Lucky Charm by Marie Astor
Published & Sold By: Amazon Digital Services
Release Date: July 9, 2011
Format: Kindle - 504 KB / 238 pages
ASIN: B005BZL3L4
Genre: Contemporary Romance Fiction / Women's Fiction / Chick Lit
About The Author:
Marie Astor is the author of contemporary romance novels Dance Me to the Stars, On the Rim of Love, and Lucky Charm, and a collection of short stories A Chance Encounter and Other Stories.
Marie's latest contemporary romance novel, Dance Me to the Stars, has been selected in the first round of entries in the General Fiction category in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel contest this year.
Currently, Marie is working on her next novel - a first installment in her romantic suspense series.
AUTHOR WEBSITE
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Book Description:
Twenty-eight- year old Annabel Green is about to tie the knot with her college love, an aspiring author Jeremy Blake, but her plans for an ideal wedding are rudely interrupted when she catches Jeremy kissing his gorgeous book agent.
Shell-shocked by Jeremy's betrayal, Annabel retreats into the quiet routine of TV dinners and solitary evenings. It is then that Annabel's best friend, fashion designer Lilly Clayton, sets herself on a mission to draw Annabel out of her shell. In an attempt to persuade Annabel to keep an open mind on dating, Lilly takes Annabel for a stunning makeover, but after Annabel passes on a date with a dashing entrepreneur, Lilly decides that more drastic measures are needed. Lilly invites Annabel to see a palm reader who gives Annabel a lucky charm that is supposed to help her find true love.
A few weeks later, during her trip to Paris, Annabel meets a handsome Parisian, and as the two embark on a whirlwind romance, she starts to believe in the power of the talisman the palm reader has given her. But what Annabel does't know is that Lilly is hiding a secret that could unravel her faith in her newly found luck in love.
Book Excerpt:
As they walked up Third Avenue, Annabel's thoughts turned to Jeremy again. At times, she was not even sure if she had really loved him - she was certain that she thought she loved him, had managed to convince herself that she loved him, but was it really love, or simply her desire to be in love with someone masquerading as the real thing? Ever since Lilly had confronted her on the matter, Annabel had dissected her relationship with Jeremy in her mind countless times. Still, even if Lilly was right, and her feelings for Jeremy were nothing but her longing to love and be loved, they had drained her just the same. She had loved him or her own version of him with such abandon that she could never imagine loving somebody that much again.
Suddenly, Lilly halted in the middle of the street, interrupting Annabel's musings. "Wait up, Annabel," she called.
"What is it? I thought you said the bar was further up?"
"Check this out!" Lilly motioned at the sign in the dim window on the right, which read, 'Madam Aurora - Tarot Card Readings.' Let's go inside!" Lilly exclaimed.
"Oh, I don't know," Annabel replied - she had an inborn distrust of psychics and palm readers which she had inherited from her mother who maintained that they were nothing but con artists. Lilly's mother on the other hand was very much into this sort of thing, and Annabel remembered many a time when she would come to see Lilly and find Mrs. Clayton engrossed in a tarot card reading.
"Come on, it'll be fun," Lilly urged her. "Don't you want to get your fortune read?"
"I'm not sure - if it's anything like what it's been recently, I think I'd rather stay in the dark."
"Well, I want to get mine read - I want to see what's in store for me and Simon," Lilly insisted. "You don't have to get yours read if you don't want to."
"All right, have it your way," Annabel surrendered, knowing full well that once Lilly got something into her head, it would be impossible to talk her out of it.
Lilly tugged on the front door, but it was locked.
"It says here that you have to ring." Annabel pointed to the small sign next to the intercom.
Lilly pressed the intercom button, but no one answered.
"See? There's no one there - you probably have to make an appointment in advance or something like that." Annabel was glad of an excuse to leave. "Let's go. Maybe next time." She tugged at Lilly's sleeve.
Just then there was a rustling noise from the intercom receiver. "Who is it?" asked a distant voice.
"Madam Aurora? We're interested in a tarot reading." Lilly spoke into the intercom.
"Come on up - it's the top floor." The front door buzzed open.
Suddenly, Lilly halted in the middle of the street, interrupting Annabel's musings. "Wait up, Annabel," she called.
"What is it? I thought you said the bar was further up?"
"Check this out!" Lilly motioned at the sign in the dim window on the right, which read, 'Madam Aurora - Tarot Card Readings.' Let's go inside!" Lilly exclaimed.
"Oh, I don't know," Annabel replied - she had an inborn distrust of psychics and palm readers which she had inherited from her mother who maintained that they were nothing but con artists. Lilly's mother on the other hand was very much into this sort of thing, and Annabel remembered many a time when she would come to see Lilly and find Mrs. Clayton engrossed in a tarot card reading.
"Come on, it'll be fun," Lilly urged her. "Don't you want to get your fortune read?"
"I'm not sure - if it's anything like what it's been recently, I think I'd rather stay in the dark."
"Well, I want to get mine read - I want to see what's in store for me and Simon," Lilly insisted. "You don't have to get yours read if you don't want to."
"All right, have it your way," Annabel surrendered, knowing full well that once Lilly got something into her head, it would be impossible to talk her out of it.
Lilly tugged on the front door, but it was locked.
"It says here that you have to ring." Annabel pointed to the small sign next to the intercom.
Lilly pressed the intercom button, but no one answered.
"See? There's no one there - you probably have to make an appointment in advance or something like that." Annabel was glad of an excuse to leave. "Let's go. Maybe next time." She tugged at Lilly's sleeve.
Just then there was a rustling noise from the intercom receiver. "Who is it?" asked a distant voice.
"Madam Aurora? We're interested in a tarot reading." Lilly spoke into the intercom.
"Come on up - it's the top floor." The front door buzzed open.
My Book Review:
Twenty-eight year old Annabel Green is just months away from marrying her boyfriend of seven years, Jeremy Blake, when she catches him kissing his book agent, and suddenly her whole world is turned upside down. She had willingly been the breadwinner in their relationship, taking a "temporary" copywriter's position at an advertising agency, setting her own dreams of writing aside while Jeremy writes his first novel. Faced with a cheating fiance, she confronts Jeremy and finds out that he has been seeing his book agent for the past three months, brokenhearted Annabel ends their relationship. For the next few weeks, Annabel slides into a depressing routine of working late, eating takeout and watching tv, while ducking attempts from her best friend, fashion designer Lilly Clayton, who tries to get her out of the apartment. Determined to pull Annabel out of her funk, Lilly treats Annabel to a makeover and a tarot card reading, where Annabel is given a heart-shaped charm on a gold necklace to wear as a talisman to bring her luck in love. Lilly asks Annabel if she would accompany her on a three week trip to Paris, to help her in a fashion contest that she has entered. Will Lilly's attempts to get Annabel back in the dating game work? Will a dream trip to the famous City of Lights and a lucky charm bring Annabel love?
Lucky Charm is a delightfully fun and flirty romance novel that will draw you into Annabel's story from the start. The storyline is a true chick lit novel at its best, filled with romance, broken hearts, learning to love again, and the promise of a happy ending, all you'll need is some wine, chocolate and a comfy couch to enjoy this story. The author does a wonderful job of engaging the reader's interest and drawing them into Annabel's journey of self-discovery and learning to find love again. With a touch of dramatic, flirty and sassy interactions between the characters, you can't help but giggle as you turn the pages. Annabel and Lilly's friendship is a realistic BFF relationship that everyone can relate to. You can't help but smile and giggle at their crazy antics, it reminded me of my own relationship with my BFF. The author does a fantastic job of describing Paris and its cultural treasures, it reads like a virtual tour guide, and is truly sigh worthy. When Annabel meets the handsome Parisian, Etienne Gerard, I found myself smiling and cheering her on as their whirlwind romance developed during her three week stay in Paris. Even though an ocean separates them, love can overcome all obstacles, if Annabel will allow herself to trust and love again.
There is so much that can be said about this fun little novel, but I don't want to give any spoiler information, so if you are looking for a lighthearted contemporary romance novel that will leave you smiling, I would definitely recommend reading Lucky Charm, you won't be disappointed!
RATING: 4 STARS ****
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