The phrase “I didn’t see that coming” got me in this book. Whilst I did get very frustrated with Etta and just not understanding how she got herself in the position she did, I did enjoy the book.

Thank you to Netgalley and 4th Estate and William Collins for the opportunity to read an advance copy in return for my honest review.

I must firstly apologise for the amount of time it has taken me to provide a review of this book, my health was rather bad for quite some time, something that had me in hospital on numerous occasions and simply didnt leave me with the time I once had to do what I love most.

Unfortunately that does mean I have missed the archive date for many of these books, so It would feel unjust throwing any review together without being able to pay attention to each novel properly.

However, I am now back to reading as before and look forward to sharing my honest reviews as always going forward. I thank you f0r the patience and understanding throughout x

Thank you for providing me with an advance review copy of this book. Enjoyed reading, would recommend....

Too slow for me to get into & sadly did not finish; I found the characters & the storyline boring & just could not get into the book at all

Lucky by Rachel Edwards shows how easily a small gamble can become an addiction. I personally have never seen the appeal, but I think it can pull someone into a world they can not escape. Very real and interesting book that was gripping until the end.

The book is as described on the cover. He wants a nest egg and she wants marriage. The targets seem attainable but impatience results in a gambling addiction. A plausible story line but for me the book was too centred around gambling on line which I find difficult to understand. It seems others enjoyed it more than I did and I became bored.

Dark , twisty, brilliant ! I loved it , claustrophobic and I wanted more !! Absolutely brilliant writing

There is a lot going on in this book and although parts of it are kind of far-fetched, I really enjoyed it anyway. Fast, multi-layered and full of twists and turns, it was a great read for a long delay at an airport.

Unfortunately this book was not for me, it was a bit slower than I would like and it just didn't hold my attention. I am sure other people will love it!

I read this in one sitting I was hooked. Twisty and unpredictable storyline that kept me guessing until the very end, I didnt know what was happening - but im the best way. I really liked it.

Loved this one, a gripping read and one that has you from page one, fast paced and punchy this one was a winner for me, defo a must read!

A unique read that takes you into the darkness of gambling. How a successful, happy young woman can descend into this world. Wonderful writing and a lovely insight into the world of Etta and her heritage.

A good read if a little predictable. Bit of a slow burner to get into but I still enjoyed it. One to persevere with.

A fantastic book which is well written and completely engaging. I have been completely pulled in and kept hostage by this one.
This is unique, intriguing and one that I have devoured.

I was intrigued by the blurb about how a seemingly intelligent, working woman in a stable relationship could become embroiled in such a downward spiral of gambling obsession, but unfortunately the book didn’t live up to the hype. We find out nothing about Etta or her other half Ola: how they met, how involved they were with each other’s friends and family and what made their relationship tick. The description of the plummet into the dark side of online gambling was well depicted but I kept shouting at her to at least wonder why Ola didn’t notice the seismic shift in Etta’s behaviour. Sorry but this book left me feeling nothing, neither wow nor worst book ever.

A rather interesting follow-up by Rachel Edwards, although I just say I preferred her debut a lot more. This one didn’t quite follow up in the same way, nonetheless it was a compelling portrayal of a woman caught up in online gambling and making more disastrous risks.
I felt Etta’s motivation to make money wasn’t compelling enough. The whole keen to make eight grand, so they can put deposit on a house, until the boyfriend ain’t proposing is a bit silly. Furthermore where was Etta’s family the whole time? How did she even meet Ola? Where’s his family? I just couldn’t connect with the characters and the twists felt far-fetched. It just wasn’t executed well enough. There are some plot strands that focus on issues faced by POC which was quite poignant and I appreciated it, however the thriller part wasn’t quite there.

An interesting read about the dangers of online gambling.
Etta wants to marry, but her boyfriend is adamant not to put the finger on her finger until he’s brought a house and is saving up in their joint account for £30,000. To make quick Etta starts online gambling. She gets lucky making quick bucks until she starts lose...she chats with Chris on the site. Can he help?

I’m afraid this one didn’t quite work. For of all I couldn’t stand Ola, Etta’s boyfriend, and I found Etta to be stupid. Her incentive to gamble was ridiculous and she really needed to stand up for herself especially as she contributed the most financially and on top of took care of the house for the slouch Ola. There’s a side-plot about a friend, whose mum is about to be deported, which was heartbreaking but didn’t have anything to do with the main plot. For the first we mainly see Etta making stupid decisions as she gets addicted to gambling taking massive risks 🤦🏻‍♀️ Like girl stop 😩 I just couldn’t root for her. I also found the first half lacking in any suspense and it wasn’t really a thriller and more of a character study. The last 30% got pacy and we get twists, some of which rely on coincidences and a bit of suspending disbelief. If only the thriller part came earlier.

This is an unblinkered and very real portrayal of gambling addiction and how desperation can make an intelligent person act in a very unintelligent way. The book zings from the page, almost too much at times, the characters are very real and the plot involves not just gambling addiction but race, social pressures and more. This is not an easy read because of its subject matter but it is very different, original and deserves reading.

A cautionary tale of obsession, addiction and betrayal.

Wanting to final get her boyfriend Ola to propose, Etta goes about getting the £30k he has stipulated that they need for a house (last of the big romantics, hey? Red flag right there Etta!)

So, Etta signs on to an online casino and finds that she is quite lucky at it...her money is building up, but as we know in gambling, there is one rule - house always wins!

This was an interesting read, I just wish Etta hadn't been so desperate for Ola to commit - he wasn't worth all this hassle.

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book, this is my honest opinion.

Lucky was just brilliant. Such a clever plot, and the suspense never let up from start to finish.

Etta is desperate to get married to Ola, but he insists they need to save more money before they can tie the knot. When an ad for online bingo pops up, Etta is sucked in and believes it's a smart move. She'll play until she wins big, then their next chapter can truly begin. But as we could have guessed, the wins are always just bait to encourage more gambling. As she becomes increasingly addicted, the losses lead to borrowing and before she knows it, she's lost all their money. Living with the secret, she turns to booze and has nowhere to turn.

Etta's life is spiralling out of control, but little does she know that Ola is also hiding a devastating secret of his own.

The story kept me gripped throughout and the way Etta and Ola's secrets are revealed to be linked was a delicious twist.