LUCKY

SYNOPSIS

What if you had the winning ticket that would change your life forever, but you couldn’t cash it in?

Lucky Armstrong is a tough, talented grifter who has just pulled off a million-dollar heist with her boyfriend, Cary. She’s ready to start a brand-new life, with a new identity—when things go sideways. Lucky finds herself alone for the first time, navigating the world without the help of either her father or her boyfriend, the two figures from whom she’s learned the art of the scam.

When she discovers that a lottery ticket she bought on a whim is worth millions, her elation is tempered by one big problem: cashing in the winning ticket means she’ll be arrested for her crimes. She’ll go to prison, with no chance to redeem her fortune.

As Lucky tries to avoid capture and make a future for herself, she must confront her past by reconciling with her father; finding her mother, who abandoned her when she was just a baby; and coming to terms with the man she thought she loved—whose dark past is catching up with her, too.

Title: Lucky

Author: Marissa Stapley

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Publication date: December 7, 2021

REVIEW

RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

As Britney Spears would sing…This is a story about a girl named Lucky, but poor Lucky does not live up to her name and things keep going from bad to worse in her life. She’s a con artist and a grifter. She hasn’t known any other life. Her dad involved her in his schemes since she was a child and after he’s sent to prison she continues associating with shady characters. After her latest heist is discovered she goes on the run with a winning lottery ticket that could change her life but, how can she cash it in when that would mean coming out of hiding?

Lucky was quite the unconventional heroine. You know what she does is absolutely reprehensible but, at the same time, you can’t help feeling sympathy for her and root for things to go her way. It hard to blame her cause, after all, that’s everything she’s known all her life.

The story is told in dual timelines. In the present we follow her while she’s on the run trying to find a way to cash in the lottery ticket and, in the past one, we learn about her upbringing, from her childhood until her father is arrested and sent to prison. I found the father/daughter relationship really interesting. His behavior was so selfish time and time again, but Lucky always ended up being loyal to him despite her misgivings. It was so sad to see how she could not live the normal live of a child, with friends and some kind of stability. Even when they were in a good place, it was disheartening to see how he would always put first his next con before his daughter’s well-being.

The story moved at a good pace, not having a single boring moment. The ending was quite nice, with a perfect mix of action and emotional moments, all the plot lines coming together in a really satisfying way.

Lucky was a quick, easy and enjoyable read. It was my first book by Marissa Stapley, but I will surely check out her other work.