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helen 's review for:
Luck of the Draw
by Kate Clayborn
OOF! This one hit me hard. Full of grief and regret and longing, but also hope and humour and love.
Aiden is a paramedic who’s grieving the death of his brother from a drug overdose. He’s shy and not a great communicator – a grunter. Zoe appears composed and unflappable under pressure but she’s plagued with guilt about her former life as a lawyer, which included a role in Aiden’s brother’s wrongful death settlement. When Zoe goes seeking forgiveness, Aiden asks her to pretend to be his fiancée for his own seeking forgiveness reasons.
A brilliant set-up that hooked me right from the beginning. At first their romance seems impossible, but Clayborn’s brilliant character-work makes you invested in these two likeable people who just want to be forgiven, who find peace and belonging with each other.
I cried thrice: once at the bleak moment (I typed “oh no” on my kindle and then Zoe said it out loud!); once when Zoe seeks comfort from Greer and Kit (the central female friendship is so wonderfully written. Also, it’s February 2021 and I just really miss crying on the sofa with my friends); and once during Aiden’s brilliant grovel.
Aiden is a paramedic who’s grieving the death of his brother from a drug overdose. He’s shy and not a great communicator – a grunter. Zoe appears composed and unflappable under pressure but she’s plagued with guilt about her former life as a lawyer, which included a role in Aiden’s brother’s wrongful death settlement. When Zoe goes seeking forgiveness, Aiden asks her to pretend to be his fiancée for his own seeking forgiveness reasons.
A brilliant set-up that hooked me right from the beginning. At first their romance seems impossible, but Clayborn’s brilliant character-work makes you invested in these two likeable people who just want to be forgiven, who find peace and belonging with each other.
I cried thrice: once at the bleak moment (I typed “oh no” on my kindle and then Zoe said it out loud!); once when Zoe seeks comfort from Greer and Kit (the central female friendship is so wonderfully written. Also, it’s February 2021 and I just really miss crying on the sofa with my friends); and once during Aiden’s brilliant grovel.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Addiction