Goddess of Vengeance by Jackie Collins – Review and Giveaway

The Novel

Jackie Collins brings back heroine Lucky Santangelo and this time Lucky is back with a vengeance in Goddess of Vengeance.   Lucky isn’t alone because she has her family alongside in her latest adventure.  Collins’ latest novel is full of power, passion, revenge and family dynamics but as in the past and typical Lucky style and pizzazz, Lucky comes out on top.

The daughter of the infamous Gino Santangelo, Lucky has it all.  She runs a high profile casino and hotel, The Keys, in Las Vegas.  She is married to movie writer and director, Lennie, has a stubborn teen daughter, Max, and a son, Bobby who is successful in his own regard, owning a chain of hot clubs.  Lucky has everything she ever imagined but someone is determined to take it all away from her.

That someone is billionaire businessman man Armand Jordan who was born a prince in an small affluent Middle Eastern country who is nothing more than a spoiled brat.  He came to the United States a young child with his American mother, who raised him but allowed him to visit his father every summer.  He rose to become a real business tycoon but treats women as nothing but breeding machines or sexual playthings.  In his home country, he is married and has four children but this arrangement is only to please his father.  He believes he will be king one day despite the fact that he has many older brothers.  His relationship with his father is nothing more than a business arrangement but he is too spoiled and too stubborn to realize that. 

Armand wants to buy The Keys and Lucky Santangelo gives him more than he expected when she refuses to sell.  She even has him evicted from her hotel after he humiliates her and her hotel.  Being the ignorant jerk he has, Armand is shocked that a “mere” woman would turn down his offer to buy The Keys.  How could she? Who did she think she was? Did she really believe that she was any match for him? Armand vows to force Lucky’s hand and he does not care what it takes.  He even contemplates killing her.  Let the power struggle begin. After all, every good novel needs a villain and a heroine and Jackie Collins delivers just that.

As for Lucky’s kids, Bobby is dealing with shady Russian investors while dating Denver Jones, an intelligent and strong woman who is become a Deputy DA in a Los Angeles drug unit.  Then, there is Max, Lucky’s soon to be eighteen year old daughter.  Max has just embarked on a forbidden relationship with a sexy young movie star that is twelve years older and getting a divorce from her mother’s best friend, the famous actress Venus, a world mega star.  The young actor is actually thirteen years younger than Venus.  Lucky will soon find out about this affair and will respond and take action Lucky style. Max is visiting Vegas with her two best friends, Cookie and Harry.  Cookie is the daughter of a music legend and Harry, the gay son of a TV network honcho.   Max’s longtime boyfriend, Ace, shows up to surprise Max while Billy Melina, the actor that Max slept with, follows Max to Vegas to profess his love.

Lucky’s family motto is “Don’t mess with a Santangelo!” And Jordan Armand will find out just what that means along with anyone else who messes with her family.  See, Lucky Santangelo isn’t your ordinary strong and independent woman.  Lucky knows revenge considering she avenged the death of her mother, her brother, and a man she loved very much many long years ago and has no regrets.   Let’s just say, that leaves Armand Jordan to fear her.

The Santangelo family is not the only one with secrets. Armand’s mother, Peggy Dunn, has kept a secret for nearly forty years.   Peggy, the only woman who can control Armand, convinces Armand to allow her to come on the trip with him saying that she wants to see Vegas again and spend time with her son but that is not entirely true.   A long time ago when Peggy was only eighteen, she had a one night stand with Gino Santangelo, Lucky’s father.  She was also involved with another man, a former mobster at the time, and she also shared one night with the Armand’s father, the king.  She had slept with all these men in a about a week’s time.  Two weeks after her encounter with the king, Peggy was whisked off to the Middle East to be one of the king’s many wives.   She has never really been sure who Armand’s father is, but she is about to find out and when she does, she does not plan on sharing that with anyone.

You can read Chapter One HERE.  You can also listen to an excerpt from the audio book HERE. 

The Audio Book

I received Goddess of Vengeance as an audio book for this review, courtesy of Macmillan Audio.  I want to warn if you have sensitive ears.  The novel is not just crude (for lack of a better word) at times but it was also purely unadulterated. There is also a difference between reading it and listening to it.  Being my first audio book experience with Jackie Collins, I was shocked at first but in time, I got used to Jackie’s usual manner and style of writing.  It was a unique experience because it was the first time I had heard Jackie’s voice as she is one of several narrators.  It is an experience like radio was before television.  One of her co-narrators, Sydney Poitier has a very deep voice and brings Armand Jordan and his conceited chauvinistic personality to life.  He does the voiceovers for other male characters but for some reason that one really stands out.  Armand Jordan is the villain that everyone loves to hate while Lucky is the heroine we are all rooting for.

Jackie Collins

Oddly enough, I have never read a Jackie Collins’ novel.  It is possible I may have in the past and just don’t recall but I have become a fan.  In particular, I have become a Lucky Santangelo fan.  There are six other previous novels about Lucky which I plan on picking up pretty soon.  Chances, Lucky, Lady Boss, Vendetta, Lucky’s Revenge, Dangerous and Drop Dead Beautiful are the names of those in the order that they came out.  If you are not a Lucky fan, you should consider picking up any of these novels.  The good thing about the Lucky books is that they do not need to be read in order.  Jackie Collins does a good job of reintroducing Lucky to the reader each time.

Jackie Collins has been around for quite some time with 400 million copies of her books sold around the world. She has 27 New York Times bestsellers and is one of the top novelists in world.  If you have not tried her novels, you should.  Trust me, you will be hooked.

Watch an interview with author, Jackie Collins HERE.

For the Giveaway

One lucky reader of this blog will win an audio book copy of Goddess of Vengeance.   All you have to do is leave a comment letting me know whether you have read any Jackie Collins books.  If you have, have you read any in the Lucky Santangelo series?  Leave your comment below and don’t forget to leave your email address.

If you don’t win, don’t despair, you can purchase a copy through Macmillan Audio, Amazon, and many other fine retailers.

You have until Monday, September 26 at 11:59 pm to enter.  I won’t accept any entries after that.  U.S. addresses only.