The Big Gamble

Two lonely hearts meet each Friday at the casino, they go may Jane and John. Jane seems to bring luck to John at the slots, soon they are looking for each other each Friday and a friendship develops into so much more. They both have family responsibilities, so not looking for relationships but they can't deny the chemistry that they share. Even though this is a short story is packed full of emotion that I could not put down. A perfect summer read that I highly recommend. Looking forward to the next story in this series.

A fine start to the ‘The Lucky Lady Casino Short Stories’ series. The Big Gamble is the first short story in ‘The Lucky Lady Casino Short Stories’ series. Full disclaimer, I began the series with book three, Lucky Me - which I really liked - so big shoes to fill. This was an easy, enjoyable read. The story begins with two lonely people looking to get away from their hum-drum, mundane lives, even for a few short hours. Neither is looking for love, just peace (of course, I think how peaceful is the atmosphere of a casino?). But what they find is each other. At first they keep their distance by maintaining anonymity but slowly, the two begin to develop a bond. I enjoyed the development of the characters and how there actually is depth portrayed in this novella (a must for me, though frequently in stories of this length I am disappointed - but not this time). Also a bit of realism ensued as most single parents are somewhat reticent of introducing their children to new “love” interests too quickly - so this was definitely a point in this books favour - taking the introduction slowly. What I enjoyed was that characters I met in book three are in this first book, so I felt a comfortable companionship with the setting. As most readers like to form their own opinions and enjoy the story themselves, I will leave out any more details so as not to spoil your journey. I look forward to reading the next book in this series :)

The Big Gamble by Kathryn Shay is the first book in her The Lucky Lady Casino Short Stories. It is the perfect start to a new series. I'm looking forward to reading more books in this series! Jane and John both use the casino to get a break from their busy, challenging and complicated lives, but whereas John is open to a new relationship Jane hesitates after having her heart broken. They agree to see each once a week at the casino and not to share any personal information. That changes however when emergencies cause them to lean on each other when they need each other the most. I was given an ARC from the author/publisher. All conclusions are mine and mine alone.