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Chasing Lucky
by
Budding photographer Josie Saint-Martin has spent half her life with her single mother, moving from city to city. When they return to her historical New England hometown years later to run the family bookstore, Josie knows it’s not forever. Her dreams are on the opposite coast, and she has a plan to get there.
What she doesn’t plan for is a run-in with the town bad boy, Lu ...more
What she doesn’t plan for is a run-in with the town bad boy, Lu ...more
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Hardcover, 416 pages
Published
November 10th 2020
by Simon Pulse
(first published June 11th 2020)
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Start your review of Chasing Lucky

I.LOVE. IT. SO.MUCH.
I cannot help myself. I keep dancing, my heart is singing, I’m head over heels for these sweetest characters, hooking story-telling, love at first side charm of Beauty. This book makes you feel like you just recently chased your lucky stars and makes your heart pound faster.

Winona and Josie have no idea when they take their first steps to their hometown they’d left five years ago, they just entered to the highway to hell. Even I could hear AC/DC’s blaring lyrics as a threat. ...more
I cannot help myself. I keep dancing, my heart is singing, I’m head over heels for these sweetest characters, hooking story-telling, love at first side charm of Beauty. This book makes you feel like you just recently chased your lucky stars and makes your heart pound faster.

Winona and Josie have no idea when they take their first steps to their hometown they’d left five years ago, they just entered to the highway to hell. Even I could hear AC/DC’s blaring lyrics as a threat. ...more

lately, ive been feeling waayyyy too old for YA contemporary. theres just been some disconnect that hasnt been there before, so its a relief that JBs stories never fail to deliver.
it could also be that this particular book has so many of my favourite tropes - childhood best friends to lovers, a small town setting, a bad boy with a soft heart, and bookstore quaintness. all of these things have definitely made this one of my favourite JB stories.
this is classic JB - important, heavy topics about ...more
it could also be that this particular book has so many of my favourite tropes - childhood best friends to lovers, a small town setting, a bad boy with a soft heart, and bookstore quaintness. all of these things have definitely made this one of my favourite JB stories.
this is classic JB - important, heavy topics about ...more

Me: I'm so sick of the stereotypical YA bad boy with his leather jacket, motorcycle, sarcasm and tragic past
Jenn Bennett: May I introduce to you Lucky Karras!!
Me: I've changed my mind
For the last five years Josie Saint-Martin has been living with her single mom going from town to town in New England. Now Josie and her mom are returning to their hometown, Beauty, to run the family bookstore while her grandmother is away. Josie knows that it's only a matter of time before her grandmother returns ...more
Jenn Bennett: May I introduce to you Lucky Karras!!
Me: I've changed my mind
For the last five years Josie Saint-Martin has been living with her single mom going from town to town in New England. Now Josie and her mom are returning to their hometown, Beauty, to run the family bookstore while her grandmother is away. Josie knows that it's only a matter of time before her grandmother returns ...more

4.5 ⭐️
Stories written by Jenn Bennett make me so happy. And make me feel so much.
What can I say other than I loved it and I know it will be reread and that sums up how I feel about this book?
Thanks to Simon and Shuster Children’s UK for gifting me with a copy of this book.
———————
Buzzword: Jenn Bennett.
Stories written by Jenn Bennett make me so happy. And make me feel so much.
What can I say other than I loved it and I know it will be reread and that sums up how I feel about this book?
Thanks to Simon and Shuster Children’s UK for gifting me with a copy of this book.
———————
Buzzword: Jenn Bennett.

Jul 06, 2020
Melanie
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
contemporary,
romance,
quarantine-reads,
buddy-reads,
read-in-2020,
maëlys,
young-adult,
arc

ARC provided by the publisher via Edelweiss
I think this was very much the perfect story for me right now at this time. Hopefully a longer review to come before release! <3
Content and Trigger Warnings for talk of loss of a loved one, the sharing of personal photos without consent, abandonment, homelessness, talk of abortion briefly, driving under the influence (the bad guy, and in a negative light), talk of trauma, talk and depiction of depression, talk of grooming (college teacher and student re ...more

3.75 Stars
This was messy and complicated, but in all the best ways possible. It was also full of YA clichés and tropes that I freakin’ adored, so no problemo.
Loved the quaint, beachy, harbor-ish setting. Every single place and scene in this book was first date worthy and instagramable. Seriously they were places you’d wanna go and activities you’d wanna do on a date or with friends. The antique bookshop, the sightseeing and photography, the boat/yatch, the beach, the lighthouse. It was paradise. ...more
This was messy and complicated, but in all the best ways possible. It was also full of YA clichés and tropes that I freakin’ adored, so no problemo.
Loved the quaint, beachy, harbor-ish setting. Every single place and scene in this book was first date worthy and instagramable. Seriously they were places you’d wanna go and activities you’d wanna do on a date or with friends. The antique bookshop, the sightseeing and photography, the boat/yatch, the beach, the lighthouse. It was paradise. ...more

I’m never let down when I read a Jenn Bennett contemporary so my expectations were pretty high when I started Chasing Lucky! And luckily, it was just as awesome as all her other contemporaries!
I really liked Josie and being in her head. She had an interesting back story with her secretive mom. Also, as a side note, I’d like a book on Josie’s mom! Anyway, Josie was a photographer and I connected to her right away!
Lucky was the most adorable little thing ever. He has baggage and I wanted to give h ...more
I really liked Josie and being in her head. She had an interesting back story with her secretive mom. Also, as a side note, I’d like a book on Josie’s mom! Anyway, Josie was a photographer and I connected to her right away!
Lucky was the most adorable little thing ever. He has baggage and I wanted to give h ...more

So... Jenn Bennett has become one of my favourite YA contemporary authors? That title may be a little hasty considering this is only my second book of hers, but I love them so much! While I didn't love this one as much as Starry Eyes, I am convinced that she can do no wrong!
Chasing Lucky follows 17 year old Josie St Martin a budding photographer who, after being constantly on the move for the past 5 years, is returning to her hometown Beauty. This abrupt move was spurred on by her Grandmother ha ...more
Chasing Lucky follows 17 year old Josie St Martin a budding photographer who, after being constantly on the move for the past 5 years, is returning to her hometown Beauty. This abrupt move was spurred on by her Grandmother ha ...more

4 stars
I love Jenn Bennett’s YA books and Chasing Lucky was another fantastic read from her. Josie Saint-Martin comes from a family cursed in love, and she’s back in her home town of Beauty for her last year of high school. She has a lot of obstacles to go through with being home, but is seeing Lucky Karras one of them?
Lucky and Josie were best friends before she left when she was twelve but they lost contact. This book is such a great coming of age story and a story of friendship and famil ...more
I love Jenn Bennett’s YA books and Chasing Lucky was another fantastic read from her. Josie Saint-Martin comes from a family cursed in love, and she’s back in her home town of Beauty for her last year of high school. She has a lot of obstacles to go through with being home, but is seeing Lucky Karras one of them?
Lucky and Josie were best friends before she left when she was twelve but they lost contact. This book is such a great coming of age story and a story of friendship and famil ...more

3.5 STARS
A cute YA contemporary about falling in love, learning from our mistakes, and the importance of communicating with loved ones.
17 year old Josie Saint Martin is returning to her hometown of Beauty, after leaving town dramatically five years ago with her mother. Since then they have constantly been on the move, but now they are back to run her grandmother's bookstore whilst she is travelling. Josie has plans to go and live with her father on the west coast, to start her career as a photog ...more
A cute YA contemporary about falling in love, learning from our mistakes, and the importance of communicating with loved ones.
17 year old Josie Saint Martin is returning to her hometown of Beauty, after leaving town dramatically five years ago with her mother. Since then they have constantly been on the move, but now they are back to run her grandmother's bookstore whilst she is travelling. Josie has plans to go and live with her father on the west coast, to start her career as a photog ...more

I invariably enjoy Jenn Bennett’s contemporary YA novels. And this latest release might be my favourite of them because this story really captured my heart.
The book follows the character of seventeen year old Josie Saint-Martin who returns to her childhood hometown of Beauty after a number of years living from place to place with her mum Winona.
But the reasons for their hasty departure years ago haven’t gone away and somehow Josie has to figure out how to get through these next few months in B ...more
The book follows the character of seventeen year old Josie Saint-Martin who returns to her childhood hometown of Beauty after a number of years living from place to place with her mum Winona.
But the reasons for their hasty departure years ago haven’t gone away and somehow Josie has to figure out how to get through these next few months in B ...more

I'm starting to think that maybe Jenn Bennett's books are just not for me.😪

Also why did this feel like the longest book I've ever read?🤔
So many loved Chasing Lucky, so I'm sorry to say that it was kind of a pain to read this. Around like halfway through the book, I really wanted to give up on it and mark it as DNF.
But I decided to push my way through thinking that maybe it'd get better.
Well.......turns out that it did get a little better, but I was still bored. I skimmed some parts too because ...more

Also why did this feel like the longest book I've ever read?🤔
So many loved Chasing Lucky, so I'm sorry to say that it was kind of a pain to read this. Around like halfway through the book, I really wanted to give up on it and mark it as DNF.
But I decided to push my way through thinking that maybe it'd get better.
Well.......turns out that it did get a little better, but I was still bored. I skimmed some parts too because ...more

Jun 27, 2019
. (not active on this account stop adding me)
marked it as unreleased
me: i'm over ya contemporary
jenn bennett: h-
me: yes ...more
jenn bennett: h-
me: yes ...more

This was my first Jenn Bennett book. After years of eyeing her novels on the YA shelves of libraries and bookstores, I finally decided to pick this one up and it didn't disappoint. I really enjoyed reading this one, and yet, I question, did I really though?
Starting off with the things I liked, let me just say that I really enjoyed the writing. I also really liked the characters, especially near the end. I love seeing different family dynamics in books and it was interesting to see the function a ...more
Starting off with the things I liked, let me just say that I really enjoyed the writing. I also really liked the characters, especially near the end. I love seeing different family dynamics in books and it was interesting to see the function a ...more

Apr 08, 2020
Bookphenomena (Micky)
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2020-read,
netgalley,
second-chances,
arc-read,
ya,
ya-contemporary,
favourites-2020,
small-town
What Jenn Bennett does to my reading soul is simply the best, I can rely on her that her books will hit the spot, make me happy and smile. CHASING LUCKY was no exception and this story of old friends getting to know one another as teens was gorgeous. There was an eclectic story that had Bennett’s characteristic uniqueness and whit; I got wholly wrapped up in all of it.
Lucky was Josie’s best friend until she left town with her mom, age 12. Returning at age 17 was a different experience with Lucky ...more
Lucky was Josie’s best friend until she left town with her mom, age 12. Returning at age 17 was a different experience with Lucky ...more

I only need to see Jenn’s name on a book and I will pick it up. I didn’t even read the synopsis beforehand.
I loved Josie. She’s a looking for stability and maybe a bit lost. Lucky is all crunchy exterior and a gooey inside. I loved reading these two together. Their history is great and it really made every interaction supercharged. I also loved all of the other Saint-Martin women.
Plot wise, it was a bit more angsty than I was expecting. A lot of this story is about a family finding it’s way ba ...more
I loved Josie. She’s a looking for stability and maybe a bit lost. Lucky is all crunchy exterior and a gooey inside. I loved reading these two together. Their history is great and it really made every interaction supercharged. I also loved all of the other Saint-Martin women.
Plot wise, it was a bit more angsty than I was expecting. A lot of this story is about a family finding it’s way ba ...more

Jenn Bennett is one of my favorite young adult authors and Chasing Lucky might be my favorite book yet by her. This book takes place in Beauty, Rhode Island which is basically Newport. Jenn's description of the setting was on point and made me feel like I was just starting a summer in Newport. Josie has just returned to the hometown she left with her mother when she was 12. She has spent the last 5 years jumping from town to town never staying in one place long. When she walks into the bookshop
...more

The ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
3.25/5 Stars
Jenn Bennett is definitely one of my favourite contemporary authors, but I was a bit disappointed with this new novel of hers. I truly felt like something was missing in this book and in my opinion there were just a lot of miscommunication and unnecessary drama which is something I don't particularly enjoy.
On a more positive note, I really liked Lucky as a character. I think he was th ...more
3.25/5 Stars
Jenn Bennett is definitely one of my favourite contemporary authors, but I was a bit disappointed with this new novel of hers. I truly felt like something was missing in this book and in my opinion there were just a lot of miscommunication and unnecessary drama which is something I don't particularly enjoy.
On a more positive note, I really liked Lucky as a character. I think he was th ...more

I don’t really know what to say except that I love everything Jenn Bennett does. She’s by far my favourite y/a contemporary writer and her books are some of my most treasured possessions. No disappointment here, folks.

I started reading this the same day the release date got pushed back to November. I'm not normally this much of a keener.
I went into CHASING LUCKY with a little bit of trepidation as my last few forays with Bennett post-STARRY EYES haven't been great. Some I liked ish, others I didn't at all, so when the first 30% of this book was both not wow'ing me and also veering into not great, uncomfortable, directions? I was anticipating the worst.
But this did, eventually, level out for me. And that up th ...more
I went into CHASING LUCKY with a little bit of trepidation as my last few forays with Bennett post-STARRY EYES haven't been great. Some I liked ish, others I didn't at all, so when the first 30% of this book was both not wow'ing me and also veering into not great, uncomfortable, directions? I was anticipating the worst.
But this did, eventually, level out for me. And that up th ...more

4 Stars
I absolutely loved Lucky in this story and fell in love with the town of Beauty. This was a cute book that I found I couldn't put down. ...more
I absolutely loved Lucky in this story and fell in love with the town of Beauty. This was a cute book that I found I couldn't put down. ...more

I enjoyed this YA romance, though not without reservations.
I really liked Josie from the start. She's struggling with her relationship with her mother and has built her dad up into a scenario that seems unlikely from the start (though in a way that makes sense for her to manufacture at her age and experience level). So she's mostly just hanging on, waiting for her life to start and all of her focus is on the next steps in her "plan". She hadn't counted on being so notorious in her one-time home- ...more
I really liked Josie from the start. She's struggling with her relationship with her mother and has built her dad up into a scenario that seems unlikely from the start (though in a way that makes sense for her to manufacture at her age and experience level). So she's mostly just hanging on, waiting for her life to start and all of her focus is on the next steps in her "plan". She hadn't counted on being so notorious in her one-time home- ...more

Jenn Bennett truly knows how to write a perfectly charming contemporary with the right balance of swoon and depth to pull me right out of a reading slump. This woman has never let me down and Chasing Lucky was no different. The characters were great, the romance was adorable and the story grabbed at my heart in a multitude of ways.

Mar 28, 2020
Jaime Arkin
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
contemporary,
must-review,
galley-arc,
2020,
stand-alone-books,
swoony-boys,
read-in-2020,
romance,
ya
Jenn Bennett does it the best way possible every single time.
It’s a must read friends- pre-order it today!
It’s a must read friends- pre-order it today!

My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Another great story from one of my favourite YA authors!
Josie Saint-Martin and Lucky Karras were inseparable as children, but Josie's mother and overbearing grandmother have a huge argument, and the next five years are spent traveling from one town to the other as her mother finds work as a book store manager. Josie is miserable, always on the move, and she misses Lucky. How will he ever ...more
Another great story from one of my favourite YA authors!
Josie Saint-Martin and Lucky Karras were inseparable as children, but Josie's mother and overbearing grandmother have a huge argument, and the next five years are spent traveling from one town to the other as her mother finds work as a book store manager. Josie is miserable, always on the move, and she misses Lucky. How will he ever ...more

Josie Saint-Martin relocates back to her hometown with her flighty single mother to care for the family bookstore while her aunt and grandmother are away for a year. Josie reunites with her former childhood best friend turned local bad boy, Lucky Karras.
Chasing Lucky was an okay story, but I found the characters lacking so I didn't really connect with it in the way I wanted too. I liked Josie and her photography, and I liked seeing her reconnect with Lucky, but everything else was just kinda bl ...more
Chasing Lucky was an okay story, but I found the characters lacking so I didn't really connect with it in the way I wanted too. I liked Josie and her photography, and I liked seeing her reconnect with Lucky, but everything else was just kinda bl ...more

I've tried to get into this one several times, but my heart just isn't in it. YA is so tricky for me, I feel like most of the time I'm just not in the headspace to enjoy or appreciate it, but I love Jenn Bennett's writing so I hoped this was an exception. Loved her previous YA, but this one didn't spark anything in me. I'm moving on after 30%.
A copy was kindly provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. ...more
A copy was kindly provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. ...more

WELL..... that was....... my first read by Jenn Bennett!

So here I am, a few days later and I'm still assessing the story. It was a great story in so many aspects. When I read the synopsis I was immediately obsessed and wanted to read it immediately.
Let just say I wasn't expecting to fall hard for these characters I wasn’t expecting this story to affect me.
But it did! I had been in a book slump for almost month! Nothing I picked up worked for me but Chasing Lucky by Jenn Bennett.
The narrative w ...more

So here I am, a few days later and I'm still assessing the story. It was a great story in so many aspects. When I read the synopsis I was immediately obsessed and wanted to read it immediately.
Let just say I wasn't expecting to fall hard for these characters I wasn’t expecting this story to affect me.
But it did! I had been in a book slump for almost month! Nothing I picked up worked for me but Chasing Lucky by Jenn Bennett.
The narrative w ...more

This was my first Jenn Bennett book. I heard so much about her books so I finally decided to pick it up. Unfortunately I did not enjoy this book as much as I wanted to.
It was a very typical clichéd YA romance book, about a girl called Josie who comes back to her hometown and reunites with her childhood best friend Lucky. They soon resume their friendship and soon fall for each other. I usually love best friends to lovers trope but not this one. I don't know but I didn't feel anything while readi ...more
It was a very typical clichéd YA romance book, about a girl called Josie who comes back to her hometown and reunites with her childhood best friend Lucky. They soon resume their friendship and soon fall for each other. I usually love best friends to lovers trope but not this one. I don't know but I didn't feel anything while readi ...more

Check out this review (and more) over on my blog!
Quick Stats:
Overall: 4.5/5 Stars
Characters: 5/5
Setting: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Plot and Themes: 3/5
Awesomeness Factor: 4/5
Review in a Nutshell: Chasing Lucky is an addictive contemporary with compelling characters, an immersive setting, and fantastic themes.
// Content Warning: Revenge Porn (Unconsensual spreading of nudes), Sexual Harassment, Stalking, Burn/Fire, PTSD (Mention), Slut Shaming //
Release Date: 11/10/2020
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Page Count: 416
P ...more
Quick Stats:
Overall: 4.5/5 Stars
Characters: 5/5
Setting: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Plot and Themes: 3/5
Awesomeness Factor: 4/5
Review in a Nutshell: Chasing Lucky is an addictive contemporary with compelling characters, an immersive setting, and fantastic themes.
// Content Warning: Revenge Porn (Unconsensual spreading of nudes), Sexual Harassment, Stalking, Burn/Fire, PTSD (Mention), Slut Shaming //
Release Date: 11/10/2020
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Page Count: 416
P ...more
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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YA Buddy Readers'...: Chasing Lucky by Jenn Bennett - Starting March 16th 2020 | 1 | 8 | Mar 08, 2020 05:45PM |
Jenn Bennett is the author of over a dozen books, including the young adult titles: ALEX, APPROXIMATELY; STARRY EYES; SERIOUS MOONLIGHT; and THE LADY ROGUE. She also writes romance and fantasy for adults. Her books have earned multiple starred reviews, been Goodreads Choice Award nominees, and have been included on annual Best Book lists for both Kirkus and Publishers Weekly. She lives near Atlant
...more
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