What a guy won’t do to get out of doing his own laundry! Luck of the Draw by Rachel Renee Anderson begins with a ridiculous bet among a group of college roommates. The unfortunate winner of the draw has to date three women in a given amount of time, and by the way, he must date each one twice and the women have to be roommates. Brighton Andrews takes on the challenge. At this point I thought, uh oh YA, not within the range of books I review. I kept reading anyway and discovered this book is far more mature than I originally supposed and will be of interest to both older teens and adults.
Brighton (Jeff) is a medical student and really doesn’t have time for a lot of dating, but then he doesn’t have time or the inclination to do laundry either. He likes a young woman who works in the library so he decides to ask her out, then check out her roommates. One is engaged, one is an opera singer, and one teaches snowboarding. He suffers through the opera singer’s performances, enjoys being with the library worker though she’s a little bland for his taste, but it’s the snowboarder who really interests him, and who refuses to go out with him.
Dani teaches snowboarding and is majoring in secondary education. She’s not interested in dating and is even less interested when she learns Brighton (Jeff) is planning to become a surgeon. Her father is a doctor and he and her mother think money and social position are everything. Growing up deprived of her parents’ time and affection, she has become attached to her grandmother and the values she has discovered in her grandmother’s small town. She is determined to never marry a doctor, instead she plans to become a teacher, and live in a small town.
There’s trouble all around when Dani learns about the bet, and she refuses to have anything more to do with Brighton.
Following graduation, Brighton goes on to medical school and Dani settles into her grandmother’s home and lands a job teaching at the local high school. Both Dani and Brighton go through maturing experiences and when Dani’s grandmother dies, they are unexpectedly thrown back together and have some tough decisions and compromises to explore.
Anderson does great in creating fun, believable characters, then gradually maturing them. Though the book begins with a college level prank, much of the book revolves around growth, self discovery, and serious adult choices. The plot flows smoothly and with both likable characters and a well-thought-out plot, Luck of the Draw is an enjoyable way to pass a few hours that will leave the reader with something to think about and a few laughs along the way.
Rachel is a graduate of BYU, is married, and the mother of four. She enjoys many outdoor activities and is an avid reader.
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LUCK OF THE DRAW By Rachael Renee Anderson, published by Bonneville Books an imprint of Cedar Fort Publishing, softcover, 214 pages, $14.99