How to lose the Lottery by Jay McKenzie

Buy a lottery ticket✅

Win your wildest dreams✅

Lose everything…?

One lucky ticket is about to change everything.

Edie and Ron have been together for nearly fifty years, keeping each other afloat by the skin of their teeth. They’ve always been ordinary – until something very extraordinary happens.

Winning the lottery is everything they’ve ever wanted – well, almost.

Because for the last twenty years, Edie and Ron have been running from a secret that tore their family apart. And when you can suddenly buy everything you’ve ever wanted, you realise that the only thing you really want is the one thing money can’t buy.

Join Edie as she finally takes control. She’s had enough of playing the hand she’s been dealt – it’s time to risk it all.

---

A story about money, secrets, and the unexpected ways life shakes up when fortune lands in your lap.

Pre-Reading Thoughts
Two timelines can be tricky, but I was curious how McKenzie would balance past and present to show the full weight of Edie and Ron’s lives. A lottery win is a classic hook, but I wanted to see if the story would deliver more than just wish-fulfilment fantasy.

Post-Reading

As I thought…
The dual timelines work well enough to give depth to Edie and Ron’s long life together. I loved seeing the community Edie builds around herself - the warmth, the everyday connections that feel earned. McKenzie handles the lottery premise lightly, making it about more than just wealth.

It surprised me by…
How much heart and humour threaded through the story. The characters’ struggles feel real, and the tension between past mistakes and present opportunities adds stakes beyond the money itself. It’s breezy enough to be a beach read but still thoughtful, with a satisfying payoff as Edie finally decides to take control of her own life.

🎵 Featured Song
“Good as Hell” — Good as Hell

🎶 Vibe Album
Future Nostalgia — Future Nostalgia

🎧 Artist Recommendation
Harry Styles

Vibe Check

🎨 Colour Palette: sun-bleached sand, ocean blue, coral pink
🎬 Soundtrack: seagulls, clinking glasses, warm laughter
🍂 Season: summer, ideal for slow afternoons on the beach
🌫 Mood: optimistic, playful, lightly chaotic
🕯 Scent: sunscreen, salty breeze, iced coffee

Tarot Pull

The Empress — Growth, abundance, and the things money can’t buy. Edie cultivates her community and her own life with care and intention, showing that the richest rewards often come from nurturing what’s around you, not just the fortune you hold.

How to Lose the Lottery publishes on 26th March. I received a free copy and am giving an honest review.