I had never read anything by Dawn O'Porter before but had heard great things so I just had to request this when it popped up on NetGalley and it did not disappoint.
Beth has the best husband and a new baby. She is also currently arranging the biggest showbiz wedding of the year.
But her life is far from perfect and she can't even bring herself to confide in her over-sharing assistant/friend, Risky, about it.
Ruby is neglecting her 3 year old daughter because she is obsessed with hiding something from the world that unfortunately defines her and stops her living her life the way she'd like to.
Lauren is marrying one of the biggest celebrities in the public eye. Her upcoming status and overbearing mother mean that she lives a lie through her Instagram photos.
They are connected by one thing that hugely impacts each of their outlooks on life.
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I found this quite a slow read but that didn't stop me enjoying reading it and getting to know the characters so much.

A masterpiece for women of today
This book celebrates all women in particular 4 in this book all of whom have their own insecurities and sensitivities
Beth, Ruby, Risky and the ever so perfect Lauren
Alone they are ashamed of who they are or of their past but thrown together they learn that the one thing you can rely on in your life is another woman or in this case 3 other women
They unite into a fierce sisterhood who together talk openly for the first time ever and in that soul searching they see where their future lies and how they need to get there

I really enjoyed this book. The characters are strong and there's plenty of intrigue about their backstories to keep me reading. I also appreciated having the satisfaction of everything being tied together somehow.

I love the themes of Insta-life vs real life, and issues with body image. Very important to be addressed at this time. Some of the characters are despicable, and I really like that too!

There were a couple of scenarios I felt were on the unbelievable side, and some of the dialogue seemed like it was just there to push the story along. But other than that I can't fault the writing at all.

Three women; Ruby, living with an embarrassing medical condition struggling with self loathing; Lauren, living her best life through social media and Beth, married to a man who hasn't left his mother despite being married.
Dawn O'Porter weaves together the lives of these women in a story about body confidence- or lack of it, finding love and learning to live in the real world warts and all. Funny, poignant and so readable I loved this book.

I’ve been seeing this book everywhere and hearing so much about it. I was absolutely over the moon to receive an advance copy and had such high expectations. I was not disappointed one single bit. The characters were honest and raw, the story just so relatable and just a joy to read. I’d happily Recommend this to anyone

I loved this book. I was gripped from the start and luckily read it at the weekend because I couldn't put it down and read it in one sitting (and my line manager would have had something to say if I'd done that during the working week).

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for allowing me to read a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

So Lucky
Author: Dawn O’Porter
Publisher: Harper Collins Uk
Publication Date: 31/10/19

A story of modern women and the battle for acceptance in a world of social media and body shaming. Sharp and witty, I wasn’t sure how the character arcs would connect but when they did, it all came together in a powerful and satisfying conclusion to complete a great story. A fantastic holiday read. I read it in 2 sittings.
Thanks to the author, publisher and netgalley for providing me with this advance digital copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

I loved it!
Funny, poignant and relatable I loved how the characters evolved and interlinked unexpectedly.
Even though the characters are all quite different I loved them all by the end and it was a very easy book to read. It was slightly graphic in places, just in case you're easily offended!
I'd definitely recommend it and can't wait to read more of her books.

So Lucky follows the stories of two women, Beth and Ruby, both going through a difficult stage in their adult lives and dealing wth relationships, childcare, sex and body confidence. Through Beth's work as a wedding planner we also meet Lauren, a famous instagrammer, whose reality is somewhat different to the media images she presents.

The book tries to explore the difference between image and reality, particularly relating to social media and has a positive message about female identity. There is some nice honest content about sex and desire.

The use of hashtags and Instagram posts would sugggest a light contemporary novel, but actually it is rather a joyless read as a whole with some quite dark and disturbing scenes especially featuring Ruby and her daughter. The themes are hammered home reallly at the expense of subtleties of character or plot. I do think O'Porter can write, but this was definitely missing the fun factor

The Cows was one of my favourite books that I read last year so I was really excited to read O'Porter's new novel.

It was a super quick read so definitely a good one for a holiday or to get you out of a reading slump. I appreciate any book that has a feminist message and this book genuinely made me laugh out loud a couple of times.

Unfortunately this wasn't a five star read for me, like The Cows. I found pretty much all of the characters unbelievable and extreme. I liked how it tackled sensitive subjects like mental health, polycystic ovaries and... dogging(!) however I found the characters quite intense at times. Also the way the characters came together at the end was too convenient.

Perhaps this was needed to get the message of the book across but I think it means more when it's at least slightly believable.

However if a quick funny, feminist read sounds good to you then I definitely recommend it. Plus Dawn O'Porter is awesome.

4.5 stars.
I loved The Cows when I read it a while back so I was quite excited to get my hands on this one which basically revolves around the lives of three women. Lives that differ vastly from outward appearances.
There's Beth, a successful wedding planner who has a solid marriage, a young baby who is currently being looked after by her lovely husband. Lauren, an internet star who is about to marry the love of her life and very eligible bachelor. And then there's Ruby, single mother and photo editor who has rather strict rules about everything.
The book then proceeds to expose the above lies and masks, and peels back the layers of these women's lives to expose certain brutal truths. But, what's really clever is the way that the author weaves these women's lives in and around each other seamlessly until, finally, their worlds collide, with spectacular repercussions...
I think I ran the whole gamut of emotions whilst reading this book. But it never got too heavy at any time. The author managed to keep the book on an even keel whilst also dealing with some quite brutal issues, mostly by the injection of humour. Not laugh out loud humour, mostly the wry smile, nodding grin type this time. But enough to keep the balance.
The characters were amazing. Initially a bit on the caricature side but they all became more real as they were exposed. It was a good example of masking, playing the game, and only showing people what you want them to see. Oh, and the techniques employed to keep up appearances! Fabulous stuff indeed.
All this does sound a bit bland and disjointed but, as already mentioned, the author has woven all this around a really great storyline that eventually, well, I think I should probably leave it for you to discover what happens when they all come together. And the fallout thereafter! That bit did make me giggle!
All in all, another winner from this author. I can't wait to see what she serves up next time. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

If I have to say one thing - literally devoured this book and felt like a book addict with my next hit wanting more and more! Cleverly written.

I think a TV series or film needs to be made!

We hear of the 3 very different lives of Ruby (single mother, thinks she is a hairy gorilla, a refreshing take on being a mum and not fully liking it), Lauren (famous for her celeb partner, social media influencer, touts mental health awareness), Beth - (working mother, lacking sex, horndog, trying to balance it all).

A hilarious read, which raises some topics people find taboo, letting the unfiltered versions of the 3 women be heard... However I also have no filter 😂 so love all this, maybe that's why I love Dawn's writing style, a refreshing read.

So glad I got to review this book as I will now be on the hunt for her others as this is the first one I have read.

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Well, what can I say?

Absolutely fantastic book!
I urge all women to read this and know that none of us is perfect. No one has a perfect life. No matter what is portrayed on the outside, there is always some inner struggle beneath.
We follow three women, each with their own secret, struggling to make life work, and trying to make sure no one on the outside is aware of their issues.
From body image to mental health to marital issues, so much is covered in this brilliantly written story.
Honestly, I have already recommended it to a couple of friends with whom the whole concept will resonate.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Great message with some sensitive topics well-handled! The story is about three strong woman who seem to have their lives sorted but appearances are never what they seem. Like the title this is message of the book. It is easy to envy the shiny appearance without understanding the true story. Ruby is very controlled. She doesn't appear to need anyone. But her shell is brittle and she has a syndrome which makes her very self conscious. Beth has the perfect marriage, a newborn and a successful business. But she is feeling unfulfilled and she is desperate for change. Lauren is a social media star with an impending celebrity wedding. She looks gorgeous and perfect but is this what she even wants? In a crazy, convoluted way the three woman's lives intertwine.
The plot is gripping and unpredictable and elements of the book have stuck with me. In one way, we are all lucky and in another way, no ones life is perfect.

So Lucky is the story of three women - Ruby, who is trying to raise her young daughter whilst suffering with severe body image issues; Beth, who is struggling to balance running a successful business with caring for a newborn, and also save her failing marriage; and Lauren, a newly famous and apparently confident model and Instagrammer, who is about to get married to a rich business man, and appears to 'have it all'.

I've really enjoyed Dawn's previous books, so I went into reading this with high expectations - and I can honestly say it did not disappoint at all! The three central characters are brilliantly portrayed and oh so relatable with their many flaws and insecurities. For me, the main theme of this book was the importance of love and kindness, to those around us but also (and perhaps more importantly) to ourselves. Full of Dawn's usual flair, it manages to be laugh out loud funny, but also incredibly honest and poignant. By the end, I was invested in all three character's stories and wanted happy endings for all of them (as well as Beth's brilliant assistant, Risky). One of my fave reads this year.

Loved it ! such a funny book - it deals with modern day issues in a humorous and funny way. The title of the book is really clever too - I have read the Cows and thought that was a fab book bit this one is better in my opinion.
The main story is about Beth , a new mum who has returned back to work after having her baby and how she struggles with work and her husband. Then there is Ruby who has an interesting medical condition and how this affects her everyday life . Can't wait for another book from Dawn !!

I loved this book. It unwound itself into such a relatable and believable story. I really enjoyed the characters individual paths that all collided at the end.

As someone who discovered Dawn O'Porter years after I should have done (I know, she's hilarious, what was I thinking), I was excited to receive an egalley ARC from the publisher through Netgalley. Sometimes I request books that I don't expect to be given and this was one of those requests. So when I was successful in getting the book I was so excited to start. I held off for quite a few weeks (possibly months) because I had other books that I had to read and review first. My plan was to save this book for my holiday. Because I was so certain that I would enjoy it.

No surprises, I didn't make it all the way to my holiday. I made it to the week before I set off. Which is why I am writing this from my home rather than with a view of the beach. I tried but I failed to show any impulse control, much like the characters in this book: Ruby who has a terrible secret that makes her behaviour monstrous when it might be exposed; Beth a wedding planner with a newborn, and Laura an influencer about to marry the man of her dreams. With a few hilarious (for good and evil) supporting characters and a few who make you feel sad, this tale is really about the ways that women support each other both online and offline. And the baggage we carry that's been dumped on us by people that we love. 

No question - this book is an absolute riot. As with all of O'Porter's stories I found myself thinking no, surely not, OMG! more than once, with an audible laugh as well. Thankfully I was not in public because, well, when you read the book yourself you'll understand.

**Set to autopublish on release day**

Interesting read, took me a while to warm to a couple of the charecters, but was a good read and I like how it all turned out in the end

this is the first Dawn O'Porter book I have read and simply couldn't put it down. Absolutely loved it, I found it touched on the areas of shame and anxiety so many women suffer from these days. A funny, thought provoking and sensitive book. I'm off to read her other books now!