Girl of Hearts

Luck Gods Series, Book 1

By: J. Gabriel Gates

Narrated by: Paige Reisenfeld

Four tribes of ruthless demigods rule over luck in our world.

Hearts, Diamonds, Spades, and Clubs.

But I don’t believe in luck or in gods. I believe in science. And coffee. And nerding my way to the rank of class valedictorian. My OCD is under control—mostly—and my mom, Rachel, has just finished building a dark-matter machine that could win back her job as a physics professor. Life is good...until Mom disappears.

My search for her leads me to the dangerously handsome Jack of Hearts, a demigod with the power to control chance. Mom may have been captured by bad-luck gods, the savage Blackovers. To save her, I have to join Jack and his fellow Valentines. I find myself whisked into their world of opulent mansions, gorgeous people, and fancy cars.

But being a demigoddess isn't all glamor and popularity. It can be deadly. Now, I’ll have to master my newfound luck powers, battle the dark suits, and brave the unlucky underbelly of Detroit, all while keeping my OCD at bay—or risk losing my mom forever.

Girl of Hearts is book one of the Luck Gods series, an urban fantasy series featuring court intrigue, found family, slow-burn romance, and a mind-bending original magic system based on the four card suits.

Reviews

"Gates has created a fresh, magical world where luck is power. The MC Aggie is smart and fiercely determined, and I was eagerly flipping through the pages from the very start. With strong prose, action-packed scenes, and a unique magic system, Girl of Hearts is a must-read!" (Nissa Leder, author of the Whims of the Fae series)

"I’m beyond obsessed with this book and I am already dying for the second one to come out." (Booktok review: @bookchellereads)

"Wow...I was not expecting to get that sucked into an Urban Fantasy novel. This is a page turning, slow burning romance with all the action that gods and a demigoddess can bring...a great combination of thrill, action, and romance to satisfy all my literary needs. You will not be disappointed." (BookTok review: @missie_r)

©2022 J. Gabriel Gates (P)2023 J. Gabriel Gates

3 star listen

Interesting take on luck magic
Suits of cards are almost like gangs
I didn’t really buy into the love component of this book but the world building was good.
Gifted audio

Interesting and different

Narrator is awful making it hard to engage in story. Would read this book, not listen to it because a lot is lost because of her lack luster performance

Not just a card game

Good or evil who will prevail? This story leaves you wanting to know what happens next!

Luck gods

This story definitely kept my attention no much spice but lots of action and adventure. Would definitely recommend

An intriguing universe with compelling characters

This fantasy drew me in right away, with clear and steady world building and a relatable protagonist. Some of the plot points left me with questions by the end, but maybe they will be explained in subsequent books.
The narration is superb, I had no trouble discerning one character from another and I just love her voice.
I was given this book free and am reviewing it voluntarily.