Reviews

Luck and Last Resorts by Sarah Grunder Ruiz

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emilyedith's review against another edition

The fmc had no depth and was just kind of mean? The mmc seemed nice enough but also boring. I didn’t care about either of them enough to be interested in continuing.

nmann's review

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challenging emotional funny hopeful slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I found this book a bit more challenging to read compared to the first in the series (Love, Lists & Fancy Ships), due to my annoyance with the main character, Nina. Ultimately I get it, but it just felt like very little growth from her until the very end, so it was a bit of a slog. Her efforts to turn Ollie away to "save" him from her came across too mean in parts - her remarks too cutting and a little immature- which I think is what kept me from breezing through this book and also kept this from being a 5 star read for me. Maybe having an Ollie POV would have helped?

Otherwise - loved it. Once again, love the Below Deck-vibe (ummm, character resemblances to Kate, Ben and Captain Lee?!?), and loved the witty banter, and the undeniable chemistry and love between Nina and Ollie (part of why Nina's intense commitment issues were so frustrating!) Ollie was very sweet and honestly a saint for holding out for Nina for so long!

Typically I'm not a fan of dual timelines, but it worked in this book for me, for whatever reason.

I'm really looking forward to the next in the series - although a little sad that it doesn't sound like it will take place on a yacht! Will miss the Below Deck atmosphere.

amacsuga's review against another edition

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4.0

"There was no fear, only light."

Oh, this book made me feel all the things. What a solid, solid, prequel. Although this could be a stand-alone novel, I would recommend reading [b:Love, Lists, and Fancy Ships|57282242|Love, Lists, and Fancy Ships (Love, Lists & Fancy Ships, #1)|Sarah Grunder Ruiz|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1615912487l/57282242._SX50_.jpg|88375550] first to really get the full effect of the backstory. Although, I didn't relate to Nina as much as I did Jo, I was drawn to her story. Yes, the times she got in her own way were frustrating. There were many times I wished I could have shaken some sense into her, but ultimately, I could tell she was doing her best with the cards she was dealt. Ruiz continues to do a great job bringing life and depth to her characters and really balancing the hard-to-talk-about topics with lighthearted banter and romance. I'm hooked!

4/5 stars

kelliejohnson19's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

sophiacapeles's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

ckreads28's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The banter in this book is top tier. The gymnastic references through this book with Nina was everything. Ollie's accent was everything and I fell for him. Both Dunn brothers are now everything to me now even though I read the third book first.

This book has tropes I've fallen for such as marriage of convenience to the found family in the crew.

Now onto Ollie and Nina together I love his nickname for her and that they can call out each other's habits.

This book also deals with important themes and struggle such as dealing with a parent with an addiction and a parent that was abusive. The aftermath of the burden it can way and how it affects us as an adult.

Although normally a third act can drive me crazy, Nina took the time during it to truly work on herself and her issues. Something that people even in real life don't take the time to do. It wasn't just for Ollie but the main reason she did it was to work on herself and her issues.

Now that I read the series this will be a series I will be buying and pushing on every one of romance reader friends. I also need more to be written by this author, Sarah Grunder Ruiz, is now going to be an auto read author from here on out.