About The Book
Belle Abbot is pathologically shy and because of this, she’s living a nightmare due to the fact that she’s also a national treasure hounded by the media. James Bennett is known the world over as the perfect catch, handsome, wealthy and the owner of an intimidating castle on a Cornish Cliff, Chy An Als Point.
Belle and James meet and in one night, they fall in love. The problem is, Belle’s dating James’s brother.
As quickly as they fall together, Belle and James are torn apart. Not long after, circumstances throw them back into each other’s lives and they find they were right that first romantic night, they were meant to be.
Even if their families want them together, James’s brother Miles does not. Dogged by a rabid media who are fascinated by their love triangle, as well as Belle’s hidden demons, James and Belle find they have yet another problem to solve. The Point is haunted by the ghosts of two children murdered in the castle. Their murderer will stop at nothing to keep their souls tethered to The Point instead of letting them live eternity with their mother and father.
Belle is determined to find her courage and help them and she enlists her loopy mother, loopier grandmother, James’s even loopier ex-girlfriend and the dubious (but talented) team of rock ‘n’ roll witch Cassandra McNabb and Scottish ghost hunter extraordinaire Angus McPherson to help the children find their way back home.
My Review
First Impressions
Lucky Stars is the final book in the “Ghosts and Reincarnation” series. I was definitely on board to finish up this series. I had also enjoyed so many aspects of the previous books and I was curious to see what Kristen Ashley would deliver with this one here. And to be honest, there are some elements that are tackled within this story here that will make many readers wary or even tempted to put the book aside. I actually recommend that you don’t do that. Just stick with it, because Kristen Ashley does make it work out in the end and if you can get through the first 30%, I guarantee you will get hooked in, it just takes some time with it. This is a story that has some fun dynamics to the story with reincarnation, a tragedy from 200 years before, children ghosts caught in the earthly plane and a instant deep connection that forms between our hero and heroine.
“You and Belle are connected,” Angus called after him. Jack stopped, hand to the doorknob, and turned back, “Yes, we are. But there’s nothing odd about it.” Angus hadn’t moved from his spot. “No, you’re right, it isn’t odd. It’s beautiful. But when I say you’re connected, I mean in more ways than you can imagine. It’s rare and it’s exquisite when it happens and it’s happened to you. You and Belle are connected supernaturally. You belong together. You’re destined for one another. You felt it immediately and don’t stand there and tell me or yourself you didn’t.”
Summary
Belle Abbot has a history of being with a man who abused her. She is with Miles, but when James and Belle meet at a function, there is an instant connection that runs deep between them, and they share a passionate night together. And when the dust settles, Belle realizes what she has done, but Jack is determined to protect her and make sure she is taken care of. But Belle leaves both brothers. But when she is pregnant, her mother and grandmother, come to Jack and let him know he is about to be a father and Jack forces Belle to face him and the responsibility that they both have to each other and their child. But this isn’t the only challenge that they will have to face either. They both will also have to face the fact that they are a reincarnated couple and the children ghosts Belle keeps seeing are their children. But there is an evil ghost out there that is determined to destroy them. So it will take all their families, some Scottish ghost whisperers and a magician, and a investigative journalist to destroy the evil and find a love to embrace…..
What I Loved
Lucky Stars completely threw me off, I am not going to lie. haha At first I was wondering how Kristen Ashley would redeem this couple for me and make it work out for me, but I ended up just falling in love with this one here. And I couldn’t seem to get enough of this couple. There is something about this author especially in her classic KA works that just digs deep when reading it. I really loved the reincarnation theme that we got with this one, and these two children that are so tormented and needed to find a way to move on to the next life, just broke my heart. This family deserved to find their HEA and the way that Kristen Ashley was able to craft their story and have you so in tune with them and their emotions was so beautifully done.
“But I’m all right because I’m not alone. I’m all right because I’m with you. Tonight, you made me all right.”
The romance that we see develop between Jack and Belle was beautifully done! I loved how much of an alpha Jack is here, and that he is willing to fight for his girl. She does him wrong in the beginning, but the way that he is going to stand for his lady and his child was so inspiring. I loved that he is a never back down type of man no matter what road blocks the heroine attempts to put in his path. We also have such a instant love connection. Now normally I am not for the instant love, but KA does it so well and I was on board with it despite my reservations surrounding it. But I also loved all the happy couple time we got with this one. We still have quite a bit of a suspenseful plot that is developed alongside it but loved that the inner conflict is resolved within the first half of the book and this is a longer read, keep that in mind.
“Look at me love. You’re awake. You’re safe. Put your arms around me and hold tight. “
The plot of the story is guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat. I couldn’t get enough of seeing these two together. But in the mix of the whole ghosts and evil haunting them and Jack and Belle working to give them peace. Seriously, just thinking about their story I am in tears here. I absolutely adored the way this plot was built up throughout the story. And seeing them being reincarnated was super neat and seeing this couple share one beautiful night together just endears you. But the way Jack and Belle are willing to fight for this family that had such a tragedy and to give them a HEA was so heartwrenching. Absolutely adored this book in every way, and the third act and ending is what moved this book from a 3 star to a 5 star rating!
What I Struggled With
So there are some aspects to the beginning of the story that will turn readers off as it almost had me DNF’ing this one. But I don’t like to DNF this author if I can help it. But it does have elements of cheating, love triangle, and secret baby. No for the cheating, Belle is dating Miles (Jack’s brother) and before she ends it with Miles she has a sexual evening with Jack. For the love triangle, this is very brief, only in the first couple of chapters but it does have a love triangle element to it. Then for the secret baby, this heroine wasn’t going to the hero. Her family had to tell him because she wouldn’t. I don’t care about her excuses, that was wrong. But somehow KA made it work for me.
Overall View
Lucky Stars is a stimulating, edge of your seat, tear through your emotions romantic tale that will entrench itself deep into your heart!
“Jesus, I love that sound!”
“What sound?”
“The sound of you…happy”
Title: Lucky Stars
Author: Kristen Ashley
Genre: Magical Realism Contemporary Romance
Format: eBook
Source: Self Purchased
Length: 531 Pages
Book Links
Amazon| Barnes and Noble| Kobo| Goodreads| LibraryThing| StoryGraph| Literal Club
Book Evaluation
Storytelling Quality: 4.5
Story Itself: 4.5
Character Development: 4
Writing Style: 5
World Building 5
Feels + The Romantic Heart 5
Pacing 5
Plot 5
Cover Art 5
Ending 5
Book Ratings
Overall Rating of the Book
Steam Level
Simmering—soft warm touches and light intimacy
Warm- a medium level of sexual tension, a balance of sexual and emotional intimacy, lighter on the details in the sexual moments.
Steamin’ up the room -the sexual content is more explicit in the language and tone, heavier amount of sexual scenes.
Blazing fire to the building-The prime focus is the sex scenes, scorching hot, and could burn one. Less focus on the emotional intimacy to the relationship.
About The Author
Kristen Ashley was born in Gary, Indiana, USA. She nearly killed her mother and herself making it into the world, seeing as she had the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck (already attempting to accessorize and she hadn’t taken her first breath!).
Kristen grew up in Brownsburg, Indiana but has lived in Denver, Colorado and the West Country of England. Thus she has been blessed to have friends and family around the globe. Her posse is loopy (to say the least) but loopy is good when you want to write.
Kristen was raised in a house with a large and multi-generational family. They lived on a very small farm in a small town in the heartland and existed amongst the strains of Glenn Miller, The Everly Brothers, REO Speedwagon and Whitesnake (and the wardrobes that matched).
Needless to say, growing up in a house full of music, clothes and love was a good way to grow up.
And as she keeps growing up, it keeps getting better.
Aaarrrggghhh!! This is why I can’t stand the secret baby trope. Keeping the guy in the dark for what? Unless he’s a complete waste, someone who would hurt the child, why is he the last to know???
And yet, from your review, I’m still intrigued by this book. I might have to wait until my heart can handle the whole secret baby/love triangle angsty nonsense that is sure to break my heart in many little ways.
Yeah I can only love the secret baby trope if handled well. Now there is a miscommunication over the hero’s intentions so that is probably why she wasn’t going to him right away. At least her family was willing to do the right thing. I do wish it was more fleshed out on that. The love triangle is very much only in the beginning. Its KA, so she resolves the inner conflict pretty early on in the story. If you ever read it, I would just recommend sticking with it, because it ended up being well done in the end and the feels of the story really won me over overall.