Adele Parks has done it again! Real people. real scenarios but with a sting in the tale.
The Greenwoods, Heathcotes and Pearsons have been friends for over 15 years since meeting at parentcraft classes before the birth of their first children. They meet every Saturday night, taking it turns to play host at each of the houses. A few drinks, lots of laughs and equal donations to a line on the lottery. But recently things have turned sour especially in regard to playing the lottery. One of the group has voiced the opinion that playing the lottery is for losers, that it's a waste of money and that they don't wish to participate any more. The manner in which the opinion was given has upset others in the group and a rift has formed between the adults in the group.
Then in just a matter of days following the disagreement the unbelievable happens and their chosen numbers come up, collecting a jackpot win of nearly £18million. But unlike all the dreams they've ever had, the win signals the start of more problems than they could ever have imagined. Never a truer word than the old cliché: be careful what you wish for.
The win triggers a legal investigation as to who is part of the syndicate - and whether the syndicate actually exists anymore. The bickering between the adults filters down and has devastating effects on the children's relationships. The money brings out the worst in most of the group, with the predictable shopping sprees for expensive and designer items and bookings of extravagant holidays.
But there's a charitable thread running through the story too. The desire to do good for the least fortunate members of society. My hopes were built up that this part of the story would come to the fore but that's where some superb plot twists came in and knocked this book out of the ballpark.
None of the characters are particularly likeable despite some glimmers of hope for some of them; the story is totally believable but also devastatingly sad in parts. I spun through this book in record time and enjoyed my reaction to each of the characters' behaviour along their journey to potential riches.
A unique but very grounding look at the dream that is a lottery win.

Good light entertainment. Until about halfway through characters and plot were believable. Identified most with Lexi the main character as she had a social conscience. The homeless Toma thread added a necessary ‘earth’ contrast to the drama of the lottery win and I was interested in him, his life, and the developing relationship between him and Lexi. He provided a good contrast to the rest of the characters’ often ludicrous antics. Jake the husband especially became less and less likeable. Events stretched credulity especially the ending. An entertaining read just don’t expect realism.

Just my Luck by Adele Parks a thrilling five-star read you will be lucky to read. This is going to be short and sweet as all I can say is Oh My God!!! Honestly that is it, that is all I can say, as Lexi, Jake, Carla, Patrick, Fred and Jennifer all play a part in this story and its their stories that you need to hear. But to complicate matters I will say is that these aren’t the only players in this story. See this s why I should have left it at Oh My God, as I really cant give the game away, this is a twisty and thrillingly dark story, do not miss it.

Just My Luck by Adele Parks
I give this book 4.5 stars
EVERYONE HAS THEIR PRICE
It’s the stuff dreams are made of – a lottery win so big, it changes everything
Jake and Lexi have a lottery ticket worth £17.8 million.And their friends are determined to claim a share in it!
Another fast paced page turner that gripped me from the start. Full of dark suspense with ,just the right amount of plot twist and turns thrown in . A well written story about family and friends,money and greed,betrayal and jealously.This has it all!
I highly recommend the author and her books.
Thank you to Adele,the publishers and Netgalley for my chance to read this .

Unfortunately this book didn't thrill me, just an okay 2 star read for me sadly and I couldn't really relate to the characters.

Thank you to Netgalley and HQ Digital for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

This is one of those books that you have to keep reading with lots of twists and turns. It shows how greedy people are and what length they will go to get their hands on the money. It also shows the compassion is others. Definitely worth a read.

When Lexi and Jake win the lottery, 17 million, they and their children Logan and Emily are planning how to spend their windfall.

Lexi and Jake have been friends with Carla and Patrick and Jennifer and Fred. They have been close friends since their children were young and get together most weekends to eat and do the lottery syndicate.

Their win will split their friendship, when they expect a share of the winnings, when it appears they are not getting g a single penny,they are not giving in lightly even if it means hiring lawyers.

This is such a great story with its twists along the way, as we come to the explosive ending I couldn’t read this fast enough to see how it was all going to end.

I was going to do the lottery this weekend but I’m not sure I will now lol!! I can still dream though.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.

Another stunning book from Adele Parks, one of her best and probably a favourite. A brilliant read which keeps the reader's attention from beginning to end with so many twists and turns that one isn't sure how the story will pan out and even then there are doubts. Full of relatable characters, some of whom are incredibly irritating and just plain despicable, but covering the many facets of human behaviour which no doubt appear after a lottery win. How friendships and relationships are tested and extreme greed of some against the more pragmatic approach of others. Highly recommended read.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this fascinating book

the dream of winning the lottery is what everyone dreams or thinks about and in this story that is exactly what happens

lexi and jake win nearly 18 million pounds and this is what happens....at first lexi doesnt want publicity but the cat is out the bag when jake goes and buys a very expensive car...and from that day on their lives are never again the same.....

fascinating storyline and i would hope that if this was me i would be better, but who knows....thoroughly enjoyed this book and the depths that people go to, makes you think

this book kept me up till late at night and had to finish it

I loved the premise of this book, it really got me thinking.
6 friends, one lotto syndicate and then some heated words about the crassness if the lotto one weekend. Fast forward one week and those very same numbers come up...

The story was fast paced and told from differing perspectives. An enjoyable read, thank you netgalley for the advanced copy.

Lexi and Jake have been best friends for 15 years with two other couples, the Pearsons and the Heathcotes. They spend every Saturday night together, rotating hosting responsibilities. They’ve shared takeaways, hopes and dreams, and moved home to be closer to each other. Their children are close, having grown up together. Every week they play the Lottery together as a syndicate, until one Saturday night there is an argument and everything changes. One week later, their numbers come up, and Lexi and Jake realise that they have won £17.8 million.

How would winning the National Lottery change you and your life? What would you spend the money on?

It was really interesting to read about how each of the characters reacts and how they behave after winning. Lexi and Jake receive a lot of requests for help from friends and family, as well as piles of letters from strangers. Lexi is inundated at work with requests for financial help and is forced to leave her much-loved job at the Citizen’s Advice Bureau.

A lot of the characters in this book aren’t very likeable. I found Jake, Lexi’s husband, especially frustrating. It seems like he was always quite selfish but the lottery win certainly makes this worse. I felt quite sick thinking about all of the money he was wasting — even buying a Ferrari before the money had even gone into their account! He also encourages their children to take the same cavalier attitude towards shopping and encourages them to buy whatever they want online.

Just My Luck starts off with a news story that seems totally unrelated to the rest of the book — about the death of a wife and young child due to carbon monoxide poisoning. Their landlady is found to be responsible for neglect. Tomas, the widow, then goes to Lexi for help and becomes gets emotionally invested. He was the only likeable character throughout the book and I was happy with how his story ends.

However, dislikeable does not mean badly written. All of the characters are unique and well-described, and I could picture them all vividly. The point of view changes between Lexi, Emily and Tomas. Emily is a 15-year-old teenager, with all the emotional turmoil that entails. Her point of view felt like the least realistic — at times it didn’t sound like a teenager talking. But I thought that her conflicted feelings about her friends and her boyfriend did sound like a teen!

The book is filled with shock twists and turns that kept me guessing throughout. I really enjoyed the story and it felt very realistic. I have read interviews with Lottery winners who have said that winning ruined their lives because the money changed things. It has some dark moments, but despite that this was a really fun read and one that kept me invested until the very last chapter (and final twist!).

~

I have added my review to Goodreads and my blog with the review will go live on 23rd April. I will also post to Amazon and Waterstones when able. Thank you :)

I really enjoyed reading this book about a lottery syndicate and how it could go so wrong when your number really does come up! The characters are all well described and how they relate, or don't relate, to each other. Some clever twists and turns in the story, right to the end, that I didn't see coming and some quite dark bits as well. Be very careful when you choose your lottery numbers, it could really change your life!

This was a really interesting, psychological read. I thought the premise was really interesting - what happens when a lottery syndicate falls apart before it wins? This book dives into how money changes people, friendships, and lives and how lottery “winners” aren’t always winners.

I liked that this was seen through the point of view of two generations, I wasn’t always rooting for the characters - and I don’t think I was meant to - but I enjoyed going on this wild ride with them.

Oh my goodness, what a read!
I have to say, I found it quite difficult at times, not the book, just the storyline, as I was so nervous about what was going to happen with such a large sum of money. That's a sign of great writing I guess, and Adele Parks always knocks it out of the park.
There were some characters that grated on me (again, well written), but I loved Lexi and the way she handled their lottery win and all the drama that came with it.
Highly recommended.
Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review.

I found this to be a fun read. Lots of despicable characters and lies and deceit aplenty. Some really sad parts gave the book a bit more authenticity against the car crash of the actual lottery win. Be careful what you wish for!

The premise of this book really grabbed my attention, however the actions of the family and their friends was too unbelievable for me to take. Some of the decisions they made would make sense but others too far fetched. Overall I was disappointed in the way the story panned out.

Flipping heck, what on earth have I just read?! This packs one hell of a punch and it’s absolutely bloody fantastic! It loosely crossed a couple of genres and I didn’t know quite exactly where it was going, but I never expected all the blows that kept coming. One of my favourite reads so far this year!!

I found this to be an OK 2* read.

Lexi and Jake are a couple with secrets and who then win the lottery. Unfortunately, they should be sharing it with their friends, as they are in a syndicate....or, did the syndicate split the week before the win? And, if so, why?

The first part of the book I found really irritating, being mainly focused around the husband's reaction to the win and the lists and lists of things he was going to buy. Lexi was the only likeable character, the others came across as spoilt and irritating and unfortunately, although I read on and it did get better it was a bit of a slog to get past the initial irritation.

Having said that, there are some decent twists and drama and a side story that's a heartbreaking one and it definitely improves as it goes along.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview.

Lexi and Jake do the lottery each week with their four friends. They never expect to win, but just after the four friends pull out (apparently) Lexi and Jake win millions.
It's a tried and tested format, want ,want, want, buy, buy ,buy. I had very little feeling for any of the characters, least of all Jake who behaves like a teenager.
The ups and downs, the jealousies, the 'goings on' between the group of friends are all poured into the story.
The ending is clever. Adele Parks is such a good writer, but this is not one of my favourite books of hers.
Thanks to NetGalley for a review copy.

What would happen to you and your family if you won the lottery? I liked the premise for this latest book and set off into the story with interest. I just didn't like any of the characters, that was the main problem and ultimately I didn't care what happened to them, sorry. There was a good twist at the end which I really hadn't seen coming