Lucky (Lucky, #1) [Lucky & Dom] by Garrett Leigh

Beautiful yet SO heart breaking. Sometimes I feel there is something somewhat masochistic about reading Garrett's books. I mean, she leaves you RAW with emotions, torn out from the inside for AN ENTIRE BOOK before she finally delivers her beautifully crafted HEA. This book is no different. Our two MCs, both for his own reasons, is at his lowest. Both living a life they hate, isolated and ashamed. Yet they are a Grindr meeting away from changing all that. It's going to take time. A LOT of it, and yet when they are both honest about what they want, what makes them happy and content, grabbing one another and never letting go becomes a necessity.

I don't bother reading synopsis of books by authors I absolutely adore and as Garrett is RIGHT THERE on my list, I actually read it after I started, just to see where this one is headed. Yet I'm not sure I agree with the description. I think everything that happened between the couple was ALREADY tipping the scale. Also we should give Lucky a break, he is a lot stronger and capable than he gets credit for.



Dominic Ramos is a Premiership football player, he is also a VERY closeted gay. His life might seems all about the sport, yet he hates it. Hates everything about this sport who might have brought him fame and money, yet brought him loneliness as well. He is isolated, barely stands most of his teammates and his only friend is his agent. None of them knows he is gay. The only men who does, he met through the Grindr app and doesn't even know his name. Parking his expensive car far away, walking to an apartment of a guy he is about to meet and pay to get a blowjob is his human connection, to others but also to himself. That's how he meets Lucky. Yet Lucky is different, which is why they meet again (and again).

Lucky Coleman needs money. That's why he decides to meet this guy from Grindr who is willing to pay him for a blowjob. Being homeless, he asks a favor from a sort of friend to use her apartment. Dom is not what Lucky was expected. He is a sort of contradiction. he is intrigued by him, and yeah, also needing the money. Maybe if he saved a little bit more he'll have enough to rent the most horrible room in a center which suppose to offer safety to those who doesn't, yet for him, in a way, it's worse than sleeping on the streets. At least he has one true friend - Jamila - whom offers him when she can a place to sleep and a bit of food to eat. She would have done more, but being proud he won't allow her.

As the story progress we see Lucky using the money he saved and what he got from two meetings with Dom to start a job and try and make a better future for himself. Being homeless with NO resources is so difficult. Yet he is making the effort even if he has his bad habits they are still a means to an end, and that end is trying to build himself a future. I had a lot of respect for Lucky. I loved how Garrett humanized a phenomenon "we" - people who have a home, a family and a job - can feel so far away from, can be even condescending about. On the outside Lucky is another homeless who uses drugs and gets paid for blowing some guy. Yet when we are in his head, when we look and SEE him, we see a guy who is STRUGGLING with everything life has thrown over him and little by little he is doing every effort he can to bring himself to a better place. I find him PRECIOUS. He is so very genuine and even if he has nothing he still has his pride and he knows what hard work means which pays off not only in the new job he finds but also in making Dom see what he is missing. What they could have (even if he isn't giving all of himself, trying to prevent himself a hell of a broken heart).

Dom's life is more than miserable. In a way I felt sorrier for him than Lucky. Lucky might be in a worse place "objectively", yet all he needed was a roof under his head - a shelter from the cold and rain. Dom was simply lost. He went through the motions, doing what he has been doing for the past ten years and hating it, hating himself, hating there is nothing genuine about who people see. Yet being himself is impossible if he wants to keep playing and playing is all he knows. So up until he meets Lucky he just keeps doing his job not looking back or sideways waiting for what? Nameless encounters? his retirement when he is too old or broken to play?

The connection between the two was beautiful to read. Especially since it was so enigmatic most of the time. Lucky and Dom knows practically nothing about the other yet what they share means the world to both of them, it gives them a sort of haven, even if their time is limited. What starts as such a random encounter becomes so much more when phone numbers are exchanges which allows them to keep the lifeline between them, feeling each other in the tips of their fingers and being able to hope they could share so much more. When Lucky learns who Dom is and Dom feels the noose closing in on him their relationship abruptly ends right until he himself learns who Lucky is - THEN he makes his gesture and from there the road to HEA is so very easy to pave. With Lucky by his side, he can finally be who he has always knew he was on the inside and start building the life he wants.

I have no words to describe how much this book impacted me. I loved everything about it. Garrett is a master in creating these imperfect characters we can't do anything but relate to and come to love and wish all the best. This book is so very precious. HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND you grab it yourself and read it.

Oh! one last thing! Turns out this book will turn into a series! The next one is going to be of Cash (planned for January 2019). We've met him in the Jim's garage where Lucky started his apprenticeship. the third (and last) novel is going to be "Jude" (featuring Dom's best friend).

I kindly received this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book will be out September 18th, Pre-Order it through the link bellow.

Rating: ★★★★★

E-Book Edition

282 pages

Read on: 5-6 September 2018

ABOUT THIS SERIES

 

Lucky is a Contemporary MM Romance by Garrett Leigh. Like most of Garrett's series it's not truly a series, the books are all stand alone ones with the MCs being connected to one another.

In the first installment we get Lucky and Dom, in the second, we get Cash (Lucky's roommate) with Rae and the third features Isha (Dom's former agent and best friend) and Jude. Each book can totally be read as a stand alone but take into notice you'll stumble into characters from the previous books so it's always better to start from the beginning :)

I LOVED the first installment, Lucky and Dom seemed like such and unlikely couple yet they worked beautifully, with Cash and Rae's story I had a few issues but it was a solid one as well. The series came to a sweet closure with Jude and Isha's story, bringing all couples together.

Books:
1. Lucky [Lucky Coleman & Dominic Ramos] (Published 18 September 2018) ★★★★★
2. Cash [Ciaran "Cash" Walsh & Rae] (Published 22 January 2019) ★★★½
3. Jude [Jude Harrison & Isha Hussain] (Published 24 March 2019)  ★★★★