Helena Hunting delivered when it came to The Good Luck Charm, she could have easily written a story very similar to the Pucked series, but this is very different, still brilliant in it's own right!

Lilah and Ethan's second chance at love didn't go as I expected, it was much more authentic than over the top. I genuinely thought that Ethan was a total self righteous and self serving for a good portion of the book. I wanted to throttle him and be like look here man. Get. It. Together.

Too be fair Lilah allowed, if not encouraged Ethan's self serving attitude for quite a while, but once she finally put her foot down, she did with a vengeance and stood her ground, when she could have easily fallen back into that same holding pattern they were in.

The Good Luck Charm had some heavy emotions to deal with, namely regret and fear that were balanced perfectly with humor and hot sex to bring you a new hockey player to fall in love with. Fate brought these two back together after almost a decade apart, and I think any one of us would be scared to risk our heart at that point.

Get ready to fall in love with Ethan and Lilah in The Good Luck Charm! Things heat up on and off the ice!

*This review will go live on my blog on July 30, 2018, 8 am ET*

The Good Luck Charm is a sexy second chance romance that tackles some real issues beyond just the initial breakup. Ethan and Lilah were high school sweethearts until Ethan breaks Lilah's heart by breaking up with her (over the phone!) to pursue a hockey career. Now, Lilah is a nurse studying to become a nurse practitioner and Ethan has been traded back to his hometown team.

This is a fun, quick read. I like how goofy Ethan is in trying to win Lilah back, and especially one scene where he apologizes using a bag of her favourite candies from the local convenience store. His note includes a pun on the Hot Lips candy, and I love that bit of silliness.

I like that it didn't take the whole book to resolve the conflict about why they broke up in the first place, and that instead the book chose to focus on how things can realistically work out for them this time around. I love how their present-day relationship made them both realize some uncomfortable truths about the lives they would've led if they'd never broken up in the first place. So often in second chance romances, the focus is on how much time was wasted when the couple wasn't together, so I really like that this book showed how their initial breakup may have actually had some benefits for the lives they now lead.

I also love how realistic the main conflict of their present-day relationship is -- how much Ethan wants to make up for lost time by having Lilah be a major part of his life, and how much Lilah (rightly) recognizes the risk of allowing her ambitions to be subsumed by his. I love that the risk to Lilah's career isn't the same old story of a man being jealous of his girlfriend's career -- on the contrary, Ethan's very supportive of Lilah's ambitions -- but rather the more realistic situation of thoughtlessness and miscommunication between the couple. I can understand why Ethan wants to spend more time with Lilah, and I can also understand why Lilah would often acquiesce, even though she needs to study for an exam or work on an assignment, and I like how their decisions have some real consequences to Lilah's studies.

The title is somewhat misleading, and to be honest, the part about Ethan's being superstitious about her bringing him luck felt artificial. From the start, it's pretty obvious he wants her for more than whatever luck she can bring his career, and I think that makes this a much stronger, more compelling story. 

+

Thank you to Forever Romance for an egalley of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a cute, beach read. I think the synopsis is a little misleading in that it makes it sound like Ethan is using Lilah which becomes very obvious in the beginning that it is not the case (not a spoiler).

The chemistry in this book was just okay. I mostly liked Ethan and Lilah. I say mostly because I found Lilah to be a bit weak and a bit of a pushover at points. Ethan liked to bulldoze his way into Lilah’s life and was fairly selfish. He wasn’t being malicious about it, but he wasn’t thinking of her needs. They were both good people though so for that, I did like them.

I found myself skimming a lot of the sex scenes because once they had sex, it happened in detail in every other chapter. It just got redundant after a while.

It had a lot of the humor I expect from Helena Hunting, but it definitely wasn’t my favorite of hers. I felt like certain situations happened that were a little pointless and didn’t add much to the plot line other than to beef up the book.

Overall, sure I’d recommend it if you’re looking for a really quick read.

I love second chance romances and Helena did a wonderful job of creating this. Ethan and Lilah were the best couple. It was hard for me to watch them build back up their relationship. Lilah had her heart broken and wasn't going to make it easy to give it back even though Ethan already had it. I struggled with this because he is so sweet and absolutely loved her. The surprise in the last three chapters was an exciting turn of events too. In the end I loved how the space between Ethan and Lilah brought them back together. Ethan ah he is just so sweet. I would like to see more of Carmen and Dr. Lovely.There is something going on in that situation *wink wink*

Thanks Netgalley for Arc in exchange for an honest review.

A hockey story to end all hockey stories but with a beautiful love story entwined!

There was so much I thoroughly enjoyed about this book! It was very down to earth, it had characters that touched my heart, words that made me feel and a part that really hit home for me as well!
I loved Lilah and Ethan, high school sweethearts that had 8 years missing from then to now and this book had them going through alot but also showed how well they were together!
Can Lilah get over the past and forgive Ethan or do they both lose a worthy love! You just have to read it for yourself to learn what happens between them, their families and their jobs!
I must say though I thought Ethan was very swoonworthy, he said and did little things that will make your heart pitter patter!

Helena Hunting is a new author to me, but after reading this book and her last release I have become hooked! I immediately went out and purchased a few books from the Pucked series and will grab some more after I read those. What does this tell you? She is a gem of an author with fantastic stories and everyone should read them! I loved this cute romance and think it would make a perfect addition to anyone's beach bag this summer!

4.5 stars!

I really loved this book. The relationship issues were complicated and important and weren't solved in a blink or or a conversation or anything but through serious thought and serious work

This was my very first dip into the Helena Hunting pool and, oh, how sweet it was! Good Luck Charm was a delightful gem of a second chance romance, a sweet and swoony love story that I just adored. Now I'm just sitting here wondering why I haven't read her books sooner!

I'm typically a girl that's all about angsty reads that tug at my heartstrings and pummel my emotions. But sometimes a girl just needs to lighten things up with a refreshing, lighter, more heartfelt storyline. Good Luck Charm was exactly what I needed. Ethan and Lilah were so delicious together, so magnetic, just so darn right. Their story is a wholly relatable one, their chemistry is off the charts, the steam factor between them is SMOKING, and their happy ever after delivered everything my little romantic heart was craving.

Don't get me wrong, this sugary sweet second chance romance is not without conflict. It's actually nicely peppered with a small dose of drama and difficulty. But the good outweighs the bad in this story and it was a refreshing change of pace from all the angsty love stories I've read lately. Ethan and Lilah's second chance romance concentrates more on the giddy feels of their reunion, on forgiveness, on the steamy sensuality that oozes between them rather than on all the heartache that once was. The funny moments, the sharp banter, the decadent longing all come together in this book, packing a deliciously romantic punch and I was so into it.

Good Luck Charm is a heartfelt story, a feel good account of characters who finally get it right. I thought it was so sweet and so unputdownable and so satisfying. There were moments of jealousy or a perfectly placed memory that certainly satisfied my craving for angst, but it was all done so perfectly, never bogging down the story with unnecessary drama or heavy emotion. This story is swoony and sexy and super sweet and I really liked it a lot. I so enjoyed my first Helena Hunting romance and I can't wait for more.

Second chance romance with a twist.
Wonderful storyline, hot and romantic.
Ethan is the best book boyfriend I've had in a long time. Hockey plays a role too. I love hockey. Hope this is the start of a series because it was fabulous 💗

The Good Luck Charm is a sexy and exciting second chance romance from author Helena Hunting. The Good Luck Charm follows the story of Lilah and Ethan. Lilah is busy trying to live the dream. Her day starts off a total mess. From destroyed clothes to divorce papers, the last thing she ever expected was to see a ghost from her past. Lilah hasn't seen or heard from Ethan in over 8 years and the pain is just as fresh when she sees him again. He wants her forgiveness, but she doesn't know if she can let go of the past. Ethan will stop at nothing to try and have Lilah by his side again. And just when things seem to be going his way, fate throws in another curve-ball. Will history repeat itself once again or are Lilah and Ethan in it for the long haul?? There's only one way to find out.

Stories like this are totally my jam. I just can't get enough of the separated lovers reunited by chance. And this one was just fantastic. I was sucked in to Ethan and Lilah's story from the first page. The tension between the two of them was just so palpable. I could tell that there was something still there; something worth fighting for and I couldn't wait to see just how their story was going to play out. Now, the road to happily ever after was not an easy one for them. Leliah had a lot of hurt and pain to work through. But, I loved how genuine Ethan seemed. He thought he was making the best decision at the time and now is grabbing on to his second chance like his life depends on it. 

The Good Luck Charm is a terrific read from beginning to end. I'll be the first to admit that the pacing is a bit slower than the books I normally gravitate to, but for this book, I think the slower pacing worked. I got a good feel for the characters, their story, their connection and all that was lost. I got to see them work to rebuild what was lost. Whether circumstances were right or wrong, these two had some real growing up to do and priorities to get straight. I really enjoyed seeing how far they came and couldn't help but find myself rooting for them.

The Good Luck Charm is fun and sexy with a great mix of sweetness. This story will suck you in and keep you begging for more. Neither character is perfect and I found them both very easy to relate to. Their story is one of first loves and fighting for that second chance. It is a story of forgiveness and heart. A story of communication and a love that even years can't take away. The Good Luck Charm is a solid four star read for me and just the book I was looking to spend my afternoon with.

Although I'm always gravitating towards them - I think because of the almost hate-to=love feel to them (my romance kryptonite), I find second chance romances to be tough. This is because I’m almost always still mad at the person who left in the past (usually the guy) when the heroine is ready to forgive him. This definitely was the case for me in the beginning of THE GOOD LUCK CHARM. But once I got further into the story, I became completely engrossed in Lilah‘a complicated emotions about her past and now present relationship with Ethan.

Also, while I generally can’t stand the inevitable Big Break part of a romance, I found it necessary here, and I really liked how Lilah and Ethan fought to create balance and ultimately sustainability in their relationship. Their love for each other was apparent. But they needed to work through their past feelings and present goals and learn to communicate and love without being overly consuming. Because of all that work, the end of this book was so satisfying and happy making for me. And I could completely believe in a HEA for them.

3.5 Stars rounded up.

Love Triangle Factor: None
Cliffhanger Scale: Standalone

When we close to release, I will publish thought on my blog http://www.loveisnotatriangle.com.