They called themselves “the lucky ones” They were seven children either orphaned or abandoned by their parents and chosen by legendary philanthropist and brain surgeon Dr. Vincent Capello to live in The Dragon, his almost magical beach house on the Oregon Coast. Allison was the youngest of the lucky ones living an idyllic life with her newfound family…until the night she almost died, and was … died, and was then whisked away from the house and her adopted family forever.
Now, thirteen years later, Allison receives a letter from Roland, Dr. Capello’s oldest son, warning her that their father is ill and in his final days. Allison determines she must go home again and confront the ghosts of her past. She’s determined to find out what really happened that fateful night — was it an accident or, as she’s always suspected, did one of her beloved family members try to kill her?
But digging into the past can reveal horrific truths, and when Allison pieces together the story of her life, she’ll learns the terrible secret at the heart of the family she once loved but never really knew.
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Oh, I loved this book. So many of its themes deeply resonated with me, but I can’t note them without spoiling this fascinating plot line…and I wouldn’t do that to you. The Lucky Ones is part psychological thriller, part mystery, part [forbidden] romance, part family drama, part atmospheric gothic fiction, part science/medical ethics, and a whole lot of “making you think”. Like I said before: Tiffany Reisz is gold and her readers are indeed the lucky ones. Check it out!
My favorite quote:
“But I don’t believe in a God that would send a troubled child to hell for one bad decision. I believe in a God who says, ‘Suffer the little children to come unto me’. Santa Claus is the guy with the nice and naughty list for children. Not God.”
The Lucky Ones by Tiffany Reisz was a uniquely one of a kind experience. I relished the writing style, and variety of genres that were woven together to create this seamless and profoundly written mystery.
Allison receives a letter from her former foster brother, thirteen years after leaving their home on the Oregon Coast. Learning her foster dad, Dr Capello, a man of strength, virtuosity and unconditional love is on his death bed, she decides to return to her childhood home to say goodbye.
Upon arriving to the coastal house, that was Allison’s home for years, she finds her past has begun to haunt her. Removed from the home after a fall and a bout of amnesia, she chose to move on and avoid thinking about that period of her life, until now. Back in the house, she begins to dig into the unanswered question of who may have wanted to bring her harm when she was just a child. Is she safe after all these years or could the person who wanted her gone still be out to get her?
Allison rekindles her relationship with her foster siblings, as well as spends time with Dr Capello. As more questions arise, she begins to investigate unusual circumstances from many years past and what comes to light could change everything she thought she knew. She struggles with discovering who she can trust. It seems there may be some who prefer the secrets from their past remain buried, and they will stop at nothing to succeed.
This book encompassed such an array of genres. There was plenty of mystery, suspense, and romance. Parts were so creepy I had a chill down my spine. Others were unexpected and shocking. One thing this book is not, is predictable. With all the different aspects mixed together, by the end I was left pondering my thoughts and feelings based on the unforeseen turn of events. It pushed deep down, was thought provoking, and intriguing.
While I tore through this book in one day, I would say this was not a thrilling page turner. This book goes to a much deeper level. It is a stimulating mystery that will keep compelling you forward, in a desire to unravel the astonishing secrets of before.
4.5 stars for The Lucky Ones
Favorite Quotes:
If I wanted to judge people all day I’d either be a priest or get a Facebook account…
Allison looked into his eyes. He didn’t have bedroom eyes, not like McQueen did. Roland had hallway eyes—labyrinthine hallways made of marble and lit by torches resting in iron sconces. She could wander those shadowy hallways forever and never once feel lost.
He buys his Catholic guilt in bulk at Costco…
You know what they say…ours is not to wonder why. Ours is but to drink bourbon and rye.
There aren’t a lot of them around. True psychopaths make up about two percent of the population. In prison it’s more like… fifty percent. In politics, maybe ninety percent.
My Review:
I don’t believe I know enough lofty adjectives or adverbs to fully extol the brilliance and craft of this spellbinding tale. I was consumed, enthralled, engrossed and embedded in this riveting tale from beginning to end. I was intrigued and beguiled by all the characters while also fearful I was going to learn something truly awful about them, which I did, but I still loved them anyway. The story was ingeniously crafted, cunningly paced, and loaded with all manner of itchy and twisty elements that squeezed my heart, set my brain on fire, and put a series of hot rocks in my throat. Tiffany Reisz is an evil genius and a clever wordsmith. I covet her mad skills and am wild with greed to amass and read every single thing she has and will ever write.
It’s been a long time since I read something this dark and twisty, apparently too long judging by the way I completely gobbled this book up and completely lost myself in it. This is my first book by this author and I am blown away by how captivating it was, how well written, how utterly mind-bending, and yet somehow completely satisfying.
The storyline wanders a bit into taboo territory. I mean, if you are sensitive to things that are taboo in nature, this one may not be for you. I consider myself to be a fairly vanilla reader – I’m not usually lured in by taboo tropes or super erotic storylines – and this didn’t bother me. I didn’t feel like it was over the top or done for shock value. I felt like there was a compelling story here, and all the pieces fit where they were supposed to. Some of those pieces were shocking, but not in a way that felt like it was trying too hard.
There’s a trick to this. I know there is. Here we have a story that should not be lighthearted and romantic, and yet much of the time, that’s exactly how it felt. There’s an eeriness to the storytelling, but as a reader I couldn’t quite put my finger on the problem because on its face, everything seemed so wonderful, idyllic, beautiful. The Lucky Ones is a deceptively dark story – laced with a sort of sly wit, a whole bunch of sweetness. And then…dollops of horror are dropped throughout.
This is the kind of story that doesn’t let you go easily. It’s still buzzing around my brain and I imagine I’ll be sorting through my feelings about it for quite some time. It’s part mystery, part psychological thriller, and part romance – these things all mashed together into some kind of perfect reading experience for me. I was on the edge of my seat, constantly hungry for more, and never quite knowing who to trust. And it was phenomenal I loved it. I couldn’t get enough.
I enjoyed every second of this book and all the characters inside it. It was original and full of twists.
4.5 stars! This was really good. Worth a shot if you’re a fan of mystery, thriller, suspense, and Gothic reads. This has it all!
4.5 stars
“Too many secrets in this house. So many they were starting to feel like…Lies.”
The blurb of The Lucky Ones was one that really piqued my interest. I had no idea what to expect, but I was ready for a mysterious ride. I loved how the secrets were revealed piece by piece. The author did such an incredible job in keeping the reader in suspense and guessing throughout the book. I had theories as to what happened to Allison but was proven wrong each time. I love it when a story is unpredictable and when an author can get me to sit on the edge of my seat. I was so hooked to the story that I read the last 40% of the book in one sitting (I was done at 4AM). There was no way I could put the book down to get some sleep.
“She’d known nothing but love here, nothing but kindness. But someone must have left a door open a crack and evil had snuck in when no one was looking.”
The seven children either orphaned or abandoned by their parents and chosen by legendary philanthropist and brain surgeon Dr. Vincent Capello to live in The Dragon all had a very shocking past. It sometimes was very difficult for me to contain my tears while I was reading this book. This book was suspenseful, mysterious, sweet, emotional, heartbreaking, and very dark at times. Each and every character was very unique and had a very intriguing past. I was on a very long emotional rollercoaster, and I didn’t want to get off it. I do wish there was an epilogue because I am really curious to see how everyone is doing. I also want to mention that the cover is beautiful and fits the story perfectly. I am looking forward to what Tiffany Reisz has in story for us next.
As always this author’s words leave me speechless and hungry for more. This book is full of secrets and lies and will keep you hooked from the very first page. It gave me chills and sent shivers down my spine; similar to watching a psychological thriller when you are willing the heroine not to go up the stairs or open the proverbial pandora’s box but knowing full well she’s going to do it anyway! It really did have an eerie gothic feel throughout. My breath was constantly held, my skin had goosebumps and I had palpitations.
Told from a third person POV the book has a progressive pace and was very well researched. The whole book is centred around the world of psychopathic behaviour and that subject alone I found very interesting. All of the characters had their own secrets, but then anybody who is familiar with Tiffany Reisz’s work will know nothing is ever straightforward. This book makes you think and tests your moral compass.
It always feels bittersweet when I finish this author’s work; aspired once I have read it but sad that I have because I want to read it again for the first time. I cannot praise this book highly enough. If you like romantic mystery / thriller books then read this, it ticks all the boxes and will keep you enthralled from start to finish.
Let me start of by saying this novel was not my cup of tea. There is nothing wrong with the writing style,plot,characters, or anything else, it just didn’t intrigue me. I also thought there would be more mystery but it ended up being more romance, which is not what i read. I kept catching myself not fully reading but skimming through. I wanted so badly to love this book due to seeing all the positive reviews, but i can’t lie.
I am so happy I have found you!!! I’ve had Tiffany’s books on my TBR for a while now and purchased this book, blindly, off of her website. And I could not be more happy. I’m all for thrillers with lots of suspense and taboo elements. If you’re down to read something along those lines, then pick this book up!
There’s something powerful about an author who can make you feel an immediate connection to a character and their circumstances. That is exactly how I felt towards Allison. Something just took hold of my heart and I found myself crying through the first four chapters. Allison returns to her childhood home after finding out her foster father is dying. What was supposed to be a quick goodbye turns into far more. While at The Dragon (the name of their home) she reconnects with her father and siblings. She also begins putting the pieces together of a mysterious fall she had that facilitated her being removed from the home thirteen years ago. I truly enjoyed The Lucky Ones. It was a story of loss, reconnection and realizing what you could be capable of to help and protect those you love. This was very different than any of the other books I’ve read from Ms. Reisz and would love to read more from her in this genre. While the ending left a bit to be desired IMO it was true to Allison and who she was. I liked that the author didn’t have to wrap it up with a pretty bow just for the sake of it
This is different to her Original Sinner Series, mystery/thriller, family secrets, abuse, murder this book packs a punch.
Foster children who were all written off with brain issues and their foster dad a brain surgeon tries to fix them.
Lots of secrets and lies make this an interesting read.
It is hard to write a review about this book. It is a book full of secrets and twits and turns. And taboo.
It took me a while t get into the book and to finish it. Is it a bad book, no it isn’t but it didn’t appeal to me like some of the other books by Tiffany Reisz did either.