🍀 Book Review: With Any Luck by Ashley Poston (Kindle Edition, The Improbable Meet-Cute Collection #5)
A magically cursed love life, a missing groom, and a frantic Valentine’s Day search—Ashley Poston delivers a whimsical short story that blends rom-com charm with a dash of heartbreak and hope.
🧠 Overview
Published in January 2024, With Any Luck is a 43-page novella in Amazon’s Improbable Meet-Cute Collection, a series of standalone romantic shorts built around delightfully absurd first encounters. This story follows Audrey Love, a woman cursed with the peculiar fate that every person she kisses finds their soulmate—just not with her.
When her best friend mysteriously disappears hours before his wedding, Audrey fears she may have accidentally kissed him at the bachelor party, triggering her curse. With help from the best man, Theo, she retraces her steps through a chaotic night, hoping to find the missing groom—and maybe, just maybe, her own shot at love.
💘 Key Tropes & Highlights
- 💋 Magical realism: Audrey’s “kiss curse” adds a whimsical twist to the romance
- 🕵️♀️ Mystery meets rom-com: The search for the groom drives the plot with urgency and humor
- 👯 Best friend dynamics: Explores loyalty, guilt, and emotional complexity
- 💑 Slow spark with Theo: Their chemistry simmers beneath the chaos
- 🎭 Emotional vulnerability: Audrey’s fear of being unlovable adds depth to the lighthearted premise
“Every person she kisses finds their true love, and it’s never her—until now…”
💬 Reader Reception
- ⭐ Goodreads rating: 3.22/5 from over 64,000 ratings
- 📖 Readers enjoyed the quirky concept and Poston’s signature charm, but many felt the story lacked emotional payoff
- 💬 “Cute premise, but I wanted more closure. The meet-cute ends just as things get interesting.”
- 🧾 Some found the love interest underdeveloped and the ending abrupt, though Audrey’s character resonated with many
⚠️ Considerations
- 📄 Short format: At 43 pages, it’s a quick read—best approached as a romantic sketch rather than a full arc
- 📚 Standalone: Works independently within the Improbable Meet-Cute Collection
- 🧠 Light on resolution: Ends at the meet-cute moment, leaving future romance to the imagination
🏁 Final Verdict
With Any Luck is a whimsical, bittersweet romantic short that plays with magical realism and emotional vulnerability. Ashley Poston’s writing is witty and heartfelt, though the story’s brevity may leave readers wishing for more development. Ideal for fans of quirky setups and fleeting sparks.
