Luck and Last Resorts
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4.4 • 18 Ratings
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- $8.99
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
One of PopSugar’s Best New Books of 2022!
They have a second chance at love, but there are some rough seas ahead in the new contemporary romance from the acclaimed author of Love, Lists, and Fancy Ships.
Commitment-phobe Nina Lejeune lives by two rules:
1. Always have fun.
2. Don’t rely on anyone but yourself.
The first rule is easy; the second, she's only broken once.
Ten years after fleeing home, Nina is the chief stewardess on the super yacht Serendipity, single by choice, and perfectly content with how life has turned out.
But Nina’s ex-coworker and old flame, Irish chef Ollie Dunne, isn’t so happy with the status quo. One year after leaving yachting, he's returned as the Serendipity’s chef with an ultimatum: if Nina continues to deny she's in love with him by the end of this charter season, he'll go back to Ireland for good.
Nina and Ollie's shared secret from their past threatens to shipwreck not only their relationship, but the entire boat. But as their connection grows amidst chaotic guests and crew drama, could there be smooth sailing in their future?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
This emotional high-seas rom-com from Grunder Ruiz (Love, Lists, and Fancy Ships) offers a fresh take on the marriage of convenience trope. After a knee injury crushes Nina Lejeune's hopes of making the Olympic gymnastics team, Nina is hit with another unexpected blow: her father has a secret gambling addiction and, after having ruined his own credit rating, he moved on to trashing hers. Desperate to escape her life, Nina talks her way into a steward job on a charter yacht—and meets the ship's gorgeous Irish chef, Ollie Dunn, whose visa is about to expire. Ollie left Ireland to get away from his own abusive father, and hasn't looked back since. Nina suggests getting married to help Ollie get a green card, and, after some hesitation, Ollie agrees. The friends spend the next 10 years ignoring the fact that they're technically married even as their feelings for each other grow. Emotionally damaged commitment-phobe Nina doesn't think she knows how to love, but Ollie's willing to teach her. The characters' issues feel grounded and weighty, and Grunder Ruiz makes it easy to see how they can help each other work through them. Readers will root for this endearing couple.
Customer Reviews
Emotional Love Story
Four and a Half Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭒
Luck and Last Resorts by Sarah Grunder Ruiz is the second book in her Love, Lists & Fancy Ships Series but can be read as a stand-alone. I didn’t read the first book in the series and didn’t feel like it hurt my reading experience for Luck and Last Resorts, however, now I really, want to read the first book as I loved the characters and writing in this emotional romance.
Nina Lejeune is the chief stewardess on the super yacht Serendipity. She spent the last 10 years working her way up to this position, managing the staff on the super yacht. She’s single and fun-loving and has no intention of changing anything in her life. She’s away at sea for months at a time, and that life has no room for a relationship.
Irish chef Ollie Dunne is back on the Serendipity for one last voyage. He’s there to find out at last if Nina will ever admit that she loves him. He’s done playing games with Nina and he is determined to turn their on-again, off-again relationship into something permanent, or he will leave for Ireland, never to see Nina again.
This is one emotional story and it’s full of angst. Both Nina and Ollie have some giant-sized baggage, and each of them needs to come to terms with their own issues before they can be together for real. Their relationship is intense and sometimes it’s difficult to watch them. But, I was rooting for them during the entire book as it’s obvious they are meant to be together.
The yacht is its own character and I enjoyed the behind-the-scenes look at how a superyacht is managed and all the lower deck staff drama. We also get a glimpse of the previous characters from the first book, but they are not really part of the story. The story is focused on Nina and Ollie.
This story is sometimes heartbreaking, frustrating, and gritty, but it’s also hopeful, romantic, and satisfying. These characters are so realistic and relatable that I couldn’t help being touched by their journey.
I highly recommend Luck and Last Resorts to anyone who enjoys romance and women’s fiction. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.