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.

I would never want to win a dream house or the Lottery as I do not believe it would make me any happier. So I was interested to read a book that hinted that the winners of a dream house were not going to have an easy time. Dev was super enthusiastic but Merri was cautious and worried that troubling events in her past might resurface if she got too much publicity.
From fairly early on in the book the person from the past from the past starts getting their point of view chapters so a lot of potential mystery is removed. However the two timelines of the present and sixteen years ago ,when the bad things happened, helps keep up the suspense in finding out what actually happened in the past. Some of the events that took place in their new state of the art house were rather unrealistic but Merri’s paranoia about reactions to her good fortune and local villagers antipathy toward the couple felt much more realistic.
There were not many surprises in the book but the story moves along at a good pace and I seemed to whizz through it quickly. Easy reading.
Thanks to NetGalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for the ARC

A couple win a dream house and decide to live in it. The husband is more keen about it than his wife. When they move the locals don't seem happy about them being there. Then things start happening and they dont know who they can trust.
Loved this book from start to finish and I did not see a major twist coming.

KL Slater is at the top of their game, and The Lucky Winners is another gripping page turner of a novel as I’ve come to expect from this author.
A great beach read, or to pass the time on a long haul flight, it’s pacey and absorbing.
I would always pick a KL Slater book up, and look forward to her next offering!
A recommended read. 4 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

The Lucky Winners
K.L Slater
Read and Reviewed: June 2025

⭐️⭐️⭐️.💫

3.5 Stars rounded up to 4

Thanks a mil to Netgalley and the author K.L Slater aswell as Michael Joseph Penguin Random House publishing for an advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review.

I have read every book of Kims and have thoroughly enjoyed them all and this one was no different. It didnt disappoint.

While this one wasnt my favourite of hers there is no denying she sure can write a thriller book! if you're a fan of this particular genre then you will for sure enjoy this one.

It was addictive and full of secrets and suspense and had me gripped from the very first chapter and kept me hooked until I turned the final page.

I love Kims writing style and the short grippy chapters meant I flew through it in a couple of sittings.

As thrillers go, this one was perhaps a tad slower paced than I usually like so for that reason I held back a star but the story was good - different yet with a few twists and turns to keep ya guessing. I just had to keep reading to find out who 'The Watcher' was!!

Married couple, Merri and Dev are the lucky winners of a Dream Home in the Lake District (aswell as a lumpsum of money to go along with it) after Dev bought a ticket for £20 on a whim to pop in a card for his wife Merri for their wedding anniversary - Merri was angry initially that he had wasted £20 on a ticket to enter when money was so tight for them but their luck seems to be changing because it turns out they won!!!

Dev is delighted and quits his job straight away! Merri is happy too but slightly more cautious - It sounds too good to be true.... Is it???

Merri is haunted by her past and feels like something isnt quite right from the get go.
....and on top of all that, it soon becomes apparant that not everyone is happy about their good fortune...

This was full of secrets & suspense from the get go guys and defo kept me hooked.
If thriller books are your thing then I defo recommend this one.

A good solid thriller and I enjoyed it.

Already looking forward to seeing what Kim comes up with next!

3.5 stars

⭐️⭐️⭐️.💫

Merri and her husband Dev win a house. All their dreams have come true and money worries will be over. However secrets come out. Dev doesn't know Merri's real name as she changed it to escape her past....fast paced with twists and turns. A great holiday read

I've read a few books by this author, so I was absolutely thrilled to be given an ARC of The Lucky Winners by K. L. Slater from Netgalley.

The story follows a young couple struggling with their finances and are fortunate to win a dream house in the Lake District.. Or are they?

Loved how the book was written and dipped into the past of the main characters too.

The twists and turns were brilliantly incorporated in the story and I honestly didn't see some of them coming..

Another superb thriller by the amazing KL Slater. Many thanks to Netgalley for the ARC too.

An interesting concept for a novel. I’ve often wondered what it must be like to have a big win and what the knock on effect would be on a past life. Having read this I now know I really don’t think I’d like it! This was a twisty thriller of a story, so tense in some parts that I found myself skim reading just to get to the next bit. The whole story was engrossing, the characters very well described and believable and the plot has a satisfying ending. There’s a lot to recommend here!

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publishers for an arc in exchange for an honest review

Merri and Dev have an anniversary coming up, but can't really afford to celebrate it. They have a home cooked meal, and Dev surprises Merri with a ticket for a national draw to win the house of their dreams. Merri is a little annoyed with Dev for spending twenty pounds on the ticket when they are struggling for cash, but appreciates he wanted to give her a gift. And, of course, she knew they wouldn't win, people like them never did. But they do!
Dreamkey prize draw notifies them they have won the house, worth three million, plus two hundred and fifty thousand pounds.
Dev is absolutely delighted and over the moon when they are taken to their new home, but Merri is concerned about all the media interest and publicity. Merri has secrets in her past that no one knows about, not even Dev, and she just wants to keep a low profile.
Merri and Dev discover that not everyone is pleased for them and their good fortune, especially some of the locals in the village near their new home. Merri hopes to keep in touch with her colleague and best friend, even though she gives up her job, and she and Dev hope to make new friends too, but without having anyone discovering her secrets. However, someone knows her past, and is determined to make her pay.
The story is told from the viewpoints of Merri, Dev, and The Watcher, and is a tense gripping thriller which I thoroughly enjoyed. I thought I knew who The Watcher was, the creepy lurker in the shadows, but I was wrong. A really compelling read I could not put down.
Thank you for my advance copy.

I devoured this book in a day, when Merri and Dev win a mansion in the Lake district with cash you'd think all their dreams come true! But Merri is anxious and slowly their dream is turning into a nightmare!
The story of her past is intertwined and it makes you not able to put the book down until you find out who is watching her and why!

Merrie and Dev are living in rented accommodation in Nottingham, drowning in bills despite working every hour they can. Like most couples, they dream of a big win to change their lives.

On their 3rd anniversary, Dev spends £20 on a "Dream key" ticket to win a fabulous house in the Lake District and a considerable sum of tax free cash. Merrie is understandably annoyed at what she sees as a waste of hard earned money.

Unbelievably, their luck is in and they win the big prize and it looks like all their dreams come true.

Merry finds it harder than she thought to leave behind their old life and her good friend Paige but she's determined to make the best of her new life with Dev and embrace all the change

Things don't go exactly to plan though as their dream home is targeted by vandals and their car is deliberately scratched. Why are the locals so antagonistic towards them and why does Merri feel that they are being watched from across the lake?

As their dream new life begins to unravel, the couple struggle to cope. Then, tragedy strikes and long buried secrets from Merri's past begin to resurface. Be careful what you wish for.

Really enjoyed this book which was suspenseful and kept me guessing until the end.

Lucky white Heather as we say in Scotland! It’s tagged as a dream home but does money get you everything? Well, read it and see !

Interesting book that most will enjoy

Another great dark, domestic psychological thriller from one of my favourite authors.
When Dev buys Merri a raffle ticket to win a dream house little does he know exactly how it will change their lives when they actually win it!
Told from three different points of view and across two different timelines this will have you gripped from the start. Lots of twists and turns, interesting relationship dynamics and the inevitable twisty ending.
I am grateful to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced reader copy of this highly recommended book.

A very enjoyable read and just goes to reinforce the belief that money and good fortune can't always bring you happiness.

A dark tale of revenge and why it's never a good idea to keep things hidden.

Well written, well paced and believeable characters.

This book was so good from beginning to end. I loved how it was written. The way the author writes makes you want to keep on reading and keep guessing what might happen. You think you know where the plot is going and then there's a twist.
Would 100% recommend everyone reading this book, I'm off to find more books written by this author.

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC

Dev and Merri cannot believe their luck after years of just getting by. But an easy road ahead they didn’t have.

The book is suspenseful right from the off when you can detect a secret or two lurking and something that clearly plagues Merri’s mind.

Twists and turns abound, you not only get an insight into a fairly ordinary life turned extraordinary but also how people’s experiences stick with them and shape their lives and future experiences.

Thrilling, saddening and reflective in equal measure, this book was very hard to put down once I got going with it and whilst a slower start initially led me into wondering where things were going, I found that I simply could not put it down after a while.

Very much recommended!