Lucky by Kris Bryant
- Publisher: Bold Strokes Books, 2020
- Genre: Romance, LGBTQ+
- Format: Paperback (eARC)
- Page Count: 242 pages
- My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (3/5)
Serena Evans struggled to keep her life afloat. Never did she ever dream of actually winning the lottery when she purchased one ticket on a whim. Suddenly with millions at her disposal, she decided to build Pet Posh Inn to fulfill her dreams of running a pet daycare. When dog-averting Gabrielle Barnes landed the job of designing the inn, she had to stay professional and suck it up if she wanted to make partner at her firm. But to understand her client more, she needed to learn to get closer to dogs. The side effect? She found herself falling for this dog-loving client.
What stood out to me at first was that Bryant only switched POVs at chapter breaks, alternating between Serena and Gabrielle. Having read many books with unclear POV alternations, Lucky had never once made me wonder whose thoughts I was reading at any given moment. It did not read like someone who had never published a third-person narrative novel. I’d say Bryant nailed it on the first try.
I really liked that there were many extremely lovable characters in Lucky. Or maybe they were especially lovable because they were all wonderful lesbian couples. Serena’s besties Chloe and Jackie were always there for her, before, during, and after she won the lottery. Gabrielle’s besties Rosie and Anne and their three kids and pets were very supportive of and helpful to her. Her close friends Piper and Shaylie and their daughter and pets were adorably friendly. This last pair was from Falling, and though I have not read their story yet, I am definitely intrigued after meeting them in Lucky.
Serena and Gabrielle were an unlikely pairing. I did not feel their initial chemistry but along the way I was convinced that they needed to be together. We got to know our mains as they tried to understand each other, and Bryant delivered a great relationship building. The sex scenes were surprisingly sexy. Their emotions and thoughts bounced off the pages and I could feel nothing but trust and love.
As most romances, there were fallouts. While the timelines post-fallout were a little off but still acceptable. I guess everything went too fast after the lottery win and they both just needed some time. All their disastrous situations were very understandable, and I think we also got a glimpse of their power balance. Their relationship felt sufficiently balanced with Gabrielle trying to appease Serena a little more than the other way around, but it worked and very reasonably so. Serena was done putting everyone else before her in life after her difficult childhood and ongoing strained relationship with her mother Diane. I was glad that her mom did not do anything too horrible to take away the pleasure of this reading as I was definitely anxious over the possibility.
One slightly odd thing was that Serena’s family plot line gradually disappeared as the story progressed. Even though her relationship with her mother was bad, the fact that Diane sort of vanished after their last encounter without much explanation felt a little incomplete. The secondary romance going on with Serena’s sister Faith also faded away, leaving me wondering how everything was going for her.
Apart from the actual story, I have so many questions about the cover of this book. And also the synopsis. I don’t think Gabrielle couldn’t figure out why anyone would spend a fortune on a pet project. She was just terrified of the idea of dogs. And I am not even going to start on the cover aesthetics.
Lucky, a cute story between a down-to-earth lottery winner and a relatively privileged architect, is worth reading. It is impossible not to feel drawn toward Serena and Gabrielle, and all the fur babies involved. [5 Jun 2020]
I received an e-ARC from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
