Twists and turns I wasn’t expecting in a sad yet ringing true story of addiction. I ran through the book.

Nigerian born Etta lives with her partner Ola. and she wants to get married but he insists they save enough - £30000, for a deposit on a house first. Having reached £22000 Etta has an office type job but decides to speed up the solution and takes matters in to her own hands by starting to play online bingo.

What turns out to be a simple plan, in her eyes, ends up with all sorts of problems. She becomes addicted and Ms Edwards charts this downward spiral with consummate ease.. I was hoping that Etta would use some of her winnings wisely but that is not how it works. She needs more and more money and resorts to all the various methods available including the (dreadful) payday loans. 'Lucky' she is not. Olas remained blissfully unaware for a time.

The book moves sadly to an inevitable ending (no spoilers) but Ms Edwards isn't afraid to tackle other issues like the Windrush scandal and racism.

The sub plot was not entirely convincing, but all in all an excellent book. The desperate needs of addicts is a lesson for us all.

Thanks to Net Galley and 4th Estate and William Collins for the chance to read and review.

I really enjoyed this book. It has so many layers, it's about far more than gambling. It explores just how much trouble a compulsive gambling addiction can get someone into and how much damage it can do.

A great page turner. .

I really enjoyed "Darling" but it took me a while to get into this book and the characters. However, it was definitely worth persevering as the twisted narrative becomes one of survival and betrayal in many forms, but ultimately with hopes of redemption.
Thank you to netgalley and fourth estate for an advance copy of this book

Thanks to Net Galley and Fourth Estate for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book I’m afraid wasn’t for me. I did not like the characters, I found both Etta and her boyfriend Ola highly irritating..
Etta has become addicted to online gambling, there are other issues going on in the background, racism and blackmail.
For me a disappointing rather boring read. Sorry.

I haven’t read anything by Rachel Edwards, but I’m totally blown away by this complex tale which explores so many issues. Addictive behaviour, racism, Windrush, love, friendship, betrayal; it’s difficult to know where to start.

The heart of the tale is Etta; she wants more; a better life, marriage and happiness. She has a job plus a boring and soul destroying fiancé. He promises much, but never delivers. She wants to kickstart things for a better future. Easy, peasy solution; online gambling. Just a big win or two would make dreams come true and how difficult could that be?

There were moments in this story when my heart was almost literally breaking for Etta. Beguiled by the demon spins and empty promises, she moves into self destruct, aided and abetted by her only good friend, alcohol.

This is such a unique tale. Etta has a very distinctive voice; she’s intelligent perceptive and helpless. Her partner, Ola, is apparently sympathetic and supportive, but there’s a whole backstory to their relationship.

There are so many reasons I absolutely love this book. Rachel Edwards not only spins a convincing and engaging yarn, she explores addictive behaviour, inherent racism, betrayal, love, payday loans… Her use of imagery is compelling; I could feel, hear and see the slot machines beguiling her into hope and desperation. Her prose is lyrical and alliterative. It’s just so well written, I was swept from one page to the next, desperate in my hope that things would work out for Etta. This is a story of our times. I enjoyed it immensely and I’m certainly hoping for more from this author. Simply brilliant.

And congratulations to 4th Estate for delivering a dynamic and intriguing cover. Never judge a book, etc, but I have to say the cover of thistitke is dramatic and drew me in to exploring the content. Excellent. My thanks to the publisher for a review copy via Netgalley.

With the promise of a wedding when they have a £30,000 house deposit, Etta turns to online gambling to try and sort it out. Predictably, things don't go to plan although there are lots of additional issues along the way. Whilst centered around gambling many more topics such as race, betrayal and lies. Tense right to the end.

Etta and Ola have been together for a while and she would like to get married. Unfortunately, Ola doesn’t agree, as he wants them to wait until they have saved £30k for a deposit on a house before even considering marriage. But he does offer her a trip to the Maldives – someday. Etta is not happy and, as she loads up the ‘asthmatic washing machine, in her rented house she starts to think about ways in which she could make some extra, easy money to put towards the £22k that they have already saved. She has already found her dream house near to her home at 31 Aspen Street.
But, at their anniversary meal, in an uninspiring local restaurant, Etta realises that their relationship is crumbling. She works in a dead end job and Ola is always away at conferences and seminars to build his career. As she’s alone a lot, Etta soon exhausts legitimate moneymaking avenues and is tempted by an ad for an online bingo site on her phone. Despite it being a ‘low rent and embarrassing source’, she is intrigued by the thought of being able to win extra money to help them out. So, Etta signs ups and before long she is hooked. She is excited by winning good sums of money but not so thrilled when she losses it all on other games. And fellow Cozee Bingo fans are so friendly and helpful as they advise her about other upcoming big money games and chat to her online. One soon becomes her ‘virtual best mate at the virtual party’. Ette is thrilled to become a VIP and the Cozee Bingo party is never ending. It isn’t long before Etta progresses onto the slots and is congratulating herself on being so savvy as to win over £1000.
In the meantime, real life intrudes on Etta’s gaming world. Cynthia, the elderly mother of one of her best friends, Joyce, has been threatened with deportation as part of the Windrush scandal. Etta writes a letter to the Home Office on her behalf. She volunteers at the First Welcome Project where she helps and advises people with problems like Cynthia’s.
But who sent Etta a large box of rotten flowers to her home late at night? They’re sending her a message but why?
Gambling is taking over Etta’s life more and more and like a true player she thinks that she can win it all back again. But she doesn’t, instead she ploughs it all back into more games and loses it all. Soon she has gambled away the £22k house deposit money before taking out payday loans. And then she discovers that her online pal isn’t all he seems as she begins to drink heavily and sends indiscreet messages about her situation.
When will Etta stop? Can she stop? Does she even want to stop? Too late she realises that she’s about to lose everything.
What I liked about this book is the skilful way in which the author took me into Etta’s new world of online gambling. I’ve visited arcades full of gambling machines with flashing lights and noises and could see how they lure people in. Online gambling is less visible but just as enticing. It was the way in which a lonely woman was seduced with flashily titled games and visuals and the belief that she could win all the time. Eventually, she does admit that she is an addict and that nothing else matters in her life.
I was intrigued how the subplot involving a Croatian illegal immigrant would become part of Etta’s world which she did. In a way, she was also a gambler.
However, the ending felt very abrupt, and I wondered how Etta was going to get out of the terrible mess that she had created with her addiction. It was as if the author had run out of steam which was a shame as she had so successfully combined all of the plot elements and made Etta into such a believable character. I had my suspicions about Ola early on.
The dialogue was good and also the way in which the author depicted their different backgrounds. Ola is Nigerian and Etta is half Jamaican and at times there was a culture clash between them.
Lucky is a novel with a dark theme in how Etta’s life completely unravels due to her desire to make some money for their future. It was also about how easy it is to fall into a world of bright, shiny graphics and the rabbit hole of money that you think you’ve won but was never real in the first place.

My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC.

Etta wants to get married. Ola, her partner, says he does too, but he’s also allergic to making concrete plans and keeps insisting that they save enough for a house deposit before they even think of marriage. So Etta finds a way to start secretly making money: online gambling. And how lucky that she just happens to be so good at it.

I could see where this was going from the outset and wanted to give Etta a shake, I could feel her emotions as she gambles everything on her next big win. She neglects her relationship and her friendships as online gambling takes over her life.

The book is full of humour and very enjoyable. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

Loved this, even though with some of the phases used, it wasn't always easy to understands. But the story it told was a common one and probably touches a nerve for many people. 2 stories intertwined. Although the lead character had done wrong, all of your sympathies were certainly with her. Really enjoyed it, well written and kept me hooked to the end.

No. I'm sorry, but, despite the rave reviews, this was a 'did not like' from me.

I thought the premise was interesting, hence the request to preview. However, the characters and their interaction didn't engage me at all and I found the whole thing to be frustrating and disappointing.

Etta wants to get married, but, her longterm boyfriend says 'not until we've saved enough' ...irritated yet?
I appreciate there are cultural references that explain some of the engrained male dominance issues, but, jeepers! Etta though, is only more spurred on to persuade him and so begins to enter the dark world of online gambling.

I'm really glad that others' enjoyed it and I wish the author every success, but, definitely not for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to preview.

Oh poor Etta! I could see where this was going from the outset and wanted to give Etta a shake and say no man is worth this! Etta is drawn into online gambling and I could feel her emotions as she gambles everything on her next big win. She neglects her relationship and her friendships as online gambling takes over her life
However, there are quite a few twists along the way as we find out that most of the characters are hiding secrets and nothing should be taken at face value. A lot of humour in this book which really appealed to me, very authentically and cleverly written.

Etta wants to get married and start a family with long-time boyfriend Ola. Ola first wants to save enough money to buy a house before even thinking of putting a ring on it. So, Etta makes a plan....

This is one interesting concept. I've never read a domestic thriller with gambling as the main concept.

What I loved:

- Seeing Etta's downward spiral. Chasing the ever-elusive carrot. It was interesting to see the inner-workings of a gambling addict's mind. I mean, granted, Etta made so many dumb decisions. Telling a random online nobody details about your life? That is 'How to get Scammed 101' right there but hey who am I to judge.

What I didn't love:

- The over-use of non-lexical vocables. The dialogue is filled with 'heh', 'hehehe', 'o' etc. It's such a huge turn off for me in books.

- The writing style is different and something to get used to but once I got into the story, this was no longer jarring.

- The ending?! I felt the story ended so abruptly. I would have liked to see how Etta attempted to recover because let's face it, an addiction doesn't just disappear at will. Also, what about the consequences of her actions, not only legally but with the scammers? How does that end? It didn't feel like she showed any remorse for what she had done. She was more afraid of getting caught then her actions.

So a very interesting concept and this book has great potential to be absolutely brilliant!

The opening of ‘Lucky’ introduces us to Etta and Ola, living in London but originally from Nigeria. From the outset it is clear that Etta thinks it is time they were married, but Ola insists that they must have £30,000 with which to buy a house. Ola works on scientific research and hopes that eventually this will lead to employment at the University. He works hard on his research and devotes many hours to socialising and developing contacts which will help him. Etta is very aware that it is her work in an office that is actually providing the bulk of the savings. She is a traditional woman, giving due respect to her man; he is the one who loves her, supports her and she in turn keeps a good home for him, cooking good traditional food and generally concedes to him, in and out of the bedroom.

Etta’s place of refuge is the spare room, which Ola used as a study but slowly Etta has taken over the space whilst she works at home. However, one evening as she puzzles how she can get hold of the £8,000 to boost their savings she hits on an on-line bingo site and from then on she is lost.

Ms Edwards’ descriptions of the bingo site is amazing; she conjures the simplicity of the graphics, a sophisticated simplicity with music, vivid colours, bright images, quick paced, literally with bells and whistles, with the promise of more excitement, more opportunities, more wins, more bonuses. To help Etta enjoy the full experience of the website she sips a little wine, a little gin and as the compulsion takes hold, she sips some more, and some more.

I do not know how these sites work – clearly they must entice you in and they must do this by allowing you to win, but I did feel some doubt about just how much Etta did win – and lost. This in turn made me cautious about her character, how stupid is she? Her life becomes a roundabout of lies, booze, gambling, stealing and stress, mega stress. It affects her friendships, her work, and her relationship with Ola. Speaking of which, what a thoroughly unlikable person he is; lord and master, stuffing his face, totally unaware of poor Etta. Run Etta, run!

I didn’t like the book at the start, the rhythm of the prose was unsettling – strange to my ear. As the plot became more interesting and I had a stake in what was happening to Etta I enjoyed it more and I settled into the tempo. Whilst reading I kept thinking of how I would review the book, and it went from a tepid reception to a more positive one. The situation, the characters, description all captured my thoughts, the most profound of which is – ‘is this what it is like – oh these poor people enslaved by gambling.

There is more, much more to cover about the plot; racism, blackmail, even the Windrush scandal!

A very unusual book, domestic in its setting, but absolutely outstanding in its perception.

Thank you to the author, publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.

A tangled and dramatic story of the gambles we take with high stakes.
I was hooked at the twists and gobsmackingly shocking depths that the character went to due to addiction. It explores the criminality and exploitative practices involved in online gambling as well as scams and the multilayered desperation of immigration & asylum.
A very clever book, I just felt sometimes the online games descriptions went a bit over my head and I got a bit lost with it, but the deceptions were very well written.

"Unbearable: the rotting smell still hung in the kitchen, and the hall. She fought down a tremor of nausea... She suspected it emanated from the spare room. Above the stench, a screaming from within: You deserve this, skank! It was not OK to help herself to their joint money as if it were all hers for the taking. This was bad."

In the fictional town of Rilton, Etta Oladipo, in her mid-thirties is bright and ambitious; she wants to marry boyfriend, beloved but set-in-his-ways, Ola. He wants this too, but wants them to save for a house deposit first. Etta despairs this will never change, so finds a secret way to make extra money - online gambling with 'Cozee Bingo' in the spare room. She's lucky, she happens to be good at it, but keeps it a secret. Until she isn't and finds herself in a fix. Her online bingo buddy, StChristopher75 has just won big, and thinks Etta is 'hot', so he'll help her, won't he?

Etta's plight is oh-so relatable as she wants to settle down and have a family with the man she loves. The author portrays the lure of online gambling with what feels like accuracy (I have no experience of online gambling, but imagine this is how it can be). There is a parallel storyline with an event for Ola in Zagreb, that I didn't take to. However the storyline with Etta's friend, Joyce and her mum's threatened deportation, is heartbreaking, but enables the reader to understand the context of Etta's life, along with her generous nature. Tense and secretive, this is pacey, as we experience Etta's slide into further difficulties, as her online bingo habit and bad decisions get out of hand. I was rooting for Etta all the way because this was more character than plot based. Enjoyed it, didn't love it.

This is the first book I have read by this author. The cover appealed to me - the striking colours and bold design are very eye catching.

The story focuses on Etta and he journey into gambling in order to make enough money to get married.

The author takes us on a journey of addiction and vulnerability which becomes a real page-turner.

The book was well written with plenty of twists and turns along the way. I liked the authors writing style and felt the book flowed well.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for my advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review 📚

Etta wants to marry Ola but he’s insistent they save £30,000 for a house deposit and they’re a few grand short. Etta reasons that there’s no harm committing a few hundred pounds to play online bingo in order to achieve the magic number. To start with she’s lucky and then you can guess the rest .... but some things you won’t see coming!

This is a good character driven domestic thriller with Etta and Ola in particular being very well portrayed though you sense something is off in their relationship. You want to yell ‘No’ at Etta as her addiction to gambling grows, with the spiralling out of control descent into a pit of debt and despair that leads to huge risks in more ways than one and makes you gasp in horror. She’s lost in the game, she’s so immersed in it she’s lost herself to it and is in a ginormous hole. To start with you feel annoyed with her but end feeling sorry. I think the second half is way better than the first which I find to be repetitive but later the pace and tension picks up considerably and becomes compelling reading. Apart from the addiction theme there are a number of issues that emerge such as racism, blackmail, betrayal and lies heaped on top of lies.

Although there’s much to praise in the novel the pace initially is slow and there’s a thread running through the narrative in Croatia from 2015 onwards which is very confusing though it does make sense at the end. I also question in these days where you have to be so online savvy whether Etta would have been so foolish with some of her decisions. Possibly by then she’s in so deep that she loses her faculties of reasoning.

Overall, though the last 40% is very good which outweighs any reservations. It’s a well written book and one of the stand out features is how believably Etta’s addiction and emotions are depicted.

With thanks to NetGalley and 4th Estate for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

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.

I really enjoyed this book. Etta lives with her partner Ola. She wants to get married but he insists they save enough for a deposit on a house first. So Etta decides to take matters in to her own hands and starts playing online bingo. Soon she is hooked and things go from bad to worse. She steals and lies and then finds herself vulnerable when she arranges to meet a fellow gambler who has been flirting with her online. This is a real page turner with a good twist at the end. Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
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