A story that starts off gentle and then attracts pace as the friendship starts to unravel as soon as the money enters the frame.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

Alice has never believed in luck, but she has always believed in love. Buying a lottery ticket for her best friend (and secret crush) Teddy's 18th birthday was a whim, but somehow, Alice picked the winner. Now a millionaire, and the youngest lottery winner in history, Teddy's life has changed, and not always for the better. Alice sees a new side to the boy she's always known, and supporting each other through thick and thin can only go so far. Will they be able to come back to each other, or has the money changed them too much?

Well, I'm conflicted on this book. I've enjoyed Jennifer's books in the past, and was really looking forward to reading Windfall when it was first announced. For some reason, I left it on my NG shelf and completely forgot about it until recently. I liked the book, but I will say it wasn't the most memorable, nor will it be a favourite of mine. Alice was a decent main character, who had lost her parents young, and now thought luck was just a myth. She'd lived with her aunt, uncle, and cousin, for nearly 10 years now, but still thought of California as her home. Nothing felt permanent, and she tried the best she could to be happy where she was. But it was hard, and her fear of change was part of the reason why she never spoke to Teddy about her feelings. They both had family drama, and relied on each other through it all, so the idea of changing the dynamic was a big thing. I will say I hated the way Teddy acted at times in the book, though I understand why he was portrayed that way. The main thing I liked about the book, though, was the fact that Alice really grew throughout the book, and was in a much better place by the ending.

Have liked Smith’s books in the past but just didn’t click with this one as much, felt like I was waiting for the story to hurry up and for the unrequited love to become mutual.

Unfortunately I no longer wish to review this book as the first few chapters did not reel me in. Thank you for the opportunity.

I have loved everyone of Jennifer’s previous books, They are always a lighthearted read, Windfall is no different. I know with Jennifer’s books that they are beautifully written and I’m always end up reading them in one sitting.
It’s an light enjoyable read, about friendship, I like how each character had their own story going on away from the main plot

Unfortunately, I have not been able to read and review this book.

After losing and replacing my broken Kindle and getting a new phone I was unable to download the title again for review as it was no longer available on Netgalley.

I’m really sorry about this and hope that it won’t affect you allowing me to read and review your titles in the future.

Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity.
Natalie.

This book just wasn’t for me, the writing style and me just didn’t mix but I can see how this would be enjoyable for many others

Jennifer’s books always provide some lighthearted relief and Windfall is no different. Winning the lottery seems like a dream but it also brings a lot of doubt and questions. This is a story about kindness and friendship. Alice’s cousin Leo is very sweet and it was nice to see an established LGBT relationship featured, as Leo worries about whether he should choose a school to be near his boyfriend. Overall I did really love the characters although I found Alice rather trying. A cute contemporary; I probably would have preferred it without the romance.

A delightful, smiley and thought-provoking read. The characters easily found a place in my heart and I enjoyed every moment of watching them grow/learn.

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this highly anticipated YA contemporary from NetGalley. I’d only read Jennifer E. Smith’s short work The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight and wasn’t all that in love with it. However, the unique concept of her new novel -a teenager winning the lottery- piqued my interest and I had to give her another chance.

Windfall follows Alice, who lost her parents nine years earlier and moved from San Francisco to Chicago to live with her aunt, uncle and cousin Leo. It was then that she met Leo’s best friend Teddy and the three of them became an inseparable trio. Now Alice has developed feelings for Teddy that extend past friendship, although she can’t tell him for fear of ruining their bond. Due to the tragic events of her childhood, Alice doesn’t really believe that good luck is for her. However, when she buys Teddy a lottery ticket for his 18th birthday and he wins $141.3 million with it, it seems that she may have to reconsider. But is becoming a multi-millionaire overnight really a stroke of luck? Or could Alice’s world be tipped upside down for a second time?

As a shy girl who treasures her friends more than anything, I could relate to Alice a lot. Her reluctance to reveal her true feelings for Teddy rang so true to my own life that I did get hugely attached to her. I desperately wanted her to tell him and I was willing her to at several points. I can see how some readers might find the situation frustrating and even find Alice a little immature but because I’ve been there myself, I completely understood the hesitation.

However, I kept being irritated by Teddy’s behaviour. He comes across as quite a cocky, cheeky lad with a definite roguish charm but I did question whether he was really right for Alice. It was only her devotion to him that made me really root for them but I wasn’t utterly convinced as to their compatibility. For most of the book, I felt that she was probably better suited to someone quiet and quirky like Sawyer, who she volunteers in the soup kitchen with but I can’t say that I didn’t smile at the ending.

As well as a complex story of teenage best friends becoming lovers, Windfall is also about finding oneself when the pieces seem to be flung far apart. Alice struggles to identify home or a place where she truly belongs. She is still reeling from the deaths of her parents nine years ago and as a result, she feels she has to live as they did. Do the things that they wanted to do but didn’t get to. As a selfless loyal daughter, she never questions whether these are things that she wants for her own life. When she has to decide which college to go to, she begins to finally see her life as her own. Watching her make this realisation was such an uplifting exciting journey and I felt so happy for her when she reached her decision. These moments of self-discovery and hope are one reason why I love YA contemporary and Smith let Alice’s unfold in a really gradual, lovely way.

Another thing I really loved about Windfall was that these characters weren’t devastatingly attractive or perfect in any way. Imperfect, ordinary teens who learn that love and family is at the heart of everything. Although, the story is told from Alice’s point of view, all three of the main characters -Alice, Teddy and Leo- embark on spiritual journeys. Leo’s long distance relationship with Max teaches him that true love is never a smooth path but that it’s important to follow his heart. Alice learns to stop living her parents’ lives and find her own. Teddy’s winnings teach him who he really needs in his life and ultimately, the win makes him a much better person.

I’m really glad I gave Jennifer E. Smith another go because Windfall was a lovely YA injection to my early summer. It’s an honest and beautifully written book that holds important family values and true friendship above superficiality. A sudden windfall is both a miracle and a danger but it will always shed light on what matters the most.

Unfortunately I didn't finish this book, as I couldn't get into it - nothing against the author or book, just not to my personal taste. Thank you for the opportunity to read it.

An interesting tale. I loved all the characters, and the message the author tries to give. The fact that money can be all-consuming and take us away from our loved ones, we shouldn't let it cloud our judgement.

Loved it!

It was ok i guess. It took me absolutely ages to trawl through it because i constantly lost interest and found something better to do.

I really like Jennifer E. Smith's books, but after four books centred around unusual love stories - love at first sight, a relationship between a teen heartthrob and a small town girl based on a accidental email, long distance missed connection romance, the struggle of maintaining a relationship when heading off to college - it's easy to understand why she's opted for a slightly different direction with her latest book.

Swapping long titles for a short one and a romance hook for a plot-based one - the lottery win - this is a solid read. The writing is as ever of a high quality and the questions explored, particularly those of kindness, subtle class differences and fate, are intriguing. It didn't capture my imagination as much as some of her previous books, however, and there is something a little staid about it in contrast to usually dynamic light touch.

A light and enjoyable read that left me pondering what I would do If I won the lottery

Short sharp chapters conflate the sense of youth and indecision, mood swings and the rushes of hormones of young adults. And that is where this story sits - in YA fiction.

Meet Alice, her cousin Leo and his best friend Teddy who Al/Alice is secretly in love with. The writing is simple and easy to read, the direction of the story predictable, but that doesn't stop this from being a rather pleasant little pre-dinner snack.

"Nevertheless, awkwardness fills the car, and after a few miles I open the windows to let it stream out, watching the ocean scroll past, bottle-blue and flecked with white."

Windfall here refers to a life-changing lottery win, and also to getting what you wish for. Alice lost her parents within a year of each other when she was 9 and went to live with her aunt and uncle. Since then her goal has be to "go home" to San Francisco to the college her mother never got to attend after being accepted; Stanford. What unfolds is a story about family, friendship, "going home", and belonging.

"There's a space between forgetting and moving on, and it's not easy to find."


Themes: loss, sudden wealth, friendship, family ties, young adults, grief, belonging

Somehow when scheduling my posts I missed this one so I'm sorry if my review isn't great because when I read this it was still May and now it's September.

Alice buys her best friend, and crush, a lottery ticket for his 18th birthday and somehow it's the winning ticket and Teddy comes into more money than you could even imagine. Then they have to navigate the new rich world they live in.

This kind of read just like any tv program where a young person comes into a lot of money. They go silly spending a lot of money, their friendship suffers, then they realise what they've done. And I'm sorry if you thank that's a spoiler but I mean it's the same story every time. The writing was good though, so I'd definitely be open to reading more stuff from Smith as I think she would be good with a less cliche story line.

There were 2 love interests in this book, though it wasn't a love triangle it was just the main character trying to explore new people. Honest to god though Teddy was the worst guy ever, like honestly. He was just such a dick for the majority of the novel and I really struggled to feel sympathetic to Alice when her best friend was an arse and she knew it but continued to be upset by it. I get that they had a long history but my god I just wanted to slap that boy.

However I did feel like I read the book pretty quickly, so if you're wanting a light read this might be the one for you. If you haven't seen to many shows/films with a kid coming into a lot of money give it a shot because it was ok, but I've just seen it too many times.

I've been a fan of this author for a long time, and while this wasn't my favorite book of hers, I did enjoy it. The relationship was sweet and rooting for Teddy kept me turning the pages. The story was well written with some interesting side characters and overall, I found it to be an enjoyable read.

I would like to thank My Kinda Book for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Windfall is my first book by Jennifer E. Smith and boy was it a beauty!This was a perfect book to read on holiday.

This book tells the story of Alice buying a lottery ticket for her friend Teddy on his 18th birthday and he wins winning millions! Th story continues to tell the aftermath of what happens and how it affects all their lives!

The main themes in this book are friendship, romance and adapting to change.The romance in this book has got to be my favourite bit as it was definitely not your usual romance. I also like how each character had their own story going on but it didn’t take away from the main plot.

This book really made me think about the question ‘What would I do if I won the lottery?’ and I really don’t know but after buying this book I know what I wouldn’t do!

What would you don if you won the lottery?

This novel was fantastic, I couldn't put it down. Fans of Jennifer E Smith will not be disappointed with her latest work.