Lucky in Lace

By: Melissa Brayden

Narrated by: Lula Larkin

Length: 11 hrs and 2 mins

Publisher's summary

Juliette Jennings lives her life like a tightly laced corset—not that she’d ever wear one. As a business owner of a stationery store, structure is her favorite. But when her best friend and her ex fall head over heels for each other, everything unravels and leaves her exposed. Even worse, a scandalous lingerie shop has moved in next door, and its tantalizing window displays will drive away her conservative customers. If only the owner would turn off the charm, Juliette is sure she could stop imagining her in nothing but the shop’s lacy best sellers.

Peyton Lane loves a clean slate. In fact, she desperately needs one after a series of bad choices. She also likes sexy things, and uptight Juliette next door would be a fun bow to untie. But when Peyton’s feelings enter new territory, she realizes the world might be scarier than she’d planned. Juliette has Peyton longing for forever on one hand and lacing up her running shoes with the other.

What’re a structured stationery store owner and a sexy lingerie peddler to do?

©2023 Melissa Brayden (P)2023 Bold Strokes Books Inc

Great story

Loved the story, great narration. Love Melissa Brayden. I do recommend, you won’t regret purchasing this book.

i never thought love scenes could get tedious

Melissa Braydan is one of my favorite lesbian authors. Her work is usually crisp, witty and well paced. i found this sappy, simpy and cliche. the characters we just not as well defined. The narrative spent so much time in the bedroom or with eyeroll worthy declarations of love and admiration that it got boring. There was cliche plot device drama, but at that point i wasn't even invested enough about the characters to care. i skipped through the last few chapters looking for some resolution to the drama and was sadly disappointed. it was just more sappy drivel at that point. i love long books. but this was just so much filler that it was not worth it.
im sorry, but i want more from a story than 2 women mooning over each other and getting busy, plot please 🙏.

good but not great

This is not Melissa's best book. It is a good read but it wasn't great. I put it down multiple times. Typically when I read a Brayden book I can't put it down and would have listened to it multiple times by now. This book has forgettable characters and it feels like it wasn't fully developed. No real tear jerking moments. It just had too many holes.

Unconventional and Great!!!

One of the MCs isn’t what you would normally expect from a Ms Brayden book. It’s a bold choice that works really really well! I throughly enjoyed the book and all of the unique cast of characters. Give this book a listen, Lulu Larkin does a fantastic job, and don’t let the negative comments influence you,

Melissa Brayden is my favorite author

I’ve loved all of her books but this one was one of my favorites. Each character is interesting and believable. Excellent book!!

Another excellent read

I love all of Melissa Brayden’s books and yes I’ve listened to them all. This one is indefensible in that it has an MC from marginalized society and it’s about starting over. It’s refreshing, cute and while it deals with jail, doesn’t have too heavy a theme. As usual the characters are rich and the story very sweet, Also, again Luna Larkin is a great narrator. Highly recommended.

My favorite.

This was, by far, my favorite M. Brayden story. Hope, tears, laughter, and love. Enjoy.

Half-Baked - Doesn’t Match Up to Other MB Books

While I’ve been a fan of MB, this one disappointed on so many levels. The story was weak, characters not developed and the only chemistry seems to be, “Hey, you’re queer. I’m queer. I don’t want to be a 3rd wheel. You want to settle down. Let’s fall in love.”
I miss the exposition we saw in so many of MB’s previous books. This story had so many gaps that it seemed what was left over didn’t really come together to draw me into the story. It also felt like she was leaving “Easter Eggs” for people she knows IRL - like there’s an inside joke the reader isn’t privy to. She had these weirdly obtuse details throughout the story, and they didn’t relate, foreshadow or contribute to the story.
IMO - MB has massive writing chops, but she needs editors and beta readers who will give her honest feedback. This one feels like she wasn’t challenged to close those holes.
All in all, I will always chance a credit with a MB book because I know what she’s capable of producing. I’m just a little struck this was released before it was fully baked.

TOO LOOONG

I love Melissa Brayden, but this book just did not do it for me. Too long, too boring and it took me several days to finish listening to it. I also didn’t care for the narration of it either and again, I usually like when Lula Larkin narrates. Overall, the story was a slow burn and I lost interest very quickly. I did finish listening to it, but felt forced to since I paid for it!!

One Level

The narrator has a good voice but is 1 tone no matter the situation. Characters could be saying their coffee order in the same tone as when they are breaking down crying.
Story is difficult to get through. So many times, there are references to past events with no context. There are a LOT of story holes that do not make sense. I spent too much time wondering if I missed a whole chapters.