Tuesday, 7 August 2018

Release Day Review: The Good Luck Charm by Helena Hunting



If you like second chance romances, The Good Luck Charm is a first-class read.

Everything happens in threes and it isn't positive news for Lilah as she discovers a new patient at the hospital she works as a nurse is a father figure to her and he's suffered a stroke. This news after receiving her divorce papers from her ex is a lot to take in and difficult to handle until the guy who broke her heart appears...he is the son of the patient after all. Could her day get any worse?

Ethan Kase is back in Minnesota after being traded. The upcoming hockey season will be a make or break for his career. He has barely had a chance to settle back in his home city when news of his father's stroke sends him straight to the hospital and back to the woman he left eight years ago...an action he has regretted every day since.

I've never picked up a Helena Hunting novel before so I began reading this book with no expectations as to what to expect. In this situation, I really enjoy and appreciate when the words flow effortlessly and the narrative drags you into the protagonist's story. The Good Luck Charm definitely had me invested in within the plot after only a few pages and with the characters very quickly.

The title gives away a huge clue about a major plot thread...the behaviour of pro sports people and their rituals before major events. Ethan is no exception. Until this topic is broached, I adored the hero. However, his neediness triggered by his rekindled romance with Lilah turned my stomach. Ms Hunting's writing allows her readers to feel all the emotions felt by the protagonists...the good and the not so good. However, there's no doubt, Ethan and Lilah are meant to be together, once all their issues have been dealt with and filed away.

Despite my hiccup over my views of Ethan, I adored both him and Lilah together. They complement and respect for one another gives a satisfying happy ending. As for me, I've found a new author to follow...win-win!

***arc generously received courtesy of Forever via NetGalley***



Is it love, or is she just his good luck charm?

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Helena Hunting absolutely delights with this witty and fun standalone contemporary romance. 

Lilah isn't sure what hurt worse: the day Ethan left her to focus on his hockey career, or the day he came back eight years later. He might think they can pick up just where they left off, but she's no longer that same girl and never wants to be again. 

Ethan Kane wants his glory days back. And that includes having Lilah by his side. With her, he was magic. They were magic. All he has to do is make her see that. 

Just when Lilah might finally be ready to let him in, though, she finds out their reunion has nothing to do with her and everything to do with his game. But Ethan's already lost her once, and even if it costs him his career, he'll do anything to keep from losing her again.



Spotlight: The Promise by Michelle Vernal



The Promise by Michelle Vernal

Two women from different generations brought together by another’s wrongdoing.
When British backpacker, Isabel Stark happens across a car accident on a lonely stretch of road in the South Island of New Zealand her life changes forever. The sole passenger, Ginny Havelock asks her to make a promise before she passes away—to find Constance and to say she’s sorry.
Isabel’s a lost soul who’s been drifting through life unsure of where she fits, and the promise she made in New Zealand haunts her upon her return to the United Kingdom. Her only clue as to finding Constance lies within a conversation held at Ginny’s funeral. It takes her to the Isle of Wight.
In the 1940’s sixteen-year-old Constance’s life on her island is sheltered until the death of her brother; Ted brings the reality of war crashing down around her. He leaves behind his pregnant young widow Ginny. When Constance meets a handsome Canadian Airforce man, she’s eager to escape her grief and be swept up by first love. It’s a love which has ramifications she could never envisage.
When Isabel and Constance’s paths finally cross will Ginny’s last words be enough for Constance to make peace with her past? And in fulfilling her promise will Isabel find a place she can call home?

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Michelle Vernal is a Harper Collins author who loves a happy ending. She lives with her husband, their two boys and a needy three-legged black cat in Christchurch, New Zealand. She’s partial to a glass of wine, loves a cheese scone and has recently taken up yoga—a sight to behold indeed. She is a freelance writer for a Canterbury lifestyle magazine who is currently working on her seventh novel. Michelle’s a firm believer in happy endings, and all of her stories are written with humour and warmth.