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3.31 AVERAGE
3.31 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Actual rating 3 and 3/4 stars.
I went into this book with mixed feelings… on the one hand – I love Kasie West novels! They are always a light romcom, quick easy reads. Immediate satisfaction and a candy coated escape. In the other… Reading ‘By Your Side’ left a lack-luster feeling with her writing with the premise of the novel resting on treacherous ground. But ‘Lucky in Love’ proved to be another West-styled novel worthy of a sunny afternoon lounging in the sun.
I will say that it is the first book that had me frustrated for most of its entirety – but for some good reasons. The characters are flawed. The protagonist Maddie is a little naïve and too trusting causing her to make some shaky decisions. So while I wanted to scream at the book for Maddie to wake the hell up, it had me engaged and mostly invested in her story. It was a fine line between disinterest because she was acting like a flake, and hoping she would wake up… and seeing how she would handle the situation.
Perseverance is the key. I really enjoyed the journey ‘Lucky in Love’ takes us. We get a dysfunctional family, struggling with finances and life, best friends and new friends clashing, an adorable love interest, and the perfect setting – a zoo! Who doesn’t love the zoo? And Maddie’s obsession with the anteater is endearing.
While I got very annoyed at some of the decisions Maddie was taking after her big lotto win, I appreciated the world she was flung into, how she navigated this new landscape. And let’s face it – she’s a teenage millionaire – who wouldn’t go a little nuts? I would be terrified to have that kind of responsibility, and I love the emotional rollercoaster Maddie went on dealing with her windfall. It can certainly open new doors, test old relationships, and bring out the best, and worst in people.
Maddie’s parents did feel a little superfluous. I enjoyed their story arc, but they never felt like they were necessarily parenting her. My first reaction would have been to educate Maddie and get her in to see a financial professional before the money even hit her account. But that’s me – too sensible for my own good sometimes. So I had a little gripe with these authority figures: I wanted more, well authority.
Maddie’s brother, Beau reminded me of every teenage boy I ever wanted to kick up the butt. While endearing, he still managed to draw out those frustrated feeling that we get from boys at times – like they are from a different planet, and what the hell were they thinking? But it was nice to see the sibling dynamic work, and it was the one saving grace for Beau in my eyes.
Elise and Blair, Maddies best friends felt like her voice of reason; compared to her new friend, Trina, who seemed to be the serpent offering the apple in the Garden of Eden. I have to say, I love how West used these characters in the story. It’s really worth getting to the end of the book to find out what happens.
And finally, Seth, or Zoo Seth. Co-worker at the zoo. Dorky, penny collecting for luck boyfriend material Seth. I instantly liked him and felt he had that air of a true old fashioned gentleman. I feel if he wasn’t present in this story it would have been a disaster. It was like he was the lynchpin for the plot to rotate around. A fixed point for Maddie to return to when her life was spiralling out of control. Because he loves control.
Yes it is all drama-filled and spoony. But that is exactly what West’s novels are. Gorgeously fluffy romances meant for entertainment and a contented sigh at the end.
The writing style and pacing are easy and engaging, I managed to consume the novel in half a day. And I’d definitely recommend this to lovers of romance, YA and West-o-philes.
The cover art sticks with the tradition of her previous novels – two young models in a cheesy pose, love hearts abound, and an element taken from somewhere in the story (a carousel.) It certainly harks exactly what is between the pages, a cutesy romance not to be taken too seriously, but to enjoy and indulge.
Looking forward to her next few releases ‘Love, Life and the List,’ ‘Listen to Your Heart,’ and ‘The Sun, the Moon, and the Truth.’
I went into this book with mixed feelings… on the one hand – I love Kasie West novels! They are always a light romcom, quick easy reads. Immediate satisfaction and a candy coated escape. In the other… Reading ‘By Your Side’ left a lack-luster feeling with her writing with the premise of the novel resting on treacherous ground. But ‘Lucky in Love’ proved to be another West-styled novel worthy of a sunny afternoon lounging in the sun.
I will say that it is the first book that had me frustrated for most of its entirety – but for some good reasons. The characters are flawed. The protagonist Maddie is a little naïve and too trusting causing her to make some shaky decisions. So while I wanted to scream at the book for Maddie to wake the hell up, it had me engaged and mostly invested in her story. It was a fine line between disinterest because she was acting like a flake, and hoping she would wake up… and seeing how she would handle the situation.
Perseverance is the key. I really enjoyed the journey ‘Lucky in Love’ takes us. We get a dysfunctional family, struggling with finances and life, best friends and new friends clashing, an adorable love interest, and the perfect setting – a zoo! Who doesn’t love the zoo? And Maddie’s obsession with the anteater is endearing.
While I got very annoyed at some of the decisions Maddie was taking after her big lotto win, I appreciated the world she was flung into, how she navigated this new landscape. And let’s face it – she’s a teenage millionaire – who wouldn’t go a little nuts? I would be terrified to have that kind of responsibility, and I love the emotional rollercoaster Maddie went on dealing with her windfall. It can certainly open new doors, test old relationships, and bring out the best, and worst in people.
Maddie’s parents did feel a little superfluous. I enjoyed their story arc, but they never felt like they were necessarily parenting her. My first reaction would have been to educate Maddie and get her in to see a financial professional before the money even hit her account. But that’s me – too sensible for my own good sometimes. So I had a little gripe with these authority figures: I wanted more, well authority.
Maddie’s brother, Beau reminded me of every teenage boy I ever wanted to kick up the butt. While endearing, he still managed to draw out those frustrated feeling that we get from boys at times – like they are from a different planet, and what the hell were they thinking? But it was nice to see the sibling dynamic work, and it was the one saving grace for Beau in my eyes.
Elise and Blair, Maddies best friends felt like her voice of reason; compared to her new friend, Trina, who seemed to be the serpent offering the apple in the Garden of Eden. I have to say, I love how West used these characters in the story. It’s really worth getting to the end of the book to find out what happens.
And finally, Seth, or Zoo Seth. Co-worker at the zoo. Dorky, penny collecting for luck boyfriend material Seth. I instantly liked him and felt he had that air of a true old fashioned gentleman. I feel if he wasn’t present in this story it would have been a disaster. It was like he was the lynchpin for the plot to rotate around. A fixed point for Maddie to return to when her life was spiralling out of control. Because he loves control.
Yes it is all drama-filled and spoony. But that is exactly what West’s novels are. Gorgeously fluffy romances meant for entertainment and a contented sigh at the end.
The writing style and pacing are easy and engaging, I managed to consume the novel in half a day. And I’d definitely recommend this to lovers of romance, YA and West-o-philes.
The cover art sticks with the tradition of her previous novels – two young models in a cheesy pose, love hearts abound, and an element taken from somewhere in the story (a carousel.) It certainly harks exactly what is between the pages, a cutesy romance not to be taken too seriously, but to enjoy and indulge.
Looking forward to her next few releases ‘Love, Life and the List,’ ‘Listen to Your Heart,’ and ‘The Sun, the Moon, and the Truth.’
2,75*
Ach man, ich werde nie von Wests Büchern los kommen xD es gibt immer, IMMER eine Menge Sachen, die mich stören, aber auch immer diese zuckersüßen Pärchen, die diese süßen Sachen für einander machen und 🙃
Ach man, ich werde nie von Wests Büchern los kommen xD es gibt immer, IMMER eine Menge Sachen, die mich stören, aber auch immer diese zuckersüßen Pärchen, die diese süßen Sachen für einander machen und 🙃
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
I'm finding that a pattern here with Kasie West contemporaries in that I cannot quite pinpoint what is underwhelming me about them. The story itself does pick up in the last quarter of it, but it's like most of the book doesn't even matter. It's almost like it's tedious to read the set up that brings you to the end. The main characters always make a ridiculous assumption and then have to deal with the fallout of that as the major climax of the story. I feel like there is no real character growth at all.
This story follows Maddie who has just won 50 million in the lottery. She basically starts wasting all her money immediately (before she even has the money, she starts spending it, as does her family). She makes some really crappy decisions even though she is supposedly this strict Type-A planner type of person. I did really enjoy the love interest and their interactions, but it was just kind of underwhelming.
I'm finding that a pattern here with Kasie West contemporaries in that I cannot quite pinpoint what is underwhelming me about them. The story itself does pick up in the last quarter of it, but it's like most of the book doesn't even matter. It's almost like it's tedious to read the set up that brings you to the end. The main characters always make a ridiculous assumption and then have to deal with the fallout of that as the major climax of the story. I feel like there is no real character growth at all.
This story follows Maddie who has just won 50 million in the lottery. She basically starts wasting all her money immediately (before she even has the money, she starts spending it, as does her family). She makes some really crappy decisions even though she is supposedly this strict Type-A planner type of person. I did really enjoy the love interest and their interactions, but it was just kind of underwhelming.
Pretty cute, although some of the ways the money was being spent was bothering me.
Content wise there were a few innuendos but no swear words.
Content wise there were a few innuendos but no swear words.
This was a fun little read about a lottery win. Whilst I had a problem with Maddie flinging money willingly to herself and other people, I was expecting the money to end, turns out it was kind of fine in the end. I was skeptical of Blaire's friendship with Maddie because I found her a little too judgmental and competitive, I’m glad to know she was a true friend at the end. In a way, Trina too. Seth was sweet and the characters felt real. Well, most of them. I cannot wait to read the rest of this author's collection.
An absolutely adorable book featuring characters with more than a baseline plot, which is refreshing for a high-school romance tale. I love the obsession with anteaters and random tid-bits of information.
I was so excited for this book when I heard about it. I've read a few of Kasie's books and I absolutely loved them. So when I got a chance to read Lucky in Love, I was ecstatic. Unfortunately, I was not lucky enough to fall in love with this book. I liked it okay, but I have quite a few problems with this book.
Maddie, our main character, is likable. She's smart. She works hard for what she wants, and has a close group of friends. But once she wins the lottery and has $30+ million at her disposal, she makes a lot of bad decisions. She says she'll go see a financial advisor as soon as the money comes through, yet she puts it off over and over again. She lets people talk her into giving them money for the stupidest things. The more bad decisions Maddie made, the slower I found myself reading. I have very little patience for stupidity, and Maddie is just so darn trusting and gullible. When I had about 50 pages left, I seriously considered not finishing because I just couldn't deal with Maddie any more.
The crazy thing is, though Maddie's instincts when it comes to giving people money absolutely suck, her instincts about people in general are pretty spot on. Which makes it so much more difficult to believe that she's making such bad choices. I fully believe that she has the best intentions, and that she just needs a little help. Nevertheless, it was still tough to read. A contemporary that's as long as Lucky in Love takes me less than a day to read usually. This, however, took me three whole days to get through.
There were some redeeming aspects to Maddie. She does give each of her parents and her brother a million dollars apiece, to help with their financial struggles. She thinks that this will fix all of her problems (i.e. her parents' marital issues and her brother's depression over not being able to continue college because of money), and while the money makes things better for a while, it's only a temporary fix.
I did really like the romance in this book, which is probably why I rated this book as high as I did. I loved that Seth and Maddie didn't have instalove, and their romance developed throughout the course of the entire novel. Their romance is really cute, and gave me all of the feels.
Overall, I didn't hate this book, but I wanted to smack some sense into Maddie so many times that it made it a bit difficult to get through at times. I give Lucky in Love 3/5 stars. Definitely not my favorite book of Kasie West's.
Maddie, our main character, is likable. She's smart. She works hard for what she wants, and has a close group of friends. But once she wins the lottery and has $30+ million at her disposal, she makes a lot of bad decisions. She says she'll go see a financial advisor as soon as the money comes through, yet she puts it off over and over again. She lets people talk her into giving them money for the stupidest things. The more bad decisions Maddie made, the slower I found myself reading. I have very little patience for stupidity, and Maddie is just so darn trusting and gullible. When I had about 50 pages left, I seriously considered not finishing because I just couldn't deal with Maddie any more.
The crazy thing is, though Maddie's instincts when it comes to giving people money absolutely suck, her instincts about people in general are pretty spot on. Which makes it so much more difficult to believe that she's making such bad choices. I fully believe that she has the best intentions, and that she just needs a little help. Nevertheless, it was still tough to read. A contemporary that's as long as Lucky in Love takes me less than a day to read usually. This, however, took me three whole days to get through.
There were some redeeming aspects to Maddie. She does give each of her parents and her brother a million dollars apiece, to help with their financial struggles. She thinks that this will fix all of her problems (i.e. her parents' marital issues and her brother's depression over not being able to continue college because of money), and while the money makes things better for a while, it's only a temporary fix.
I did really like the romance in this book, which is probably why I rated this book as high as I did. I loved that Seth and Maddie didn't have instalove, and their romance developed throughout the course of the entire novel. Their romance is really cute, and gave me all of the feels.
Overall, I didn't hate this book, but I wanted to smack some sense into Maddie so many times that it made it a bit difficult to get through at times. I give Lucky in Love 3/5 stars. Definitely not my favorite book of Kasie West's.