Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel.   This was a contemporary YA novel that was about a girl moving back to her hometown and falling in love with the "badboy".  Except he wasn't really bad.  A sweet but predicable read!   Great for a lighter summer novel.

This is a very solid 4 star book. The characters were awesome. I struggled with the ending because I felt there were a few loose ends that were focused on during the book, but did not get addressed at the end. Still a great summer read.

I requested Chasing Lucky from NetGalley (Thanks for the approval!) because Jenn Bennett has become one of my go-to romance authors lately. While I did really enjoy Josie and Lucky's story, I wasn't in a "can't put it down" zone until about halfway through the book. However, I did like the growth of the characters through the story, and I know that there will be older teens who will love this one!

This is classic Jenn Bennett, an author I’ve always enjoyed. This book follows the story of Josie and Lucky; two teenagers reunited who begin to realize there’s more than just friendship between them. It’s delightful story of first love and all the mistakes and twists that come along with it!

While I haven't read every published book by Jenn Bennett, I have read most of them. She's not an auto-buy author for me because she tends to touch on the politically correct in a way that throws messages into her books that I don't always agree with. But she is an auto-look-into author for me. This basically means I'm going to at least look into every book she publishes and will plan to read them as long as the major storylines don't fall into any of my deal breakers categories. That being said, I was beyond excited to get a review copy of Chasing Lucky. I was beginning to think I was on Simon and Schuster's blackball list or something. Regardless, I pretty much started Chasing Lucky immediately.

Josie is a typical good girl. She's been the adult more often than not in her relationship with her mother who has dragged her from city to city over the years since they originally left Beauty after a falling out between her mother and grandmother. Because she doesn't live long in one place, she never makes friends or connections. And after several years of this, she decides that she can't do it anymore. She comes up with a plan for when she turns 18 and can step away from her mom. She assumed her time in Beauty will be short, probably only a year while her grandmother is away. But Josie has connections in Beauty from her past... family and old friends. Her cousin fills her best friend roles and she reconnects with her childhood best friend, Lucky, even though things don't just click back into place.

Lucky was affected deeply by Josie leaving town when she did. He was going through a difficult time and needed his best friend. Since then, he's struggled a little with his self-worth which has resulted in the bad boy reputation that he's since acquired. He's a good guy at heart, and I was rooting for him every step of the way... even when his motivations were not clear.

Josie had a lot to work through beyond her relationship with Lucky and I really enjoyed the family aspects of Chasing Lucky. The dynamics between Josie and her mother. Josie's mother and her relationship with her own mom. Evie, Josie's older cousin, had a big role to play. As I mentioned earlier, she filled the role of Josie's best friend. Yet she has quite a lot on her own plate.

As I mentioned earlier, I have found that Jenn Bennett's books often have what I call Mountain Out of Molehills moments. There's usually some message thrown in--often in only a sentence or two--that if I mention seems like I'm making a big deal out of nothing, but I feel compelled to address regardless. In the case of Chasing Lucky one of these messages is that women can have as many meaningless sexual encounters as they want. Quoting from Chasing Lucky: "I know women can and should have whatever sex life they want." The idea is that there's often a discrepancy between what society expects of men and women. It isn't unusual to hear about men having multiple partners but it's hypocritical to expect different of women. For me, instead of bringing women to the same promiscuous level as men, why don't we bring men back to the level as women in what we expect of them. Instead of being more permissive for both, perhaps the way God designed things (one man and one woman--married) is the direction we need to go. I know my opinion is likely not popular. This isn't new to me. That's not to even mention the two gay possibilities briefly mentioned nor the short mention of abortion.

Favorite quote:
-People aren't disposable.

Chasing Lucky was everything I've come to expect from Jenn Bennett. Characters and a story that will suck me in and have me not wanting to put it down. A relationship I can root for and am dying to see play out. And a few politically correct statements thrown in whether big or small. Chasing Lucky gets 4 Stars. Have you read Chasing Lucky? What did you think? Let me know!

Chasing Lucky is typical Jenn Bennett: romantic and sexy, but with depth and emotion. 

Josie has not been back to her hometown of Beauty, Rhode Island for 5 years, after her mom and grandma had an explosive argument causing Josie and her mom to flee. Now, they are back to run the family bookstore while grandma is traveling. As soon as Josie and her mom are back in town, old issues creep up. Their family is at the center of gossip and drama and Josie is left to navigate this after being gone so long.

And there is Josie's former best friend, Lucky, who was in the hospital the night she left. Lucky has a chip on his shoulder and is the town outcast. But Lucky and Josie are soon drawn back together after Josie makes a stupid mistake and Lucky takes the fall. 

As Josie and Lucky reconnect and Josie starts to find her footing back in Beauty, Josie has to figure out what she wants for her future, reconcile the relationship between her and her mom, and dig up the past of her father. 

Bennett is a master at teen romance and her stories are always very sex positive, which is unusual in teen stories. Chasing Lucky is no different. It delivers a swoony romance, but also battles issues of family and friendship.

**I received an eARC from Netgalley**

Oh Lawd, this book was everything!!!

This is the first book I have read by Jenn Bennett. And I have to say, I absolutely LOVED IT! Chasing Lucky has everything I want in a YA book. The characters are strongly written. There’s a great background story and I love how she gives the reader so much detail on body language, facial expressions and surrounding environments. 

I loved Josie’s personality. Especially her train of thought which is very much like my own. She had me laughing throughout the story and routing for her to right all things wrong. Especially overcoming the Saint-Martin family curse. 

Josie and Lucky’s relationship is my favorite. They were childhood best friends and it made me so sad to know that they were both lost without each other for the time they were apart. It warmed my heart reading about the kind things Lucky did for Josie, like very patiently teaching her how to swim. As well as her helping him cope with the lake fire accident from his childhood. 
At times, Josie’s relationship with her mom was very cringe worthy. But the reality of it made it very real to me. I’m glad her mother’s history was explained in detail. I found myself rooting for her at the end of the novel too. 

All in all, Chasing Lucky was a phenomenal read. It gave me all those summer vibes I’ve been yearning.  I can’t wait to read more by Jenn Bennett! Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a ARC.

A small town, family drama, and a friends-to-lovers story line: a perfect formula for a contemporary YA novel. Josie Saint Martin has been dragged to several different cities in the past five years, but her mother decides to move them back to Beauty. It’s where Josie grew up and where her previous best friend, Lucky lives. After a party where a bully spreads gossip about the Saint Martin family, Josie lets out her frustrations by vandalizing a store window, but Lucky takes the fall for her.  Josie must reconnect with her old friend to see why he would do this for her and to see if their chemistry from childhood may blossom into more than friendship now. Jenn Bennett has written yet another riveting teen romance with a well-rounded plot where the setting and the adult characters are also crucial to the storyline. Both teens and adult readers can find something to relate to in this book.

I have been a fan of Jen Bennett's books since reading The Anatomical Shape of a Heart, so I was very excited to be given an advanced copy of this to review. This book was a great read to get me in the "summer mindset" I desire this time of year. It was a quick read, but mostly because it kept me engaged throughout the whole book. Lucky was, by far, the best part of the book, although his character was a bit too cliched Jughead Jones-esque for me to have too much of a connection with him. Like Josie, I figured out early on in the book that his "bad boy" face was a cover for the pain that he had inside. This is contributed to Josie leaving him and the fire that he had to endure that left scars on his face. I enjoyed seeing Josie and Lucky's friendship grow, and then evolve into a romance. The banter/ arguments between Josie and Lucky were my favorite parts of the book. 

The worst part of the book, by far, was the mother-daughter relationship and how Josie kept talking about all that she wanted to do to go to California, yet she never was super motivated to do anything that would help her towards that goal. I know a lot happened in a short amount of time that contributed to the changes, but overall that part of the story fell flat and just left unnecessary conflict that could have been avoided. 

Overall, this was a great read with a lot of humor that helped me get through the parts that weren't so great. I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of second chances, Gilmore Girls, cute "bad" boys, and a quick summer read that is set in New England. Thanks to Net Galley and Simon & Schuster for giving me the chance to review this cute book!

Chasing Lucky by Jenn Bennett 

Wow what a great little book! I really hope there is more to come with this book! I need a follow up series! What happen to everyone did it all work out??? I can’t wait to see what this author comes up with!!! ​

5 stars

I was highly anticipating this book. Alex, Approximately is in the top 3 of my favorite ya romance book I’ve ever read. I hate to say it, but I was slightly disappointed by this book. The main reason for my disappointment was probably the characters. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t dislike the characters by any means, but I think that they just fell a little flat. Josie was pretty unmemorable and I felt like Lucky was kinda like Jess Mariano, but not nearly as charming. The mom character and Josie’s cousin were both kind of aggravating. The mom acted like she had this major chip on her shoulder, and didn’t always act exactly like a mom. I also thought her reasoning for not liking Lucky at the beginning wasn’t completely justified. The cousin’s relationship with the antagonist would have been more interesting if she would have explored it more and maybe discussed the extent of the abusiveness of the relationship. 

I did really like the setting. I’m a total sucker for a New England coastal town setting. Josie’s pictures at the end of the chapters were a unique touch as well. Jenn Bennett’s writing is good, and there is no denying that. I appreciate that her books are sex positive, and they often feel more mature than other ya romances that I’ve read. There were definitely parts in here that were cute between Lucky and Josie, but I ultimately found it underwhelming. However, I will still continue to pick up whatever Bennett writes, because I appreciate her as an author.

Just like the charming New England seaside resort town, you'll want to revisit Chasing Lucky. A feel-good romance with just enough of a cautionary tale of falling into the rumor mill instead of getting to know a person to make you feel like there's more than a tale of first love between childhood friends. The sweetness of family and the glow of forgiveness make this book comfort food that doesn't leave you feeling guilty after devouring it. So good!

Josie has returned to her family's small Rhode Island town, a town where the female line of her family are rumored to be cursed. For Josie, the return feels like some stability after years of moving; an opportunity to further develop her skills as a photographer and a chance at normalcy.

Josie quickly realizes that the past can't remain in the past. After one fateful night, Josie must live with the results of her actions and the guilt she feels when her childhood best friend Lucky takes the fall for her. The strength of this book is in the relationship that develops between Josie and Lucky. Both characters are fully fleshed out and three-dimensional. Through wonderful dialogue, the two slowly rebuild their fractured relationship. Jenn Bennett has written an excellent contemporary Young Adult book with real-world issues that many teens can relate to. I will definitely be recommending this book to my students.

"Chasing Lucky" is one of the few books I've read recently that I could not put down. I fell in love with Josie and Lucky and was rooting for them from the beginning. Jenn Bennett did a beautiful job of weaving healing mother/daughter relationships into a teenage love story. Well written! I would highly recommend reading "Chasing Lucky".

I'm a huge fan of Jenn Bennett and her writing so I was super excited to dive into her new book. I'm so happy to say that I was not disappointed at all! 'Chasing Lucky' is another great read! I love the small town feel to this story and the characters that take up the space inside of it. It reminded me a lot of Gilmore Girls which I absolutely loved. I always enjoy the characters Jenn Bennett creates. This is a story full of heart and a sweet, swoonworthy romance. A perfect read! <3

Posted to Goodreads: Josie Saint-Martin has spent the last five years moving from town-to-town with her mother but now they are moving back to their hometown of Beauty.  Josie isn't ready to facedown bad memories that haunt their former home but she is happy to settle into life at school she from which she may actually be able to graduate.  Josie's life gets more complicated when she comes face-to-face with Lucky, a boy that was once her best friend but who she hasn't spoken to since she and her mother left town.  After Josie acts out against the most powerful family in town she finds herself once again linked to Lucky and as the two spend time together they may find love.

This feels very much like a Jenn Bennett book and I mean that in the best way possible.  "Chasing Lucky" has the same well-developed characters as her other books that have interesting backstories and complex relationships.  The romance between Josie and Lucky is sweet and its slow progression from friend to love was realistic and well written.  The story was fast-paced and fun like a good rom-com that is just entertaining to read.

Thank you for sending me an ARC for Chasing Lucky, I’m not sure why but I had a really tough time getting into this story. It took about 80 pages for me to actually start enjoying it. The character development was well done. But it wasn’t my absolute favorite.

This book was super cute! I didn't love it as much as Starry Eyes but I really loved the way everything was wrapped up. The main characters were lovable even if a bit frustrating at times. I appreciated the portrayal of difficult family relationships and seeing how the main character dealt with them. Definitely a great read, always love Jenn Bennett!

If you've read any books by Jenn Bennett you'll know what to expect. Jenn does a great job with rom-com stories.  If you haven't read any of Jenn's books they are the perfect YA read for anyone who is a fan of Sarah Dessen, Jenny Han, or Morgan Matson. 

Josie Saint-Martin goes back to her hometown after years away to run the family bookstore, Josie knows it’s not forever. Her dreams are on the opposite coast, and she has a plan to get there. Her plans get even more derailed by the town's bad boy, and former best friend, Lucky Karras.

This book is the perfect antidote for spring time when everything seems possible. I loved reading about Lucky and Josie. Their friendship and budding relationship was such a breathe of fresh air.

I will always adore Jenn Bennett's books. Her YA Contemporary storytelling is unmatched, and Chasing Lucky is no different. Josie Saint-Martin has been moving around the East Coast since she turned 12. Her mom doesn't have much luck with men or jobs or family in life, so they are continuously looking to go somewhere new. The latest move is back to where Josie grew up, a small town named Beauty in Rhode Island where the Saint-Martin's are known for their terrible luck with men. In fact, it's widely considered to be a curse placed on all the women in the family, several generations back. When Josie moves back, she's immediately confronted with the sight of her long lost best friend, Lucky, who she hasn't spoken to since she moved away. Now he's 17 and... hot?! But Josie has no plans on sticking around Beauty longer than necessary.

I love a bad boy. And I will swoon forever over a bad boy persona covering a tormented and soft cinnamon roll of a boy. This is basically Lucky. In terms of characters, I prefer him over Josie our MC, as I feel Josie just makes terrible decisions half the time? That trope just gets irritating the more you read it. Lucky and Josie are basically polar opposites, and you know what they say... opposites attract.

I enjoy the small town life setting, it really reminded me of Nicholas Sparks books (just the setting, none of the heart-wrenching) with the idea of everyone knowing everyone's business. Also, I love that Josie's family runs a bookstore and has for a very long time. Small town life makes for some great contemporary novels.

The writing is just beautiful, I mean Jenn Bennett almost isn't capable of doing anything but write beautifully. Her ability to weave stories and backgrounds for characters is amazing. If you're a Jenn Bennett fan, I would say Chasing Lucky relates most closely to Starry Eyes.