Lucky by Marissa Stapley

Hi everyone! I first learned about Lucky by Marissa Stapley when it was chosen as Reese Witherspoon’s (Hello Sunshine) book club’s pick for December 2021.  The author is a fellow Canadian and the synopsis was intriguing.  Allow me to introduce you to “Lucky”.

From The Publisher:

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.
This is a novel about truth, personal redemption, and the complexity of being good. It introduces a singularly gifted, multilayered character who must learn what it means to be independent and honest…before her luck runs out.

Book Review:

What a premise!  To call this character Lucky was an interesting choice, given the fact that this poor woman had such an unfortunate start in life and upbringing.

Told in the past and present, the story of Lucky’s childhood and present shows the complexity of this character.  As a child, all she wanted was to have a family and stay in one place.  She is granted this wish for a year in her life, but even this time is part of a scam.  She knows what her father is doing is wrong, even at an early age. But as she grows older, she wants to prove her worth to him and starts scamming people on her own.

The fact that she falls for a fellow scammer is no surprise. It is unclear to me what this relationship was based on as it did not feel like it was based on love. The question is, which party in this relationship will out scam the other?

Lucky searches extensively for the birth mother that her father has told her about, but even that information is found to be questionable. Keeping the lottery ticket safe while trying to figure out who she trusts to cash it is very much part of this story.  Without giving too much away, I did enjoy the conclusion of this book.

Audiobook Review:

I listened to the audiobook version of Lucky which was narrated by Soneela Nankani.  I enjoyed her performance in this book and would not hesitate to recommend this version to those that appreciate this format.

What I Liked:

• The complexity of Lucky’s character
• The interesting premise of the book
• The satisfying conclusion to the book

I Recommend This Book To:

Those readers who enjoy stories of complicated childhoods and the impact it has on the characters into adulthood.

My Rating:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Add Lucky to your Goodreads shelf

Acknowledgments:

Thank you to my local library for purchasing this audiobook.

Similar Books I’ve Reviewed:

Just My Luck by Adele Parks

The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth

The Husbands by Chandler Baker

Thank you for reading!  If you enjoy my reviews and book features, please consider subscribing.  Do you know anyone who has had a big lottery win?  Let me know in the comments!  As always, I hope that you have a wonderful day. ☺️