In accordance to the FTC guidelines, I must state that I make no monetary gains from my reviews or endorsements here on Confessions of a Literary Persuasion. All books I review are either borrowed, purchased by me, given as a gift, won, or received in exchange for my honest review of the book in question.

26 July, 2016

Book Review: Luck, Love, and Lemon Pie by Amy E. Reichert

Title: Luck, Love, and Lemon Pie
Author: Amy E. Reichert
Publish Date: 12 July 2016

M.J. Boudreaux is in a marriage that has become stale. After her husband misses their twenty year anniversary lunch because of a poker tournament, she decides that something needed to be done. She asks Chris, her husband, to help her brush up on her poker skills so that she can accompany him to the casino to play with him. Her reasoning is that it is a common interest that they can turn into date nights to help reconnect their marriage.

However, she and Chris play at different level tables. When she runs into her nemesis from college, Tammy Shezwyski at the poker table and Chris's name is mentioned, M.J. Darts to suspect something besides poker is the reason she and her husband are drifting apart. However, rather than confront Chris she starts to escape into her poker playing.  M.J.  enters a competition with a grand prize of a trip to Vegas to play in a high risk poker tournament and a poker lesson from Doyle Kane.  M.J. wins and excitedly starts planning for the trip in April as one for her and Chris to go on together. 

However by the time the trip rolls around their relationship has become more strained. M.J.  goes to Vegas with her best friend. She  manages some fantastic wins and attracts the attention of the handsome poker champion Doyle. M.J. Is flattered by the attention. The phrase "what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" ends up not being true and when a photo makes its way to Chris of her and Doyle, she is forced to confront her feelings, her failing marriage, and what she really wants in her life. 

I fell in love with  Amy Reichert's writing last summer with her first book The Coincidence of Coconut Cake. I pre-ordered this book last spring when I saw it had been announced. This book was very different from the first book. Where that book focused on friendship and finding love unexpectedly. This book  looks at what happens when a loving relationship becomes stale and love becomes strained between a couple.  This storyline takes readers through a strained year in M.J and Chris's marriage and how they start to drift  apart and eventually repair their marriage. 

It was very different from the author's first book. While I am not necessarily the target audience for this book I did enjoy it quite a bit.  I really enjoyed how the book delved into high stakes poker playing and the tournament environment.

Like the previous book there is a scrumptious looking recipe at the end for the anniversary lemon pie. I'm looking forwards to trying it out as lemon pie is a household favorite here.

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