The Lucky Cast: A Sapphic Enemies-to-Lovers Romance

by Reese Tierney

Cam Walsh came home to Vesper Island to bury her father and keep his bar alive. A year later, she's still here – running The Lucky Cast on muscle memory and grief, cooking Sully's recipes because changing them would mean admitting he's gone. She's got the dogs, the regulars, and a mother who thinks everything is fine. She is not fine. But she is managing, and on Vesper Island, that counts.

Olivia Sloane steps off the ferry with her best friend, a failing marriage in her rearview, and a plan to open the kind of restaurant this island has never seen. The Lantern House is her fresh start – built with her own money, her own name, no one else's shadow. She is not here to compete with the woman behind the bar down the street. She is here to prove she doesn't need anyone.

Cam thinks Olivia is a threat. Olivia thinks Cam is an obstacle. The island thinks they should stop glaring at each other and just kiss already.

They're all right.

The Lucky Cast is a spicy sapphic enemies-to-lovers romance set on a fictional Georgia barrier island, where the food is personal, the women are stubborn, and the only way off is the ferry. First in the Vesper Island Series. Standalone HEA. Heat 🔥🔥🔥🔥

187 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 1, 2026

Reviews

[Diane (IF U'RE PRIVATE, PLEASE SKIP ME!!!) Wallace]

Okay read!
It reads like a poetic narrative of two people's/women's lives surrounded by a bunch of supportive older islanders...

[Jay M]

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Highlights:
-Long for a short book (187 pages on Booksprout, 93 on Google Books)
-A large chunk is setting up atmosphere: descriptions of the area where the characters are standing, how someone said something, comparing how they are comporting themselves to things, etc … by the end of the book some of it gets so repetitive it feels like padding
-Cam is stoic and curt a lot
-There are barely any conversations and almost none of those are the two of them actually talking
-The spice is.. Fine. it’s described to you as it happens
-This book is more about their grief journeys and learning how to live again

Possible Triggers
-Death of a parent
-Divorce
-Feeling trapped

Tldr; if you want to read a story about two women healing from grief and either establishing or taking back control of a restaurant this is for you.

I'm not going to say this is a bad book per say, I think it's just advertised for the wrong audience and needs to cut down on a chunk of its descriptions. This book isn’t a romance, it’s two people learning to cope with their grief with a romance b plot as it takes a huge backseat for the whole book. This is especially apparent by what the author chooses to put into the book vs what they don’t. We get conversations that are mainly about their restaurants or the sources of their grief, large sections that are inner monologue descriptions of character attributes(Olivia plans and Cam is sturdy and stoic), and description after descriptions of the same places at different times throughout the books. It never stops and has them having an actual conversation about themselves(not talking about their grief) or relationship. At the end of the book it describes that they had some cute moments together in passing but we don’t get to enjoy them and we know more about Caroline’s relationship with Olivia than Cam’s.

It's also not a traditional “enemies to lovers”, the two are wary of each other but there's no passion or conflict. In fact, they barely interact at the point of the book where they are supposed to be enemies. When they do, it's like two introverted high school students that people keep trying to force together because they think they’d make a cute couple but only Olivia is willing to have a conversation. It’s really two women doing their own thing and being weird with each other rather than anything competitive, hateful, dramatic, etc …

Also, every detail is romanticized and drawn out;
Here is an early example "The food was not good. The food was specific. The shrimp had been cooked exactly right, the grits were stone-ground and rich and seasoned with something I could not identify, and the whole plate had the quality of food made by a person who was cooking the only way they knew how, not performing, not presenting, just feeding people. It was food you built a restaurant around, not food a restaurant produced. I had spent ten years in Atlanta watching Caroline cook with brilliance and ambition and the awareness of an audience, and this was nothing like that. This was a woman putting a plate down in front of you because you were hungry and she had the thing that would fix it. I ate every bite. Devi would need to taste this. Devi would need to understand that whatever we were building at The Lantern House, we were building it next to someone who could cook like that."
like when you need to reach a word count but have no idea what else you want to write. Sometimes you’ll get two to three descriptions of the same location within the chapter There's this description of Olivia's room that comes back more often than it should. Examples "The window was open, the ceiling fan was on, and the island was coming in through the screen, salt air and night insects and the faint lap of harbor water against the pilings." and "the blades turning slow shadows across the ceiling, and the window was open and the night came through it, salt air and crickets and the lap of harbor water" Even during a spice scene! "fingers still inside her feeling the aftershocks pulse around them, and the ceiling fan turned above us and the harbor sounded through the window and her hand loosened in my hair", around the end "The ceiling fan. The candle burning low. Her body beside mine, warm and real. The harbor through the window" why?!? This is four of multiple times that it appears. This is in stark contrast to the conversational aspect of the book (especially between the two main characters) which barely makes an appearance. Cam seems to be allergic to talking to people. Here is a quote from the book that sums it up pretty well: “I did not say any of it because Cam Walsh did not speak in words.”

All in all, this was the complete opposite of what I expected. They want me to feel things for the characters, but on my end, I feel like I barely know them, and they’ve barely interacted. I’ve seen books about friends that have had more intimate or flirty moments, nevermind passionate ones. This is more of an atmospheric cataloging of two people's grief journeys and the small island in Georgia they live on than a romance book.

Here are some quotes(do with them what you will):

"The sentence occupied the room. Not as a metaphor. As a fact, taking up physical space the way facts do when they’re too honest for the room they're in"
"what a restaurant is supposed to do. Making strangers into neighbors over food."
"Bea had personally recruited from Salt and Steam with the evangelical enthusiasm of a woman who believed all good news was hers to deliver."
"Her eyes moved down my body. I watched her look at me and her expression was not assessment. It was not the cataloguing I would have done, the inventory of a space being evaluated. It was simpler and more devastating than that."
"that tasted like the island itself, salt and green and warm."

also... just for funsies
There are 16 references to her ceiling fan and 41 references to the harbour.

[Quinn]

Special thanks to BookSprout and author Reese Tierney for this ARC. I am happy to share my honest review.

I have never read anything by Reese Tierney before and I love the opportunity to discover new authors. I am grateful for the opportunity to have gotten my hands on an ARC for The Lucky Cast because it was a really great book. This is a sweet sapphic romance that plays with enemies to lovers trope in a fun and satisfying way. Although, there is a lot more than meets the eye with this one. I found this to be a wonderfully emotional love story full of hope, heart and healing.

If you have ever lost someone that you love with every inch of your heart then you know the special kind of torture that is. Grief infiltrates your mind, body and soul. It stains, stings and inflicts a unique pain on its host. Cam is a strong and capable woman who loves fiercely and is loyal to a fault. She is running the Lucky Cast, her family's restaurant on Vesper Island, after her father passed away. She clings to that place and keeps it unchanged to pay homage to her Dad but also because grief is heavy and she is struggling with it. I identified with Cam and liked her right away. She is doing her best to handle it all but is tired and a little broken. I felt that in my bones. Enter Olivia Sloane to shake things up in the best way possible. Olivia is bound and determined to make her dreams a reality. She is strong and confident in a way that is very sexy. Olivia opens up a fine dining restaurant a stone's throw away from Cam’s and so there is most denfilth a bit of icy frost right away…but the thaw is well worth the wait.

Cam and Olivia have that spark and it's undeniable. At first Cam worries that Olivia is a threat and her new restaurant is competition but in time it's obvious there is room enough for everyone. The chemistry between them jumps off the pages and I was smiling wide at all of their interactions. I love a bit of snark and tension as much as the next gal, especially when what becomes of it is a really lovely romance. Both of these women are dealing with trauma and through being thrust together time and again they begin to see something in one another that can't be named. They start to break down their barriers and what blossoms are true and real. I always appreciate a healthy dose of spice and this book does not disappoint. The steam was satisfying and really rewarding. I felt like their intimate moments were quite tender and solidified them as a couple. Their happy ending was well earned. I felt like both women allowed themselves to want more and find true happiness and healing along the way.

I was very impressed with the writing and found it to be warm, clear, concise and yet flowing with emotion. That's not an easy feat and I found myself making a mental note to look for future works from Reese Tierney. I enjoyed the world building a great deal and was sort of transfixed by Vesper Island. The cozy familiarly bounded off of the pages and made me feel like a local. I appreciated the dual points of view because I never had to guess at Cam or Olivia’s mindset or motivation. I got to know them both and became quite smitten with them individually and together. Their conversations and back and forth banter really added so much to the story and truly highlighted their affection for one another…eventually lol. Their connection was real and was developed organically which made their romance feel authentic and believable.

The Lucky Cast is a captivating love story that I won't soon forget. This was a quick read but Tierney managed to pack it full of so much depth that I know it will remain nestled in my heart for some time. If you are searching for a sapphic romance with a feisty enemies to lovers aspect which morphs into so much more, this is for you. A wonderful love story with a ton of heart, a healthy dose of heat and so much heartfelt emotion that I read it all in one sitting.

[Mar]

Thank you to the author and Booksprout for providing me with an advance review copy. All opinions are my own.

The Lucky Cast was a charming, heartfelt read that balanced grief, healing, and romance in a way that felt genuine and hopeful. One of my favorite aspects was the small island setting, which became much more than just a backdrop. The community, the landscape, and the people all gave the story a distinct sense of place that made me want to stay long after I finished. I especially loved the sensory details woven throughout the story—the descriptions of food, the sea air, and the scents of the island made the setting feel incredibly immersive and alive.

I also really appreciated the relationship at the heart of the novel. Some of my favorite moments were the quiet, unspoken ways the two main characters communicated and understood one another. Their connection felt both sweet and passionate, and I especially liked that the story allowed them to remain whole people with their own goals and identities. Their relationship added to their lives rather than becoming the entirety of them.

The supporting cast was another highlight. Friends, family, and the island residents all helped create a warm, lived-in world that made the story even more enjoyable.

Overall, this was a touching, cozy romance with memorable characters, beautiful scenery, and a thoughtful exploration of grief. If you enjoy small-town romances with a strong sense of place and emotionally grounded relationships, this is well worth picking up.

And if you do, don’t forget to sign up for Reese Tierney’s newsletter for the bonus epilogue story!

[Melissa]

It was a pleasant read, but could use some improvement. In my opinion, the dialogue fell flat at some points. Some of the flirty banter came across as intended, while sometimes it felt stilted and unrealistic.

There also isn’t enough setup as to how well the two FMCs know each other. As it is a small island town, it’s expected that they know each other, but some lines made it feel like there was supposed to be a deeper backstory.

The story itself is cute and elicits a summery, cozy vibe. The romance itself is cheesy and full of witty back-and-forth remarks. The characters themselves are a hoot, and reminiscent of the kind of quirky characters you’d see in something like Gilmore Girls. Bea is very clearly the best character and I found myself highlighting a bunch of her lines, because I found them to be hilarious.

Overall, the dialogue could use some polishing but this story has a strong foundation that is sure to bring some warmth to the reader. It’s evident that this is a passion project for the author, and I look forward to reading the next book in the Vesper Island series.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Brandy]

The Lucky Cast delivers a spicy, slow-burn sapphic enemies-to-lovers romance set against a charming Georgia barrier island backdrop. Dive into a story where food is personal, emotional depth is explored, and the undeniable chemistry between two strong-willed women leads to an unforgettable journey of love, healing, and delicious conflict. Prepare for a guaranteed Happily Ever After in this captivating start to a new series.

[Pixel]

The writing was so stilted.

In some places, I appreciated how much I felt the atmosphere, but any dialogue or anytime we were in a characters head, it was painful to read.

30 pages and it almost put me into a reading slump.

[Cat5]

This book needs serious editing. Tries to be poetic, but is mostly run on sentences.

[Karm Barter]

Okay enough read. They weren’t really enemies though.