A modern parable about the dangers of believing the grass is always greener somewhere else, So Lucky is a compelling, emotional and engrossing book that I could barely put down and read in less than one day! A timely reminder that appearances nearly always conceal a darker, painful truth lurking beneath and that social media only shows a tiny window into a person's real life. Despite dealing with very serious subject matter, it is also quite hilarious in parts. And refreshingly different for how often it mentions female masturbation ;) If you enjoyed Dawn O'Porter's "The Cows" you'll enjoy this one too.

With thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC.

I’ve heard loads about Dawn O’Porters books but never read them until now. I’m glad I took a chance on this one.

The characters are real, relatable and at times uncomfortable. They aren’t always likeable but I think that’s important, they’re human. The ending is fantastic and this book is well worth a read.

I really struggled to finish this.
As much as I appreciate Dawns writing style, the story just wasn’t there for me.

A delicious read a book women will relate to enjoy every page.The women are like all of us full of insecurities and strength.Each character multi layered each came alive.Grab this book relax enjoy,#;netgalley #harpercollinsuk.

This was actually a hard book to read. The two main characters, Ruby and Beth, are living difficult lives. Ruby especially is such a self contained woman, she is difficult to like. Yet by the end of the book I found myself feeling proud of her, like she was a friend you are rooting for. Beth too, finds strength and clarity.
A novel about finding your truth.

Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for an early copy of So Lucky.

A great read for this time of year, I read the book in one sitting on a rainy (but warm) Sunday afternoon.

So Lucky focusses the lives of four very different women and is told through the eyes of two of those women, Ruby and Beth.

Ruby is a seemingly unlikeable character with an array of personality flaws that are borne of a physical trait that has caused her to harden her heart and her personality. I spent 70% of the book really disliking Ruby and it almost stopped me from reading but I wanted to know how her character arc would play out and I am glad that I did continue.

Beth is a more relatable and likeable character but has issues of her own to overcome. Her narration allows for a realistic look in to motherhood, working life and the negative side of social media.

This was my first O’Porter read and I will definitely be picking up her debut novel very soon.

I do not like the term “beach read” but this is the perfect book if you have time to sit and enjoy it for a couple of hours.
4/5

After reading, and loving “The Cows” , I really wasn’t sure that Dawn would be able to top the warm fuzzy feeling that comes with not love, but friendship, solidarity and most importantly acceptance but she REALLY has.
This book is like no other love story but that’s what it is. Not just romantic love, although it’s there, weaved gently through the other storylines, but woman love and self love. I dare anybody to read this and not finish with a huge grin (and possibly a few tears)

A page turner, I couldn’t put it down. This book is a perfect example of heavy themes done lightly but never patronisingly.

I like Dawn O'Porter's journalism and her unflinching way of looking at modern society, especially regarding women's issues. I'll admit to struggling with her last book a little, but was keen to give her another chance and I am glad I did.

This book is written from the perspectives of two women and interspersed with Instagram posts from a third. The structure works well as it allows you to engage with the women and the problems that they have in their seemingly perfect lives. O'Porter's point is that everyone has their (often hidden) struggles and her protagonists embody that: Ruby has a medical condition and finds motherhood hard, Beth has a lovely baby but a sexless marriage and Lauren is projecting an Instagram image that doesn't reflect her reality. When the organisation of a celebrity wedding brings these women into each others orbits, things are going to change.

I really enjoyed the way that the strands of the book came together. The women are all engaging and relatable and their stories are by turns sad and funny and uplifting. I especially loved Beth's rather frank assistant, Risky, who made me laugh out loud. There were a few bits of the book that I found a bit over the top, but overall this is a lively and entertaining read. It touches on important issues such as the pernicious influence of social media and the female quest for physical perfection, but it never feels preachy.

I would recommend this as a thought-provoking summer read. It will keep you reading and leave you with some uplifting messages about female relationships and challenging society's unrealistic expectations.

I really enjoyed this book. A tale of women and how a sometimes seemingly perfect life is in fact the opposite. We all face battles we do not necessarily share with the world but we find solutions and we are stronger than we know!

Just wow! Dawn has done it again! What an absolutely fabulous, gripping, riveting read. She has managed to discuss current issues in a way that is relevant and mesmerising. She is amazing and I inhaled this book!

** spoiler alert ** 3.5 stars


This has a lot of very valid things to say about life.
The reality behind adverts,social media,the touching up of photos.
About how another person's life looks like they are indeed so lucky,that everything is perfect,when they're dealing with a lot behind the scenes.
It had some very memorable characters,a plot that headed straight where I thought it was going,in a good way. You're almost wincing at the inevitability of that thing happening.
Mostly though,I'll be telling people about this book because it's funny.
Who doesn't need an extra laugh or two?

I loved this!! I read Cows by Dawn O'Poter recently so was very excited when i got the chance to read this. It didn't disappoint. Dawn has the nack of taking important topics but also making the book hilarious.

I follow Dawn O'Porter on Instagram and find her instagram stories hilarious. She's a very witty person but her humour doesn't show up in this book. I think I laughed out loud once.

I wouldn't say the synopsis matches the actual story. The story mainly features two different women. Beth, a new mother who has returned to work as a Wedding Planner whilst her husband Michael has taken Paternity Leave to care for their 4 month old baby. Beth is struggling not because of returning to work but because her husband no longer wants to have sex with her! So much so, it has driven Beth to obsess over sex! Beth has a young assistant called Risky who is having a lot of sex. I can see that Risky was meant to be a quirky, hilarious character but it didn't really work for me. I found the humour lacking.

Then we have Ruby. Ruby has a 'condition' (no spoilers). She was married for a brief time but her husband humiliated her at their wedding (we don't find out how until near the end of the book). They have a 3 and a half year old daughter called Bonnie. Ruby looks after Bonnie all week (although puts her in Nursery 8 am - 5.00 pm) and her estranged husband Liam has Bonnie every weekend. Now I know Dawn O'Porter has two children but I found Bonnie's language was too adult! There were no mispronounced words common for a child that age instead she was just written with adult language which seemed too advanced for that age range. Ruby hasn't particularly bonded with Bonnie. This is due to her 'condition' and her own relationship with her mother. Ruby's job is to touch up photographs to make people look perfect.

The book is told from alternating POV's from Beth and Ruby. Although we also get to read Instagram posts from Lauren who is marrying a famous person, Gavin. Beth is arranging their Wedding and Ruby works for the photographer Lauren uses. It becomes clear throughout the snippets we get from Lauren's instagram that she also doesn't have a perfect life.

The male characters are very one dimensional. At one point, Ruby befriends a man in the park who comes most days to clean the bird poo from the bench he has dedicated to his dead daughter. It didn't take me long to work out who he is and how he is linked to the storyline! When it does come to light, I just found it a bit too convenient and unoriginal.

The timeline is odd. Although I've read the unedited copy so maybe this will be picked up on during the editing process but if I'm correct, the whole book takes place over a fortnight yet at times the wedding is mentioned as in 2 days time by Beth then Ruby mentions it's next weekend. I found it hard to work out which day it was supposed to be and which week! The pacing of the story is not executed well as then everything seems to happen too quickly near the end.

There is a theme of Sisterhood (by the end all the female characters are best friends). In the beginning I found myself liking Beth but disliking Ruby but by the end I liked Ruby but started to dislike Beth (is her husband really at fault for her subsequent actions?!).

The ending felt rushed and maybe a bit incomplete. It made me wonder if there is to be a sequel? I read this book in one sitting. It held my attention but I don't find Dawn's writing to be that good. She's a mediocre writer that has probably gained a book deal because of her fame. Her writing is rather simplistic but it was an easy read. Recommended if you like 'chick lit'.

A life-affirming book about the power of females friendships in this modern age. Dawn O’Porter has created a wonderfully relatable group of flawed and honest friends, all of whom I want to hang out with right this very second please.

If you liked The Cows, you will enjoy this book!

This is a another story of female empowerment from Dawn O'Porter. Just as in "The Cows" the book is written from three different female perspectives each with their own issues. Ruby has body image and issues, Beth has marriage issues and Lauren has mental health issues and her story is told through Instagram posts, they all have mother issues.

I enjoyed the book and following the story to how all the women finally became connected, I always enjoy that the separate stories come together and I did really feel for the Beth.
I felt the ending let it down a little but that maybe because I was expecting a similar shocking twist as in Dawn's previous book. It maybe unfair of me to expect a similar ending to another book but as it was written in a very similar style and progressed in the same way it felt like a foregone conclusion.

So Lucky by Dawn O'Porter is about women struggling with body image, relationships, motherhood. A bit too contrived.

Dawn O'Porter is a jack of all trades and master of every one of them. She's an inspiration and perfect role model for women the world over. She's Marian Keyes on steroids. Her novels are bang on and make me giddy. I cannot rave highly enough about "The Cows" and now "So Lucky" has set the bar even higher. It's a rare skill to be able to address serious issues, with an injection of humour, whilst showing empathy, but Dawn O'Porter manages to make it seem effortless. Brilliant writer, brilliant book. Buy it!

Brilliantly funny and unexpected. O'Porter takes a candid look at her characters' lives, with a well deserved swipe at social media served up with a warning re how to view the worlds of others. All is not as it seems, they may appear to be 'so lucky' but the truth behind the perfectly filtered images often hides something else entirely.
An wonderfully eclectic mix of characters, navigating the complexities of real life. A wonderful read.

So Lucky has undoubtedly been one of my favourite books of 2019. The chapters are split between Beth and Ruby who are two women with their own unique insecurities. I feel as though describing the plot would not do it justice and can't stress enough how much I enjoyed it. It tackles several taboo subjects and is written in a warm and witty style. I found it to be unpredictable and completely gripping- I love a book that I can't wait to get back to reading when I wake up. I cannot recommend this highly enough!