★★★★★ 3
Didn't Win the Lottery This Time...
Format: Kindle
When most people think of winning the lottery, they think their life is going in a positive direction. They think their life has changed for the better. But for Opal, she feels like her life has been ruined. Immediately, Opal is bombarded with people holding their hand out asking for money and favors, and Opal does not say no. Her relationships with her "friends" has changed to the point she's ready to run. Her job leaves her miserable daily so she quits. Next thing Opal knows, she's buying a flower farm that she finds online and moving states to live in peace to start her dream painting business. When she arrives at the farm, Opal's fresh start is interrupted by a woman claiming that the farm is hers, not Opal's.
This book has a wild setup that I was all in for. I suspended my belief and dived in, ready for Mazey Eddings' typical humor and sweet moments with the characters, Being my fourth book read by Eddings, I was ready to fall in love with yet another set of characters and continue my theory that Eddings is writing all her books in the same world (more on that later!) Unfortunately, this is currently my least favorite of Eddings' books, bumping her YA novel up in the ranking. Despite the writing feeling familiar, the usual shenanigans, complex characters with representation (ADHD, autism, abandonment/neglect issues, grief), and spice that I expect from Eddings being included, I did not feel the same connection and emotional investment in the characters or the story. I was not itching to read this in one sitting or tabbing every line. Instead, I was cringing, even rolling my eyes at some points, and ready to move onto another book. I was left feeling underwhelming and wondering what was missing.
Remember when I said I had a theory that some authors write their series set in the same world but don't always announce them to be companion or spin-off series? Well, Mazey Eddings is a fan of Taylor Swift and many Swift fans know, she's one for Easter eggs and hints. So, it would not surprise me if Mazey did the same. Sure enough, there is some dialogue between the characters about a certain bakery (Lizzie Blake's Best Mistake) that confirmed my theories and I squealed, immediately highlighting the section. Now if I could get all her characters in the same room...
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Reviewed in the United States on August 16, 2025
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