Friday, June 6, 2014

Fifty Million Reasons (Toronto #13) by Heather Wardell


Release Date: November 28, 2013
Publisher: Holly Leaf Press
Series: Toronto series, Book #13

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

Synopsis:
Who hasn't dreamed about hitting the big jackpot of a lottery drawing and what he or she would do with the winnings? Angela played the same numbers for years, never winning more than a few bucks here or there. When she least expected her life to change, she became the winner of Toronto's largest jackpot - fifty million dollars.

From the moment her winning ticket was confirmed, her life changed. People she didn't know and others she trusted were among those with their hands out. It was clear from the beginning that the plans she'd always dreamed of weren't the best in reality. Would she be able to whether the storm of such an affluent life? What would she be willing to sacrifice in the process?


Review:
After reading a previous title offered at NetGalley (Everybody's Got a Story: Toronto #12) by the same author, I was really happy to see this title available as well and eagerly put it on my TBR list. Because I enjoyed the previous book, my expectations for this title were a little higher than usual. However, I'm happy to report that this book fulfilled those expectations with ease. Though the book was part of a larger collection concerning the city of Toronto, it stood well on its own while including a bit of the history from the previous titles.

The book opened with the main character, Angela, sharing a secret with her neighbor's son, Zack, as they pay the bill for a person behind them in the drive-thru lane. This interaction revealed a lot about Angela's character and the easy-going relationship that she shared with a number of the supporting characters in the story. As events began to take place, it wasn't hard to see how easily a person's life and thoughts can change when presented with such a life-altering situation. Throughout her struggles with coming into a vast sum of money, Angela tried to not let it change who she was at her core. A lot of the incidents in the book between she and strangers, even some family members, were pretty close to what I would expect from the world in which we currently live. I was a bit surprised at how far a few people went to get at her money but not completely shocked.

It was such a wild ride from the moment Angela realized that she was a winner to the very end when many of the issues were resolved. For me this book was one that I could have read all the way through in a matter of hours if it weren't for prior obligations. I really felt for Angela who seemed to be a good-hearted person that only wanted to do right for the people in her life. There were a few moments were I was beating my head against the wall because of the stubbornness of a few characters. Without spoiling the book, let's just say that there were a time or two where a slap upside the head may have done the trick to wake him or her up a bit. Despite these feelings of mine, the book moved smoothly from chapter to the chapter and left the story at a natural conclusion.

Overall, I really liked the book. I could relate to Angela in her everyday life before the big win and often found myself doing the same type of daydreaming about spending the jackpot. The way in which she did spend the money was really a smart way to go about it and I'll have to keep it in mind if my numbers ever do win. The author did a great job of presenting strong female and male characters in this story which made it better, in my opinion. Not your usual romance, this book gives you a real world glimpse of what happens when the blue-collar struggling type suddenly becomes Ms. Multi-millionaire. If you're looking for an almost real romance with a few million tossed in for excitement, pick up a copy of this book today!

Fifty Million Reasons (Toronto #13) by Heather Wardell is now available at many online retailers and local bookstores. You can find a copy in either paperback or Kindle formats. Click the link below to visit the book's Amazon page.
Fifty Million Reasons (Toronto #13) by Heather Wardell

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