Book Review — My Lucky Days by SD Hendrickson

Lucky was either going to be the love of my life or break me into a million pieces that could never be repaired. Or maybe both.

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As a huge fan of second chance romances, I knew I had to read this book from the moment I heard about it! It’s the story of a country singer who falls in love with a college student on the brink of his big break into fame. The timing couldn’t have been worse as he knew he’d be gone for most of the time touring, but he couldn’t stop himself from giving his whole heart to her. Time, distance, and tragedy ultimately tore them apart, but their time together was unforgettable and so when fate drew them back to each other, this time he was determined to hold onto her forever.

I’ve loved SD Hendrickson’s writing ever since I first read The Mason List (my review) in early 2015. That book is still one of my all-time stay-with-you-after-you’ve-finished-reading top favorites, and then when I read her second standalone Waiting For Wyatt (my review) earlier this year, I fell in love again and knew I’d found a favorite author. There’s just something about her writing and characters that speaks to my heart.

When you begin this book, you’re thrown right into the emotional intensity of Lucky and Katie’s reunion. In the prologue, you learn that the he’s a famous star, that they clearly were once romantically involved, that they share a painful history, and that he’s now moving back home after years away. So where does that leave them? What had broken them apart? How did they meet? Would they get back together? I had so many questions and eagerly dove in.

“I know it’s been a while.” His brown eyes held mine for a moment, flickering something I couldn’t read. He motioned toward the edge of the bed next to me. “Can I sit? I thought maybe we could talk.”

As he gazed down at me, I felt that tug inside my heart. I nodded slowly, allowing him to take one more step back into my life. I hadn’t seen him in years. Well, I’d seen him, splashed across my television and on magazines. But not in person. Not close enough to physically touch.

Starting from chapter one, we’re brought right back to the night they first met, and then taken forward in time through their first dates and first months together as they fell in love with each other. But their newfound romance couldn’t have come at at a worse time. With his shining talent and passion for singing, along with the once-in-a-lifetime touring opportunities that came his way, he was hovering on the edge of stardom and his music career kept him away from her for much of their time together. He was quite upfront with her though about what a life with him would be like and equally clear about how much he wanted to try to make things work.

“We’re going on the road after the first of the year. It’s bigger and more organized than what I’ve been doing. My first break, I guess. But that’s the truth. I don’t know what my future holds.”

He picked up my hand, linking our fingers together. “But Katie, despite all of that, I want to try this with you. And I understand if you’re not willing. My juggling everything will get frustrating. I won’t be here all the time. All I can do is promise to be here when I can. I’ll always be honest and never cheat. And you will have to trust me. I know that part might be the hardest [especially] with what I do. But if you think you can, and you don’t mind me being gone, maybe we could give this a shot.”

She had his heart, but the world had his dreams, and though they tried so hard to make things work, ultimately something had to give. When a heart-breaking tragedy tore through their lives, they finally were ripped apart. But their feelings for each other never went away. And when life finally brought him back to her — along with an unexpected surprise — he knew he wasn’t going to mess up his second chance with the only girl who he’d ever loved.

I absolutely loved the way he tried so hard to win her back. The one thing that was undeniable was that right from the first date, he genuinely cared for on a very deep level. He was truly one of the ‘good guys’ — swoony, charming, and loyal. What he felt for her wasn’t lust or infatuation or any fleeting feeling. It was real lifelong love, and even if the road ahead of them was going to be bumpy, he was determined that they’d find their happily ever after.

He moved my hand, placing it lightly against his chest. The warmth of his skin seeped through his shirt. “I told you a long time ago. No one would ever be in here but you. No matter what happened out there after I left. I still mean that.”

Just because I know many of you will be wondering about this — there’s no cheating and no triangle in the story at all. They’re separated for about 8-9 years. It’s all told from her POV in first-person perspective and other than the prologue, the story is told in a linear progression (so no switching back and forth between past and present). The prologue is their now, the bulk of the book is their past until it catches up to their present and then it moves forward until the end of the book. And this is a complete standalone.

Oh and the ending was BEAUTIFUL!!! All the heart-warming feels you could hope for. It brought happy tears to my eyes with the knowledge that in this moment, they’d truly found their way back to where they were supposed to be. Fans of swoony rock stars, slow burning romances, and second chance love stories should definitely try this book!

Rating: 4+ stars. Standalone NA romance.

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