When I read that synopsis I knew I just had to get my hand on this book & I’m so glad I did! The cover is so inviting and bright and makes me want to lay by the pool sipping cocktails. I’ve always wondered what it would be like to win the lottery and this book really shows how money can change people & really puts things into perspective. I couldn’t read it quick enough, it’s fast paced and filled to the brim with unexpected twists and turns. You definitely won’t regret purchasing this book, get it in your basket!😍📚 ⠀⠀

‘Just My Luck’ is the current ’Sunday Times’ number 1 bestseller by Adele Parks.

For fifteen years, Lexi and Jake have played the same six numbers with their friends, the Pearsons and the Heathcotes. Over dinner parties, fish & chip suppers and summer barbecues, they’ve discussed the important stuff – the kids, marriages, jobs and houses – and they’ve laughed off their disappointment when they failed to win anything more than a tenner. But then, one Saturday night, the unthinkable happens. There’s a rift in the group. Someone doesn’t tell the truth. And soon after, six numbers come up which change everything forever. Lexi and Jake have a ticket worth £18 million. And their friends are determined to claim a share of it.

2020 marks Adele Parks being an author for the 20 years and her latest book ‘Just My Luck’ is her twentieth book which I revealed on publication day is being optioned for screen.

The story is seen primarily through the narrative of Lexi, after years of doing the lottery, finally her lucky numbers come through. Up until the winning ticket, Lexi and her husband Jake, took part in a syndicate with their friends Carla, Patrick, Jennifer and Fred until the four of them decided that doing the lottery was common. Now £18,000,000 richer, the friends decide they are owed what they feel is rightfully theirs. So instead of being able to enjoy the excitement of being millionaires, Lexi and her family discover the how much of a disastrous effect coming into money can have on people’s lives.

I read this book in two sittings purely because Adele is one of my favourite authors and plus the story was just so addictive. Seen from the narrative of Lexi, a quiet woman who’s primary concern is her family, she’s refused to be swept away by the madness of winning the lottery unlike her husband Jake, who’s throwing money left, right and centre. She wants to be sensible with the money and put it to good use and charitable needs whilst Jake would prefer to rub it in everyone’s faces. She’s hurt when their friends demand that they are owed money even though they backed out of the syndicate. There’s also narrative from her husband Jake and her teenage children. The multiple narratives give an interesting insight to how money can influence and change people’s lives and not for the best.

Now a Sunday Times number 1 bestselling book, ‘Just My Luck’ is Adele at her finest. With short chapters that really grip the readers attentions from the exciting moment of discovering those lucky numbers, to the twisted reveal at the final page, this book was a riveting rollercoaster of a story. A story filled with suspense and drama that explores the dynamic of relationships and the challenges faced new found wealth is bestowed upon them, ‘Just My Luck’ is compelled and well crafted story that is relatable and triggers the question, would we change if we won the lottery?

You can buy ‘Just My Luck’ from Amazon and will be availble to buy from good bookshops.

Check out my interview with Adele Parks catching up with the excitement of publication day as well as life in lockdown.

This was very good, with so much of it just really unexpected so you never really knew where the story was going. Written extremely well with great characters that really fitted great with the story. I loved it.

Just My Luck was advertised as a twisty thriller about secrets and friendships gone wrong. The whole winning-the-lottery concept was what sold me, but I wholeheartedly believe that maybe this book could have fared a lot better without the lottery gimmick as it got tired very quickly. The characters obsessed over every facet of the lottery win, I was subjected to reading detached, cold meetings with lawyers and odd third-person narratives every now and then about the reactions of characters I couldn’t care less about.

Whilst practically none of the characters in this novel are likeable, they are interesting. Toma, who was by far my favourite character by a longshot, was sympathetic and my heart ached for him. Our main narrator, Lexi, however, had less backbone than a jellyfish, and her daughter, secondary narrator Emily, spoke in a tone that was painfully obviously written by an adult trying her very best to sound like a teenager. The assassination of Emily’s character was actually quite insulting to young teenage girls everywhere.

When Parks is focusing on the thriller aspect of the novel, it is genuinely terrifying. I didn’t sleep for an entire night after a particularly harrowing scene that made me feel very unsafe in my own home. I wouldn’t read this at night, and I certainly wouldn’t read home alone. I have to commend Adele Parks for scaring me out of my wits during this novel. Honestly.

The problem, however, is that the book often seems to forget that it’s a thriller, and when we’re following the day-to-day lives of our narrators, stuff starts to get very boring very quickly. The story ends up accelerating until the end, but you have to trudge through a whole lot of boring before it starts to get consistently exciting.

The characters put me off this book, as well as the unneeded lottery-logistics that are peppered in at every turn. However, the plot and subplots that fall in line with the genre are genuinely good and pleasantly cohesive. The concept and skeleton of the plot are good, but overall, the book could have been executed a lot better.

I'm usually a huge fan of Adele Parks' books, but this one, if I had read this as the first of her books, would've put me off her writing forever! While the story flowed somewhat, there wasn't anything really compelling to carry my attention throughout (the Toma angle was nice, though). Having the chapters jumping timeline every so often also made this a jumble, and the twists and turns, though often over the top and unrealistic, well, you could suspend disbelief for them a tad. What really gutted me was the final chapter, which made me want to throw the book at the wall (didn't coz it would've broken the tablet I was reading on!) but it just makes you go, What was the point? So all this was just lies and posturing all along? And I invested so much of my time in this story for THIS???
The ending totally killed it for me, making me wonder if I'll be as ecstatic as before to ever pick up an Adele Parks book again

I enjoyed Just My Luck. We’ve all wondered what we would do if we won the lottery, I certainly have, Just My Luck is just that book. Be very careful what you wish for. A fab read.

Well, it just goes to show that money is the root of all evil. Greed, jealousy and envy are all in abundance when Lexi and Jake win 17. 8 million on the lottery. Money changes everyone. Plenty of tension, twists and turns. Recommended.

Everyone dreams of winning the lottery! The plans, the Hope's, the dreams. But what would that really be like? How would you spend it?
Lexi and Jake win £17.8 million on the lottery. The lottery that they have played as part of a syndicate for years. However the week before the big win, the others in the syndicate pulled out. What timing! As the family come to terms with winning that huge amount of money, how do others react?
Begging letters, threats, high hopes.
What will the reality be?
This books has so many twists and turns, most of which I didn't see coming at all. The book is very well written and I enjoyed it very much. It will keep you gripped until the final sentence! I highly recommend this book

I received an ARC of this book via netgalley and HQ. I liked the multiple points of view and I felt the author created the aftermath of winning the lottery well. However there were parts of the narrative which were really slow endless shopping etc etc. Towards the end the narrative is really drawn together and I selected and discarded several perpetrators. I was eventually set on the at least one of the right ones there was too much concorde in some of the storylines for it to be anyone else. The final twist however was totally unexpected and altered entirely my view of the characters involved.

Adele Parks gives the reader a solid and enjoyable read I would certainly rate it more than just Ok. I can see a wide reading public that would enjoy this book

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Lexi and Jake win massively on the lottery - the week before the numbers come up their friends another two couples pull out - so the money is all theirs. What follows is a story of bitterness, friendships being ruined, childhoods no longer innocent. Their marriage no longer what they thought it was. Just goes to show money really doesn't buy happiness. Would say one of the best books I have read by Adele Parks

This is the first book of Adele Parks that I’ve read. It started off well with the lottery win and the story of whether of not two of the three couples had left the lottery syndicate.

It showed how life can change for lottery winners but I felt, although it was easy reading, it didn’t have that mystery within the writing. The twist with Emily could have been a bit more gripping.

Overall, an easy read which I enjoyed. The twist at the end was what prompted me to push it to three out of five stars.

Thanks for Netgalley for the opportunity to read it in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. It was well written, and even though some of the characters weren't terribly sympathetic the story was engaging enough to keep me interested. And it's validated my plans to never tell a single soul if I win big.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

I am a long time fan of Adele Parks and this book does not disappoint. I would recommend it to any fans of hers

Brilliant. I am a fan of Adele Parks, although she is an author that I have only recently discovered.

I was immediately drawn in by the cover, which gives brilliant summer vibes. The story is great and actually very believable. What would you do if you won the lottery and how would it affect the relationships you had with those around you?

A brilliant and thought-provoking read.

We've all dreamed about our numbers coming up. About financial insecurity being a thing of the past. But does money really bring happiness? Be careful what you wish for.

A clever and compelling novel.

Lexi and Jake win 17 million on the lottery. They have been putting it on for years with two other couples . But just before the win there is a falling out between them and they pull out of the syndicate. But the couples believe they are owed some of if . The money changes the whole family and people’s views of them change.
This is told from different view points.
Good read
Thanks NetGalley

I absolutely love Adele Parks and once again Just my Luck did not disappoint.
I enjoyed the characters and I felt the storyline was well written and thought out. It really gives you insight into the different way people my deal with big money wins and how it changes you. It definitely brought home the fact money doesn’t buy happiness. Highly recommend reading, a great summer read.

Reading stories in the press about huge lottery wins always concerns me. I know it makes good news, but you never hear of someone winning a life-changing amount of money and enjoying it. You only hear of those who squander the winnings or how people become a target for all manner of scams. Though we know this, and how low the chances of winning actually are, there’s probably a good number of people who think about what they’d do if they had such a win.
In Just My Luck we follow a regular couple who suddenly find themselves nearly £18 million better off. Lexi is fairly cautious, wanting to invest wisely and use the money to make a difference. Her big indulgence is to buy some Teapigs tea! Her husband, Jake, is the ultimate stereotype. His first act - even before they have the money - is to buy a top Ferrari and to buy his way out of whatever comes up. It’s not hard to take quite a dislike to him, and as the story progresses he was increasingly infuriating.
One of the first issues this seemingly normal couple has is the insistence from some friends that they were a syndicate and, as such, should be sharing the money. From this point on we see the money drives a wedge between the family.
Most of the family has secrets, some of which have more of an impact than others. The story took something of a detour with the character of Toma, but the links are outlined eventually. Things got awfully dark, and a substantial part of this book had me wondering whether people really could be so awful in reality. Even the characters we were meant to root for were secretive, and some of them were so horrendous that it made me want to ban the lottery forever.
Thanks to NetGalley for granting me access to this before publication, and I’d definitely recommend this read - even as a salutary lesson to readers.

What would you do if you won the lottery? Does it depend on the amount of money that you win? Lexi and Jake have been in a syndicate with their friends the Pearsons and the Heathcotes for years, but the other two families pull out the week before they win big.

Then chaos ensues. What follows is a gripping story about money and greed. With a plot twist right towards the end that I didn't see coming it's a fabulous book.

Thanks to Netgalley and HQ for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars.

Jake and Lexi have been married for around 20 years and have a couple of teenaged children. They are in a lottery syndicate with 2 other couples who abruptly leave the syndicate the week before Jake and Lexi buy the winning ticket with the same 6 numbers the group had played every week. Then there are disputes about whether those other couples actually left the group or not.

I loved the concept of this book. My husband is still in an office lottery club at a place he hasn't worked for 15 years for fear that they will win when he leaves the group. I think this book gives an interesting look at the downside of a lottery win, how you can get greedy and others think they are entitled to share in your winnings. I thought it rambled a bit too long though. There were some interesting storylines but honestly I felt myself just wanting to skim and get through it so by the time I got to the end, I wasn't as excited by the reveals as I should have been.