Dawn O Porter has a beautiful way of writing about the nuances of women. She is so attuned to the feelings we have all had, both good and bad when it comes to the minefield of social media, and the feelings that develop towards others from our viewing of content. I would definitely recommend this book. I love her humour too, there were many times I laughed out loud on the tube!

Beth, Ruby and Lauren. Three women living the 21st century dream only to realise that they can’t have it all and lessen themselves by even trying. A brilliant book after the amazing COWS. Excellent characterisations and women that are down to earth and believable. 5 big fat ones

I found this to be a good, fast read. I was intrigued by the three female characters (4 if you include Risky), and the different ways their stories are told.
Initially I liked Beth, and didn't think very much of Ruby. But then, by the end, I'd wholeheartedly gone off Beth, and I absolutely loved Ruby. I was actually a bit disappointed with the resolution of Beth's story-line. It didn't ring true for me, that she had gone from perfect to horror story marriage in the blink of an eye. Her husband didn't seem real, and I was disappointed with her story's end. But Ruby's was great, and although the fancy tying together of the various characters was a little forced it still worked for me.
Occasionally it feels like the writer is just out to shock - there are scenes that will upset some more sensitive readers - and some parts read a little bit like when your friend is really, really drunk and just gets a bit too loud and shouty in the pub...
But it was a fun read, and raised some good, interesting points and talked about things that really don't usually get talked about, and that can only be a good thing I think.

A story told from different points of view as described in the synopsis.
Although the viewpoints are different I found the whole text too laboured and was never sure whether a scene was mean to be funny or empathetic.
I suspect that my failure to engage with the novel may be it exists in a world quite different to mine and it doesn’t draw me into it.

Thank you to HarperCollins U.K. for granting my wish for an eARC via NetGalley of Dawn O’Porter’s ‘So Lucky’ in exchange for an honest review. It is due to be published on 31 October.

This was such an unexpected delight. It revolves around the lives of three women living in London. Each are successful in their own fields but are their lives as perfect as others think they are?

Beth is a wedding planner specialising in “unnecessarily expensive weddings for extremely rich people”. She also is a new mother and as she’s busy preparing for the celebrity wedding of the year, husband Michael has taken paternity leave. Her assistant, Risky, is always gushing how perfect Beth’s marriage is. Yet she and Michael haven’t had sex in a year, something that seems to only trouble Beth.

Ruby is a professional retoucher, who used to work in advertising but now works exclusively for Rebecca, a photographer in high demand by publications like ‘Vogue’. Ruby is tall and thin yet she has a physical condition that causes her to feel ashamed and isolated. She’s divorced and her three-year old daughter, Bonnie, is proving difficult to manage.

Finally there is Lauren Pearce, a model turned Instagram influencer. She is about to marry a millionaire businessman in above mentioned celebrity wedding. She seems to be living the dream but again all is not as it appears from the outside.

While Ruby and Beth narrate their chapters we first meet Lauren through her Instagram posts complete with hilarious comments and later in the chapters featuring Ruby and Beth.

This was such a joy to read and I found myself laughing out loud by the situations and the reflections and repartee between characters. Dawn O’Porter has done such a brilliant job in crafting the lives of these women making them very relatable. I was cheering them on in their individual stories and as their stories converged.

It is a comedy-drama as alongside the razor sharp humour she is examining serious subjects such as mental health, body image, self esteem and the expectations that society places on women aided by the media, both traditional and social. It could easily have been a kitchen sink drama rather than this delightful experience.

I will warn that there is strong language and frank observations and discussions on various topics.

I loved this so much and immediately bought her previous novel, ‘Cows’, and will be on the lookout for her future projects. Plus, am now following her on Instagram. Ironic?

I highly recommend this novel and I feel that it is going to be a big hit with reading groups. It’s the kind of novel that is both great fun yet tackles serious issues.

This is an incredibly funny and moving book. I have never come across a combination before where in the same novel I laughed hilariously and then cried for the burdens the characters were carrying.
The characters, all women, from different walks of life, at different stages in their lives, are strong, vibrant, endearing, vulnerable and real. We follow their individual journeys of self-discovery and ultimately their acceptance of themselves, in separate stories that are clearly linked but speak of different trials. There is Ruby who has polycystic ovaries and hides from the world because of the resulting body hair. She is a single mum to Bonnie, not managing to be a very good parent and trapped in a life where she is determined that no-one will discover what shames her.
There is Beth, meant to be on maternity leave but organising the celebrity wedding of the year to famous businessman Gavin and his Instagram perfect fiancée Lauren. She is breastfeeding, her husband is looking after the baby and Beth is wondering why her husband is avoiding her.
Lauren posts about her perfect life on Instagram in a bid to escape the pain of personal loss. In doing so she avoids confronting the thing that matters most.
Risky is Beth's assistant and incredibly honest when it comes to sexual practices. She also advocates the Sisterhood and believes herself to be an ardent feminist.
Dawn O'Porter uses serious issues and the conflict women can face being mothers, the fallout of not having a good mother, juggling a career with parenthood and what constitutes a happy and thriving marriage with a huge amount of hilarity and yet at the same time sensitivity.
By the end, when the women meet and join together to support one another, the reader is swept away by Ruby's bravery, Beth's determination, Lauren's attempts to start again, and Risky's reassessment of perfection in relationships. It is such a brilliant read, and one you do not want to put down. It is very hard to say goodbye to the women of this story and I found myself wishing each one of them well for the future. I felt like they were my friends too and I only wanted the best for them.
Would definitely recommend reading this book to others and as this was the first time I have read anything by Dawn O'Porter I am most certainly going to read whatever else she has written. Dawn O'Porter could quite possibly become one of my favourite authors!

I really enjoyed Dawns last book 'The Cows' so was looking forward to reading her new book!
So Lucky focuses on two main characters, Ruby and Beth with Instagram posts of a third character Lauren also featured throughout.
Ruby is a single parent to feisty 3 year old Bonnie and spends her days hiding away working as a photo editor, photo-shopping photos for models and celebrities while dealing with serious body image issues of her own.
Beth is a new Mum who has gone back to work sooner than she wanted to to deal with a celebrity wedding. Dealing with the realities of working while breastfeeding and the change in her home life is proving very difficult for her.
Lauren's Instagram account shows that she seems to have it all - gorgeous fiance, beautiful home, money, fame etc. But is it all just a front for social media?
This was a brilliant look at the pressures women face when they want to still work and have a family, as well as the realities of social media and how you shouldn't always believe what is portrayed.

This is a great book about the power of women when they support each other. The characters with their different problems are fantastic. The story is well told treating each woman separately and eventually together. I loved it.

My crush on Dawn O’Porter just upped into full scale adoration. Her writing is so witty, smart and keenly observed. I absolutely devoured this book and find her reflections on social media and influencer culture really insightful, without being preachy and losing any entertainment factor. Brilliant.

Could not put this down! Fantastic story full of twists, humor and the message of loving yourself. Loved it but now I want to sequel, I need to keep reading about Beth, Ruby and Lauren

Loved, loved, loved this! It was so real and can 100% empathise with the characters and feel like I know them.

Dawn O'Porter has made this into a story that everyone can relate to which is also full of laughter and emotion.

So Lucky has a timely concept as it’s focus which the author manages to explore in sharp & funny ways. This isn’t the kind of book I would normally pick up, which may explain why I couldn’t relate strongly to any of the main characters. That said it was a light and entertaining read exploring social media & it’s effect on the female psyche.

This is my first read by Dawn O’Porter and hopefully not my last.
The three main characters, Ruby, Beth and Lauren, lead completely different lives, all of which, on the surface appear to be happy and content, enviable even! As the story unfolds and truths emerge, this is not the case. Fantastic read with a satisfying ending. Highly recommend.
I read this book in record time (for me!) just couldn’t put it down.
Thank you to Dawn O’Porter, NetGalley, and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

This was enticing enough that I read it in one day. It was an enjoyable read and the story was engaging. It was light but felt relevant to the currently climate of Instagram lifestyle and body image, the ever existing desire to compare your life to others and what you see online.

Like many I follow Dawn O'Porter on Instagram and LOVE her, she's so funny and real. This was the first book of her's I've read and I was expecting a little more of her Instagram humor to translate to the book but unfortunately it didn't BUT this is in no way in saying I didn't like this book. I totally did - just wasn't what I was expecting.

A wonderful summer read and I would highly recommend to those looking for an light entertaining read.

Thanks to netgalley for providing me a preview copy.

Go and buy this book and immerse yourself in the everyday life of some amazing and wonderful women!

I was so excited to read this book,given my love for the author. Dawn is such a creative,funny and lovely person and such an amazing writer!

I was so immersed in the book that I literally lost the notion of time, I couldn’t put it down.

I love the fact that the story depicts the life of women. They are strong and weak at the same time and I found myself crying,hoping,feeling happy and cheeky (yes,really!) with them,

Life is not always perfect as we see it from the outside. I particularly appreciated the fact that Dawn is portraying the power of social medial in both a positive and negative way.

I would totally recommend this book as it is a fantastic and funny journey into the lives of the characters,you really feel like you are being catapulted into their world,experiencing the same feelings and laughing with them.

Love this book!
I know what goes on behind the closed doors of my home, so its no stretch to imagine that life isn't all cupcakes and roses behind the doors of our friends' and neighbours' homes too, yet we are all so unwilling to talk about the difference between reality and the front we put on that it's easy to imagine that everybody else's life is perfect. Social media, where we all love to show how we're #livingmybestlife really doesn't help either.
In this novel, Dawn takes the lid off the lives of three outwardly very successful women and reveals the self-doubt, the willingness to put up with shit (both from third parties and self-inflicted) and the power that can be released when women come together to support one another.
In no way is this a diatribe against men - there are more great men in this book than there are rotters - it's simply a prod and a push to the women that read it to recognise that life is hard, that nobody has it perfect, and that being kind to one another is the bare minimum we should seek to achieve.
Dawn takes a dig at society's adoration of the female body - but only when it adheres to some impossible form, leaving ALL women feeling lacking. Her insights into how we tick are beautifully presented and always circle back to one thing - accept your flaws, accept the flaws in others and simply make the very best of what life has for you. Really, we are our own worst enemies!
If you're looking for a funny and insightful read, this is it. Very clever, Mrs O'P!

Contemporary, laugh out loud funny and relatable story of three women navigating motherhood, careers and friendships. This book taps into the zeitgeist of living your best life in the same way that Helen Fielding did with Bridget Jones and singletons. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is an undemanding, enjoyable read without being superficial or twee, This is the first Dawn O’Porter book I’ve read but it definitely won’t be the last.

I’ve loved Dawn O’Porter’s previous books so was thrilled to receive this one.

Happy to say that it’s just as witty, fun and raucous as her previous books. I feel this genre is hard to perfect but O’Porter nails it every time.

I’m recommending it to everyone. 5 stars.

So Lucky tells the story of three women. Ruby and Beth, through 1st person accounts, and Lauren, through the eyes of others (which is quite apt).

Ruby is consumed with shame. Ashamed of her body and her skills as a mother, she’s pushed almost everyone in her life away. Whilst not a very likeable character, her personal growth is gripping, and as she goes through a series of personal developments, she becomes a woman to root for.

Beth it’s trying her best. To others, she has it all; a fantastic husband, a career as a wedding planner and a gorgeous baby boy. Having just given birth, she’s put her maternity leave on hold to plan the wedding if the year. Social media princess, Lauren will wed entrepreneur, Gavin. What she didn’t expect was the strain this decision would put on her marriage, which is crumbling behind the scenes. With a mother-in-law you want to strangle added in the mix, Beth understandably acts out.

I enjoyed how the women, who didn’t know one another, all cane together through the mutual connection which was the wedding. There are some very current issues tackled in the book and despite being a ‘light read’ there is a little bit of grit too. I enjoyed this one, even though some parts made me feel a little uncomfortable. I loved the modern day ‘girl power’ message and the theme of women coming together to be stronger plus the other ‘on point’ themes addressed in the book. My only criticism is that I didn’t quite get Michael’s behaviour and don’t feel like there was enough closure of this thread.

Genre: women’s contemporary fiction
Rating: 4.5⭐️

A lovely, thought provoking, original story, beautifully written by the fabulous Ms O'Porter.

The sort of book all young women should be given to read in this internet age when so many are under pressure to look perfect and have enviable lives.

Thank you so much for allowing me to read and review it.