With a Little Luck

April 18, 2011
Berry, the spunky if superstition-addled radio DJ heroine of Crane's breezy latest, has long played it safe, but when she tests her luck with Ryan, the station's "Dr. Love," he wins her heart and a shared morning radio program with the oddball Berry. Turning their romantic chemistry into boffo ratings, the pair run into some predictable trouble when Ryan airs one of Berry's more inscrutable quirksâher fear of William Shatnerâin an attempt at "good radio." The move enrages Berry, who marches out of his life and the show and into some scary reflection on her fears. Crane (Stupid and Contagious) handles this ditzy romance with confidence, delivering a snappy girl-meets-boy-loses-boy-and-gets-him-back.

May 15, 2011
Superstitious young woman has doubts about her latest boyfriend.

Cute Los Angeles DJ Berry Lambert has a lot going for her. There is the semi-cool job at a classic-rock station, her hip restaurateur best friend Nat and her sweet dog Moose. But she also lives by an ironclad set of rules based on her own notion of good and bad luck. Black cats, even numbers—you name it—all portend certain doom to her. With a view of the world shaped by her professional gambler father, an affable degenerate with few misgivings about taking money from his "good luck charm" daughter, Berry sees traps everywhere. That is why, after quickly losing two different guys, she figures that her next man (rule of threes) will soon be history as well, leaving her ready to meet her soul mate. Enter Ryan Riley, who hosts a Loveline-style show at her sister station. They go on a date as part of a radio stunt, and their bantering chemistry is enough for their bosses to offer them a morning talk-show gig. Berry takes it to please Ryan, in spite of her misgivings about their future together. Morning Mayhem with Riley and Lambert is a hit, and off duty they continue to grow close, with all the highs and lows associated with any new relationship. But a thoughtless on-air comment by Ryan ribbing her about her idiosyncrasies gives Berry the perfect excuse to cut and run. It is a decision she quickly regrets until a new guy shows up who seems more her type, complicating everything. Crane (Family Affair, 2009, etc.) has once again built a story around an adorable/annoying girl with a self-conscious set of quirks. But she does not ignore the very real repercussions of Berry's self defeating behavior, leaving room for real character growth.

Satisfying romantic comedy minus a too-sweet aftertaste.

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

March 15, 2011

Berry Lambert does not feel lucky, despite her given name, Beryl, considered a token of good luck. Or so her professional gambler father has always told her. Some would say being a 28-year-old late-night classic rock radio DJ would belie her beliefs, but this gig follows a life of superstitious behavior, black cat avoidance, preferences for odd numbers over even, and bad relationships that run in threes (how odd). True to form, after two near misses with men, Berry isn't looking forward to the trumped-up date with Ryan Riley, the Dr. Love advice expert on sister station KKRL. He is cute, with a droll sense of humor, but he's the third guy. Need she say more? Yet everyone seems gung ho for the possible ratings boost, especially her boss and the corporate bigwigs. Even (odd?) her best friend, Natalie, would like nothing more than for Berry to rid herself of her father's neediness and her own disaster-evading premeditation. Good luck! VERDICT Crane (Family Affair) is one of the funniest writers of popular fiction around. The dialog (inner and outer) is laugh-out-loud, snort-inducing hilarious. And though Berry's issues seriously affect her view of the world, readers will want to cross their fingers and spit while throwing salt over their shoulders if it helps Berry reach her dreams. Highly recommended.--Bette-Lee Fox, Library Journal

Copyright 2011 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2011
After growing up in Las Vegas with a father never far from the poker table, classic rock DJ Berry Lambert has always lived by a host of superstitions and the Rule of Threescelebrities die in threes, good news comes in threes, and you'll inevitably go through three bad boyfriends in a row before you pick a winner. When Berry's L.A. radio station sets her up with a rival DJ, Berry has to reevaluate how much stock she's been putting in her superstitious ways. Fans of Stacey Ballis and Cara Lockwood will appreciate Crane's effortlessly funny style, which is often attempted in current popular fiction but is rarely this well executed. Packed with classic-rock references and some insights into the glamorous world of radio, Crane's novel manages to punctuate Berry's poignantly personal reassessment with some genuinely funny comic relief. Crane's accomplished ear for dialogue is especially evident in her fourth novel. Lighthearted and charmingly honest, With a Little Luck should satisfy Crane's previous fans while enticing new converts to chick lit.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)