Customer Reviews

Lucky Chica: A Novel

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As expected, Berta Plata's latest novel, Lucky Chica, left me very satisfied. It is always a special treat to have a fun chica lit book for weekend relaxation. The book had a perfect mix of telanovela predictability with twists and turns. Just when I thought that I had everything figured out and was just waiting for my prediction to be confirmed, I was thrown for a loop. And I absolutely love the front cover. I also think it is fun when novels mention characters from other books and there were a couple minor appearances from the Solas twins from Cinderella Lopez. The ending left me with excitement and a chuckle!

Originally posted on my review blog: http://mrsvsreviews.blogspot.com/2009/01/lucky-chica.html

Lucky Chica is a fun fantasy read from start to finish. Rosie Caballero has little in her life to make her happy save for her dog Tootie, her abuela (grandmother), and her cousin Cheeto (yes, nicknamed such because he loves Cheetos). Her dead-end job is hateful but she has to tough it out...until she wins $600 million, the largest lotto jackpot ever. Overnight, her life and those of Abuela and Cheeto change, and she's caught up in a whirlwind of diamonds, paparazzi, and her Hollywood crush, movie star Brad Merritt.

As the three of them adjust to their newly gained riches, they shop til they drop, vacation in paradise, and start to discover that have MegaBucks might not be all it's cracked up to be. Berta Platas has done it again, and this chica lit novel is irresistible. If you've ever been tempted to buy a lottery ticket (or, ahem, make a habit of it), you'll love Rosie's rise from rags to riches. Of course it's all very over the top and sometimes a bit ridiculous, but that's all worth it. I don't want to give too much away, but will say that I expected Rosie to be a little more philanthropic with her riches, which she is to a degree. Then again, who can know what they'd do with riches beyond the imagination?

I particularly liked the sly quotes from the Instant Millionaire's guidebook Rosie picks up. This is a perfect book to take with you on vacation, or to simply curl up with and tear through. It's a sweet, rich romance and Rosie is a memorable heroine. Even when things got tough after she won the lotto, I couldn't feel too sorry for her, but it was clear that family and love were just as important to her as riches. Abuela was a great character too, finally getting the chance to play canasta to her heart's content.

Although the main story line was interesting and had potential, it was just too ridiculous for me. I hated all the Spanish words and the whole movie star part was unbelievable. The cowboy riding up on the horse at the end to save the day was just too much for me.

Reviewed by Sandra Lopez, author of "Esperanza" and "Beyond the Gardens"
Member of Livin' la vida Latina
[...]

Review: What would you do if you won $600 million dollars? Well, most of us would do what we've always wanted to do: quit our jobs after finally telling off the boss, move out of that crummy, rat hole of an apartment, and finally live it up like a spoiled princess where you'll want to hire someone to scratch your nose. That's exactly what the lead heroine in this story does.

After learning that she won the lottery, the very first thing Rosie Caballero does is quit her lousy job after, of course, telling off her boss. Oh, god, that must've felt so good. After that, she and her family get caught in a whirl wind of diamonds, paparazzi, and Hollywood crushes. Rosie eventually comes to wonder if being rich isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Platas has done it again in this heart-warming, hilarious novel. As I read it, I actually pictured it as a movie starring the great and funny Sandra Bullock as Rosie. The way I saw it:

-The scene opens with Bullock getting out of bed, tired and groggy at first until she realizes that she's late for work yet again.
-She throws together some aspect of clothing and shimmies down the fire escape in order to avoid her landlord because she's late for the rent again.
-She races to the bus stop barely making it to see that the bus is going off without her (just like that scene in Speed)
-The bus is gone. Bullock stomps in frustration then runs and hurdles though rush-hour traffic to get to work
-She arrives, aching and breathless, wondering if she made it on time; then, her boss enters, a sour look on his face, and asks to see Rosie in his office. Not a good sign.

The whole book played exactly like a movie to me. And who would star as the gorgeous, hunky Brad Merrit? How about gorgeous, hunky Jensen Ackles from Supernatural? (dog pant and howl)

Excellent read!

I loved, loved, loved this new book by Berta Platas. Rosie is a character I could relate to, her personality had so much spark that it made the book an easy, entertaining read. There are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments and some that will make you tear up too. Berta shares Rosie's adventure in such a way that it will make you think about how you might handle $600 million! Money certainly changes people, even those who you least expect. Good job, Berta! Cute cover too!

What would you do if you won the lottery?
We all tend to think we'd know how to handle such enormous wealth, know whom we can trust. Fact is - the majority of winners end up broke within a few short years.

This story follows a sweet Latina and her family after winning $600 million, from poverty to wealth and into love.

Wonderful Read!

Pamela S Thibodeaux, Author of Tempered Hearts
"Inspirational with an Edge!"

I liked it a lot. It read it so fast I was bummed it was over. A great read.