*4.5 stars *

OMG, what an absolute mess Etta manages to get herself into! But forgive me, I’m getting ahead of myself.

Etta wants to get married, she’s in her 30’s and wants to get on with it, she doesn’t want to wait much longer. Her partner Ola, says he wants to marry too, but he’d rather wait until they have a £30,000 deposit to buy their own home. Therein lies the problem. They can’t save quickly enough, so Etta thinks she can make enough money by gambling the online slots - she won’t take it too far like some people do, she knows she’ll stop before it gets out of hand. However, it DOES get out of hand, and Etta becomes a statistic, one of the many for whom gambling becomes an overwhelming addiction, and a complete nightmare!

Author, Rachel Edwards, has great skill when it comes to her characters - bringing vividly to life their personalities, motivations, goals and problems. In ‘Lucky’ she manages to create the kind of tension and intensity, that reels her readers in with an ease of which she should be justifiably proud. The way in which she portrays Etta’s downward spiral is both gripping and sad.

Wow! I could feel the pressure mounting, the overwhelming tension that Etta’s online gambling caused, the blind panic, the guilt, the need to quell that panic and guilt, using drink as a crutch, as ever increasing amounts were spent on trying to win back the sums she’d already lost, and all this with her bank balance at £0.00. Think it can’t get any worse? Oh, it can, it really can!

‘Lucky’, is about so much more than gambling addiction, it shines the spotlight on race, immigration, blackmail and betrayal. Etta comes into contact with some dreadful individuals and situations, but there were some great twists along the way. There were times that I wanted to scream at Etta “ No, don’t do it Etta” She didn’t listen! However, she took this reader on a roller coaster ride that made ‘Lucky’ hard to put down. Highly recommended.

I received an advance reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

Definitely different story line than the other psychological thrillers out there – not as much fun as her first one but still good enough. The protagonist is a real charmer 3.5 rounded up

Oh Etta please don't. Such an intense read.

I was enthralled by the beautiful prose and the tension of the plot. And the vivid characterisation made her feel like a friend. I so wanted to jump into the pages and help. But even if that was possible, I doubt one thing would have changed. However, I was with her every step of the journey and was hypnotised by those flashing colours too. The whole narrative was written so brilliantly. Such an authentic feel.

This is a gripping read with a mystery that intensifies on each page. I finished in the early hours of the morning because I honestly couldn't put it down. I needed to know what her bank total was and what on earth was going on elsewhere. I was so saddened by her friend's storyline and then horrified at the outcome. How cruel.

This is such a powerful story, not only of addiction but of chasing dreams and what one does to feel safe.

Highly Recommended

It took a while to get into this novel, I think due to the style of writing but suddenly it all clicked and was hooked. It’s been a while since I’ve read such a roller coaster novel. The writing about Etta’s spiral into addiction was very believable. It really did examine how addiction can totally unravel someone’s reasoning and judgment.
I started off really angry at Etta for being so silly but by the end I was heartbroken for her.
A novel I didn’t want to finish.

Lucky is Rachel Edwards second book. Etta lives with her boyfriend Ola and is frustrated because he will not marry her until he has saved £30,000 for a house. He’s almost there, at £22,000 and Etta is looking for a way to make things move faster.
Etta is a sensible woman with an office job, she volunteers one day a month, providing benefits and rights advice to mostly migrants, but as she gets involved deeper and deeper in online gambling websites, things spiral out of control.
Lucky is an interesting read. I cannot say I enjoyed the journey, perhaps because when you can imagine yourself so easily on a similar one, there is a sheen of sweat on your upper lip throughout.
The horror of Etta’s predicament is laid out in a way that describes the insanity of gambling but it is disturbing and even darkly funny at times rather than harrowing.
There is an enormous amount going on in this book, including a confusing back story from two years earlier which is ultimately resolved, but the subplot about the puzzle man was not, for me anyway.
I really struggled to like Ola and the relationship between Etta and him and nothing came as a surprise on that score.
So, did Lucky prove a point and did I enjoy it? Well, I like this method of point proving and it’s a book that I will remember.

I enjoyed this book as its very different to my usual type if read. The story illustrates the devastating effects of gambling and the lies and deceit that it breeds. Alongside this runs a much deeper and darker deceit. Brilliant characters - if not very likeable!

This was quite a strange book to read. I think should actually be marketed for young adults. The plot was quite interesting but it lacked the intensity that was required.

First off, I truly was not expecting where this book ended up.

This is a story about Etta, a black woman who with her boyfriend Ola, is saving up to get married. She turns to online bingo to gain the £10,000 she needs. Online bingo becomes online slots and big wins become massive losses. As things start to spiral she meets a mysterious stranger on the website who gives her tips and tricks to help her win but as her relationship with him grows, so does her desire to win it all.

The characters were fairly likeable but you got into Etta's headspace and understood, just why and how she got stuck in with the gambling. You see the descent and how stuck she feels and I enjoyed that aspect of it.

This is pretty character-based rather than plot-based but I did enjoy that as well. I love seeing the psyche of certain characters but it was extremely Etta based which while I didn't mind, made the other characters seem very 2 dimensional.

There were a lot of things I was not expecting when I went into this the massive thing being the ending. The place completely changed in the last section and while I enjoyed it, I wish it kept that pace the whole way through.

Overall, I don't feel particularly strongly about this but I did read it all the way through and I enjoyed watching Etta and who she becomes.

This is the first novel I have read by this author, but it won't be the last. Not only is the premise original, and beautifully executed, the writing itself is sparky and fresh - I found myself excited by the prose even before anything had happened!

"Lucky" is the story of Etta, who desperately wants to marry her partner, Ola. But Ola insists that they need to save enough for a deposit on a house before they can think about spending on a wedding, and is working all hours to secure them financial independence. Then Etta stumbles on a genius scheme: she'll win some money gambling online, using a strict system to make sure she stays ahead of the casino, and saving her winnings. And it turns out Etta is good at gambling - at first. But slowly, irrevocably, things start to spiral out of control, and Etta is soon in deeper than she ever could have imagined, and taking even more desperate measures to undo what she has set in motion...

This is exactly the kind of thriller I love, where a normal person finds themselves in an abnormal situation, so I knew I was probably going to enjoy it, but it's the quality of the writing that really elevates this novel into something beyond just another enjoyable but forgettable thriller. The prose is dazzling, and the characters were beautifully realised - I was rooting for Etta even as I was internally screaming at the decisions she was making. I am so excited to see what will come next from this author - I'll be first in line on publication day!

Thank you to NetGalley, and to the publisher, who granted me a free ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

“𝗧𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗹𝘂𝗰𝗸𝘆, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸𝘀”

Etta and Ola are saving for their future. They’d like to get a deposit for a house followed by marriage and honeymoon, But for the deposit alone the couple need at least £30,000
With £22,000 saved in the bank Etta decides to make more money quickly will start online gambling. Wins turn to loses and before she knows it all the money has gone and she begins getting blackmailed by a “friend” she met in the chat room.

Gambling can become addictive and a downward spiral which is awful however I struggled to feel empathy for the character. I found the writing quite jumpy going between other bits which weren’t really important or necessary, I just couldn’t get lost in the book and picture what was happening. There was a twist which I didn’t expect however I wasn’t overly surprised and didn’t find this story gripping.

This book wasn't for me. I didn't take to the characters at all and I can't cope with reckless behaviour. This is probably a young adult book.

Oh my! This book is full steam ahead and boy was I hooked as soon as main character, Etta, hit the gambling sites. I felt so much heartache for her as I know how serious an addiction gambling is and this book had it all when it comes to intricately exploring the psychological issues surrounding it. At times I wanted to jump into the book and try to fix her life as I tensely bit through my nails.

My heart banged away as Etta fell further down the rabbit hole, where danger lurked in the shadows. I felt every uncomfortable moment of her dark descent, her inner turmoil and the external threat that lingered.

I loved the setting of her bleak rented house which she tolerated while trying to save for her dream home with partner, Ola. Her dream life, hanging on a thread as she chased the promise of a carrot if only she took a chance of another spin. There is far more to this story than the gambling but I don’t want to ruin it for you. There are thrills aplenty and they don’t let go until the end.

I would definitely recommend ‘Lucky.’ It’s one exhilarating read!

Sadly this one wasnt for me.
It did have some good bits, but I felt whilst it had so much potential it didn't make the most of the opportunities of the important subject matters it touched on.

Easily a 5 star read for me. Lucky was such an good portrayal of gambling addiction, mixed with some tense thriller aspects. It also explored issues of race and money, against a backdrop of the Windrush scandal in the United Kingdom.

Etta and her partner Ola have been living together and saving money for a house. After constant arguments over scrimping and saving, she decides to join a Bingo site to try and raise the money quicker. However she soon begins to spiral into the world of online gambling, the more she plays, she wins but more often loses. During the midst of this, she meets a shady character online, and deceit and betrayal ensues!

Gambling additions are not often brought to the forefront in fiction and I loved how much Rachel Edwards portrayed this. In fact the scariest thing about this thriller was how is captured how much gambling can consume someone and isolate them. I was constantly hoping for Etta to just stop before it had tragic consequences.

This is Rachel Edwards 2nd novel. Lucky was suspenseful, gripping and devastating in many ways. Her style of writing was wonderful to read, and I cannot wait to explore more from her.

Thank you so much to @NetGalley and @4thEstate for providing me with a copy to read in exchange for a review.

A real page turner. It had me gripped from page 1. The murky world of online betting alongside people smuggling. I had no expectation yet I was blown away. Twists and turns and intermingling plots. Excellent read! Highly recommended if you can put your life on hold for a day.

Second book by Rachel Edwards really enjoyed Darling her first novel and feel the same about Lucky .I was drawn right in read late into the night enjoyed from first page to last Full of tension twists and turns kept me guessing to the last page..#netgalley #4thestse

Rachel’s first book, Darling, was excellent, so I was happy to be invited to read an advance copy of Lucky.

Etta wants to get married, have nice holidays and so on, but boyfriend Ola insists they save for a house deposit first. But that’s taking forever. Etta needs to find a way of making more money, quicker.

Etta isn’t the kind of sad person who gets addicted to online bingo. That’s not who she is at all. She’s confident she can beat the odds and make the money they need. And initially, it goes mainly according to plan. But before long, things get a bit out of hand.

What seemed initially like quite a simple story of a spiral into addiction ultimately turned into something more unexpected and complicated - there were twists here I really didn’t see coming. In the end I wasn’t entirely sure I had my head around it all, but I definitely enjoyed the journey.

It’s a story which has various things to say about modern Britain, some of it via Etta’s voluntary work at First Welcome. Her neighbour Jean illustrates a certain type of emboldened racist - though clearly has issues of her own.

And the Windrush scandal shows its ugly face here in the shape of Etta’s friend Joyce’s elderly mother, Cynthia, faced with the threat of deportation back to Jamaica after fifty years.

Edwards writes evocatively about the dizzying, beguiling lure of online gambling, the early wins and devastating losses.

Etta was alarmingly reckless at times - not just with the gambling, but giving away far too much information to a stranger on the internet. Surely we all know better than that, nowadays.

I loved the dialogue - Etta, like the author, is half-Nigerian, half-Jamaican, and Ola is of Nigerian heritage - and their voices emerged very clearly.

Lucky is an engaging read about... well, about lots of things really. Race, addiction, money, deception, the risks people take and the lengths they are prepared to go to. An interesting and surprising read.

Lucky is an incredibly fun and good read.

I really enjoyed starting this and I had a lot of trouble putting this down.