Lucky - Rachael Edwards

Genre: Adult Fiction | Mystery

Release Date: Expected 24th June 2021

Etta wants nothing more to marry her boyfriend, Ola. And while he says he does too, he's always focused on the next step and insists they need to save enough for a house before they even think of walking down the aisle. Etta is a sensible woman, working a steady office job, volunteering for a charity helping people facing deportation and injustice - but they still don't quite have enough.

So she tries something new - online gambling. And she likes it. Pretty soon she's playing all the time and lying to Ola about it - but she's sure the win is coming soon, even if there's a few losses along the way. And her new friend on the site, StChristopher75 seems to be supportive. He's won big recently ... and he thinks she's hot. Etta knows she's going to get lucky soon. She has to.

Lucky took me totally by surprise - this was so much more than it appeared to be. It was a an enthralling, tense story about the terrifying decent into addiction, as we watched Etta succumb to the temptation of gambling and trying to convince herself she's okay. It delved into the world of scam artists and conners and just how devastating they really can be.

Brimming with betrayal, deception and desperation - this story felt almost like being inside Etta's head and feeling every twisty emotion she did. While not much happened in the story until the end, the journey of the characters was where the spotlight was through the whole thing.

Alongside the very real dangers of gambling addiction, this gave a very real insight into the terrifying truth of deportation and racism that just isn't given enough gravity.

Lucky is Edwards second ever release, and I definitely can't wait to see what literary gold she brings next.

RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to Rachael Edwards, Fourth Estate and Netgalley for this ARC in return for an honest review.

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