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1943tre's review against another edition
5.0
What Kate Clayborn can do in only 240 pages is sickening, truly. I'd been saving this book for a rainy day--it's the only book by her I hadn't read yet, and I wanted to save it until I really needed it, knowing I can't get another fix until next spring. I needed it, and she delivered.
I didn't love the first book, Kit/Ben's story, in the Chance of a Lifetime series, but I loved the second, and now I love the final. NO ONE does tenderness like KC. The emotions, the character work, the steam––it's all so expert. This story centers around Greer, a social work student with some chronic health issues, and Alex, her best friend's older brother, a photojournalist dealing with panic disorder. They have very little in common, except they fit so beautifully together. As Greer describes it, when she's with him she wants to "Press Play," and when he's with her, she's his "Pause." It's really lovely. They provide each other exactly what the other needs.
The scenes where they're not together were slower for me, but when they WERE together, it was electric. The scene where they photographed a lady bug together––such a quiet, mundane moment––was somehow super sweet and sexy and meaningful. The first kiss, delicious. The sex scenes steamy, but understated. The make-up after the third act conflict? Tear-jerking and well-earned. Every time Alex said "sweetheart"? God my stomach flipped.
KC's one of the most talented romance writers around, and I will not rest until more people give her the credit she deserves! The second book in this series, Luck of the Draw, miiiiight be my favorite, but Best of Luck takes a close second.
I didn't love the first book, Kit/Ben's story, in the Chance of a Lifetime series, but I loved the second, and now I love the final. NO ONE does tenderness like KC. The emotions, the character work, the steam––it's all so expert. This story centers around Greer, a social work student with some chronic health issues, and Alex, her best friend's older brother, a photojournalist dealing with panic disorder. They have very little in common, except they fit so beautifully together. As Greer describes it, when she's with him she wants to "Press Play," and when he's with her, she's his "Pause." It's really lovely. They provide each other exactly what the other needs.
The scenes where they're not together were slower for me, but when they WERE together, it was electric. The scene where they photographed a lady bug together––such a quiet, mundane moment––was somehow super sweet and sexy and meaningful. The first kiss, delicious. The sex scenes steamy, but understated. The make-up after the third act conflict? Tear-jerking and well-earned. Every time Alex said "sweetheart"? God my stomach flipped.
KC's one of the most talented romance writers around, and I will not rest until more people give her the credit she deserves! The second book in this series, Luck of the Draw, miiiiight be my favorite, but Best of Luck takes a close second.
nssutton's review against another edition
5.0
I had been saving this, my last Kate Clayborn, in case of emergency and I think this past week qualified. Was as pleased with Greer and Alex’s story as I was sad to see this series end.
bandherbooks's review against another edition
5.0
My gosh, this series. Kate Clayborn is on my auto-buy list now.
I basically ignored my family all morning so I could absorb myself in Greer and Alex's romance. The way Clayborn can build tension is just masterful. I couldn't put it down. I mean, a scene involving a basically chaste photography lesson with a ladybug gave me real pants-feelings to borrow a fab phrase from Greer.
Alex is a dreamboat and I loved seeing his mental health journey which is kicked off by Greer's urging but isn't solved by their relationship. And wow, I wish I could have a Patricia for my therapist!
The relationship between the three women is also just standout and exemplary. I'm also blessed with a core crew of women who are my own Zoe and Kit.
Can't recommend these books enough!
I listened to Best of Luck on audio, and I am officially in love with both narrators, Carly Robinson and Will Dameron, and I will definitely be searching out other books with their voices. Kate Clayborn is a master at making you ache for that first touch, that first kiss, that first time. What an enchanting way to spend my commute and I cannot wait for more from this author!
I basically ignored my family all morning so I could absorb myself in Greer and Alex's romance. The way Clayborn can build tension is just masterful. I couldn't put it down. I mean, a scene involving a basically chaste photography lesson with a ladybug gave me real pants-feelings to borrow a fab phrase from Greer.
Alex is a dreamboat and I loved seeing his mental health journey which is kicked off by Greer's urging but isn't solved by their relationship. And wow, I wish I could have a Patricia for my therapist!
The relationship between the three women is also just standout and exemplary. I'm also blessed with a core crew of women who are my own Zoe and Kit.
Can't recommend these books enough!
I listened to Best of Luck on audio, and I am officially in love with both narrators, Carly Robinson and Will Dameron, and I will definitely be searching out other books with their voices. Kate Clayborn is a master at making you ache for that first touch, that first kiss, that first time. What an enchanting way to spend my commute and I cannot wait for more from this author!
sarahcophagus's review against another edition
4.0
What I love about all of the main characters in this series is how real and fleshed out they feel. Both of the MCs have a lot of issues that they are working through and this book doesn’t give them any shortcuts to get to where they need to go: Greer’s complicated history with asking for help followed receiving too much help out of guilt, and Alex seeking therapy to deal with his childhood trauma and panic attacks. Alex and Greer complimented each other well. And the third act conflict fit really well with this story: . My only big hangup in this book was with Alex’s therapist, who is a non active, but former longtime therapist of Greer’s that really helped her when she felt her pain was invisible. Greer doesn’t tell Alex this right away that she used to see his therapist, which is very shady especially since Alex talks to his therapist a lot about Greer. At one point the therapist even gives “not your therapist” advice to Alex regarding Greer. It got my hackles up that a conversation like that could even possibly happen. It would have gone monumentally smoother for me had Alex found a therapist with no personal connection or investment in the woman he was interested in romantically.
Spoiler
Alex, who is a problem solver and protective caregiver for his sister by default, tries to protect Greer too much and offers to give up too much for her when she’s sick of her loved one’s overprotectiveness. Which makes Greer push him away. I thought this was a really good conflict that both characters had to find a workable compromise and grow fromashleycornelius's review against another edition
3.0
A very fun book, I enjoyed the characters and the romance.
cjcarnes's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed the “Chance of a Lifetime” series. As a huge fan of “Love Lettering”, I was excited to read Kate Clayborn’s earlier romances. While I still think Love Lettering is a stronger standalone, this “lucky” universe was fun to live in for awhile.
jove64's review against another edition
5.0
This whole series has been excellent and the 3rd one did not disappoint. The overall theme of this one is freedom in all it's complexity. How do you have freedom in relationship? Also worth noting that one of the main characters has a chronic illness and the other has an anxiety disorder. Both are treated really well.
falulatonks's review against another edition
5.0
2022 reread: I was right!!
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FULL 5 stars - I had to knock down my rating of Book #2 because while I LIKED that book a lot (and the first one too!), I adored this. I think the best thing about this was Clayborn's writing - I'm not sure if I got used to her style, or if she got better over the series, but there were beats and little turns of phrase in this that gorgeously captured things I love about good romance writing, with a different spin to it. It helps that 'best friend's older brother' is a trope I generally really dig, and I really dug that this one didn't have them growing up alongside each other - it made the approach to them different, and honestly more mature than books with the trope usually manage.
I also thought both leads were enormously likable and so easy to root for, and their issues felt like things they could work at, that they could get better with, while still feeling tough at the same time - which I think isn't always easy for characters with internal conflicts. And sometimes the way you get better is talking things out, or lbr, finding a therapist (!), and I loved so much that this book did that.
Finally, the build to the climactic conflict felt good and well-paced enough that getting to it absolutely knocked me out and made me feel achy, and made me sympathise so much with both of them? That achiness, btw, is the thing I found most missing in the first two books - I appreciated them a lot, but it didn't bridge the last little gap I like having crossed when I'm reading romance. With this one, Clayborn not only knew what she was aiming for, she pitched it exactly right - no melodrama, nothing OTT, but earnest and simple and real.
Loved it. I can't wait for more from this author, and I super can't wait to reread this one a few months from now.
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FULL 5 stars - I had to knock down my rating of Book #2 because while I LIKED that book a lot (and the first one too!), I adored this. I think the best thing about this was Clayborn's writing - I'm not sure if I got used to her style, or if she got better over the series, but there were beats and little turns of phrase in this that gorgeously captured things I love about good romance writing, with a different spin to it. It helps that 'best friend's older brother' is a trope I generally really dig, and I really dug that this one didn't have them growing up alongside each other - it made the approach to them different, and honestly more mature than books with the trope usually manage.
I also thought both leads were enormously likable and so easy to root for, and their issues felt like things they could work at, that they could get better with, while still feeling tough at the same time - which I think isn't always easy for characters with internal conflicts. And sometimes the way you get better is talking things out, or lbr, finding a therapist (!), and I loved so much that this book did that.
Finally, the build to the climactic conflict felt good and well-paced enough that getting to it absolutely knocked me out and made me feel achy, and made me sympathise so much with both of them? That achiness, btw, is the thing I found most missing in the first two books - I appreciated them a lot, but it didn't bridge the last little gap I like having crossed when I'm reading romance. With this one, Clayborn not only knew what she was aiming for, she pitched it exactly right - no melodrama, nothing OTT, but earnest and simple and real.
Loved it. I can't wait for more from this author, and I super can't wait to reread this one a few months from now.
yourkindredreader's review against another edition
5.0
I had read the first two books from the Chance of A Lifetime series ahead of this book. It took me a few weeks before reading this last one because I didn't feel like saying goodbye to these characters after reading the first two books one after the other. I also had a feeling I would enjoy the last one the most and didn't want to rush it. And my gut feeling was right. This book is so beautiful.
This book is centered on Greer and Alex. Greer was on her way to graduating when she found out she was missing a credit required to graduate. At the same time, Alex, the brother of Greer's best friend Kit, was in town for Kit's wedding. After witnessing Alex going through something quite personal, Greer had suggested a few things to him that might help and also took a chance to ask him for help on her missing credits.
What I like about this book was that both characters seem so different yet similar. I like how the author described what they were thinking and I really felt the mood the author was trying to evoke. The tone of the books is very similar to the two previous books too which for me was a good thing.
But what I love, absolutely love, was Adam's love for his sister Kit. This book is a stand-alone, but I recommend reading Beginner's Luck. Kit described her brother with so much love and admiration in her book and then when I read this book, I understood... and I felt what she meant. When Alex described that first moment he saw his younger sister, I bawled. Now that I thought about it, I was pretty emotional every time he described the things did for his sister. So that moment when Alex opened up to her, I felt very happy and proud.
So yeah. Totally recommending this book. And the whole series. Kit, Zoe, and Greer had a very beautiful friendship. They are like family, but what really is so great about their friendship is that they are all very encouraging with one another and would never make someone do something they don't feel like doing. They give one another the best pep talk, and yet call out one another on their lies.
This book is centered on Greer and Alex. Greer was on her way to graduating when she found out she was missing a credit required to graduate. At the same time, Alex, the brother of Greer's best friend Kit, was in town for Kit's wedding. After witnessing Alex going through something quite personal, Greer had suggested a few things to him that might help and also took a chance to ask him for help on her missing credits.
What I like about this book was that both characters seem so different yet similar. I like how the author described what they were thinking and I really felt the mood the author was trying to evoke. The tone of the books is very similar to the two previous books too which for me was a good thing.
But what I love, absolutely love, was Adam's love for his sister Kit. This book is a stand-alone, but I recommend reading Beginner's Luck. Kit described her brother with so much love and admiration in her book and then when I read this book, I understood... and I felt what she meant. When Alex described that first moment he saw his younger sister, I bawled. Now that I thought about it, I was pretty emotional every time he described the things did for his sister. So that moment when Alex opened up to her, I felt very happy and proud.
So yeah. Totally recommending this book. And the whole series. Kit, Zoe, and Greer had a very beautiful friendship. They are like family, but what really is so great about their friendship is that they are all very encouraging with one another and would never make someone do something they don't feel like doing. They give one another the best pep talk, and yet call out one another on their lies.