It was a slow burn had a bit of mystery. It was more fiction rather than romance.
She moves into a cabin with boxes from the previous owner she wants to return, she tries to dig for information with the neighbors who may or may not like her. There is a mystery regarding the previous owner, lots of secrets with her new neighbors and love interest. It was a slow paced small town with very little romance.

I adored this lovely, coming into her own, starting over romance so much. The writing style is full of fun humor and delivered with a quick wit. The story has a lot of great characters, but especially the sweetest brother and I fell a bit in love with Enzo, in a platonic sisterly kind of way, by the end of the book. Eliza is a plucky, courageous heroine that is determined to find her way after a breakup and you can't help but love her and her wonderful Italian family too. I also enjoyed the lake town setting and it was described perfectly . The audiobook is narrated by Amanda Ronconi and I loved the life she brought to this amazing romantic comedy.

Absolutely loved this read. It had mysterious vibes, great character writing, and love story. I was never sure exactly how it was going to end and I was here for it!!

Thank you @avonpublishing @harperaudio @netgalley #partner for the gifted copies of this book!

HOLY MOLY, EH. Move right on over because Lucky Break by Jaclyn Westlake grabbed my Midwestern heart and didn’t let go ‘til the very last page. And let me tell ya — the audio? FANTASTIC. By golly, that Minnesotan accent was so spot on it warmed my little Midwestern soul. As someone who’s lived on the IL/WI border for too many years, my accent is this perfect chaotic blend of Minnesotan and Chi-caaaah-goan, and lemme tell ya, this felt like home. 😂

Okay, now that we’ve established you absolutely must listen to this one, let’s talk about the story — because it is so freakin’ cute! We meet Eliza, a type A planner whose life gets turned on its head when her engagement falls apart. So, naturally, she does what any sensible gal would do and heads straight for a tiny town in Minnesoooota called Juneberry Lake (which, let’s be honest, sounds like the kind of place where every meal involves a hotdish or a Jell-O salad).

From there, it’s simply sweet, small-town midwestern goodness. It’s found family, a delightfully grumpy neighbor (because I LOVE grumpy neighbors), community loyalty, and oh yes… a three-legged dog named Potato 🥔 (I mean COME ON, haha). It’s cozy, it’s heartwarming, it’s a little meat and potatoes with just the right amount of fluff, and this book just felt good for the soul.

I adored this book and can’t recommend it enough. If you grew up saying “pop,” “bubbler,” “eh” or played euchre like it was your full-time job, this one’s for you. If you love small-town vibes, loyal friendships, and characters you just wanna invite over for a casserole dinner, you’ll eat this right up. Jaclyn Westlake, you’ve got a forever fan, eh.

Audiobook/Book Review 📖💕
Thank you so much partner @avonbooks + Harper Audio for the gifted copy and audiobook!

Lucky Break
by Jaclyn Westlake
Narrated by Amanda Ronconi

About the book 👇🏽

Eliza has always had a plan…until her seamlessly plotted life implodes, and her engagement falls apart. At thirty-two, she suddenly finds herself second-guessing the picture-perfect future she had always envisioned—one that included raising 2.5 children nearby her tight-knit Italian family in San Francisco.

Then Eliza is offered the chance to start over: in Juneberry Lake, a small Midwestern town eager to lure remote workers to their picturesque community. Shocking her family and friends (and herself), Eliza packs up her apartment and buys a lake house sight unseen.


💕 My thoughts:

After reading Dear Dotty last year, I knew I just needed to read Lucky Break! And I loved it. This story has a little bit of everything… romance, found family and even mystery! The characters are lovable and comforting which makes this story that much more enjoyable. The romance is a little on the back burner which isn’t a bad thing! just something to know going in, in case you’re looking for a full blown romance. Let me tell you though, once you start it you’ll feel all the warmth this heartwarming story has to offer! The narrator really did an amazing job bringing the warmth and the story to life! Lucky Break is a book I’d recommend as a physical read or an audiobook because both are incredible! Lucky Break is out today!!

Happy reading 📖💕☀️

Lucky Break by Jaclyn Westlake follows Eliza, an obsessive planner who has her entire life scheduled down to the ideal age for each milestone. But when her fiancé unexpectedly ends their engagement and asks her to move out, Eliza is forced to abandon her carefully crafted timeline and start over—venturing far outside her comfort zone.

This novel offers a cozy, feel-good atmosphere with a touch of mystery woven in. While the premise is charming , the romance was bland, and the quirky small-town charm promised by the synopsis didn’t quite deliver. Ultimately, Potato was the best part.

This was a moving friends to lovers slow burn, small town romance that has a recently dumped woman moving from San Francisco to Minnesota after her fiance couldn't come to terms with her infertility. I really liked this one a lot. The whole cast of side characters were equally quirky, welcoming and hiding a surprising secret. The book also has excellent disability and mental health rep as the FMC has to come to terms with her inability to have children and has an autistic brother. There's also a sweet romance with a cinnamon roll MMC. It was good on audio and perfect for fans of authors like Jenny Holiday or Abby Jimenez. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio and digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

Eliza is a planner, but then her life plans go awry when she and her fiancé break up and he kicks her out of their apartment. Eliza realizes she needs a big change so when she’s offered the chance to move to a cute town in the Midwest, she jumps at it. Now this San Francisco native is in a small town in her own house, but there is mystery as to why the last home owner quickly left (except for her clothes, she left everything else in the house), and Eliza’s neighbors don’t appear to be as warm and inviting as she hoped (there is a weekly BBQ and a monthly book club that she has yet to be invited to), it’s almost as if they are hiding something. Joel, one of her only friends, agrees to help her try to solve the neighborhood mystery (and it’s nice to spend more time with him anyway).

I started this one at night after finishing another book, and by the next afternoon I had finished it because it was just adorable and I wanted to figure out the neighborhood mystery. The audio for this was perfect (loved the narrator) and I happily listened to it while doing some annoying chores around the house. I read about 3/4s of it and listened to the rest since I had the time (and a pedicure), and really you can’t go wrong with either. The neighbors are fun characters, Eliza’s brother was sweet, there’s a dog (always love a dog), and it was simply an enjoyable light read on a summer day (which was exactly what I was looking for). I never got to the author’s book Dear Dotty, I’ll put it on my TBR now.

Thank you to Harper Audio and NetGalley for the ALC to review

Some books feel like summer. They are sunshine, gentle breezes, and long lazy days. If you are looking for a book that will transport you to a picturesque lake without packing a suitcase, look no further than 𝗟𝗨𝗖𝗞𝗬 𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞, Jaclyn Westlake’s sophomore novel.

I read an eARC months ago and immediately fell in love with Eliza, her Italian family, and her Juneberry Lake neighbors. When I had the opportunity to listen to the audiobook, I knew I had to save it for a trip to our lake house and it was the perfect setting.

𝗟𝗨𝗖𝗞𝗬 𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞 is an excellent example of women’s fiction done well. It has a bit of everything - romance, mystery, relationships - all supporting the main character’s emotional journey. In this case, Eliza takes a chance on herself by relocating (sight unseen) to Minnesota from San Francisco. She needs a life reset and a fresh start.

Eliza is infinitely relatable. She has built her life around setting goals and trying to control as many of life’s variables as possible. When that backfires, she realizes it’s time to let go, but change is hard. Fortunately for Eliza, Juneberry Lake and a sweet pup named Potato offer her the opportunity she needs.

Amanda Ronconi’s narration is exactly the voice I heard in my head while reading the eARC. Her range is tremendous; capturing Eliza’s Italian family and the sound of Minnesota/Wisconsin natives equally well.

There are so many regional references that warmed my Midwestern transplant heart. 𝗟𝗨𝗖𝗞𝗬 𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞 will have you planning a trip to this gorgeous location and we will be delighted to welcome you with frozen custard, a hot dish, and warm hug. You’ll love it here, just like Eliza.

If you read and loved Westlake’s 𝘿𝙀𝘼𝙍 𝘿𝙊𝙏𝙏𝙔, you already know she writes characters who are genuine and engaging. She does it again with 𝗟𝗨𝗖𝗞𝗬 𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞. If you have not read a Jaclyn Westlake book yet, you are missing out.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperAudio for the advance listening copy. All opinions are my own.

I love a book where a character moves to a brand-new place to start over and reinvent themselves after their life takes a turn for the worst and that’s exactly what we get here. This story encompasses a mystery, a new romance with a man who is also new to the area, and a found family trope that I adored. It is a great summer read

Update: I had applied for the audiobook ALC for this and had hoped it would have been in time to do an immersion read but of course the approval came 2 days after I finished the book. So I read it again! And I am so glad I did!

While I had rates this 4⭐️ on Goodreads I indicated that I would rate it 3.5⭐️ and rounded up but after consuming the audio it is firmly in the 4⭐️ camp.

It was narrated by Amanda Ronconi and she did a fabulous job! She had some snark to her performance and spoke at a decent pace but on the slower side of typical. It made it easy to speed up to 2x making it a quick listen.
It allowed me to embrace the story a bit more. My review below is still very relevant except for now being able to stay engaged consistently which led to more enjoyment. So I’m thankful to Harper Audio for the Audio AlV.

Original review:
This is a book that will be perfect for folks who love Hallmark Movies and mysteries as that’s what it reminded me of. I guess it could also be considered a “beach read” or better yet “lake read” but for popcorn thriller? It’s really hard to classify it. It was hard to stay engaged and I kept starting and stoping which affected my enjoyment of it. It was very descriptive at point of things that were boring? I hate using that word but that’s what it was at times.

What I liked? It had great disability representation (by way of a dog in a wheelchair) as well as Queer representation. It also had infertility rep by way of a miscarriage, romance, found family and the small town vibes when the Adam’s relocated to start her life anew.

Now having all the above made for so many subplots! To me it was too much and made the book lack focus. I am really digging the surge in romance-thriller mash-ups but this one fell a bit short. But over all it was a fine read and I am glad I read it.

It comes out July 15th so it’s in perfect time to add to some vacation/ summer reading especially if you want a low-stakes mystery. One thing I’ll mention is that I think this would make for a good small screen adaptation.


Iam thankful to have gotten a complimentary eARC from Avon through NetGalley to read which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.


I am thankful to have gotten a complimentary audio ALC or eARC from through NetGalley to read which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.

My general rating system is below. Since I primarily read ARC books I rate according to how I think like minded readers will receive the book. I will round up or down depending on many factors and try not to let my personal wants affect a books ratings.

⭐️ Hated It but pushed through as so don’t DNF ARCs I have received.
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, content issues, poorly edited.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but it had something that stopped me from rounding up. Usually the book may have much more potential than what was given. I recommend it but with reservations.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I Really enjoyed it or think others will. These are solid reads that I definitely would recommend for a variety of reasons.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! These are books that remain rent free in my head for well after unfinished the book. It can be for a variety of reasons from being very well written or just the vibes that captured my mind. These books are also ones I would probably read again.

If you would like to follow my bookish journey you can check out my https://linktr.ee/Corinneschapterchatter so you can choose your favorite platform to consume your info!

Thanks Avon Books and Harper Audio for the gifted copies!! 4.5 stars

The first thing you should know about Lucky Break is that it’s not a romance. There’s a romantic thread for sure, but it’s not the main story. The cover and marketing don’t make that super clear, and I think it’s going to throw some readers off…

Now that we’ve cleared that up… I freaking loved this book. It’s not a romance, and I dislike the term “women’s fiction”, so I’ll call it a “third-life crisis” story (ha). Set in a small lake town in Minnesota, it’s full of Midwestern charm —cheese curds, a SKOL chant (that made this Packers fan squirm), an adorable three-legged dog, and semi-friendly neighbors who might just be hiding something major.

This book has something for everyone:

-Romance
-Small-town coziness
-A little mystery (seriously, WHAT are the neighbors hiding?!)
-Deeply relatable personal growth

The heart of this story is Eliza navigating life when it doesn’t go according to plan — dealing with infertility, drifting apart from old friends, and feeling stuck while everyone else seems to be moving forward. It’s written with humor and heart, and I found it so incredibly relatable. I didn’t want to put it down. I wish I could just move to Juneberry Lake and LIVE inside this story. A++

The audiobook is narrated by Amanda Ronconi. She’s not one of my all-time faves (nothing specific, just personal preference), but she does a solid job here — I enjoyed the parts I listened to and would definitely recommend the audiobook to fellow listeners!

Let me start this review by making sure you know this is NOT a romance book! It’s women’s fiction sprinkled with a mystery, and light romance woven in.

I loved this! It was a refreshing summer/beach read about second chances, self discovery, trying new things…with fun side characters. The setting was fun and I felt like I was at the lake with all of these people! And that cover?! So cute and makes me feel like summer.

I mainly listened to this on audio, and I really enjoyed Amanda Ronconi’s narration. She did a fantastic job and loved how she used accents for the different characters. It made it a great experience. I highly recommend the audiobook!

Read if you like:
😜 Quirky characters, small town
🔍 Low stakes, cozy mystery
🛶 Lake setting
🩷 Romance as a subplot
🍀 Second chances, finding yourself

Thank you so much @avonbooks and @harperaudio for my gifted copies! All thoughts are my own.

Cute story about second chances, growth, and amateur detecting! I enjoyed the setting, the family - the one born-to and the one made, and I appreciated the representation of how adult friendships change. It was a great read!

Thank you to #NetGalley and #HarperAudio for an advance listening copy of #LuckyBreak. An impulsive move leads to the found family everyone deserves. 4 stars.

I really enjoyed this book a lot. I haven't read anything by Jaclyn Westlake, but I will definitely will get her other book to read. This was a cute story that had a mystery, romance, and small town feels. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a nice cozy book.

Thanks Netgalley for the advance copy of this book.

Lucky Break is charming, messy, and surprisingly heartfelt—a mix of chaos and personal growth that made for an entertaining read. The main character’s journey through sudden job loss, friendship shifts, and unexpected love was relatable, even when things got a little over the top. I liked the themes of reinvention and figuring it out in your 30s, though a few plot points felt a touch too convenient. Still, the writing is fun and breezy, and the emotional moments gave it a bit more weight than your average rom-com.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 3.5 stars
Rated PG-13 for language, romantic content, and adulting angst.

Eliza leaves her home in San Francisco to buy a sight unseen home on a lake in a small Midwestern town. Throughout the story she grows and discovers a lot about herself and what it means to be a friend. I loved the fact that the character development was without all of the back and forth that can sometimes cause a story to be tedious. I highly recommend for a feel good story with charachter growth that will have you rooting for her!

Eliza`s life implodes and her engagement is off. So instead of sticking to her planned life she moves to Juneberry Lake to start over. The town is so sweet that they have someone show you around. This book had a mystery, neighbor drama, romance, and coming into one's own. I liked Eliza and felt for her throughout the book. She felt left out, not good enough, and overstepped. I did feel like this book was a tad long but besides that this was a win. A great summer read that hits a bunch of genres.