Lucky Stars

By: Kristen Ashley

Narrated by: Abby Craden

Length: 16 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's Summary

Belle Abbot is pathologically shy, and because of this she's living a nightmare due to the fact that she's also a national treasure hounded by the media. James Bennett is known the world over as the perfect catch, handsome, wealthy, and the owner of an intimidating castle on a Cornish Cliff, Chy An Als Point. Belle and James meet, and in one night they fall in love. The problem is Belle's dating James' brother.

As quickly as they fall together, Belle and James are torn apart. Not long after, circumstances throw them back into each other's lives, and they find they were right that first romantic night: They were meant to be. Even if their families want them together, James' brother, Miles, does not. Dogged by a rabid media who are fascinated by their love triangle as well as Belle's hidden demons, James and Belle find they have yet another problem to solve. The Point is haunted by the ghosts of two children murdered in the castle. Their murderer will stop at nothing to keep their souls tethered to The Point instead of letting them live eternity with their mother and father. Belle is determined to find her courage and help them, and she enlists her loopy mother and loopier grandmother, James' even loopier ex-girlfriend, and the dubious (but talented) team of rock 'n' roll witch Cassandra McNabb and Scottish ghost hunter extraordinaire Angus McPherson to help the children find their way back home.

©2016 Kristen Ashley (P)2017 Audible, Inc.

Narration ruined my appreciation of this book

I'm sorry for harping on Ms. Craden, but she totally ruined this series for me. In this book particularly, she managed to turn KA's characters' quirks turned into incredibly annoying characteristics that made me what to skip sections. Yes, I believe this is the narrator's fault because I have no trouble reading the book. This series could have shined with a different narrator. Normally, I listen to KA's books on a regular basis, but I have a feeling that I'll pass on these books.

A Rivetting Conclusion to a Wonderful Series

Any additional comments?

Lucky Stars is the fifth and final book in Kristen Ashley's compelling Ghosts and Reincarnation series. It offers a complicated love story imperiled by betrayal, murder, and ancient ghosts. Wealthy bachelor, James "Jack" Bennett falls hard for beautiful Belle Abbot upon first sight. The problem is, she is his younger brother's date at their mother's annual birthday ball. Belle is timid and wary of Jack's attention, but finds herself equally attracted to him. After one dance with Belle, Jack steals her away from the family castle to a loft above the stable where they engage in passionate love making that will forever alter their destinies, as well as change the lives of both of their families and three ancient ghosts. What makes Belle especially intriguing is that while she is painfully introverted, she is also a very successful and wealthy fashion designer.

Each character is robustly developed by Kristen Ashley and excellently portrayed by the narration of Abby Craden who perfectly embodies the voices of women, men, and children. She transitions from British to Scottish to American accents so flawlessly that you forget one person is narrating.

Kristen Ashley never fails to deliver!

Ok installment

As of my review, this is the last of five installments in the series and my least favorite because of the sad parts. You get a modern day couple trying to work out the complications of their relationship and the murder of a mother and two children with the children haunting the castle for two hundred years. Sad parts. Then there’s the sort of reincarnations.
A highlight of the story is the reappearance of Cassandra McNab and The McPherson from book 1. Sadly, we don’t get the frightening hilarity of book 1, but a suspenseful and tense fright. We do get the bonus of Lorna and Lachlan McPherson; twins who are as talented or more than their uncle The McPherson. Ashley definitely set them up for future books if she wants to go there.
Craden does a very decent job of narration.

Lucky Stars Stars

with a maybe there will be another book in the series and I am totally ok if it ended here. I don’t really feel the need for more I think we got all we could out of this series.

I really enjoyed the story of Belle and James/Jack it was emotional and sweet and I like the Alpha male side but the sweet side too. It really was a well-rounded story and I am glad I read it.

There HEA felt like it needed to be the last, because of how long they waited for each other.

Now for the narration, I don’t know what it is about Abby’s voice I don’t like. Whether it is her tone or what but I find listening to books she has narrated so difficult. I love her male voice if that is any conciliation. She did a great accent too.

Just meh.

This story lacked any real depth. The plot unfolds and develops as though the author had a deadline, but no real passion for the story. I found the central female character not likeable enough. All in all it was a mediocre read. There ard certainly much worse reads out there. I thought the narrator did a good job.

Wonderful the way Kristen does it!

The book was great Jack & Belle.. such a great love story. Fantasy to get lost in.

Romantic, sexy, funny, passionate…

Any additional comments?

There is sadness, plenty of humor, a cast of quirky characters…KA style.
It’s a fun, but at the same time, heart-wrenching story, as only this author can write.It is a touching and emotionally charged story about two people, Belle and Jack, who are destined to meet and fall in love. They do just that and it's very much love at first sight for both, but after a passionate beginning they are torn apart and each question their initial first impressions. Fate is far from done with them however, and shortly thereafter they're thrust back together (that is to say Jack, like many a KA hero, wrangles Belle back into his life), but they each tread more cautiously, learning one another and eventually developing a deeper and more meaningful love.
As 'Lucky Stars' is part of the 'Ghosts and Reincarnations' series, it wouldn't be complete of course without a ghost or two thrown into the mix.

True love conquers all!

This is one of the best in this series. Abby Craden did an awesome job in bringing Jack & Belle’s story to life.

A wonderful way to end this series.

This book was wonderful and this narrator has been fantastic throughout this entire series. I can't recommend it enough.

The best if the series

Like Kristen Ashley’s writing, but this series has been different. This is my favorite story by far.

Ruined by Narrator Attempting Accents

Would you try another book written by Kristen Ashley or narrated by Abby Craden?
Yes by Kristen Ashley, I'm a huge fan, have read this book and loved it. Sadly I won't buy anything narrated by this performer as her attempt at various accents is truly awful. The upper class English male was laughable and very hard to understand at times (I'm English and very familiar with this type of accent) and the upper class English female voice, while easier to understand than their male counterparts, were awful too. I bulk purchased 4 titles by this author and narrator, am only part way through this book and already tempted to see if Audible will accept a return of them all as the narration is totally spoiling the story for me. Gutted as I was really looking forward to listening to some old favourites.

How could the performance have been better?
Ms Craden has a perfectly lovely speaking voice but whoever allowed the attempts to replicate various British accents for is narration ought to be shot - dreadful. I would have enjoyed listening to the performer's own voice,with perhaps small variance to pitch and tone for the various characters as I have heard in other performances for this author for example Susannah Jones narrating the Rock Chick series. Ms Jones managed to produce recognisable voices for various characters without these almost comically bad impersonations. So disappointed.

Could you see Lucky Stars being made into a movie or a TV series? Who would the stars be?
I'd love to see this story as a movie. Not sue who I'd pick to star in it, but as long as they had authentic voices I'd be happy :)

Excellent story line , I rate it as one of K.A best

Loved every single minute of this audio book, definitely earned 5stars from me , couldn't put it down .

Terrible accents

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The book is fine, I've read it several times and really enjoyed it. The real problem I had was with the narrator. She was fine with most of the book but her accents where atrocious, especially the Scottish one, it got to the point that it was spoiling the book for me.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Olive, I would love too meet someone like her.

How could the performance have been better?

The accents.

If this book were a film would you go see it?

Probably not, not a great film person.