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Review of Lucky in Love

07.19.2017 by Jen Ryland // 22 Comments

Review: Lucky in Love - original photo of the book cover by Jen RylandReview: Lucky in Love

by Kasie West

To be published on July 25, 2017 by Point

Synopsis from Goodreads: Maddie doesn’t believe in luck. She’s all about hard work and planning ahead. But one night, on a whim, she buys a lottery ticket. And then, to her astonishment — she wins!
In a flash, Maddie’s life is unrecognizable. No more stressing about college scholarships. Suddenly, she’s talking about renting a yacht. And being in the spotlight at school is fun… until rumors start flying, and random people ask her for loans. Now, Maddie isn’t sure who she can trust. Except for Seth Nguyen, her funny, charming coworker at the local zoo. Seth doesn’t seem aware of Maddie’s big news. And, for some reason, she doesn’t want to tell him. But what will happen if he learns her secret?

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My review of Lucky in Love:

Kasie West has written a cute contemporary that’s an ideal summer read. While I didn’t find it perfect, there was a lot to like.

Maddie is a (supposedly) responsible girl who’s laser- focused on college and her future. But then, on her eighteenth birthday, she impulsively buys a lottery ticket, and her whole life is changed – and not necessarily for the better.

I think my favorite part of Lucky in Love was the way it showed how Maddie’s life gets turned upside-down after she wins the lottery.

One minute, she’s volunteering at the zoo with Seth, her cute co-worker, and the next, she’s gifting huge amounts of money to friends and family. Can money buy happiness? Does money change relationship dynamics in sometimes unexpected and unpleasant ways? No and yes.  I felt bad for Maddie because she seemed to be the only adult in her family, and when she won the money, she didn’t really have anyone to give her solid advice. I also loved the scenes of her working at the zoo. All West’s comtemporaries feature romances that are PG-rated, making her books a good pick for tweens as well as older YA readers. On the negative side, the romantic connection in this book between Maddie and Seth was a little underwhelming – maybe there was just too much else going on?

In short: Lucky in Love is a cute contemporary that’s on the fluffier and more PG side, but still worth a read if that is what you are looking for.

Looking for more YA rom coms? Here are all my favorites in one place!

Categories // Reviews Tags // YA, YA contemporary, YA romance

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Since 2011, I have been guiding avid readers toward books they will love and offering a friendly place to discuss them. I publish honest reviews that will help you decide if a book is right for you! Let's talk books! See my full bio!

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