With a Little Luck is a captivating YA novel that explores the complexities of adolescence, love, and the unexpected consequences of supernatural gifts. Jude, the protagonist, is an introverted high schooler who prefers to spend his time drawing comics, hosting D&D nights, and working at his parents' vinyl record store. His goal is to navigate high school without attracting attention.

Jude's life changes dramatically when he stumbles upon a mysterious twenty-sided dice, which bestows upon him an extraordinary streak of good luck. This newfound luck catapults him into a whirlwind of success: his art submission is accepted by his favourite fanzine, his friend's song becomes a finalist in a songwriting contest, and he wins concert tickets that he uses to ask out his longtime crush.

However, Jude's blissful run of good fortune comes to an abrupt halt when he loses the magical dice at a music festival. As his luck turns sour, Jude faces the challenge of reclaiming his good fortune. Amidst this chaos, he grapples with his true feelings for his best friend, realizing that she might be the one he truly loves. Jude must decide whether to pursue the girl of his dreams or remain unlucky in love forever.

Review:
"With a Little Luck" is a charming and engaging addition to the Fortuna Beach series. Marissa Meyer skillfully blends elements of fantasy and romance with the everyday struggles of teenage life. Jude is a relatable and endearing protagonist whose journey resonates with readers. His experiences with newfound luck and its subsequent loss provide a compelling backdrop for his personal growth and exploration of his true feelings.

The novel's supporting characters, particularly Jude's best friend, are well-developed and add depth to the story. The dynamics between the characters are authentic and heartfelt, reflecting the complexities of teenage relationships and friendships. The supernatural element of the magic dice is woven seamlessly into the plot, adding an intriguing twist to the story without overshadowing the central themes of love and self-discovery.

Meyer's writing is both witty and poignant, capturing the essence of teenage angst and the exhilaration of first love. The pacing of the novel is well-balanced, keeping readers engaged from start to finish. The illustrations by Chuck Gonzales enhance the narrative, bringing Jude's world and his comic creations to life.

Tropes
-Supernatural Gift
-Love Triangle
-Coming-of-Age
-Friendship
-Unrequited Love

Overall, "With a Little Luck" is a delightful and thought-provoking read that will appeal to fans of YA fantasy and romance. Marissa Meyer's storytelling, combined with Chuck Gonzales' illustrations, creates a memorable and enchanting novel that captures the magic and challenges of teenage life.

Jude was always flying under the radar. He was content drawing comics, hosting D&D nights with friends and worked at his parents’ vinyl record store while surviving high school. Then one night, he found a ‘gift’ of a supernatural good luck. Suddenly, everything he wanted was within reach, including the girl he was crushing on since forever. How long could this good fortune last?

I picked up the audiobook of this one immediately after the first book, so the setting was still fresh in my mind. It was so fun to go back to the small town setting and the characters.

Not gonna lie, I didn’t buy into the romance between Jude and Ari. I might have missed it, but I didn’t feel there was any chemistry between them even in book one, so this felt a bit insta for me, especially when the first half of the book was all about Jude’s feelings for another girl!

Having said that, what I really loved about this book was unexpectedly the D&D setting! I gasped when the first D&D scene played out because it was so creative, funny and fresh, with the background music playing and the dreamy storytelling voice. This aspect was definitely the highlight for me.

All in all, this was a fast-and-fun one!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bolinda Audio for the advance copy.

I really wanted to like this audiobook - and it fell flat at so many areas.
Yes it’s a cute story but there are parts that are super silly beyond the concept of being super lucky.

I didn’t mind the narrator but because of the story I had to listen at a higher speed to get through it.

I'm not sure whether it was the actual story or the narrator or the characters but this book just was not for me at all. . I really didn't enjoy it and listened to it at 2.5 speed just to get through it. Not for me at all.

I really did enjoy this book, even though I found it a little bit silly at times. The only thing for me that detracted from the book was the amount of S&P narrative that we got.

3/5 Stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Bolinda Audio for providing me with an ALC.

Marissa Meyer is the author that got me back into reading so she will always hold a special place for me but this was not my favorite book from her. Why I didn’t love this book does have spoilers so won’t be in this review. Overall it was a cute YA contemporary romance and I loved the DND elements of the story.

This is a standalone from Instant Karma but it is the FMC from that book’s twin so it would be worth reading that first. I do recommend the audio, I really loved the narrator and I enjoyed how they separated the DND aspects. I do recommend this if you like Marissa Meyer’s contemporary books.

Marissa Meyer is one of my favorite authors but for some reason I hadn't read book 1 in this series but I needn't have worried as it didn't affect my enjoyment of this book at all!

Loved Jude
Loved all the geek!
Loved the dice
Love supernatural
Love good luck!

It was so good to have a book in the male leads perspective, don't get those much these days! It also bought out my nerdy side and I am totally here for that!

Now I'm going to read book 1!

DNFed @20%.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
I am a big Marissa Meyer fan. I did not read the new Gilded series from her (I already bought them, just did not have time for them), but read every other fantasy book of hers. I skipped Instant Karma as I knew that it is not my cup of tea. Still wanted to give a chance to it. So when I saw this book on NetGalley, I requested it. I thought if I got approved, I would try this one instead of Instant Karma as they seemed very similar (and later I found out that it's the same series).
I read most of Meyer's book when I was a teen, but I just read Winter (it's my last read), so I know that I still really love her writing. Because of that, I had hopes for this book, even though I added 3 stars for my last YA contemporary book (Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert). But in the end, I struggled with this book from the beginning. I wanted to give up after 10% but tried 10% more, and it's just not for me.
I am a 29-year-old woman, I just can't fathom a 16-year-old (if I remember correctly) boy's problems. It was silly for me. I don't have a problem with D&D, but was not interested at all in the D&D parts, and those parts were strange to me. The whole book was too young for me, and also it read as a younger YA. I felt better just to give up than struggling through it.

Thank You, NetGalley for the chance to listen to this book.

With a Little Luck by Marissa Meyer is a YA fiction and though it is pleasant it felt very bland to me.

I didn't find it extraordinary.

It was a pretty average read.

Maybe the young adults would love it.

"Lucky Break" is like your favorite comfort hoodie - cozy and familiar, but with a surprising twist. Meet Jude, just your average high schooler trying to keep his head down and enjoy life's simple pleasures. But one night, bam! Supernatural luck strikes him like lightning.

Suddenly, Jude's living the dream: his art gets noticed, his friend's music hits the big time, and he even scores a chance with his crush. But hey, nothing this good lasts forever, right?

This audiobook is a rollercoaster of fun and feels. It's about figuring out who you are, who your real friends are, and maybe even who you're crushing on. With its easy pace and relatable characters, it's the perfect escape into a world where anything can happen.

"Lucky Break" is a gem of a story that reminds us all that sometimes, life's biggest surprises come when we least expect them. So buckle up and enjoy the ride!

This is my first read from the author's work and I was super excited to read this one. The plotline was smooth and easy. The characters are wonderfully penned and specially the main characters were so good and relatable. The writing and the narration of the author is something I loved the most and that too in Audiobook was a cherry on the cake. I had a great time reading this. Eagerly waiting to read more books by the same author.

It was cute and it gave me the summer vibes I didn't know I wanted. It's just that I have a hard time enjoying YA contemporary romances and while it was sweet and fun, I'm not 14 anymore and not the public targeted. Still would recommend to young readers because middle school me would've loved this. 3.5 stars

I really struggled to get past the first chapter. I think the story was a little young for me and I wasn’t a fan of the narrator. Sorry, not for me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"After being magically gifted with incredible luck, a boy discovers this gift just may be a curse when it comes to love"

With a Little Luck is book two of the Fortuna Beach series.
The audiobook was a great experience, it was so easy to immerse oneself in this captivating story.
This heartwarming tale explores the journey of self-discovery and the realization that true potential comes from within.
Jude and Ari's friendship blossoms into a charming romance.

What you’ll find in With a Little Luck:
- YA Romance
- Magical Realism
- Friends to Lovers
- Slow Burn
- Vinyl Record Store
- D&D-loving main character

With A Little Luck is a feel-good, positive, and heartwarming story about finding yourself, finding love, and feeling comfortable in your own skin. The story follows Jude, a teenage boy who is in love with a classmate, Maya, and is obsessed with Dungeons and Dragons. The story paints a close family and friends' network for Jude, and includes underlying struggles of adolescence around finding yourself, and feeling worthy of the attention and affection of others.

I adored this book - it was light-hearted, and I loved the correlations between luck and magic, as well as an exploration of the ways we may self-sabotage ourselves by being too scared to attempt something new. Every character experienced the quintessential turmoil that comes with being a teenager and finding yourself and your interests, which was something that was so relatable and added depth and fun to an already buoyant novel.

I was already obsessed with Marissa Meyer throughout my childhood, and this book has reminded me that her work is still relatable and exciting as a 22-year-old adult. I will note that I struggled with the audiobook, and needed to buy a physical copy, but this has nothing to do with the book or the narrator - and everything to do with me still trying to get into audiobooks. But the takeaway should be...even though I am not huge in the audiobook world, I was hooked on this book enough to buy a physical copy. And I devoured it. Definitely one that I will recommend moving forward.

This YA novel is absolutely adorable. I particularly enjoyed the nerdy elements, being a bit of a nerd myself. The fmc's admiration for Jude was evident from the first chapter, and I loved the gradual development of their relationship.

The book shines with its genuine portrayal of teenage life, featuring relatable characters and authentic teenage struggles. The bond between Jude and his friends, as well as his tight-knit family, adds depth and warmth to the narrative. Meyer captures the challenges and insecurities of adolescence while sprinkling moments of humor and heartfelt sincerity throughout.

*This is the second book in a duology following two siblings.

3.5 stars rounded up. So the MMC is a "nerd" that's into DND and works in his parents' record atore. Obviously he's in love with the popular girl in school. He finds a lucky die and lucky events ensue. Then he loses the die. He realises he fancies his friend and tries to show her and it goes wrong. I think this book was longer than it needed to be.

Narrated by Stacy Carolan.

I loved this, it was stinkin' adorable.

An ode to geeks everywhere.

Once again, I didn't realise I was reading a sequel, but as a bonus I actually read the first book a couple years back so it was an extra delight! I'd forgotten these characters, to be honest, but when I put it together it added extra fun.

<u>Here's the plot:</u> Jude is a Nerd (aaaaand I'm already sold) who loves to play D&D and draw comics (sold again). He stumbles on a D20 that somehow gives him unstoppable luck, and suddenly he's copping a wave of miracle occurrences. Which helps, because there's this girl he really likes ...

What I really loved most here was the way the characters were done. Maya in particular was a lot of fun, and I appreciated her development a lot. There were nowhere near as many cringe moments as I expected from a YA novel with this kind of plot - that's Marissa Meyer for you! Great characters and it's hard not to root for all of them.

There's several different elements to the story - nerd culture, music, fame, fortune, popularity etc - but it ties together effortlessly and flows nicely. I loved how many facets the characters had, and it was fun to see them exploring these things.

Also, as someone who has JUST done their first ever D&D session, it was bundles of fun listening to those references. Even my partner was giggling at some of the references, despite 'not listening'. XD

This book is wholesome, nerdy fun, and I enjoyed it immensely. The audio added a lot of fun, too, with roleplaying enhanced by music and sound effects.

A delightful, nerd adventure with a soft heart, this will have you cheering for everyone all at the same time. Even EZ won me over by the end.

Highly recommend this for nerds of all types, romance lovers, and people looking for a good bit of teenage fluff to waste a few hours with. I listened to the whole thing in a day and it was fantastic.

With thanks to Netgalley for an audio ARC

Marissa Meyer's YA romcom takes readers on a delightful journey through the highs and lows of teenage life, sprinkled with a touch of magic and plenty of Dungeons & Dragons references. In the charming tale “With a Little Luck”, protagonist Jude finds himself unexpectedly blessed with supernatural luck after stumbling upon a mysterious twenty-sided dice.

At first, Jude revels in his newfound luck, achieving everything he's ever dreamed of with seemingly effortless ease. From having his art accepted to his favorite fanzine to winning coveted concert tickets and even landing a date with his long-time crush, Jude's life takes a turn for the extraordinary. However, when he loses the magic dice at a local music festival, his luck takes a downward spiral, forcing him to confront buried emotions and navigate the complexities of love and friendship. One of the highlights of the book is its authentic portrayal of teenage life, complete with relatable characters and genuine teenage angst. The camaraderie between Jude and his friends, along with his close-knit family dynamic, adds depth and warmth to the story. Meyer gives a glimpse of the challenges and insecurities of adolescence, while also infusing the narrative with moments of humor and heart.

Special thanks to NetGalley, Bolinda Audio, and the editorial team for giving me the opportunity to review the ARC in audiobook format and to you, my reader, for taking the time to read this honest personal book review.

If you are interested in other of my book reviews, make sure to follow me on GoodReads! #WithALittleLuck #NetGalley #LifeLongLearning

I had a good time following Jude on his lucky spree and his not-so-lucky spree. This was a sweet story of love and teenage angst, full of nerds (my people) and the difficulties of school life. It definitely reminds me why I don’t miss those days! Jude has a great group of friends and a charmingly close-knit family, with his and Prue’s best friend, Ari, considered one of them. Other than a couple of nasty kids at school from Maya’s clique, this book is good vibes all round. Jude learns to believe in himself and accept himself as he is, which is never a difficult journey, but is always the goal! He also gives Maya the opportunity to be herself and discover her passions and I was totally rooting for that girl to live her authentic life. All in all a cute book!