Review - A Little Luck, A Lot Of Fate
*blows away the cobwebs* Here it is, my first review of 2017. It was a great way to start with A Little Luck, A lot of Fate by Linn B. Halton! There's also a fab giveaway to enter.
Genre: Romance/contemporary women’s
Release Date: 23 October 2016
Publisher: Choc Lit 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.
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EXCERPT
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.
My Review
This book was such a surprise. Having read most of Linn's work, A Little Luck, A Lot of Fate was something deeper and unexpected.
Kristi, a lifestyle coach has reached a point when she starts to question her life and doesn't seem to like the answers. She isn't perfect and worries everyone else is about to realise that too. Not only that but the voice in her head seems to be emphasising the point as well.
The story is told from the point of view of each of the main characters, Kristi, Tom and Patrick. Tom is Kristi's casual boyfriend. With his artistic temperament he prefers his life in the woods, yet they are there for each other as friends and lovers. It was working - up until now. Kristi's rethink seems to have changed the direction of their relationship. Patrick, a tarot card reader and a psychic, is the person Kristi turns to for some answers.
At first I wondered what Kristi had done that was so terrible, how she'd come to feel like such a fraud. No, her life wasn't as perfect as perceived to be but throughout the story Kristi proved time and time again that she was actually perfect in her role as lifestyle coach. Inadvertently she was still helping those around her, even though her life seemed to be falling apart. One initial crisis of confidence happens to change everything for Kristi and also for Tom and Patrick. At times it seems obvious what Kristi needs to do, which makes the story more engaging as you wait to find out how each situation will unfold. Then you have to decide if it was luck, fate or maybe even destiny.
This is a lovely and thought provoking story! Another fab read from Linn B. Halton.
4.5 Butterfly Rating
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.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LinnBHalton
Goodreads Author Page: http://ow.ly/pv6N306918g
Website: http://linnbhalton.co.uk/
Pinterest: https://uk.pinterest.com/linnbhalton/
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