Classic rock DJ Beryl "Berry" Lambert claims she doesn't believe in luck; but thanks to her gambling-addict father, she has a superstition for almost every occasion. She wears a horseshoe necklace at all times, is appalled when someone opens an umbrella indoors, and believes bad luck comes in threes. So when perpetually single Berry goes on two promising first dates that both end in disaster, she's convinced that her next boyfriend will be equally unlucky. But then she meets Ryan Riley, a successful "relationship expert" who works at her radio station, and their on-air squabbling soon takes a flirtatious turn. Ryan seems like the perfect guy -- witty, handsome, and tolerant of Berry's superstitious quirks -- but she is convinced that he'll eventually reveal himself as bad-luck boyfriend number three. Is Berry doomed to be perpetually unlucky in love, or will she meet her match at last?

Ever since I read and really liked Crane's first novel, Stupid and Contagious, I've been hoping to enjoy her subsequent books just as much, but I've always been disappointed. Sadly, With a Little Luck is no exception; it's a decently-written chick lit novel, but that's about all I can say for it. Maybe part of the problem was that I couldn't relate to Berry at all. Her belief in random superstitions is just so extreme, and while it's understandable that she would have baggage given her past, she seems determined to sabotage every good thing in her life. I also didn't particularly warm to Ryan, who is a fairly two-dimensional character throughout the book. I couldn't figure out what makes him tick or why he's interested in Berry at all. Even as a person who loves fluffy romance, I still have to believe that the hero and heroine would fall for each other, and that just wasn't the case here. If you're a chick lit fan, you could do worse, but you could also do a lot better.

Berry is a radio DJ who believes in every superstition in the book. She wears a horseshoe necklace, avoids cracks in the sidewalk, only buys things in threes and the list goes on and on. She inherited this mania from her father - a compulsive gambler who calls at all hours of the day and night to borrow money from his 'lucky charm'.

After two promising relationships turn out very poorly she meets Ryan, a fellow DJ. Their relationship originates over the radio and their chemistry is hard to deny. But Berry's superstitious nature is a hard thing for their relationship to overcome.

This was a great summer read! I found the characters likeable, the writing funny and the storyline interesting even if not terribly intruiging. Perfect lighthearted breezy kind of book! ( )