While cleaning up the downloads folder on my laptop, I came across The Unlucky Ones by Stacey Marie Brown (Audible, Kindle, Paperback). Caffeinated Reviewer sent me the audiobook (along with another title) in August 2019. I reviewed the other audiobook fairly quickly, and later; I listened to the first two hours of The Unlucky Ones. Forgetfulness? Procrastination? Whatever the reason might be, I spent the last few days listening to the 520-minute story.

Read by Erin Mallon, The Unlucky Ones centers on Devon Thorpe, who has had a series of terrible luck. Her father died in the line of duty when she was a teenager. Her mother has Alzheimers, which is advancing fast. And her sister gets pregnant by a loser. After having one of the worst days imaginable, Devon meets a stranger and hookups with him in a restroom. The man turns out to be a wanted criminal who gets arrested by Devon’s uncle.

Fast forward five years, where Devon is now living with her sister and five-year-old niece because their mother almost burned down their home. With no other choice, they have to put their mother in a nursing home, but that costs money. She gets a job at a bar, owned by the mysterious Lincoln Kessler. This is a romance novel, so you can guess what happens between them.

Final Thoughts

After spending nearly 9 hours listening to The Unlucky Ones audiobook, I have mixed to negative thoughts about it. I had an arduous time trying to like Devon. When she first appears in the story, she’s a grieving teenager who has sex with a stranger in a public bathroom. Then it jumps five years into the future, where the character is more immature and unlikable. The romance between her and Lincoln feels unreal. There’s not a bit of chemistry between them.

The Unlucky Ones is an overly written novel with one too many f-bombs for my liking. The narrator, Erin Mallon, has a glorious voice, and she does a wonderful job reading this tale. Her voice is the only thing I liked about the entire novel. I have heard many marvelous things about the author, Stacey Marie Brown, from readers, so maybe others will enjoy it more than me.