book just wasn’t for me, and that’s okay.

I'm a bit torn about this book. I did really like it. But at the same time I did want more (although I must admit as much as I love Holly Smale's writing I'm not really her target reader). I thought the character of Hope was a little bit too similar to the character of Harriet in the Geek Girl books in what she does and how she reacts to things although you could hardly get a different setting. That said it was an enjoyable escapist read and I'll definitely read the next ones in the series.

Hope is the youngest of a famous filming family. She loves her parents and has a love hate relationship with some of her siblings. However, her Mother is in rehab, her Father filming in America, leaving the rest of the family in the UK. Hope lives her life as a film script - as that's her reality. She is 15 and has been deliberately kept out of the spotlight in order to protect her. However, Hope sees this as unfair as she is desperate to join in the exciting launch parties as she is convinced she will find 'The One' and love will strike them both.
The book starts off with Hope completely oblivious of her entitlement attitude. However, my sympathy for her did increase as it became obvious that Hope was lonely, and although loved by her family, she wasn't a priority for them. In a worldly world, Hope is very naïve and the book provides some humour in her mispronunciations of words and phrases throughout the book. But there is little other humour in her loneliness until it's spotted by a new acquaintance who helps Hope to work out for herself what she should be doing.
This book is the first in a series, so I expect to hear the viewpoints of Hope's siblings which will add interest to this dynasty.

I found it hard to decide whether I liked this book or not. It was vexing and annoying at times, yet, like the famous family it follows, there was something about it that made me want to know more. I think the best way I can describe it, is that this is most definitely a book for teens, whereas I am an adult who enjoys YA fiction. Some YA just doesn't work that well for older readers, and this is one of them. If I had a 15 year-old friend/relative though, I'd definitely recommend it to them.

Hope is the youngest of the famous Valentine's, at nearly sixteen she isn't allowed in the spotlight yet but can't wait to be allowed as she dreams constantly of film style monologues and meeting the one, Hope is desperate for her future to begin.



A firm believer in star signs she hope's that they will guide her through life and to the one, enter Jamie making Hope the happy go lucky girl she is enter a new level of extreme happiness!



Jamie is a Californian she meets by accident only to discover he's going back to LA.



LA is also where her father now lives, hatching a plan Hope comes to realise a lot not just while she's there but realizing how much her family notice her, expect her to go along with anything and everything but also how her mum has been in rehab for so long because her father might have left and moved on for good from them all, not just to go make Hollywood films.



Ultimately, the book concludes to lead Hope to her possible future and leave the book open to interpret that the next in series will be about Faith/Effie and their life. It was a drama filled read and I devoured it, Hope is a positive ray of sunshine who does what her heart wants not letting anything get in her way an instantly likable character Holly has done a great job on her debut book from her new series.



Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

Hope is the youngest in her acting dynasty family and she is being sheltered by them until her 16th birthday in a few months. She is a dreamy, happy girl who is desperate to find someone to love and to love her. She has an internal monologue that turns her life into film scenes and doesn't really relate to the real world. When she meets American Jamie she falls in love almost instantly but is he really the golden boy he seems at first?

In the first few chapters of the book I must admit I found Hope's Pollyanna personality irritating but as I read on and realised that her happiness is a shield that she is using to help her deal with upsetting events, such as her mum and dad breaking up, I felt more sympathetic to her and by the end of the book I was cheering her on. The story is seemingly light and fluffy but it has a lot to say about being your own person and not being influenced by family or being taken for granted by anyone.

Growing up, my favourite books as a teenager were your typical teen books such as those from Cathy Hopkins and Jacqueline Wilson, so when Holly Smale burst onto the scene with the Geek Girl series I was delighted! Her writing was something new, combining the things that I love about young adult contemporary fiction with the best part of teen fiction thus making books that were perfect for both markets. The Valentines is no different; whilst it tackles genuine issues that affect teens, it's not romanticised or overly fluffy yet it gives you all the feels and enjoyment that you'd get from a nice light teen read.

I was very quickly drawn into Hope's world in Happy Girl Lucky and found her to be an adorable main character. She's not perfect; she's ditzy and has her head in the clouds, but that's what makes her such an interesting narrator! The story moved at a good pace which is what kept me reading on and on, and it touches upon some heavier topics that many teenagers deal with relating to dysfunctional families and first love. That said, Hope's love interest was...interesting!

Going into this book, I did expect to like it, but I didn't expect it to necessarily be a five star read, but I was so pleasantly surprised and couldn't put it down! It's the perfect read for younger teens right the way through to adults, so I'd definitely recommend it.

Sparkly, sassy, and so much fun to read from start to finish – Happy Girl Lucky is another jewel in Holly Smale’s crown. If you loved the Geek Girl series, you’re going to love the Valentines series too, as it has all the tenderness and clever wit you fell in love with during Geek Girl. I could immediately feel the Holly Smale magic from the first page, and from then on I was hooked. Fun fact: ever since I finished the book I have been regularly searching Google to see when the next instalment in the series is being published. I am not sure if we continue to follow Hope as the series progresses, or whether we get a book from each of the Valentines… I am hoping for both!

Don’t be fooled by the gorgeous and vibrant cover; there are some important messages in this book, particularly around the signs of a toxic relationship such as love-bombing and gaslighting. Even though these are serious topics, it’s truly applaudable to see them addressed in YA, and I hope Happy Girl Lucky will highlight these signs to younger readers who may be approaching or going through their first romantic relationship.

This book is light-hearted and highly entertaining.

Definitely aimed more at tweens but from an adult point of view I still found it engaging enough.

It's an easy read so a good one for anyone getting into longer chapter books.

Looking forward to more in the series.

I had been looking forward to reading this book for ages as I absolutely adored Holly's Geek Girl series and I was certainly not disappointed.

Hope Valentine is a fantastic character! She's so sweet, naive, fun-loving and kind. She is a hopeless romantic and obsessed with love and finding The One. She's also very ditzy, which is hilarious!

This book made me laugh, cry and grin from ear to ear. I really, really loved it.

Happy Girl Lucky

Ok going into this novel I had certain expectations because I am a HUGE fan of the Geek Girl series by Holly Smale and when someone has had a series that successful, it is definitely a tough act to follow. But wow I loved this book. It was such a great pick for when I read it because I needed something that would make me laugh and keep me entertained for 400 pages.

Hope is a great main character and I really really can't wait to hear how she gets on as we progress through this series. She has the endearing ditziness of Harriet Manners but T the same time she feels like she knows it all and she is going to be an absolute star, what a great mix! Her siblings are also thoroughly entertaining. They each have very different qualities and they just work well at causing friction and yet at the same time a kind of harmony within the family.

I also loved the setting of this novel, being set between Richmond and Hollywood makes it easy to relate to, they are covered well in the media and they really couldn't be more different! There is a strong message of being yourself and self-acceptance in this book and also a subtext of not being in too much of a hurry to grow up. There was a little family drama, a touch o romance and a sprinkling of old Hollywood that just made me fall in love and I can't wait to hear more from Holly Smale and continue on in this series!

A lovely story with great characters and definitely a good start for a new successful series. My daughter (10yo) was too young to fully appreciate this book but I'm sure in a few years she would want to read it again.

The author of the wonderful Geek Girl series is back with a new series about The Valentines Family.

After I got used to Hope Valentines way of thinking that everything is a Hollywood movie and that she daydreams a lot, plus often uses words incorrectly, I whizzed through this book.

All she wants is to be 16 to be allowed to start being an actress like everyone else in her family. She has three older siblings who barely notice her, and parents who aren't really about.

You can't help but feel sorry for Hope, as she hopes to meet her one true love. In fact every boy she comes into contact with is considered for leading man role!

This is a light fun, and quick read and I am already hoping to read more of the Valentines family in future books.

This story just shows that just because you are from a rich and famous family that your life may not be perfect and for YA read that is an important message for the celebrity obsessed, social media addicts out there, that you need to look beyond the surface to know more about a person.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

My students love Holly's Geek Girl series, so I was thrilled to get the chance to read a preview of her new series. I'm equally thrilled to say that they won't be disappointed by this, the first in her new series. This book was a really lovely read. Hope, the protagonist, is beyond delightful. I loved hearing from her and couldn't wait to find out what happened next - definitely going to be on my recommended reads list for my students!

What a delightful first installment of what I’m certain will be an amazing series.
This is an important story, on so many levels. I relate to Hope’s loneliness. She’s a character all will love and I’d imagine, much like me, people won’t be able to put the book down until you know she’s okay.
You see, I’ve been in that position before with a new relationship. Only this time, being on the outside, I saw the signs. I also did wonder, had I read this book before; would I have see the signs earlier? Love bombing, narcissism and gaslighting are difficult topics to cover, but Holly Smale is as wonderfully adept as always. They also appear to be on the increase, so it’s important to see this sort of relationship present itself in a teen fic.
It’s a well rounded story that will have you begging for the sequel as soon as you read the final page. I’m interested as to where this series will go. Part of me wants to continue with Hope, and see how she gets on. However, there’s another part that is hoping one of the other siblings become the narrator.