Book Review: Get Lucky - A YA Anthology

Title: Get Lucky
Authors: Ali Dean, Kristen Kehoe, Cassie Mae, Tessa Marie, Kelly Oram, Ginger Scott
Genre: Young Adult - Romance

Buy Link: http://amzn.com/B01D0XY1OO

Blurb (From Goodreads):
A YA anthology featuring some of today's hottest Young Adult authors!

Doubles Love by Ali Dean - Mackenzie Bell loves two things: tennis and the Kendrick family. She doesn’t want to be anything like her mother, who hops from one husband to the next. It’s one of many reasons why she’s never dated. The other reason? She’s in love with her best friend’s older brother, Jesse Kendrick.

She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not by Kristen Kehoe - Kennedy Russo has had it rough. She's become a pro at being invisible. But when she's paired up for a 5 week assignment with golden boy, Gage, she starts to realize that anonymity may not always be the best option. Gage is on a mission to make her his friend, but will their tentative friendship bloom into something more?

Stroke of Luck by Cassie Mae - Jensen is well on his way to the PGA, if only he could focus. Getting stuck with his best friend as co-counselor at the golf camp will help—Penny’s always been one to push him. But when their alone time turns romantic, Jensen wonders if she’ll just be another distraction.

Someone I Used to Know by Tessa Marie - Charlotte was not looking forward to Spring Break. No technology and a boy she can’t stand. But when she realizes the boy is actually a hot guy now, and wants to hang out with her (!) she cant help but think this break may turn into something pretty awesome. But, is he harboring a secret that will challenge their budding relationship?

16 Kisses by Kelly Oram- All Cassie Caldwell wants for her sixteenth birthday is to finally be kissed. When Cassie’s older brother and his best friend—the lovable, sexy cowboy, Jared—discover her secret, Jared takes it upon himself to make sure her birthday wish comes true.

Four Letter Words by Ginger Scott - Dakota Wright has been making Jace Padgett look good for years…and she’s tired of it. What started as a favor has turned into a habit—one that she’s justified in her mind because Jace also happens to be six feet of gorgeous hunky quarterback, green eyes and a smile that can swing a girl to the moon. But the last favor she did for him may have finally tipped the scales, and Dakota’s ready to call it quits. One small hiccup—her heart can’t seem to let her. And when Jace starts to share pieces of the real him, Dakota begins to think her heart might just be smarter than her head after all.

My Review:
So, here's a secret: I have never read an anthology. Can you believe it? My best friend is even in one (and I’ve read her story). My reasoning is simple; I like the whole story, not a snippit. I’m not a huge fan of novellas either, though I have actually read a few of them. Anyhow – some of my favorites were a part of this particular anthology, so I had to at least give it a fighting chance…

What I Loved: What I loved the most was the silly smile on my face at the end of each story. I’m a big sucker for HEA’s and sweet romance stories, therefore this book was right up my alley in all the right ways. “Lucky” was the common theme of the book – thus the title and the St. Patrick’s release day, so it was interesting to see how each of the 6 authors utilized the theme. Another semi-theme I noticed in the first 3 stories: each of the male characters in had a “goal” to make or at least was enamored with their leading ladies laughing. I just thought it was a funny happenstance.

So I was surprised by how satisfied I was with the short stories. Like I said, I want a whole book worth, not really a small taste. However, these shorts were perfect for the kind of week I was having when I started the book. It was nice to not feel like I had stopped in the middle of something – and I could actually put the book down for a day while my-crazy-life proceeded on. Twice, though, I was up until early AM hours finishing up a story. I LOVE when authors do that to me. I also hate it, because I pay for it the next day!

Not So Much: Alright you authors, please no jealousy for not getting specifically mentioned..had I divided this review up by story it would be a very long blog post that most people wouldn’t read due to length. BUT I have to say that Four Letter Words by Ginger Scott: I LOVED this more than you could know, I want the book. The WHOLE book. I think the main reason is because of Jace’s learning disability, and his home life – I wanted so much more than was given in back-story in moving forward, in overcoming. This needed an entire book, and I’m actually really sad it was just a short! Seriously.

The Verdict:        

First, I am wrong not to give anthologies more of a shot. Not only did I get 3 wonderful shorts from 3 of my favorite authors…but I also found 3 more that I MUST check out. Yes, I’m going to be stalking them and figuring out what they’ve already published and getting my hands on some new material…soonish. I’m not supposed to be buying anything new this year! Second, this anthology is perfect for YA lovers, Romance lovers, people who like sweet stories, happy endings, and goofy grins. Honestly, it would be a perfect vacation, or beach read. Get it! The whole book is clean, perfect for younger and older teens.