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Bethlehem #5
Getting Lucky
A man with nothing left to lose....
Rebel. Hell-raiser. Seducer in blue jeans. Ben Foster has been called many things -- except father.
His twelve-year-old daughter Alanna has never seen him, and he's starting to think that coming to Bethlehem to meet her could be the second biggest mistake of his life. And when he takes a job fixing up businesswoman Lynda Barone's new house, he may be on the brink of making a third: falling in love with a woman as wrong for him as he is for her ... except when he takes her in his arms.
A woman with everything -- but love....
Lynda couldn't remember the last time she had a date. Eighteen-hour workdays and frequent business trips had really taken a toll on her personal life. She'd been so busy carving out a successful career that she almost didn't notice how lonely she'd become.
That is, until Ben Foster strode into her life. Suddenly the sexy Southern handyman was invading her home, her senses, stirring dangerous fantasies of a love Lynda had convinced herself she could live without. Lucky for them, neither is the marrying kind....
Or are they? Stranger things have happened in a place where the most unlikely lovers can suddenly get lucky. Even if luck has nothing to do with it...
Rebel. Hell-raiser. Seducer in blue jeans. Ben Foster has been called many things -- except father.
His twelve-year-old daughter Alanna has never seen him, and he's starting to think that coming to Bethlehem to meet her could be the second biggest mistake of his life. And when he takes a job fixing up businesswoman Lynda Barone's new house, he may be on the brink of making a third: falling in love with a woman as wrong for him as he is for her ... except when he takes her in his arms.
A woman with everything -- but love....
Lynda couldn't remember the last time she had a date. Eighteen-hour workdays and frequent business trips had really taken a toll on her personal life. She'd been so busy carving out a successful career that she almost didn't notice how lonely she'd become.
That is, until Ben Foster strode into her life. Suddenly the sexy Southern handyman was invading her home, her senses, stirring dangerous fantasies of a love Lynda had convinced herself she could live without. Lucky for them, neither is the marrying kind....
Or are they? Stranger things have happened in a place where the most unlikely lovers can suddenly get lucky. Even if luck has nothing to do with it...
363 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
7 people are currently reading
97 people want to read
About the author
Marilyn Pappano
192 books126 followersAward-winning and bestselling author, international traveler, feted at a Hollywood premiere . . .
All true . . . but my regular life is a whole lot more routine. Deal with the five big puppers who share our house, babysit our grandson, battle the jungle that is our yard, pray for summer in winter and dream of winter in summer, and hunker down at the computer -- that's my real life.
I grew up in Oklahoma and had the fun of living in Georgia, Alabama, California and the Carolinas, thanks to my husband's Navy career. When he retired, we came home to Oklahoma and have lived in the same house for seventeen years. That's a real "Wow!" for someone used to the nomadic military life.
Writing was the perfect career for all that moving. Have computer, will travel. I've set books, or part of them, in every state we've lived in and been inspired by every place I've ever been. I've now written somewhere around 80 books, and I think I've got only about 8,000 stories left to tell.
My biggest hobby is starting new projects -- starting. Not completing. I'm still not done with the cross-stitched Army seal I started when our son joined out of high school. He did tours in Georgia, Colorado, Korea, Italy, Iraq, Afghanistan and Louisiana, and has been out for a few years. So I'm a little slow.
I like to think about getting organized, painting my living room in cool beachy colors, and turning my entire five-acre yard into a garden. I also dream about having every room in my house clean at exactly the same time, but I live by the motto of the woman who taught me to quilt: A clean house is the sign of a bored woman.
And I've never been bored.
All true . . . but my regular life is a whole lot more routine. Deal with the five big puppers who share our house, babysit our grandson, battle the jungle that is our yard, pray for summer in winter and dream of winter in summer, and hunker down at the computer -- that's my real life.
I grew up in Oklahoma and had the fun of living in Georgia, Alabama, California and the Carolinas, thanks to my husband's Navy career. When he retired, we came home to Oklahoma and have lived in the same house for seventeen years. That's a real "Wow!" for someone used to the nomadic military life.
Writing was the perfect career for all that moving. Have computer, will travel. I've set books, or part of them, in every state we've lived in and been inspired by every place I've ever been. I've now written somewhere around 80 books, and I think I've got only about 8,000 stories left to tell.
My biggest hobby is starting new projects -- starting. Not completing. I'm still not done with the cross-stitched Army seal I started when our son joined out of high school. He did tours in Georgia, Colorado, Korea, Italy, Iraq, Afghanistan and Louisiana, and has been out for a few years. So I'm a little slow.
I like to think about getting organized, painting my living room in cool beachy colors, and turning my entire five-acre yard into a garden. I also dream about having every room in my house clean at exactly the same time, but I live by the motto of the woman who taught me to quilt: A clean house is the sign of a bored woman.
And I've never been bored.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
June 18, 2022
Reviewed for THC Reviews
Getting Lucky is the fifth full-length novel in Marilyn Pappano’s Bethlehem series about a small town in New York where the HEAs are given a little helping hand by the town’s resident guardian angels. In this one, we have Lynda who is business partners with Ross and Tom from two previous books. After Ross recently relocated the entire business to Bethlehem, Lynda bought an old fixer-upper of a house that she adores, but it needs a lot of TLC. Unfortunately with the construction business in the area booming, she hasn’t been able to find a contractor who is willing to take on her much smaller project. Enter Ben who just came to town searching for Alanna, the daughter he’s never met. Afraid that Alanna might not want anything to do with him, he isn’t even certain he wants to meet her, so while he’s biding his time, making up his mind about what to do, he offers to help Lynda. In spite of them being from opposite sides of the track and Lynda being known as a bit of a perfect Mary Sue with a type-A personality, the two start getting acquainted. Lynda has never felt quite so alive with any other man before, and Ben finds that Lynda might be someone worth putting down roots in Bethlehem for. But when Lynda learns about Ben’s past, and how he abandoned the mother of his child, she begins to have second thoughts about pursuing a serious relationship with him. However, a little angelic intervention may prove exactly what they need to get their romance back on track.
Ben was raised by his beloved grandmother, Emmaline, and his parents were never really a part of his life. He was only nineteen when he got involved with Berry who was a little older than him, and when she got pregnant, he ran the other way. He was young and stupid and wrapped up in having a good time, and he thought that since he’d gotten along okay without his own father, that his child would too. Now twelve years later, his grandmother has recently died and left a family heirloom for Alanna, so Ben has decided to track down the daughter he’s never met. He arrives in the sleepy little town of Bethlehem, thinking that he might just give the small treasure to Alanna’s aunt, who is now her legal guardian, and then leave, but a chance meeting with Alanna herself, leaves him undecided. A part of him thinks she’d be better off without him and that she might not want anything to do with him anyway, but the part of him that no longer has any family to call his own wants to get to know her. While making up his mind what to do, he meets Lynda at the local hardware store where she’s looking for someone who might be able to do some repairs on her house. Ben has worked in construction for most of his adult life and decides it would be a good way to pass the time. It certainly doesn’t hurt that Lynda is gorgeous and as they get to know one another better, Ben starts to think that he might just want to stay in Bethlehem permanently. But when he tells Lynda the truth about Alanna and how he skipped out on her mother years ago, Lynda isn’t so sure he’s such a catch after all and Ben will have his work cut out for him convincing her he’s a changed man. Admittedly, given Ben’s history, he isn’t the most admirable hero I’ve ever read, but I could tell that he’s matured and is trying to be a better person. A part of me would have liked him to be a bit more proactive in making up his mind about Alanna, because his passivity ended up causing what I’d characterize as unnecessary drama. Although I didn’t quite fall for him the way I would have preferred, I did generally like him, particularly for the way he makes Lynda feel beautiful and loves her for herself.
Lynda came from the opposite upbringing of Ben, having a happy, well-adjusted childhood, where she was pretty much a Mary Sue. She has a workaholic, type-A personality that has served her well in business, earning her a fortune, but it’s caused her personal life to suffer. She broke up with her fiance because they were both so married to their work, they barely had time for each other. Now she keeps telling herself that she’s content and doesn’t need a man in her life, but a part of her sees how happy her two business partners are in their marriages and wants what they have. It doesn’t help, though, that Lynda is six feet tall and rather socially awkward, which tends to turn off a lot of men, or that some men only want her for her money. Then she meets the handsome Ben who tops her lofty height by a couple of inches, doesn’t seem to mind her quirks, and isn’t really interested in her wealth. The two gradually hit if off and grow closer, but when Ben tells Lynda about his past, she starts to have reservations about a future with him, wondering if he might abandon her, too. I like that Lynda is a powerful businesswoman, which is something we don’t often see in a romance heroine. She may be a bad-ass in the boardroom, but she has vulnerabilities in her personal life. I could relate pretty well to her body image issues and social anxieties. I think deep down she just wants someone to love her for herself, and she finds that in Ben. Even though they have great chemistry, I understood her reservations about Ben’s past. But with a little help from her mom, best friend, and the guardian angels who are looking out for them, she might just be able to get past her doubts to give Ben the second chance he needs to prove himself.
Bethlehem is a fairly long series and being set in a small town, we get to see many past and future characters in supporting roles. Emilie and Nathan (Season for Miracles) are primary players given that they’re now guardians for Alanna, as well as her sister and brother by different fathers. Of course, they’re looking out for the well-being of their kids. Alanna has some of her own POV scenes as she meets Ben, but still doesn’t know he’s her dad. I was somewhat surprised that her part of the story isn’t resolved by the end—in fact it’s kind of a cliffhanger—and looks like it will continue into the next book, even though that one will be about a completely different couple who have no ties to her. Ross (Some Enchanted Season) is kind of Lynda’s boss and the primary owner of the company she works for. We see him and his wife, Maggie, a few times. Ben agrees to see child psychologist, Dr. J. D. (Father to Be) to vet his stability to meet Alanna, and we see J. D.’s wife, Kelsey at least once I think, as well as his son, Caleb, who is good friends with, and sweet on, Alanna. Lynda’s other business partner, Tom (First Kiss), and his new wife, Holly, show up as well. Then we have long-time supporting characters Ms. Agatha and Ms. Corinna, the elderly sisters who babysit for Alanna and her siblings. Ms. Agatha is planning her wedding to Dr. J. D.’s father. Bethlehem’s resident guardian angels, the absent-minded Gloria, and her sidekick, Sophy, help push Ben and Lynda in the right direction. Lynda’s best friend, Melina, a private investigator, comes to visit her a few times, and on one of her visits, she hooks up with single father, Sebastian. Unfortunately things don’t go well between them, but they get the chance to reconcile in the next book of the series, Heaven on Earth.
Overall, I enjoyed Getting Lucky although it didn’t end up being one of my favorites in the series. The romance between Lynda and Ben is definitely a slow-burn one that was appropriate for their characters, but at times, the story seemed a little too slow-paced. I generally liked both Ben and Lynda as characters and thought they fit well together. Even though they’re opposites in many ways, I think that worked to an advantage. Lynda helps inspire Ben to be a better man and Ben helps Lynda to let her hair down a little, get out of her stuffy office, and realize there's more to life than business. I have mixed feelings about the Ben and Alanna part of the story, though. I thought we’d get to see them meet as father and daughter, but I was left surprised and feeling a little unsatisfied when that didn’t happen. I guess their storyline will probably be resolved in the next book. Maybe I’ll feel differently after reading it, but right now I can’t help feeling like it should have been included in this book. All I can say is, we’ll see. Otherwise, I thought it was a good story. I’ve kind of unintentionally left this series to simmer on the back burner, spreading out my reading of the books. However, the way Melina and Sebastian’s part ended left me somewhat intrigued to find out more about them and what went wrong in their romance, so between that and wanting to see what happens next with Alanna, I’ll have to make sure I get to their book sooner than I have been with the others in this series.
Getting Lucky is the fifth full-length novel in Marilyn Pappano’s Bethlehem series about a small town in New York where the HEAs are given a little helping hand by the town’s resident guardian angels. In this one, we have Lynda who is business partners with Ross and Tom from two previous books. After Ross recently relocated the entire business to Bethlehem, Lynda bought an old fixer-upper of a house that she adores, but it needs a lot of TLC. Unfortunately with the construction business in the area booming, she hasn’t been able to find a contractor who is willing to take on her much smaller project. Enter Ben who just came to town searching for Alanna, the daughter he’s never met. Afraid that Alanna might not want anything to do with him, he isn’t even certain he wants to meet her, so while he’s biding his time, making up his mind about what to do, he offers to help Lynda. In spite of them being from opposite sides of the track and Lynda being known as a bit of a perfect Mary Sue with a type-A personality, the two start getting acquainted. Lynda has never felt quite so alive with any other man before, and Ben finds that Lynda might be someone worth putting down roots in Bethlehem for. But when Lynda learns about Ben’s past, and how he abandoned the mother of his child, she begins to have second thoughts about pursuing a serious relationship with him. However, a little angelic intervention may prove exactly what they need to get their romance back on track.
Ben was raised by his beloved grandmother, Emmaline, and his parents were never really a part of his life. He was only nineteen when he got involved with Berry who was a little older than him, and when she got pregnant, he ran the other way. He was young and stupid and wrapped up in having a good time, and he thought that since he’d gotten along okay without his own father, that his child would too. Now twelve years later, his grandmother has recently died and left a family heirloom for Alanna, so Ben has decided to track down the daughter he’s never met. He arrives in the sleepy little town of Bethlehem, thinking that he might just give the small treasure to Alanna’s aunt, who is now her legal guardian, and then leave, but a chance meeting with Alanna herself, leaves him undecided. A part of him thinks she’d be better off without him and that she might not want anything to do with him anyway, but the part of him that no longer has any family to call his own wants to get to know her. While making up his mind what to do, he meets Lynda at the local hardware store where she’s looking for someone who might be able to do some repairs on her house. Ben has worked in construction for most of his adult life and decides it would be a good way to pass the time. It certainly doesn’t hurt that Lynda is gorgeous and as they get to know one another better, Ben starts to think that he might just want to stay in Bethlehem permanently. But when he tells Lynda the truth about Alanna and how he skipped out on her mother years ago, Lynda isn’t so sure he’s such a catch after all and Ben will have his work cut out for him convincing her he’s a changed man. Admittedly, given Ben’s history, he isn’t the most admirable hero I’ve ever read, but I could tell that he’s matured and is trying to be a better person. A part of me would have liked him to be a bit more proactive in making up his mind about Alanna, because his passivity ended up causing what I’d characterize as unnecessary drama. Although I didn’t quite fall for him the way I would have preferred, I did generally like him, particularly for the way he makes Lynda feel beautiful and loves her for herself.
Lynda came from the opposite upbringing of Ben, having a happy, well-adjusted childhood, where she was pretty much a Mary Sue. She has a workaholic, type-A personality that has served her well in business, earning her a fortune, but it’s caused her personal life to suffer. She broke up with her fiance because they were both so married to their work, they barely had time for each other. Now she keeps telling herself that she’s content and doesn’t need a man in her life, but a part of her sees how happy her two business partners are in their marriages and wants what they have. It doesn’t help, though, that Lynda is six feet tall and rather socially awkward, which tends to turn off a lot of men, or that some men only want her for her money. Then she meets the handsome Ben who tops her lofty height by a couple of inches, doesn’t seem to mind her quirks, and isn’t really interested in her wealth. The two gradually hit if off and grow closer, but when Ben tells Lynda about his past, she starts to have reservations about a future with him, wondering if he might abandon her, too. I like that Lynda is a powerful businesswoman, which is something we don’t often see in a romance heroine. She may be a bad-ass in the boardroom, but she has vulnerabilities in her personal life. I could relate pretty well to her body image issues and social anxieties. I think deep down she just wants someone to love her for herself, and she finds that in Ben. Even though they have great chemistry, I understood her reservations about Ben’s past. But with a little help from her mom, best friend, and the guardian angels who are looking out for them, she might just be able to get past her doubts to give Ben the second chance he needs to prove himself.
Bethlehem is a fairly long series and being set in a small town, we get to see many past and future characters in supporting roles. Emilie and Nathan (Season for Miracles) are primary players given that they’re now guardians for Alanna, as well as her sister and brother by different fathers. Of course, they’re looking out for the well-being of their kids. Alanna has some of her own POV scenes as she meets Ben, but still doesn’t know he’s her dad. I was somewhat surprised that her part of the story isn’t resolved by the end—in fact it’s kind of a cliffhanger—and looks like it will continue into the next book, even though that one will be about a completely different couple who have no ties to her. Ross (Some Enchanted Season) is kind of Lynda’s boss and the primary owner of the company she works for. We see him and his wife, Maggie, a few times. Ben agrees to see child psychologist, Dr. J. D. (Father to Be) to vet his stability to meet Alanna, and we see J. D.’s wife, Kelsey at least once I think, as well as his son, Caleb, who is good friends with, and sweet on, Alanna. Lynda’s other business partner, Tom (First Kiss), and his new wife, Holly, show up as well. Then we have long-time supporting characters Ms. Agatha and Ms. Corinna, the elderly sisters who babysit for Alanna and her siblings. Ms. Agatha is planning her wedding to Dr. J. D.’s father. Bethlehem’s resident guardian angels, the absent-minded Gloria, and her sidekick, Sophy, help push Ben and Lynda in the right direction. Lynda’s best friend, Melina, a private investigator, comes to visit her a few times, and on one of her visits, she hooks up with single father, Sebastian. Unfortunately things don’t go well between them, but they get the chance to reconcile in the next book of the series, Heaven on Earth.
Overall, I enjoyed Getting Lucky although it didn’t end up being one of my favorites in the series. The romance between Lynda and Ben is definitely a slow-burn one that was appropriate for their characters, but at times, the story seemed a little too slow-paced. I generally liked both Ben and Lynda as characters and thought they fit well together. Even though they’re opposites in many ways, I think that worked to an advantage. Lynda helps inspire Ben to be a better man and Ben helps Lynda to let her hair down a little, get out of her stuffy office, and realize there's more to life than business. I have mixed feelings about the Ben and Alanna part of the story, though. I thought we’d get to see them meet as father and daughter, but I was left surprised and feeling a little unsatisfied when that didn’t happen. I guess their storyline will probably be resolved in the next book. Maybe I’ll feel differently after reading it, but right now I can’t help feeling like it should have been included in this book. All I can say is, we’ll see. Otherwise, I thought it was a good story. I’ve kind of unintentionally left this series to simmer on the back burner, spreading out my reading of the books. However, the way Melina and Sebastian’s part ended left me somewhat intrigued to find out more about them and what went wrong in their romance, so between that and wanting to see what happens next with Alanna, I’ll have to make sure I get to their book sooner than I have been with the others in this series.
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October 22, 2018I won't rate this because I only skimmed it to see what the heroine's relationship with the protagonists from Some Enchanted Season was like in her own book.
A little background: in Some Enchanted Season, long-suffering Maggie and workaholic Ross were on the verge of divorcing after 15+ years of marriage when Maggie was badly injured in a car accident. After a year of physical rehabilitation, Maggie was ready to shuck this man and move on with her life, but Ross insisted they delay the divorce until he could be sure Maggie was fit to look after herself. This last bit of recovery happened over the Christmas holidays, and Maggie asked Ross if he would like to invite his two most valued employees -- Tom and Lynda (the heroine in Getting Lucky) -- to her home to celebrate with him. Ross bestirs himself to ask why Maggie has never liked Lynda, and Maggie calls her a bitch. When Ross starts to defend Lynda, Maggie expounds:
So -- spoiler alert -- now that Ross and Maggie are happily reunited, has Lynda made amends for her past behavior? All indicators are no. In Getting Lucky, Lynda finds it "awkward" to be around Maggie because of her past rudeness. No apology is offered in this book, and there's no sign any was made in the intervening books in the series. Naturally, I am less than interested in mean-spirited Lynda's happily ever after, which is why you're seeing nothing about Lynda and Ben here, even though this is their book. I'm sure Ben is a perfectly nice guy who deserves better.
However, I was interested in Lynda's job. In SES, Maggie specifically describes Lynda as Ross's assistant ("a good wife is a lot easier to find than a good assistant"), and the tasks Lynda performs (buying birthday and Christmas gifts for Maggie "from" Ross, sending Christmas cards on behalf of their office) are decidedly 1970s secretarial in nature. Yet in GL, Lynda describes herself as running the company alongside Ross and Tom, she has a secretary of her own, and she's brokering major deals.
Trying to make sense of this, I assume Ross hired Lynda as an executive assistant who gradually took on more responsibility and was promoted, but Maggie's understanding of her job title is frozen at that significantly earlier point in her career. Buying Maggie's gifts on Ross's behalf is either a friendly gesture from the only female friend Ross has *or* it's a tragic reflection of a time when professional women were expected to be "corporate wives."
A little background: in Some Enchanted Season, long-suffering Maggie and workaholic Ross were on the verge of divorcing after 15+ years of marriage when Maggie was badly injured in a car accident. After a year of physical rehabilitation, Maggie was ready to shuck this man and move on with her life, but Ross insisted they delay the divorce until he could be sure Maggie was fit to look after herself. This last bit of recovery happened over the Christmas holidays, and Maggie asked Ross if he would like to invite his two most valued employees -- Tom and Lynda (the heroine in Getting Lucky) -- to her home to celebrate with him. Ross bestirs himself to ask why Maggie has never liked Lynda, and Maggie calls her a bitch. When Ross starts to defend Lynda, Maggie expounds:
"It wasn't that she saw more of you than I did. Or that she knew more about you than I did. It wasn't even that you used her to keep me away. I disliked her because she enjoyed all that. She took pleasure in the fact that she was more a part of your life than I was. She liked telling me that you didn't have time for me."
So -- spoiler alert -- now that Ross and Maggie are happily reunited, has Lynda made amends for her past behavior? All indicators are no. In Getting Lucky, Lynda finds it "awkward" to be around Maggie because of her past rudeness. No apology is offered in this book, and there's no sign any was made in the intervening books in the series. Naturally, I am less than interested in mean-spirited Lynda's happily ever after, which is why you're seeing nothing about Lynda and Ben here, even though this is their book. I'm sure Ben is a perfectly nice guy who deserves better.
However, I was interested in Lynda's job. In SES, Maggie specifically describes Lynda as Ross's assistant ("a good wife is a lot easier to find than a good assistant"), and the tasks Lynda performs (buying birthday and Christmas gifts for Maggie "from" Ross, sending Christmas cards on behalf of their office) are decidedly 1970s secretarial in nature. Yet in GL, Lynda describes herself as running the company alongside Ross and Tom, she has a secretary of her own, and she's brokering major deals.
Trying to make sense of this, I assume Ross hired Lynda as an executive assistant who gradually took on more responsibility and was promoted, but Maggie's understanding of her job title is frozen at that significantly earlier point in her career. Buying Maggie's gifts on Ross's behalf is either a friendly gesture from the only female friend Ross has *or* it's a tragic reflection of a time when professional women were expected to be "corporate wives."
February 27, 2017
I'm torn on how to rate this. It wasn't what I expected. Parts of it dragged for me. I was really thrown near the end as there were hints that my take on Sophy was off. Maybe that's because I never read the earlier books in this series.
May 25, 2019
Very good read. Liked the characters.
January 19, 2021
Interesting story.
July 18, 2010
Cute little stories centered around a town in New York called Bethlehem where guardian angels live and watch over the town. Each book is about a romance couple, however since it is a series, it is fun to see the other characters you have read about come back into the story.
January 29, 2009
I think I would have enjoyed the series more if I had read it forwards and not backwards in order! I really liked this one though.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews