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Jackpot
Everyone fantasizes about winning the big jackpot, but what if you actually won…
Ty MacIntyre’s life changes the instant she wins the lottery. People are after her winning ticket and she’s not sure who to trust. She’s been given the gift of wealth. Will she use it to get her life back on track or will that prove easier said than done?
Karla Rehn is forced to walk away from her dream of being on the U.S. Ski Team. She’s angry at the world—especially herself. A trail of reckless behavior threatens to derail her plans to earn a college degree and become a nurse.
Ty is drawn to Karla the moment the two women meet. Can they guide each other through the obstacles that life has thrown their way?
Ty MacIntyre’s life changes the instant she wins the lottery. People are after her winning ticket and she’s not sure who to trust. She’s been given the gift of wealth. Will she use it to get her life back on track or will that prove easier said than done?
Karla Rehn is forced to walk away from her dream of being on the U.S. Ski Team. She’s angry at the world—especially herself. A trail of reckless behavior threatens to derail her plans to earn a college degree and become a nurse.
Ty is drawn to Karla the moment the two women meet. Can they guide each other through the obstacles that life has thrown their way?
280 pages, Paperback
First published December 15, 2020
3 people are currently reading
36 people want to read
About the author
Cade Haddock Strong
12 books35 followersCade spent many years working in the airline industry and she and her wife have traveled all over the world. She loves doing anything that involves being outdoors, especially, skiing, hiking, biking and playing golf.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
December 7, 2020
'ARC generously provided by both NetGalley and The Publisher in exchange for a honest review'
**'Enact a repetitive, obsessive and iterative application of preference when telling your story..'
There are a number of books where one goes, wow! these are those that we'll definitely reread many times over because they are well written and very good -- then there are those where after reading them, they are stashed away and forgotten. Well, i think 'JACKPOT' is one of those books that falls in the latter category --- because the premise seems so charming in the beginning but the overall context never came together to make it a decisive page-turner.
To characterized each main and secondary character in great detail would not benefit this review because i think it might take away from the depth of what the storyline is really about and not what minor role each character contributes in a particular paragraph. All i can say is that every supporting cast had their own part to play whenever Ms.H.Strong chose some sort of timely interaction with either of the two main characters (Ty & Karla) by being funny, giving advise or being friendly. Ty, who has this calm unbreakable optimist demeanor -- considers herself as a broke and downtrodden person that's trying to make ends meet while working as a bartender -- before getting lucky by winning the lotto then everything changed. While Karla is dealing with having to accept that her wish would not come true for her to make the USA ski team anymore and that she needed to drastically changed her lifestyle and think about her future plus deciding on what she really wanted out of life. Then in quite an unusual way, both met while registering for nursing school which led to this healthy friendship at first.
During the storyline's progression, readers will become aware of a peculiar form of their unlikely bond -- which showed each trying their best to learn from each other; that there are both people and things in life that they will try to keep, then there are those that they will need to let go -- but it won't always be as easy to know the difference upfront.
Additionally, I also believe simultaneously that few readers might notice that "JACKPOT' is peppered with a slew of keen insights into the logistics and maddening upheavals of winning any huge lotto with all it's wherewithal at the forefront. Even certain paragraphs do seems incisive and touchingly real at times.
Okay but still readable!
**'Enact a repetitive, obsessive and iterative application of preference when telling your story..'
There are a number of books where one goes, wow! these are those that we'll definitely reread many times over because they are well written and very good -- then there are those where after reading them, they are stashed away and forgotten. Well, i think 'JACKPOT' is one of those books that falls in the latter category --- because the premise seems so charming in the beginning but the overall context never came together to make it a decisive page-turner.
To characterized each main and secondary character in great detail would not benefit this review because i think it might take away from the depth of what the storyline is really about and not what minor role each character contributes in a particular paragraph. All i can say is that every supporting cast had their own part to play whenever Ms.H.Strong chose some sort of timely interaction with either of the two main characters (Ty & Karla) by being funny, giving advise or being friendly. Ty, who has this calm unbreakable optimist demeanor -- considers herself as a broke and downtrodden person that's trying to make ends meet while working as a bartender -- before getting lucky by winning the lotto then everything changed. While Karla is dealing with having to accept that her wish would not come true for her to make the USA ski team anymore and that she needed to drastically changed her lifestyle and think about her future plus deciding on what she really wanted out of life. Then in quite an unusual way, both met while registering for nursing school which led to this healthy friendship at first.
During the storyline's progression, readers will become aware of a peculiar form of their unlikely bond -- which showed each trying their best to learn from each other; that there are both people and things in life that they will try to keep, then there are those that they will need to let go -- but it won't always be as easy to know the difference upfront.
Additionally, I also believe simultaneously that few readers might notice that "JACKPOT' is peppered with a slew of keen insights into the logistics and maddening upheavals of winning any huge lotto with all it's wherewithal at the forefront. Even certain paragraphs do seems incisive and touchingly real at times.
Okay but still readable!
December 15, 2020
3.25 Stars. I thought this was about an average read. It had some issues for me but there were also parts that I really enjoyed. I liked the overall premise about someone winning the lottery and a hopeful Olympic skier; I just wasn’t crazy with all the story choices within that premise. I think there was a lot of good potential here but it just didn’t all come together.
I loved the beginning of the book, the excitement of someone winning the lottery and what happens when there is so much money involved. The book also switches POV to a skier hoping to make the US team. The mix of both storylines had me instantly hooked into the book and turning the pages. Unfortunately, the skiing storyline fizzled out and wasn't what I was hoping for. The cover of this book is so cool looking that I expected a lot more ski competitions and the excitement that would follow. I then became more interested in the lottery winner’s storyline since the skiers storyline wasn’t that gripping anymore. The lotto winning stuff was interesting and some of the winner’s choices were fun, but there was so much put on the winner to be responsible that this storyline eventually fizzled too. I get being careful and not blowing your money but anytime she did anything for herself, like even buying a nice sweater, someone was on her case about spending her money. The nagging got old fast and now the two aspects of this book I liked the most had both lost steam.
The book really went into the romance stage next. It was a slow burn with the characters really getting to know each other before anything happened. I liked the speed and I enjoyed the journey of the characters getting together. I did think that the sex scenes could have used a little more spice. They were a little too short and didn’t quite show that emotional spark building between the characters that we were supposed to see. But, I did like the overall romantic feel for the most part.
While I liked the romance, I strongly disliked the big conflict. It is so obvious what it will be that you see it coming a million miles away. It’s one of those books where you are just waiting for the other shoe to drop and I don’t like that. I want authors to at least lull me into a false sense of hope that they don’t need to have an 80% conflict moment, since they are so overplayed in romance. And what was even worse here is that it wasn’t an 80%, instead it was way later and one of the latest I’ve read in a while. It was so late that the ending felt really rushed and I just didn’t have that warm feeling about the relationship that I should have had at an ending.
As you can see this was pretty up and down for me. I loved the beginning, liked the middle that was a little bumpy, but the last third or so I lost my connection. I was frustrated in parts but I think it was because I really liked the potential this story had. I think this book is very readable and that it will appeal to people that like a slow burn romance with lots of outdoorsy fun. I can’t give this one the glowing rec that I wanted to, but I would not tell people it’s one to skip either. It really is a nice average read.
An ARC was given to me for an honest review.
I loved the beginning of the book, the excitement of someone winning the lottery and what happens when there is so much money involved. The book also switches POV to a skier hoping to make the US team. The mix of both storylines had me instantly hooked into the book and turning the pages. Unfortunately, the skiing storyline fizzled out and wasn't what I was hoping for. The cover of this book is so cool looking that I expected a lot more ski competitions and the excitement that would follow. I then became more interested in the lottery winner’s storyline since the skiers storyline wasn’t that gripping anymore. The lotto winning stuff was interesting and some of the winner’s choices were fun, but there was so much put on the winner to be responsible that this storyline eventually fizzled too. I get being careful and not blowing your money but anytime she did anything for herself, like even buying a nice sweater, someone was on her case about spending her money. The nagging got old fast and now the two aspects of this book I liked the most had both lost steam.
The book really went into the romance stage next. It was a slow burn with the characters really getting to know each other before anything happened. I liked the speed and I enjoyed the journey of the characters getting together. I did think that the sex scenes could have used a little more spice. They were a little too short and didn’t quite show that emotional spark building between the characters that we were supposed to see. But, I did like the overall romantic feel for the most part.
While I liked the romance, I strongly disliked the big conflict. It is so obvious what it will be that you see it coming a million miles away. It’s one of those books where you are just waiting for the other shoe to drop and I don’t like that. I want authors to at least lull me into a false sense of hope that they don’t need to have an 80% conflict moment, since they are so overplayed in romance. And what was even worse here is that it wasn’t an 80%, instead it was way later and one of the latest I’ve read in a while. It was so late that the ending felt really rushed and I just didn’t have that warm feeling about the relationship that I should have had at an ending.
As you can see this was pretty up and down for me. I loved the beginning, liked the middle that was a little bumpy, but the last third or so I lost my connection. I was frustrated in parts but I think it was because I really liked the potential this story had. I think this book is very readable and that it will appeal to people that like a slow burn romance with lots of outdoorsy fun. I can’t give this one the glowing rec that I wanted to, but I would not tell people it’s one to skip either. It really is a nice average read.
An ARC was given to me for an honest review.
December 9, 2020
The book opens with Ty winning the lottery jackpot and a share of over $500 million dollars. We get to know her through a bit of a caper in how she should claim the ticket and keep her new found wealth hidden from those that would want to steal it from her.
Karla is on the US skiing development team, but has to walk away from her dream as she can’t afford to continue to train. She’s planning on going to college to study nursing and compete on their ski team.
The two main characters don’t meet until 25% of the way into the book - so by the time they do meet we know both of them quite well. I did start to get a little bit impatient as to how their lives were going to come together, but it did give the storyline an organic feeling.
The book isn’t full of excitement and mainly revolves around college life, skiing and hiding lottery winnings. There are some brief sex scenes and a couple of action moments, but at its heart this narrative is just a sweet coming together of two people who like each other. There are additional characters that add some interest to the storyline and whilst there aren’t major points of excitement I didn’t find the book boring either.
I thought the premise was interesting and I’d definitely be interested in reading more by this author.
I received an e-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Karla is on the US skiing development team, but has to walk away from her dream as she can’t afford to continue to train. She’s planning on going to college to study nursing and compete on their ski team.
The two main characters don’t meet until 25% of the way into the book - so by the time they do meet we know both of them quite well. I did start to get a little bit impatient as to how their lives were going to come together, but it did give the storyline an organic feeling.
The book isn’t full of excitement and mainly revolves around college life, skiing and hiding lottery winnings. There are some brief sex scenes and a couple of action moments, but at its heart this narrative is just a sweet coming together of two people who like each other. There are additional characters that add some interest to the storyline and whilst there aren’t major points of excitement I didn’t find the book boring either.
I thought the premise was interesting and I’d definitely be interested in reading more by this author.
I received an e-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
December 3, 2020
What would you do if you won the lottery became multimillionaire that’s the question Ty ask herself when her life changes when her lottery ticket is the winner.
As Ty freaks out she goes into hiding because she doesn’t want anyone coming out of the blue trying to get what she has. Ty tells her best friend Sarah that she won she helps her find someone who has her best interests at heart. Ty lost her way when her parents died but now she has the means do what she always wanted to become a nurse and to help people.
Karla is angry at the world she couldn’t fulfill her dreams of being on US ski team so she decides to go college at UMV where she can still ski but because of her cockiness she gets injured but she can still ski but racing at the level she was at she won’t be able to do.
As Ty and Karla meet through Karla cousin Val they hit off and become friends but Ty is drawn to Karla but Karla is seeing someone as they both study to become nurses will they both help each other find their way.
This was a good read. It’s crazy how people only want to know you because they want something out of it I like that Ty have a support system who didn’t ask for anything but was there to guide her.
I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.
As Ty freaks out she goes into hiding because she doesn’t want anyone coming out of the blue trying to get what she has. Ty tells her best friend Sarah that she won she helps her find someone who has her best interests at heart. Ty lost her way when her parents died but now she has the means do what she always wanted to become a nurse and to help people.
Karla is angry at the world she couldn’t fulfill her dreams of being on US ski team so she decides to go college at UMV where she can still ski but because of her cockiness she gets injured but she can still ski but racing at the level she was at she won’t be able to do.
As Ty and Karla meet through Karla cousin Val they hit off and become friends but Ty is drawn to Karla but Karla is seeing someone as they both study to become nurses will they both help each other find their way.
This was a good read. It’s crazy how people only want to know you because they want something out of it I like that Ty have a support system who didn’t ask for anything but was there to guide her.
I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.
February 18, 2021
I really enjoyed the beginning of Jackpot as we get to see each character at different points in their lives - Ty wins the lottery whereas Karla ends her career as a professional skier and begins her life as a college student. I thought the way the author played out their individual storylines before they met at about the quarter way mark was good, as I really felt like I was invested in both characters.
I found the romance to be very slow, and the story's pace overall really slowed down at the half way point. I found myself frustrated by the change of pace throughout my reading of this novel.
The drama in this was a little too contrived for my liking - both between our MCs as well as Ty's cousin. I also noticed a few inconsistencies so overall I had a few conflicting thoughts on this one.
I found the romance to be very slow, and the story's pace overall really slowed down at the half way point. I found myself frustrated by the change of pace throughout my reading of this novel.
The drama in this was a little too contrived for my liking - both between our MCs as well as Ty's cousin. I also noticed a few inconsistencies so overall I had a few conflicting thoughts on this one.
May 29, 2024
Wining a lottery is something not certain, no one can tell for sure, regardless of “logical, or rational thinking– i have been a big part of those who thought winning a lottery is just luck rather than spiritual insight, and my quest and eagerness in wining the lottery kept pushing me in realizing this fact and today, my story has changed after i won a lottery worth £2million, i was browsing online sometime, when i saw a post where a lady was testifying on how an African wizard ( Dr Amend ) helped her cast a lottery spell in winning a lottery and immediately i contacted him for same purpose and he did exactly what i wanted and i also won. To those who’ve been playing lottery with consistent trial for a long time and haven’t won should contact Dr Amend.
Website: https://dramendsolutiontem.wixsite.co...
Website: https://dramendsolutiontem.wixsite.co...
December 13, 2020
This is my first time reading a Cade Haddock Strong book, and I must say if they are all as good as this then I shall be looking for more
What I really loved about this book is that it starts at the beginning for both Ty and Karla, its not a story of they meet and flash back it actually starts at the beginning and you get to read the their story as they move along.
There are many layers to this sweet story which is well written and kept me keen
Would I recommend..... Yes, the author has hit the jackpot on this one
What I really loved about this book is that it starts at the beginning for both Ty and Karla, its not a story of they meet and flash back it actually starts at the beginning and you get to read the their story as they move along.
There are many layers to this sweet story which is well written and kept me keen
Would I recommend..... Yes, the author has hit the jackpot on this one
February 6, 2022
Cade Haddock Strong tackles what happens after the glory in this sports tale. Karla has spent her entire life skiing, training to ski, eating to ski, curbing her entire life to ski. Then she does not make it to the U.S. Ski Team. That’s okay because there is a backup plan as she is going to go to college and ski for them. Then in an instant all of that changes. What happens after you can’t compete anymore? I love sports and the dedication and training that goes into any sport. I kind of relate to the feelings Karla has as I am disabled Veteran who used to do biathlons. Strong nails the emotions and frustrations that Karla experiences. I love her personal growth story.
I received a free copy of this book and I am writing a review without prejudice and voluntarily.
Check out the rest of my review at Phoebe's Randoms. Link in bio.
I received a free copy of this book and I am writing a review without prejudice and voluntarily.
Check out the rest of my review at Phoebe's Randoms. Link in bio.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews