Luck & Last Resorts by Sarah Grunder Ruiz
Series : Love, Lists & Fancy Ships #2
They have a second chance at love, but there are some rough
seas ahead in the new contemporary romance from the
acclaimed author of Love, Lists, and Fancy Ships.
Commitment-phobe Nina Lejeune lives by two rules:
1. Always have fun.
2. Don’t rely on anyone but yourself.
The first rule is easy; the second, she’s only broken once.
Ten years after fleeing home, Nina is the chief stewardess on
the super yacht Serendipity, single by choice, and perfectly
content with how life has turned out.
But Nina’s ex-coworker and old flame, Irish chef Ollie Dunne,
isn’t so happy with the status quo. One year after leaving
yachting, he’s returned as the Serendipity’s chef with an
ultimatum: if Nina continues to deny she’s in love with him by
the end of this charter season, he’ll go back to Ireland for
good.
Nina and Ollie’s shared secret from their past threatens to
shipwreck not only their relationship, but the entire boat.
But as their connection grows amidst chaotic guests and crew
drama, could there be smooth sailing in their future?
I'd read Love, Lists & Fancy Ships last month and I was so excited for Nina and Ollie's story, so I went and grabbed this one too! And I don't know what I'd thought this one would bring, but hello I wasn't expecting that surprise that came in after a few chapters and all the details about their past relationship!😆
So, this one's kinda like a friends to lovers/second chance romance(or a last chance romance - is that a thing? It should be one!). I don't think I could justify it by breaking it down into tropes, but it's about change - being afraid of it and overcoming it, and giving yourself a chance at happiness too. I don't even care that it's a fade to black romance, I really loved Ollie and Nina and pretty much everyone here. They had such complex relationships and struggles, it felt so relatable. And like I'd said about the first one, it's hard for me to find books where I love all of the characters so the author's writing is truly amazing!
Nina Lejeune is a former Olympic gymnast and chief stewardess on Serendipity, who has worked on the yacht for 10 years and doesn't like depending on anyone else. Her ex-coworker/chef Ollie Dunne had left the yacht to work at a restaurant and now he's back with an ultimatum - give them a shot at having a serious relationship instead of the on again/off again no strings attached thing that they've had going on or he goes back home to Ireland.
With chapters that switch between the past and the present we see Nina and Ollie's past, the choices that led them to today and how their relationship slowly developed over time. Though Nina kept dragging out certain things, I couldn't help but like her - everyone's afraid of change and her past has made her this way. Ollie is very patient with her(give this man a medal) but he draws the line at a point and that gives her a wake up call. I loved these two together honestly, their relationship felt so effortless at times.
Do give these books a chance if you're looking for some women's fic+romance with amazing writing and character development!❣️✨
You can also find this review on my bookstagram here
Sarah Grunder Ruiz is a writer, educator, and karaoke enthusiast.
Originally from South Florida, she now lives in Raleigh, North Carolina
with her husband and two children. She holds an MFA in creative writing
from North Carolina State University, where she now teaches First-Year
Writing. She is the author of two novels: Love, Lists, and Fancy Ships,
and Luck and Last Resorts.
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