"Lucky Chica" by Berta Platas

Yet another fun trashy romance, this one has a great cover that places in one's imagination what they would want to look like if they won $600 million in the largest lottery ever. Too bad the book stresses me out a bit, therefor taking longer to read then a trashy book should. The reason why: Rosie, her cousin Cheeto and her Abuelita spend the cash so fast on so many big, stupid things that I could tell where the story was heading and waiting for it to happen. There's also some very poor expositions and moments of "Wait, when did that happen?"

Still, there were points where I was laughing at loud in the cafe and airplane as I read the novel. The soulful parts: the fact that even though Rosie has all this money and Cheeto and Abuela have found ways to improve their personal lives, Rosie stays in her rut. On page 95 it says "If Rosie's life had changed, so far it had been like changing the cover of a book, but leaving the inside the same...Maybe what Rosie needed was worthwhile goals."

Eventually Rosie does that, setting up a foundation and making sure her old apartment building and the block it was on is kept in shape, and weedy lot becomes a playground and she creates a program for women to have their hair, nails and feet done so they look professional and feel good about themselves so they can go out and get better jobs. A great idea for a church that wants to do mission in their immediate community.

On page 152 she has the option of going to bed with her favorite movie star, but because she truly likes him, she decides not to do the same old thing that results in immediate pleasure but nothing more. So she has a burst of clarity as her date comes to an end. " He said he liked fishing, which meant he probably liked a challenge, and she'd give him a fight before she let him reel her in."

On 228 Rosie goes to set up her foundation. Her life coach advises her that throwing money at friends won't solve anything. "Maybe it was true, but Rosie remembered going through the sofa cushions for the one quarter that would make the difference between eating her breakfast cereal with milk or with water."

All in all, an OK book. If there was a sequel would I read it, yes. But this time the author should not make it about overspending or shifty accountants, but Rosie's fabulous shopping trips, her fabulous foundation and her fabulous new life with Brad Merritt.