Over 4 million Adele Parks books sold worldwide including LIES, LIES, LIES and I INVITED HER IN! “Utterly engrossing and brilliant”— Lucy Foley New York Times bestselling author of The Guest List It was supposed to be the lottery win they’d always dreamed of… and Jake have played the same six numbers with their friends. Over drinks, dinner parties and summer barbecues, the three couples have discussed the important stuff—kids, marriages, careers—and they’ve laughed off their disappointment when they failed to win anything.
But then the unthinkable happens. There’s a rift in the group. Someone is caught in a lie. And soon after, six numbers come up that change everything forever.
Lexi and Jake have a ticket worth millions. And their friends are determined to claim a share.
#1 Sunday Times bestselling author Adele Parks returns with a riveting look at the dark side of wealth in this gripping tale of friendship, money, betrayal and good luck gone bad…
Don’t miss Woman Last Seen from #1 Sunday Times bestseller Adele Parks.
Looking for more? Check out Adele Parks’ other thrilling books:
I Invited Her In
Lies, Lies, Lies
more
Favorite Quotes:
He is being crass. I am not sure what the elegant response to winning nearly eighteen million pounds is, but I doubt it is demanding the money like a highway robber.
These so-called friends of theirs are a bunch of sharks. There are more holes in their stories than there are in my kitchen colander.
I think we both wish we were in some sort of nineties cop show where she could open the drawer of her desk and pull out a bottle of whiskey and a couple of glasses.
Toma stares at me with unadulterated admiration. It’s the best look one human being can give another. He looks at me with respect, approval, gratitude and eagerness.
How do you manage it? … Caring so much for people you don’t even know? In my experience, it’s cruel enough caring for those you do.
I wish them well, but mostly I wish them well away from us.
My Review:
I couldn’t seem to start this review for over a day, as I needed to ruminate, ponder, and mull. This was a prickly pickle. Most of the characters were not likable or annoyed me greatly as they were snide, greedy, snobby, selfish, unreliable, and conniving. They also disappointed me, as even the few likable ones tended to be wishy-washy and weak. However, I am aware that most people, regardless of culture, have a bit of all of these failings in their bag of traits. And I am also highly aware that as much as the characters were antagonizing me, I couldn’t have stopped reading about them as I was intrigued and rather desperate to know what was going to result from their flailing. The plotlines were maddeningly paced but when I reached the conclusion and looked back, I registered the cunning and shrewd craftsmanship in the storytelling. Adele Parks is a wily one.
Just My Luck by Adele Parks was an interesting read about greed, family, friends and what happens when money changes everything. Lexi and Jake, along with two other couples, have been friends for years. They get together and share laughs, food and hopes on winning the lottery they all pitch in and play together every week. Imagine their surprise when they win but Jake and Lexi feel they do not need to share their winnings due to a supposed falling out.
Now not only are the friends divided, but also their own family as winning changes their perspective on so many things. Their friends are willing to fight for their share. Now Jake and the kids are spending as if there is no end and the family dynamics are changing. The characters are not very likable, but that was the point I believe and I was captivated to see how it would all end.
Happy reading!
This book makes you wonder if you would really want to win the big bucks in the lottery. These three couples go in together for 15 years in buying lottery tickets and then they fight. This story shows how rotten some people can be when money is involved. There are lots of twists and turns. This is one of those books where I am not sure that I really like any of the characters in the long term. I received a copy of this book from Harlequin for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
Just My Luck by Adele Parks is a fabulous contemporary psychological thriller that will mess with your mind and emotions.
An ordinary house in suburbia. An ordinary family with an ordinary life – until a day that changes everything. Just My Luck examines the fall-out that happens when everything changes. What you thought you wanted, what you thought you knew, who you thought you were – the ground shifts and everyone envies you.
There is the huge question of truth and lies, and trust. Adele Parks has created a marvellous novel that will consume you as you try to separate the truth from the lies. There is a stark warning – be careful what you wish for. Be content with what you have.
The love of money, power and greed corrupts lives and hearts. When you take your eyes off people and look to your bank balance, you are in trouble. The totally pure in heart see money as a way to help others. The purely selfish see it as a way to feather their own nests.
Just My Luck was an all consuming read. I could not put it down. At one stage I literally gasped out loud.
An ordinary family. An ordinary life. A far from ordinary story. Adele Parks has created a marvellous, intricate and cleverly thought out plotline. This book will keep you up at night.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.
This book had such a strong beginning. Three couples who have been chipping in for lottery tickets for 15 years….one week, two couple pull out and the other stays and buys a lotto ticket. That is the week they win. The others are so angry and demand their share. It was so interesting to see how the characters behaved. I absolutely despised Jake- ugh- he went too crazy and overboard and became narcissistic and “all mighty.” His personality changed completely. Lexi was more likable and less showy when it came to how to spend the money.
As the book went on, the middle seemed to drag a bit, I started losing interest but I powered through. Honestly, Jake and his kids just became annoying brats after the win and rubbed me the wrong way.
Towards the end, maybe the last 75 pages or so, the book grabbed my attention again- something crazy happens and I had to keep reading to find out more. The last page….wow…..my jaw dropped to the floor.
This wasn’t my favorite Adele Parks book, but it also wasn’t a dud either. If you want to find out why I never want to win the lottery anymore, read this. I will still read Parks’s books and am excited for Last Woman Seen coming out in 2022!
Who doesn’t dream of winning the lottery? Life has to be easier when you don’t have to worry about finances. But people change when there are large sums of money involved!
My Rating: 4 ’s
Published: April 6th 2021 by Harlequin Audio
Audio: 12 hours 50 minutes
#JustMyLuck #AdeleParks #Lottery #JustFinished #BookReview #HarlequinAudio #AudioBook
After publication, my reviews can be found at Amazon, Twitter, GoodReads, Barnes and Noble, BookBub, NetGalley, and Edelweiss
Adele Parks @HarlequinBooks
I agree with the author — a lottery win is more dangerous than exciting. Even a murder mystery fan like me found this mesmerizing.
I didn’t totally love this book, which is unusual for this author. I think it was rushed and not up to her usual standard. The plot was implausible and I couldn’t warm to the characters. The “big reveal” about why they all fell out was so insignificant I almost missed it. The “twist” was a bit contrived and well signposted. Disappointing after such a brilliant track record.
This was a very quick and easy read. From the outset I didn’t like any of the characters (with the exception of 2) even though I enjoyed the story itself. The story is told from the family’s perspective minus Logan. I’m not sure why he didn’t get a voice which is funny because he’s one of the only ones I liked
Lexi whines too much for my taste, about everything. Jake is just an arsehole so that made some aspects of the story quite predictable. Emily becomes an instant brat and with her dad’s insistence spends money selfishly and without thought. The “friends” are all jerks too. All this being said…
The author does a great job with how you see the characters. With the exception of Lexi, I don’t believe you are supposed to like them? They are supposed to be exasperating and annoying. I’m not sure LOL. So if that’s the case the author won on that level If not, then
The story, while fun and easy to read, is a tad slow BUT it’s a play-by-play of life after winning the lottery so that was sort of expected. As their lives unfold and secrets are revealed the pace definitely picks up. The ending was ridiculous (for me) and honestly felt like a rushed addition to add some WOW factor…I know money changes people but that much and that fast? I don’t know maybe that was the point?
At any rate, I say grab this one if you want a quick read full of family drama because this definitely has that
Gripping, twisty and compulsive.
Well I definitely could not have guessed the ending of this book. It truly shows how money changes people. It was a fun read and I couldnt put it down for a few days.
I have to say that this was an odd read for me. I felt like it wanted to be a psych thriller but also a thriller…but also a family drama. It definitely kept me hooked, but I’m not sure it was for the right reasons. To begin with, I really didn’t like any of the characters, except for Lexi. After finishing the book, I totally understand why the author wrote them all the way she did. I suppose that could be chalked up to the overall theme that “money corrupts.” But the frimily (as Lexi called them) also didn’t seem to be likeable, almost to the point where I kept wondering how they had all remained friends for so long even before they fell out. The story is primarily Lexi’s although we do get a few chapters here and there from Emily’s point of view. About half-way through, the action began to pick up, with the planning of an event and lots of fallout from it. I would recommend this book but hold on to your hat because it really goes a bunch of different directions leading to the climax. For a detailed review, please visit Fireflies and Free Kicks. Thank you to NetGalley and MIRA for a digital ARC of the book.
This fast-paced read will make you rethink ever playing the lottery. Complex people doing bad things while making some terrible decisions…and I raced through it to see what would happen.
With JUST MY LUCK, Adele Parks immediately pulls you into a cracking read filled with sizzling tension and ominous undercurrents that make it impossible to put down.
Who wouldn’t want to win near £18 million? All your troubles would be over. You could buy almost anything your heart has ever yearned for. Any and all problems would quietly fade and disappear into the background. Or would they? Jake and Lexi think so, but is it moneyed bliss or a case of “careful what you wish for” that awaits when their winning numbers come up? Perhaps the cracks and fissures in their relationship can be papered over with the cash, but what will happen if they turn into ravines instead?
JUST MY LUCK feels like a pressure cooker ready to explode and Parks deftly demonstrates what can happen in a situation that will either bring out the best or the worst in people, right up until its stunning conclusion. You may forevermore think twice about playing the lottery…
WOW!! Just wow! Adele Parks has truly written a page turner here. Lots of surprises to be had too.
I think most people have dreamed of winning the lotto. I know my hubby and I have. Though I honestly have always said that we are not rich for a reason. I believe it would have made us so different if we had been rich or won. I’m afraid of what it would have done to our lives. Would it have torn us apart. Made our love and respect for each other weak and usless? I believe we are meant to be right where we are. After reading this book I am even more sure of that… We may not be rich but we are happy. We have each other!
“You never know your luck, our numbers might come up next week, and then all our lives will changed forever.” How true these words are. Little did the three couples know exactly how true.
Lexi and Jake have been friends with Patrick, Carla, and Fred, Jennifer, have been friends for over fifteen years. They get together at one’s home each week to eat, drink and socialize. Also to play the lottery. They dream of what they will do with the money should they ever win….
When the numbers come up and they do win things take a huge turn. The three couples lives will never be the same. Greed, hate, selfishness, and kindness take over each person’s life. Jake is to me the worse person in this whole story. From the minute he and Lexi win it seems like he changed. He became a very self centered man. It was all about me me me.. Lexi didn’t wish for big things. She started wanting to help other right from the start. But they did cut out their best friends. When you read this you will understand why.
This is a story that will make you have deep feelings about a few things. It’s two stories that run together. At the beginning you meet Toma, who lost his wife and child. He lost everything after that. He gave up on life. You will find out all that happened and who was at fault. Who helped him and was truly his friend. This book is deep in my opinion. It shows what extent people will go too for money. I think the children did exactly as a child would. No matter how good a parent you are if you come into lots of money the child is going to want things. Expensive things. That is just being a child. They want what other kids have. Human nature possibly at it’s worse but it’s there.
A lot happens to Lexi and her family after they win the lottery. Some things will leave you breathless. A few shocks thrown in to make it even more intense. At least for me it was. When I read one sentence my breath literally hitched. I was not expecting it. Not all of it anyway.
The ending brings all answers. Closes great. You won’t be left with any questions. The characters are mostly unlikable with the exception of Lexi and Toma. I loved them both. The children of course. You have to love them. They are just children who do stupid things sometimes and end up regretting…
Thank you #NetGalley, #AdeleParks, #Harlequin, for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.
I gave it 5/5 stars. I was going to go with 4/5 but when all was revealed I had to go with that extra star. It was in my humble opinion brilliantly done. I do highly recommend this one.
Just My Luck by Adele Parks
Three couples
Six people
In it to win it
Friends for years
Or
Were they?
When I started reading, I couldn’t fathom why the news article that opened the book was even there. It eventually made sense as I skimmed along, though. I had trouble relating to any of the characters in the story and by that, I mean that I could not put myself into the shoes of any of them or feel that I could have been any one of them. So, I found myself skimming and reading quickly to get the gist if not the details of the story. About midway to two-thirds of the way in I became a bit more interested and the big twist that twisted again was not expected. I came away hoping that some of the selfish-minded wised up but have a feeling they probably didn’t.
I liked the premise of the story, the look into how money can impact relationships, and what some will do for money but again, couldn’t really relate to this lot of people and would have liked to. That said, I am pretty sure there will be many who do enjoy this book and that is just as it should be.
Did I enjoy this book? It was okay…better on the end than in the beginning
Would I read more by this author? Perhaps
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin-Mira for the ARC – This is my honest review.
3-4 Stars
This story starts off with a bang. They win the lottery! And that’s the beginning of a whole new life for Lexi and Jake. And isn’t it interesting who comes crawling out of the woodwork when a ton of money is suddenly available. Who and what can be trusted?
Money changes people. Lottery amounts of money makes some people do conniving, bad things, all in the name of greed. The possibility of millions made this group of friends turn against each other. I never knew what was going to happen and who had the good intentions and who was up to no good.
This was a definite page-turner as I raced to figure it all out. And then when I got to the end of the last chapter, I had to stop and think about what I just read. That changed everything!
Just My Luck is a fabulous, exciting story you don’t want to miss!
Once upon a time there were 3 couples who met when all 3 women were expecting at the same time. They remained friends for 15 years living close to one another and spending lots of time together. Their children were at school together and the parents spent one evening together usually 3 times a month. They decided to all pitch in and play the same numbers on the lottery every week. They never won but just laughed it off. But one weekend at a get-together, something happened that caused dissension among them and two couples said they did not want to be a part of the lottery any more. But, one couple continued to play the same numbers the following week – and won 17.8 million pounds.
Lexi and Jake Greenwood are thrilled to have won the lottery. As they are claiming the money, the Heathcotes and the Pearsons step up saying they want to share the money denying they stepped away from the group. In comes the lawyers and out goes any friendship that had been.
This is a complicated story that shows the epitome of greed and not just by the lottery winners. It also shows a lack of class and couth in some people vs. the guilty need to give away what you have. Lexi is a twit with no backbone. She’s a true pushover. Jake is the dirt on the bottom on your shoe. Ah, but let’s discuss the Heathcotes and the Pearsons and their lack of anything. This is a story of what happens when people with no self-control win the lottery. Rating this book is difficult because the author has written a story of pure greed so I must applaud her talent in doing so.
Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Lexi and Jake Greenwood have just won the lottery! Fantastic, right? Well Just My Luck is a domestic thriller and a cautionary tale about friendships and money and how both can really mess up a life.
With winning lottery ticket in hand, the Greenwood’s close friends, the Pearsons and Heathcotes, can also lay claim to the lottery money — after all they’ve been kicking in cash for the tickets every week, except for the winning week. Did they really decide not to play any longer or is it a matter of Lexi and Jake wanting all the money? I’m not going to spoil it, so readers will have to read it to find out.
In the midst of this good fortune, Lexi has also discovered secrets that are devastating. It’s these secrets that cause everyone to take drastic action in the pursuit of the lottery winnings. It’s quite fascinating to watch this all unravel in Just My Luck, because some of these characters are really on the depraved side. Is it the money that brings it out in them or something else? I had to keep turning the pages to find out.
I liked this story. It’s a quick read, and I wanted to get to the end to see how everything was going to play out. Some of the twists and turns I saw coming — some I didn’t and I liked that about this story. I just wish the characters had been a touch more likeable. Aside from Lexi, her daughter and Toma, I really had a hard time caring about the rest.
Overall, Just My Luck is an easy-to-read domestic thriller with some nice surprises that shows how sudden wealth can bring out the best and worst in people.
Lexi and Jake have been playing the Lottery with their best friends for years! Suddenly the other couples decide it’s stupid since they never win and back out. Bad move. Shortly after, Lexi and Jake hit it big £18 million. This is where things get interesting, the books takes off fast and furious and sends you on a fun ride till it comes to a screeching halt.
The first quarter of the book seemed a little slow and I wasn’t sure I would stick with it, but I’m really glad I did. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Characters with surprising twists; annoying, unlikeable, privileged, cunning, big hearted, ruthless, clueless, conceited. Flew thru the rest of the book. Expected some of the twists but not all. A good escape book.
Thanks to Ms. Parks, Harlequin and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.