Luck, Love & Lemon Pie

by Amy E Reichert

From the author of the “clever, creative, and sweetly delicious” (Kirkus Reviews) The Coincidence of Coconut Cake and The Simplicity of Cider comes a novel about an exasperated wife and mother who makes a play to reignite her marriage—and risks everything in a gamble she hopes is a sure bet.

When Milwaukee-area wife and mother MJ Boudreaux notices her husband Chris seems more interested in the casino than her, she’s more bothered that she isn’t upset than by her husband’s absence. She picks up poker as a way for them to spend more time together—and reignite their marital flame.

Although the game doesn’t give her the quality time with Chris that she’d hoped, MJ finds she has a knack for it. Increasingly unhappy at home, she turns to the felt top of the poker table for comfort. Intoxicated with newfound freedom, MJ begins spending more time at the gambling tables and less with her family, finally carving out for herself a place outside her role of wife and mother.

After a string of great wins, MJ finds herself in Vegas, attracting the attention of a certain magnetic poker star. But when she’s forced to choose between her family and her new exciting lifestyle, the stakes may be higher than she thought and MJ will have to play her hand carefully…or risk losing it all.

• ISBN10: 1501121553
• ISBN13: 9781501121555
• Publish Date: 12 July 2016
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Imprint: Gallery
• Format: eBook (EPUB)
• Pages: 320
• Language: English

Reviews

[Linda]

This review was originally posted on (un)Conventional Bookviews
Luck, Love and Lemon Pie deals with what happens after years of a mostly happy marriage, when boredom sets in and the two people who were always there for each other start to grow apart.



MJ and Chris have been married for 20 years, but for their 20th anniversary, Chris doesn't show up at the restaurant for their celebration lunch. In fact, he's playing poker and forgot all about MJ... Luck, Love and Lemon Pie starts pretty strongly , placing the reader firmly on MJ's side, as she was having a whole meal alone, including the famous lemon pie Chris had always made for their anniversary in the past. Because Chris enjoyed his poker games at the local casino, MJ figured they could play together - having their date night doing something he liked might re-ignite the romantic flames of their relationship... Of course, things didn't really work out that way.

There is a lot of poker in Luck, Love and Lemon Pie, and it was very interesting to see how MJ lost herself in the game. A way to think logically, to figure out the other players all the while forgetting about the shortcomings of her own life. Between her children, the household chores and Chris being absent more often than not, MJ had started to feel slightly invisible, but that was not the case once she started with the poker games. And when there was a tournament where the first prize was the entry to a bigger tournament in Las Vegas, she went for it.

I really enjoyed how the game became a metaphor both for life in general and marriage in particular in Luck, Love and Lemon Pie, and the way MJ reflected on her life and what she really wanted moving forward is something that we all have to do from time to time. Re-evaluating things, figuring out how to make some adjustments in order to keep the love alive after a long marriage is never easy. And it really seemed as if it might be too late for MJ to save what was important to her. Written in third person past tense, the narration was nicely paced and included enough dialogues to get to know the side characters well, too. With the flashbacks into MJ's and Chris's past, it was also easy to cheer for them to work things out.



She picked up Chris's clothes from the floor in their shared bathroom and shoved them into the laundry basket. How was a man who so precisely lined up his toiletries on the bathroom counter incapable of getting his dirty underwear into the hamper?

[kimbacaffeinate]

I adored the quirky romance Reichert delivered in The Coincidence of Coconut Cake so I was eager to begin Luck, Love & Lemon Pie. Set in Milwaukee and we enter the Boudreaux home. Chris and MJ have settled into a routine and are busy raising two teenage children. When, Chris is late for their anniversary lunch it sets in motion doubts about their relationship. MJ attempts to rekindle their connection but miscommunications, trouble from an old nemesis, and plans backfires MJ is unsure where she stands.

All marriages go through phases and having been married for close to 29 years I can attest to this. Sometimes we are like new lovers, other times like roommates who bask in holding hands and watching a movie. We both have our own interests and things we enjoy together, but sometimes life gets hectic and we forget to make time for us as a couple. This is where MJ and Chris find themselves.

Chris enjoys playing poker, and MJ decides to learn so they can spend time together. With things going south at home, MJ loses herself in the game. She discovers a renewed confidence in herself and a sense of accomplishment as she begins winning. She pushes herself and enters a competition. While she is becoming more confident in herself, it also leaves her craving what she and Chris once shared. I felt for MJ, but was frustrated by their lack of communication. Even Chris had me shaking my fist for being closed lipped. So much could have been resolved if we just locked them in a closet for a few hours. Bwahaha!

I found the threads on the game of poker interesting from finding tells to strategies. Reichert shared just enough to get us into the game and understand its allure. She offered insight about what draws folks to the felt and it fit MJ perfectly. I do wish Chris was a little more fleshed out, particularly with his poker habits and secretiveness.

Reichert touched on many topics from jealous to the pressure and insecurities a stay at mom faces. While I did not always agree with the actions MJ took the author did a great job of making me understand her. Admittedly I worried we might cross the line when a certain sexy poker player entered the picture and we did indeed teeter that line, but his attentions helped MJ focus on what really mattered. Funny, sexy, and outrageous he boosted MJ's confidence.

The back of the book contains a recipe for Anniversary Pie and questions for Book Club. I for one cannot wait to bake the pie!

Luck, Love & Lemon Pie wrapped up with character growth and tender moments that made me smile. Reichert delivered another heartfelt novel with realistic characters who drew me in and allowed the outside world to slip away.

Copy provided by publisher. This review was originally posted on Caffeinated Book Reviewer