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So Lucky
IS ANYONE’S LIFE . . .
Beth shows that women really can have it all.
Ruby lives life by her own rules.
And then there’s Lauren, living the dream.
AS PERFECT AS IT LOOKS?
Beth hasn’t had sex in a year.
Ruby feels like she’s failing.
Lauren’s happiness is fake news.
And it just takes one shocking event to make the truth come tumbling out…
Fearless, frank and for everyone who’s ever doubted themselves, So Lucky is the straight-talking new novel from the Sunday Times bestseller.
Actually, you’re pretty f****** lucky to be you.
Beth shows that women really can have it all.
Ruby lives life by her own rules.
And then there’s Lauren, living the dream.
AS PERFECT AS IT LOOKS?
Beth hasn’t had sex in a year.
Ruby feels like she’s failing.
Lauren’s happiness is fake news.
And it just takes one shocking event to make the truth come tumbling out…
Fearless, frank and for everyone who’s ever doubted themselves, So Lucky is the straight-talking new novel from the Sunday Times bestseller.
Actually, you’re pretty f****** lucky to be you.
382 pages, Audiobook
First published October 31, 2019
2263 people are currently reading
14388 people want to read
About the author
Dawn O'Porter
19 books1,529 followersDAWN O’PORTER lives in London with her husband Chris, her two boys Art and Valentine, and her cats Myrtle and Boo.
Dawn is the bestselling author of the novels The Cows and the Richard and Judy Book Club picks So Lucky and Cat Lady, and her non-fiction title Life in Pieces was also a Sunday Times bestseller.
Dawn started out in TV production but quickly landed in front of the camera, making numerous documentaries that included immersive investigations of Polygamy, Size Zero, Childbirth, Free Love, Breast Cancer and the movie Dirty Dancing.
Dawn’s journalism has appeared in multiple publications and she was the monthly columnist for Glamour magazine. She is now a full-time writer, designs dresses for Joanie Clothing, and has a large following on her Patreon blog.
Instagram: @hotpatooties
www.patreon.com/DawnOPorter
Dawn is the bestselling author of the novels The Cows and the Richard and Judy Book Club picks So Lucky and Cat Lady, and her non-fiction title Life in Pieces was also a Sunday Times bestseller.
Dawn started out in TV production but quickly landed in front of the camera, making numerous documentaries that included immersive investigations of Polygamy, Size Zero, Childbirth, Free Love, Breast Cancer and the movie Dirty Dancing.
Dawn’s journalism has appeared in multiple publications and she was the monthly columnist for Glamour magazine. She is now a full-time writer, designs dresses for Joanie Clothing, and has a large following on her Patreon blog.
Instagram: @hotpatooties
www.patreon.com/DawnOPorter
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,783 reviews
July 28, 2021
From both the hilariously funny and exually rude to the more emotive look at how outward appearances and social media posts can give a distorted view.
The novel follows three women who are loose connected.
Lauren is an Instagram influencer who's soon to be married to wealthy Gavin.
Everything seems perfect in this fake lifestyle that millions of followers clamour for - some of the most touching moments is Lauren is advised against posting more personal statuses as it could ruin her brand.
Beth is the wedding planner for the forthcoming big day, married with a new born son - everything seems to be going well with both her business and family life.
The truth is Beth hasn't had sex in a year and constantly craves just a tiny bit of intimacy with Michael.
Ruby being the most intelligent of the three spends her time touching up photos of models (including Lauren) though she despises her own body and struggling to connect with her daughter.
One thing I found fascinating with this novel was learning about Polycystic ovary syndrome and how it can cause excessive hair growth.
I really liked how the novel jumps around the three characters at perfect lengths - you get a good understanding of the real person inside with the time you spend with them.
I'll admit that Beth's storyline interested me the most - it needed to be pitched with a more comedic tone as a guy refusing to have sex was inevitably going to amuse me.
It's the addition of her young assistant that talks so openly about the subject and offers various alternatives that helps make those sections very memorable.
With three distinctive threads each of the characters will appeal to a variety of readers and helps make this a bold entertaining read that will evoke a variety of emotions.
The novel follows three women who are loose connected.
Lauren is an Instagram influencer who's soon to be married to wealthy Gavin.
Everything seems perfect in this fake lifestyle that millions of followers clamour for - some of the most touching moments is Lauren is advised against posting more personal statuses as it could ruin her brand.
Beth is the wedding planner for the forthcoming big day, married with a new born son - everything seems to be going well with both her business and family life.
The truth is Beth hasn't had sex in a year and constantly craves just a tiny bit of intimacy with Michael.
Ruby being the most intelligent of the three spends her time touching up photos of models (including Lauren) though she despises her own body and struggling to connect with her daughter.
One thing I found fascinating with this novel was learning about Polycystic ovary syndrome and how it can cause excessive hair growth.
I really liked how the novel jumps around the three characters at perfect lengths - you get a good understanding of the real person inside with the time you spend with them.
I'll admit that Beth's storyline interested me the most - it needed to be pitched with a more comedic tone as a guy refusing to have sex was inevitably going to amuse me.
It's the addition of her young assistant that talks so openly about the subject and offers various alternatives that helps make those sections very memorable.
With three distinctive threads each of the characters will appeal to a variety of readers and helps make this a bold entertaining read that will evoke a variety of emotions.
December 10, 2021
I can't provide no better review than this book's own description here, it is something unbelievably incredible, lots of erotica and +18 I must say but it has a catchy and smooth way when going between twisted stories, when jumping from a chapter to the next.
December 8, 2019
*www.onewomansbbr.wordpress.com
*www.facebook.com/onewomansbbr
**4.5 stars**
So Lucky by Dawn O'Porter. (2019).
Is anyone's life as perfect as it looks? Beth shows that women really can have it all; Ruby lives life by her own rules; Lauren is living the dream. But. Beth hasn't had sex in a year. Ruby feels like she's failing. Lauren's happiness is really just fake news. All it takes is one shocking event to make the truth come tumbling out...
This book is seriously funny. As in, genuine laugh out loud and snorting at parts. However...if you are at all prudish, this humour is not for you. Consider yourself warned. What I also really liked about this story was that it really pushed the point that EVERY woman has her own respective struggle going on that others cannot see, and sometimes we are our own harshest critics. The narrative alternates between Ruby and Beth, with pages here and there describing Lauren's Instagram posts and highlighting the variety of comments that followers post. Lauren does get a bigger look in the last third but through Beth/Ruby's perspectives.
A fabulous read for me that was super easy to get through and kept me engaged the whole time - happily recommend for those who like a bit of cheeky humour along with some important themes.
*www.facebook.com/onewomansbbr
**4.5 stars**
So Lucky by Dawn O'Porter. (2019).
Is anyone's life as perfect as it looks? Beth shows that women really can have it all; Ruby lives life by her own rules; Lauren is living the dream. But. Beth hasn't had sex in a year. Ruby feels like she's failing. Lauren's happiness is really just fake news. All it takes is one shocking event to make the truth come tumbling out...
This book is seriously funny. As in, genuine laugh out loud and snorting at parts. However...if you are at all prudish, this humour is not for you. Consider yourself warned. What I also really liked about this story was that it really pushed the point that EVERY woman has her own respective struggle going on that others cannot see, and sometimes we are our own harshest critics. The narrative alternates between Ruby and Beth, with pages here and there describing Lauren's Instagram posts and highlighting the variety of comments that followers post. Lauren does get a bigger look in the last third but through Beth/Ruby's perspectives.
A fabulous read for me that was super easy to get through and kept me engaged the whole time - happily recommend for those who like a bit of cheeky humour along with some important themes.
January 11, 2020
*spoilers... I guess?*
I actually rate it 1.5 but the stars don't let me do halvesies.
My intention to read this book was to pick something light and page-turning to kick start a new year of reading. Before I read heavier books I strategically pick easier reads to reignite the habit.
This book was so disappointing and reminds me why light, soft reads might be a complete waste of my time. I don't typically enjoy surprisingly feminist novels. I dislike contrived "sisterhood" attitudes that are purely surface level, I especially dislike stories that paint women who cheat as women are are dealing with an honest struggle and are therefore raw and real. I dislike flimsy and predictable storylines, and cringe humour. I read the first few pages before buying it and figured a woman dealing with a health condition and admitting to having a love-hate (but mostly hate) relationship with her toddler child she wasn't even supposed to have was brave, but then I just felt like I wasn't allowed to live in that difficulty. That instead the writer wanted to scoop me back up into a false and ideal safety net built from fake self-acceptance and newly discovered love of one's children. How's this for honest: sometimes we will never truly love ourselves, and sometimes we might not learn to like our rotten children... like... ever?
The little part at the end was also just insulting and unncessary.
TLDR: Ew.
I actually rate it 1.5 but the stars don't let me do halvesies.
My intention to read this book was to pick something light and page-turning to kick start a new year of reading. Before I read heavier books I strategically pick easier reads to reignite the habit.
This book was so disappointing and reminds me why light, soft reads might be a complete waste of my time. I don't typically enjoy surprisingly feminist novels. I dislike contrived "sisterhood" attitudes that are purely surface level, I especially dislike stories that paint women who cheat as women are are dealing with an honest struggle and are therefore raw and real. I dislike flimsy and predictable storylines, and cringe humour. I read the first few pages before buying it and figured a woman dealing with a health condition and admitting to having a love-hate (but mostly hate) relationship with her toddler child she wasn't even supposed to have was brave, but then I just felt like I wasn't allowed to live in that difficulty. That instead the writer wanted to scoop me back up into a false and ideal safety net built from fake self-acceptance and newly discovered love of one's children. How's this for honest: sometimes we will never truly love ourselves, and sometimes we might not learn to like our rotten children... like... ever?
The little part at the end was also just insulting and unncessary.
TLDR: Ew.
November 19, 2019
Thank you @tandemcollectiveuk for my free copy of So Lucky by Dawn O’Porter! A little outside of my usual comfort zone, but I’m finding more and more that books that push me out of that zone are a lot of fun! This book certainly serves up a tonne of cheeky fun, but there are more serious themes tackled here too.
.
The story is told via the alternating perspectives of Ruby and Beth (and occasional Instagram posts from social media celebrity Lauren). Ruby is struggling to manage a health condition which severely affects her self esteem, as well as struggling to bond with her three and a half year old daughter as a single mum. Beth is a wedding planner, planning the celebrity wedding of the year with her assistant Risky while her husband (who refuses to touch her) looks after their newborn son at home.
.
I read half of of So Lucky on the train and honestly I was snorting with laughter, praying the person behind me couldn’t read it! I liked how O’Porter embraced female sexuality, and Risky was hilarious if a little over the top at times. The characters are far from perfect people, but she makes them likeable all the same in the end. She also made a great point about how often, even today, dads performing at the bare minimum are lauded are super dads when actually they are just BEING A PARENT and the mother would be expected to do all that and more with not a glimmer of recognition.
.
Social media also plays a large role in the book, as the third character, Lauren, is initially portrayed as having the perfect life on Instagram, reminding us that while it might seem like everyone’s having a grand old time on the Internet, you never know what’s going on in their lives or their inner struggles - I’m not sure whether this would have been more effective a few years ago, OR whether the bookstagram corner of the internet is just more open with their struggles, but I feel like people are more aware now of the pitfalls of social media. Still, it’s good to be reminded and some people might still not realise this!
.
A saucy, funny, quick read!
.
The story is told via the alternating perspectives of Ruby and Beth (and occasional Instagram posts from social media celebrity Lauren). Ruby is struggling to manage a health condition which severely affects her self esteem, as well as struggling to bond with her three and a half year old daughter as a single mum. Beth is a wedding planner, planning the celebrity wedding of the year with her assistant Risky while her husband (who refuses to touch her) looks after their newborn son at home.
.
I read half of of So Lucky on the train and honestly I was snorting with laughter, praying the person behind me couldn’t read it! I liked how O’Porter embraced female sexuality, and Risky was hilarious if a little over the top at times. The characters are far from perfect people, but she makes them likeable all the same in the end. She also made a great point about how often, even today, dads performing at the bare minimum are lauded are super dads when actually they are just BEING A PARENT and the mother would be expected to do all that and more with not a glimmer of recognition.
.
Social media also plays a large role in the book, as the third character, Lauren, is initially portrayed as having the perfect life on Instagram, reminding us that while it might seem like everyone’s having a grand old time on the Internet, you never know what’s going on in their lives or their inner struggles - I’m not sure whether this would have been more effective a few years ago, OR whether the bookstagram corner of the internet is just more open with their struggles, but I feel like people are more aware now of the pitfalls of social media. Still, it’s good to be reminded and some people might still not realise this!
.
A saucy, funny, quick read!
August 25, 2019
I loved The Cows, so I was thrilled to be invited to read Dawn O’Porter’s new book, and it was indeed a fantastic read.
Ruby struggles both with her three-year-old daughter Bonnie, who she finds difficult to manage, and with a physical condition which she finds deeply shaming and isolating. New mother Beth - in a reversal of stereotype - can’t deal with her husband’s lack of interest in sex (though their problems clearly run deeper). And “social media influencer” Lauren, about to be married to celebrity entrepreneur Gavin, shows off her Instagram-perfect life and body to adoring fans, but the rumours about her fiancé just won’t go away.
All are involved in different ways in selling images of perfection. Ruby earns her living - well aware of the ironies and dodgy ethics - by digitally altering photographs to make women appear flawless; Lauren portrays a carefully curated image of her perfect life and gorgeous self on social media; Beth and her young assistant, the strangely named Risky, plan perfect weddings for the rich and famous (and Beth has an apparently enviable marriage of her own).
This book is spot on in so many ways, from swipes at celebrities who express “fashionable” mental health issues and “keeping it real” in terms of body image while constantly portraying unrealistically perfect lives and bodies, to Beth’s assistant’s well meant and sincerely held but sometimes naive conceptions of feminism.
Ultimately it’s about accepting and making visible - literally, in some cases - what lies beneath the surface, and ends with the deceptively simple question: “Who are you?”.
Ruby struggles both with her three-year-old daughter Bonnie, who she finds difficult to manage, and with a physical condition which she finds deeply shaming and isolating. New mother Beth - in a reversal of stereotype - can’t deal with her husband’s lack of interest in sex (though their problems clearly run deeper). And “social media influencer” Lauren, about to be married to celebrity entrepreneur Gavin, shows off her Instagram-perfect life and body to adoring fans, but the rumours about her fiancé just won’t go away.
All are involved in different ways in selling images of perfection. Ruby earns her living - well aware of the ironies and dodgy ethics - by digitally altering photographs to make women appear flawless; Lauren portrays a carefully curated image of her perfect life and gorgeous self on social media; Beth and her young assistant, the strangely named Risky, plan perfect weddings for the rich and famous (and Beth has an apparently enviable marriage of her own).
This book is spot on in so many ways, from swipes at celebrities who express “fashionable” mental health issues and “keeping it real” in terms of body image while constantly portraying unrealistically perfect lives and bodies, to Beth’s assistant’s well meant and sincerely held but sometimes naive conceptions of feminism.
Ultimately it’s about accepting and making visible - literally, in some cases - what lies beneath the surface, and ends with the deceptively simple question: “Who are you?”.
January 28, 2020
I've not read any of Dawn's books before but I picked this as it looked like a light read and it was a quick, easy read but I really didn't enjoy it. I didn't enjoy the characters and as they are so unlikeable at the beginning it was a real effort to keep reading to see how that changed. Filing under the 'just not for me' column.
April 1, 2024
I chose this book for our book group November read based on rave reviews. Nobody likes it and most didn’t finish it.
The characters are shallow and unlikeable and the book is crass and tacky. It’s not in the least bit funny. The amount of focus on ridiculous sexual things is not only cringe worthy but unrealistic. Ridiculous things. I’m definitely no prude either as I read erotica. The whole book feels like an amateur effort.
The plot is disjointed and empty. The flicking between characters doesn’t flow at all and none of them are relatable. I did literally cringe and eye-roll with this one.
Being 49 and most in my book club of similar age I thought we’d all relate to the characters and their lives. Not a chance. Not one member out of 66 liked the book, laughed and many gave up on it.
I read and review up to 300 books a year and can honestly say this was the worst I have ever read. I do not understand the rave reviews whatsoever. I rarely give a book under 3 stars but this deserves the one star rating.
::~~~~~~:::::~~~~~:::::~~~~~:::::~~~~~~::
Thanks so much for reading my review!
I hope you enjoyed it, if you did I’d be delighted if you leave me a “like” and I love to read your comments. If you’d like to connect you can follow me or please send me a friend request.
You can also find me on Twitter (X) @bookishcats and on Amazon U.K. where I am a Top 500 Reviewer as Booklover Catlady.
If you are an Author or Publisher and you’d like me to consider reading and reviewing your book(s) please just message me.
::~~~~~~:::::~~~~~:::::~~~~~:::::~~~~~~::
Thanks so much for reading my review!
I hope you enjoyed it, if you did I’d be delighted if you leave me a “like” and I love to read your comments. If you’d like to connect you can follow me or please send me a friend request.
You can also find me on Twitter (X) @bookishcats and on Amazon U.K. where I am a Top 500 Reviewer as Booklover Catlady.
If you are an Author or Publisher and you’d like me to consider reading and reviewing your book(s) please just message me.
The characters are shallow and unlikeable and the book is crass and tacky. It’s not in the least bit funny. The amount of focus on ridiculous sexual things is not only cringe worthy but unrealistic. Ridiculous things. I’m definitely no prude either as I read erotica. The whole book feels like an amateur effort.
The plot is disjointed and empty. The flicking between characters doesn’t flow at all and none of them are relatable. I did literally cringe and eye-roll with this one.
Being 49 and most in my book club of similar age I thought we’d all relate to the characters and their lives. Not a chance. Not one member out of 66 liked the book, laughed and many gave up on it.
I read and review up to 300 books a year and can honestly say this was the worst I have ever read. I do not understand the rave reviews whatsoever. I rarely give a book under 3 stars but this deserves the one star rating.
::~~~~~~:::::~~~~~:::::~~~~~:::::~~~~~~::
Thanks so much for reading my review!
I hope you enjoyed it, if you did I’d be delighted if you leave me a “like” and I love to read your comments. If you’d like to connect you can follow me or please send me a friend request.
You can also find me on Twitter (X) @bookishcats and on Amazon U.K. where I am a Top 500 Reviewer as Booklover Catlady.
If you are an Author or Publisher and you’d like me to consider reading and reviewing your book(s) please just message me.
::~~~~~~:::::~~~~~:::::~~~~~:::::~~~~~~::
Thanks so much for reading my review!
I hope you enjoyed it, if you did I’d be delighted if you leave me a “like” and I love to read your comments. If you’d like to connect you can follow me or please send me a friend request.
You can also find me on Twitter (X) @bookishcats and on Amazon U.K. where I am a Top 500 Reviewer as Booklover Catlady.
If you are an Author or Publisher and you’d like me to consider reading and reviewing your book(s) please just message me.
February 20, 2020
One of my Goodreads friends always notes in her reviews whether a book is “clean” or “not clean.” I assume this refers to sexual content, which doesn’t bother me, although I usually find these scenes hilarious or boring rather than erotic. But in the case of So Lucky, that term “not clean” popped into my head several times. I felt like I needed a shower at the end. Just distasteful and unpleasant on many levels.
August 1, 2019
I follow Dawn O'Porter on Instagram and find her instagram stories hilarious. She's a very witty person but her humour doesn't show up in this book. I think I laughed out loud once.
I wouldn't say the synopsis matches the actual story. The story mainly features two different women. Beth, a new mother who has returned to work as a Wedding Planner whilst her husband Michael has taken Paternity Leave to care for their 4 month old baby. Beth is struggling not because of returning to work but because her husband no longer wants to have sex with her! So much so, it has driven Beth to obsess over sex! Beth has a young assistant called Risky who is having a lot of sex. I can see that Risky was meant to be a quirky, hilarious character but it didn't really work for me. I found the humour lacking.
Then we have Ruby. Ruby has a 'condition' (no spoilers). She was married for a brief time but her husband humiliated her at their wedding (we don't find out how until near the end of the book). They have a 3 and a half year old daughter called Bonnie. Ruby looks after Bonnie all week (although puts her in Nursery 8 am - 5.00 pm) and her estranged husband Liam has Bonnie every weekend. Now I know Dawn O'Porter has two children but I found Bonnie's language was too adult! There were no mispronounced words common for a child that age instead she was just written with adult language which seemed too advanced for that age range. Ruby hasn't particularly bonded with Bonnie. This is due to her 'condition' and her own relationship with her mother. Ruby's job is to touch up photographs to make people look perfect.
The book is told from alternating POV's from Beth and Ruby. Although we also get to read Instagram posts from Lauren who is marrying a famous person, Gavin. Beth is arranging their Wedding and Ruby works for the photographer Lauren uses. It becomes clear throughout the snippets we get from Lauren's instagram that she also doesn't have a perfect life.
The male characters are very one dimensional. At one point, Ruby befriends a man in the park who comes most days to clean the bird poo from the bench he has dedicated to his dead daughter. It didn't take me long to work out who he is and how he is linked to the storyline! When it does come to light, I just found it a bit too convenient and unoriginal.
The timeline is odd. Although I've read the unedited copy so maybe this will be picked up on during the editing process but if I'm correct, the whole book takes place over a fortnight yet at times the wedding is mentioned as in 2 days time by Beth then Ruby mentions it's next weekend. I found it hard to work out which day it was supposed to be and which week! The pacing of the story is not executed well as then everything seems to happen too quickly near the end.
There is a theme of Sisterhood (by the end all the female characters are best friends). In the beginning I found myself liking Beth but disliking Ruby but by the end I liked Ruby but started to dislike Beth (is her husband really at fault for her subsequent actions?!).
The ending felt rushed and maybe a bit incomplete. It made me wonder if there is to be a sequel? I read this book in one sitting. It held my attention but I don't find Dawn's writing to be that good. She's a mediocre writer that has probably gained a book deal because of her fame. Her writing is rather simplistic but it was an easy read. Recommended if you like 'chick lit'.
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.
I wouldn't say the synopsis matches the actual story. The story mainly features two different women. Beth, a new mother who has returned to work as a Wedding Planner whilst her husband Michael has taken Paternity Leave to care for their 4 month old baby. Beth is struggling not because of returning to work but because her husband no longer wants to have sex with her! So much so, it has driven Beth to obsess over sex! Beth has a young assistant called Risky who is having a lot of sex. I can see that Risky was meant to be a quirky, hilarious character but it didn't really work for me. I found the humour lacking.
Then we have Ruby. Ruby has a 'condition' (no spoilers). She was married for a brief time but her husband humiliated her at their wedding (we don't find out how until near the end of the book). They have a 3 and a half year old daughter called Bonnie. Ruby looks after Bonnie all week (although puts her in Nursery 8 am - 5.00 pm) and her estranged husband Liam has Bonnie every weekend. Now I know Dawn O'Porter has two children but I found Bonnie's language was too adult! There were no mispronounced words common for a child that age instead she was just written with adult language which seemed too advanced for that age range. Ruby hasn't particularly bonded with Bonnie. This is due to her 'condition' and her own relationship with her mother. Ruby's job is to touch up photographs to make people look perfect.
The book is told from alternating POV's from Beth and Ruby. Although we also get to read Instagram posts from Lauren who is marrying a famous person, Gavin. Beth is arranging their Wedding and Ruby works for the photographer Lauren uses. It becomes clear throughout the snippets we get from Lauren's instagram that she also doesn't have a perfect life.
The male characters are very one dimensional. At one point, Ruby befriends a man in the park who comes most days to clean the bird poo from the bench he has dedicated to his dead daughter. It didn't take me long to work out who he is and how he is linked to the storyline! When it does come to light, I just found it a bit too convenient and unoriginal.
The timeline is odd. Although I've read the unedited copy so maybe this will be picked up on during the editing process but if I'm correct, the whole book takes place over a fortnight yet at times the wedding is mentioned as in 2 days time by Beth then Ruby mentions it's next weekend. I found it hard to work out which day it was supposed to be and which week! The pacing of the story is not executed well as then everything seems to happen too quickly near the end.
There is a theme of Sisterhood (by the end all the female characters are best friends). In the beginning I found myself liking Beth but disliking Ruby but by the end I liked Ruby but started to dislike Beth (is her husband really at fault for her subsequent actions?!).
The ending felt rushed and maybe a bit incomplete. It made me wonder if there is to be a sequel? I read this book in one sitting. It held my attention but I don't find Dawn's writing to be that good. She's a mediocre writer that has probably gained a book deal because of her fame. Her writing is rather simplistic but it was an easy read. Recommended if you like 'chick lit'.
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.
October 26, 2019
To be completely frank I found it dark, depressing, I disliked it and it made me angry. Why? Because O'Porter is just spot on with the portrayal of her characters. Too real. She hits the nail on the head when it comes to the judgmental and toxic atmosphere women live in and with. Believing they have to adhere to physical, emotional and psychological standards set by a patriarchal society, and what's often worse when those standards are demanded of them by other women.
As the story evolved I found myself nodding and snarking at the words 'so lucky' throughout. It's what society tells us we are supposed to be and supposed to feel. The implication being that we shouldn't dare to want more than we have or dare to ask for the fulfillment of our needs, wishes, dreams and desires. No, we should be lucky with our lot, no matter how that may look and regardless of whether we are happy or not.
Ruby is caught in a vicious cycle of emotional neglect, which she is repeating with her young daughter Bonnie. She hates her body, has no self-esteem and spends her entire life pushing people away and battling anxiety.
Beth has to cope with a husband who seems to have lost interest in her since she gave birth to her baby. She is a working mother with a raging libido. Is it only a question of time until her marriage starts to implode?
Watch out for the mother-in-law in Beth's part of the story. I would be burying the woman in the back garden - no doubt about it.
Then there is Lauren, the Insta-famous and Insta-perfect celebrity living her best life and well on her way to marrying a global celebrity. Interjected intermittently are her Instagram feeds and comments, which really set the tone for the level of perfection everyone expects and simultaneously are willing to fake to get followers, likes and fame.
O'Porter has her hand on the pulse of femininity, women, sexuality and also how conflicted women are at times. It's not easy being pulled in so many different directions at the same time or being judged for every choice and decision.
It's pithy and brutally frank women's fiction. The author takes no prisoners, and kudos to her for the honest approach. It's a gritty, moving and sincere piece of fiction. There is never a dull moment when you read a book by O'Porter. She wants her readers to laugh, to cry and to get angry. It's pure empowerment, even if it doesn't appear to be anything like that at the beginning.
*I received a courtesy copy*
As the story evolved I found myself nodding and snarking at the words 'so lucky' throughout. It's what society tells us we are supposed to be and supposed to feel. The implication being that we shouldn't dare to want more than we have or dare to ask for the fulfillment of our needs, wishes, dreams and desires. No, we should be lucky with our lot, no matter how that may look and regardless of whether we are happy or not.
Ruby is caught in a vicious cycle of emotional neglect, which she is repeating with her young daughter Bonnie. She hates her body, has no self-esteem and spends her entire life pushing people away and battling anxiety.
Beth has to cope with a husband who seems to have lost interest in her since she gave birth to her baby. She is a working mother with a raging libido. Is it only a question of time until her marriage starts to implode?
Watch out for the mother-in-law in Beth's part of the story. I would be burying the woman in the back garden - no doubt about it.
Then there is Lauren, the Insta-famous and Insta-perfect celebrity living her best life and well on her way to marrying a global celebrity. Interjected intermittently are her Instagram feeds and comments, which really set the tone for the level of perfection everyone expects and simultaneously are willing to fake to get followers, likes and fame.
O'Porter has her hand on the pulse of femininity, women, sexuality and also how conflicted women are at times. It's not easy being pulled in so many different directions at the same time or being judged for every choice and decision.
It's pithy and brutally frank women's fiction. The author takes no prisoners, and kudos to her for the honest approach. It's a gritty, moving and sincere piece of fiction. There is never a dull moment when you read a book by O'Porter. She wants her readers to laugh, to cry and to get angry. It's pure empowerment, even if it doesn't appear to be anything like that at the beginning.
*I received a courtesy copy*
March 27, 2021
I absolutely loved this book. It's so funny but so important. It has so many messages of self love, the importance of not believing everything you see. Two sides to every story.
Ruby is a mother, struggling to bond with her child. Beth is in a sexless marriage. Lauren is 'instafamous' but has a traumatic past she can't escape.
I love how each story is so different but is obviously very real. These things do happen. I love the 'woman power' all the way through the book and women truly helping build each other up. I love how I started the book disliking Ruby and then ended up adoring her! I love how Beth really stood up for herself and found her own happiness, as well as Lauren.
This is such a funny, feel good book. I wanted to laugh and cry. I loved it so much. I can't wait to read more by this author.
Ruby is a mother, struggling to bond with her child. Beth is in a sexless marriage. Lauren is 'instafamous' but has a traumatic past she can't escape.
I love how each story is so different but is obviously very real. These things do happen. I love the 'woman power' all the way through the book and women truly helping build each other up. I love how I started the book disliking Ruby and then ended up adoring her! I love how Beth really stood up for herself and found her own happiness, as well as Lauren.
This is such a funny, feel good book. I wanted to laugh and cry. I loved it so much. I can't wait to read more by this author.
December 21, 2019
Honestly I hated this book. It’s message is so clunky and obvious and basic and all the characters were ridiculous caricatures and it was just bad.
January 14, 2020
If I could give this book more than 5 stars then I would. It's superb from start to finish. Laugh out loud, cringingly funny.
I love how it is told the points of view and then merges.
Dawn O'Porter, you are a legend!
I love how it is told the points of view and then merges.
Dawn O'Porter, you are a legend!
June 4, 2020
*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
I haven’t read British author Dawn O’Porter’s previous novel, The Cows, so I came in very green to this author’s writing style, which is quite brash but also very perceptive. The sweet looking cover with a pink donut (my favourite kind) on the front is not an indication of what the reader will find once they let this book into their life. Instead, So Lucky delves headfirst into a minefield of issues, with specific focus on what it means to be or feel ‘lucky’. Can we truly ever attain this feeling?
So Lucky looks at life itself, with a penetrating and reproachful gaze. Using three women to negotiate the maze of physical appearances, Dawn O’Porter breaks down the lives of her central protagonists. For Beth, it looks like she has achieved the ultimate balance between motherhood, employment and marriage. While Ruby is a woman that strategically plans every aspect of her carefully ordered life patterns. Meanwhile, Lauren has a life anyone would envy, but it is just a false veneer? On closer inspection, Dawn O’Porter tears down these character constructions. Beth is struggling with the lack of intimacy in her relationship, while Ruby cannot shake her constant feelings of defeat. Meanwhile, instant celebrity Lauren knows that the life she projects on her social media pages is not all hearts and flowers. As these strangers continue to overcome the daily hurdles they face in their loves, a terrible scandal is brewing and when it boils over, the results will be astounding!
I think I have mentioned in a recent review how I have struggled to remain focused on the books I am reading at present. I used to have only one book on the go and I would diligently finish it before selecting another. Lately, I have picking up and putting down quite a lot of books. My mind tends to wander off and before I know it, I have no idea what I have been reading! So Lucky was a book that successfully managed to gain my full and undivided attention for the entire length of this novel. I was surprised as I actually thought based on the cover image that I was going to be reading a nice and fluffy chic lit title. However, this was far from the case. So Lucky is a fabulous novel that tackles something very important, our inner critic. I loved it!
O’Porter tackles an interesting angle with her latest novel. She presents three different character explorations, but the narration is mostly shared between Beth and Ruby, with excerpts from another character Lauren’s Instagram posts. Generally, I dislike the use of Instagram and social media feeds within narratives, I don’t like how it detracts from the narrative at hand. However, I make the exception for this one, Lauren’s posts were perfectly composed and well placed within the unfolding storyline. In Beth, who shares the same amount of narration as the other lead protagonist Ruby, we see a new mother tackling a high pressured job with a four month old. Beth has been feeling unsatisfied and unloved by her husband when we meet her. I was able to connect with this storyline as a mother. I think Beth’s story was presented in a realistic and unflinching manner. I do need to mention that at first I struggled with aspects of Beth’s story and I almost turned away from the book. There are some strong sexual scenes and references to explicit acts that may not be to the taste of some readers. I can be quite a prude, but I managed to get though them and see that it was in keeping with the overall direction of the novel, rather than being presented for sheer shock value.
Onto Ruby. My heart went out to Ruby in bucket loads. When you discover the truth behind Ruby’s strictly ordered world it will make you appreciative of your own life. I’m not going to go into this as I feel it would spoil the story. I actually felt ‘so lucky’ , which is a nice nod to the title after I experienced all Ruby had in her difficult life. I almost wanted to give Ruby a virtual high five when she was able to stand up for herself. However, Ruby is also flawed and judgmental, which makes us see that she is simply human. That is the beauty of this book, it is so down to earth and it presents issues at a grass roots level that all readers can directly sympathise with.
O’Porter presents us with a full set of themes in So Lucky. These include marriage, relationships, parenting, child care, motherhood, family estrangement, friendship, infidelity, sexuality, women’s health, body image, and mental health. Each issue is presented within a frame of insight and sensitivity, while also allowing the reader to play an active role in considering their moral compass on these important areas of everyday life.
So Lucky is cleverly structured and I wasn’t sure for much of this novel how the dangling threads of each different character journey would eventually click together. Some gentle clues were thrown in, but the big event that occurs towards the latter stages of the book finally allows the connections that have been carefully crafted to be unveiled. I really enjoyed how it all played out. I also liked how friendship became the overriding product of all the angst these women had been through. I loved the creative touch at the end, complete with inserted lines to encourage a response to the question, Who are you?
So Lucky is a wry, forthright and essential read. Dawn O’Porter has definitely crafted a truly excellent and reflective book for our times.
‘I watch her from the door. Maybe the trick to parenting isn’t trying to manage her reactions, but rather, it’s trying to manage my own. And above all else, at least my daughter is alive. Maybe I am lucky after all.’
*I wish to thank Harper Collins Books Australia for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.
I haven’t read British author Dawn O’Porter’s previous novel, The Cows, so I came in very green to this author’s writing style, which is quite brash but also very perceptive. The sweet looking cover with a pink donut (my favourite kind) on the front is not an indication of what the reader will find once they let this book into their life. Instead, So Lucky delves headfirst into a minefield of issues, with specific focus on what it means to be or feel ‘lucky’. Can we truly ever attain this feeling?
So Lucky looks at life itself, with a penetrating and reproachful gaze. Using three women to negotiate the maze of physical appearances, Dawn O’Porter breaks down the lives of her central protagonists. For Beth, it looks like she has achieved the ultimate balance between motherhood, employment and marriage. While Ruby is a woman that strategically plans every aspect of her carefully ordered life patterns. Meanwhile, Lauren has a life anyone would envy, but it is just a false veneer? On closer inspection, Dawn O’Porter tears down these character constructions. Beth is struggling with the lack of intimacy in her relationship, while Ruby cannot shake her constant feelings of defeat. Meanwhile, instant celebrity Lauren knows that the life she projects on her social media pages is not all hearts and flowers. As these strangers continue to overcome the daily hurdles they face in their loves, a terrible scandal is brewing and when it boils over, the results will be astounding!
I think I have mentioned in a recent review how I have struggled to remain focused on the books I am reading at present. I used to have only one book on the go and I would diligently finish it before selecting another. Lately, I have picking up and putting down quite a lot of books. My mind tends to wander off and before I know it, I have no idea what I have been reading! So Lucky was a book that successfully managed to gain my full and undivided attention for the entire length of this novel. I was surprised as I actually thought based on the cover image that I was going to be reading a nice and fluffy chic lit title. However, this was far from the case. So Lucky is a fabulous novel that tackles something very important, our inner critic. I loved it!
O’Porter tackles an interesting angle with her latest novel. She presents three different character explorations, but the narration is mostly shared between Beth and Ruby, with excerpts from another character Lauren’s Instagram posts. Generally, I dislike the use of Instagram and social media feeds within narratives, I don’t like how it detracts from the narrative at hand. However, I make the exception for this one, Lauren’s posts were perfectly composed and well placed within the unfolding storyline. In Beth, who shares the same amount of narration as the other lead protagonist Ruby, we see a new mother tackling a high pressured job with a four month old. Beth has been feeling unsatisfied and unloved by her husband when we meet her. I was able to connect with this storyline as a mother. I think Beth’s story was presented in a realistic and unflinching manner. I do need to mention that at first I struggled with aspects of Beth’s story and I almost turned away from the book. There are some strong sexual scenes and references to explicit acts that may not be to the taste of some readers. I can be quite a prude, but I managed to get though them and see that it was in keeping with the overall direction of the novel, rather than being presented for sheer shock value.
Onto Ruby. My heart went out to Ruby in bucket loads. When you discover the truth behind Ruby’s strictly ordered world it will make you appreciative of your own life. I’m not going to go into this as I feel it would spoil the story. I actually felt ‘so lucky’ , which is a nice nod to the title after I experienced all Ruby had in her difficult life. I almost wanted to give Ruby a virtual high five when she was able to stand up for herself. However, Ruby is also flawed and judgmental, which makes us see that she is simply human. That is the beauty of this book, it is so down to earth and it presents issues at a grass roots level that all readers can directly sympathise with.
O’Porter presents us with a full set of themes in So Lucky. These include marriage, relationships, parenting, child care, motherhood, family estrangement, friendship, infidelity, sexuality, women’s health, body image, and mental health. Each issue is presented within a frame of insight and sensitivity, while also allowing the reader to play an active role in considering their moral compass on these important areas of everyday life.
So Lucky is cleverly structured and I wasn’t sure for much of this novel how the dangling threads of each different character journey would eventually click together. Some gentle clues were thrown in, but the big event that occurs towards the latter stages of the book finally allows the connections that have been carefully crafted to be unveiled. I really enjoyed how it all played out. I also liked how friendship became the overriding product of all the angst these women had been through. I loved the creative touch at the end, complete with inserted lines to encourage a response to the question, Who are you?
So Lucky is a wry, forthright and essential read. Dawn O’Porter has definitely crafted a truly excellent and reflective book for our times.
‘I watch her from the door. Maybe the trick to parenting isn’t trying to manage her reactions, but rather, it’s trying to manage my own. And above all else, at least my daughter is alive. Maybe I am lucky after all.’
*I wish to thank Harper Collins Books Australia for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.
January 15, 2020
What utter trash 🤦🏻♀️
This is my first experience of chick-lit so it’s difficult to discern whether I hate the genre or this is just awful.
One cliche after another broken up with impromptu but far-fetched and frankly ridiculous ‘funny’ moments from dislikable characters.
These characters are merely archetypes of the ‘modern woman’ thrown together with terrible development to show their ‘growth’.
Are we also just going to move past the fact that emotional neglect and adultery is acceptable if it’s related to an empowered woman? Not to mention casual shamings of one night stands. I saw this as far too problematic to be feminist or empowering.
... and a casual complaint about the amount of time’s the author threw in ‘so lucky’... I get it already.
I had to force myself to the end purely as it is my book club pick but jees never again. At least I have some fuel for a fire now I guess 🤷🏻♀️
This is my first experience of chick-lit so it’s difficult to discern whether I hate the genre or this is just awful.
One cliche after another broken up with impromptu but far-fetched and frankly ridiculous ‘funny’ moments from dislikable characters.
These characters are merely archetypes of the ‘modern woman’ thrown together with terrible development to show their ‘growth’.
Are we also just going to move past the fact that emotional neglect and adultery is acceptable if it’s related to an empowered woman? Not to mention casual shamings of one night stands. I saw this as far too problematic to be feminist or empowering.
... and a casual complaint about the amount of time’s the author threw in ‘so lucky’... I get it already.
I had to force myself to the end purely as it is my book club pick but jees never again. At least I have some fuel for a fire now I guess 🤷🏻♀️
April 1, 2020
What a great read! I really enjoyed the story and the message in the words. It made me laugh out loud in places. With the advent of social media, some of us live in a make believe world that is just not reality. The truth is, no ones life is perfect, and this books shows us how true that is. The characters were believable and real. I wasn’t too sure about Ruby at first, but I really grew to admire her as the book went on. I loved the positivity of the story and definitely recommend it.
February 6, 2021
I haven't gobbled a book in less than 24 hours for a while, until So Lucky came along. It gripped me from the start and I really couldn't put it down. It's the first time I have read Dawn's writing and it won't be the last; in fact, excuse me a moment whilst I go and order The Cows...
November 3, 2019
I love Dawn O'Porter and I loved The Cows. I hate to say it but this is one of the most disappointing books I've read in a long time.
March 31, 2021
This triad narrative lends itself to examining the lives of three women - Ruby, Beth and Lauren - who may appear to have their lives together but instead, all have their own secrets simmering beneath the surface. Armed with cheekiness, wit and some emotional discourse, So Lucky is refreshing, and it's easy to engage with the characters as if you're all sitting down for drinks together.
Ruby is a mother of a three-year-old who has a damaged relationship with her own mother and also hides from the world due to a condition affecting her self-confidence. Beth is a new mum who's trying to make her marriage work whilst organising the weddings of others. Lauren is an influencer who's due to marry the man of her dreams and we view her life through a series of Instagram posts that show you can hide a lot behind a staged photo. Eventually their paths cross and the three find ways to help themselves and each other.
Much like Expectation and The Performance, the three women offer different voices and perceptions to ultimately create a life-affirming and comforting read that oozes with feminine power and owning your narrative, no matter what it may look like. There are plenty of humorous moments to balance out the tackling of each woman's respective struggles, and there's a great discussion about feminine sexuality and also a look at how each woman sells the idea of perfection; either through Ruby's job as a retoucher, Lauren's perfect Instagram shots or Beth's portrayal of the perfect family.
I really liked the overarching theme of acceptance and sisterhood, and whilst it is a little predictable in its premise and isn't a particularly challenging read it is really enjoyable escapism that penetrates into the lives of others, offering us a chance to look at the often toxic and judgemental expectations that face the modern woman.
Ruby is a mother of a three-year-old who has a damaged relationship with her own mother and also hides from the world due to a condition affecting her self-confidence. Beth is a new mum who's trying to make her marriage work whilst organising the weddings of others. Lauren is an influencer who's due to marry the man of her dreams and we view her life through a series of Instagram posts that show you can hide a lot behind a staged photo. Eventually their paths cross and the three find ways to help themselves and each other.
Much like Expectation and The Performance, the three women offer different voices and perceptions to ultimately create a life-affirming and comforting read that oozes with feminine power and owning your narrative, no matter what it may look like. There are plenty of humorous moments to balance out the tackling of each woman's respective struggles, and there's a great discussion about feminine sexuality and also a look at how each woman sells the idea of perfection; either through Ruby's job as a retoucher, Lauren's perfect Instagram shots or Beth's portrayal of the perfect family.
I really liked the overarching theme of acceptance and sisterhood, and whilst it is a little predictable in its premise and isn't a particularly challenging read it is really enjoyable escapism that penetrates into the lives of others, offering us a chance to look at the often toxic and judgemental expectations that face the modern woman.
November 8, 2019
Wishes really do come true! I was so happy when the publishers granted my wish and provided me with a copy of So Lucky via NetGalley before it's release date. Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to read it until now, but I'm still so thankful I was given the opportunity.
So Lucky focuses on three female characters, who from the outside all appear to have a perfect life, but are all struggling with certain problems of their own, whether that be marriage, physical conditions or doing anything to gain followers on social media.
Dawn O'Porter is spot on with the way society is judgemental and toxic. How many of us believe we need to live up to certain standards surrounding us. I loved how true to life the characters were, I think every woman can relate to them.
This book is brutally honest, frank and gritty. A range of emotions ebbs and flows over the reader whilst you progress through the chapters. The empowerment towards of the end of the book is just brilliant.
Honestly, if you haven't yet picked up this book, just buy it. I don't think you will be disappointed.
So Lucky focuses on three female characters, who from the outside all appear to have a perfect life, but are all struggling with certain problems of their own, whether that be marriage, physical conditions or doing anything to gain followers on social media.
Dawn O'Porter is spot on with the way society is judgemental and toxic. How many of us believe we need to live up to certain standards surrounding us. I loved how true to life the characters were, I think every woman can relate to them.
This book is brutally honest, frank and gritty. A range of emotions ebbs and flows over the reader whilst you progress through the chapters. The empowerment towards of the end of the book is just brilliant.
Honestly, if you haven't yet picked up this book, just buy it. I don't think you will be disappointed.
September 13, 2019
This was the second book I have read by this author and I absolutely loved it as much as the first one. It dealt with and highlighted real issues in a funny relatable way. It had me laughing out loud quite a lot but was also quite emotional as well. Fantastic read and would definitely recommend this. One of my favourite books this year so far.
May 27, 2025
This was crazy good! Modern stories, but not told in a ‘chick lit’ way.
Somehow I was more invested in Roxy’s issues, but really enjoyed the perspectives that this book brought, when we all think that others are ‘So Lucky’ for the life (we think) they lead!
Thanks to F’s comment here I’m glad to have found a new author. I’ll surely check her other books.
I’d only like to mention that the description of laser hair removal does not seem accurate here (as it’s not done when the hair has grown but rather when it’s just been cut/shaved). However, I’m not an expert so I wouldn’t know if it’d work in this case.
I’ve heard this as an audiobook narrated by the author and Clara Francis.
Somehow I was more invested in Roxy’s issues, but really enjoyed the perspectives that this book brought, when we all think that others are ‘So Lucky’ for the life (we think) they lead!
Thanks to F’s comment here I’m glad to have found a new author. I’ll surely check her other books.
I’d only like to mention that the description of laser hair removal does not seem accurate here (as it’s not done when the hair has grown but rather when it’s just been cut/shaved). However, I’m not an expert so I wouldn’t know if it’d work in this case.
I’ve heard this as an audiobook narrated by the author and Clara Francis.
August 2, 2024
Rounding this up to 4 ⭐️s cos I love D O’Ports although probably would give it 3.5 if you held a gun to my head
LOVED the moral of the story although sadly put me in a bit of a reading slump in the middle but persevered and the ending made me punch the air GIRLS RULE
LOVED the moral of the story although sadly put me in a bit of a reading slump in the middle but persevered and the ending made me punch the air GIRLS RULE
May 8, 2020
The first thing I've got to say is that I really enjoyed reading this. It was a fun, entertaining distraction from all that's going on in the world just now (and all that isn't happening in this Groundhog Day pandemic existence) and I read it in just a few days, finding it hard to put down. That to me shows that Dawn O'Porter's style writing style can't be faulted, despite my criticisms of certain aspects of So Lucky's plot. The novel follows the alternate stories of two women, Beth and Ruby, whose lives end up intersecting. Ruby is a single, co-parenting, mum to a 3yo she struggles to bond with, a photo-retoucher who works alone from home and permanently angry. Beth is a new mum, a wedding planner and stuck in a passion-free marriage she wants to reignite. There are aspects of the plot I liked - the mother/daughter relationships in Ruby's life, the examination of Beth's marriage and the look at social media culture told through third-not-quite-main character Beth. So what didn't I like? The book is middle-class, London-centric (though there are a few mentions of Cornwall) and lacking in diversity. It has a "sisterhood" theme which whilst laudable in intent felt forced and inauthentic, and a bit 90s Girl Power feminism rather than 21st Century and intersectional. A couple of minor points - Beth is 36 and her assistant 26, and we are frequently told that 26 is sooooo young and inexperienced. Really? If I was a 26 year old reading this I'd feel very patronised. Relatedly, Beth makes lots of comments about "Millennials" based on her observations of Risky, when Beth herself would be a Millennial too - if you're going to make sweeping generalisations about a generation of people at least find out when that generation starts and ends (people born between 1981 and 1996, in case you're wondering). Finally, Beth and Risky work in a women only office and because of this they work bra-less and openly slip away to spend time with their vibrators... this feels like a weird soft porn fantasy scenario. I worked in a women-only workplace for several years and witnessed no bra removal or vibrator use, sorry to smash that idea for anyone. So yes, I had a few "issues" with this book but loved reading it (guilty pleasure maybe?), so to give any less than 4 stars would be unfair.
December 15, 2019
3.5 stars
I received a free digital copy of this book from the publishers/author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Beth, Ruby and Lauren are all women who from the outside could possibly have it all. Good jobs, comfortable lives and in Lauren's case, a very successful social media career. However, each women is suffering; Ruby from a condition causing excess body hair that she's allowed to rule her life, Beth's husband doesn't appear to fancy her anymore and Lauren is struggling with anxiety yet is being told to hide it.
This book is comedic in nature, with some real laugh-out-loud moments but also covers some important topics such as PCOS, female sexuality and sensuality as well as hiding real females and struggles behind the perfect Instagram grid. I did like each woman (though this book mostly follows Beth and Ruby - we didn't get a true look at Lauren until the end), and though Ruby is a slightly unlikeable person because of her fears and struggles with her body hair, I also admired her attitude sometimes to say exactly what she was thinking, and not put up with anyone's bullsh*t.
There were some parts of the book that appeared a bit over the top but I also think this is partly Dawn O'Porter's style. She likes to go there and isn't afraid to put her characters in crazy situations. I did think some of Ruby's descriptions about her hair were very extreme and I wonder how that could effect someone else suffering from excess hair due to PCOS and if it could help or trigger them.
I did enjoy the book and I liked the occasional laughs it gave me. I will continue to read Dawn O'Porter's books as I love just seeing where she'll dare to go with her characters, and her books are always entertaining.
I received a free digital copy of this book from the publishers/author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Beth, Ruby and Lauren are all women who from the outside could possibly have it all. Good jobs, comfortable lives and in Lauren's case, a very successful social media career. However, each women is suffering; Ruby from a condition causing excess body hair that she's allowed to rule her life, Beth's husband doesn't appear to fancy her anymore and Lauren is struggling with anxiety yet is being told to hide it.
This book is comedic in nature, with some real laugh-out-loud moments but also covers some important topics such as PCOS, female sexuality and sensuality as well as hiding real females and struggles behind the perfect Instagram grid. I did like each woman (though this book mostly follows Beth and Ruby - we didn't get a true look at Lauren until the end), and though Ruby is a slightly unlikeable person because of her fears and struggles with her body hair, I also admired her attitude sometimes to say exactly what she was thinking, and not put up with anyone's bullsh*t.
There were some parts of the book that appeared a bit over the top but I also think this is partly Dawn O'Porter's style. She likes to go there and isn't afraid to put her characters in crazy situations. I did think some of Ruby's descriptions about her hair were very extreme and I wonder how that could effect someone else suffering from excess hair due to PCOS and if it could help or trigger them.
I did enjoy the book and I liked the occasional laughs it gave me. I will continue to read Dawn O'Porter's books as I love just seeing where she'll dare to go with her characters, and her books are always entertaining.
October 14, 2019
The Cows was one of my favourite books that I read last year so I was really excited to read O'Porter's new novel.
It was a super quick read so definitely a good one for a holiday or to get you out of a reading slump. I appreciate any book that has a feminist message and this book genuinely made me laugh out loud a couple of times.
Unfortunately this wasn't a five star read for me, like The Cows. I found pretty much all of the characters unbelievable and extreme. I liked how it tackled sensitive subjects like mental health, polycystic ovaries and... dogging(!) however I found the characters quite intense at times. Also the way the characters came together at the end was too convenient.
Perhaps this was needed to get the message of the book across but I think it means more when it's at least slightly believable.
However if a quick funny, feminist read sounds good to you then I definitely recommend it. Plus Dawn O'Porter is awesome.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
It was a super quick read so definitely a good one for a holiday or to get you out of a reading slump. I appreciate any book that has a feminist message and this book genuinely made me laugh out loud a couple of times.
Unfortunately this wasn't a five star read for me, like The Cows. I found pretty much all of the characters unbelievable and extreme. I liked how it tackled sensitive subjects like mental health, polycystic ovaries and... dogging(!) however I found the characters quite intense at times. Also the way the characters came together at the end was too convenient.
Perhaps this was needed to get the message of the book across but I think it means more when it's at least slightly believable.
However if a quick funny, feminist read sounds good to you then I definitely recommend it. Plus Dawn O'Porter is awesome.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
October 12, 2019
Well, what can I say?
Absolutely fantastic book!
I urge all women to read this and know that none of us is perfect. No one has a perfect life. No matter what is portrayed on the outside, there is always some inner struggle beneath.
We follow three women, each with their own secret, struggling to make life work, and trying to make sure no one on the outside is aware of their issues.
From body image to mental health to marital issues, so much is covered in this brilliantly written story.
Honestly, I have already recommended it to a couple of friends with whom the whole concept will resonate.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Absolutely fantastic book!
I urge all women to read this and know that none of us is perfect. No one has a perfect life. No matter what is portrayed on the outside, there is always some inner struggle beneath.
We follow three women, each with their own secret, struggling to make life work, and trying to make sure no one on the outside is aware of their issues.
From body image to mental health to marital issues, so much is covered in this brilliantly written story.
Honestly, I have already recommended it to a couple of friends with whom the whole concept will resonate.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 4, 2020
It’s definitely got to be a five star review from me. This book has everything in it, it makes you laugh out loud, it makes you cry and so much more. I loved the different characters in the book. Would recommend.
May 23, 2020
This. Book. Was. Awesome.
Dawn o'Porter has become a bit of an autobuy author for me because she writes about real life in such an unflinching way. She says the things the rest of us all think. Contemporary adult fiction isn't really something I particularly go for - I have no interest in white people sitting at dinner parties moaning about school catchment areas or the impossibility of getting reliable cleaning staff - but this author's work always goes for the societal jugular. And by that I mean she writes about sex a lot. And raw, mucky, real-life sex. Not a weird, sanitised, throbbing-member-aching-core version of sex.
So Lucky is written from the viewpoints of Beth, Lauren and Ruby, three women who on the surface look like they have it all when the truth isn't quite so simple. The plot starts off amorphous and random and gradually coalesces into something a bit more specific, the lives of the three women start to cross over and intersect until the grand finale. And it's pretty grand.
The three characters are so real, with real-life faults; even Lauren, who for 90% of the book we only see through Instagram posts. They do good stuff and dumb stuff. They have problems and neuroses and love.
Also, this book is so funny. Like, I was listening to it in the garden on audiobook and I kept bursting out laughing. There is a whole section on dogging that the author manages to make sound hilarious and kind of hot, instead of seedy and gross. Mind you, the character observing the dogging has been starved of sex for a long time, so I think you'd find a pencil sharpener erotic in that situation.
All in all, this was a really great book. Definitely recommended.
Dawn o'Porter has become a bit of an autobuy author for me because she writes about real life in such an unflinching way. She says the things the rest of us all think. Contemporary adult fiction isn't really something I particularly go for - I have no interest in white people sitting at dinner parties moaning about school catchment areas or the impossibility of getting reliable cleaning staff - but this author's work always goes for the societal jugular. And by that I mean she writes about sex a lot. And raw, mucky, real-life sex. Not a weird, sanitised, throbbing-member-aching-core version of sex.
So Lucky is written from the viewpoints of Beth, Lauren and Ruby, three women who on the surface look like they have it all when the truth isn't quite so simple. The plot starts off amorphous and random and gradually coalesces into something a bit more specific, the lives of the three women start to cross over and intersect until the grand finale. And it's pretty grand.
The three characters are so real, with real-life faults; even Lauren, who for 90% of the book we only see through Instagram posts. They do good stuff and dumb stuff. They have problems and neuroses and love.
Also, this book is so funny. Like, I was listening to it in the garden on audiobook and I kept bursting out laughing. There is a whole section on dogging that the author manages to make sound hilarious and kind of hot, instead of seedy and gross. Mind you, the character observing the dogging has been starved of sex for a long time, so I think you'd find a pencil sharpener erotic in that situation.
All in all, this was a really great book. Definitely recommended.
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