I love Jenn Bennett's stories, she's such a reliable author for contemporary YA stories. Chasing Lucky was an absolute joy to read. I really cared for Josie as a main character, Lucky was perfectly charming. This was a solid, satisfying read.

I love Jenn Bennett! This author always managed to make me fall for the characters and have a hell of a fun but heartwarming time reading. In my opinion her YA rom coms are some of the best, and I continue to recommend them. I think there’s one for everyone. And even though Starry Eyes is still my favourite this was so good and I’ll be continuing to read every one of her releases.

I will not be giving feedback on this book as I couldn’t really get into it but I think others may enjoy it.

Jenn Bennett is certainly an author that I will always read as I enjoy her books every time, and Chasing Lucky was no exception. I really enjoyed the backstories of the main characters, and the mystery surrounding Lucky that was slowly uncovered through the novel. The main character, a budding photographer, feels realistic and has great chemistry with her love interest, Lucky, which of course makes for some wonderful moments between the pair. The side characters also have their own well-developed stories and their own little quirks. Again, Jenn Bennett writes very positively about relationships and sex, and the book is very appropriate for young adult readers whilst encouraging positivity and dealing with some more mature themes very positively.

Feel good, poignant and enjoyable, this was a great book - a strong set of characters, a wonderful storyline and a feel-good tale all bundled into one, though there are some themes that also prompt thought and both joy and sorrow.
An author I would happily recommend to my YA loving daughter.

This honestly read a little bit like a Sarah Dessen book. This is definitely not a bad thing. It was very character focused, and did a good job of developing the cast.

I could definitely relate to Josie's relationship with her mother. For me, it should've been the main plot of the story.

I thought it was going to be a mostly character development book that dealt with issues, but the topmost priority seemed to be the romance plot. I didn't fully understand this until I found out that the love interest's name was Lucky, from the title of the book. Things started to make more sense when I found this out.

The dialogue was not great at times and I was unsure of the Lucky's motives, throughout. This made for a slight disinterest in his character right from the off, and as a result I found it a little hard to motivate myself to pick the book up, because it was so focused on Lucky and Josie's relationship. The communication between the two absolutely sucked, especially when you take into account their backstory that they were best friends for years. It made Lucky's characterisation seem wildly inconsistent.

Jenn Bennett is on my auto-buy list, she is a brilliant author and her stories always just wrap me up and break me a little bit, and “Chasing Lucky” was no different. Josie is a budding photographer and wants this next year to go as smoothly as possible, so she can graduate high school and intern with her estranged father, a famous photographer, in Los Angeles. Problems ensue, because of course, the main one being Lucky, her childhood best friend whom she hasn’t spoken to since she and her mum left town. Josie’s been on the run with her mother since a big fight with her grandmother five years ago. She was too young to really understand what the fight was about but for the last five years, Josie and her mum have moved from town to town, never really settling, until her grandmother asks them both to come back to man the family bookshop while she’s away.

While this was a story about Josie getting to know her childhood best friend again, about them falling in love (which they did and it was freaking adorable), it’s also about family and secrets and communication. The reason that Josie and her mum didn’t return to Beauty for five years was because Winona didn’t know how to communicate with Josie, and because she didn’t communicate well with her own mother, Deidre. Secrets and white lies and “didn’t tell you to protect you” can’t stay hidden forever, and it is a horrible way to teach your daughter about honesty and communication between family.

Let me preface by saying that I adored Jenn Bennett’s previous books Serious Moonlight, The Lady Rogue and Alex Approximately. They have become comfort reads that I turn to when I’m having a bad day. So you can imagine how excited I was for the release of Chasing Lucky.

In usual Jenn Bennett fashion, we have quirky, lovable characters, fun scenarios, crazy schemes and unresolved family issues. Josie and her mother Winona have a close relationship, but it teeters on all of the things they don’t talk about. Like Josie’s desire to study photography away from the nest or Winona’s long line of one night stands. Lucky was an interesting twist on the ‘bad boy’ stereotype, showing how easily we can make someone into something with nothing more than a rumour to go on.

But it all felt slightly stilted. In the past I have always praised Bennett for how much time she takes in letting the plot develop; for her portrayals of people ‘in’ relationships, not just the build up. This book felt rushed.

I kept expecting storylines to come closer to the forefront, waiting to find out more about Evie’s abusive relationship and the mysterious Naval Officer. But these plots stayed mostly in the background and in the end were wrapped up in a few sentences.

Even Josie’s first conversation with Lucky during the party felt hurried and unrealistic.

For a cosy, fun and quick read, this book was fine. I enjoyed it. I just would have liked more from the characters and the scenarios they found themselves in.

All my thanks to Simon and Schuster and Netgalley for giving me this book in exchange for an honest review.

Actual rating: 4.5 stars

This was a cute romantic story about a guy called Lucky and a girl who were once friends then she had to move away and its been a few years since so he's mad at her for leaving him for various reasons.

They had a cute friendship and it was nice to see that blossom.

For me personally I would've liked a bit more angst or tension between the two at first. Maybe more anger from Luckys side but that's just a personal opinion.

I feel like the ending was soft. There was one point I found interesting and I was like ohhhh ok then.

I still really enjoyed this book and definitely recommend it

Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for sending me a copy in exchange for a review.

I love Jenn Bennett's books and this was a great addition to her list of works. She doesn't shy from tougher subjects, or sex positivity which is something we need to see more in teen fiction because it is much more true to life.

Josie was a great protagonist - she was nuanced and had flaws but on the whole the character growth hat she went through was really well done. Lucky was a bit more of a carbon copy of other love interests we've had not only in this author's books but just the general 'bad boy with a heart of gold' although he was sweet he just seemed... a little boring to me?

On the whole this was a really sweet read and I do recommend it if you enjoy a slightly darker YA contemporary.

Trigger warnings for talk of abortions, skin grafts, bullying, sexual harassment, statutory rape of a minor (not on page), stalking, emotional abuse, gaslighting, addiction to sex, and depression.

Josie’s lived all over the place, travelling from town to town with her mum, until one pivotal summer they return to their hometown Beauty to run the family bookshop. An aspiring photographer, Josie’s got a thing for taking pictures of signs - a quirky trait that could have been developed even further - which guides her character arc. The Netgalley copy included descriptions of the photos which I believe are included in the final copy and would add an interesting layer to the book.

The title, Chasing Lucky, refers to the love interest, Lucky (yes, another quirky YA name). Thought of as the town’s bad boy but secretly a caring soft boy, Lucky was exactly the swoon-worthy sweetheart I wanted to read about. Honestly, it’s refreshing to see boys that CARE in romances and I loved that about him. His relationship with Josie is complicated as they have a childhood friendship in their past that didn’t end smoothly and their conversations often lead to bickering but I liked that more realistic side to the story. One of the book’s biggest strengths is the dynamics it portrays between characters - be that Josie and her extended family or Josie and Lucky.

On the other hand, the book’s shortfall came with its pacing. At the start there’s a big, unnecessary time jump and by the end of the book every day takes up a huge chunk of reading time. At over 400 pages, it’s definitely too long for the story it tells and it’s most obvious in the final third. While the writing is strong, I did find the story lagging and I got impatient to finish it.

This book is more of the same when it comes to the YA romance category and while it does attempt to branch out into deeper water, with vague themes of toxic relationships and mental illness, it doesn’t go far enough despite having the length to do so. It’s simply fine.

Chasing Lucky is a heartwarming story about rekindling relationships between separated best friends and family. That even though finding out ugly stuff about certain aspects in one's life, it wouldn't be all that bad since you have one another. As always, Jenn Bennett has managed to suck me into the life of the Saint-Martins as she once again brought to life a story that doesn't disappoint.

I find that this book is a really cool, calm and collected book. There wasn't much of a plot and it was just about the characters with their own dilemmas but once they got over that, its just like a boat ride. There are times when the waves are bad and you have to do everything to cling on and there's also the nice and breezy ride, the one people enjoy most.

I love the easy relationship between Josie and Lucky. Their banter is light yet endearing and honestly, a best friend to lovers trope is pretty generic but if it takes things to the worse, not only will you lose a significant other but you will also lose your closest friend. Its a risk to take but if it all goes well, it'll be worthwhile.

It wasn't all just about that, it was about a summer that will change indefinitely for the women of Saint-Martins as they go up and down and to finally settle home in Beauty. Sacrifices were made, feelings were poured on the line but the best thing of all, when you finally figure out what keeps going wrong, it may just go right from then on.

I assure you and I will say it once again, Jenn Bennet's stories are so worth all your time. Its a feel good book that you will want to reach out to again once its over. You just want to experience it all over again of living in a summer full of hope and eventful moments.

Jenn Bennett’s latest release Chasing Lucky follows budding photographer Josie Saint-Martin as she moves back to the small town she grew up in and is reunited with her childhood best friend Lucky.⁠

Similarly to Jen Bennett’s other books, this is a contemporary novel with themes of first love, friendship and family, and was definitely a cute summer read. I really loved the small town setting as well as the fact that the Saint-Martin’s run a bookstore, and enjoyed the way the story unfolded.

After years spent travelling from town to town with her single mother, Josie Saint-Martin is finally returning to her home town, a small place called Beauty, to run the family owned bookshop while her estranged Grandmother is away. Not wanting to hang around, when her Grandmother returns, Josie has big plans to move on bigger and better things in Malibu and live with her father. She definitely doesn’t have time to linger in a town with a number of bad memories and old friends that she left behind. That is until one old friend, the town bad boy, turns up to shake up her world and show her what she’s been missing. A certain boy called Lucky.

This was exactly what I was expecting it to be – a fun, easy to read summer romance YA novel full of the typical sweet coming of age tropes and self-discovery that that it a perfect summer read. Josie is a likeable character. She’s spent the majority of her life running away from her past with her mother Winona, and as a result she finds it difficult to express her feelings, and she feels that the only way she’ll be able to make anything of herself is by moving away from the past and making a fresh start. When Lucky comes back into her life, she helps her re-evaluate her priorities in life, and come to terms with the fact that what she may have always wanted has been waiting for back home all this time.

Her connection with Lucky is immediately apparent. They share a lot of history, a lot of memories, and it was fun to see them reconnect on a deeper level and go beyond friendship. There’s something so comforting about a friends to lovers trope, as both parties learn to trust and grow together while fighting the growing tension and sexual chemistry between them. I found it overall to be well developed and genuine and as a result I felt invested in their relationship.

A fast, easy breezy summer romance read that is perfect for a bit of light relief and escapism. Yes, the plot is predictable but it put a smile on my face, which is all anyone could ask for.

This book is adorable and I loved it a lot!

As always stories written by Jenn Bennett make me so happy, I can't put them down and I just love them a lot!

There isn't much to say other that I loved this book a lot, I will be re-reading it again in the future and you should read it too! I highly highly recommend this one!

Chasing Lucky is a book I really enjoyed reading. The story follows Josie who after moving around a lot with her mum settles back in her hometown to help with the family bookstore. Here she meets the bad boy and her childhood friend Lucky.

When I started the book I wasn't sure how much I would enjoy the story but once I got a few chapters in I didn't want to put the book down. I thought the characters in the book are great and it's nice how they are relatable for teenagers. Some of my favourite parts of the book were when Josie was with Lucky and I always found I wanted the best for them as they had a strong and realistic relationship. It is nice to see a relationship with it's challenges as it made the book more gripping to read.

I found at times the book could be a little predictable but it didn't take away from the enjoyment of the book and I was still surprised quite a few times with all that happened. This is a great book that has been an enjoyable and fun read.

This was a light easy read, just what I needed during lockdown. My favourite part of the book was the location - I love anything set in that part of America; a small town where everyone knows each other and the problems and rumours that ensue.

A fun story with a predictable storyline, that's not a bad thing, sometimes we just need a bit of escapism and lets just say Lucky is one very lovable character! I flew through this book in one sitting!

This was my first Jenn Bennett book but i have been putting that right and have bought a few of her other books already!

BOOK REVIEW: Chasing Lucky by @j3nn_benn
5 stars

Jenn Bennett is my favourite YA contemporary author and I am her biggest fan so if you want the quick answer on whether I think you should read this book its a big huge YES, read ALL her books!
Now down to Chasing Lucky. I love how Jenn writes YA contemporary that is perfect for people of YA age but also brilliant for those like me that are starting to struggle connecting with most YA as it feels too young.
Chasing Lucky had 2 unique characters that both had depth that made you easily feel a connection with them.
Josie is an arty photographer that has trust issues. She is quirky and funny and I loved her fiery side as well as her vulnerable one. Seeing her and her family grow and change through the book was a delight. Plus I loved the idea of a love curse (especially one that a guy called Lucky could break!).
Lucky is the slightly broken, mysterious biker who was Josie's best friend when she was younger. He was bad boy in name but certainly not in actions. I loved the way Jenn Bennett wrote the dialogue between Josie and Lucky as it flowed so effortlessly and added so much humour and banter..
The storyline was great and as ever I just wanted MORE! Not sure how I am going to wait for the next book - I may have to reread all her books!
So yes, if you like YA contemporary then read this book. I promise it won't let you down!

I haven't as yet read a Jenn Bennett I didn't like and this one is no different.
We have a girl and mother who return to the hometown she grew up in where she confronts the boy she used to be best friends with until she was hurried away by her mother.
There are issues - familial, parental, friendship, social, etc. - and the drip feed of background information keeps you hooked.
Lovely, lovely feel good book.