I don't think I have ever read a book by Adele Parks before this one. I am so happy I read Just My Luck because I did enjoy it. I didn't find it is the best book I have read this year but it did keep me entertained.

I did enjoy the story and the twists.

Just My Luck looks into the reality of what happens when wishes come true.

Lexi and Jake have been close with two other couples for over a decade. In that time they all struck out on their own ways while still making an effort to do a dinner night. While other couples made loads of cash, Lexi and Jake have to scrimp and save. Regardless of the change in incomes, the three couples have always played the lottery. But things come to a head and the other two couples pull out of the lottery, Ironically, the next week, Lexi and Jake win big, and guess who comes knocking?

I enjoyed the story woven in this novel., It looks at the multifaceted world of winning the lottery. We imagine winning and that everything Is super simple. But that isn't the case. There is a lot more that goes on and I mean more than just on the practical side. Who are we as people and how do are changed by winning millions? Who are our real friends and what happens to those who have always been there? Just my luck looks at all these questions and more. There is a sinister side to having millions and you have to be smart to deal with it.

The writing gets slowed in big blocks of text typically about history and background. Adele Parks does this in a clunky way: in the middle of a scene. It messes with the pacing and I skimmed these sections pretty sure I wasn't missing anything that affects the current scene. Other than that, the writing is solid with many twists and turns (some you see coming and some you don't.) Parks pulls a devious, life-changing Drowning Ruth twist at the end. You just want to read the whole book again in that light.

I would absolutely recommend this book. Part drama and part thriller, the book keeps you on your toes and makes you question what you know.

Just My Luck by Adele Parks shows the unfortunate side of becoming a multi-millionaire by winning the lottery. Lexi and Jake are married and have 2 kids. They are best friends with 2 other couples. The 3 couples regularly play the lottery together, using the same numbers and chipping in the money. When the other couples declare they are sick of playing and losing, Lexi still buys a ticket using the same numbers. Wouldn't you know, she wins...18 million! This changes the course of her and Jake's lives. The dark and greedy side of people come out when this much money is in play. I enjoyed the story from different viewpoints. It was fun to read because I've always imagined what I would do if in the same situation. I liked the way the characters changed from before and after the money. It was a guilty pleasure read! Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

What happens people suddenly become rich? Well, we pretty much know what happens, and it's nothing good. Money does strange things to people.

This story is very relatable because almost every person has fantasized about winning the lottery and what they would buy if money wasn't a factor - an oceanfront dream house on the beach, a fancy car, a private jet, blingy jewelry, designer clothes and purses. Like many lottery winners in real life, Lexi and Jake get caught up in the spending even before they receive their winnings. And that becomes their pitfall.

The story is told in alternating perspectives which sometimes was hard to track. However, the reader is privy to all of the dark thoughts, backstabbing, lies, and greed that this situation brings.

With the exception of one character, Toma - most of the characters are unlikeable and I think it's intentional.

We love to hate characters that make bad choices, especially those that are put in the enviable position of winning the lottery.

Adele Parks' newest book is a fascinating tale about good luck, bad luck, and how life can change in an instant. It's full of secrets that are unveiled slowly, family, marriage, friendship, betrayal, and greed. The plot will stay in your mind long after you've finished this book.

Winning the lottery sounds like a dream come true, but at what cost? This story sounded very intriguing, but I had a tough time getting in to the characters and dialog. The story dragged a bit for the first 3/4 but picked up at the end. Overall it was a good book, but held little in the way of surprise.

This story starts off with a bang. They win the lottery! And that's the beginning of a whole new life for Lexi and Jake. And isn't it interesting who comes crawling out of the woodwork when a ton of money is suddenly available. Who and what can be trusted?

Money changes people. Lottery amounts of money makes some people do conniving, bad things, all in the name of greed. The possibility of millions made this group of friends turn against each other. I never knew what was going to happen and who had the good intentions and who was up to no good.

This was a definite page-turner as I raced to figure it all out. And then when I got to the end of the last chapter, I had to stop and think about what I just read. That changed everything!

Just My Luck is a fabulous, exciting story you don't want to miss!

Just My Luck delves into the dark side of what can happen when a life-changing amount of money comes along, in this case, a lottery win of just under 18 million pounds. For Lexi and Jake, it’s literally inconceivable. Living a quiet, working-class life with their two kids Emily and Jake, their lives are totally upended. But there’s a fly in the ointment, because they always played the lottery with their oldest friends - who pulled out of the syndicate just a week before the big win, and are now trying to claim a share anyway.

Lexi is the central character, a genuinely kind-hearted woman who works at the Citizens’ Advice Bureau, doesn’t actually want her life to change all that much and plans to give the bulk of the winnings away to charity. Jake’s a bit more grasping, immediately buying himself a Ferrari, and quite clearly doesn’t understand Lexi to the point where it’s hard to understand how they’ve been married for 15 years. As the book goes on, more and more is revealed about both Jake and Lexi’s circle of friends, revealing just what lengths some people will go to when enough money is at stake.

Everything hung together logically and believably right up until the twist in the very last chapter, which honestly, I wish had just been left out. It was unnecessary and started me looking back at things in the book which suddenly weren’t logical. Jennifer and Fred’s actions didn’t add up in light of this revelation, and it also made Lexi an unreliable narrator; it felt like it was in there for shock value, and the story absolutely didn’t need it. There’d already been twists and turns enough; this gratuitous addition took the book down from a five to a four star read for me.

Unfortunately, after attempting to read this book I have come to the realization that Adele Parks is not for me. I tried to read her last year release Lies, Lies, Lies and I also couldn’t get into that one either. I made it half way through this book before I decided that I just didn’t want to devote anymore time to it. I have seen reviews where people enjoy this book so it might be more of a me thing but I truly think the only ones who should try this book are lovers of a domestic mystery. If that is not your genre then I would just pass on this book. I’m sorry to say that to me this book was boring which isn’t usually a deal breaker for me but then it was coupled with characters that are unlikeable (and not in an interesting way) and a plot that just became more and more over the top. My biggest issue with the plot was the storyline of the teenage daughter and I actually don’t think it brought anything of real value to the story but I obviously don’t know that for sure. I also went and looked at some spoiler reviews when I decided to DNF at the 50% mark because I had thought I had the ending figured out and it turns out that I had all of the “twists” figured out.

Where do I even begin? Have you ever watched a horror movie and spent most of the time screaming at the characters for making dumb choices? That was me this entire book with so many of the characters. It frustrated me at times but I was also VERY entertained. The book is a whirlwind towards the end with twist after twist. It's basically a book about people making dumb choices when winning the lottery. I had a good time judging the characters.

Lexi and Jake Greenwood have just won the lottery! Fantastic, right? Well Just My Luck is a domestic thriller and a cautionary tale about friendships and money and how both can really mess up a life.

With winning lottery ticket in hand, the Greenwood's close friends, the Pearsons and Heathcotes, can also lay claim to the lottery money -- after all they've been kicking in cash for the tickets every week, except for the winning week. Did they really decide not to play any longer or is it a matter of Lexi and Jake wanting all the money? I'm not going to spoil it, so readers will have to read it to find out.

In the midst of this good fortune, Lexi has also discovered secrets that are devastating. It's these secrets that cause everyone to take drastic action in the pursuit of the lottery winnings. It's quite fascinating to watch this all unravel in Just My Luck, because some of these characters are really on the depraved side. Is it the money that brings it out in them or something else? I had to keep turning the pages to find out.

I liked this story. It's a quick read, and I wanted to get to the end to see how everything was going to play out. Some of the twists and turns I saw coming -- some I didn't and I liked that about this story. I just wish the characters had been a touch more likeable. Aside from Lexi, her daughter and Toma, I really had a hard time caring about the rest.

Overall, Just My Luck is an easy-to-read domestic thriller with some nice surprises that shows how sudden wealth can bring out the best and worst in people.

Once upon a time there were 3 couples who met when all 3 women were expecting at the same time. They remained friends for 15 years living close to one another and spending lots of time together. Their children were at school together and the parents spent one evening together usually 3 times a month. They decided to all pitch in and play the same numbers on the lottery every week. They never won but just laughed it off. But one weekend at a get-together, something happened that caused dissension among them and two couples said they did not want to be a part of the lottery any more. But, one couple continued to play the same numbers the following week - and won 17.8 million pounds.

Lexi and Jake Greenwood are thrilled to have won the lottery. As they are claiming the money, the Heathcotes and the Pearsons step up saying they want to share the money denying they stepped away from the group. In comes the lawyers and out goes any friendship that had been.

This is a complicated story that shows the epitome of greed and not just by the lottery winners. It also shows a lack of class and couth in some people vs. the guilty need to give away what you have. Lexi is a twit with no backbone. She’s a true pushover. Jake is the dirt on the bottom on your shoe. Ah, but let’s discuss the Heathcotes and the Pearsons and their lack of anything. This is a story of what happens when people with no self-control win the lottery. Rating this book is difficult because the author has written a story of pure greed so I must applaud her talent in doing so.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

What would happen if you won the lottery? It’s a scenario that everyone dreams about. Quit your job, buy a new house, go on a trip, donate to charity. You think that your life would change for the better, but would it??

Enter Lexi and Jake. Married for 25 years, 2 teenager children and the winners of millions of dollars. I thought I would like reading about an average couple winning the lottery, but these two are pretty unlikeable. I was disappointed reading about them and the decisions that they were making on their lottery win, especially Jake. I hated Jake.

The mystery aspects were lacking as well. I had guessed a lot of the twists and they were pretty far out there. The novel quickly went from your average couple to very unrealistic.

Also can we talk about the very last chapter. What was that?! I would of much rather read a book about the 3 couples than the family drama that Just My Luck was.

2 calculators out of a potential 5. A big miss for me, which was disappointing since the cover and description really pulled me into the novel.

Thank you to Netgallery and HARLEQUIN – Trade Publishing (U.S. & Canada) for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Just My Luck by Adele Parks was an interesting read about greed, family, friends and what happens when money changes everything. Lexi and Jake, along with two other couples, have been friends for years. They get together and share laughs, food and hopes on winning the lottery they all pitch in and play together every week. Imagine their surprise when they win but Jake and Lexi feel they do not need to share their winnings due to a supposed falling out.

Now not only are the friends divided, but also their own family as winning changes their perspective on so many things. Their friends are willing to fight for their share. Now Jake and the kids are spending as if there is no end and the family dynamics are changing. The characters are not very likable, but that was the point I believe and I was captivated to see how it would all end.

Happy reading!

Lexi and Jack have won the lottery and their lives are about to change. With friends now becoming enemies and greed taking over their lives, is winning the lottery as great as they thought it would be?

This novel was quite the surprise. It started off pretty light and as the book develops, twists and turns start coming into play until the very end. Without giving too much away, this book delves into the lives of those that win the lottery and must deal with sudden wealth, friends who become your enemy, strangers wanting to be friends, and how family can let money take over their lives. Adele Parks does a great job weaving this tale in a way that keeps the reader entertained right through to the end of the story. It has surprises, twists and a very interesting ending. My thanks to Ms. Parks, Harlequin and Netgalley who provided me with an advanced copy to review for my honest and unbiased opinion

💰 Have you ever played the lottery? Have you ever won?

Lexi and Jake Greenwood have played the lottery for the last fifteen years with the same numbers. But this week all six numbers matched! They just won nearly £18 million.

As Jake begins to spend the money before it's even in their account, Lexi is more concerned with the people she works with at her job for the Citizens Advice Bureau. She sees people who are in real need, homeless and hungry. Then again, Jake and her kids are in millionaire heaven so she should let them enjoy, right?

But the Greenwoods are about to have some big problems on their hands. Seems their best friends of fifteen years, the Pearsons and the Heathcotes, are claiming they have a stake in the winnings too. Do they? Who is telling the truth?

The story is told from both Lexi and her teenage daughter Emily’s POVs. Emily’s narrative, in my opinion, was not as sharp and felt very young. My first thought was that this was a humorous tale of three couples arguing over a lottery windfall. But it quickly turned into the ugliness that money can bring out in people: lying, cheating, bullying, stealing, even turning against one’s own family. These people were awful. There were only two characters to whom my heart went out. I won't say who, because there is a greed-driven mystery within this story and I don’t want to give away any clues.


Thank you to @harpercollins @harlequinbooks for this gifted digital copy and an invitation to the tour.

Just My Luck by Adele Parks is a domestic thriller about dreams coming true when Lexi and Jake win the lottery. The past fifteen years, Lexi and Jake, along with two other couples, have played the lottery with the exact same numbers. But, this time, the group has an argument, and the other two couples don't contribute. They are understandably upset when Lexi and Jake keep all the winnings for themselves. There's at least one unreliable narrator here, so we're not sure if this account of what happened is actually true. Plus, the lottery winnings turn most of the characters into selfish, super unlikeable people. I'm sorry, but I really didn't like this book. There were several twists, but I guessed most of them. One twist did surprise me, but it wasn't enough to save the over-the-top storyline for me. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

This is an interesting domestic drama about the trials and tribulations of winning the lottery. Three couples have been friends since meeting in a class fifteen years before when the wives were pregnant with their firstborn children. They start a tradition of having dinner together every Saturday night and playing the lottery as a group. Something happens within the group and when Lexi and Jake win the lottery, they claim the other couples had pulled out of the group a couple of weeks prior. As the new winners struggle with everything that such a windfall means to their family and to everything around them, lies and secrets come to light.

I liked this book, but it is fairly predictable. Most of the events and situations I called way before they happened, however as a cautionary tale for the pitfalls of such a huge win (and in the UK the winnings aren't taxed! Wow!) I found the entire premise intriguing. I didn't care for Jake at all, I thought he was immature and I also thought that Lexi did not stand up for herself or to him strongly enough. She was too much of a doormat with all of his schemes and purchases. I did like the ending up until the very last section, which I thought was quite odd in light of the rest of the book. SPOILER[ So, from the ending I now know that Lexi knew all along that Patrick was the evil landlord and that she had been lying about them pulling out of the syndicate because of it and because of the affair her husband was having with Jennifer. It doesn't really ring true to how she was portrayed in the rest of the book. Nice twist though. (hide spoiler)]

The pacing of the novel is a bit uneven at times, with some flashbacks thrown in occasionally in places that didn't really make sense. A regular back and forth would have been fine within the context, but the random flashbacks pulled me out of the story because I didn't know whether I was in the past or the present.

All in all, this is a decent read with some moments that will make you gasp and moments that will make you think. If you ever thought you wanted to win the lottery, this is a great book to let you know why you don't.

Just My Luck chronicles the life and interactions of three couples, best friends since the birth of their first children, and who enjoy playing the lottery together. They’ve been playing weekly since their children were little, and this story picks up the week after a huge fight finds two of them withdrawing from the lottery group and the Lexi and Jake, the last couple standing, go on to win the lottery jackpot. This book is told by the point of view of Lexi, and her daughter Emily, alternating every few chapters. As you might guess, there are MANY hard feelings among the former lottery group, and many mistakes made by Lexi and Jake, as the big winners. Jake wants to immediately live the rich lifestyle, rushing to spend beyond his means. Lexi wants to take it easier with the spending, but Jake usually wins out.

This book chronicles the joys and heartbreaks of winning the lottery, especially when some are winners and some are not. Also, there are many twists and turns that made the book unexpected and interesting. There were two major twists at the end that I didn’t see coming, and really made the book unique.

While this is definitely not a thriller, it was reminiscent of one with the twists and turns the plot took to get to the end. I’d definitely recommend this book to those who may like twisty, shocking books, but don’t like the scare factor or some thrillers. Solid four stars!

I really wanted to like this one but I should have trusted my gut and DNF'd at the 30% mark ...

The problem for me was that some of the dialogue just went on and on and on and on and ... well you get the point. It was long, drawn out, and unfortunately pretty boring. I felt as though so much of it could have been cut out of the book...

Sorry this isn't a more positive review friends. It just didn't work for me at all.

Thanks to Harlequin Trade, Mira Books and Netgalley for my review copy.

My enjoyment of this book was overshadowed by how much I disliked one of the main characters: Jake. I kept getting distracted trying to figure out how he and Lexi were a couple. Her attraction to him just didn't make sense. By the end of the book I decided I really didn't understand Lexi at all. That aside, I know if I am ever going to join a group buy for a lottery ticket, I'm getting something in writing. Forget friendships! No way better to ruin them than money. The best part of this book is that there were issues brewing under the surface that were going to blow, and blow big, even before the money came in to play. The money just made it all more explosive and helped make the twists that much more twisty. And yes, there were some really good twists! I did feel for the kids. They were really the ones who lost out. And, just as I think adults don't pay enough attention to how kids are impacted by situations, the adults in this book didn't either. So don't read this book for parenting advice, unless you need an example of how not to be. Read this book for the sheer chuckle of adults behaving horribly.