Customer Reviews

Lucky Streak (Lucky Trilogy)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Any time I read one of Ms. Phillips novels (or any romance novel for that matter), I know the outcome in advance. It's expected. The lure of the happily-ever-after is my biggest reason for reading books like this in the first place. But, it's the journey of the characters that keeps me coming back.

In "Lucky Streak", we're given a brilliant cast of characters, each with their own quirks, hang-ups and secrets. But, because Ms. Phillips uses an atypical formula for this story, a lot of the 'zing' is missing.

Mike Corwin, the second of the three Corwin cousins trying to deal with the stigma of the Corwin Curse, meets Amber Rose on a weekend trip to Las Vegas. Amber has a photographic memory and a history of card-counting in order to pay for her father's nursing home expenses. The two spend one day unforgetable day together and decide to go through with a 'quickie marriage'. Then life interrupts, obstacles arise and the story really begins.

As soon as Mike and Amber meet, we obviously know that their chemistry will be remarkable. However, half the fun of reading a romance novel is the build-up. I enjoy reading through the flirtations that lead up to the steamy encounters between my hero and heroine. Because those encounters came after only a few chapters in this book, I was left feeling like something was missing throughout the entire novel.

That being said, I love Ms. Phillips' character development. You always feel like you get to know each member of her cast like they're some of your old friends and the characters in "Lucky Streak" redeemed the parts of this story that were lacking for me.

For the most part, I thoroughly enjoyed this story and the happy ending that I always knew was coming. I had just been hoping for a little more 'oomph' because that's what I've come to know, love and expect from one of Carly Phillips' novels.

That lack of 'oomph' is the reason why I couldn't award this book more than three stars. But, it certainly doesn't mean that it's not worth reading, because it is.

i loved carly's earlier books but this one i just couldn't get through. i read a few chapters and found it offensive. the heroine meets a guy, sleeps with him the first day.

Jack Higgins (aka Harry Patterson) usually writes interesting, albeit fantastic yarns. However, he suffers from empty characters and unbelievable situations more at home in a sci-fi novel. This is no exception; the characters are as empty as a crushed beer can, the plots fantastic and unsubstantiated and the action, infantile to say the best. His infatuation over teutonic heroes is rather sick. Something to read on a flight if theres not anything else.

Love this book and I'm excited for the next one to come out!!! I really enjoy Ms. Phillips writing style she twists comedy, romance and suspense together to draw you in to the story and the characters and has you wanting more at the last page.

Lucky Streak by Carly Phillips is the second story in the Lucky Trilogy. It is about Mike Corwin, a Boston detective, and Amber Rose, a Las Vegas hotel concierge with a photographic memory. Mike travels to Las Vegas for a friend's wedding, and ends up hitched to Amber. But when Mike wakes up the next morning, Amber is gone and she has taken their casino winnings with her.

Mike travels back to Boston, but is determined to find Amber and get a divorce. He is surprised though when he comes home and finds Amber in his bed with little clothes on and half of their casino winnings around her. Amber is on the run because she helped her father's friend, Marshall, cheat King Bobby at a poker game. Amber can count cards and she would signal Marshall. She has been doing this for several months in order to get some money to help keep her father in a nursing facility.

She tells Mike what is going on, and he agrees to help her hide out for a while at his "crazy" father's house. She really likes Mike and wants to stay with him, but he is distrustful of her now and wants a divorce. There is also the matter of the Corwin curse, and how Corwin men can't keep love before something bad happens.

This is a delightful read, and I enjoyed seeing how Mike and Amber's relationship works out with him being so black and white in his attitude, and Amber being somewhat of a con. I liked reading more about Gabrielle and Derek (from the first book) and getting to understand Mike's crazy father better. Mike and Amber felt like real people dealing with real problems (her father has Alzheimers and she is doing her best to take care of him and his father is pretty much bipolar). Great story and I can't wait for Jason's story in Lucky Break. 5 stars!

I didn't enjoy this book at all, it was everything i could do to make myself finish it. The stuff in Las Vegas was a little hurried and seemed very awkward. I didn't like Amber's character at all either. Overall I didn't like this book, but I wanted to be able to read the third book in the trilogy so I suffered through it.

The Corwin curse continues in Lucky Streak. Mike, in fact, is the one most likely to completely believe in the curse, look what it has done to his father over the years. As a youth he couldn't handle being around him but now that he is older he is more afraid that whatever craziness is in his father will wear off on him.

Mike decides to marry, on a whim, Amber in Vegas, thinking that he doesn't love her and therefore he won't lose his love or fortune to the curse. But, what happens when he wakes up the morning after winning $100,000 in Vegas? Well his new "wife" and the money are all gone. As a cop he is furious that he fell for the con. To add to the bad news he is due back in Boston the next day so has to postpone looking for Amber after a few enquiries.

But, Amber has a reason that she took the money and hopes that when she returns it that Mike will give them the chance to make the marriage work. What will happen when she shows up in Boston?

What happens in Vegas definitely does not stay in Vegas in Lucky Streak. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Lucky Streak but I have to admit not for the normal reason of loving the hero or heroine I have to say I wanted to see what was going to happen with Edward next. I have to laugh at anyone who has a pet skunk.

Lucky Streak is a fast paced, fun read with intrigue as well as quirky characters. I think you will enjoy the time you spend reading Lucky Streak. While this is book 2 in the Lucky Series it can easily be read as a standalone.

Tanya
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

This was a great book. It was the second in a series. I can't wait for the third book to come out.

I could not put this book down. Read it in 1 day. The play between characters was great! If you like Carly Phillips..you will love this one!

In Las Vegas Amber Rose has lived the life of a con-artist and card counter in high-stakes poker games as a way to bring in necessary income to pay for the care of her Alzheimer's-stricken father. Now she plans to go straight though she fears her partner Marshall Banks will go ballistic, but does not care as she wants out.

When Banks turns nasty, Boston cop Mike Corwin, in town for a wedding, rescues Amber. She joins him and his party, giving them a special tour of Sin City from an insider's perspective. The day ends in ecstasy when Mike wins the $100,000 jackpot and marries Amber. In the morning, he finds his wife and his money missing. Sad but wiser, Mike returns home. Amber returns to his hotel to explain why, but he has left town. Amber follows love to Boston, but Mike rejects her pleading as he sees cons as thieves as the end never justifies the means. However, when Marshall and some cohorts come after Amber, Mike begins to reconsider what life was like before he met Amber and what it will be like if he kicks her to the curb.

The second Corwin contemporary curse romance (see LUCKY CHARM) stars two fabulous lead protagonists whose recent work places them on opposite sides of the law. The story line is fast-paced from the moment Mike and Amber meet and never slows down in Vegas or Boston. Although the ancient curse plays a lesser role in Mike's saga, fans will appreciate Amber opening Mike's eyes as she colors his world with love if he accepts her as his heart's artist.

Harriet Klausner