I was really excited to get into this book. However, I am sorry to say the story couldn't maintain my focus and interest. The story felt forced at times and frankly, I felt like I had read it before and couldn't connect with these characters at all. When reading an erotic romance, I expect BDSM depictions to be an accurate representation, instead of perpetuating harmful ideas around consent. I am really tired of authors just adding these scenes because they're "hot" without doing their research.

Nope - the dynamic between Quinn and April was weird, her desperation made her willing to do just about anything, and I just didn't care about any of them.

I unfortunately didn't love this book. I found myself getting bored with the story and would start thinking of other things that I could be doing. I wanted to really like it, I kept powering through to see if that would happen or not. It didn't though. I usually am immersed in a story and it just wasn't happening.

The erotica scenes though definitely caught my attention and was hotness!!

It was a 3* review until I threw in the sexy times which took it to a 3.5*

April Smith is getting ready for her wedding in Vegas when she finds her fiancee having sex with another woman. After calling off the wedding, her fiancee flees leaving April with the bill and nothing to pay it with. Luckily, April runs into her college boyfriend, Quinn, who agrees to pay the hotel bill. For Quinn, April has always been the one who got away and this might be the perfect chance to get what he's always wanted.
This book does the smut very well. The characters keep the book moving along and interesting, but the plot is really lacking and the dialogue is very forced in many places.

Stroke of Luck by Opal Carew is the story of Quinn Taylor, Austin Wright and April Smith.
April and Quinn had one time dated in college so this was a second chance romance with a twist. April was in Vegas to get married to the man she has been with and engaged to for the past two years. But she catches him cheating on her and he ends up leaving. But now she is without money or anything due to the fact that the former ex was in control of her finances. But who comes to her rescue is Quinn and she makes a bargain with him to be with him for the month. But Quinn is very close to his best friend and business partner Austin. Quinn sees the attraction between April and Austin which leads him to add Austin to the mix. This was a hot and steamy read.

Stroke of Luck was my first book by Opal Carew and it definitely did not disappoint.

I have to say, though, I wasn’t a huge fan of how quickly Quinn flipped from “April’s a gold-digging good for nothing biotch” to “yeah, we could have a sexual relationship where you stay with me for a whole month” to “I’m in love with her.”

I liked that Carew kept the plot going throughout the whole book, even once Quinn and Austin and April become physical together.

I didn’t LOVE April. Through the entirety of the book, she just grated on me the wrong way. I think it’s because she was so attention needy - and don’t get me wrong, I love being the center of attention. But the fact that she left one man because he was focused on studying for his future and couldn’t spend all of his time with her, and then was ready to marry a man who used his money to make her feel like he was showering her with attention, really made me dislike her.

All of that said, the steamy scenes between April, Austin and Quinn were definitely steamy and the story moved along quickly, and kept me engaged. I read this really fast and couldn’t put it down.

April Smith finds herself abandoned, broke and in a serious financial predicament on her wedding day after her wealthy ex-fiancé stuck her with the entire bill for the extravaganza. As luck would have it, her ex-boyfriend from college sees her sitting forlornly outside of her hotel suite, soon to be ousted by hotel security. Quinn Taylor considers April the one that got away and decides to rescue her. However, he’s not without trust issues as he believes she left him for a wealthier prospect. He and best friend and business partner Austin Wright are now equally as prosperous and take her in. But, Quinn has some strings attached that are pretty unconventional.

This was pure erotic fantasy with a lot of romance as background. It’s a wonderful set up for a second chance romance with Quinn and Austin as pure perfection. Austin sees his role as convincing Quinn that he still has strong feelings for April and does everything he can to get him to reconnect, all while falling for April himself. It’s a really good premise for a combined relationship and delivered on the steamy aspects of the story. Where it fell short for me was how the beginnings of the threesome felt rushed, not given the time to develop and brew. And, the resolution with the ex-fiancé should have been more protracted and some potentially powerful moments were missed.

I enjoyed the concept and the steamy sessions but needed more from April and Quinn to fully buy into Quinn/April/Austin. By the end of the story, I still hadn’t figured out April and her reasons for leaving Quinn in college rang thin. And, I wanted more of a showdown with that ex-fiancé, my bloodthirsty need for justice left wanting. The erotica, however, soared off the charts, more than delivering on its promise. 3.5 stars

I found this book while poking around on NetGalley and was excited to find this book. It is a new to me author and the premise sounded fun. Since it was in the erotica section, it had the potential to be super spicy. I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. And, honestly, it was nearly impossible to finish.

The head hopping, quickly shifting between the character's POVs, was too much for me. I could barely keep the story straight and figure out whose thoughts were whose.

Then, there are all sorts of lack of consent issues, as well as badly done BDSM themes. The heroine might as well be an invertebrate for all the spine she shows. And, the biggest issue for me, was the lack of crossing swords. Really, in this, the year of our Lord 2020, if you're going to put a girl and two guys - who are best friends and profess to care about each other - and NOT have the dudes go at it in some way, shape, or form, you're wasting an opportunity and my time. It smacks of homophobia.

If you're looking for a fun Vegas romp, you might like this. If you're looking for hot threesomes and clearly understandable writing, I'd skip this one. Also, please shelve it where it belongs: contemporary romance, not erotica.

I requested this one on NetGalley because I had heard really great things about Opal Carew's books, but this really did not do it for me. I didn't like the writing style or the characters AT ALL. Everything about this just felt like it was taking itself way too seriously in the worst way of that makes sense. With all that being said, the sex scenes in this were pretty decent, but I struggled keeping everything straight because the perspectives changed too frequently and I just couldn't keep track. Ugh I really wanted to enjoy this, but it's just not the book for me.

**Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review**

Snagged this on NetGalley to mix it up but didn't love it. Is this a story about a woman with a past jilted at the altar, or is it the story of a woman with two Vegas husbands? The combination was the difficulty. And somehow the novel became super repetitive and almost boring, not something I would say about most erotica. I've liked this author more in the past.

A delectably steamy delve into life with two men! The heroine has just been humiliated by the man she was supposed to be walking down the aisle with when her college sweetheart happens by to save the day. Temptation and life's circumstances pave the way for a naughty agreement to fulfill his every wish for a month ... including pleasing his best friend and business partner as well!

The heat is high and the characters are likable. A little more substance to pushing the plot deeper would have been ideal, but I enjoyed the flirty feel to it as a fast paced get away.

April can’t believe that everything is over. And that the one man that she hurt is about to save her. Quinn can’t let April get to him after all this time. He will help her but then he wants nothing to do with her but old feelings keep coming back. Will Quinn be able to forgive April? He knows that getting involved with her wouldn’t change the past but it might change their future.
April can’t believe that she has agreed to Quinn’s agreement she just didn’t realise how much Quinn & his best friend Austin would mean to her but could this really work? Can Quinn trust April again?
A good read. I was lucky enough to receive a copy from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

If you enjoy erotica, Opal never lets you down!

When everything seems to go wrong for April , she finds herself in the arms of her ex boyfriend, Quinn. Right away he wants her. She is the woman he has never forgotten. They spend a month together on vacaction indulging in every fantasy. This includes saring her with his best friend, Austin. After intense moments together, April finds herself in love with both men. Question is can she give them up after the month is over?
Will they let her go?

Lots of sexy moments and some hot MFM scenes.

Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for providing this book for an honest review. This book will be a great recommendation for my readers who are looking for Erotica suggestions. Stroke of Luck was much better written than many titles in the genre & lived up to the praise from other reviewers.

I enjoyed this steamy erotic romance with complex characters and a steamy MFM romance that kept me entertained and intrigued from start to finish. I liked the attraction and undeniable chemistry between April Smith and business partners Quinn Taylor and Austin Wright. This is the first book I have read by Opal Carew but I would like to read more by this gifted author. I received an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

Stroke of Luck is a ménage MFM story featuring business partners and best friends Quinn and Austin, and Quinn's ex-flame April who broke his heart in college. When April's life gets turned upside down, Quinn steps in to help. April doesn't want to owe him, though, and so an arrangement is made that consists of her staying with him and Austin for a month, in the friends-with-benefits manner.

I really loved that the conflicts weren't as bad as they could have been, because one of my pet peeves in books is when the characters fail to communicate, causing major drama. While there is still some of that, it did not last for long, which I appreciated. Quinn and April have history (and baggage), and Austin does his best to help Quinn and April grow together. I liked that dynamic, of someone on the outside of the initial relationship, but who gets to come into this threesome with fresh eyes and perspective. Austin really is the glue for some of the book, and I liked that he would not let his friend back down from his feelings because of fear and past rejection.

April has more to her than meets the eye, and I enjoyed the slow unearthing of that. All in all, this is an easy, quick read that still has a lot of heart and heat!

3 stars

This is a steamy, escapist book that was fun to read. April is in Vegas to get married, but after finding her fiance cheating on her the night before the wedding, she's left high and dry with an obnoxiously huge hotel bill she can't pay, no job, no home and only the clothes on her back. Enter her college ex-boyfriend Quinn. He's outrageously wealthy (of course), handsome, and has never gotten over the heartbreak of losing April. So naturally he comes to her rescue and pays her bill. He also invites her to stay with him and his business partner Austin, who is also outrageously wealthy and handsome, in the hotel suite they are renting for their week of business.

Not wanting to be in Quinn's debt, April offers to fulfill all of his fantasies for one month. Having always dreamed of being with April, Quinn quickly agrees, and also insists that Austin be included in the deal. Let the sexy-times begin. The author includes a lot of steamy scenes between the threesome, until April starts catching feelings for both Quinn and Austin. What will happen at the end of the month if she's fallen in love with them both? How can she ever choose and what will she do if she loses them both?

This book had a bit more plot that a lot of these type of books do, which is always a plus. April is frustratingly naive, however, and bumbles along letting things happen to her rather than making her own choices, although she does get a bit of a backbone near the end. I don't think it would have detracted too much from the story if April hadn't been quite so docile. Otherwise, this was a fun book to read and I enjoyed it.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review.

A sort of second chance romance that burns up the sheets! MFM with plenty of steamy scenes.

April gets dumped before she got to the altar and left with a huge hotel bill by cheating groom. As luck has it, someone she knew in her past comes to her rescue and pays the bill. It comes with conditions . . . and a whole lot more!

I really enjoyed the story and even thought the author could have been meaner to the cheating ex. Lol!

I received an ARC from the publisher for an honest and unbiased review.

Overall this was a fun read. The genre for this book is spot on. This is a second chance romance centered around Vegas. This book is not my favorite as I like more of a story and plot but it was quick to read. This is a book I could take or leave.


*I received this free book from NetGalley and am leaving my honest opinion*

Stroke of Luck was my first Opal Carew read, and I have to say I’m more than a bit disappointed. Usually, I’m totally on board the erotica train, full speed, and everything, but this one didn’t do it for me at all, and here’s why:

We enter the story after our female lead, April, found her fiancé cheating on her the night of her rehearsal dinner, a day before her wedding. To top it off, he canceled her credit card, went on a shopping spree, and left her the bill. And before you ask, I was a bit confused about the different names in ARC and synopsis too. Unfortunately, I have no idea which one is going to be in the final version. That said, her ex-boyfriend Quinn comes to her rescue and offers her to stay with him and his business partner until she can figure things out, and that’s the introduction to our story. While over-the-top, cliché, and filled with eye-rolls on my part, I tried to stay optimistic about it since this happens to me quite a lot with this kind of book, but it all went downhill from there.

Opal’s writing style simply wasn’t for me; we switched points of view so frequently and without warning that it took me a few moments to figure out who we’re with right now, more often than not. I didn’t connect with any of the characters, not even Austin, who was the only one I sort of liked, and that’s essentially the kiss of death for me with any book. Their emotional reactions seemed extreme most of the time, and their feelings changed so fast it made my head spin. April didn’t have any backbone at all, and while it kind of fit her backstory, I found it very annoying at times. I appreciated her honesty about some of her issues but still felt she should have at some point addressed them by herself for herself, especially after she decided to leave the love of her life out of fear. The character development I had hoped for didn’t happen.

Quinn went from I hate you, to I want you even though I can’t ever trust you, to I never stopped loving you; please marry me in what felt like a matter of minutes. I liked the idea of them reconnecting, but it didn’t have any time to develop – the same for Austin and April’s relationship and this whole threesome arrangement they have. The romance felt superficial and didn’t have any substance. Lots and lots of sexy times, which I liked, but these overwhelming emotions they all felt never reached me. Not in a way that would make me call whatever they have going on more than lust. They know nothing about the people they have become, and Austin doesn’t know April at all. Somewhere in the middle, we’re left in this weird in-between-state that made the entire thing feel kind of awkward to me; either they’re in this together, the three of them, or they’re not. It felt like a couple adding someone to their bed, which didn’t work for me. I don’t mind the threesome, but everyone needs to be on the same level physically and emotionally to sell it as romance to me. It seemed like it was supposed to build the excitement and make you wonder how things would turn out, but it was a definite mood killer for me.

The conclusion was traditional and highly predictable, but I sort of don’t mind that in romance and erotica. We always want the couple, or in this case the three of them, together and our happy ending. So no critique there. Long story short, this one wasn’t my cup of tea. That doesn’t mean it won’t work for someone else. Books are not one size fits all. If you do end up trying it, let me know how you liked it in the comments.