I'm sure it's the English teacher in me that's all freaked out by the premise of this book, but I have to say that the range of emotions I felt ran the spectrum! After being accused of sexual harassment by one of her students upset over a bad grade, Lucy Parker's life only goes from wretched, to unspeakable. She walks in on her live-in boyfriend with another woman, loses her job (obviously), and is being hounded by the press. In the midst of it all, she flippantly buys a lottery ticket that lands her the winner of a cool 34 million dollars.

While this is a story about finding oneself and not losing the core of who you are to money, there is a sweet romance embedded in it. Lucy has been hurt and betrayed, which leaves her not feeling like she's the best at picking men to be in a relationship with. So will she recognize a good guy, even if she judges on all accounts that he's bad?

I really enjoyed this novel, even though I was thoroughly freaked out by the sexual harassment charge landed against her. As a teacher, I try to take measures to ensure that someone couldn't annihilate my career in one fatal swoop, but hearing stories like this can be really unnerving. I think this connection to another teacher, and feeling for her after having so many hard knocks, I was more engaged in the story and really enjoyed it. In fact, I couldn't get through the last 100 pages fast enough! ( )

This begins with Lucy Parker running into every kind of ife crisis possible. In one day she gets fired from her job for a very scandalous reason, catches her boyfriend cheating on her in their bed and her car breaks down. However, the next day she wins millions in the lottery! Because of the media attention due to her lottery win, her scandalous firing also becomes news. When the media becomes overwhelming, she decides it is time to take off and spend some time away from home and stays with an old friend in Palm Beach where she changes her look and has some fun. Soon she realizes the problems that come with this kind of money. The biggest problem is knowing who she can trust.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was funny, but not silly and although the premise sounds unbelievable, Lucy is so real that I found myself really pulling for her and I couldn't wait to see how it would all turn out for her. I look forward to reading more books by Gaskell. ( )

Whitney Gaskell has written a fun little book. We all have played the "What If..." game. Whitney Gaskell just put it on paper. And I would be remiss to not point out the props she gives to Barnes & Noble. Her description was spot on in regards to selling the Membership card, that I actually laughed out loud. She MUST have been a bookseller in a prior life. It seriously cracked me up

http://charlotteswebofbooks.blogspot.... ( )

Have you ever had such a bad day that you wish that you could run away? Or, have you ever wished that you could win the lottery and be set for life? If you have, then this book is for you. Lucy Parker is having the worst day of her life. She gets fired from her job, her car breaks down and she finds out that her live-in boyfriend, Elliott, is cheating on her. Feeling down, she visits her friend Maisie to clear her head. While at Maisie's, they get on the subject of lottery tickets and the probability of winning. Later in the day, Lucy stops in a gas station and decides on a whim to buy two tickets. The next morning, when she gets out the morning paper to read it , she discovers that she has the winning lottery ticket of 87 million dollars. Deciding to keep her winnings a secret for now, she goes to pick up her money at the lottery office and doesn't tell anyone where she's going. In the next few days, Lucy's life becomes a media circus, when a too nosey reporter finds out about her winning the money right after getting fired from her job. Dying to escape, Lucy gets a call from her college roommate, Hayden, to get away with her and go to Palm Beach, where Hayden's parents own a house. There, after changing her appearance to throw off the press, she meets some interesting guys and has a blast with Hayden. But sooner, rather than later, Lucy figures out that money doesn't solve all of her problems and makes it hard to figure out who she can trust.

Good Luck is a highly engrossing and entertaining book. Lucy is a love able character, who is down on her luck and you can't wait to see her get away from all the bad press. I find Ms. Gaskell's writing flawless and never boring. This is the first book that I've picked up by her, and I can't wait to see what else she has in store for future books. You can visit her website to find out more. ( )