[Lisa’s Review]: Stroke of Luck by Opal Carew

Getting cheated on and left with a hotel bill that costs more than she makes in a year was not a part of the plan when Riana came to Las Vegas to marry her wealthy fiancé. Her plans also didn't include getting bailed out of this horrible situation by Quinn, the ex-boyfriend she hadn't planned to see ever again. For Quinn, Riana was the one that got away and he's never gotten over her, no matter how successful he became.

Riana insists on paying Quinn back, so he makes her an offer--spend the next month with him and his business partner Austin while they're on vacation. It's clear to him that Austin is attracted to her, too, and Quinn's always liked the idea of sharing a woman with him. It's something that Riana wants to do, and after a few glasses of champagne--only enough to stop denying herself what she wants--she voices her desire to be with both men.

But as the month comes to an end, Riana has to face the reality she's falling for Quinn and Austin...and the possibility that one crazy night in Vegas could cost her one--or both--men.

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Stroke of Luck was my first Opal Carew read, and I have to say I’m more than a bit disappointed. Usually, I’m totally on board the erotica train, full speed, and everything, but this one didn’t do it for me at all, and here’s why:

We enter the story after our female lead, April, found her fiancé cheating on her the night of her rehearsal dinner, a day before her wedding. To top it off, he canceled her credit card, went on a shopping spree, and left her the bill. And before you ask, I was a bit confused about the different names in ARC and synopsis too. Unfortunately, I have no idea which one is going to be in the final version. That said, her ex-boyfriend Quinn comes to her rescue and offers her to stay with him and his business partner until she can figure things out, and that’s the introduction to our story. While over-the-top, cliché, and filled with eye-rolls on my part, I tried to stay optimistic about it since this happens to me quite a lot with this kind of book, but it all went downhill from there.

Opal’s writing style simply wasn’t for me; we switched points of view so frequently and without warning that it took me a few moments to figure out who we’re with right now, more often than not. I didn’t connect with any of the characters, not even Austin, who was the only one I sort of liked, and that’s essentially the kiss of death for me with any book. Their emotional reactions seemed extreme most of the time, and their feelings changed so fast it made my head spin. April didn’t have any backbone at all, and while it kind of fit her backstory, I found it very annoying at times. I appreciated her honesty about some of her issues but still felt she should have at some point addressed them by herself for herself, especially after she decided to leave the love of her life out of fear. The character development I had hoped for didn’t happen.

Quinn went from I hate you, to I want you even though I can’t ever trust you, to I never stopped loving you; please marry me in what felt like a matter of minutes. I liked the idea of them reconnecting, but it didn’t have any time to develop – the same for Austin and April’s relationship and this whole threesome arrangement they have. The romance felt superficial and didn’t have any substance. Lots and lots of sexy times, which I liked, but these overwhelming emotions they all felt never reached me. Not in a way that would make me call whatever they have going on more than lust. They know nothing about the people they have become, and Austin doesn’t know April at all. Somewhere in the middle, we’re left in this weird in-between-state that made the entire thing feel kind of awkward to me; either they’re in this together, the three of them, or they’re not. It felt like a couple adding someone to their bed, which didn’t work for me. I don’t mind the threesome, but everyone needs to be on the same level physically and emotionally to sell it as romance to me. It seemed like it was supposed to build the excitement and make you wonder how things would turn out, but it was a definite mood killer for me.

The conclusion was traditional and highly predictable, but I sort of don’t mind that in romance and erotica. We always want the couple, or in this case the three of them, together and our happy ending. So no critique there. Long story short, this one wasn’t my cup of tea. That doesn’t mean it won’t work for someone else. Books are not one size fits all. If you do end up trying it, let me know how you liked it in the comments.

Lisa

Hi! I’m Lisa. I’m twenty-three, a college student and a book lover. I spend every free minute, and most of my lectures, reading all kinds of books, which is how I ended up here. While I particularly enjoy books of the young and new adult variety, I also love historical fiction, sci-fi, fantasy, paranormal, all things romance, and one or the other classic as well. If I’m not reading, I’m either working, sleeping, binge-watching my newest obsession on Netflix, or on my way to Starbucks, to satisfy my slight caffeine addiction.