A MelanieM Review: Pure Dumb Luck by Dahlia Donovan

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

When two small-town country dudes win the lottery, they finally find the courage to speak their truth.

An unexpected adventure follows.

Linwood “Woody” Robinson has a routine. He works for his baby brother in construction, buys three lottery tickets every week, and lusts after his best friend from high school. He’s done the same thing for twenty years.

Eddison “Eddie” Howard owns the only gas station in their small South Carolina town, sells lottery tickets, and lusts after his best friend from afar. They joke around but never speak their truth. He knows they’re cowards but can’t seem to find the courage to bridge the gulf between them.

And then they win eighty million dollars.

Life changes.

They go from never talking about their feelings to facing the world together.

Can anything pull them apart?

Pure Dumb Luck by Dahlia Donovan is a sweet, contemporary romance from one of my favorite authors. A story on the shorter side, it goes quickly, especially as the two men have been in love with each other since they were teenagers, although they never really acted on it. So you have a, more or less, established relationship that moves into a next stage during a series of trips around the world. It’s cute, full of romance, not much angst (a tiny bit) and a nice cast of secondary characters.

Things I especially enjoyed was the fact that this was an older couple, the men having known each other for years. But that same element also made me wish for more of their past history, perhaps scenes or a more solid foundation for their relationship to spring into a full born deep love that’s seen here. They apparently have loved each other for 20 years yet it takes a win and a kiss for all that to come pouring out?

I wanted to know more about them. Instead I actually got too much of a travelogue. Too much hiking or whatever they were doing when all I wanted was more of their dynamics or interaction. Dahlia Donovan is excellent at layered characters and interesting relationships and I was looking forward to a couple who had delayed theirs 20 years. Instead I got a tour.

Yes, parts of this story was undoubtedly endearing and some scenes were sweet. But I still wanted more depth. Or perhaps a balance between travel and relationship that felt was missing.

I did enjoy it and the reading went quickly as I said. It was a nice, sweet story. And I always love seeing a older couple get their HEA.

Cover art: Well at least one half of the couple looks like they could be the right age. Cute and eye catching.

Book Details:

ebook, 129 pages
Published September 28th 2019 by Hot Tree Publishing
ISBN139781925853841

By Scattered Thoughts

At over 50, I am ruled by my terriers, my gardens, and my projects. A knack for grubbing about in the woods, making mud pies, and tending to the injured worms, bugs, and occasional bird and turtle growing up eventually led me to working for the Parks. I was a park Naturalist for over 20 years, and observing Nature and her cycles still occupy my hours. From the arrival of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds in the Spring to the first call of the Snow Geese heading south in the Fall, I am entranced by the seasons. For more about me see my bio on my blog.

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