Lucky Girl has a unique story-telling style with the narrator sprinkling in glimpses of their childhood as they unveil how they started their career has a horror writer. I was expecting more of a story with a Krampus feel to it versus what felt like subtle mentions of Krampus. Overall, I think this is an interesting story with a lot of strange goings-ons that held my attention throughout.

I enjoyed Lucky Girl: How I Became A Horror Writer: A Krampus Story, but if you read that title and felt like it was a bit all over the place, that’s pretty much the vibe the book evokes. And not in a bad way, just in the way that there was a lot packed into this little book and while I personally found it compelling, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it to someone who doesn’t typically enjoy novellas. This was a fascinating use of just over a hundred pages to me, but I could easily imagine someone who isn’t familiar with this type of fiction feeling that it was a bit much. My one personal complaint is that, for me, there was not enough Krampus. Still enjoyed and would highly recommend to fans of shorter fiction.

This was such a Fun Krampus Novella that covered a lot of ground in a short amount of time. I’m actually super impressed with this novella and how much of the story was fleshed our in such a concise story. I really loved this!
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Thank you #Macmillan-tor and #netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

This was a quick read during the Christmas season. I enjoyed the message that the real monsters in life can be the people around us. There was less horror than I was expecting. Unfortunately, the book ended right when it started getting good.

Thank you Tor and Netgalley for the eARC of Lucky Girl in exchange for an honest review.

I often enjoy a good thriller/horror story. I found this one amusing enough, but it was not my absolute favorite. I enjoyed the Krampus part of the story. Unfortunately, I think I may have missed some parts of the story because I feel like there were still some loose ends. Overall, I would recommend this book to my fellow readers who like this sort of crime/horror/thriller type book.

5 stars. This novella cured me of the no 5-star curse I've been under since September when I read Crossroads and was forever changed by that stunning novella. This novella was so plot twisty, fun, creepy, and I walked away absolutely obsessed. It was my perfect novella for the Christmas season of 2022 and while we do have some Krampus vibes and plot points, the focus was on a friend group, storytelling, trauma, and how tragedy can change a person. I loved it. Highly recommend and it's so short that you really have no excuse in not reading it.

Just barely 3 stars.

This was okay. It’s a horror story that sort of has a different take on Krampus, which I was disappointed by. I love reading about Krampus and would have liked more actually Krampus in this story.

Overall it was sort of a horror/thriller, in that there were monsters and there were multiple crimes, so you didn’t really know what was going on until the end. I’m still not entirely sure what happened to the one character and who was to blame. I was definitely left with questions, but I didn’t really care enough about the story to care.

This unfortunately was a pretty dissapointing read. The characters didnt click and felt one sided. The story just kinda went on and on. I can see how people would like this, but this was hard to finish.

With the holiday season in full swing, I was looking for a great little Christmas tale to enhance the season. So, give me some Christmas ghosts and a good dose of Krampus. I am ready for someone to put the holy crap into my holy nights.

Lucky Girl (I’ve decided to shorten the title, it is way too long for a book that is too short) had an excellent premise that fell short on delivery. I don’t know who to blame: the author, is that all she wanted to say; the publisher, did they tell her to cut it short because readers want novellas for the holidays. This was the turkey dinner without the gravy, stuffing, and potatoes, not even any cranberries.

Rickert gave us an interesting enough cast, their coming together made the story work. But the cast needed more time and attention to become characters. Sure, Ro got plenty of attention, but I wanted to know more about buddy and the other guy; the two gals were almost nonentities. Make your characters complete, everyone needs to be relevant, even the red shirts.

The quality of the writing was there. Rickert can present a story, but this one needed more time. I want to spend my reading time with books that I will remember for years.

The saving grace for Lucky Girl was a great twist at the end. I guess you could say at least I got my pecan pie.

*3 Stars

Lucky Girl is supposed to be a Krampus story. It’s a short story, a novella, and moves very fast. It gets to the point very quickly, and within pages we are introduced to a krampus ghost story. But, like a very wise man once insisted on more cow bell, I’m demanding more Krampus!! There was not nearly enough Krampus in this book to be considered a Krampus story. He is briefly mentioned, and his terrifying antics, only twice! This does not add to the holiday cheer I needed!
If this were a full length novel it would have been great. There was very little character development, and plot points happened quickly and without warning. I feel if the story was given a couple hundred more pages, it could have been amazing. The writer clearly has talent, and builds an atmospheric story, and is wasted in this minimal amount of space. I needed more all around!!

I’m not sure how I feel about this book. I liked the horror aspect, as it kept me interested and chilled to the bone, but at the same time, the book jumped around and felt a bit discombobulated. I see that others have enjoyed it, so maybe I was just not feeling it at the moment?

Lucky Girl is a quick holiday read that blends folklore with a gothic sense of dread. We follow Ro across multiple Christmases and the dinners she spends with friends who found each other through their own loneliness. A ghost story told by one of her friends at dinner haunts Ro, eventually becoming all too real when the friends reunite years later. Fans of holiday horror, stories about writers, and Krampus will delight in adding Lucky Girl to their December TBR, especially since we don’t tend to find many creepy Christmas tales outside the Victorians.

Books featuring Krampus, as I’ve recently discovered, fit well into my wheelhouse. This played a huge role in why I picked up this one. But although I appreciated an addition to the Krampus lore, especially one more contemporary, I had a difficult time connecting with the story. The characters felt distant, their dynamic seemed awkward, and I wished Krampus played a more forward role in the plot.

Still, I would recommend this book for anyone looking for a holiday novella with a spooky twist.

2.5 stars rounded up.

This was not really a Krampus story so much as it was a story about a Krampus story with not much Krampus. It wasn't scary as I expected. I did get creepy vibes every so often but I craved much more.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for this eARC.

This was a … nice story. A bit predictable and boring. Towards the end I was wishing it was finished and alas it did get done. Wish there was more showing of the horror element then telling but you can’t please all readers

This is a quick read. Its horror is more implied than overt.

It's hardly a story, even, which is just like the tales told at the awkward holiday party recounted at the beginning of the novella. The idea is that several lonely people randomly meet near Christmastime and decide to spend it together since they don't have anyone else, any of them. Our protagonist, a horror writer, suggests telling ghost stories to pass the time. One of the stories is about Krampus- or maybe it is. Although no one wants to admit it, these stories are maybe all a bit more true to life than the storytellers want to say.

Although this party was awkward, the crew decides to do it again! This time, their gift exchange must be something that they have stolen. One of the members of the group doesn't make it to the party. But he invites them all to his secluded country manor several years later. This manor is where the Krampus story supposedly took place.

Then there's some psychosexual stuff, some torture dungeon madness, and it all seems to be over. Our protagonist marries one of this group and thinks she'll live happily ever after. But of course it's never that easy in a horror story.

So, this felt rather old-fashioned to me. The horror was oblique and only a few sentences gave much detail about what was happening. A lot was left to the imagination. The main question of the story is "who is the monster?" And the motivations for most of the characters felt thin to non-existent. If you want something more Gothic than splatter, this might work for you. I do wonder if this story might be fun if read aloud.

Part of my disappointment is that even though this is billed as a Krampus story, the demon himself was also just alluded to and barely seen.

When struggling writer, Ro meets four strangers at a diner, she invites them to an impromptu holiday party and challenges each of them to tell a seasonally appropriate horror story. When the past comes back to haunt her, she’ll learn the true horrors of storytelling.

Tor brings the content I enjoy, and surprising to no one, I really liked this one, and my only complaint is that it was too short. I was really getting into it, and then the story wrapped up. I think it was appropriately paced and the length was good for it, I just wanted more. Definitely recommend for a quick read if you’re looking for something spooky this holiday season.

My first Krampus novel and I totally loved it! The storyline had me caught up from the start and before I knew it, this little book was over. Equal parts fun and creepy, I would absolutely recommend this quick read to anyone who is looking for an alternative holiday story.

A short novella surrounding our main character and a group of friends who all meet at the lowest points in their life, they share horror stories and plan to meet up again in future to share Christmas together.

The story itself is supposed to be horror one? However it was not scary or tense, I was quite interested to see where it was going with the characters but overall it fell quite flat and sadly was not a very memorable read

Thanks netgalley for the ARC in exchange for a review

A decent christmas themed horror novella - not a genre that is overflowing with options. Nothing mind boggling but it was a little creepy and a quick, easy read.

Thank you to netgalley for providing an e-galley for review. Lucky Girl by M. Rickert is a horror story for the holidays. Not everyone enjoys getting together with family and the holidays are very lonely. This short novella perfectly encapsulates those feelings. When Ro meets four people in a diner and invites them to an a casual Christmas dinner, forcing strangers together doesn't seem like the greatest idea either. Until the storytelling begins.