Who’d have thought that money could corrupt so many people!! A good plot that keeps the pages turning - lots of twists and turns throughout right up to the last page. Jake’s spending sprees became a bit repetitive though and after everything Lexi had been through the ending was not what I was expecting. Having said that I did enjoy it & couldn’t put it down - read it in 2 days.

Not Adele Parks' best in my humble opinion. That said, it did hold my attention for the most part. Some parts I found went on and on and I skipped a few paragraphs here and there - there was too much introspection at times. I was also bored with all the tales of Jake's spending. There was nothing uplifting about this story whatsoever. There was a chance of redemption at the end, but that was spoilt by what we discover about the main character. I found it bleak. None of the characters were endearing (although Logan was harmless). I had been rooting for Lexi, but my opinion on her changed at the end. I wasn't overly keen on Emily, the other narrator. Some of the twists I didn't see them coming, so a good read all in all, I just would have liked a different ending.

A lottery win will change your life, but will it be for the better? When six friends play the lottery as a syndicate for fifteen years and never win, one weekend there is a disagreement and four of the friends decide not to play any more. The next weekend, Lexi and Jake's numbers win the lottery and they are 18 million pounds richer.
From there on in, the other friends insist they are owed a share, but that's not all the trouble Lexi and Jake have to face. There are lies and deceit, and worse to come. The book is full of twists and turns making it a really interesting read with a good twist at the end.

Like many people, I always wondered how my life will change if I win the lottery and how other people will see and act around you after knowing you for a long time.
The story has many layers, some very suspenseful twists and turns that will make you wonder and want to read more and some that in my opinion are a bit predictable.
The dialogue and the way the author pictures each character are very well done, especially in showing a mix of personality with all of them and adding to the overall story.
For me personally, Toma was my favourite character, because of his way of coping with his grief and wanting more than anything else revenge for the list of his wife and child.

This story will be loved by many people.

Ive been a fan of Adele Parks since her first chick lit book, I have enjoyed all her earlier books and this change of direction into darker territory is great.
Just My Luck is truly brilliant, I was gripped throughout. The characters are so well written and true to life. This story has it all - broken friendships, secrets, lies and mystery. It's an amazing read and would be brilliant adapted as a series on TV.

Who doesn’t dream of winning the lottery?! I really enjoyed this book about a winning lottery ticket from a syndicate, touching on all the toxic friendships and greed that go along with it. Thanks NetGalley!

A cautionary tale, be careful what you wish for!

Lexi and Jake have a ticket worth 18 million.

Shocking, twisty and constantly surprising.

I was gripped.

I'll never dream of winning the lottery again!

A really intense, addictive read! This book was absolutely brilliant. Full of some of the most vile characters I’ve read about in a long time.. I thought I’d guessed the ending several times but I was wrong and was left surprised at the end. So many twists and turns, gripping and juicy!

My Review:
I absolutely adore this author, her books are utterly fantastic and she has a remarkable talent of pulling me into the story, making it impossible to put down.
This latest book has been no different. I actually let out my excited squeal and happy dance when this arrived, I knew I had to start it straight away.
I have adored it, I liked Lexi from the very beginning. Although, I almost wish that she'd stood up up for herself around her husband. Jake was rather annoying from the very beginning but I couldn't put my finger on why.
I'm sure we all dream of the big lottery win which takes place early on in this book. As the plot developed, I attempted numerous times to predict what was going to happen with very little success.
This book has a fantastic plot, I definitely questioned the characters in my head and as the plot twisted I couldn't wait to see what was going to take place next.
This is without a doubt a five star worthy book, although I wish I could give this one more than five stars to show how fantastic it is.

I did enjoy this book on the whole however it wasn’t my favourite Adele Parkes book. I found the storyline quite refreshing however, I detested most of the main characters. I also didn’t like how the story ended in deceit (don’t want to spoil too much). I think that the story was full of greed and selfishness and in some parts a little unbelievable. Worth a read if you’re a fan of Adele.

Thank you for the advanced read of this book.
This book is a bit of an untouched genre for me, so was keen to read based on the synopsis.
I enjoyed this book, it only really got going for me in the last third of the book, where the action and suspense really ramps up.
The story revolves around ‘average’ couple Lexi and Jake, who along with old friends of 15 years have been in a lottery syndicate, playing the same numbers every week. At one of the regular dinner parties, the syndicate is dispersed with couples calling time on the syndicate. The very next week Lexi who always buys the ticket wins £18 million on the usual numbers. Naturally the ‘friends’ want a share of the fortune and will go to lengths what they believe they are owed .... or are they.
There are a number of twists and turns along the way, so it does get you hooked, an enjoyable read!

A huge Thank You to The author, The publisher and Netgalley for providing the e-arc in exchange for a unbiased review of these works.

Review will be on my blog as part of the #BlogTour soon!
Join me at :- https://booksandemma.wixsite.com/blog

Lexi and Jake have been part of a lottery syndicate for fifteen years with four of their friends and always played the same numbers. The week after they decide not to participate in the lottery, their numbers come up and their friends want a share of the £18 million fortune. This isn't a thriller in the traditional sense but it is full of shocking twists and makes for a gripping read. I thought this book was really different to anything else I've read lately and hugely enjoyable.

Just My Luck, Adele Parks

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: Mystery and thrillers, women's fiction.

Sigh...women's fiction. C'mon, its 2020 not 1920.

Anyway, what a read this was, full of the very worst in people. Until the win the six have been friends for 15 years, though there are cracks at times, and Lexi has discovered something about one of them that she finds difficult to deal with. I would too. The characters are very real, warts and all, but TBH I only liked Lexi and Toma, the rest were selfish, vain, money obsessed. Toma had gone from being a hardworking family man to the depths of depression after his loss, and Lexi helps him crawl out, start living again. I rally liked him.
Jake her husband was not the man she saw, not the guy she fell in love with. I guess we all change along the way but while Lexi is all about helping others – hence her work in citizens advice – Jake is just money and self orientated.
The friends have fallen out, and then soon after their long held winning numbers come up. Jake and Lexi insist they'd dropped out, they insist it was just a tiff and they were still in. Who's right? Who knows.
Complicating matters are their kids. Jake and Lexis daughter Emily is best friends with the Heathcote's daughter, Megan, and the Pearson's son Ridley is her boyfriend. We see much of the events after the win through Emily's eyes, and she is a typical teen, spend, spend on big brands. Their son Logan is a bit younger, happy that he can have some new games.
Jake also can't wait to get his hands on the cash and start spending. His greed shows right from the start when they ring in and one of his first questions is how soon can they get the cash. He seems to mostly want others to see how rich he is, to show off his new Lamborghini, throw a huge party, buy expensive new clothes, he's all about flashing the cash.
We see quickly how the money brings problems, not just with their friends but themselves, it affects Lexi's job as the CA office is inundated with people wanting help – or help in the form of money. Emily gets problems at school as Logan and Megan turn against her. The trio have been friends since childhood, don't have other friends and it hits her hard.

Things get worse, trust is shattered and events quickly go downhill, showing how different Lexi and Jake have become. For me Jake was an awful man, I guess he must have been different when they met, Lexi is such a lovely person its hard to see what they have in common. Then the action ramps up, and the twist at the end has me rethinking things once more. I guess no-one is quite who we think they are.


Stars: Four, a gripping story, a bit predictable at times but then throwing in some curve-balls that had me rethinking.

Arc via Netgalley and publishers

Wow - this one has some great twists that I didn't see coming at all. I also loved the fact that a really annoying character got his comeuppance!

I am fascinated by lottery winners anyway, so this was a great topic for me. The way the family deal with the win is realistic, I think - I can imagine that many winners face the same sorts of problems... Well, maybe not quite! Lexi certainly doesn't have her troubles to seek!

I thought it was a great story well told. I was rooting for Lexi all the way through and really hated a lot of the others. I thought the party scene was particularly well done.

A few niggly mistakes (like 'desk draws'!) but they didn't affect my enjoyment at all.

A definite five stars - it kept me entertained from the first page to the last.

Adele parks can be a bit of hit or a miss for me and unfortunately this was a miss. Did not like the characters at all. Sorry

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. 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.

I read this because I am a fan of the author, or usually I am anyway. If I am honest, the premise did not appeal to me but I was willing to give it a go. So what do we have, well a group of self-centred, unlikeable and unrealistic characters winning the lottery and then an even more unrealistic plot. I did not enjoy this. The plot was ridiculous, the way things happened were unbelievable and I did not connect with the plot, nor did I get swept away with Lexi and Jake winning the lottery. Clearly there is going to be more to the plot and there is but it happened way too late and the damage had already been done. There are twists and yes they are thrilling twists that spin the plot but they occur too late and the impact is lost.

This is mostly told from the perspective of Lexi and Emily, Lexi is okay and the only character who has a moral backbone but I did not gel with her and there is still something not likeable about the character. Emily is fifteen and her voice is clearly an adult trying to write as a fifteen year old and failing. The words she uses and some of her behaviour, again just does not gel with being a teenager and I found her unlikeable as well. To be fair, Emily has a strong plot thread towards the end that made me like her a little bit more.

'Just My Luck' was not an enjoyable read for me. This centres around selfish, unlikeable characters and the twist, although brutal, was not enough to save this dreary read.

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for an advance copy.

I really enjoyed this! I have been a fan of Adele Parks' writing for years and love that her books have started to take a darker turn.

This book was full of horrible characters, but they were well written and made you really want things to work out for the nicer characters. I especially liked Toma, he was such a sympathetic character and I loved the chapters where he was featured. I guessed where the book was going and whilst I was mostly right there is a twist near the end that I didn't see coming AT ALL.

My only slight issue is that I can't understand why Lexi was friends with Jennifer or Carla in the first place. It is mentioned throughout the book that they have been good friends to her in the past, but we never see that.

I would definitely recommend this book

This story has it all, broken friendships, secrets, lies and mystery. I thought Lexi was the only likeable character in the story, it would have been interesting to see what her husband, Jake, had been like before the lottery win but his personality after knowing he had all that money was horrible, he railroaded over the idea of anything sensible. There was so much double crossing it makes you truly wonder what the friends were like before everything went toxic. There are plenty of twists and turns as well as trying to figure out just how Toma fits into everything. This really does a great job of depicting the effect money has on people and how it brings out the very best and very worst.

I must admit I wasn't that enthralled with this book.  Having said that, after reading Lies, Lies, Lies not that long ago and being in complete awe of it, it was a very hard act to follow.  I thought so anyway.

It's a very personal thing as to whether you really enjoy a book and for me the first part was just too much about what Jake - Lexi's husband spent their new found wealth on and I just found it all a bit tedious. If you've ever dreamed yourself, of winning the lottery and daydreamed about everything you'd buy with the money then you might enjoy that part of the story, I just spent most of my time rolling my eyes at him.  If you like a character who you can completely despise then Jake's your man.

It is basically a tale of greed and the lengths people will go to to protect their money.  The second half did have more action and was in places quite distressing to read.  All in all it was an OK read for me but was maybe a bit of anti climax after the excitement of finding there was another book out by Adele Parks so soon after Lies, Lies, Lies and hoping it might be equally as good.

Review to be posted to blog nearer publication date.