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A review by agrippinaes
Beginner's Luck by Kate Clayborn
4.0
Rating: 4 stars
What I Liked: This is a really nice, easy read. The writing is very strong and its focus on characterisation is great. There’s a lot of nice ideas packed into it and I think for the most part the book pulled them off well.
I liked the main character, Kit; her responses to winning the lottery and so on were interesting and I found her to be quite a sympathetic character for the majority of the storyuntil all the stuff at the end, but I think that’s intentional.. I also thought Ben was a real sweetie, for the most part; he learned from his mistakes early on and I really enjoyed reading his POV.
I thought their relationship was great, it had a warm kind of chemistry. It’s a bit of a slow-burn in a lot of ways, and the build up is really good.
I also liked all of the stuff around the renovation works - Tucker’s Salvage sounded great, the house sounded lovely, and I really liked how Kit’s desire for home was presented.
The relationships outside of the romance were good, too. Ben’s relationship with his father, Sharon and River worked really well and I thought that his backstory involving his mother was sad but effective. Kit’s relationships, too, added a lot to the story; Zoe and Greer are great friends and I liked that she had this loyalty and support to her colleagues.
I actually found one of the most emotional parts of the book was Kit’s backstory, particularly her relationship with her brother.
I thought the ending was very good; I wasn’t so keen on but the grovel and reunion was well-written. In particular, I liked Kit’s conversation with Ben’s father, it was quite touching and I thought it worked well as a way to make her see past her grudge.
What I Didn’t: I liked it a lot, but I did think some of it was a bit too slow. The pacing was off a little - it took a while for me to get into it properly.
Overall: It’s a lovely book, very gentler and sweet whilst also being quite emotional and sexy, but the pacing is a little slow. Still, the writing is absolutely gorgeous.
Would I Recommend It?: Yes, if you’re looking for a slower, gentle contemporary romance with a heroine in STEM and a charming hero.
Would I Read Something By The Author Again?: Yes.
Content Warnings:
Also, two notes about the backstories that can’t be summed up as easily:
The hero’s relationship with his mother is very strained, stemming from the fact that she left his father for another man. It’s made clear in the text that whilst his mother loves him she did not want to be a mother and he felt neglected by her.
The heroine’s father is an alcoholic and gambling addict, and her childhood was very disrupted. She was pretty much entirely raised by her older brother, who acted as a parental figure.
What I Liked: This is a really nice, easy read. The writing is very strong and its focus on characterisation is great. There’s a lot of nice ideas packed into it and I think for the most part the book pulled them off well.
I liked the main character, Kit; her responses to winning the lottery and so on were interesting and I found her to be quite a sympathetic character for the majority of the story
I thought their relationship was great, it had a warm kind of chemistry. It’s a bit of a slow-burn in a lot of ways, and the build up is really good.
Spoiler
I also liked that the book spends a lot of time on them actually together, so to speak, before the third-act break up.I also liked all of the stuff around the renovation works - Tucker’s Salvage sounded great, the house sounded lovely, and I really liked how Kit’s desire for home was presented.
The relationships outside of the romance were good, too. Ben’s relationship with his father, Sharon and River worked really well and I thought that his backstory involving his mother was sad but effective. Kit’s relationships, too, added a lot to the story; Zoe and Greer are great friends and I liked that she had this loyalty and support to her colleagues.
I actually found one of the most emotional parts of the book was Kit’s backstory, particularly her relationship with her brother.
Spoiler
Their argument broke my heart and I was so angry at Alex for the way he spoke to her during it, although I was glad he apologised.I thought the ending was very good; I wasn’t so keen on
Spoiler
the misunderstanding as it felt a bit forcedWhat I Didn’t: I liked it a lot, but I did think some of it was a bit too slow. The pacing was off a little - it took a while for me to get into it properly.
Overall: It’s a lovely book, very gentler and sweet whilst also being quite emotional and sexy, but the pacing is a little slow. Still, the writing is absolutely gorgeous.
Would I Recommend It?: Yes, if you’re looking for a slower, gentle contemporary romance with a heroine in STEM and a charming hero.
Would I Read Something By The Author Again?: Yes.
Content Warnings:
Spoiler
Alcoholism, gambling addiction, arson.Also, two notes about the backstories that can’t be summed up as easily:
The hero’s relationship with his mother is very strained, stemming from the fact that she left his father for another man. It’s made clear in the text that whilst his mother loves him she did not want to be a mother and he felt neglected by her.
The heroine’s father is an alcoholic and gambling addict, and her childhood was very disrupted. She was pretty much entirely raised by her older brother, who acted as a parental figure.