Amazon UK
Title: A Little Luck, A Lot of Fate
Author: Linn B Halton
Format reviewed: Ebook
Source: Netgalley
Publisher: Choc Lit
Publication Date: 23rd October 2016
Rating: 3.5 Stars
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| Amazon UK |
When destiny calls, you need to pick up …
On the surface, Kristi Danielson has it all. She’s lifestyle coach to the rich and famous, has a bestselling book to her name and is described by her fans as “the veritable Queen of how to lead a fulfilling life”.
But the harsh truth is that Kristi has never practiced what she preaches. Her home life is a mess, her relationship with artist boyfriend, Tom, not much better – and now she has to redeem herself before all is lost.
At her wit’s end, Kristi is driven to seek out the help of Patrick Blakeslee, a tarot card reader and psychic medium, in an attempt to make sense of the mounting panic she’s feeling.
But Patrick’s visits have an unexpected effect on Kristi, leaving her with more questions than answers – and a life-changing decision to make.
On the surface, Kristi Danielson has it all. She’s lifestyle coach to the rich and famous, has a bestselling book to her name and is described by her fans as “the veritable Queen of how to lead a fulfilling life”.
But the harsh truth is that Kristi has never practiced what she preaches. Her home life is a mess, her relationship with artist boyfriend, Tom, not much better – and now she has to redeem herself before all is lost.
At her wit’s end, Kristi is driven to seek out the help of Patrick Blakeslee, a tarot card reader and psychic medium, in an attempt to make sense of the mounting panic she’s feeling.
But Patrick’s visits have an unexpected effect on Kristi, leaving her with more questions than answers – and a life-changing decision to make.
A lovely romance that challenged my thoughts on tarot cards, mediums, spirits and self-help guides. By challenged I mean, i had to put a lot of my own scepticism aside in order to try and enjoy this book fully, as they are just subjects I'm not convinced about.
In between the subject matter that I don't always believe in, there is a good story, written from three points of view, and it was always clear which character you were with, as their name appears on a separate page turn, before the next chapter heading, so there should be no excuse for confusion.
There is Kristi who is a famous lifestyle coach, who is on the verge of a breakdown and is scared that the public will discover the truth about her own not so perfect life, so is taking a sabbatical to try and solve that problem, while writing a new book.
Tom is Kristi's best friend and back up plan, he lives in a cabin in Forest Dean, and is a tortured artist. He and Kristi have known each other since childhood, and they are in a sort of relationship.
Then there is Patrick, who is a tarot card reader, and psychic medium and seems to be drawn into Kristi's life by a higher power. Due to my own beliefs I was not convinced by a lot of what Patrick had to say about the spirit world, but understand that many people love this sort of thing, and will enjoy everything about Patrick. A lot of his talk about the spirit world seemed accurate based on my vaguest understanding of it, I'm just not a believer!
This is a story of self discovery, not just for Kristi but also for the two gentlemen in her life, they are all going through big changes, and its interesting to see how the characters develop over the course of the book. I also loved Kristi's fledgling friendship with her cleaner Eve. Eve has a lot of her own troubles, but seemed to have a heart of gold, and I really enjoyed reading her interactions with Kristi.
I found A Little Luck, A Lot of Fate to be an enjoyable story, one that in places really held my interest, and the main times my enjoyment dropped were nothing to do with the book, but to do with me. The romance elements were done really well, and I also loved the journey that Kristi went on.
Thank you to Choc Lit and Netgalley for this copy of the book which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
Below is an excerpt from A Little Luck, A Lot of Fate:
I’m the middle child, sandwiched between my eldest brother, Luke, and the baby of the family, Drew. My mother had three brothers and so, as the only two daughters in two generations, we were always in the minority. That rather tends to shape the way you look at things and there are only two ways it can go. Either you are the one whose voice is seldom heard above the sea of testosterone around you, or you make yours the loudest voice of them all. You become the organiser; the one who leads – in short, my brothers accepted that I was in charge. Maybe it was because I had inherited the bossy gene, if such a thing exists. But, from a tender age, what I lacked in practical knowledge, I made up for with sheer common sense and the dubious ability to be believable.
I say dubious, because I learnt that I had the power to organise and control what went on around me. I was a natural. What surprised me was the fact that people around me loved being told what to do. They sought my advice, opening up to me and looking for guidance at every step of the way. As a teenager I felt I had a heady power and it gave me a sense of confidence. At the time I didn’t understand that it was something to be treated with respect and a healthy dose of reality. People simply lapped-up what I told them and that, I suppose, was the blessing that has become a curse. When people are unsure about what to do next they look around for someone strong to advise them. In their desperation they are grateful and comforted and the person delivering the advice? Well, it’s addictive and each little success elevates you in their eyes, as well as in your own.
The truth is that I am supremely confident when it comes to organising other people’s lives. I’m extremely proud of the fact that I can inspire others and encourage them to develop their full potential. When it comes to my own life, it’s held together with the emotional equivalent of string and Blu-tack. Simply put, I’m a fraud.
Money and fame go hand-in-hand and there isn’t a chat show worth mentioning that hasn’t featured me at some point in the last few years. My name constantly crops up around the world and even in countries like the US, Japan, and Sweden, it’s instantly recognisable. Grab Life and Run With It is in its fourth season in the UK and I’ve just signed a contract for a further six episodes. My fan club is full of hopeful people, eager to share each of their milestones on Twitter, as they follow my celebrated Twelve Steps to Finding YOU plan.
To the world it appears I have all of the trappings of success. The harsh reality is that I spend my time trying to cover the tracks of a life that has no balance. All I have is my work – there is nothing else.
About Linn B Halton
Bristol-born Linn B Halton lives on the edge of the small market town of Cinderford, in the Forest of Dean, in the UK.
"I'm a hopeless romantic, self-confessed chocaholic, and lover of strong coffee. For me, life is about family, friends, writing ... and house renovation! Oh, and the occasional glass of White Grenache..."
An Amazon UK Top 100 best-selling author with A Cottage in the Country in November 2015, Under The Stars also became a best-seller in November 2016. Linn's novels have been short-listed in the UK's Festival of Romance and the eFestival of Words Book Awards. Linn won the 2013 UK Festival of Romance: Innovation in Romantic Fiction award.
Linn writes chick lit, women's contemporary fiction and psychic romance for Choc Lit, Harper Impulse and Endeavour Press.
In between the subject matter that I don't always believe in, there is a good story, written from three points of view, and it was always clear which character you were with, as their name appears on a separate page turn, before the next chapter heading, so there should be no excuse for confusion.
There is Kristi who is a famous lifestyle coach, who is on the verge of a breakdown and is scared that the public will discover the truth about her own not so perfect life, so is taking a sabbatical to try and solve that problem, while writing a new book.
Tom is Kristi's best friend and back up plan, he lives in a cabin in Forest Dean, and is a tortured artist. He and Kristi have known each other since childhood, and they are in a sort of relationship.
Then there is Patrick, who is a tarot card reader, and psychic medium and seems to be drawn into Kristi's life by a higher power. Due to my own beliefs I was not convinced by a lot of what Patrick had to say about the spirit world, but understand that many people love this sort of thing, and will enjoy everything about Patrick. A lot of his talk about the spirit world seemed accurate based on my vaguest understanding of it, I'm just not a believer!
This is a story of self discovery, not just for Kristi but also for the two gentlemen in her life, they are all going through big changes, and its interesting to see how the characters develop over the course of the book. I also loved Kristi's fledgling friendship with her cleaner Eve. Eve has a lot of her own troubles, but seemed to have a heart of gold, and I really enjoyed reading her interactions with Kristi.
I found A Little Luck, A Lot of Fate to be an enjoyable story, one that in places really held my interest, and the main times my enjoyment dropped were nothing to do with the book, but to do with me. The romance elements were done really well, and I also loved the journey that Kristi went on.
Thank you to Choc Lit and Netgalley for this copy of the book which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
Below is an excerpt from A Little Luck, A Lot of Fate:
I’m the middle child, sandwiched between my eldest brother, Luke, and the baby of the family, Drew. My mother had three brothers and so, as the only two daughters in two generations, we were always in the minority. That rather tends to shape the way you look at things and there are only two ways it can go. Either you are the one whose voice is seldom heard above the sea of testosterone around you, or you make yours the loudest voice of them all. You become the organiser; the one who leads – in short, my brothers accepted that I was in charge. Maybe it was because I had inherited the bossy gene, if such a thing exists. But, from a tender age, what I lacked in practical knowledge, I made up for with sheer common sense and the dubious ability to be believable.
I say dubious, because I learnt that I had the power to organise and control what went on around me. I was a natural. What surprised me was the fact that people around me loved being told what to do. They sought my advice, opening up to me and looking for guidance at every step of the way. As a teenager I felt I had a heady power and it gave me a sense of confidence. At the time I didn’t understand that it was something to be treated with respect and a healthy dose of reality. People simply lapped-up what I told them and that, I suppose, was the blessing that has become a curse. When people are unsure about what to do next they look around for someone strong to advise them. In their desperation they are grateful and comforted and the person delivering the advice? Well, it’s addictive and each little success elevates you in their eyes, as well as in your own.
The truth is that I am supremely confident when it comes to organising other people’s lives. I’m extremely proud of the fact that I can inspire others and encourage them to develop their full potential. When it comes to my own life, it’s held together with the emotional equivalent of string and Blu-tack. Simply put, I’m a fraud.
Money and fame go hand-in-hand and there isn’t a chat show worth mentioning that hasn’t featured me at some point in the last few years. My name constantly crops up around the world and even in countries like the US, Japan, and Sweden, it’s instantly recognisable. Grab Life and Run With It is in its fourth season in the UK and I’ve just signed a contract for a further six episodes. My fan club is full of hopeful people, eager to share each of their milestones on Twitter, as they follow my celebrated Twelve Steps to Finding YOU plan.
To the world it appears I have all of the trappings of success. The harsh reality is that I spend my time trying to cover the tracks of a life that has no balance. All I have is my work – there is nothing else.
About Linn B Halton
"I'm a hopeless romantic, self-confessed chocaholic, and lover of strong coffee. For me, life is about family, friends, writing ... and house renovation! Oh, and the occasional glass of White Grenache..."
An Amazon UK Top 100 best-selling author with A Cottage in the Country in November 2015, Under The Stars also became a best-seller in November 2016. Linn's novels have been short-listed in the UK's Festival of Romance and the eFestival of Words Book Awards. Linn won the 2013 UK Festival of Romance: Innovation in Romantic Fiction award.
Linn writes chick lit, women's contemporary fiction and psychic romance for Choc Lit, Harper Impulse and Endeavour Press.
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Thanks so much for being a part of the tour, Rachel, and for your lovely review - much appreciated! x
ReplyDeleteHaving read your review I'd really like to read this book. Love the cover, especially the little girl in the pink coat xxx
ReplyDeleteI love the cover. I feel like the couple represent the love and the little girl the sugar as she looks sweet.
ReplyDelete