Portobello Book Blog

Kristi Danielson is a life coach to the rich and famous and quite a celebrity herself, but is struggling with her personal life. Now don’t stop reading straightaway, I didn’t think I’d have much sympathy for her either. Her home life is a bit of a mess and she’s not sure that her love life is going the way she wants either. Really unsure what she can do – after all, who would someone as successful as her turn to for advice? – she decides to get in touch with a psychic. She’s not really sure she believes in that kind of thing but is willing to try anything. Patrick is the psychic she contacts but what he tells her leaves them both with big decisions to make.

I loved this novel! It was charming but also thought provoking. It wasn’t one of these novels with lots of action or lots of laughs but it was beautifully written and I was really engaged with the story. I wouldn’t have expected to like a story about a successful celebrity life coach but found Kristi a really likeable character. I could empathise with her soul-searching and wondering if she was doing the right thing with her life. I did think her relationship with Tom was a bit odd at first, but it seemed to work for them. They seemed to get along well but it felt to me like they had slipped into a comfortable routine which perhaps wasn’t the best thing for either of them. Tom was generally a likeable guy except when he was having a bit of an artist’s strop! 

Patrick was a character I instantly liked. He seemed a caring, sweet and principled man, keen to help people. Again I was surprised to find myself liking a novel that had a lot about spirit guides, tarot cards and psychic readings. It was an important and significant part of the storyline but even if you don’t believe in it, it was presented in a way that was plausible and worked well in the story. 

 I thought the author captured the characters’ emotional turmoil really well. I really cared about the characters’ happiness and found it a very compelling read. This is a book that shows that love can turn up in the most unexpected ways and not always when or where you are looking for it. This is the second of Linn B Halton’s books I have read recently (see my review for A Little Sugar, A Lot of Love here) and I have to say I really enjoy her style of writing. She creates great characters who I can really relate to and she certainly knows how to write a satisfying romance!

My thanks to the publishers ChocLit for my review copy via Netgalley. A Little Luck, A Lot of Fate will be published as an e-book on 25th October.

From the back of the book

When destiny calls, you need to pick up …

On the surface, Kristi Danielson has it all. She’s lifestyle coach to the rich and famous, has a bestselling book to her name and is described by her fans as “the veritable Queen of how to lead a fulfilling life”.

But the harsh truth is that Kristi has never practiced what she preaches. Her home life is a mess, her relationship with artist boyfriend, Tom, not much better – and now she has to redeem herself before all is lost.

At her wit’s end, Kristi is driven to seek out the help of Patrick Blakeslee, a tarot card reader and psychic medium, in an attempt to make sense of the mounting panic she’s feeling.

But Patrick’s visits have an unexpected effect on Kristi, leaving her with more questions than answers – and a life-changing decision to make.