1.5 Stars
I am giving this book half a star because it started out so promising! LUCKY LEAP DAY is my first book by Ann Marie Walker, so I went in blind hoping for the best. Our heroine was recently dumped by a cheating boyfriend and decided to take their trip for two to Dublin, Ireland, by herself – a classic setup for a rom-com. Everything is going wrong until she gets in an Uber, and the hero, a sexy Irish rocker, is her driver. By his design, they run into each other again, spend the day together and have a ton of fun.
By this point in the book, I am all in. The heroine is an adorable mess; the hero is cute and sexy (although the narrator’s attempt at a male Irish accent occasionally made me physically cringe). I am ready for the fun, promised-in-the-first-chapter-and-synopsis “oops we’re married” moment so they can spend more fun, cute times in Ireland… when the book suddenly goes off the rails.
It was almost like the second half of the book was written by someone who only skimmed the first part. The hero and heroine inexplicably decide to go back to the heroine’s town, Los Angeles, where this book suddenly becomes about her professional development, her terror of a boss, and her friend group. She doesn’t even see the hero for, like, 48 hours after they land in LA. She just deserts him to stay at her house. Then comes the next 360… the hero is discovered. Not as a musician as one may assume by his character background – what little of it there is – but as an actor in the next big blockbuster. Like… what? There was never any mention that he was an actor or liked acting even, but he’s suddenly swooped up to land the next Marvel-like movie? I can suspend my disbelief for an excellent romance novel, but this was ridiculous.
In addition to the weird plot turns, I disliked a lot about this book. The hero has as much depth as a puddle. He’s perfect the entire time except for his “big secret,” which is also weird, but I will try not to spoil things more than I already have. Like, he’s perfect and patient and kind and apparently has the acting chops of a movie star without trying. And he can sing. Cool. The book is also fade to black with the intimate scenes, which is fine, but the first time the hero and heroine sleep together, the chapter ends, and then they don’t mention it for, like, four chapters! They finally deepen their relationship, and not only do we not get to read about their budding feelings through physical intimacy, but we don’t even get to hear them discuss how it changes things? Not okay.
Oh, and the epilogue is from the dog’s perspective, and, really, that just sent me off. It was weird and not cute as I think it was intended. A real bang of an ending to a book that just didn’t work for me. I would like eight hours of my life back, please.
**I received a free copy of this audiobook in order to provide an honest review**
Romance Reader 