Just My Luck by Adele Parks is a psychological thriller that had me on the edge of my seat, exploring all the evil that money can bring out in people.

What I Liked

The main character, Lexi, and her teenage daughter Emily tell this tale of unfathomable greed from their individual POVs. I liked seeing the two different perspectives on the lottery win and the unexpected ways it impacted each of them. The thrills in the story focus mainly on these two characters, so having it told in the first person heightens the suspense. The voice of Emily, in many ways, sounds just like a teenager – ignoring what she does not want to deal with, wanting to run away from her problems, and being enchanted by her father’s enjoyment overspending. But, at other times, it is hard to tell the difference between Lexi and Emily’s voices. This inconsistency did not impact my enjoyment of the story, however.

I thought that the story was going to end very predictably. Everything pointed to it. But then I read the last page, and my jaw is still on the floor over it. I always love when a thriller surprises me, and this one did just that. But, even when I thought it would end predictably, I still could not take my eyes from the page. The question then was, would the bad people or person get away with their evil deeds.

Lexi is a very caring person. She works in a sociologist-type role and would gladly give up all her material possessions to help others. She is the type of mom who would sell a prized-possession to give her children the chance to go on a class trip, and she would do that without resentment. But, she is surrounded by people who are just the opposite. Her friends and spouse are people who look out for themselves and only themselves. So, when she wins the lottery, these opposing world views are illuminated in a way from which there is no going back.

I do not want to say any more for fear of spoiling the story. But, if you want an excellent thrill ride - one that is relatable and will keep you on the edge of your seat and one that has a great surprise ending, then Just My Luck is the perfect escape read for you.

3 Stars

The premise of Just My Luck by Adele Parks is fascinating. Seriously, can you even imagine winning the lottery? If that isn't crazy enough, imagine your friends claiming they are a part of the winning ticket. What follows is a thrilling look into all that ensues.
It's a fun ride, with plenty of intrigue. It's fairly predictable, but still makes for a fun read.
Then there's the prologue and that storyline which doesn't seem to have anything to do with the lottery winners. So,,,
Just remember, money brings out the worst in people, and you will see just that in this novel.
In the end, the pace is slow, as there's tons and tons of internal dialogue. That definitely kept my rating down.

If you want an in depth look at what it is like to win the lottery, then this is the book for you. There are a lot of scenes with lottery officials explaining stuff. A good portion of the rest of the book is given to the internal thoughts of various characters as they work to stab each other in the back. Lexi buys a winning lottery ticket. Her husband Jack and her children Emily and Logan (who is mostly forgotten for the rest of the book) immediately begin spending like the money expires. Before they even get it.

When their friends find out they’ve won, they come out of the woodwork to claim their share. It seems the same group of friends had played those same numbers for over 15 years. Something happened, a fight, the previous week and the friends seems to have had a falling out. Lexi and Jack claim that the others pulled out of “the syndicate” the week before while their friends remember it differently. Usually when this happens it goes to court. These people take it way further.

Throw in a slumlord and some coincidences and you have the rest of the book. There are almost no good people in this book. The internal monologues started to drag on me. The book suffers a little from telling instead of showing and the result is that you feel like you are listening to people you don’t know tell a story about something that happened instead of experiencing the action. Had we had more do and less thought (there needs to be a balance) the book would have gone up a star.

2.5 🌟
You win the lottery...what happens to your bland, ordinary life?
This was a “meh” read for me. It was definitely full of unsavory characters. But I felt no connection to even one person.
I did continue reading to the end because I had to see how the author ended the story.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for my review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

Three couples have been friends for the past 15 years. They met in birthing classes and spend each Saturday night together. Their children have grown up together and are boyfriend and girlfriend and best friend. Each week they chip in and buy a lottery ticket, picking the same numbers every week. Each week they talk about what they would buy with their winnings, until they have a falling out. The very next week their numbers come up, but Lexi and Jake no longer feel the need to share the winnings! It looks straight forward, but is it? Tempers flare and life turns into utter chaos for all of them. Winning ends up not being all it’s cracked up to be. Filled with some great twists, this book doesn’t spill all of its secrets until the very last page!

Just My Luck by Adele Parks

“Money is glorious. Money corrupts. Ruins things.”

You think you know people, but when big money enters the picture, no one is who you think they are. Three couples who have been friends for 15 years participate in an ongoing lottery pool. When two couples bail out of the pool, and the remaining couple hits the lottery the following week, it sets in motion a series of events that bring out the worst in all parties (children included). Lexie Greenwood thinks the money will change everything for her – and she’s right. Every relationship she has is fractured, if not broken by her windfall.

This was my first book by Adele Parks, and there weren’t many characters to like in it. The entire lot of them were decadent, devious, and at times despicable, but I have to say, I really liked this book anyway. I thought Parks did an excellent job of teasing out secrets and lies over the course of the story, and the twists at the end were worth waiting for.

Thank you, Harlequin, for this NetGalley ARC. I will definitely be recommending this one in store.

This book was pretty confusing, especially the ending. I went into it thinking it was going to be about one thing and it turned into kind of a complicated mess, unfortunately. Kind of disappointing.

I adore the premise of this book-- three couples play the lottery together with the same numbers for 15 years. Of course, they never win. Then one weekend, two couples throw in the towel and give up. And of course the remaining couple win in the next week. This seems just like something you would see on the news. What then comes over the next couple hundred pages of the book is the revelation of all the secrets these couples (and their children) have been hiding. This is a page-turning thriller that appeals to all of us....what would we do if we won the lottery? Would we help others or just ourselves?

Just My Luck is a classic story of being careful of what you wish for. It is a story about humanity and how the pursuit of wealth influences one’s behavior. Three couples. Friends with children. Presumed tight bonds, but lies and infidelities get in the way.

Three couples, each with kids. They’re hopeless entwined. They’re like family. They are from different socio-economic circles, yet their children and common parental experiences draw them together. Their weekly ritual of playing the lottery starts of fun, but eventually leads to mayhem. I couldn’t help but be invested in the story even though most of the characters are despicable and unredeemable. Just My Luck has a rich, delicious plot filled with twists and surprises through the last chapter. I was drawn in from the start and fully engaged until the end.

Awesome book!! Everyone dreams of winning the lottery but for Jake and Lexi it has come true. It’s not all fun and games though. For the last 15 years they have been playing with 2 other couples - their best friends. What follows is a story about greed and how far people will go to get what they think they deserve. It also makes you ask yourself how well you really know the people in your life. This story has many twists and turns - just when you think you know what is going on you find that you were wrong - right up until the final page! I highly recommend this book! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this awesome book in exchange for an honest review.

What would happen if you and your besties won the lottery? Great for everyone, right? Maybe not.
This expertly written novel is a compilation of all things that make for a great domestic noir - unlikable characters, secrets, betrayal, and a lot of twists. The fast paced, nonlinear timeline will keep you on the edge of your seat as this unique plot unfolds. Told from multiple points of view, it is a fascinating look into how jealousy and greed can unravel even the best of friendships.
This psychological thriller is both a compelling story, and a cautionary tale of human nature.
*Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing, Adele Parks, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC and give an honest review.

What a wonderful book! It’s a story everyone dreams about, winning the lottery. But things quickly don’t appear to be as happy as you would think.

A truly devious book! It is filled with lies, cheating, and scamming while at the same time wanting to do things the right way. I loved this story and how real it was. I can imagine this story happening on real life. In the afterward the author credits speaking to real lottery winners to get insight what is it like. That came through clearly in the book.

WOWZA!!! My mind is totally blown by everything that happened in this book! The characters are all so well-written and the storyline rich with depth. I love the nonlinear timeline and the multiple character POV. I loved seeing what’s happening in the heads of various characters. Just My Luck was utterly unputdownable! I had been wanting to read this book for so long and I’m here to tell you that it did not disappoint! It’s so much better than I even thought it would be! This is most definitely a 5 star read and I highly recommend it!

Huge thanks to Mira Books via NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in advance in exchange for my totally honest review!

I will be posting the above review to my bookstagram as well as my blog and the blog Instagram page and the Facebook groups I admin. One has 42k members. I will post the links when the posts are live.

Wowza, what a ride! This domestic thriller had me sucked in from the very beginning. Parks did a great job building a story and characters that you didn't want to let go of.

It has always been said that money changes people and it was never truer than in this latest book from Adele Parks. There is a lot going on between three couples and their children when their lottery numbers hit in a big way. It takes most of the book to tease out the truth and the intricacies of these folks' lives but worth the read!

This book is really like the story of a trashy reality show, where you can see the train wreck coming, but you open your mouth to yell out a warning, but nothing comes out. It tells the all-too familiar story of how something that seems so good (winning the lottery! Yay!) can turn so, so bad.

And the thing that makes this book so good and juicy is that nearly all the characters in the book are shady, save for a precious few (I won’t give away any identities, you’ll have to read to find out!). So there’s a lot of drama to go around and it’s hard to figure out what’s going to give first - there’s a lot of moving parts and any one of them could come crashing down and send things into a dark spiral.

There’s several twists in there that keep things really interesting and kept me turning pages frantically, trying to see what was going to happen next! Make sure you read to the very end on this one, folks!

There’s also a subplot involving Lexi healing a man find justice for his family, through her work as an agency that connects people with resources for housing, jobs, etc. That was also really interesting and extremely satisfying in the end. It really added to the plot, and added a few twists itself.

Overall, this book was a great fun and I really enjoyed it. I loved Parks’ writing style and would absolutely read more from her in the future. Anyone looking for a thrilling read should pick this one up!

I am now a Adele Parks fan. I over all loved this book from start to finish. The characters were intriguing and the storyline completely had me hooked. I couldn't put this book down and read way into the night and do not regret my lack of sleep. A great thriller from beginning to end.

What a read! See what happens when a struggling, middle class couple wins the lottery "with" a group of friends. Lies, deceit and mates being pitted against each other; this thriller has it all!

When I first started reading this book I thought it was just going to be a Contemporary fiction about winning the lottery and how it impacts people. How do you change when you have money; a lens on greed, selfishness and the chaos that would ensue around a lottery win.

In Just My Luck you have these three couples who have been friends for 15 years. They met in Lamaze class and stuck together through Mommy and Me. Now their kids are also best friends. But then there is a fallout at one of their weekly parties which causes a rift between the parents. A week later Lexie playing their usual numbers strikes it big with a winning lottery ticket.

Lexi and her husband Jake's responses are like fire and ice. Lexi tries to be calm, modest and responsible. Jake hits the ground running. Bubbling over with excitement and lofty ideas he comes up with extravagant ways to splurge. His indiscretions quickly lead the family down the path to ruin but read like delicious bits of drama as all kinds of hell breaks loose.

This book has also been billed as a mystery/thriller. However, the "mystery" here does not start until about 70% through. For me the mystery portion was just tacked on and not thoroughly fleshed out. Kind of quick, fast and loose. I also found that the mystery was easily solved. So if you are looking for a case to solve this may not be for you. But as a contemporary novel, Just My Luck shines and is engrossing and compelling. Would recommend to readers of domestic suspense and drama.

Lexi and Jake, a struggling middle class couple with two children, have won the lottery. Millions and millions are theirs. The can buy anything they want. But when they are presented with the check, and after Jake has already purchased a Ferrari, their best friends object. Carla and Patrick, Jennifer and Fred come forward to say that all three couples have been part of a syndicate that has bought lottery tickets together for fifteen years. They want their share. So begins Just my Luck, a suspenseful domestic thriller by Adele Parks.

Lexi, a counselor at the Citizens Advice Bureau, loves her job and is helping Toma Albu, an immigrant who lost his family in a tragic accident. While she considers buying a new sofa with her newfound wealth and donating to charity, Jake and his teenage children Emily and Logan, have fallen down the rabbit hole of greed. Clothing, expensive sporting equipment and handbags, planned trips and limousines are all consuming as the legal challenges to the win mount. Soon Lexi will learn something that will rock her marriage, she and her children will be threatened and there will be a shocking act of betrayal and an equally shocking conclusion.

There are so many things that resonate in Just my Luck. The simple goodness of Toma. The fickle nature of friendship. The cruelty of teenagers. Greed. Revenge. All this and more make this a 5 star read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harleqquin and Adle Parks for this ARC.