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Unlucky
From NY Times and USA Today bestselling author, Jana DeLeon.
Mallory Devereaux is known throughout the town of Royal Flush, Louisiana as a walking disaster and her luck just got worse. She needs to raise ten-thousand dollars in one week to keep the IRS from seizing her adopted father’s business where she works as the demolition foreman.
When the opportunity to cool cards at her uncle’s casino comes up, Mallory hopes her luck is changing. But when she realizes her uncle has assembled a tournament of criminals, she wonders what she’s stepped in the middle of.
Mallory Devereaux is known throughout the town of Royal Flush, Louisiana as a walking disaster and her luck just got worse. She needs to raise ten-thousand dollars in one week to keep the IRS from seizing her adopted father’s business where she works as the demolition foreman.
When the opportunity to cool cards at her uncle’s casino comes up, Mallory hopes her luck is changing. But when she realizes her uncle has assembled a tournament of criminals, she wonders what she’s stepped in the middle of.
321 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 30, 2007
570 people are currently reading
1270 people want to read
About the author
Jana Deleon
102 books4,228 followersNew York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jana DeLeon was raised in southwest Louisiana among the bayous and gators. Her hometown is Carlyss, but you probably won't find it on a map. Her family owned a camp located on a bayou just off the Gulf of Mexico that you could only get there by boat. The most important feature was the rope hammock hanging in the shade on a huge deck that stretched out over the water where Jana spent many hours reading books.
Jana and her brother spent thousands of hours combing the bayous in a flat-bottom aluminum boat, studying the natural habitat of many birds, nutria and alligators. She would like you to know that no animals were injured during these "studies," but they kept makers of peroxide in business.
Jana has never stumbled across a mystery or a ghost like her heroines, but she's still hopeful.
She now resides in Dallas, Texas, with the most spoiled Sheltie in the world.
Jana and her brother spent thousands of hours combing the bayous in a flat-bottom aluminum boat, studying the natural habitat of many birds, nutria and alligators. She would like you to know that no animals were injured during these "studies," but they kept makers of peroxide in business.
Jana has never stumbled across a mystery or a ghost like her heroines, but she's still hopeful.
She now resides in Dallas, Texas, with the most spoiled Sheltie in the world.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 144 reviews
April 2, 2017
This book is witty, romantic, intense and charming simultaneously. The characters are people that are living in Royal Flush, LA and they're just down home folks that support one another but don't care for Yankees.
Mallory Devereaux is the most unlucky woman that with just a touch from her will change your whole day and not in a good way. She's trying to save the company she works from falling into the hands of Walter Royal and she agrees to work her uncle's casino boat. From there the story takes off.
Mallory Devereaux is the most unlucky woman that with just a touch from her will change your whole day and not in a good way. She's trying to save the company she works from falling into the hands of Walter Royal and she agrees to work her uncle's casino boat. From there the story takes off.
May 31, 2018
Mallory Devereaux has terrible luck, and so do the people who come into contact with her. She's working as a "cooler" at her uncle's casino to make some extra money, but there is a lot more going on at the casino than she had planned on.
A humorous, light, and fun read. A little romance, a little mystery, and a lot of small town shenanigans.
A humorous, light, and fun read. A little romance, a little mystery, and a lot of small town shenanigans.
June 19, 2021
Love this author. So funny.
February 19, 2020
2020 bk 64 One of my favorite titles by Jana DeLeon. I read this when I want a comfort laugh or two. Unlucky's main character was cursed at birth by her mother's old boyfriend. Yep, a real curse. Even as a fully educated structural engineer she can't get a job building things, but her friend and foster father runs a demolition company - and she is perfect for that job! Until the entire company is threatened by back taxes and the IRS. In addition to her talent in making buildings fall down, Mallory is also a cooler -and can pass her bad luck off to card players with just a touch. This is something her uncle can use (and pay enough to get the IRS off her demo company's back) with an upcoming poker tournament - one involving just about every baddie in the state of Louisiana. Will Mallory continue to be unlucky - or perhaps does she finally have a chance to 'get lucky'.
April 4, 2013
I honestly don't understand all of the low reviews that I've seen on this book. I honestly enjoyed it from start to finish.
This book even started off really funny with Mallory at a bar making passes at overweight port o potty salesman so that a priest could win at pool. I laughed out loud at her antics as well as those of Father Thomas.
Poor Mallory and some of the things that happen to her are down right hilarious but she has a great group of friends that are always there for her. Amy, who looks like she's 12 but smart as a whip. Scooter who is so stupid that I couldn't wait to see what he came up with next. Who'd have thought that he would end playing a major roll in a card game? Not this girl! Father Thomas with all his drinking I found very amusing and then there's Jake the FBI agent. Holy smokes the man I picture in my head for him.. :)
This book even started off really funny with Mallory at a bar making passes at overweight port o potty salesman so that a priest could win at pool. I laughed out loud at her antics as well as those of Father Thomas.
Poor Mallory and some of the things that happen to her are down right hilarious but she has a great group of friends that are always there for her. Amy, who looks like she's 12 but smart as a whip. Scooter who is so stupid that I couldn't wait to see what he came up with next. Who'd have thought that he would end playing a major roll in a card game? Not this girl! Father Thomas with all his drinking I found very amusing and then there's Jake the FBI agent. Holy smokes the man I picture in my head for him.. :)
February 1, 2017
I might give this 2.5 stars. The most exciting part was the last five pages. I have read this authors MIss Fortune Series and absolutely loved it. This was disappointing. It was all about a poker game and terminology that I know nothing about but that would have been okay if it wasn't the whole book. There was voodoo dolls and other paranormal things that are not my cup of tea. I don't know if its because of being Canadian I don't understand the culture in Louisiana but having said that I read another southern type Cozy Mystery and absolutely loved it! I don't understand why a lot of authors of cozy mysteries whose books I really enjoy go off and start righting paranormal stuff. I can understand at Halloween but that is it. This is my honest opinion.
January 30, 2015
Funny in spots, romantic, lite-paranormal, a twist at the takedown I didn't see coming. A cast of characters you would expect from a book set in the bayou.
Mallory has been cursed with bad luck from birth. It rubs off on anyone who touches her. Jake is very interested is rubbing up against her. Mallory needs money to save the demolition business she works for. She agrees to use her curse for her uncle in exchange for the money she needs. The whole simple plan takes an unexpected turn when Jake turns out not to be what he appears to be. Gunrunners, money launderers and all kinds of nasty business types mix it up in a 5 day poker tournament.
Mallory has been cursed with bad luck from birth. It rubs off on anyone who touches her. Jake is very interested is rubbing up against her. Mallory needs money to save the demolition business she works for. She agrees to use her curse for her uncle in exchange for the money she needs. The whole simple plan takes an unexpected turn when Jake turns out not to be what he appears to be. Gunrunners, money launderers and all kinds of nasty business types mix it up in a 5 day poker tournament.
May 1, 2013
I am actually reading a collection where this was the first book. It just wasn't my cup of tea.
November 12, 2016
Always like Deleon books, even tho I have to suspend belief for them.
May 28, 2023
I didn't like this book at first, but it really grew on me. Great characters
September 8, 2019
Mallory has been unlucky her entire life, and that bad luck can literally rub off on someone if she touches them. Naturally, she's had to take a job for a company that does demolition. When Mallory learns her Uncle Reginald is hosting a high-stakes poker tournament on board his casino boat, she signs on to "cool" the cards. One touch from her, and a player's luck will go bad.
What Mallory and her uncle don't know is that the FBI is also interested in this tournament, in hopes of catching a money launderer. Agent Jake Randoll is a good enough card player to land a spot as a dealer, and his sole focus is taking down Silas Hebert. He doesn't need the distraction of the beautiful Mallory Devereaux at his table.
Eventually, Mallory and Jake realize they're on the same team, so to speak, and they begin working together. Jake needs this bust, and Mallory needs the money she'll earn for shutting down the table to buy out her employer and keep her job. Mallory's bad luck holds true, until Silas finds a way to thwart her abilities. As more players drop out of the tournament and the pressure builds, the stakes have never been higher.
This was a fun story. A mild paranormal element ran through it, what with Mallory's "curse", but I wouldn't classify this as paranormal. Characters were marvelous, from Jake and Mallory to Mal's BFFs Amy and Scooter to drunken Father Thomas. Much of the action centered around the casino boat and the tournament, but even though I'm not a poker afficionado, I didn't have any issues following along. Sex scenes were hot and explosive (literally!), and the conclusion was exciting.
What Mallory and her uncle don't know is that the FBI is also interested in this tournament, in hopes of catching a money launderer. Agent Jake Randoll is a good enough card player to land a spot as a dealer, and his sole focus is taking down Silas Hebert. He doesn't need the distraction of the beautiful Mallory Devereaux at his table.
Eventually, Mallory and Jake realize they're on the same team, so to speak, and they begin working together. Jake needs this bust, and Mallory needs the money she'll earn for shutting down the table to buy out her employer and keep her job. Mallory's bad luck holds true, until Silas finds a way to thwart her abilities. As more players drop out of the tournament and the pressure builds, the stakes have never been higher.
This was a fun story. A mild paranormal element ran through it, what with Mallory's "curse", but I wouldn't classify this as paranormal. Characters were marvelous, from Jake and Mallory to Mal's BFFs Amy and Scooter to drunken Father Thomas. Much of the action centered around the casino boat and the tournament, but even though I'm not a poker afficionado, I didn't have any issues following along. Sex scenes were hot and explosive (literally!), and the conclusion was exciting.
August 21, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. I loved Mallory, a construction demolition foreman with bad luck. I loved Jake, a by the book FBI agent. Together they were wonderful. Finding out that her bad luck was a curse and that her mother refused to take it off was heartbreaking. Uncle Reginald was looking out for her the best he could and I'm glad he went legit. Amy and Scooter were great supporting characters and I'm glad they got together. I was surprised that Mark's wife was the mastermind behind his turn all along, and more surprised when she killed him; their poor child now has zero parents. I was glad that Silas was caught, but almost dropped my book when Father Thomas was the one to shoot him. Father Thomas was wonderful comic relief. I loved this book and wish there were more!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 9, 2019
I have read several Jana Deleon books, all of her Shaye Archer series, all of the Fortune series and loved all of them. This is a stand alone that contains humor, excitement and romance. The story takes place in Louisiana and the characters are original. It took me a while to get into the story because I wasn't sure if this was a continuation from a previous book - I felt like these characters may have had more of a history, that they may have been introduced in a prior book, but the back story of the characters was revealed as you got into the book. I really liked Mallory and Jake, Amy and Scooter, J.T., Harry, even Uncle Reginald was not so bad as the story progressed.
February 28, 2018
Great Story and Characters
Mallory is what I would call a jinx but in this story she is called a cooler. It is not so much that she is unlucky, but everyone she touches is unlucky. Makes it hard on relationships. But Mallory is such a wonderful woman she has lots of true friends. She is about to get into a sticky situation going to bat for her true friends and loved ones. This was a great story. I loved the quirky characters in her small Louisiana town of Royal Flush. Towards the end of the book I was flying through the pages to see how it ended. It was that good.
Mallory is what I would call a jinx but in this story she is called a cooler. It is not so much that she is unlucky, but everyone she touches is unlucky. Makes it hard on relationships. But Mallory is such a wonderful woman she has lots of true friends. She is about to get into a sticky situation going to bat for her true friends and loved ones. This was a great story. I loved the quirky characters in her small Louisiana town of Royal Flush. Towards the end of the book I was flying through the pages to see how it ended. It was that good.
December 6, 2019
Have you ever gone to a movie that was advertised as a mystery, but you're halfway through and no one is dead yet? Then you come to the horrific realization that: "OMG! I'm watching a RomCom." That was this book for me.
I still finished the book; becauseI liked the characters, the settings and storyline were believable, and I was still rooting for the good guys. There are a couple of sex scenes, if you're interested. If not, like me, you only need to skip ahead to the next delineated section of the chapter.
I still finished the book; becauseI liked the characters, the settings and storyline were believable, and I was still rooting for the good guys. There are a couple of sex scenes, if you're interested. If not, like me, you only need to skip ahead to the next delineated section of the chapter.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 14, 2018
Love the Fortune series by Jana DeLeon.....this is the first book I've read about Mallory and Royal Flush and I hav to say it was a disappointment....from the moment the word cooling came up in the card game I had a hard time following what was going on...Mallory was a demo expert, but able to do something called cooling at the card tournament....I did finish the book but it was a struggle...give me Fortune and her friends anytime !!!
November 2, 2018
Why can't books come with a warning like TV shows and movies? This one would be labelled "Warning, explicit sex scenes!" I am not a prude but I am tired of having sex shoved down my throats with almost every book I read especially when I don't feel it is necessary to the plot.
The book was clever and the characters were great. I enjoy Jana DeLeon's swamp team books and had high hopes for this one but it was overshadowed by the gratuitous sex.
The book was clever and the characters were great. I enjoy Jana DeLeon's swamp team books and had high hopes for this one but it was overshadowed by the gratuitous sex.
June 15, 2019
This cozy mystery was a new take for me - not much of a poker player and then there was no murder! What...and honestly it took until the middle of the tale for me to realize they were not going to murder someone - huh....but there was mystery non the less and I found myself reading fast to find out what was going to happen.
Fun fast read that takes a bit of a twist to the same ol same of cozy mystery reads.
Fun fast read that takes a bit of a twist to the same ol same of cozy mystery reads.
lost-interest
October 19, 2021I am sad to say that I will have to abandon this here at 38%. I like Jana Deleon and her humor. This one did not do it for me. The "unlucky" scheme leaves too many questions open, the FBI agent is an unbelievable character (and confides in Mallory?!), and at over a third into the book nothing happened but both protagonists thinking about excuses why they are where they are in their lives. And think some more.
December 18, 2016
Just read it
How can you not love this book? It's got voodoo, a mechanical genius named Scooter, a crooked porta-potty king, poker, a dominatrix who's a little person, and more all set in Louisiana. There's even some romance tossed in to make it interesting. Only thing missing was an alligator. I do believe Jana DeLeon is my new favorite author.
How can you not love this book? It's got voodoo, a mechanical genius named Scooter, a crooked porta-potty king, poker, a dominatrix who's a little person, and more all set in Louisiana. There's even some romance tossed in to make it interesting. Only thing missing was an alligator. I do believe Jana DeLeon is my new favorite author.
June 2, 2017
I really enjoyed this book. It was a fast read. Very funny and so unfortunate for Mallory to have such bad luck. I felt so bad for her when Amy was having a hard time and she couldn't hug her or anything. Love that the town is behind her for the most part. Scooter is such a surprise. All in All I Love getting my hands on a new Jana book. She never disappoint.
April 14, 2018
Good, but not my favorite by this author.
I did enjoy this book, as I have all ofJana DeLeon's books. However, this one was hard to get into. I felt like I was starting a book that already underway. It took a while to understand what was going on. Not her best start. But still a good book.
I did enjoy this book, as I have all ofJana DeLeon's books. However, this one was hard to get into. I felt like I was starting a book that already underway. It took a while to understand what was going on. Not her best start. But still a good book.
September 19, 2018
That was amazing!! I loved it! It was funny, it had a +18 scene (OMG! I didn't know Jana could write a sex scene, no offense intended just wow), it had romance and the mystery side was so good! I so was not expecting any of it... I can't shake the smile off my face!!
A funny, easy read, do read it now!
A funny, easy read, do read it now!
August 5, 2019
Great book
This story had more twists & turns than a sack full of cats. I don’t think I guessed a single outcome correct.
This book has been popping up in my recommendations for a long while now, but for some reason it never appealed to me. I decided to go for it today after finishing off her Miss Fortune books & Rumble in the Bayou. I’m so glad I finally did.
This story had more twists & turns than a sack full of cats. I don’t think I guessed a single outcome correct.
This book has been popping up in my recommendations for a long while now, but for some reason it never appealed to me. I decided to go for it today after finishing off her Miss Fortune books & Rumble in the Bayou. I’m so glad I finally did.
November 23, 2020
There parts of this book that had me shaking my head such Father Thomas, that situation was a whole lot of barrels of laughs. Goes to show you that you never know what the heck folks didin their prior lives.
Mallory and Jake well that is a hell of a situation. Glad he quickly became a believer in the supernatural.
Mallory and Jake well that is a hell of a situation. Glad he quickly became a believer in the supernatural.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 14, 2022
Another great story with great characters
I want more stories featuring Mallory and the denizens of Royal Flush. Like her Miss Fortune and Mudbug series, De Leon balances slapstick comedy with romance and suspense and pathos, and brings to life strong heroines and crazy characters.
I want more stories featuring Mallory and the denizens of Royal Flush. Like her Miss Fortune and Mudbug series, De Leon balances slapstick comedy with romance and suspense and pathos, and brings to life strong heroines and crazy characters.
March 11, 2024
Love the writings of Jana DeLeon! I had never heard of this particular book, and obviously since it was written by Jana, I was definitely reading. This is still a bayou book but far different from Miss Fortune. I did enjoy the antics of the well written characters and the ending. All is well in lower LA. 😁
June 20, 2017
A More "Normal" Jana DeLeon Heroine
Sharp humor and unique Louisiana-flavored philosophy, plus shenanigans as only Jana DeLeon can write them. Not a madcap roller coster like the Miss Fortune series, but not dark and tense like Shaye Archer sagas. Satisfying and solid!
Sharp humor and unique Louisiana-flavored philosophy, plus shenanigans as only Jana DeLeon can write them. Not a madcap roller coster like the Miss Fortune series, but not dark and tense like Shaye Archer sagas. Satisfying and solid!
August 3, 2019
Good but not her best
The story was a bit slow in developing, but once it started to come together, it built up steam very nicely. I would say the last third of the book was quite difficult to put down!
The story was a bit slow in developing, but once it started to come together, it built up steam very nicely. I would say the last third of the book was quite difficult to put down!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 144 reviews