June book club: Just My Luck by Adele Parks

Mapleleaf

I really enjoyed this book. I agree that it was far fetched in some respects, however, I thought it was a very interesting exploration of human behaviour and how sudden wealth might affect the recipients.
The last chapter was the final, good twist.

I'd like to ask Adele if she did a lot of research into lottery wins and the effect they have had on different winners?

I did do a lot of research. I didn’t come across anyone exactly like Jake though, he’s a figment of my dreadful imagination! I was startled by the range of reactions that I encountered when meeting big-winners. The press report a lot on the ruinous effect of the lottery but I also found there were a number of people who quietly got on with their lives and put the money to good.

Maggiemaybe

Thank you again for the opportunity to read this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Some aspects of the plot were unlikely and exaggerated, but I'm afraid a book would be pretty predictable if it reflected the everyday life of people like me, even if we were lucky enough to win the lottery. The family's adventures following the win did give me pause for thought, and I must say that if we hadn't already got our family syndicate all set up and registered online, including the "no publicity" clause, I'd be getting it sorted out straightaway after reading this! I liked the main character and was rooting for her throughout, so the ending was for me just what I would have wanted. The twist was unexpected, and did give me a bit of a jolt, but we're all human, aren't we?

I'd like to thank the writer for an entertaining read, and ask her who her own favourite author is, and which authors, if any, have been an influence on her work.

Thank you so much! I’m glad you were entertained! I really struggle to answer the question of favourite author because there are so many authors that I admire! I averagely read a book a week and have throughout my adult life, so I think I’ve been influenced by countless authors but none in particular. I used to read a lot of classics but now I tend to read contemporary novels; many of the authors are friends of mine. Please don’t ask me to pick a favourite!

Buddie

I am sure anyone who has ever bought a lottery ticket has spent some time dreaming of what great riches might allow them to do.
I enjoyed Just My Luck and found it an easy read with great page-turning cliff-hangers to keep me reading long after I intended turning out the light at night. However, as the story progressed, and another little secret crept out - or leapt out in some cases - I did wonder if it was quite credible for quite so many issues to affect one family. All the stories linked up and were resolved but there was one jump in the story which I won't share so as not to spoil it for those yet to finish, which I found a step too far.
Although the book largely follows the story through Lexi's eyes there are times when the story switches to a different viewpoint, a device used by the writer in an earlier novel of hers I have read, Spare Brides. My question for Adele Parks would be about this use of extra viewpoints within a novel. Does she think it could have worked without the change and is it a device she favors for future novels?

I’m very interested in multiple viewpoints and most of my novels are written from several different points of view. I think it is incredible how two people can experience something together and yet remember or feel it in a completely different way, I like investigating that phenomenon as an author. I also like the device of multiple narrators because I think it gives the reader a kick knowing they know more than the characters; it’s fun and can add to the tension.

gillyknits

A very thought provoking book about a large Lottery win. Made me wonder how I’d react to such a win. I found the first few chapters made me feel uncomfortable especially the rejection of the other syndicate members and what happened to Emily at school.
I felt that the character of Jake was very unlikeable and this made me wonder why Lexi hadn’t spotted all his awful traits before the lottery win. ( a bit unbelievable.) I also thought Emily’s chapters weren’t really written in fifteen year old’s language. (Very adult concepts in places.)
Apart from this, I did actually enjoy the book and the twists and turns of the plot. A good book for a holiday read .
My question for Adele is, what would she spend the money on if she won the lottery?

We have talked about this a lot during the writing of the book! We’ve had great fun imagining how much we’d give away, what we might treat ourselves to etc. If I won a similar amount to Jake and Lexi I’d really hope I didn’t become consumed with greed! I think I’d probably use my money to set up my son, my nieces and nephew in starter homes. I think what I learnt during the research of the book is you need to bring your nearest and dearest in on the luck! I’d see that my cousins were OK too. I would donate to the charities that are close to my heart and I’d travel (Covid permitting). I’m not interested in designer clothes and I wouldn’t want to move house. That all sounds so sensible so I ought to admit my husband would be fully expecting a Porche Taycan, which start at over £85k!

Candelle

Thank you for my copy of Adele Parks' 'Just My Luck', received very late in the month, hence apologies for a late-ish review.

The book led me quickly to what I thought was a fairly straight-forward story-line of greed revolving around a lottery win but as the book progressed, the twists and turns began to come thick and fast.

I did have an small inkling about the Greenwoods but as Lexi was a holier-than-thou philanthropist I dismissed it. Presumably the enormous gift to Toma was to salve her conscience as I couldn't really understand why she would endow him with so much money.

The book must have been successful as I gasped out loud:
'what's the matter?' asked my husband when the extent of the kidnappers was revealed on page 361. I didn't guess.

The final chapter was, of course, very telling too and proved my fleeting inkling was correct. The story was well told and kept my attention (although the party was perhaps slightly too detailed) throughout.

I will happily read another book by Adele Parks!

My questions to Adele Parks are: how on earth do you manage to produce one book each year and sustain your output? Do you have a strict daily writing regime and treat your day as if you work office-hours? How do your plots come to you?

Honestly, I’m a bit of a workaholic. I LOVE my work. Writing is a dream come true for me so I’m never happier than when I am writing which means the output isn’t an issue. I do follow a strict regime and write (or do something related to my job – like promote) five days a week, nine to five (ish). I see it as a full-time job. Above and beyond those hours I read and think about plots pretty much around the clock. My dad once said to me ‘If you can make your hobby into your job, you’ll never work a day in your life’. I think he was right. I technically work every day of my life, but it doesn’t feel like work.

rocketstop

Wow Adele..what a scary book ! A cautionary tale indeed !
Obviously you researched your story and spoke to some winners but did the seed grow from you wondering how you and your family would react to a win ? Did the way the characters developed scare you a little? I suppose none of us know how we would react to such a huge amount of money unless it happened to us, however if the personality already has a sort of deviousness or selfishness at it's core, then money would definitely increase those properties which may have ordinarily gone unnoticed or indeed unpunished as with Jake.
I wonder if you looked around at people you know, or people from the past who you have an inkling might have behaved the same way as some of the characters in the book?
From when the lottery was won, it felt like a rollercoaster of events spiralling out of control, without giving any spoilers away, Jake's sprees left me breathless and agitated !!
Well done, I enjoyed the book so much, finished it yesterday, and missed the deadline for the lottery !!!

The seed of the book came from chatting to a friend of mine who works for the lottery. He was telling me about the duty of care the lottery company has towards the winners; they do try to guide and help as much as possible when people win huge amounts. It didn’t take me long to jump to a worst-case scenario (the dark mind of an author in action!) and I started to wonder about lying, cheating, kidnapping – the extremes people can go to for money. I do believe money can and does corrupt, however I think there are lots of people in the world that are not corruptible - people who are happy with their lot in life; the trick is to surround yourself with that sort of person! I think you are right; money might amplify a quality or a failing in a person.

GeminiJen

I was looking forward to reading this book. Hailed on the dust jacket as Sunday Times Number One bestseller and heaped with praise from fellow authors, it raised high hopes for a good read. And, not having read any of the author’s previous novels, I was looking forward to discovering a new writer.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t a book which would encourage me to read more by this author. As mine is one of the early comments, I’ll try not to give away any spoilers in terms of details of the story except to say that I found it an easy read but unconvincing and lacking in substance. For me, most of the main characters were quite unsympathetic, the plot was implausible and, while there were quite a few twists and turns as the book reached its climax, the final one was for me simply a twist too far, just too out of character.

That said the storyline about Toma Albu got me from start to end. And, while the tie-up between the two threads is fairly predictable, I found this the most satisfying part of the novel. I was interested in him, his life and the developing relationship between him and Lexi and should have enjoyed more.

My question for the author relates to the dust jacket. While I try not to judge a book by its cover, the significance of this one was lost on me. Unless I’ve missed something, it seemed to bear no relationship to the story. All I can think is that it was intended to convey the impression of a good holiday/ poolside read? Was this the author’s intention....or the publisher’s choice perhaps?

I think the cover did convey, very effectively, both wealth and longing, and whilst there wasn’t literally a scene whereby Lexi say legs dangling in the pool, she did have a house with a pool and so she could feasibly have sat in it and wistfully pondered her life choices. The publisher leads on the decision of what the cover might look like, but I was 100 percent supportive of this cover as I think it sums up the book authentically.

obag

WOW!! I have read a lot of Adele's books, this is the best yet.
Most people would think a huge lottery win would be a dream come true; but be careful what you wish for! the story shows what strong emotions greed and envy are, and can make people do the most unthinkable things.
Had me gripped for star to finish.
I would like to ask Adele if she thinks winning such huge amounts of money should be allowed and if the prize money should be split more evenly.

Oh, what a good question! I really haven’t thought about it until you asked now. I suppose it would be sensible to limit it but then I guess the question would be how much do you limit it to? One million? Five?

granh2

Be careful what you wish for – it might come true!
Three couples have been friends for 15 years and have played the lottery every week. They sit round and fantasize about what they would spend the money on if they win, but there is a rift, over unrelated issues and the friendship appears broken. Lexie buys the ticket as usual, but this time the numbers come up.
The first part of the book concerns the rupturing of the friendship, affecting both grown ups and children and how the money should, or should not be divided. The rest of the book is concerned with the unravelling of a web of greed, lies, crime and deceit which lays bare the individual characters in the group. This part is fast moving, a real page turner, with many twists and turns before the final unexpected revelation.
Would a vast amount of money lead to consumerism and selfish greed, or would it be used to benefit others? I would ask the author which side she would be on – honestly!

If I won a similar amount to Jake and Lexi I’d really hope I didn’t become consumed with greed! I think I’d probably use my money to set up my son, my nieces and nephew in starter homes. I think what I learnt during the process of writing JUST MY LUCK is you need to bring your nearest and dearest in on the luck! I’d see that my cousins were OK too. I would donate to the charities that are close to my heart and I’d travel (Covid permitting). I’m not interested in designer clothes and I wouldn’t want to move house. That all sounds so sensible so I ought to admit my husband would be fully expecting a Porche Taycan, which start at over £85k!

Liska

I thoroughly enjoyed Just My Luck. The twists and turns kept me hooked and I sped through the novel in just a few days. I particularly liked the gradual unravelling of the endless array of secrets and lies and the skilful portrayal of the characters' often contrasting reactions to the lottery win. It certainly made me think about how I might behave in such a scenario!

My questions for the author:

I'd like to ask Adele whether she has ever played the lottery and whether she would consider forming a syndicate with her friends.

I'd also like to know whether she spoke to any lottery winners or read up on lottery winners' stories while researching the novel.

I don’t play the lottery regularly, but have on occasion bought a ticket on impulse. A friend of my parents was in a syndicate at work and they all won a quarter of a million pounds each, which I think is utterly fantastic! The right amount of money to take away a lot of worries and give you a bit of fun, but not a ruinous amount! I’d certainly join a syndicate if anyone asked me, I’m unlikely to organise one as I’m not very organised that way!

Yes, I worked closely with a number of lottery winners and heard or read their stories whilst writing JUST MY LUCK.

I really enjoyed this book. I agree that it was far fetched in some respects, however, I thought it was a very interesting exploration of human behaviour and how sudden wealth might affect the recipients.
The last chapter was the final, good twist.

I'd like to ask Adele if she did a lot of research into lottery wins and the effect they have had on different winners?

Thank you @Maggiemaybe

I've sent you a pm, silverdragon.

Thank you again for the opportunity to read this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Some aspects of the plot were unlikely and exaggerated, but I'm afraid a book would be pretty predictable if it reflected the everyday life of people like me, even if we were lucky enough to win the lottery. The family's adventures following the win did give me pause for thought, and I must say that if we hadn't already got our family syndicate all set up and registered online, including the "no publicity" clause, I'd be getting it sorted out straightaway after reading this! I liked the main character and was rooting for her throughout, so the ending was for me just what I would have wanted. The twist was unexpected, and did give me a bit of a jolt, but we're all human, aren't we?

I'd like to thank the writer for an entertaining read, and ask her who her own favourite author is, and which authors, if any, have been an influence on her work.

Thanks for sending me a copy. I'd not read any Adele Parks before. Loved the cover. Finished this last night and really enjoyed it. I liked Lexi though she did seem to let people walk over her somewhat. And Jake - what a rat-bag! Parks drew him very well, as the story went on he became more and more an unlikeable and untrustworthy character. You knew something was going to happen with his wild spending but even so, what happens with his daughter was unexpected.

However I'm lost with the last chapter! I don't understand. Can someone perhaps send a private message (so not to spoil it for anyone else) so I can see what it was about? Thank you!

I enjoyed the story very much with plenty of page-turning twists and turns to hold my attention. Possibly a little far-fetched that a family would endure so many difficult problems with a lottery win. But as I say, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and I will certainly read some more of Adele Parks novels.

Thanks for my copy and I really enjoyed the book with it's twists and turns. I did think the kidnap was a bit far fetched but then it got quite gripping. I did suspect the father was involved but not the other family. I loved the story running through it about Toma and how it all connected in the end. I read Adele's Lies Lies Lies at the beginning of the year and enjoyed that too.

I am sure anyone who has ever bought a lottery ticket has spent some time dreaming of what great riches might allow them to do.
I enjoyed Just My Luck and found it an easy read with great page-turning cliff-hangers to keep me reading long after I intended turning out the light at night. However, as the story progressed, and another little secret crept out - or leapt out in some cases - I did wonder if it was quite credible for quite so many issues to affect one family. All the stories linked up and were resolved but there was one jump in the story which I won't share so as not to spoil it for those yet to finish, which I found a step too far.
Although the book largely follows the story through Lexi's eyes there are times when the story switches to a different viewpoint, a device used by the writer in an earlier novel of hers I have read, Spare Brides. My question for Adele Parks would be about this use of extra viewpoints within a novel. Does she think it could have worked without the change and is it a device she favors for future novels?

A very thought provoking book about a large Lottery win. Made me wonder how I’d react to such a win. I found the first few chapters made me feel uncomfortable especially the rejection of the other syndicate members and what happened to Emily at school.
I felt that the character of Jake was very unlikeable and this made me wonder why Lexi hadn’t spotted all his awful traits before the lottery win. ( a bit unbelievable.) I also thought Emily’s chapters weren’t really written in fifteen year old’s language. (Very adult concepts in places.)
Apart from this, I did actually enjoy the book and the twists and turns of the plot. A good book for a holiday read .
My question for Adele is, what would she spend the money on if she won the lottery?

Thank you for my copy of Adele Parks' 'Just My Luck', received very late in the month, hence apologies for a late-ish review.

The book led me quickly to what I thought was a fairly straight-forward story-line of greed revolving around a lottery win but as the book progressed, the twists and turns began to come thick and fast.

I did have an small inkling about the Greenwoods but as Lexi was a holier-than-thou philanthropist I dismissed it. Presumably the enormous gift to Toma was to salve her conscience as I couldn't really understand why she would endow him with so much money.

The book must have been successful as I gasped out loud:
'what's the matter?' asked my husband when the extent of the kidnappers was revealed on page 361. I didn't guess.

The final chapter was, of course, very telling too and proved my fleeting inkling was correct. The story was well told and kept my attention (although the party was perhaps slightly too detailed) throughout.

I will happily read another book by Adele Parks!

My questions to Adele Parks are: how on earth do you manage to produce one book each year and sustain your output? Do you have a strict daily writing regime and treat your day as if you work office-hours? How do your plots come to you?

Wow Adele..what a scary book ! A cautionary tale indeed !
Obviously you researched your story and spoke to some winners but did the seed grow from you wondering how you and your family would react to a win ? Did the way the characters developed scare you a little? I suppose none of us know how we would react to such a huge amount of money unless it happened to us, however if the personality already has a sort of deviousness or selfishness at it's core, then money would definitely increase those properties which may have ordinarily gone unnoticed or indeed unpunished as with Jake.
I wonder if you looked around at people you know, or people from the past who you have an inkling might have behaved the same way as some of the characters in the book?
From when the lottery was won, it felt like a rollercoaster of events spiralling out of control, without giving any spoilers away, Jake's sprees left me breathless and agitated !!
Well done, I enjoyed the book so much, finished it yesterday, and missed the deadline for the lottery !!!

I was looking forward to reading this book. Hailed on the dust jacket as Sunday Times Number One bestseller and heaped with praise from fellow authors, it raised high hopes for a good read. And, not having read any of the author’s previous novels, I was looking forward to discovering a new writer.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t a book which would encourage me to read more by this author. As mine is one of the early comments, I’ll try not to give away any spoilers in terms of details of the story except to say that I found it an easy read but unconvincing and lacking in substance. For me, most of the main characters were quite unsympathetic, the plot was implausible and, while there were quite a few twists and turns as the book reached its climax, the final one was for me simply a twist too far, just too out of character.

That said the storyline about Toma Albu got me from start to end. And, while the tie-up between the two threads is fairly predictable, I found this the most satisfying part of the novel. I was interested in him, his life and the developing relationship between him and Lexi and should have enjoyed more.

My question for the author relates to the dust jacket. While I try not to judge a book by its cover, the significance of this one was lost on me. Unless I’ve missed something, it seemed to bear no relationship to the story. All I can think is that it was intended to convey the impression of a good holiday/ poolside read? Was this the author’s intention....or the publisher’s choice perhaps?

WOW!! I have read a lot of Adele's books, this is the best yet.
Most people would think a huge lottery win would be a dream come true; but be careful what you wish for! the story shows what strong emotions greed and envy are, and can make people do the most unthinkable things.
Had me gripped for star to finish.
I would like to ask Adele if she thinks winning such huge amounts of money should be allowed and if the prize money should be split more evenly.

Be careful what you wish for – it might come true!
Three couples have been friends for 15 years and have played the lottery every week. They sit round and fantasize about what they would spend the money on if they win, but there is a rift, over unrelated issues and the friendship appears broken. Lexie buys the ticket as usual, but this time the numbers come up.
The first part of the book concerns the rupturing of the friendship, affecting both grown ups and children and how the money should, or should not be divided. The rest of the book is concerned with the unravelling of a web of greed, lies, crime and deceit which lays bare the individual characters in the group. This part is fast moving, a real page turner, with many twists and turns before the final unexpected revelation.
Would a vast amount of money lead to consumerism and selfish greed, or would it be used to benefit others? I would ask the author which side she would be on – honestly!