This story is about friends, 3 groups of friends in this case, they have been best friends since the wives met at Antenatal/Parenting classes, and they have been in each others lives ever since, 15 years to be precise. In fact, all of their children are also best friends, and 2 of them are actually dating! Every week they have a dinner party, some are nice and posh, other times a takeaway, but they swap houses every week, and each week they talk and dream about what they would do if they ever won the lottery. The 3 couples are in a Syndicate, and each week Lexi collects the money from Jennifer, Fred, Carla and Patrick, but one night there is an argument between them all, while having the usual Saturday dinner night, things get said, and tensions are high, so much so that words are exchanged and Fred, Jennifer, Carla and Patrick pull out of the syndicate and go home. Jake and Lexi are naturally upset that they have fallen out with their best friends, but carry on with life as usual, Lexi works at the local Citizens Advice and helps lots of underprivileged people with things like debt management, housing, immigration, and landlord-tenant disputes. As Saturday rolls around as usual, Lexi comes home to a very excited husband, their lottery numbers have come up!! After a couple of calls to the National Lottery, it is confirmed that they are winners, and they have won £17.8 Million!!!! Jake has dollar signs in his eyes, listing what he is going to spend the money on, and Lexi is trying to come to terms with the windfall. There is just one problem! Jennifer, Fred, Carla and Patrick want a cut of the money! There are also a few other stories woven into this one very cleverly, and what started out as a compelling read to find out what Lexi's family was going to do, actually turned into a very suspenseful, gripping read, a few times I shouted NOOOOOO while I was reading it. This is a fantastic read, and I flew through the book and nearly read it in one sitting, I would thoroughly recommend it. **Thank you to HQ Stories and the Author for sending me a copy of this book**

Fabulous! Adele Parks always comes up with something a bit special that I can't put down, and this time it was 'Just My Luck.' After all these years, Lexi and Jake have won the lottery. Lexi and Jake have not *just* won the lottery! They have won 17.8 million pounds! And just like that, their life has changed forever! Together since uni, Lexi and Jake are happily married with two kids; for fifteen years they have been sharing the ups and downs of family life, and a lottery syndicate, with their best friends, Carla and Patrick Pearson and Jennifer and Fred Heathcote. Just days before the big win however, the three couples have a falling out, and the Pearsons and the Heathcotes pull out of the syndicate, leaving Lexi and Jake as the sole winners of every penny. Once their initial excitement begins to settle down, so cracks begins to emerge; Jake and Lexi have very different ideas about how the publicity surrounding their win, and the money itself, should be managed. Jake begins spending, splashing out first on a flashy yellow Ferrari; Lexi meanwhile quietly wrestles with the morals of having so much when others have so little, and is keen to carry on as normal. As the money takes over and their paths begin to diverge, so their lives begin to spiral dangerously out of control... This was a really really good read. I especially liked the subplot involving Toma, which provided a stark comparison against which to weigh up the reactions of the main characters, and the little 'fly on the wall' that came in right at the end leaving the reader with something to think about long after the story was finished.

I must admit that I was curious as to where this one would go before I began reading, but what a story! Three couples get together most weekends and since their friendships began, have always played the lottery together until, one week, there is a bit of a disagreement which causes friction, leaving one couple feeling cut adrift. When they routinely check the ticket the following week, they've won! And, since the others dropped out, the jackpot is all theirs .. but is that how the other four see it? There is real food for thought in this book. Don't we all dream of our numbers coming up - and insist it won't change who we are? What an eye-opener! These are ordinary families, like you and me and the surprises and shocks just keep coming. I have been heard to utter the odd expletive whilst engrossed in this tale - so much so that I had to explain the set-up to my husband who was a bit concerned at my vehemence! This isn't a placid read, it's one to get your juices flowing and your dander up! I began reading in bed and was half-way through before I could bear to set the book aside. Gripping, riveting and stunning! And then, when I thought it was all finished, there was more! A really contemplative read for every single person who pins their hopes on the lotto draw. A well-conceived and beautifully written story, which absolutely earns each one of the five sparkling stars I'm happy to give it, along with my recommendation.

Great read about the pitfalls of winning money

Oh wow, this was a rollercoaster. It seemed quite slow at first, but once things started happening, it didn't stop. What a web of intrigue - I did not see the ending coming. In fact none of the endings to each strand. Almost makes me not want to win the lottery!! Almost. You always feel you'd do differently, I certainly wouldn't be taking publicity!! The lottery win was the catalyst for the group of friends whole lives untangling- they were linked in ways that weren't obvious from the start. My heart is slowing down about now, I got really invested in Lexi's story. Her husband certainly didn't come out of it well - the lottery win didn't help anyone's relationships!! #netgalley #justmyluck