By Sara StevenWho needs love? Not Sybil Sweet. After years of bouncing from job to job in search of something that feels right and from man to man in search of something special, Sybil is embracing her role as the directionless, floundering member of her family. All she really wants now is a little financial stability and carb comfort. Lucky for her, she’s got just enough in the bank to buy a lottery ticket, and the late-night donut store is open.
Kiran Anderson abandoned his dreams of becoming a doctor to take over running his family’s bakery, and after two years of fighting a losing battle to save the place, he’s exhausted and broke. But when a whirlwind of a woman sweeps in late one night, flirty energy gives way to more…until she runs out the next morning, leaving behind her winning lottery ticket.
Lucky for Kiran, his attempt to return the ticket looks like a grand romantic gesture and goes viral, sending sales through the roof. In an effort to keep the store afloat and to get Sybil’s family off of her back, they agree to fake a relationship for three months. Even with hundreds of millions of dollars, finding each other might end up being the sweetest bit of luck for both of them. (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.)
Having read Technically Yours (reviewed here), I was super excited to delve into Just Our Luck and learn more about Sybil and Kiran and how they navigate having such polar opposite personalities. For Kiran, he’s a lot more grounded with what feels like a lot at stake, considering he’s taken over his father’s bakery and is trying everything he can to keep it in business. Sybil seems to go by the direction the wind blows on any given day, which has made her a liability in her own family. No one has much faith that she’ll ever get her life together. When Sybil and Kiran meet, despite not knowing each other well and being so different, they are drawn to each other in a way that makes them both throw caution to the wind!
The winning lottery ticket angle was interesting and threw in some added drama. Sybil’s family questions the authenticity in Kiran’s interest in Sybil, and Sybil wants to do what she can to help Kiran out, but he refuses the help. Maybe the way they met and what led to the winning lottery ticket is enough to gain the public’s interest, making the bakery a must-see spot, and maybe pretending to be more than they really are will help Sybil’s family buy the fake relationship they have, but ultimately, it’s what they think of each other that matters most.
At one point, Sybil tells Kiran, “Try not to fall in love with me.” She declares that after they’ve agreed on their fake dating arrangement, and Kiran assures her that it won’t be a problem. But it becomes a problem, because he can’t help but enjoy her tornado. There were characteristics to Sybil that reminded me of Sandra Bullock’s character Sarah in the movie Forces of Nature, all wild and crazy, going against stereotypical norms and rules and doing her own thing. Kiran can’t help but be pulled into that force, even though he feels so much responsibility on himself and wants to keep everything together, for everyone. It’s a lot to put on one person.
They rub off on one another, in the best (and worst) ways, working hard to keep the outside influences on the outside so they can figure things out. I thought the way Sybil thinks and internalizes really matched her personality, and the same could be said for Kiran’s more staunch viewpoint on life. Just Our Luck was a cute, fun experience!
Thanks to Berkley for the book in exchange for an honest review.
Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by following us.
Listen to this book on Speechify!
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
