Where I felt this book really excelled was showing the slow descent from somebody who was doing well at their job into somebody who couldn't function due to their addiction. The twist concerning the partner was interesting and one I didn't see coming. For me, the little bits at the start of the chapters didn't really work. I could see what the writer was trying to do but felt they were too short to achieve their aim. Really enjoyed this book.

Etta wants to marry Ola, but Ola insists they save up for their wedding. Etta, ever so impatient delves into the world of online gambling - after all, it's not that addictive is it?
There are many important themes running through the story - racism, hate, Windrush but most importantly love.
Rachel Edwards covers these with such skill that in certain parts of the story, your heart is breaking for the characters with the injustice.

Excellent writing from Edwards and such a compelling read.

Etta is a loyal, hard-working woman in her mid 30s who is a good friend to Joyce, gives her time to a charity which helps people newly arrived in the country and is desperate to marry her long term partner Ola, who seems in no hurry to commit to marriage. Etta spends a lot of time at home alone while Ola is working away!
Then Etta discovers on line gambling - a £50 welcome sum - Etta wins! Etta loses! Etta wins again! Etta is hooked!
The writing is so compulsive and I became quite tense and concerned about Etta's gambling - it spirals out of control until Etta is no longer loyal, hard working, a good friend.
A cautionary tale with many twists and turns until I didn't know if I was angry with Etta or felt sorry for her.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Rachel Edwards/4th Estate for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

It didn't grip me but seeing how easily an intelligent woman became hooked on online gambling was scary. Etta seemed down to earth, and completely in love with live in partner Ola. I found him strange, seemed all he wanted her for was food or sex. Or for her to add to the savings. Why was he avoiding getting married? They had plenty savings. While I wondered what Ola was doing on his work overnights, I didn't see the outcome until it actually happened. A salutory lesson in a very readable form. #netgalley #lucky

I absolutely loved Darling and Lucky wasn't disappointing either! Wonderfully written, gripping, intriguing. Exactly what I wanted!

Unusual and surprisingly addictive. It started quick slow and I almost didn't continue, but then it got its hooks into me and I couldn't put it down. Eta's partner wont marry her until they have enough to buy a house. So she decides to nudge things along but making more money herself. She starts online gambling and the next thing she knows she is way over her head and things are spiraling out of control. She is borrowing, and stealing and maybe even worse. She doesn't even recognise the person she has become.

The addiction is real and so well described. We enter the rollercoaster with Eta, crossing fingers and toes that she can catch a break. Its nail-biting and impossible to put down. Eta is human, she has flaws but she also has the capacity to do so much good. I loved that they showed both sides, warts and all. Some of the side characters I didn't quite get and they could have benefited from more of a back-story, but it didn't really matter as this was the Eta-show, and she was more than complex enough to carry the whole book. Overall, well written and compelling.

Found the first chapter interesting then went downhill.
Etta wants to marry Ola but he won`t marry till he gets £30,000 to buy a house first, they have £22,000 so Etta only needs to get £8,000 and ends up on a online gambling site so you know where this is going.
Then it goes off on a different angle where her friend who came from Jamaica 50 years ago is threatened deportation.
The story comes together at the end but I found it too boring and the characters not likeable to be enough to make it up for me.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review

My thanks to Fourth Estate for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Lucky’ by Rachel Edwards in exchange for an honest review.

This novel is about something that I consider much more frightening than creepy clowns, serial killers or lurking monsters: the lure of online gambling sites.

Etta is a black British woman in her mid-thirties. Aside from her job, she volunteers at the Welcome Project, giving assistance to those seeking asylum or residence in the U.K.. She is a kind and compassionate woman, who is also keen to get married and put down roots. Her partner, Ola, claims to be of the same mind, though insists that they continue to save so that they have enough for a house deposit before marrying.

Hoping to hasten that day Etta is seeking ways to increase their nest egg. She comes across a snazzy online advert: ‘Deposit £10 today and get £50 more to play with!’ Temptation! She talks herself into registering with Cozee Bingo, justifying it: “if you could see through all the snazzy tricks and do it anyway? You could study the odds, research, insulate against losses, cogitate, calculate, speculate, win. Had to be worth a try. Each win would inflate their savings and confirm her cleverness, someday, to her grateful husband.”

So it’s no surprise that this turns out to be a slippery slope. She plays in secret - she wins, she loses, she is lucky one day and not the next. The more she loses, the more she convinces herself that she’ll win it back and hit the jackpot in the next round. She also makes a male friend on the site, who says she sounds hot and encourages her to meet up with him at a VIP party organised by the gambling site. Oh Etta!

While Etta seems to have plenty of savvy when it comes to dealing with Nigerian princes and cold call scammers, her inability to stop herself from getting deeper and deeper into trouble is truly frightening.

There is also a heartbreaking subplot linked to the mother of Etta’s best friend, who came to Britain from Jamaica fifty years ago as part of the Windrush Generation. She now finds herself threatened with deportation.

I found Etta a sympathetic lead, which made her fall into addiction and the denial of her situation, so much more harrowing. I genuinely felt afraid for her. While aware that this was a fictional situation, there are those whose lives are ruined by such addictions.

There are elements of suspense and threat within the story, such as Etta being aware of someone trying to spook her with odd gifts, etc.. There is also a series of short chapters, interspersed throughout, that are flashbacks to someone’s experiences in Croatia. Their significance does become clear eventually.

I found ‘Lucky’ a cautionary tale that not only addresses the dangers of online gambling, payday loans, and various scams but highlights the racism that people of colour routinely encounter in modern Britain. This includes the insidious question put to Etta by a white policeman in the opening chapter “Where are you from, originally?”. As Etta shares with her readers: “He does not get to ask that question. But of course, he does.”

While listed as Women’s Fiction, ‘Lucky’ struck me as being multi-faceted. It considers the issue of a woman seeking to attain her goals, and also mixes in some comedy with its drama, has elements of suspense and is subtly hard-hitting in terms of the various social issues it considers.

It is definitely a novel that I feel will appeal to reading groups given its strong characterisations, its various aspects that provide plenty of topics for discussion and yes, being a very good read.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

This is the first book I have read by Rachel Edwards.

Lucky is based on Etta and her gambling addiction and shows just how easy it is to become addicted.

The book is quick to read and enjoyable

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book. In exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book I have read by this author, but it won't be the last.

A well-written book, full of twists, turns and excitement. I can't wait for the next book by this talented author. Recommended.

This was a book that, whilst it certainly had an interesting premise, I struggled to fully enjoy because of how frustrated I was with the main character. However, perhaps that’s actually a sign that it’s a great book. ⁠⁠
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Etta wants to marry her boyfriend, but he doesn’t want to marry her until they’ve got enough to put down a deposit for a house. So what does Etta do? Naturally turn to gambling for a quick fix. Etta quickly spirals out of control, with many twists and turns along the way to keep us on the edge of our seats.⁠⁠
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I had many feelings throughout this book. Ultimately the strongest one was frustration, because I truly do not understand how someone can be so stupid. I feel really bad saying that but like...come on! I completely understand it can happen to anyone but we’ve all heard the horror stories and the ads about how addictive gambling is. (I think there’s ads about this? I could be lying)⁠⁠
For example, when Etta’s friend was like why did you send me a link to a gambling site u bitch, I opened it and next thing you know I’d blown two months rent worth of money! I was taken aback by how quickly that escalated there. And yes that’s a direct quote from the book (not really). But maybe I’m being small minded and I think I’m immune to all this and you’ll catch me next week posting about how I’ve blown 5k on some random gambling site 🤷🏽‍♀️ ⁠⁠
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I’ll admit though, this was a gripping read. I was invested in the story and the characters, even if I couldn’t entirely relate 😂 It’s definitely a page turner and the ending cracked me up, even if it probably wasn’t meant to be funny! It was a bit tragic but it was also just kind of like ah, of course. Of course that would happen to poor Etta. All I’ll say is...why do men? ⁠⁠
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I won’t give too much away but I would say give this one a go, it’s a different kind of thriller and I know other people have enjoyed it a lot!⁠⁠
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Thanks to Netgalley and 4th Estate for my review copy ✨ ⁠⁠
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#racheledwards #luckyracheledwards #luckybook #lucky #netgalley #netgalleybook #netgalleyreview #blackbritishthriller #blackthrillerbooks #gamblingbooks #gambling #4thestatebooks #4thestate

I was completely hooked by this to begin with as we watch Etta slowly succumb to online gambling.

The way the author shows how Etta finds herself on these sites and how she progresses to spending more and more was, I think, perfectly done. The descriptions of the websites were accurate and I liked how it showed the progression from bingo to the slots and just how easily it can be done.

These were definitely my favourite parts of the book. They were so intense and my own stomach was in knots seeing just how much she kept losing and all the payday loans she was taking out. I also loved the interactions with StChristopher75 who she begins talking to on these sites, however I did think this was going to work out differently so was shocked when it felt like their interaction ended quite abruptly – I thought this was going to be the main part of the story.

Whilst I loved the tension and the parts where she was gambling and speaking to Christopher, as mentioned, once this had come to a head the story took a slightly different approach which I wasn’t expecting at all. It felt a little disjointed and the things that Etta experiences seemed a little over the top and I didn’t feel there was any conclusion or explanation to one part of it.

Overall this is a quick read and one that really does look at how gambling can take over your life which I thought was executed really well and I thoroughly enjoyed. However I would have liked it to focus on this more rather than the route it did go down near the end.

I ended up giving up on this book, I really couldn't get into it and the first 100 pages didn't grab me at all. I forgot I was meant to be reading it at some points and actually had to force myself to read it. When I realised I was forcing myself to try and get through it, I decided it was time to give up on it.

This book was so good, it showed how gambling addiction can spiral out of control and how easily desperation for money can make someone think that gambling online is the answer. All the way through I kept thinking “Stop, don’t do it, you’ll keep loosing more money”. This was a real page turner for me and I really enjoyed it. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

I couldn’t put this down! It was a very compelling story with fascinating characters! I was sucked into Etta’s addictions not only to gambling but also to alcohol and her despair as she falls further and further down. Her exhilaration in winning and her heartbreak on losing is clear to see. She just wanted to make enough money so she and Ola can get married as he keeps putting it off.
The other thread is set in Bosnia and I wasn’t sure how this fitted in until near the end then it all became clear!

Etta lives with Ola and dreams of marrying him. They have quite a bit of money saved but Ola insists they just need a little bit more before they can tie the knot. She is desperate to be married though and desperate people tend to often do, well, let's call them risky things and Etta is a desperate as they come so she decides to try her luck with online gambling. Oh dear... we all know how this is going to go - as Ella gets sucked in, as she chases that last loss, hoping to turn her luck. As her savings start to dwindle, egged on by her new VIP status on the site, teased by her online friend having just won big. If it can happen to him...
And then it all starts to unravel...
Oh my days. Parts of this were car crash reading at its best. You know what is going to happen. Most of it is inevitable. But there was lots of other things going on around and about Ella that it wasn't all plain sailing reading wise. She really gets herself into more of a pickle than I ever thought possible. There is so much more than just gambling addiction in this book. So many nefarious characters. And a few good ones thrown in for balance. All very well crafted and easy to connect to in some way. But seriously, there are a few quite important issues discussed in this book alongside Ella's downfall. Which makes this book quite an important read all told. The author has the ability to really get under your skin as a reader and suck you in. Grabbing your emotions and wringing you out. Pretty much what she did to me when I read Darling - which I also recommend.
All in all, although not quite what I was expecting going in, this was a good solid read that kept my attention nicely throughout, leaving me satisfied at the end. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Full of twists,turns and more twists and turns this was a believable story where addiction can and does lead to all kinds of unexpected things
Well written,an enjoyable engaging read with some insight into Britain today

Made for unsettling reading as you felt the compulsion and addiction gathering pace. This makes it a great read because you feel emotions whilst reading. The betrayals are real and painful.

From the cover I was expecting a completely different sort of book but Im so glad I read 'Lucky' - a real eye opener of a book which doesn't pull any punches. Etta is in her 30s, living with Ola and hoping for a proposal at any time. Life is good - but he says he needs more money before they can get married. Etta starts online gambling, sure she can handle it unlike all the others who get hooked. After a few quick wins, she becomes more hooked on it, and the inevitable losses aren't enough to make her see sense. I was reading it through gritted teeth as the story progressed, desperate for Etta to see what she was doing but aware of the depths she was going to. Mixed in with Etta's story is a sub-plot of a Bosnian woman trying to get to the UK to start a new life, her story itself is also really interesting and would be well worth reading
I would recommend Lucky to anyone ready for a contemporary drama

Twists and turns I wasn’t expecting in a sad yet ringing true story of addiction. I ran through the book.