This was a really intiguing plot premise, and I was drawn in by how creative the plot context was. However, I wasn't really able to get into the book, and it wasn't as consistently engaging or interesting as I'd expect. The pacing and the length worked fine, but this just wasn't for me, personally.

Helena’s brother spent his entire luck line, all his chances to tilt fate in his favor, in a desperate bid for funds to support his pregnant girlfriend. Cursing himself to a life of terrible, low paying jobs and difficulties qualifying for anything that might allow him to dig his way out. Helena grew up seeing how he was treated, even seeing how their parents reacted, and has been saving her luck line for something important. With the implicit trust a full line brings and her parents’ support, she has yet to need extra luck. But then there is the matter of Nadia, the brilliant new programmer in the office. Mysterious, brilliant Nadia, with her totally blank arm and sharp confidence. Falling for someone who has already spent all their luck is a risk, but Helena cannot help but be drawn in despite herself. Can she make it work or will her charmed life fall apart in the attempt?

Quinn Tollens’ Luck Lines is a delightful two bite snack of a book with a really fascinating implied setting and characters that I wanted to get to know better. Funnily, the things I did not enjoy about the book are absolutely flip sides to the things I enjoyed the most in it. So the best place to start is probably with the big flip side for me, Helena, Nadia, and their relationship.

I found myself thinking right after I finished Luck Lines that I had the opposite problem with this book to what I have had with several others across my time reviewing. I care about these characters greatly, but I do not know them. So much of the page space is taken up with the highlights of Helena and Nadia’s relationship that I felt like I was seeing a supercut of it rather than any fullness of their story. It was the bright happy moments and the sharp arguments and the desperation of wanting to make things right, but it wound up feeling a bit flat because there was this sort of floating sense of the timing of things where six months went by in what felt like twenty pages and all the lovely development their relationship went through was condensed into these moments. The moments were well written, but I found myself wanting the meat that should have gone between them. I wanted there to be more slow dates and just quiet character moments that showed more of Helena and Nadia as people rather than as a couple in exciting or stressful situations.

As part of wishing for more of those slow moments, it would have also been really cool to see a bit more of how the existence of luck lines affects the setting versus the rest of it being very like our world. The reader gets bits of this already, Nadia’s introduction involves Helena’s marketing co-workers gossiping about her lack of a line and it is made clear that many people burn a bit of their line to break into the arts, as well as there being mentions of how having burned luck can lead to employers and landlords judging people as reckless. But I suppose that I wanted to see, for lack of a better term, consequences of that judgement. Maybe use that to include Helena’s brother and the situation with their parents a bit more.

I think the thing I want more than anything is a bit of expansion and room for the book to breathe. More space for connection and understanding.

Which leaves me with the only thing that I think might have stood heavy changes. There is a trigger warning at the very start of the book for a character dying of cancer. It is a useful thing and I am happy to see those included more and more often, but the inclusion of the trigger warning makes part of the book’s dramatic climax feel painfully obvious and thus very like something that should have been more obvious to the characters. As a reader I found myself wanting to shake Helena every time she wondered what Nadia could have possibly spent her luck line on, this made a bit worse by the floaty timeline, but it feels like something that should have come up at some point during the span of their relationship the reader sees rather than being saved back for the sudden realization that kicks off the climax. That legitimately frustrated me a fair bit because it feels like such a core thing to Nadia that she would have talked about it to her girlfriend at some point. It makes the ending feel cheap and unearned.

But that brings up the question of if the ending feeling like that ruins the book for me. Honestly, it does not and, perhaps, could not have ruined the story for me. This is a romance, I walked into it expecting drama and a happy ending, I found myself wanting better support for the drama at the end. Support and expansion for the characters and setting. I wanted more both from the book and of it. So, yes, Luck Lines loses some for its ending. But it leaves me ready to see where Tollens goes next, they set up some really interesting ideas here and I want to see how they grow as an author. I give Luck Lines a four out of five.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. I was hooked with the premise but it felt a little vague. i wanted more from this book and think it promised something with more texture. I wanted to remember it.

Thank you to Netgalley and NineStar Press for sending me a copy of this book! All opinions are my own!

For starters, I loved the premise of this book and thought it was a super unique way to make a commentary about our current society. There is so much parallel to real life and how people look down on those who are less fortunate than themselves.

I loved that Helena actually grew throughout this story and that she began to understand herself and the world around her a little better. It was refreshing to see her understand her own privilege and to begin to work toward not taking such things for granted.

Not to mention that it was sapphic! Their relationship was very sweet, I just wished that we'd seen more of it, if the story might have been longer.

If you like sci-fi that will get you thinking, this is definitely the story for you!

Intriguing idea for a story line,but it didn't work out like I hoped. Couldn't really get a connection and sorry to say I was tempted to start another book before finishing this one.

Despite an intriguing premise, this little romantic spec-fic novella, unfortunately, fell flat for me.

In the world of this story, everyone is born with a line on their forearm, which they can "burn" in order to influence their luck; once it's gone, it's gone. Helena, our main character, has been raised to be extremely cautious with her line, and even in adulthood, hasn't touched it once. When she meets her new coworker Nadia – whose line is completely gone – she's forced to start reconsidering the way she thinks about the world.

That premise was, for me, the best part of this book. The novella felt too short to develop the idea fully, but the glimpses of world-building we get were super intriguing! I'd love to read more about this world.

Unfortunately, the rest of the story also didn't quite live up to expectations. I think, in large part, that the novella format was simply too short to contain the many, branching threads of the story. The author tried to fit a lot into one book – discussions of art and artistry, and societal prejudice, and familial relationships, and a romantic partnership – and everything felt a little half-baked, and not quite tied together. I also didn't feel invested in the central romance – there were several large time-skips which made the book, and the development of the relationship, feel quite rushed.

I think this could have been great, if it had more space in which to grow. But sadly, it's just not quite there yet.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an e-ARC!

I disliked Helena from the start and I still disliked her at the end. I just couldn’t connect with a character who is so judgemental. I received a free copy of this book and I am writing a review without prejudice and voluntarily. I am sorry to say that I did not connect with the characters in this book. You might, so please do not take my opinion as anything other than a reader who did not make a connection.

2.75 Stars. I thought the premise was great, but the story left something to be desired. There wasn’t anything bad, or anything I hated, but there was also nothing that really piqued my interest. The premise of everyone having these luck lines on their arms, that they can use up all at once -which could make them an outcast- or slowly over time, was really interesting and what drew me to read the book in the first place. I love anything with a magical or paranormal flare -even a small one- so I thought this would be right up my alley. Unfortunately, it just never all came together for me.

This is novella length -which I have been enjoying reading more and more lately- and I found that the length worked for this story. It was a fast read, and I appreciated that fact. While reading a novella, I expect certain storylines and the romance to be a bit rushed so that wasn’t my issue here. It was more that I never really connected with the two mains as a couple. They had an odd relationship that was lacking in chemistry so it seemed more like just a friendship. The problem is that the big moment that happens at the end, only makes sense for two people deeply in love, and not just friendly. I found myself rolling my eyes instead of being moved by the big gesture since it didn’t seem to fit.

While I loved the idea of the luck line, I also found that it felt inconsistently used in the story. Part of the premise is that everyone has this line that wraps around their arm and you are supposed to use little bits up over your whole life. The people that have to use all their luck up, are looked down upon and discriminated against. I get all that and I thought that in itself worked. The problem was that the few times we experience the luck being used, it is like nothing happens and people have to use all their luck up in one go. That was confusing to me. Either it is so powerful that people only need a little at a time, over their whole lifetime, or you need to spend everything to do almost nothing. If it is the latter, then all the discrimination does not make sense because everyone would have nothing left if their luck was so weak. I hope what I just wrote made sense since the whole thing is a bit of a head scratcher.

TLDR: I’m sorry to say but this was not for me. The book was okay, but I had that sort of eh feeling the whole time which I don’t want while reading. The premise is unusual and super cool, but it wasn’t the story I was hoping for. I also struggled with the romance which felt very friends instead of lovers. I appreciate Tollens taking a risk and writing about a new idea, I’m just disappointed that it didn’t fit my personal tastes.

A copy was given to me for a review.

I had high hopes but this book was just dull and did not really keep my interest going. I was not immersed in the story and was glad when it was finally over.

This is a really fascinating concept for a story. One gets a certain amount of luck in their lifetime that acts more like magic wish making than anything else. The amount of luck you have is equal to a line one has on their arm. great concept. I felt that if the author had taken more time, flushed out the concept, some of the angst would make more sense. Am rating for the concept and not the execution.

This novella was short, but not short enough . . . DNF at 50%.

The premise was intriguing, and from the blurb I was excited to read--a queer romance with an unusual fantasy component? Sounds great! Unfortunately I found the writing and characters to be quite flat.

Helena is an unlikeable, judgmental main character, and I did not understand at all what Nadia would have seen in her. While Nadia is not judgmental or harsh, she was not a compelling character either.

I did not find this engaging or gripping enough to finish it. I still think the concept of the luck lines is interesting, but the boring setting and backstory washed it out.

This is so creative and imaginative. Luck lines to be spent over one's life, be it frivolously or carefully, the whole concept is so captivating. I enjoyed getting to know the fabulously flawed main characters with their insecurities, doubts, and ideals. Their love is challenged because of preconceived notions and societal pitfalls, but enduring them together was very sweet. A moment of angst and a rather noble deed left me with an HEA that I could smile about. Cute, quick read and worth it just to remind yourself how far you've come, luck be damned.

I felt like the plot of this book was intriguing but I felt like the back story on the Luck Lines was missing. I feel like having a back story on how the luck lines became a thing would have been interesting. I felt like the characters were not fully developed for me to love them.

The story is short but it has everything you need to fully enjoy it.

Every time someone is born they have a line of good luck on their arm, Helena saw at 11 how her brother spent her entire line on a bet and that made her never use her own.

At 23 she meets Nadia, she doesn't have an inch and that's why everyone judge her.

The main problem that the two of them had as a couple was the lack of communication, Helena jumped to conclusions very quickly and Nadia never opened herself up and never said a think about herself to Helena. Several times they were happy and the next moment I knew, they were already fighting about something.

I feel like they were a good couple but at first they just didn't know how to handle it.

I liked the story, it has a bit of everything, romance, drama and a lot of eager to hit the characters.

I am one of those people who always tries to get a lesson from anything I read and I feel that this book gives a very good one and especially because I have grown up with it since I was a child. There is no bad luck, good luck, everything can be achieved only with respect for others and with love and support from those you consider family. Nothing else is needed.

The premise of the book was intriguing. Helena and Nadia are co-workers who start dating but they couldn't be more different. In this universe there is such a thing as a luck line which can help you in life. To be honest I felt like there could be more of an explanation about this because these characters use them but don't seem to be getting too much luck anyways.

Helena is also very judgemental and I didn't really like her that much. Agreed her uptight upbringing played a huge part in that but her brother Michael is a selfless guy so that's not all on her parents. Although they aren't very likeable either.

I would have liked more. More backstory, more insight, more cute moments between them. It went from first date to dating for 2 months to dating for 6 months in a heartbeat. They did have their cute moments so maybe I just had too many expectations.

Thank you to NetGalley and NineStar Press LLC for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a short and sweet story with a very intriguing premise. In the world of Quinn Tollens' story, everyone is born with a twenty inch 'luck line' on their arm that they can use as they wish for some extra luck throughout their life. But once spent, there is no getting the luck back. The premise for this book is very unique and captivating, and really carried me through the story. I found it interesting to see how Tollens imagined how society would react poorly to people using up their luck lines early in life. I also loved exploring the different characters, including our main characters who had such different worldviews and perceptions of the right way to use up the luck in their life. It created such a visible and tangible representation of the age old risk v. caution differences in peoples personality. I think my favourite parts of the plot were when the intersection between the luck lines and privilege were explored, with some people not having the luxury of keeping their luck lines whole. For the most part, the plot was rather simple, but the exploration of privilege showed a more nuanced aspect of the premise which was very engaging.

I think the characters were likeable and as was their romance, but there was nothing really stand out about it. The real seller of this story is the plot, whereas I found the characters to be likeable but not very engaging in their own right. Because the book was so short, we didn't delve too much into their relationship or their lives beyond some key points, so it was hard to really engage in their relationship beyond that. I think this lack of engagement with the characters made the ending and overall arc of the plot less impactful and memorable than it could have been. While the premise was intriguing, I think it alone was not enough to sustain the story into becoming a great book.

I have a mixed history with book from NineStar press overall. I've come to view it similarly to kindle unlimited- there is a lot of content out there, but you don't know what is going to be worth reading all of the time. For example, I really enjoyed Miss Claus a couple months ago, but I can also think of numerous other books that have been more mediocre. So when I read the blurb of Luck Lines, I was intrigued because it seemed like an original idea to build off of and gave it a shot. Unfortunately while that originality was there, the follow through could have been better.

In Luck Lines, every person has a twenty inch long red strip down their arm representing their luck, and they can use their luck however they see fit when they come of age. When you use your luck circumstances will bend to go your way, but it is a finite resource, once used it is gone forever. Helena has been extremely conservative with her luck line never using any of it after watching her brother use all of his at once when he was 18. When one day she meets Nadia who is completely blank armed she interests Helena even though they seem so different in their priorities. Nadia also seems to have a mysterious backstory that might contribute to her blank arm, and Helena wants to know what it is.

For as an original idea as this was I don't feel like it fully delivered on the messaging that it tried to portray. I feel like this book could have done a better job at when it is the appropriate time to take risks in life and to not let things pass you buy, but to me it just doesn't. I don't want to venture too far into spoiler territory but I feel that this book teases what it could be when the end result is less emotionally compelling.

I also didn't really feel emotionally invested in the relationship between Nadia and Helena, and this is primarily because we don't see enough of them growing together as a couple. This book has several time jumps between major events but we see no in between times. Most of these major events lead to some kind of conflict between the two leads, but besides a first date (where there was also some bickering) we never got to see them just like, vibing. Getting to know each other and feel each other out, first kisses, and working emotionally though feelings- that's what we (or at least I) read romance for- not just conflict between characters we are told care for each other. Its the buildup of the relationship that makes the emotional hit of the black moment still work even if its predictable. But when this book had it's black moment, I just didn't care.

And I give this criticism because I think this book could have been more. This book is just too short, it just seems like a novella that wants to have the content of a full novel without the pacing or length of one- and that's just not what a novella does.

I don't want to be too harsh, this is a very quick read, I finished it in a little over an hour of reading- I just really liked the idea and wish the book had more to it, so I feel let down. 2.5/5

I was really intrigued with the premise of this fantasy novella. Everyone in the world is born with twenty inches of luck lines on their arm. They can choose how the use it when they've reached maturity. Helena is 23 and has scrupulously kept every inch of luck. When she was young she saw her brother waste all his luck and has seen him struggle in life ever since. When she meets Nadia, a new programer at her work, there is instant judgment by her and her friends because she has already used all of her luck.

For me the most interesting aspect of the book is how judgment of the luck lines goes into everyones thinking. It determines everything from your credit ratings, suitability for employment or prospects for a relationship. It is easier to think someone uses luck to get ahead instead of their own talents and abilities. The relationship between Nadia and Helena is useful for seeing the world they live and the differing views. But it didn't make me root for them as a couple. They are always at crosshairs with conflicting viewpoints. Also the grand gesture feels wasted (not sure why it did't work instantly for Helena) and the ending feels like settling. Its a good novella but not a great romance. Thank you to NetGalley and NineStar Press LLC for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.