Lucky Charm

Lucky Charm, the first book in Carly Phillips Lucky series trilogy, is a second chance love story. Every Corwin male was cursed since the era of the Salem witch trials to fail in a marriage of love as well as lose their fortune. Unfortunately, generations seemed to prove its truth despite it sounding crazy. Derek Corwin was deeply in love with his high school sweetheart, Gabrielle. For her own good, he lets her go and she moves out of state a short while later with her family. He marries a college interest, who got pregnant, and they had a daughter. They are divorced and his ex-wife remarried at the opening of the story. Holly, his 11 year old daughter, has come to live with Derek for part of the summer. Gabrielle has never stopped loving Derek and no man she has met has been able to measure up to him. She has become a successful author and recently moved back to the area. Gabrielle is determined to prove that the curse cannot be real and goes about winning Derek's love. Gabrielle is spunky, courageous, and funny. Derek is a smart man yet he has let history and his family convince him into believing in the curse. Gabrielle is determined to change his mind, and many interesting happenings occur. Ms. Phillips is a wonderful storyteller which she demonstrated in this story. I enjoyed reading this book and had trouble putting it down. This is a great book with plenty of romance and suspense, as well. I recommend this book to other readers. I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

Carly Phillips has re-released an older series of hers after updating some things in the stories to reflect current times. I read these when they were first released and it was fun revisiting them again. The first book is Derek Corwin and Gabrielle Donovan's story. Derek's family has been cursed since the late nineteenth century by Mary Perkins, who was a witch. Ever since then, every male Corwin that fell in love was destined to lose his love and his fortune. When Derek knew he was falling in love with Gabrielle in high school, he broke things off with her just before college because he couldn't bear the thought of losing her permanently. Crushed, Gabrielle tried to move on with her life. Now, 14 years later she is back in her old hometown, ready to prove to Derek that this curse isn't real, and get her man back. Derek recently came back to town after his divorce, and the tanking of his job. For now he has his 11 year old daughter, Holly with him since his ex, Marlene, just got remarried and was on her one month honeymoon. When Holly runs into Gabrielle at the store, they quickly become friends unbeknownst to Derek. When Derek happens upon them, he is surprised to see Gabrielle and then even more surprised when Holly gets him to go listen to Gabrielle speak at the library about curses and how they are not real. Derek and Gabrielle start spending more time together and quickly go back to where they used to be. While Gabrielle is trying to convince Derek there is no curse, weird things start happening to her. Everyone has to come together to help figure out what is really happening. I really enjoyed these two. They both still really loved only each other and they really needed their happy ending. I loved the crazy Corwin family along with Fred the dog. This story has a few good laugh out loud moments. Overall, it was a fun book to revisit.

Charming Derek and Gabby were meant to be together as teenagers and then because of the Corwin Curse Derek broke things off with Gabby and they went there separate ways. But neither if them forgot each other or stopped loving each other. When they both end up in their home town at the same time will they be able to move on and forget the curse. There also is some crazy stuff that is going on that people in the town believe is the curse but is it really. I loved this story and hadn't read this series even though it was an older one. I loved Sharon and Richards story also and their relationship. Plus Holly, Hank, Thomas and Fred the dog there is so many interesting people and stories. This was book was great with interesting stories.