Spending the Jackpot

by Tom Alan

They say money changes everything. But what if you were already happy before it arrived?

Alice Cash always considered herself lucky. A kind husband. Two lovely children. A cosy house. A three-star Spanish holiday every year. What more could anyone want?

Then her husband Freddie wins £2.3 million—and everything begins to unravel.

Suddenly it's Rolexes, Porsches and private school interviews. Gone is their annual trip to Casa Lola. In its a luxury hotel full of snobs and strangers. As Freddie chases a glitzier future, Alice quietly mourns the life they've left behind—and starts giving their money away in secret. But while Freddie tries to 'upgrade' their lives, he's hiding a secret of his own. One that could bankrupt their marriage in more ways than one.

A sharply observed, big-hearted novel about love, money, miscommunication and the courage to want less when you're being offered more. Spending the Jackpot is a bitter-sweet, lump-in-the-throat comedy perfect for fans of David Nicholls, Gillian Harvey and Nick Hornby.

362 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 18, 2025

About the author

Please note my other pseudonym and books, see: https://www.goodreads.com/jeremydean

Since 1982 I've worked as a primary school teacher in the UK, Kuwait, Japan and (currently) Spain.
Using the pseudonym Jeremy Dean, I've published two volumes of memoirs covering my time in Spain teaching a class of Spanish junior children (7-year-olds) in English:
Zen Kyu Maestro: An English Teacher's Spanish Adventure and a sequel:
Cucarachas or Cucuruchos: An English Teacher's Spanish Dilemma
Hitting the Jackpot is my first work of fiction, a RomCom, published by Bloodhound Books.
The Last App, also Bloodhound Books, is a speculative family drama.

Reviews

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my usual read but none the less it was fine. I did find it a bit lacking in content and slow moving, seemed to take ages to get going but was ok in the end. I didn't like Freddie as a character, far too up himself for me, on the other hand it was lovely to see Alice come out of her shell and bloom.

[Yvette Salmon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting story of how winning the lottery can bring ups and downs to your life. As always with these books there is a quilt secret that is sure to come out and the fall out from it . Good characters and story line . Well worth a read.

[Jillian Cole · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting little read by Tom Alan.
This book really showcased how winning the lottery can turn not only your world upside down but how it could actually nearly destroy it.
No wonder Alice is more than dubious when her husband Freddie wins the lottery, Alice is quite happy with her current life.
She loves her husband, their two gorgeous, kind and loving children and her teaching job and winning big on the lottery is not going to make her any happier but how was she to know just how detrimental it could be.
I really enjoyed this book from Bloodhound and it really shows that what you wish for can be a far cry from what you nearly end up getting.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alice’s husband Freddie has always bought a lottery ticket so when his numbers come up he thinks the world is his oyster. Until his naughty little secret unravels everything. A great little novel made even more delightful because it was set in my home city, lovely to be able to picture the places mentioned.

[Scott Parsons · Rating 4 out of 5]

For those of us who buy lottery tickets we often wonder what we we do if we won the pot of gold.

This is an enjoyable novel about Freddie and Alice and what happens when Freddie win s big-2.3 million pounds.

Alice is a somewhat meek woman more or less content with her life as it is. Freddie is a dreamer thinking of all the great things he can acquire with his winnings. He wants a Porsche, an upgrade in his vacation lifestyle and a private school education for his children. Alice is content where their existing vacation arrangement with a nice family in Spain. But Freddie upgrades them to a pretentious hotel near their previous accommodation where they encounter some pretentious and obnoxious characters.

Meanwhile Alice continues to maintain her lifestyle as before. Freddie prevails in placing their son in an upscale school for the hoity-toity but Alice manages to keep her daughter in the regular school where she is content.

But Freddie has a secret which comes home to bite him. He appears to be having an affair since he spends every Friday afternoon with a young woman at her apartment. But instead of having sex, she is an investment advisor and Freddie is a gambler, looking for the big score.

This blows up in his face. Fortunately Alice has kept the modest share of the lottery winnings which enables them to resume their former lifestyle. Shame on Freddie, Kudos to Alice.

Thanks to Bloodhound Books for providing me with an Advance Review Copy.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently read and enjoyed the romantic comedy by Tom Alan entitled ‘Hitting the Jackpot’, so I was looking forward to his new book called ‘Spending the Jackpot’ and it didn’t disappoint. They can be read as two independent novels with different characters and the situations they find themselves in when winning a big prize on the lottery.
The main protagonist in ‘Spending the Jackpot’ is a strong female character called Alice and the book focuses on her journey as an independent woman, mother and wife. She strives to hold the family together as her husband, Freddie wants to change everything when he wins the lottery. The young children Poppy and Ryan find themselves caught up in their father’s plans for them and their mother’s desire to protect them. The relationship between Alice and her daughter is developed with tenderness throughout the novel. The book explores the conflicts and resolutions within families when beliefs are challenged. It also questions how honest couples are with each other and how things remain unsaid to maintain the harmony within the family. Tom Alan has written a bittersweet novel with appealing characters and moments of humour, pain and a description of the internal turmoil experienced by Alice. There are also some unexpected twists and turns for the reader. I highly recommend reading this engaging novel.

[Jacqueline Moxon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. At first, I thought I wouldn’t. Yet another story about a jackpot win going wrong. Yes, it was that, but it was also a lot more. In particular it was about a married couple re-evaluating their relationship and priorities. The couple certainly don’t seem to be moving in the same direction. One appears to be a bigoted snob, while the other is a tolerant, generous and caring woman. There is a great deal of witty observation in this book, with some, sadly, prevalent attitudes being gently pulled apart. As is often the case, a young child is more capable of breaking through prejudices and understanding what is just and fair than many adults seem to be. I enjoyed the defence of the teaching profession and the acknowledgment that good teachers can inspire and encourage young people with kindness and enthusiasm. A well written and entertaining novel, that also encourages reflection on what really matters.

[Anna Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spending the Jackpot was an interesting read and at times a sad reflection on life. I felt that Alice was quite a meek person who had kept her home and marriage together by giving in to her overbearing husband Freddie. Despite Freddie winning the lottery, Alice was happy to continue in her "life" bubble whereas Freddie just seemed to want to show the world he had money by "flashing" it around. I wasn't keen on either of the main characters but did feel a great deal of sympathy for their children Poppy & Ryan.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed ‘Spending the Jackpot’ in a different way than ‘Winning the Jackpot’ by the same author. It’s a stand alone story and the two books have a different feel.
This one takes the familiar idea of a long desired lottery win and turns it into something much more considered and reflective.
The characters feel genuine and not necessarily likeable. It’s funny, honest, and surprisingly moving while inviting you to really consider whether ‘more’ really does make you happyier.

[Rebecca Charlesworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a light hearted easy read, felt a little drawn out in places, and I really didn’t need all the Spanish translations, but aside from those two little niggles which wasn’t enough to put me off it was a decent read. Our two main characters both had traits where I was like shouting “REALLY” at the book. We’ve all imagined what we would do if we won the lottery but I certainly wouldn’t be taking any advice from Freddie or Alice.

[Sian Powell · Rating 3 out of 5]

thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book 📚

After winning 2.3 million pounds on the lottery, Alice and Freddie marriage is turned upside down and Alice doesn't recognise her husband anymore.

He has grand notions of giving up work, Rolex, fancy holidays and nothing of what they including their children Ryan and Poppy want.

This is a good read but it slow in some areas

[Laura · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to like this but I just couldn’t find any empathy with the characters. The mum was clearly extremely left-wing which came across in every single sentence as if it was her whole personality and the dad was just a wannabe posh boy. I don’t like books with a political undertone anyway and this book proved why. Shame because I liked the concept, it’s a no from me.

[Clare · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! Great example of how what you think you want might not always turn out to be as you expected! Highly recommend.