When Merri and Dev win a dream house in the Lake District in a TV competition their reactions are very mixed - Dev is thrilled with the chance to start again in a beautiful setting and in a stunning new home, but Merri is less delighted, as she is concerned that the publicity will begin to uncover things from her past that she would prefer to remain hidden. And so it proves as time goes on and their dream life starts turning a nightmare. The story is told in the present day and in Merri’s past, with the two strands always clear, but most of the chapters end with a cliffhanger sentence, which does begin to grate after a while. The story itself is well plotted but not all characters are fully believable and some of the action is a little suspect. Nonetheless, this is a good page turner with a satisfying ending. Perhaps not KL Slater’s best book (she has written some real crackers!) but one worth reading nonetheless.

I really did not expect the unexpected in the book! I tried to imagine how I would feel in every stage of the many many twists and turns!
I could not put this book down and am so grateful for the privilege of being allowed to read it to review.
The author wrote this book in a manner that was so unpredictable and captivating.

What an interesting concept for a book. A completion that lots of people might have entered themselves and hoped that it would be a dream moment. However, this is anything but a dream. It shows that some people’s dreams is another person’s nightmare.

This book was amazing. Very fast paced. When I started reading the first few chapters I was like meh not sure I may DNF but boy was I glad I stuck with it. The just of the story is Dev and Merri are down on their luck and then they win the Dreamkey draw (basically like omaze in the uk) and move to the Lake District. Now I love that part of the country but like them we have heard certain individuals “talking” about outsiders and it really does exist. There is an underlying story about Merri’s past that haunts her and then you literally cannot wait for the story to conclude to see what happens. Well recommended

It was an excellent read.
Merri and Dev both have jobs, but they are struggling to make ends meet. For their wedding anniversary, Dev buys her a ticket for a competition to win a house. This house is a glass and steel new build overlooking Lake Windemere, and in addition, there is a significant cash lump some as well. She wins. They move to their new house with much publicity, but all is not well, with resentment from the locals. Further, Merri has been hiding a secret from her past for over ten years, and things she'd rather keep hidden begin to emerge.
KL Slater has written a fast-moving suspense filled psychological thriller that kept me guessing right up to the surprise ending. She shows readers her sharp writing style that really keeps up both the pace and the tension of the book. It's an excellent thriller, and it seems that I have another author to follow. Recommended.

Enjoyed this read. Found it a page turner and good twists. Easy to follow with the present day and going back. A good twists at the end

If you’ve ever entered one of those house draws to win your fantasy home this book might put you completely off!

Slow moving at first, then action packed in the last 30%. the novel had some irritating, rather two-dimensional characters and a disturbing back story for the main protagonist. It wasn’t a great match for me because of this..

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC and option to review.

I've often wondered about these houses you see on TV as prizes in a lottery style competition. Never bought a ticket. Never even bought a lottery ticket. Don't think I ever will now!! I enjoyed K L Slater's The Lucky Winners although it did seem to take an awful long time to get going. There were some good twists and a decent ending but I can't say I particularly liked any of the characters, so I didn't really care what happened to them. A good beach read is probably about the kindest thing I can say but I'm sure others will think differently.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

Mixed feelings here. Dev and Merri, a young hard-up couple living in a small apartment in London, win one of these million pound house in the Lake District in a lottery, plus a cool £250,000 to go with it. Dev's absolutely delighted, Merri less so because of her history (also kept from Dev). They move, are not especially welcomed by the locals but make friends with their neighbours. Things get vandalised, cars key-scraped, nasty notes - someone does not want them there. Very slowly we start to learn of Merri's history which has led to at least some of these issues. I liked the descriptions of the local Lake's town and villages and the effect of vast numbers of incomers are having on their culture. The characters were oh so stereotyped though and felt flat. It was an ok read only I'm afraid and the author has produced so much better others. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

This is brilliant from K L Slater! I've entered and dreamt about winning the luxury house competitions and my husband would hate all the publicity that goes with it. To read about what happens when the secrets from the past begin to unravel was an absolute delight.
Highly recommended.

A real twisty thriller. Ideal for holiday reading. Impossible to put down once you start.

Many thanks for allowing me to read and review this terrific novel.

I'm yet to dislike and not be completely enwrapped into one of K.L. Slater's books. Such quality work in keeping me awake all night reading :) Couldn't recommend enough!
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity. to read this ARC.

Such an interesting premise for a book and I am sure one that alot of people fantasise about. But maybe not after reading this! Totally gripping and full of twists and turns

I loved this book! It’s definitely one of my favourites and I raced through it in almost a single sitting. It comes packed with twists and turns. It’s a fantastic book and one that I’d definitely recommend.

K L Slater did it again. The author draws you in and womps you round about then spits you back out while you try and digest what just happened. Absolutely outstanding. I’ve never read a bad KL Slater book!!

Another fab read from this author. The lucky winners is an excellent suspenseful thriller that hooked me on from the very first page and I became fully invested in the story. Winning a dream house you would think would make everything exciting and happy and be a dream come true but not for merri and dev as their new home turns into a nightmare.

Another fast paced, suspenseful book from this author.

When Dev buys Merri a ticket to win a dream home, little do they realise a few weeks later they will be moving in to this magnificent house on the hill, in the beautiful Windermere.
This should be their dreams come true, no more debt, a new start, new friends, but is everything as it seems? What happened in Merri’s past that leaves her feeling unsure about this move?

I love the way this author writes, it keeps you hooked, unable to put the book down.

I must admit I didn’t really gel with any of the characters, but then, I was quite suspicious of most of them!! I like the way the author builds up that suspicion and keeps you guessing as to who may be responsible for what!!

All in all a great book, set in beautiful surroundings, that will have you on the edge of your seat, wondering just what will happen next!!

I’ve often wondered about the people who win these houses worth several million pounds so I was keen to read this book to see how/if it made them happy. However, in truth, the story is more about the fame that comes with the win than the win itself. Dev and Merri win the house and immediately give up their jobs and move in, leaving their rented property to Merri’s friend to live in rent free - I thought that might be more significant than it was.
The story then slowly (sometimes very slowly) reveals Merri’s history as her fame has brought her to the attention of someone from her past. They also get to know their neighbours and the locals, which is less than successful.
I did find myself page turning, so there is a good story there, however, I was quite keen to get to the end of it. I didn’t feel invested in any of the characters. The person from her past wasn’t a great surprise, nor was the twist at the end.
Sadly for me, a mediocre read. Sadly, because I’ve read and enjoyed other books by this author, but, in my opinion, this is just not her best.
Thanks to the author, the publishers and to NetGalley for an advanced e.reader copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

I really enjoyed this book. Dev and Merri winning a dream house in Windermere from a £20 ticket - well, someone has to win. They were down on their luck and needed a break. The dream is never as good as it sounds, especially when your past comes back to bite you.

This thriller started out promising but ultimately fell short for me. The characters felt flat and often contradicted themselves, which made it hard to stay invested.

A plot point mentioned in the blurb doesn't even happen until around 70% in, so the first two-thirds of the book dragged, only for the ending to feel rushed and underdeveloped.

I initially enjoyed the flashbacks to the character's past, but they became repetitive and lost their impact. Toward the end, the reveals felt thrown in purely for shock value rather than serving the story.

The main character's constant references to her
"big secret" in almost every chapter grew tiresome, especially when the reveal ended up falling flat.

The twists themselves were not believable, and even basic police procedure seemed poorly researched, which pulled me out of the story.

Overall, this one just didn't deliver for me.