Just My Luck by Adele Parks

 

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher HQ in exchange for an honest review.

Just My Luck is a fantastic domestic drama book about what happens when one family wins the lottery. That sounds like a fairly simple premise and it is, but therein lies the strength. When Lexi wins 18 million in the lottery, she can't believe her luck. Unfortunately just the week before, she was part of a syndicate with her friends who now feel that they are owed a share of the money. On top of that, her husband seems unable to control his spending and it is causing cracks in the relationship. Determined to use the money for good, Lexi must weigh her own values and desires against those of the people around her.

I wasn't sure going in if this book was a thriller or not, and to be honest I'm still not entirely sure. It lacks 'someone messing with the main character' or other hallmarks of a thriller, but there are definitely twists and turns to be found here and many of the characters have secrets. I think if you usually enjoy thrillers then you should check this out, although be aware it's not entirely typical of the genre.

This book had a great sense of pace and it always felt like there was something going on which was very engaging. The main drama of the book is actually not entirely focused on the syndicate and I very much appreciated that as it would have been a bit weak to drive the whole story. Instead there are a lot of different intricate personal dramas going on and plenty of stories driving the plot, with each character feeling fleshed out and like they had their own motivations. I never quite knew how things were going to play out and that was very enjoyable. My only complaint is that one particular plot point is benched for most of the book and I kept thinking about how interesting it would be to see how the characters involved in that were reacting to what was going on. It felt like a bit of a missed opportunity.

Overall, Just My Luck is a great summer book and a gripping story with a lot to offer a reader. It's not too heavy if you're not a thriller fan but it still manages to create a sense of tension and keep you invested with the story. I'm very glad I took a chance and requested it.

Overall Rating:

Our Little Cruelties by Liz Nugent

 

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Penguin Books (UK) in exchange for an honest review.

Our Little Cruelties is the story of three brothers. In the present day, we know one of them is dead but we don't know which one. Most of the book focuses on flashbacks told from each of the brothers' POVs, building up the relationships between them and the various things they have gone through  in their lives. Luke is a famous popstar, Brian is the deadbeat son with money problems and Will is a filmmaker. Their mother was also a famous singer in her day which albeit was a long time ago. Between all this there is a lot of drama, both public and within the family.

I'm gonna be honest, I was pleasantly surprised by this thriller. I read a lot of thrillers and it's quite hard for one to stand out, but this managed to do it in a really interesting fashion. It is very much a domestic exploration of one family and the intricacies of their relationships to each other. You learn how they respond to each other and betray each other, and this deep character exploration is really what makes this stand out. It's the kind of book which can sound very basic on the surface but it's all about that excellent execution. There were some predictable story beats here but also a lot of unexpected stuff, and it was all woven together nicely.

I will say, I listened to the audiobook and I can't fully recommend it. While it was enjoyable, the similarities between the narrators' voices made it incredibly hard for me to tell when POV swapped, which in turn made the story much harder to follow. For this reason, I only really connected with Luke as a character because it was easiest for me to tell when he was narrating. I'm sure this is entirely down to how I listen to audiobooks though and I think with a physical/ebook version, it would be easy to tell them apart.

There's not much else for me to say except that this book is well worth checking out. It's a strong story with even stronger characters and its sure to hold your attention.

Overall Rating:

.5