Just My Luck - Adele Parks

It's the stuff dreams are made of - a lottery win so big, it changes everything.

For fifteen years, Lexi and Jake have played the same six numbers with their friends, the Pearsons and the Heathcotes. Over dinner parties, fish & chip suppers and summer barbecues, they've discussed the important stuff - the kids, marriages, jobs and houses - and they've laughed off their disappointment when they failed to win anything more than a tenner.

But then, one Saturday night, the unthinkable happens. There's a rift in the group. Someone doesn't tell the truth. And soon after, six numbers come up which change everything forever.

Lexi and Jake have a ticket worth £18 million. And their friends are determined to claim a share of it.

Sunday Times bestseller Adele Parks returns with a riveting look at the dark side of wealth in this gripping take on friendship, money and betrayal, and good luck gone bad...

My Review:

They say, ‘be careful what you wish for’ and this book encapsulates that perfectly. This twisted tale of greed and betrayal will have you on the edge of your seat, highlighting the appalling lows that some people would stoop to because of greed.

You would thinking hitting the jackpot would bring you endless happiness and you wouldn’t have to worry about a thing ever again – how wrong this can be,

Full of backstabbing, this group of characters are willing to pay each other off, lie, cheat and steal to get their hands on what they believe is rightly theirs; years of friendship and loyalty goes out the window and leaves some wondering who they can actually trust anymore. I enjoyed how it made you think, asking yourself those moral questions that if you were in this position how you would cope.

I liked Lexi; she is calm, not wanting to be extravagant and mindful of others. She wants to use the money to help others, selfless and not at all greedy unlike those around her who get carried away very quickly. Jake seems to change for the worse instantly, flashing the cash and showing off.

There is so much to this story, I had some ideas of what could happen as I read through, but I wasn’t expecting the darker twists along the way, with some dramatic, emotional scenes.

As with all of Adele Parks’ books the writing keeps you engaged, it’s full of emotion with characters you feel strongly about. I think at times you get swept away with the lavish lifestyle that the money can create, so the inclusion of Toma and his story balances perfectly. He is suffering, handling loss and grief, desperate to find justice for his wife and child.

A surprisingly dark tale spun from what many may dream to be the best moment of their lives. I recommend this one completely. An Adele Parks fan, I never fail to enjoy her writing, this is her 20^th book in 20 years – an amazing achievement and testament to her storytelling skills. I look forward to what will come next.