Luck and Last Resorts Published by Berkley by Sarah Grunder Ruiz
Series: Love Lists & Fancy Ships #2
on August 9, 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Second-Chance Romance, Women's Fiction, Chick-Lit, YA
Pages: 336
Source: Netgalley
Format: ARC, eBook
Find the Author: Website, Goodreads
Find the Book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads
ISBN: 0593335449
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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?
This book was an absolute delight! A gem!
So, admittedly, this is one that hooked me by the cover–and then I read the synopsis and was thoroughly intrigued. And then… The book is just so cleverly done and lovely.
It is a part of a series and I’m sure would be better enjoyed reading it in order. However, I did not read the first one and I don’t feel I missed a thing. The first book is about another couple that is featured in this one. But, again, it was a great standalone.
This book features Nina Lejeune, chief stewardess on a super yacht, and Ollie Dunne, an Irish cook, she meets on said yacht. This book vacillates between timelines: current and around a decade prior when Ollie and Nina first met.
I love that the story was told this way because the first time we see Nina and Ollie together we know there’s some history there and we know that they have some type of feelings–but it’s revealed casually, slowly, what they really mean to each other.
And, it’s just so fabulous. Because in this story, Nina is the one who is slow to realize and admit her feelings for Ollie. Which, when you read this, you realize how obvious and ridiculous it all is. But poor Nina hasn’t had the best example of a good relationship–nor has she had a lot of reason to place her trust in people.
By the end of the book I was just so wrapped up in Ollie and Nina–and at times frustrated by how emotionally stunted Nina was.
But I promise you, it’s all worth it in the end! This book was such a treat!
About Sarah Grunder Ruiz
Sarah Grunder Ruiz is a writer, educator, and karaoke enthusiast. Originally from South Florida, she now lives in Raleigh, North Carolina with her husband and two children. She holds an MFA in creative writing from North Carolina State University, where she now teaches First-Year Writing.
