After winning the lottery, a young woman goes back to school—and gets an unexpected lesson in love—in this romance by the author of Beginner’s Luck. Winning the lottery with her two best friends doesn’t just bring wealth for Greer Hawthorne, it also allows her to pursue a long-postponed education. She’s finally on the cusp of proving to her big, overprotective family that she’s independent—until … she’s independent—until a careless mistake jeopardizes her plan to graduate. Lucky for her, there’s someone in town who may be able to help . . .
Globe-hopping photojournalist Alex Averin only plans to be in town for his sister Kit’s wedding before jetting off again. But when gorgeous, good-hearted Greer needs an assist with a photography project, he’s powerless to say no. Showing Greer his professional passion ignites a new one for both of them. But can a ceaseless wanderer stay by an ambitious woman’s side…or are Alex and Greer both pushing their luck too far?
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I wish I had the ability to include this entire trilogy as one entry, as I love every single volume of it! Each one is both fun and deeply touching; each couple pierces my heart. Kate Clayborn has become a must-read author for me, and I salute her for the depth of each character, all of whom are quirky and interesting but go so much further into heart-tugging territory. Beginner’s Luck, Luck of the Draw and this one, Best of Luck, are treats to read. I miss all three couples already.
I read BEST OF LUCK by Kate Clayborn. This is in the contemporary long category. And yeah, listen, this book was just so good, so soft, so wonderful. Also, full disclosure, I consider Kate a friend, so just know I’m not entirely trustworthy. This is book 3 but can easily be read as a stand alone. Greer is just about to finish college with the last of the lottery money she won with her 2 best friends, but she has ONE arts credit she has to make up. Her best friend Kit’s brother Alex is a famous photographer.
Alex and Greer totally fall in love and it is my whole goddamn fucking heart.
Pluses: So beautifully written, and it just perfectly captures moments big and small. SO MANY FEELINGS. Sexy and intimate.
Wishes: I skipped #2 to read this one, and that now seems dumb and I’ll have to go backwards. But we had talked about this one on Fated Mates, and also, I know Kate and I both feel really close to our brother(s) and I just wanted to feel that.
Bookwise? This sucker is perfect.
Verdict: This is how romance is supposed to make me feel. A really wonderful romance and y’all should read it, but I think everyone has. I’m just late to the party. FINE.
Copied & Pasted from Twitter as part of a project where I’m reviewing the 2019 RITA finalists.
I love the complexity of the characters in this book. Both Greer and Alex are so real and so vital and so wonderful and so flawed…it was beautiful. And also frustrating, I wanted to yell at them a few times!! But that’s what therapy is for, and I freaking love books that normalize therapy!!! Fabulous all around!!
‘Best of Luck’ is the third novel in Kate Clayborn’s ‘Chance of a Lifetime’ series. This series tells the stories of three friends: Kit, Zoe, and Greer who discover they have a winning lottery ticket. This story is about Greer Hawthorne. Greer has faced health issues that have affected her life growing up, and because of those issues she has had a challenging time finishing her education. But with her lottery winnings she is now able to obtain a college education in Social Work. However, she hits a bit of a ‘snag’ as she reaches toward graduation, and discovers she must complete a participation art class. She decides she will take a photography class. As luck would have it, her friend, Kit’s brother, Alex is in town. Alex is a world famous photographer, and he agrees (somewhat reluctantly) to help Greer with her class. Alex has always been drawn to Greer, but he’s not one to stay in one place too long. Much to his surprise he agrees to an extended time staying in town and helping Greer. He has other reasons for ‘staying put’, and Greer is helpful to him as well as he deals with these ‘other reasons.’ This is another stellar story from Ms. Clayborn. The ‘Chance of a Lifetime’ novels are wonderful and memorables
I loved reading this book. It is part of a series of three with the same characters.
I adore this entire series. I’ll read anything Kate Clayborn ever writes. It was a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy, but also just stellar by itself!
This is the last book in the series of 3 (Chance of a Lifetime) in which Kit, Zoe and Greer won the lottery together (but that is not the main thing!). Those women are best friends and this time it is Greer’s book that draws you in.
Greer has decided to use her lottery money to go back to school to become a social worker. Alsmost near graduation she is devastated when she finds she made a mistake and maybe won’t graduate unless she takes an (art) course. Fortunately she gets help from Alex (Kit’s older brother) who is a photographer and travels the world. Greer has had a crush on Alex for a while now, but she knows he is always leaving. Until he admits to having anxiety attacks and they strike a deal. Their attraction leads to more, but Greer has her own secrets and thinks their lives are too different to mesh.
How I loved Alex, who has raised his sister Kit when he was a boy himself. In his talks to his therapist Patricia, we get to know him so much better and my heart sometimes broke for him.
And Greer, so quiet and strong and also proud of her achievements. They were so well suited.
(2018)
Such a well written series ender! I love every single character—they’re all so real!
CW-One character has a now managed, but once life threatening chronic illness and another character has crippling panic attacks (he also has a kickass therapist who helps him learn to manage them)
This book is so softly, unobtrusively romantic that when I was reading it, my heart started beating a little bigger than it had before.
Or that could have just been Aleksandr Averin, who was so hot I had to turn on the A/C every time he came on the page. And it’s February.
(You don’t have to read the series to understand this one BUT YOU SHOULD because every one has become a new favorite.)
I can’t say enough great things about this book, I loved it. Best of Luck is the third book in Kate Clayborn’s Chance of a Lifetime series, and it is a great 5 star finish. Greer and Alex are EVERYTHING. All of the characters in this series are real and perfectly imperfect, and Greer and Alex are no exception. Greer is the quiet third friend of the lucky lottery winners, who chooses to spend her winnings on helping her family and earning a college degree. Greer is trying to escape the constant hovering and scrutiny of her family, desperate for some independence. Alex is Kit’s older brother (from book 1, Beginner’s Luck), a world traveling photojournalist, who raised Kit during their childhood. They are both introduced, and their heat sizzles, earlier in the series. Greer unexpectedly helps Alex at Kit’s wedding, and Alex, in turn, unexpectedly helps Greer with her last requirements for graduation. As they grow close, they challenge each other, their own expectations for themselves and for the possibilities of a relationship between them. I love Greer and the gentle way she fights for independence. She’s not in your face-aggressive but still stands up for herself. Alex is every person who has spent so much of their lives just surviving, that once he can finally trust and breath and just be, you feel the weight lift off his shoulders and want to cry with relief for and with him. Together they have great chemistry, the kind of connection that is meet your eyes across the room and know you’re not really alone, while it still only takes a touch to light it all up. The heat level is just right, plenty of sparks and sexy times but not excessive or unwarranted, it is authentic. The challenges Greer and Alex face at the end, thankfully don’t turn into a long drawn out misunderstanding but are instead an effective plot point to wake them both up to knowing and admitting that what they have, is worth everything. I loved this series and I especially loved Greer and Alex. I highly recommend this book and can’t wait to see what Kate Clayborn does next.
Chance of a Lifetime #3, I have been impatiently waiting for this book since the characters were introduced to each other in the first book. This can be read as a stand alone but I really recommend reading the first two books to get the whole picture. This is written in third person with alternating perspectives of Greer and Alex. I loved this book the story and the characters so emotional.
Greer, Kit and Zoe buy a lottery ticket never expecting to actually win, so far Kit followed her dream and bought a house and fell in love, Zoe quit her job and went on an amazing path of self discovery and fell in love too. Now it’s Greer’s turn who was finally able to follow her dream and go back to school. She’s almost got her degree when they tell her she short credits for art.
Alex Alverin, Kit’s older brother, is a world renowned photojournalist his plan to come to his sister’s wedding and then take off again has to be revised when his debilitating panic attacks get worse. With the urging of his agent and Greer, who caught him in the middle of one during the wedding, he takes some time off. But he won’t be idle on his time off Greer recruits his help with her art credit. Greer’s only hope to get the art credit she needs is to take a photography class subtly using Alex to get the teacher to agree was aggravating but easy. Greer also gets Alex to agree to go see a therapist while he’s here. Alex was always attracted to Greer but the more time he spends with her the more the attraction builds into something more, and vise versa, and the more he learns about her the more he’s tempted to try and stay. Greer may have fallen in love with Alex but she knows him to well and is just waiting for him to leave again. Alex’s fears are so deep rooted he doesn’t know if his love for Greer is stronger than his wonderlust.
Overall, this is my favorite of the three. Both of the character’s histories play a part in why they act they way they do and how their budding relationship gives them a new perspective and allows them to look at their lives differently and finally be willing to change for the better. There is such deep emotion and fear that Kate Clayborn really puts you through the ringer with this one.
What I liked:
The writing style
The characters
Dual POVs
Part of a series: Chance of a Lifetime
Standalone
HEA
Epilogue
I look forward to reading more from this author.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC from NetGalley.
The third/final book of this series, and I was blown away by this first-time author’s writing!
The stories revolve around three friends who win a lottery…how it affects their lives (and doesn’t). Friendship, family, lovers…insecurities/self-confidence, weaknesses/strengths, stagnation/growth…it’s all here, and it’s all SO REAL. So many times I feel contemporary romances are shallow and repetitive, and being so, I don’t tend to read a lot of them. The seemingly effortless way Clayborn crafts these wonderful, beautiful stories will make you laugh, cry and FEEL.
So very happy I discovered her and highly recommend. I’ll be watching for more from her!
Thank you to #NetGalley and #KensingtonBooks for the ARC. The opinions are strictly my own.
I’ve only recently discovered Kate Clayborn and from the moment Alex and Greer shook hands in Beginners Luck I was dying to read their story. Best of Luck is heartfelt, wrenching, sweet, and utterly romantic all at the same time. If you love romance that makes you smile through your tears, you’re going to love this book.
A few months ago I went through a phase where I only wanted to read about heroines in STEM industries. Beginner’s Luck by Kate Clayborn was one that I read and loved. The whole idea of a group of friends winning the lottery and making plans for their new lives was fun. Kit’s book introduced her brother Alex and I’ll be honest – I wasn’t a fan of his. He seemed selfish and I was annoyed with how he treated Kit.
Best of Luck is the third in the series and features Greer and Alex. Greer is an adult college student and one of the friends trio who won the lottery. Alex is Kit’s brother and a photojournalist with no home base.
Alex comes back to town for Kit and Ben’s wedding. He is struggling with anxiety and panic attacks. Greer has issues of her own including an overprotective family and a missing art credit before she can graduate. The two strike a deal that he will help her learn photography and he will stick around for a month and see a therapist.
I honestly loved everything about this book. My heart ached for both of them. Both characters have experienced so much in their life and are coming to terms with their new selves.
“You learn – I guess you learn that watching is helping.”
I saw myself in both characters. Greer’s life has been the best she can make of it and Alex is fighting to find his place in the world. I loved how Greer relaxed by watching cooking shows because that is totally me.
Their love story was realistic and beautiful. They both were not expecting one another and the slow fall into love was a joy to read.
“I love you. I don’t need you, but I want you, and that’s-that’s even better. For me, that’s-that’s the best thing.”