I really enjoyed this book. Lexi and Jake have been doing the lottery with 2 other couples, their good friends, for many years. One day their friends decide that they no longer want to be part of the syndicate. The following week, Lexi and Jake win the jackpot! However, their friends are now claiming they didn't leave the group, and are demanding their share! This is a great story, full of lies and deceit, and some really great twists that you won't see coming. Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
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I've read a few Adele Parks books and for the majority, I've loved the twisty nature right from the outset. I was surprised to not get the same enjoyment from the beginning of Just My Luck and I'll be honest, until about halfway through, I was disappointed. It just seemed a bit...dull? Sure, reading about a family who win the lottery is interesting to an extent but a whole book about the experience? I didn't get it. But about half way through, the plot finally had a surge and I started to get more into the story. As others have said, there's no doubt a lot of this book IS pretty predictable. After all, there are only so many ways the book can go realistically. There are not a huge amount of likeable characters in this book, you detest Jake pretty earlier on (you will want to punch him, frankly) and even Lexi can be pretty frustrating as she often presents herself as a bit of a pushover. I did enjoy her interactions with Toma though and his story was the most heartfelt of the entire book. I was disappointed in the final chapter of the book as it just didn't really make much sense given the actions of certain characters (just why would you bother!?) in the story  and I really don't think it was necessary to include. 

Thanks NetGalley for my ARC of this book.

Just My Luck is a hair-raising tale of how money can bring out the worst in people. 

A big - very big - lottery win may sound like a dream come true for many, but it proves to be anything but for Lexi and Jake. First, their long-standing - if recently a little estranged - friends start demanding a share of the money, claiming to be in a syndicate. But that’s just the start of their problems.

Lexi, wrestling with the ethics of sudden riches, wants to use the money wisely and donate large sums to charity, but husband Jake - or should that be “Jerk”, that being what he is - has very different ideas, taking to obscene wealth like a duck to water and encouraging their teenage children to do likewise, immediately spending and flaunting it. Fifteen year old Emily is understandably swept away by thoughts of designer handbags and unlimited Top Shop, but she too soon learns that sudden unearned wealth can come with its own downsides. 

The “friends” are supposed to be close, almost like family, but they’re so unpleasant and awful - particularly Patrick and Carla - even before the win that it’s hard to understand why they were friends in the first place. I definitely wouldn’t want to be friends with Patrick and Carla. But then I wouldn’t want to marry Jake, either, so maybe Lexi just has really poor judgement.

Meanwhile, running parallel is the story of
Toma Albu, whose life has been devastated by the loss of his wife and child to carbon monoxide poisoning, victims of a careless and unscrupulous landlord. I really enjoyed this strand of the plot.

Just My Luck is a very good read, exploring the effects of sudden wealth and the things people will do to get their hands on it. It’s a bit unbelievable at times, but I enjoyed it a lot.

What would you do if you won the lottery? How about if you had been part of a syndicate for 15 years, and the week before your friends pull out of it, and then those numbers come up, would you share it with them anyway? Do you think instant mega wealth would make you eternally happy?

Well all of this and more is covered in Just My Luck, when the lucky numbers come up for Lexi and Jake, and they win £18 Million.  Cue, Jake going on a massive spending spree, a Ferrari shows up even before the money is in their account.  15 year old Emily decided school is pointless, that non stop shopping is her life now, but she is also hiding something.   Logan seems caught up in swing of everything but equally he is happy enough for life to continue normally ish! 

And then there is Lexi, the only one that wants to keep her job, keep things normal, not go overboard spending, a new sofa is the height of her ambitions for the money, and ideally would like to give large amounts of it away to worthy causes. 

Almost immediately rifts are formed between former friends and also within the family itself.  Although I had an inkling with regards certain happenings later in the book, I wasn't completely sure I was correct, until more info comes to light. 

This is not just a book though about a lottery win and its effects.  There is a man that Lexi had been helping at the CAB, whose story is tragic, and I really enjoyed seeing his discussions with Lexi, and just how he fits into all of this. 

There is far more to this book than first meets the eye,  and I was gripped throughout and read it in three big binges all in the same day, I couldn't get enough of it. 

It's a compelling story, about greed, and the depths people will go to, to get what they want, and I loved every second of it. 

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

I got way too involved with this book. I have never before found myself so furious with so many characters in a novel; Adele Parks writes diabolical yet captivating people very well and has certainly made me think twice about who I might tell if I ever win the lottery! This was my first read by this author and it definitely won't be my last; Just My Luck is one of those books where you know if you enjoyed it, you've found a new favourite author. A highly entertaining read, just make sure you've got a calming cuppa at hand!

I've been a fan of Parks for several years, but noticed her recent books have been going in a more dark direction. This is no different. What you start thinking is a lovely heart warming story about an ordinary family winning the lottery, soon descends into a dark tale of friendships fractured by money.
I enjoyed this book- I felt it slowed a lot in the middle but definitely picked up again so I'm glad I persevered.

This book was so cringe worthy that I struggled to read it. None of the characters were particularly likeable and it was so very clichéd about how they would and were spending some of the money, that really I just couldn't care. The sub plot and the twist at the end could have made for a much better book if this wasn't so far fetched as to be unbelievable, and I don't mean the winning of the lottery, that happens and some have just frittered the money away and I am sure others have used it wisely.
I am being generous in giving this 2 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for my ARC in return for an honest review.

Just the kind of situation I would never want to be in...the syndicate that is, not the lottery win!
leaping straight in with a winning ticket this story really follows the highs and lows you would imagine as a jackpot winner...from the decisions about which charities to give money to, to supporting your family by helping with their debts all the while fending off the hoards of begging letters.
However, it is not that straight forward for Lexi as some "friends" crash her winners meeting claiming they are part of a syndicate and entitled to a share of her win. Compounded with complex family relationships and problems with her children and their friends the book rampages through fights, shopping sprees and a huge party with a sinister outcome.
I really enjoyed the twists from the party scenes going forward and the great ending!
A good one for sitting in the garden with a glass of sunshine wine or beer it will definitely make you reassess how you will handle your big win if your numbers come up!

I loved this book! It was well written and full of twists and turns. I think everybody at some time or other has wanted to win the Lottery. The thing is, would it make you happy? Would it make life better? Would it make you a worse person? This book has many unlikable characters, but this is great for the story. It also has characters you root for. I really recommend this book and give it 5 out of 5. I couldn't stop reading it once I had started!

Fabulous! Adele Parks always comes up with something a bit special that I can't put down, and this time it was 'Just My Luck.'
After all these years, Lexi and Jake have won the lottery. Lexi and Jake have not *just* won the lottery! They have won 17.8 million pounds! And just like that, their life has changed forever!
Together since uni, Lexi and Jake are happily married with two kids; for fifteen years they have been sharing the ups and downs of family life, and a lottery syndicate, with their best friends, Carla and Patrick Pearson and Jennifer and Fred Heathcote. Just days before the big win however, the three couples have a falling out, and the Pearsons and the Heathcotes pull out of the syndicate, leaving Lexi and Jake as the sole winners of every penny.
Once their initial excitement begins to settle down, so cracks begins to emerge; Jake and Lexi have very different ideas about how the publicity surrounding their win, and the money itself, should be managed. Jake begins spending, splashing out first on a flashy yellow Ferrari; Lexi meanwhile quietly wrestles with the morals of having so much when others have so little, and is keen to carry on as normal.
As the money takes over and their paths begin to diverge, so their lives begin to spiral dangerously out of control...
This was a really really good read. I especially liked the subplot involving Toma, which provided a stark comparison against which to weigh up the reactions of the main characters, and the little 'fly on the wall' that came in right at the end leaving the reader with something to think about long after the story was finished.

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.