Blog Tour: Just My Luck by Kelley Vitollo

Synopsis

Her friend. Her boss. Her husband?
 
Betsy Harris has always known Jace Macnamara was off-limits. Not only is he a close friend, he also happens to be her boss—making him doubly forbidden. Betsy’s too timid to ever admit her crush, nor ‘fess up to the fact that she’s secretly drowning in her mother’s medical bills.

Jace just found out he needs a wife and needs one now. His childhood home—the last reminder he has of his deceased parents—can only become his if he gets married, but Jace, ever the playboy, never dreamed of settling down for real. Neither Betsy nor Jace wants to ruin their friendship when their fake marriage inevitably ends, so they vow to keep things light, professional, easy. But as Betsy comes out of her shell, Jace begins to see his “wife” for the beautiful, caring woman she is. Can he risk their past for a future together?



4 star review

Jace Macnamara is a successful, rich lawyer in the small town of Shamrock Falls. Orphaned at an early age, he uncle Wallace took him in. Not one to be saddled with a teen ager, Jace learned not to expect much from others. Not to put his emotions out on display. Betsy (he calls her “B” is his secretary. She loves working for him and has a small (maybe not so small crush on him). Her mother is in an expensive nursing home and suffers from paranoia. All her life her mom has warned her about men.

“They’ll hurt you Betsy. All men are evil. You don’t have anyone in your life but me.”
 
Betsy is at a loss as to how she can continue paying for her care.
Jace adored the home he grew up in and spent some wonderful times with his parents. Memories of happy times surround the house. His uncle Wallace dies and leaves the house to Jace. He married right before his death and Debbie cannot sell the house to Jace. He can only inherit it if he marries and stays married for six months. He needs a wife, Betsy needs money. Betsy is painfully shy and has had no real exposure to men. She never shares her money troubles or her mother’s illness but Jace is aware that she is having money problems. He proposes (pun intended) that they marry and solve both their problems. After some soul searching Betsy agrees.

“You’re scaring me Jace. Is there something you need?” Jace took a deep breath. “I need you to marry me.“
 
Their mutual friends (all characters from previous books in this series) are shocked by the swiftness of their engagement and marriage. But they support them none the less. Slowly Jace and Betsy are trying to overcome the awkwardness of their relationship. Of course, they are slowly admitting to themselves that they are attracted to the other. They go on dates, shop, have evenings out with their friends. Jace discovers Betsy’s great love for sports and it’s game on! They bond over football and basketball games and lose some of their inhibitions with each other.

Eventually Jace acts on his attraction to Betsy. At first she responds but then she pulls away.
 
“I can’t …I just can’t. I’m sorry. I…I’d like you to take my home now.”
 
Betsy thinks Jace is just hungry for a woman, not hungry for her. It takes some serious convincing on his part but she realizes Jace enjoys being with her and maybe they can have more than a sham marriage.
This is a sweet, easy read. The main characters are likable and the secondary characters continue their journeys started in the previous books of the series. Each can be read as a standalone.


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