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Fortuna Beach#2
With a Little Luck
After being magically gifted with incredible luck, a boy discovers this gift just may be a curse when it comes to love, in this YA novel by #1 New York Times -bestselling author Marissa Meyer.
Jude is determined to fly under the radar. He just wants to draw his comics, host regular D&D night with his friends, work at his parents’ vinyl record store, and escape high school as unscathed as possible. That is, until the night he comes across a mysterious twenty-sided dice and finds himself inexplicably gifted with a bout of supernatural good luck.
Suddenly, everything Jude has ever wanted is within reach. His first art submission is accepted to his favorite fanzine. He helps his friend’s song become a finalist in a songwriting competition. And he’s the 100th caller to a local radio contest, winning him a pair of coveted concert tickets, which he uses to ask out the popular girl he’s been crushing on since elementary school. For a few blissful weeks, he feels invincible.
But when he loses the magic dice at a local music festival, his luck takes a turn for the worse. He struggles to reclaim his good fortune while fighting off long-buried feelings for his best friend―who is definitely not the girl he’s supposed to be in love with. Can Jude risk stepping into the spotlight long enough to win the true girl of his dreams? Or is he doomed to be unlucky in love forever?
Jude is determined to fly under the radar. He just wants to draw his comics, host regular D&D night with his friends, work at his parents’ vinyl record store, and escape high school as unscathed as possible. That is, until the night he comes across a mysterious twenty-sided dice and finds himself inexplicably gifted with a bout of supernatural good luck.
Suddenly, everything Jude has ever wanted is within reach. His first art submission is accepted to his favorite fanzine. He helps his friend’s song become a finalist in a songwriting competition. And he’s the 100th caller to a local radio contest, winning him a pair of coveted concert tickets, which he uses to ask out the popular girl he’s been crushing on since elementary school. For a few blissful weeks, he feels invincible.
But when he loses the magic dice at a local music festival, his luck takes a turn for the worse. He struggles to reclaim his good fortune while fighting off long-buried feelings for his best friend―who is definitely not the girl he’s supposed to be in love with. Can Jude risk stepping into the spotlight long enough to win the true girl of his dreams? Or is he doomed to be unlucky in love forever?
368 pages, Hardcover
First published February 13, 2024
About the author
Marissa Meyer
83books127kfollowersI live in Tacoma, Washington, with my husband and beautiful twin daughters. Represented by Jill Grinberg. Learn more about me and my upcoming books athttp:// marissameyer.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 621 reviews
July 29, 2024
꒰ 4.5☆ ꒱
❝Here comes the rain, and I'm crying again, caught up in the downpour of me loving you.❞
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ golden hour by jvke
she's got glitter for skin,
my radiant beam in the night
marissa meyer slays literally every genre, from fantasy to sci-fi to dystopian to now, thecutest contemporary romance duology ever.this was one of my most highly anticipated releases of 2024, and it did not disappoint!
there is a very small number of ya romance from the boy's perspective, but it worked super well for this one. Jude was a wonderfully dorky protagonist, a junior in high school with a penchant for star wars, marvel, star trek, lord of the rings, dungeons and dragons, and so on- and also with a massive crush on the most popular girl in his grade. he's extremely oblivious that the beautiful, talented girl he calls his best friend could be anythingotherthan a friend, but he was such a simp for her when he realized his feelings that it was so worth it.
the romance was so sweet and cute. best friends-to-lovers always has this innocent, adorable quality that I love. marissa meyer writes romances devoid of lust and too much angst andno, I repeat no, third act breakup!ari was an amazing character and I would have loved her perspective, but it might have robbed the book of the slowburn because she was definitely in love with jude from the first page.
one of my favorite things about this book was how it completely rejected the usual tropes; the you belong with me complex, where the girl the guy is pining after is actually a rude snob. this girl was super sweet and kind and even a little dorky, she just simplywasn't right for him.it was really refreshing to read about!
the one complaint I have though, was while the sibling relationships were adorable, marissa meyer committed a grave literary crime in that area. listen, sibling donotcall each other 'sis' or 'bro.' no siblings actually do that (edit: my apologies,mostsiblings don't do that). please stop having characters do it 😭
⁀➷ overall,
this was so much fun and I enjoyed every page. (I especially loved the pages with snippets from jude's comic- they were the perfect touch) I would love to get another book in this setting, with another one of the side characters like ezra or one of jude's dungeons and dragons buddies. fingers crossed!
🩷 ~ to my bestie
izzy!! this buddy read was absolutely perfect <3 it was sm fun reading it with you & fangirling over it, especially when we met up in person to read it together. ilysm!
❝The things we like are only a part of who we are. This doesn't change us.❞
❝Here comes the rain, and I'm crying again, caught up in the downpour of me loving you.❞
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ golden hour by jvke
she's got glitter for skin,
my radiant beam in the night
marissa meyer slays literally every genre, from fantasy to sci-fi to dystopian to now, thecutest contemporary romance duology ever.this was one of my most highly anticipated releases of 2024, and it did not disappoint!
there is a very small number of ya romance from the boy's perspective, but it worked super well for this one. Jude was a wonderfully dorky protagonist, a junior in high school with a penchant for star wars, marvel, star trek, lord of the rings, dungeons and dragons, and so on- and also with a massive crush on the most popular girl in his grade. he's extremely oblivious that the beautiful, talented girl he calls his best friend could be anythingotherthan a friend, but he was such a simp for her when he realized his feelings that it was so worth it.
the romance was so sweet and cute. best friends-to-lovers always has this innocent, adorable quality that I love. marissa meyer writes romances devoid of lust and too much angst andno, I repeat no, third act breakup!ari was an amazing character and I would have loved her perspective, but it might have robbed the book of the slowburn because she was definitely in love with jude from the first page.
one of my favorite things about this book was how it completely rejected the usual tropes; the you belong with me complex, where the girl the guy is pining after is actually a rude snob. this girl was super sweet and kind and even a little dorky, she just simplywasn't right for him.it was really refreshing to read about!
the one complaint I have though, was while the sibling relationships were adorable, marissa meyer committed a grave literary crime in that area. listen, sibling donotcall each other 'sis' or 'bro.' no siblings actually do that (edit: my apologies,mostsiblings don't do that). please stop having characters do it 😭
⁀➷ overall,
this was so much fun and I enjoyed every page. (I especially loved the pages with snippets from jude's comic- they were the perfect touch) I would love to get another book in this setting, with another one of the side characters like ezra or one of jude's dungeons and dragons buddies. fingers crossed!
🩷 ~ to my bestie
izzy!! this buddy read was absolutely perfect <3 it was sm fun reading it with you & fangirling over it, especially when we met up in person to read it together. ilysm!
❝The things we like are only a part of who we are. This doesn't change us.❞
Want to read
October 9, 2023mother is mothering with this book 🥲
February 17, 2024
2.75 Stars.
This was fine, I did kind of enjoy it, don't let my rating fool you. However, I'm not 15 anymore, therefore YA books don't seem as enjoyable to me as they used to.
*****************************
This is going to be a sequel/companion novel to 'Instant Karma' and it's going to be about Pru's twin brother.
To be honest, I wasn't a big fan of Instant Karma, but I'm curious about this one.
This was fine, I did kind of enjoy it, don't let my rating fool you. However, I'm not 15 anymore, therefore YA books don't seem as enjoyable to me as they used to.
*****************************
This is going to be a sequel/companion novel to 'Instant Karma' and it's going to be about Pru's twin brother.
To be honest, I wasn't a big fan of Instant Karma, but I'm curious about this one.
Want to read
July 3, 2023I will read anything this woman writes.
June 9, 2024
zoe rightfully dnfed, I powered through 💪
ummm this was... interesting?
review coming soon yall <33
me and zoe switching books for our buddy read because we're in slumps and dance of thieves was
wayyy too confusing 🥲👍
ummm this was... interesting?
review coming soon yall <33
me and zoe switching books for our buddy read because we're in slumps and dance of thieves was
wayyy too confusing 🥲👍
Read
June 27, 2024dnf @ 72% 🧩
I might come back to it but I just couldn’t do it
good luckNour😔😔
pre-read:
nour and I decided to stop reading Dance of Thieves because we don’t understand and we’re both in a slump.
we’re reading this instead!! 💪💪💪
I might come back to it but I just couldn’t do it
good luckNour😔😔
pre-read:
nour and I decided to stop reading Dance of Thieves because we don’t understand and we’re both in a slump.
we’re reading this instead!! 💪💪💪
March 11, 2024
⋆⁺₊✧3.75 stars★
⤿ no spoilers in this review ⋆⭒˚
🎧—better togetherby jack johnson
"there's no combination of words i could put on the back of a postcard, no song that i could sing, but i can try for your heart. our dreams, they are made out of real things."
yay!! this was cute and marissa meyer didn't disappoint once again.
⤿the plot.jude just wants a quiet life filled with comics, d&d nights, and working at his parents' record store. however, everything changes when he stumbles upon a mysterious twenty-sided dice, granting him an unexpected streak of supernatural good luck. with newfound fortune, jude achieves his dreams, but when he loses the magic dice at a music festival, his luck takes a nosedive. now, he must navigate a series of challenges, including fighting off long-suppressed feelings for his best friend and pursuing the true love he never expected. will jude risk the spotlight to win the girl of his dreams, or is he destined for perpetual unlucky love?
marissa meyer has been one of my favorite authors for years and i'll literally read anything she puts out. after readinginstant karmaand loving it, i knew i would love this, and i did. once again, one of my most anticipated reads of 2024 did not disappoint! she kills it in ever genre from sci-fi to fantasy to dystopian and, now, contemporary.
i can't remember, if ever, the last time i read a ya contemporary from the boy's perspective, but it was strangely refreshing! jude is a dorky junior-in-high-school with a perpetual avoidance for the spotlight and a simultaneous life-long obsession with the most popular girl in their grade. he isEXTREMELYoblivious to his feelings for his best fried (they're reciprocated YAY!), but he was suchhhh a simp for her when he finally realized it that this almost-too-long book was worth it.
best-friends-to-lovers was my favorite trope for a long time, and now i remember why. it's just so sweet and innocent, and i love the already-developed relationship ari and jude had. even when he didn't realize, it was so obvious he adored her from the very first page. he was just always hyping her up and doing little things for her because he truly cared.jude is the man.
i really appreciated that maya was a sweet girl and a genuinely good person. she was a little nerdy and never treated jude like he was stupid. i appreciated that she always stood up for him and his friends against her own. she just wasn't right for jude, and that's okay! it was a refreshing release from the typical tropes.
jude is such a good older brother, and his relationship with his sisters was so adorable to read about. each of his siblings has such different, clear personality, and i think it really shone through in this book. i also loved his relationship with his friends. this book had so much platonic juice that it made up for the long passages of self discovery.
i also really liked the pages we got as excerpts from jude's comic because it was almost like we had two plot lines going on at once, and it was a nice break from the story. the audiobook was cute because the narrator used a different voice and there was dorky medieval music in the background!
i'm obsessed with this setting, and honestly, i hope we get more books set in fortuna beach because i love it!
⤿bottom line.i loved this book! i rated it four stars because it took me 75-100 pages to get into it, but once i was, i was really invested.a part of me also died every time jude said “charisma check.”
marissa's writing style is perfect as always, and i loved it enough that i will make a point to reread it in the future! 10/10 would recommend for easy spring break and summer reading.
.
links:
my pinterest board
my playlist
.
⋆౨ৎ˚⟡.• preread •.⟡˚౨ৎ⋆
i didn't get the arc and now i'm salty
⤿ no spoilers in this review ⋆⭒˚
.ೃ➛ ❝here comes the rain, and i'm crying again, caught up in the downpour of me loving you.❞
🎧—better togetherby jack johnson
"there's no combination of words i could put on the back of a postcard, no song that i could sing, but i can try for your heart. our dreams, they are made out of real things."
yay!! this was cute and marissa meyer didn't disappoint once again.
⤿the plot.jude just wants a quiet life filled with comics, d&d nights, and working at his parents' record store. however, everything changes when he stumbles upon a mysterious twenty-sided dice, granting him an unexpected streak of supernatural good luck. with newfound fortune, jude achieves his dreams, but when he loses the magic dice at a music festival, his luck takes a nosedive. now, he must navigate a series of challenges, including fighting off long-suppressed feelings for his best friend and pursuing the true love he never expected. will jude risk the spotlight to win the girl of his dreams, or is he destined for perpetual unlucky love?
marissa meyer has been one of my favorite authors for years and i'll literally read anything she puts out. after readinginstant karmaand loving it, i knew i would love this, and i did. once again, one of my most anticipated reads of 2024 did not disappoint! she kills it in ever genre from sci-fi to fantasy to dystopian and, now, contemporary.
i can't remember, if ever, the last time i read a ya contemporary from the boy's perspective, but it was strangely refreshing! jude is a dorky junior-in-high-school with a perpetual avoidance for the spotlight and a simultaneous life-long obsession with the most popular girl in their grade. he isEXTREMELYoblivious to his feelings for his best fried (they're reciprocated YAY!), but he was suchhhh a simp for her when he finally realized it that this almost-too-long book was worth it.
best-friends-to-lovers was my favorite trope for a long time, and now i remember why. it's just so sweet and innocent, and i love the already-developed relationship ari and jude had. even when he didn't realize, it was so obvious he adored her from the very first page. he was just always hyping her up and doing little things for her because he truly cared.jude is the man.
i really appreciated that maya was a sweet girl and a genuinely good person. she was a little nerdy and never treated jude like he was stupid. i appreciated that she always stood up for him and his friends against her own. she just wasn't right for jude, and that's okay! it was a refreshing release from the typical tropes.
jude is such a good older brother, and his relationship with his sisters was so adorable to read about. each of his siblings has such different, clear personality, and i think it really shone through in this book. i also loved his relationship with his friends. this book had so much platonic juice that it made up for the long passages of self discovery.
i also really liked the pages we got as excerpts from jude's comic because it was almost like we had two plot lines going on at once, and it was a nice break from the story. the audiobook was cute because the narrator used a different voice and there was dorky medieval music in the background!
i'm obsessed with this setting, and honestly, i hope we get more books set in fortuna beach because i love it!
⤿bottom line.i loved this book! i rated it four stars because it took me 75-100 pages to get into it, but once i was, i was really invested.
marissa's writing style is perfect as always, and i loved it enough that i will make a point to reread it in the future! 10/10 would recommend for easy spring break and summer reading.
.
links:
my pinterest board
my playlist
.
⋆౨ৎ˚⟡.• preread •.⟡˚౨ৎ⋆
i didn't get the arc and now i'm salty
August 22, 2024
4.5☆
“I want to be with you. On whatever quest or adventure we go on.”
♫ |story of us by taylor swift
lately I don’t even know which page you’re on
🍹 ⁀➴ so freaking cute, I loved it! Now I need more romance novels in the guy’s pov plz plz plz. And the Pru and Quint cameos made my fangirl heart so happy <3 no offense to them, but this was way better than Instant Karma. We need a story about Lucy next!
“I want to be with you. On whatever quest or adventure we go on.”
♫ |story of us by taylor swift
lately I don’t even know which page you’re on
🍹 ⁀➴ so freaking cute, I loved it! Now I need more romance novels in the guy’s pov plz plz plz. And the Pru and Quint cameos made my fangirl heart so happy <3 no offense to them, but this was way better than Instant Karma. We need a story about Lucy next!
June 11, 2024
Ok so this def wasn't bad! I just thought it was a little...cheesy! lol. So I'll start with what I didn't like and then explain what I did like!
💿 The whole plot line of the "magic" and "luck" was so overplayed and annoyed me so muchhhh! i just can't stand books with a supernatural aspect, especially if you're trying to combine like a normal world and romance with magic, it just sounds dumb! like I'm sorry but it was so unrealistic and I kept thinking about how much I didn't like it, and then missed some stuff lol. this might just be a me thing, but I can't stand that trope.
💿 For over half the book, all Jude could talk about was how much he loves Maya. It sounded like a 5th grader tbh.😶 He's supposedly a junior in high school and all he can talk about is how much he LoVeS this girl, but won't talk to her even when she talks to him!? Bro what???? Believe me, I totally get being nervous to ask her out, but not for like 5 years and not to this extent. it was just weird lol.
💿 I honestly thought the whole romance would be about Maya and Jude, and Ari was just Pru's friend. It was so confusing bc he was so obsessed with Maya, and then slowly transitioned (sorry idk what word to use lol) to Ari and it was weriddd.
💿 Omigosh Jude was honestly so cringy😭 Like everything he did gave me secondhand embarrassment lol. His obsession with the dice thingy, the whole Maya thing, how he handled Ari! This is also a little bit of the author making him super clumsy and dorky but still. Usually, I kinda like nerds, they're sweet and enduring! But Jude was so not it, i can't even explain why??
💿 The fact that he knew he didn't like Maya and STILL kept "trying" to like her and go on dates was getting annoying. Cmon Jude, there's plenty of other girls you can go out with!! (For example, Ari!)
💿 I feel like this book could've been quite a bit shorter...
Ok! Now that my little rant is over, there was a lot that I did like lol. Jude and his sisters was honestly adorable!!! I want him as an older brother!! How he was besties with Pru, hung out with Ellie, was so sweet to Penny! I honestly melted when he was with them! Also his drawings were cool, even tho the comics were annoying lol. but i don't like that in books, so that's pretty much just me. Another interesting aspect was the POV, it was 1st person, but multiple times Jude was talking to the reader? Like he directly addressed me? It was kinda cool, and def made me feel like I was in the book too! The whole vinyl store, music vibe was so funnn! I love that Ari is a singer and plays guitar and all that! It's just so much fun to read!!! I'll give it to Jude, he did have some super sweet gestures!! And y'all, the cover is actually gorgeous! Tbh it's like half the reason why I read the book😂 Ok and probably my favorite aspect of the book was friends the loversss! I LOVE this trope literally so much and this book totally was amazing bc of that trope!! when he first realized that he totally loves Ari I got BUTTERFLIES!! every single time it hits!!! ugh obsessed!!! anyway sorry guys I totally didn't mean to write a super long review lol!
🦋 𝐼'𝓋𝑒 𝒷𝑒𝑒𝓃 𝓌𝒶𝒾𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓉𝑜 𝓀𝒾𝓈𝓈 𝓂𝑒 𝓈𝒾𝓃𝒸𝑒 𝓌𝑒 𝓌𝑒𝓇𝑒 𝓉𝓌𝑒𝓁𝓋𝑒 𝓎𝑒𝒶𝓇𝓈 𝑜𝓁𝒹💖
Pages: 356
Language: 🤭🤭🤭🤭
TW⚠️: lgbtq+ characters, language, minor flirting
Genre: YA romance
Format I read: Hardback (library)
Would I recommend to others: Depends
💿 The whole plot line of the "magic" and "luck" was so overplayed and annoyed me so muchhhh! i just can't stand books with a supernatural aspect, especially if you're trying to combine like a normal world and romance with magic, it just sounds dumb! like I'm sorry but it was so unrealistic and I kept thinking about how much I didn't like it, and then missed some stuff lol. this might just be a me thing, but I can't stand that trope.
💿 For over half the book, all Jude could talk about was how much he loves Maya. It sounded like a 5th grader tbh.😶 He's supposedly a junior in high school and all he can talk about is how much he LoVeS this girl, but won't talk to her even when she talks to him!? Bro what???? Believe me, I totally get being nervous to ask her out, but not for like 5 years and not to this extent. it was just weird lol.
💿 I honestly thought the whole romance would be about Maya and Jude, and Ari was just Pru's friend. It was so confusing bc he was so obsessed with Maya, and then slowly transitioned (sorry idk what word to use lol) to Ari and it was weriddd.
💿 Omigosh Jude was honestly so cringy😭 Like everything he did gave me secondhand embarrassment lol. His obsession with the dice thingy, the whole Maya thing, how he handled Ari! This is also a little bit of the author making him super clumsy and dorky but still. Usually, I kinda like nerds, they're sweet and enduring! But Jude was so not it, i can't even explain why??
💿 The fact that he knew he didn't like Maya and STILL kept "trying" to like her and go on dates was getting annoying. Cmon Jude, there's plenty of other girls you can go out with!! (For example, Ari!)
💿 I feel like this book could've been quite a bit shorter...
Ok! Now that my little rant is over, there was a lot that I did like lol. Jude and his sisters was honestly adorable!!! I want him as an older brother!! How he was besties with Pru, hung out with Ellie, was so sweet to Penny! I honestly melted when he was with them! Also his drawings were cool, even tho the comics were annoying lol. but i don't like that in books, so that's pretty much just me. Another interesting aspect was the POV, it was 1st person, but multiple times Jude was talking to the reader? Like he directly addressed me? It was kinda cool, and def made me feel like I was in the book too! The whole vinyl store, music vibe was so funnn! I love that Ari is a singer and plays guitar and all that! It's just so much fun to read!!! I'll give it to Jude, he did have some super sweet gestures!! And y'all, the cover is actually gorgeous! Tbh it's like half the reason why I read the book😂 Ok and probably my favorite aspect of the book was friends the loversss! I LOVE this trope literally so much and this book totally was amazing bc of that trope!! when he first realized that he totally loves Ari I got BUTTERFLIES!! every single time it hits!!! ugh obsessed!!! anyway sorry guys I totally didn't mean to write a super long review lol!
🦋 𝐼'𝓋𝑒 𝒷𝑒𝑒𝓃 𝓌𝒶𝒾𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓉𝑜 𝓀𝒾𝓈𝓈 𝓂𝑒 𝓈𝒾𝓃𝒸𝑒 𝓌𝑒 𝓌𝑒𝓇𝑒 𝓉𝓌𝑒𝓁𝓋𝑒 𝓎𝑒𝒶𝓇𝓈 𝑜𝓁𝒹💖
Pages: 356
Language: 🤭🤭🤭🤭
TW⚠️: lgbtq+ characters, language, minor flirting
Genre: YA romance
Format I read: Hardback (library)
Would I recommend to others: Depends
March 10, 2024
Narrated by Stacy Carolan.
I loved this, it was stinkin' adorable.
An ode to geeks everywhere.
Once again, I didn't realise I was reading a sequel, but as a bonus I actually read the first book a couple years back so it was an extra delight! I'd forgotten these characters, to be honest, but when I put it together it added extra fun.
Here's the plot:Jude is a Nerd (aaaaand I'm already sold) who loves to play D&D and draw comics (sold again). He stumbles on a D20 that somehow gives him unstoppable luck, and suddenly he's copping a wave of miracle occurrences. Which helps, because there's this girl he really likes...
What I really loved most here was the way the characters were done. Maya in particular was a lot of fun, and I appreciated her development a lot. There were nowhere near as many cringe moments as I expected from a YA novel with this kind of plot - that's Marissa Meyer for you! Great characters and it's hard not to root for all of them.
There's several different elements to the story - nerd culture, music, fame, fortune, popularity etc - but it ties together effortlessly and flows nicely. I loved how many facets the characters had, and it was fun to see them exploring these things.
Also, as someone who has JUST done their first ever D&D session, it was bundles of fun listening to those references. Even my partner was giggling at some of the references, despite 'not listening'. XD
This book is wholesome, nerdy fun, and I enjoyed it immensely. The audio added a lot of fun, too, with roleplaying enhanced by music and sound effects.
A delightful, nerd adventure with a soft heart, this will have you cheering for everyone all at the same time. Even EZ won me over by the end.
Highly recommend this for nerds of all types, romance lovers, and people looking for a good bit of teenage fluff to waste a few hours with. I listened to the whole thing in a day and it was fantastic.
With thanks to Netgalley for an audio ARC
I loved this, it was stinkin' adorable.
An ode to geeks everywhere.
Once again, I didn't realise I was reading a sequel, but as a bonus I actually read the first book a couple years back so it was an extra delight! I'd forgotten these characters, to be honest, but when I put it together it added extra fun.
Here's the plot:Jude is a Nerd (aaaaand I'm already sold) who loves to play D&D and draw comics (sold again). He stumbles on a D20 that somehow gives him unstoppable luck, and suddenly he's copping a wave of miracle occurrences. Which helps, because there's this girl he really likes...
What I really loved most here was the way the characters were done. Maya in particular was a lot of fun, and I appreciated her development a lot. There were nowhere near as many cringe moments as I expected from a YA novel with this kind of plot - that's Marissa Meyer for you! Great characters and it's hard not to root for all of them.
There's several different elements to the story - nerd culture, music, fame, fortune, popularity etc - but it ties together effortlessly and flows nicely. I loved how many facets the characters had, and it was fun to see them exploring these things.
Also, as someone who has JUST done their first ever D&D session, it was bundles of fun listening to those references. Even my partner was giggling at some of the references, despite 'not listening'. XD
This book is wholesome, nerdy fun, and I enjoyed it immensely. The audio added a lot of fun, too, with roleplaying enhanced by music and sound effects.
A delightful, nerd adventure with a soft heart, this will have you cheering for everyone all at the same time. Even EZ won me over by the end.
Highly recommend this for nerds of all types, romance lovers, and people looking for a good bit of teenage fluff to waste a few hours with. I listened to the whole thing in a day and it was fantastic.
With thanks to Netgalley for an audio ARC
February 3, 2024
This is a YA romcom, and I'm happy to say that it is teen appropriate, and that the characters act their age but don't get annoyingly immature about it.
The thing that I loved the most about this book is that it's very Dungeons & Dragons. Our characters play D&D, and they are constantly referencing it.
I found it hard to love this book. The characters were so full of life and fun, but the book was lacking conflict for most of it. Jude, our protagonist, has everything go his way. There aren't external stakes, or internal conflict for him. It isn't until very late in the book that we start getting any sort of conflict, and by then I was annoyed at the book and bored.
Jude is also seriously lacking Main Character Energy. When the plot is turning, it's not because Jude is making it happen. Things are always just happening to him, and he goes along with them. It makes it hard to root for him when he's not really making decisions or plans. When he gets a setback, he just wallows in it until something else happens in the plot. He doesn't try to solve it or change his circumstances.
The book includes comic panels, which is fun! It's a story that Jude is drawing. The corresponding audiobook portions have sound effects and background music. It's well produced and immersive.
Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan for a copy of this book to review. All opinions are my own.
The thing that I loved the most about this book is that it's very Dungeons & Dragons. Our characters play D&D, and they are constantly referencing it.
I found it hard to love this book. The characters were so full of life and fun, but the book was lacking conflict for most of it. Jude, our protagonist, has everything go his way. There aren't external stakes, or internal conflict for him. It isn't until very late in the book that we start getting any sort of conflict, and by then I was annoyed at the book and bored.
Jude is also seriously lacking Main Character Energy. When the plot is turning, it's not because Jude is making it happen. Things are always just happening to him, and he goes along with them. It makes it hard to root for him when he's not really making decisions or plans. When he gets a setback, he just wallows in it until something else happens in the plot. He doesn't try to solve it or change his circumstances.
The book includes comic panels, which is fun! It's a story that Jude is drawing. The corresponding audiobook portions have sound effects and background music. It's well produced and immersive.
Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan for a copy of this book to review. All opinions are my own.
March 9, 2024
Marissa Meyer's YA romcom takes readers on a delightful journey through the highs and lows of teenage life, sprinkled with a touch of magic and plenty of Dungeons & Dragons references. In the charming tale “With a Little Luck”, protagonist Jude finds himself unexpectedly blessed with supernatural luck after stumbling upon a mysterious twenty-sided dice.
At first, Jude revels in his newfound luck, achieving everything he's ever dreamed of with seemingly effortless ease. From having his art accepted to his favorite fanzine to winning coveted concert tickets and even landing a date with his long-time crush, Jude's life takes a turn for the extraordinary. However, when he loses the magic dice at a local music festival, his luck takes a downward spiral, forcing him to confront buried emotions and navigate the complexities of love and friendship. One of the highlights of the book is its authentic portrayal of teenage life, complete with relatable characters and genuine teenage angst. The camaraderie between Jude and his friends, along with his close-knit family dynamic, adds depth and warmth to the story. Meyer gives a glimpse of the challenges and insecurities of adolescence, while also infusing the narrative with moments of humor and heart.
Special thanks to NetGalley, Bolinda Audio, and the editorial team for giving me the opportunity to review the ARC in audiobook format and to you, my reader, for taking the time to read this honest personal book review.
If you are interested in other of my book reviews, make sure to follow me on GoodReads! #WithALittleLuck #NetGalley #LifeLongLearning
At first, Jude revels in his newfound luck, achieving everything he's ever dreamed of with seemingly effortless ease. From having his art accepted to his favorite fanzine to winning coveted concert tickets and even landing a date with his long-time crush, Jude's life takes a turn for the extraordinary. However, when he loses the magic dice at a local music festival, his luck takes a downward spiral, forcing him to confront buried emotions and navigate the complexities of love and friendship. One of the highlights of the book is its authentic portrayal of teenage life, complete with relatable characters and genuine teenage angst. The camaraderie between Jude and his friends, along with his close-knit family dynamic, adds depth and warmth to the story. Meyer gives a glimpse of the challenges and insecurities of adolescence, while also infusing the narrative with moments of humor and heart.
Special thanks to NetGalley, Bolinda Audio, and the editorial team for giving me the opportunity to review the ARC in audiobook format and to you, my reader, for taking the time to read this honest personal book review.
If you are interested in other of my book reviews, make sure to follow me on GoodReads! #WithALittleLuck #NetGalley #LifeLongLearning
Want to read
November 4, 2023omg put everything on hold. why is the cover so cute? i’m so excited for this!!
April 6, 2024
erm I still don't understand D&D
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feb 13, 2024...
THAT MEANS NO MARISSA MEYER RELEASES IN 2023 😭
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feb 13, 2024...
THAT MEANS NO MARISSA MEYER RELEASES IN 2023 😭
September 1, 2024
I saw this book on the shelf at Walmart and loved the cover. So, I took a chance and bought it. I made a good decision.
This is a sweet teen romance. I think teens will eat this up. All those insecurities came back to me thinking when I was in high school and had a crush on a girl. I would be so nervous to talk to them and ask them out on a date. Some things never change. I’m 62 and have been married 40 years, so you can get your happy ending. I loved the whole idea that he was on a lucky streak and then it all appeared to crash and burn. Jude had to dig deep and learn a valuable lesson that we make our own luck.
This is a sweet teen romance. I think teens will eat this up. All those insecurities came back to me thinking when I was in high school and had a crush on a girl. I would be so nervous to talk to them and ask them out on a date. Some things never change. I’m 62 and have been married 40 years, so you can get your happy ending. I loved the whole idea that he was on a lucky streak and then it all appeared to crash and burn. Jude had to dig deep and learn a valuable lesson that we make our own luck.
July 1, 2024
nonono Marissa Meyer u've done better
BRO WAS SUCH A SIMP help💀😭
those two stars are jst for prudence and quint. and ari's character NOT the romance
ew
ew
ew
BRO WAS SUCH A SIMP help💀😭
those two stars are jst for prudence and quint. and ari's character NOT the romance
ew
ew
ew
July 3, 2024
um well this was something.
i definitely like instant karma better.
i was so excited for this and it kinda just didnt hit? like i loved the characters, i loved the d&d aspect, and i really loved the music, but it was just so so awkward.
take this lil quote that almost made me wanna quit. - ' "give me some of that rizz, my dude.” he holds his hand out, which I slap, lamely. undeterred, ezra takes his hands and pretends to smear my “rizz” all over his chest.' -like literally what in the actual fuck is that?????who thought this would benefit a book?
alos, basically the whole book gave me either second hand embarrassment or just made me cringe. this man was so awkward and made literally every interaction super awkward.
the story was predictable but still fine, and i enjoyed the different character arcs, especially seeing pru and quint again.
i forgot to mention the comics.WHY DID JUDE LOOK LIKE A LITERAL GIRL????????maybe this was the shitty pdf i was reading but like i knew it was jude, he just had a very veryfeminineface. i dont think this added anything to the book which was very dissapointing.
also i read this on oceanofpdf bc i was strongly ready to buy this, but i dont think i will. i dont think i would read it again:(
pre-read
i’m so excited for this but the aussie cover is just not it so now i’m sad.
i definitely like instant karma better.
i was so excited for this and it kinda just didnt hit? like i loved the characters, i loved the d&d aspect, and i really loved the music, but it was just so so awkward.
take this lil quote that almost made me wanna quit. - ' "give me some of that rizz, my dude.” he holds his hand out, which I slap, lamely. undeterred, ezra takes his hands and pretends to smear my “rizz” all over his chest.' -like literally what in the actual fuck is that?????who thought this would benefit a book?
alos, basically the whole book gave me either second hand embarrassment or just made me cringe. this man was so awkward and made literally every interaction super awkward.
the story was predictable but still fine, and i enjoyed the different character arcs, especially seeing pru and quint again.
i forgot to mention the comics.WHY DID JUDE LOOK LIKE A LITERAL GIRL????????maybe this was the shitty pdf i was reading but like i knew it was jude, he just had a very veryfeminineface. i dont think this added anything to the book which was very dissapointing.
also i read this on oceanofpdf bc i was strongly ready to buy this, but i dont think i will. i dont think i would read it again:(
pre-read
i’m so excited for this but the aussie cover is just not it so now i’m sad.
June 6, 2024
Okay I'm gonna keep this review short and sweet (definitely not because I forgot everything I was gonna say..).
I personally experienced this book on audio, and I found that to be a very enjoyable way to consume it! There were sound effects and breaks of the fourth wall, that kept this book engaging and fast paced, It kept me wanting to listen even when I had no audiobook tasks to do.
In regards to the romance, I thought it was cute! I didn't think that it was anything tooo crazy, but its definitely got to be one of the only friends to lovers that I genuinely liked, only because it wasn't one of those books where it waspainfullyobvious that the main characters were in love with each other( the main man liked someone else). it was a pretty good slow burn for me, and the payoff was very sweet.
Also this book was solely in the male perspective, which I enjoyed because Jude is such a nerdy & geeky guy and 100% my type 🤭, I don't really have that much to say for Ari, I thought she was likeable but I wanted to learn more about her.
anyways, I found this book, (and the book before it in the series) to be very enjoyable, and I recommend it!
✧ ˚° ᴘʀᴇ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ--> this is the fastest ive read a book in a while and this was hella cute. rtc!˚° ✧
I personally experienced this book on audio, and I found that to be a very enjoyable way to consume it! There were sound effects and breaks of the fourth wall, that kept this book engaging and fast paced, It kept me wanting to listen even when I had no audiobook tasks to do.
In regards to the romance, I thought it was cute! I didn't think that it was anything tooo crazy, but its definitely got to be one of the only friends to lovers that I genuinely liked, only because it wasn't one of those books where it waspainfullyobvious that the main characters were in love with each other( the main man liked someone else). it was a pretty good slow burn for me, and the payoff was very sweet.
Also this book was solely in the male perspective, which I enjoyed because Jude is such a nerdy & geeky guy and 100% my type 🤭, I don't really have that much to say for Ari, I thought she was likeable but I wanted to learn more about her.
anyways, I found this book, (and the book before it in the series) to be very enjoyable, and I recommend it!
✧ ˚° ᴘʀᴇ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ--> this is the fastest ive read a book in a while and this was hella cute. rtc!˚° ✧
Want to read
June 28, 2023the way my jaw just fucking dropped when i saw the title im so excited for this book cannot wait til fucking february of 2024 (12/16/22)
—
THE COVER HOLY SHIT MARISSA MEYER IS INCAPABLE OF HAVING BAD COVERS
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THE COVER HOLY SHIT MARISSA MEYER IS INCAPABLE OF HAVING BAD COVERS
March 24, 2024
This review was originally posted onBooks of My Heart
3.5 hearts
With a Little Luckis the second book in Marissa Meyer'sFortuna Beachseries. This series is a cool blend of YA romance with a little bit of magic on the side. Jude, is your average semi-nerdy teen. He is the dungeon master for a D&D group, draws comic books and works at his parents record store. He has had a crush on the same girl for years and with some luck on his side he might just have a shot with her.
Jude is Pru's twin brother fromInstant Karmaand now we get a story centered on him. One thing Jude has going for him is he is definitely more likeable than Pru was at the beginning of his book so it was really easy to root for him. He and Ari have been great friends 4-ever. They have inside jokes, root each other on and hang out all the time. Ari writes music and Jude draws and creates stories for his D&D group. They both work at Jude's parents' record store and from the beginning it is clear that they are meant to be together, but Jude is a teenage boy with a huge crush on one of the popular girls at school and is oblivious to it.
When Jude finds a fancy 20 side die on a record turn-table and rolls a 20 with it all the stars seem to align and opportunity seems to knock at every turn giving him a shot to ask out his crush when he wins some tickets to a concert she is dying to go to. He finally has his shot but as he gets to know Mia, he realizes she is great, but maybe she isn't the girl for him. One problem, all his luck seems to be missing now that he lost his lucky dice so how is he going to get the girl he never noticed was right in front of him the entire time.
I had a really good rela xing time in this book. It is super cute and I really adored the sibling relationships in it along with the semi-dorky kid who you're hoping gains a little confidence and figures out how to get the right girl in the end. There are all kinds of cute moments and I appreciated that the girl he crushed on all this time was a great girl, she just wasn't the right girl for him but had so many cool things about her too. Ari was so easy to really like and I couldn't wait to see how her music was going to play into the story.
Overall this is a great little rom com that stays age appropriate. While there really isn't a lot of drama happening in the story, I enjoyed being a part of Jude's world as he learns that sometimes Luck is all in the eye of the beholder and how you react to it.
Narration:
Stacy Carolan is a new to me narrator. I thought they were a good choice for this story and fit the characters well. The cadence and diction was right for teenagers and the voice sounded like a teen. I was able to listen at my usual 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip:HERE
3.5 hearts
With a Little Luckis the second book in Marissa Meyer'sFortuna Beachseries. This series is a cool blend of YA romance with a little bit of magic on the side. Jude, is your average semi-nerdy teen. He is the dungeon master for a D&D group, draws comic books and works at his parents record store. He has had a crush on the same girl for years and with some luck on his side he might just have a shot with her.
Jude is Pru's twin brother fromInstant Karmaand now we get a story centered on him. One thing Jude has going for him is he is definitely more likeable than Pru was at the beginning of his book so it was really easy to root for him. He and Ari have been great friends 4-ever. They have inside jokes, root each other on and hang out all the time. Ari writes music and Jude draws and creates stories for his D&D group. They both work at Jude's parents' record store and from the beginning it is clear that they are meant to be together, but Jude is a teenage boy with a huge crush on one of the popular girls at school and is oblivious to it.
When Jude finds a fancy 20 side die on a record turn-table and rolls a 20 with it all the stars seem to align and opportunity seems to knock at every turn giving him a shot to ask out his crush when he wins some tickets to a concert she is dying to go to. He finally has his shot but as he gets to know Mia, he realizes she is great, but maybe she isn't the girl for him. One problem, all his luck seems to be missing now that he lost his lucky dice so how is he going to get the girl he never noticed was right in front of him the entire time.
I had a really good rela xing time in this book. It is super cute and I really adored the sibling relationships in it along with the semi-dorky kid who you're hoping gains a little confidence and figures out how to get the right girl in the end. There are all kinds of cute moments and I appreciated that the girl he crushed on all this time was a great girl, she just wasn't the right girl for him but had so many cool things about her too. Ari was so easy to really like and I couldn't wait to see how her music was going to play into the story.
Overall this is a great little rom com that stays age appropriate. While there really isn't a lot of drama happening in the story, I enjoyed being a part of Jude's world as he learns that sometimes Luck is all in the eye of the beholder and how you react to it.
Narration:
Stacy Carolan is a new to me narrator. I thought they were a good choice for this story and fit the characters well. The cadence and diction was right for teenagers and the voice sounded like a teen. I was able to listen at my usual 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip:HERE
February 15, 2024
With a Little Luckmarks my nineteenth Marissa Meyer book and my fifteenth 4-star read. This was so much fun to read. It's a great palate cleanser, a cotton candy read if that's what you're in the mood for.
May 1, 2024
I was cringing really bad at some parts but otherwise I'm so glad Jude got his happy ending
April 26, 2024
This was so much better than Instant Karma imo! If you've been following my reviews for a while now you would know I love going into books knowing nothing about them, so I was happy when I started reading and this was mostly about DnD! With the audiobook the chapters where Jude was working on his campaign the audiobook would change to play some like bard music/sound effects and I just loved that so much! it helped separate reality versus the DnD world. The book is honestly just so much fun like I really enjoyed every second of the book! It still had all the fun music references I liked from instant Karma with the record store (since the first book follows Jude's sister). The characters were actually more likable in this one as well! Overall I'm happy I gave this one a try!
Want to read
January 27, 2023WE'RE GOING BACK TO FORTUNA BEACH JUDE BOOK COMING IN 2024 HELL YEAH
April 19, 2024
This book was cute and fun but I found myself having a hard time wanting to pick up the book and go on with the story. It’s about a boy whose family owns a record shop. One day he finds a dice in the shop and his whole luck starts to change. It also deals with friendship. I gave this story a 3.5🌟
January 16, 2024
3.5 stars, rounded up
I am a big fan of Marissa Meyer. She is an auto-read author for me and I always look forward to her new releases.
That said, if this hadn’t been a book by Marissa Meyer, I probably wouldn’t have rounded up.
The pacing of this book felt so slow in spots. It seemed to take Jude literally forever to make decisions or come to conclusions about things. It also didn’t help that I didn’t think he and the love interest had much (any?) chemistry together, probably because it didn’t feel like they had many scenes together.
Look, this sounds like a critical review, but it’s really not. There’s a lot to like here. I really liked Jude’s family and how they were always there for each other. Jude was really cute and sweet with his younger siblings as well. I liked the nerd culture that Jude was really into, and there were many cute and funny references. I didn’t know anything about D&D so it was interesting to see Jude play it with his friends, and the little drawings throughout were cool and really brought the story to life.
This is one of those books that you know exactly how it will end as soon as you start reading, but it’s still fun to get there. It just didn’t feel up to Marisa Meyer’s usual standard. I can definitely see this being popular. It’s light, and breezy and fun. I just wanted a little bit more from it.
I am a big fan of Marissa Meyer. She is an auto-read author for me and I always look forward to her new releases.
That said, if this hadn’t been a book by Marissa Meyer, I probably wouldn’t have rounded up.
The pacing of this book felt so slow in spots. It seemed to take Jude literally forever to make decisions or come to conclusions about things. It also didn’t help that I didn’t think he and the love interest had much (any?) chemistry together, probably because it didn’t feel like they had many scenes together.
Look, this sounds like a critical review, but it’s really not. There’s a lot to like here. I really liked Jude’s family and how they were always there for each other. Jude was really cute and sweet with his younger siblings as well. I liked the nerd culture that Jude was really into, and there were many cute and funny references. I didn’t know anything about D&D so it was interesting to see Jude play it with his friends, and the little drawings throughout were cool and really brought the story to life.
This is one of those books that you know exactly how it will end as soon as you start reading, but it’s still fun to get there. It just didn’t feel up to Marisa Meyer’s usual standard. I can definitely see this being popular. It’s light, and breezy and fun. I just wanted a little bit more from it.
February 16, 2024
AAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!
I pre-ordered this book and got it the very day it was released. And each and every word was worth the excitement.
Marissa Meyer is truly one of the best authors of the 21st century. Her writing was engaging, personable, and made me connect with Jude more than I have with any other book character. The pov was so fun and unique and I absolutely loved the way the story was told. It is really rare to find a romance book from a guy's pov without giving me the ick, but I was cheering Jude on every step of the way and not creeped out by the male mind.
The plot was amazing. I loved the storyline and how it had a similar idea to 'Instant Karma', but had a completely different spin. And how his luck was a real item rather than a bonk on the head was super cool. I loved how at the end, there were no loose ends or unanswered questions, but rather a wholesome, clear, and perfect conclusion!!!
And Jude. His personality was so well reflected in each and every decision and thing he said. It was wild. And I love how the lucky dice affected him so perfectly. And his fear of rejection and how the dice gave him no fear of it?!?!?!?!?! Brilliant. Even when Jude gave me second-hand embarrassment, I understood his motives and still rooted for him.
The way Jude gaslighted himself into unrequitedly loving Maya was so real, honest, and relatable! It had become Jude's basic self-knowledge for his whole teenager-hood that he barely even took a look closer to what he was really feeling. No second guessing until he actually got closer to Maya.
But ARI?!?!?!?!?! She is the BEST person ever for Jude. They are 1000% getting married and living happily ever after the moment they graduate from high school. And 'Downpour'?!?!?!?!? The lyrics made me giggle and kick my feet. She was as in love with Jude as he thought he was with Maya. And that murdered my soul.
And the subtle ways he connected everything back to her? Even when he was with Mayaaaaa????? Bro was so oblivious. But totally realistic for a dude.
I loved to see the progression of Pru and Quint as well. I had missed them so very much. And the setting. I want to go to Ventures Vinyl.
And the Beatles references? And the completely wild Gen-Z sayings? The vibe? And it was clean? Nearly killed me???? THE COMICS?!?!?!?!?
This book is now my everything. Aside from Jesus, of course.
It was a favourite only eight pages in.
I pre-ordered this book and got it the very day it was released. And each and every word was worth the excitement.
Marissa Meyer is truly one of the best authors of the 21st century. Her writing was engaging, personable, and made me connect with Jude more than I have with any other book character. The pov was so fun and unique and I absolutely loved the way the story was told. It is really rare to find a romance book from a guy's pov without giving me the ick, but I was cheering Jude on every step of the way and not creeped out by the male mind.
The plot was amazing. I loved the storyline and how it had a similar idea to 'Instant Karma', but had a completely different spin. And how his luck was a real item rather than a bonk on the head was super cool. I loved how at the end, there were no loose ends or unanswered questions, but rather a wholesome, clear, and perfect conclusion!!!
And Jude. His personality was so well reflected in each and every decision and thing he said. It was wild. And I love how the lucky dice affected him so perfectly. And his fear of rejection and how the dice gave him no fear of it?!?!?!?!?! Brilliant. Even when Jude gave me second-hand embarrassment, I understood his motives and still rooted for him.
The way Jude gaslighted himself into unrequitedly loving Maya was so real, honest, and relatable! It had become Jude's basic self-knowledge for his whole teenager-hood that he barely even took a look closer to what he was really feeling. No second guessing until he actually got closer to Maya.
But ARI?!?!?!?!?! She is the BEST person ever for Jude. They are 1000% getting married and living happily ever after the moment they graduate from high school. And 'Downpour'?!?!?!?!? The lyrics made me giggle and kick my feet. She was as in love with Jude as he thought he was with Maya. And that murdered my soul.
And the subtle ways he connected everything back to her? Even when he was with Mayaaaaa????? Bro was so oblivious. But totally realistic for a dude.
I loved to see the progression of Pru and Quint as well. I had missed them so very much. And the setting. I want to go to Ventures Vinyl.
And the Beatles references? And the completely wild Gen-Z sayings? The vibe? And it was clean? Nearly killed me???? THE COMICS?!?!?!?!?
This book is now my everything. Aside from Jesus, of course.
It was a favourite only eight pages in.
May 10, 2024
OKAY PHEW I HAVE WORDS TO SAY.
first off: this was very different from my usual reads. i don’t normally pick up contemporary books, but i thoroughly enjoyed this one.
secondly: the gen-z dialogue did, in fact, make me cringe. but to be cringe is to be free ‼️
thirdly: this was (mostly) very realistic. jude, the main character, struggled with anxiety and a fear of rejection and let me just say: he is so real. the way he was written was so relatable and so ME. like the things we thought were things i also think from time to time.
fourthly: the message was SO GOOD. you don’t need extreme luck to do anything - you’re perfect as you are.
lastly: THE ROMANCE. i don’t wanna give too much away but i LOVED the two together. UGH. the way they brought out the best in each other. i’m gonna sob.
i loved it.
marissa meyer, you never disappoint me.
first off: this was very different from my usual reads. i don’t normally pick up contemporary books, but i thoroughly enjoyed this one.
secondly: the gen-z dialogue did, in fact, make me cringe. but to be cringe is to be free ‼️
thirdly: this was (mostly) very realistic. jude, the main character, struggled with anxiety and a fear of rejection and let me just say: he is so real. the way he was written was so relatable and so ME. like the things we thought were things i also think from time to time.
fourthly: the message was SO GOOD. you don’t need extreme luck to do anything - you’re perfect as you are.
lastly: THE ROMANCE. i don’t wanna give too much away but i LOVED the two together. UGH. the way they brought out the best in each other. i’m gonna sob.
i loved it.
marissa meyer, you never disappoint me.
August 12, 2024
.𖤐݁˖with a little luck݁˖𖤐.
⊹₊ ⋆ ⊹ ·
˚ °˖ ⊹₊ ⋆
°˖ °˖ ⋆.
· ⋆ ˚ ˚ ˚ °˖
⋆ · °˖.
⊹₊ ⋆ · ⊹₊ ⋆ ·₊⊹
·₊⊹
spoilers marked behind tag
ˋ°•*⁀➷ I think this was the dorky, geeky, cutie pie book of my dreams. So many things were just so right in this book. If you didn't know by now, I am the biggest fan of all time of guy’s povs in any and every book. If a book has dual pov sign me up. Now when I learnt this one was entirely the guys pov?? SIGNED UP. 100%. And I was obsessed from the very start.
ˋ°•*⁀➷ Just like Instant Karma, the first of this little duology, this book hosted a touch of magic. Jude finds a magical 20-sided dice, and life starts to go his way. This was such a fun plot, I was charmed from the start. It was fast and funny and breezy and so so cute.
ˋ°•*⁀➷ I literally want Jude to have the world. He is so geeky and awkward and man, I don’t think I have ever experienced more second hand embarrassment from a book, but I wasthere for it.I was cheering this boy on the whole time. Maybe my favorite part was the breaking of the fourth wall, I never knew I needed that until now. Ok now, I usually have a bone to pick with “normal awkward relatable teen” characters, they are SO easy to screw up. Like I don’t want to read about how you are just sosilly and goofyand it just happens to make you endearing and your whole life works out. Because babe, that's not relatable. I wantthis.This book. Exactly. Literally Jude royally screwed up every 5 pages. I was cringing so hard I had to set down the book multiple times. But why did it work so well? It was actually relatable. Like Jude was so real. He was just a normal geeky teen boy who was trying his best. But like also add in a heart of gold and a stellar sense of humor. The best combo. I would give him whatever he wanted just to see him happy, Jude deserves the world, hands down.
ˋ°•*⁀➷ Maya was super sweet too, I really loved how she figured herself out throughout the book. She learnt a lot about herself, and grew so much. I really liked her plotline, it worked out so well for her.Ari I obviously stan. She was truly such an interesting character, I was so invested in her. I really want to hear her song, I was singing versions of it in my head the entire book. It’s a need. AND HER PINNING. Literally from page one that girl was down bad. And omg Pru knowing she was so down bad, and just Pru. Pru in this whole book was so perfect. Jude and Pru’s dynamic was so perfect, like siblings 100%. Honestly every single character was so adorable, I loved all of them. They just worked so well together. Ari’s music festival was so fun, I was very sucked in at that point.
ˋ°•*⁀➷ Ok ok I will give the people what they want!! If you do not want anyspoilersabout potential Jude + Ari moments don't read this! I won’t be giving away details, just talking in general. Ok after Jude’s realization THE JEALOUSY. AHH. I DIED. It was perfect. And the way he described her was soooo cuttteee. You could totally feel the stark difference between how he acted around/thought about Maya versus Ari. With Maya he was very unsure and hesitant, but with Ari he was all in. Completely immersed in her. And then he was so comfortable around her, it was so sweet. I lovvveee them. The best part was probs the hugs. Ahh the hugs.
ˋ°•*⁀➷ I wouldn't call myself a geeky person, and at the beginning I was really worried I would hate that this book was so geeky. It ended up just being so endearing and sweet. I really think it just bridged that gap in YA romances from crazy perfect made up fantasy teens to real normal people. Like Jude was in no means perfect. He was so weird and had some wildly terrible ideas half the time and literally embarrassed himself constantly, but like same. Same same same. We all do that all the time. Oh! And one more thing. The comics included throughout were so fun to read. I love it when books give you fun extra details, but that is so often in thrillers/mysteries I’m so happy I finally got it in a romance.
ˋ°•*⁀➷ I did not expect this book to go the way it did, to be honest, but I think it was better than my expectations. A lot of romance books get so caught up in being perfect it loses all their charm. This was the opposite. It was endearing and funny and embarrassing and so so much. I laughed out loud too many times to count, and felt all the feels alongside every character.
ˋ°•*⁀➷ This book was no short on the cutie quotes, so of course I have to share!
♫ “She's wearing a yellow dress dotted with white roses, and in the light from the lamp, she’s ethereal. The thought makes me grin, and that's the stupid look I have on my face when Ari glances up again and our eyes meet. For a second, she goes still, and I shrink back, wishing I could explain to her that I wasn't laughing at her or anything, that I was just… I was just… Thinking she is absolutely lovely.”
♫ “Except for when Ari’s feet give a tiny skip that I'm not sure she's even aware of, and my heart exactly mimics the movement. That part is new. I give my head a quick shake, trying to erase the vision of the long threads from her frayed jean shorts swaying against her thighs.”
♫ “I pull her closer and wrap my arms around her shoulders. Just a hug. Just two friends, sharing a moment of temporary madness spurred on by temporary awkwardness. By the time we are catching our breath, Ari is tucked into my arms, her head beneath my shin, rubbing the tears from her eyes.”
♫ “I have never been here when it was so quiet. There's always music playing, and the constant drone of work and laughter and family and, on the best days, Ari. Humming to herself, always.”
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spoilers marked behind tag
ˋ°•*⁀➷ I think this was the dorky, geeky, cutie pie book of my dreams. So many things were just so right in this book. If you didn't know by now, I am the biggest fan of all time of guy’s povs in any and every book. If a book has dual pov sign me up. Now when I learnt this one was entirely the guys pov?? SIGNED UP. 100%. And I was obsessed from the very start.
ˋ°•*⁀➷ Just like Instant Karma, the first of this little duology, this book hosted a touch of magic. Jude finds a magical 20-sided dice, and life starts to go his way. This was such a fun plot, I was charmed from the start. It was fast and funny and breezy and so so cute.
ˋ°•*⁀➷ I literally want Jude to have the world. He is so geeky and awkward and man, I don’t think I have ever experienced more second hand embarrassment from a book, but I wasthere for it.I was cheering this boy on the whole time. Maybe my favorite part was the breaking of the fourth wall, I never knew I needed that until now. Ok now, I usually have a bone to pick with “normal awkward relatable teen” characters, they are SO easy to screw up. Like I don’t want to read about how you are just sosilly and goofyand it just happens to make you endearing and your whole life works out. Because babe, that's not relatable. I wantthis.This book. Exactly. Literally Jude royally screwed up every 5 pages. I was cringing so hard I had to set down the book multiple times. But why did it work so well? It was actually relatable. Like Jude was so real. He was just a normal geeky teen boy who was trying his best. But like also add in a heart of gold and a stellar sense of humor. The best combo. I would give him whatever he wanted just to see him happy, Jude deserves the world, hands down.
ˋ°•*⁀➷ Maya was super sweet too, I really loved how she figured herself out throughout the book. She learnt a lot about herself, and grew so much. I really liked her plotline, it worked out so well for her.Ari I obviously stan. She was truly such an interesting character, I was so invested in her. I really want to hear her song, I was singing versions of it in my head the entire book. It’s a need. AND HER PINNING. Literally from page one that girl was down bad. And omg Pru knowing she was so down bad, and just Pru. Pru in this whole book was so perfect. Jude and Pru’s dynamic was so perfect, like siblings 100%. Honestly every single character was so adorable, I loved all of them. They just worked so well together. Ari’s music festival was so fun, I was very sucked in at that point.
ˋ°•*⁀➷ Ok ok I will give the people what they want!! If you do not want anyspoilersabout potential Jude + Ari moments don't read this! I won’t be giving away details, just talking in general. Ok after Jude’s realization THE JEALOUSY. AHH. I DIED. It was perfect. And the way he described her was soooo cuttteee. You could totally feel the stark difference between how he acted around/thought about Maya versus Ari. With Maya he was very unsure and hesitant, but with Ari he was all in. Completely immersed in her. And then he was so comfortable around her, it was so sweet. I lovvveee them. The best part was probs the hugs. Ahh the hugs.
ˋ°•*⁀➷ I wouldn't call myself a geeky person, and at the beginning I was really worried I would hate that this book was so geeky. It ended up just being so endearing and sweet. I really think it just bridged that gap in YA romances from crazy perfect made up fantasy teens to real normal people. Like Jude was in no means perfect. He was so weird and had some wildly terrible ideas half the time and literally embarrassed himself constantly, but like same. Same same same. We all do that all the time. Oh! And one more thing. The comics included throughout were so fun to read. I love it when books give you fun extra details, but that is so often in thrillers/mysteries I’m so happy I finally got it in a romance.
ˋ°•*⁀➷ I did not expect this book to go the way it did, to be honest, but I think it was better than my expectations. A lot of romance books get so caught up in being perfect it loses all their charm. This was the opposite. It was endearing and funny and embarrassing and so so much. I laughed out loud too many times to count, and felt all the feels alongside every character.
ˋ°•*⁀➷ This book was no short on the cutie quotes, so of course I have to share!
♫ “She's wearing a yellow dress dotted with white roses, and in the light from the lamp, she’s ethereal. The thought makes me grin, and that's the stupid look I have on my face when Ari glances up again and our eyes meet. For a second, she goes still, and I shrink back, wishing I could explain to her that I wasn't laughing at her or anything, that I was just… I was just… Thinking she is absolutely lovely.”
♫ “Except for when Ari’s feet give a tiny skip that I'm not sure she's even aware of, and my heart exactly mimics the movement. That part is new. I give my head a quick shake, trying to erase the vision of the long threads from her frayed jean shorts swaying against her thighs.”
♫ “I pull her closer and wrap my arms around her shoulders. Just a hug. Just two friends, sharing a moment of temporary madness spurred on by temporary awkwardness. By the time we are catching our breath, Ari is tucked into my arms, her head beneath my shin, rubbing the tears from her eyes.”
♫ “I have never been here when it was so quiet. There's always music playing, and the constant drone of work and laughter and family and, on the best days, Ari. Humming to herself, always.”
March 12, 2024
With a Little Luck is a YA rom-com that features magical realism. It is a sequel/companion book to Instant Karma.
It can be read as a standalone (different narrator). However both books feature the same characters.
The narrator of this book is 16 year old Jude (he is the twin brother of Pru from Instant Karma). Pru, her boyfriend and their family are in both books.
Jude works at his family's record store. He is very much into Dungeons & Dragons. And he loves drawing art/creating comics.
This book was super cute. The magical realism/luck aspect was so fun. I'm not really into D & D so that part and the comics related to that did not interest me as much.
I enjoyed seeing Pru and her family again. I loved the music stuff (their friend Ari is a songwriter). The stuff with the lucky dice was so fun. I adore magical realism. Overall it was a really cute read!
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