Falling In Luck: A Novel

by Sara Schonfeld

Perfect for fans of Ashley Poston and Sophie Cousens, this speculative rom-com debut about a girl who is literally out of luck is a romp where everything goes wrong on the way to Mr. Right.

If you could pick how good luck would strike, when would you choose to get lucky?

In a world where luck is finite and spendable, Neve knows exactly how she wants to spend her luck: on getting that promotion, on extending her lease, on finding love, on just catching the subway for once.

Too bad she already spent hers. All of it. She literally can’t get lucky, ever again.

Then she meets Bennett.

As fate keeps throwing them together in increasingly disastrous meet-cutes, Neve becomes certain that this perfect man, just out of reach, is the latest symptom of her catastrophic bad luck. Convinced the only way to find love is to find new luck, Neve seeks out the luckiest man in Manhattan—who might be able to change her fate.

Caught between the man who could fix her and the one who might be the one, Neve must decide whether to bet on luck… or take a chance on love.

A love letter to love stories and every clumsy, unlucky rom-com heroine, this novel is packed with:
• Endless meet-cutes: Against all odds, something just keeps forcing these two together. Could it be fate?
• Summer in the city with a pinch of magic: All the vibes of an early aughts rom-com set in New York!
• Literal book boyfriend: Neve and Bennett connect over Neve’s love of romance novels.
• Your favorite tropes: Love triangles, rivals-to-lovers, forced proximity, fated romance, grumpy/sunshine? It’s all here!

Genres: Romance

320 pages, Paperback

Expected publication March 30, 2027

Reviews

[Kayla W · Rating 1 out of 5]

All the Right Rom-Com Ingredients, But the Pacing Fell Flat.

I was so excited to dive into Falling in Luck because it seemed to have every single quality I was looking for in a read. It was witty, packed with that nostalgic early-2000s rom-com energy, and on paper, everything was completely on point. I truly wanted to love this book, but unfortunately, the pacing fell flat for me personally, as the plot felt far too slow getting to the bigger picture. I found that over 30% of the book was strictly focused on Neve's lack of luck and the endless, negative ways everything was going wrong in her life. By that point, I really needed her luck to start turning around to make the story more engaging, but the momentum just wasn't there, making the overall execution miss the mark for me.

Thank you to Netgalley for sending me an advance copy to read and review.

[Jaima Adams · Rating 2 out of 5]

The concept was so unique and had a lot of potential, but unfortunately the execution missed the mark for me. The story drops you into a world where everyone has a finite amount of luck to spend, but offers very little explanation of how it all works, which left me more confused than intrigued.

Interesting idea, but unfortunately it just didn’t come together for me.

[Julianne Harkleroad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outrageously funny, Falling In Luck is an incredibly brilliant metaphor for life with a spicy slow burn and fantastic twist.

Packed with laugh out loud hilarity, slapstick humor, unbelievable circumstances, and metafictional references, readers will find Neve's shenanigans absolutely relatable and the book hard to put down. Sara Schonfeld is a genius to have imagined all of these scenarios and the various ways they go wrong. Described as a "love letter to love stories", I totally see the vision! Falling In Luck is hope for every 'down on her luck' girlie who's every the felt lost, left behind, or not good enough.

In this magic lite world of New York City, Nevena Ormsby (Neve) is our bookish, romance loving, unusually clumsy, FMC. Tragically, Neve used up all of her luck back in college and now lives a rough life. "I'm a streak. I'm doomed and I doom everyone around me." The drama that befalls Neve is legendary! If something *could* go wrong, it DOES 🤣

The hilarious meet cutes begin with Trip, a mysterious man, who meets Neve at one of her low points (in a back alley, naturally). It's not until later that readers discover he is actually Edwin Harlowe III, "the luckiest man in Manhattan". Trip is smooth, has an 8-pack, and is happy to jump in to save Neve. The other half of the meet cutes? Bennet Friedman- who literally slams Neve's cab door in her face as he tries to steal it from her! Well not today, jerk! Readers finally see Neve stand up for herself and change fate when she gets into the cab with him! We soon learn that Bennet is a competitive philotyche (friend of luck, lover of fortune)- basically everything Neve is not. And... Is he flirting with her? Surely not.

Suddenly, Neve has options. This slow burn, "will they or won't they" love triangle pits two men against each other and fate: one man helps make life easier for Neve, the other seems to challenge Neve to be better. The plot twist had me saying "oh my goddess". Verbally. In public. I did not see either coming! I was here for the jokes and fun, but holy plot twist, Batman! The epilogue? It's everything you could hope for 💖 I melted and couldn't wait to tell my husband what happened!!

"I know the odds and I'm not going anywhere." 😭❤️‍🔥👏🏻

Also, a company that matches people based on their reading preferences? LOVE that! Where can I buy stock?!

Respectfully, some of the earliest reviews completely missed the life lesson Falling In Luck teaches. While a very entertaining comedy and adorable romance, Schonfeld does a fantastic job addressing personal responsibility using luck as the metaphor in this story. What do we do when we feel like we don't have any luck? We must rely on ourselves and work harder, making new choices to solidify our future! Ultimately, we all must take ownership of our work and how we show up in the world, unable to blame "luck" for our failures and jealously, others' successes. The moral of this story is no matter how much "luck" you may or may not have, you must own your choices and circumstances and do your best to improve them because there is no magic genie or MMC coming to save you.

How many romances have you read where the FMC is down on her luck (in any myriad of ways) until the MMC comes to love/save her? Most of them! This one takes that theme to the extreme, but neither man can save Neve out of her choices/actions. She learns to become her own heroine irrespective of the man she may or may not choose in the end. This book is an anthem against victim culture; "it was easier to hide behind 'that's just my luck'" then admit 'I did that, it happened, and I'm going to do xyz to fix/change it'. How incredible would this world be if we stopped blaming anyone or anything else and instead became stronger humans? 👏🏻🙌🏻💞

Tropes: metaphorical theme, meet cutes, love triangle, slow burn, rivals-to-lovers, forced proximity, fated romance, grumpy/sunshine, "will they or won't they", metafiction, surprising twist, it's always been you, HEA
Spice: 5/5 🌶️
Gore: 0/5 🩸
Language: 5/5 👀
Triggers:

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC!

[Allison]

Minus one star for plot threads left loose.

Thank you to Sara Schonfeld and NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions in this review are independent and my own.

I absolutely loved the premise of this book! Luck is such a ubiquitous and abstract concept that constantly surrounds us, but Schonfeld turned it into a type of "magic" system for the real world. Everyone is born with a lifetime supply of luck and must decide how and when to use it for themselves and/or others. Some carefully ration their use throughout their lives, others hoard their luck until the bitter end, and there are also those who used their luck early and often enough that they have run out entirely. Those people are pejoratively labeled "streaks" and the FMC, Neve, is one of them. There are other, more complicated, mechanics at work on which several plot points rest.

So Neve ran out of luck shortly after graduating from Yale and landing an entry-level job with an NYC marketing firm. Since then she has had nothing but one bad day after another which she blames on her inability to "get lucky" with anything. She wants a better apartment, a promotion, to meet her one true love, and to stop being a bad luck burden on everyone around her, but she can't see how see will get those things without any luck.

I really enjoyed the trajectory of Neve's character. I spent the first few chapters trying to figure out who the love interest was going to be since there were so many possibilities introduced at the beginning. Bennett was a breath of fresh air in the chaos of Neve's life and he improved every scene he was in. Their meet cute and regular run-ins demonstrated how rigid Neve was about the way she thought her life should turn out. Her desire for a rom-com love story with a hero who would save her from her bad luck was their obstacle and it was refreshing to see her growth throughout the book.

What I didn't like were the promising plot points that were never followed through to the end. None of them ruin the book, and I think they actually make an argument for the strength of Schonfeld's story that I wanted a deeper exploration of those arcs. There are a lot of dysfunctional and damaged relationships with the people in Neve's life and I would have liked to get more background on those as well as more closure/resolution of those issues. Particularly with Neve's parents and her best friend Felicity.

This was a book that was right in my wheelhouse and I recommend it for anyone who enjoys a little speculative fiction with their romance.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of Ashley Poston and love speculative romance, so when I saw a blurb that said "Perfect for fans of Ashley Poston," I jumped to read it. Falling in Luck had a lot of potential with a unique premise, creating a world where everyone is born with a limited reserve of luck and chooses how they spend it over time. Neve is a girl down on her luck after spending hers too frivolously in her college years. She feels stuck, constantly failing in life, work, and love. She meets two love interests - one that she knows she can never have, and one that she hopes can save her.

The world building unfortunately missed the mark for me. I found myself thrown into a world that I didn't understand, having to put the pieces together myself and make many assumptions along the way.

I loved Bennett - he was so swoony and I wanted more, more, MORE! I enjoyed his banter, goodness, and charm. Mostly, I just couldn't understand what he saw in Neve. I had a hard time liking her and found her careless, desperate, and a little selfish.

The love triangle felt forced and made the story drag - I wish it had concluded earlier in the story so we could have more time with Neve's end game. Her friendships also felt confusing - their personalities were inconsistent, sometimes seeming mean and sometimes seeming like a true BFF.

I do think there is a LOT of potential here with some adjustments in the story building and character development. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this cute story.

[Jadyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a world where everyone is born with enough luck to last a lifetime (in theory) and can spend it at will, Neve is all out. After using hers up on sensible but adolescent dreams, she's facing a long adulthood without it. No promotions, no dream apartment, and no classic NYC rom com meet cute followed by a swift HEA.

Even if you're careful what you wish for, what happens if what you want changes? Or if someone else needs something mutually exclusive?

I loved how much FALLING IN LUCK made me think about my own luck, what I'd spend it on if I lived in Neve's world, and how we make our own luck in a world without it (or in a world where we've run out).

I cringed along with Neve's misfortunes, which reflect the very real anxieties of being in your twenties and definitely resonated! Though not *quite* that unlucky I've definitely been there, from watching friendships change to navigating a persistent case of FOMO versus standards in the dating scene, and of course trying to survive the unfortunate unromantic stickiness of a summer in NYC.

With early 2000s rom com vibes and bookish nods throughout, this is an excellent self-aware addition to the cannon! The statistics that follow Neve through each chapter are a surprisingly comforting touch for anyone in the audience still waiting for their HEA.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early review copy!

[Cathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

We learn early in the book that Neve has run out of luck, a commodity that in this world is finite with everyone having been allotted a certain amount of luck for their lifetime. This loss of luck leaves Neve feeling stagnant in her job, her friendships (to some degree), and her romantic relationships. While the premise that luck has a limit is an interesting premise, Neve's multiple series of misfortunes / bad luck were at times just too chaotic for me to follow. On her way to her job, Neve finds herself dealing with one bad things after another - broken shoes, missing transportation, faux pas with a work client. It was a bit too much and the events at work made her come off as more incompetent than unlucky.

I did like Bennett and found him to be a stabilizing presence in the whirlwind of the rest of the story, but I just didn't connect with the rest of the friends and romantic interests.

in the attempt to show a person trying to find job and life fulfillment without the benefit of "luck", it just relied too much on the unlucky events to truly capture my interest.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this eARC to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Amanda Telfer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Received as an arc from NetGalley.

What if you're born with a finite amount of luck? How would you spend it? What happens when you use it all?

Neve has used all her luck, does that mean she's now destined for a lifetime of terrible first dates? Or will someone else's luck impact her into finding love.

I was really intrigued by this concept and could see a lot of potential in the story, when you're not just unlucky but out of luck completely how does that impact your work life? Dating life? Future?

Unfortunately the concept didn't help the story. The writing felt very scattered, jumping all over the place. Giving no backstory on how you spend your luck, but also being very detailed about other aspects. And focusing heavily on the details of Neve's bad luck and her discouraging thoughts on it.

I found the authors writing style difficult to follow, with storylines that didn't seem fully evolved for me. The story could benefit from a critical editor who can help focus the thoughts and ideas of the author. As it feels like there is potential there for a good story that is better executed.

[Allyson · Rating 3.75 out of 5]

I really wanted to LOVE Falling in Luck because the premise immediately reminded me of Just My Luck with Lindsay Lohan, and I’m always a sucker for that kind of fun, lucky-chance rom-com setup. Unfortunately, while I enjoyed this one, it just didn’t quite give me the same magic I was hoping for.

There were definitely some cute moments, and I liked the overall idea, but I found myself wishing the story had more of that fun, chaotic charm and romantic chemistry that made Just My Luck so memorable. I kept comparing the two in my head, and unfortunately, this one just didn’t measure up.

That being said, it was still an enjoyable read with a cute premise, and I can absolutely see this being a fun pick for anyone looking for a lighthearted rom-com. It just didn’t completely hit the mark for me.

3.75 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book. All opinions are my own.

[Melanie Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

Falling in Luck takes all those jokes about having terrible luck in dating and turns luck into an actual limited resource. Neve has apparently spent hers wisely on work and the rest of her life, only to discover that she may have nothing left when she finally meets someone worth taking a chance on.

I liked the premise immediately because dating already involves enough superstition without making luck literal. Neve’s attempts to track down Manhattan’s luckiest man while repeatedly colliding with Bennett give the romcom setup a playful magical edge. Underneath that, though, is a more relatable question about whether we sometimes blame timing, fate, or bad luck because vulnerability is scarier.

My sincere thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a free advance review copy.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a world of finite luck - where you can choose when and where to spend it - where would you spend yours? This book is about Neve who is a streak (someone who has already used all their luck) who has nothing going right for her. She's doing poorly at work, her best friend/roommate is moving out without telling her and she's unlucky in love. Neve was a little annoying - she kept being the "woe is me" girl and it got tiring after a little while. She meets two guys - Bennett and Trip (Edwin) throughout the journey and her relationship with Edwin actually confused me. I liked Bennett and how he was actively keen to be with her - definitely book boyfriend potential but I think a lot of the story was a little disjointed. An interesting read for sure!

[Sydnie Johnson]

I thought this book had such an interesting premise. In a world where luck is finite, Neve has spent all her luck.

Unfortunately, this one wasn't the right fit for me. I found myself rereading entire chapters because I was struggling to understand the world and keep track of what was happening. I think I was looking for something a little more romance-focused, with the magical elements playing more of a supporting role, so the balance wasn't quite what I was looking for.

I think this may simply be a case of the book not matching my reading preferences rather than the book being objectively bad.

Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing & Net Galley for the Arc!

[Jennifer L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very fun, light, easy read, with an interesting premise! Luck being a spendable commodity engages the reader with the story of the main characters, but also encouraged me to think introspectively about how I would spend it myself.

As I stated, it is a very quick read; I flew through it in a matter of days. I also loved the chapter headings listing the various "Odds of..."

From what I can tell, this is a debut novel for the author, and I'm excited to see what else she comes up with.

[Asma Iqbal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Falling in Luck was a cute and easy read, but unfortunately it didn’t completely work for me. I enjoyed the overall story and there were definitely some fun moments, but I found myself wanting a little more depth from the characters and the romance. Some parts felt a bit predictable, and I didn’t feel as connected to the story as I hoped I would.

Overall, it was enjoyable enough and I’m glad I gave it a chance, but it wasn’t a favorite for me. A decent read if you’re looking for something light and easy!

[Jessica Bookbestiejessie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this, it felt reminiscent of the movie “just my luck” with Lindsay Lohan but with added luck magic spending limits. This was romcom vibes all the way and I really loved the obvious connection she had even though since she’s a chronically unlucky gal she’s been through the wringer. I was a little nervous when the plot was her talking about how her only goal in life was to date and to marry but I think it was more of what she thought she was “excepted to do” vs an actual character trait.

[Amanda · Rating 2.5 out of 5]

I loved the idea of this book but unfortunately the execution wasn't the best one for me, although still enjoyable. It centers around a world where luck is counted and a limited resource. It reminds me a little of the movie "Just My Luck" but with counted luck instead of just having it on/off.

I genuinely liked the concept. The idea of every decision of getting to spend your luck coming at the expense of something else in your future and I loved the possibility of exploring how much we blame fate when things don't go our way. The whole idea of a woman who's literally run out of luck while trying to find love had so much potential, and I could definitely picture this premise working as a movie.

However, for me, the concept was more exciting than the overall reading experience. I also think stories involving fate and luck need to strike the right balance between the fun, almost magical premise and the emotional development of the characters. Sadly, I didn't get enough of that here. That said, I can appreciate what the story was trying to do. There's something relatable about believing everyone else seems luckier in love while you're stuck wondering when your own happy ending will arrive. And I like the message that maybe finding love isn't about getting every little thing right or waiting for the universe to give you a sign. So it wasn't necessarily a complete miss, but it also wasn't the charming story I wanted it to be.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and the author for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Kheyra Santos · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

This was such a cute and unique rom-com! I loved the idea of luck actually running out, it made the story fun and unpredictable. I enjoyed the humor, the romance, and the magical realism, even though I didn’t fully connect with every part of the story. Overall, it was a fun, easy read that I’d recommend if you like quirky rom-coms with a little magic.

[Belinda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Th Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing & Net Galley for the Arc!

What a fun read! This story follows Neve who is literally down on her luck. After spending all of it in her early twenties trying to set herself up for success, it unfortunately didn't work out the way she expected. At almost 30, she sees herself as stuck at her job, and in her relationships. But somehow she keeps running into the charming Bennet and the mysterious Tripp. The book follows her as she tries to get luck back on her side.

This was a quick, humorous read! I never knew what kind of complication would befall Neve next! It was surprisingly emotional seeing the protagonist always have the worst stuff thrown at her, & to think so poorly of herself. But it really pushed the idea that everyone deserves a happily ever after & life is what you make of it! I think the romance was nice, but I often forgot that it was a "love triangle" as there only seemed to be one choice.

I also think there could have been better execution of the concept of finite luck. Multiple times it’s mentioned that she’s a streak but there has to be millions of people that are! Surely not everyone still has luck! Also the whole side plot of Lady Luck was confusing and not explained very well. Why are some people luckier than others?

Overall, it was a cute story!

[Erin Watt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so entertaining! The concept was very intriguing and captivating. Book lovers, NYC, and a bit of magic make this story cozy and fun.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[The Weaver · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC for an exchange on a review. Fortunately, I did enjoy the story because it felt like romcom and cozy. It really felt nice to read it.

[Alysha Keery · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this from NetGalley.

I honestly couldn't get into it all.

[Lucie Rangel · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m sorry. I really tried, but I really didn’t like this. The FMC was so unlikable. The constant bad luck got old real quick.

Thank you for the arc…