Mallory Devereaux is disheartened to learn her boss owes the IRS $50,000 and is about to lose his salvage business.  She has some money socked away, but she's still short and can't afford the company yet.  However, she learns her crooked uncle is holding a poker tournament and he wants her to use her talent for "cooling" cards.  If she does, he'll pay her enough to buy the salvage company outright.  She's not thrilled that the tournament will be featuring a number of crooks, but she needs the money. 

Jake Randoll is an undercover FBI agent who lands a spot as a dealer at this tournament.  He's been tracking a money launderer after his partner disappeared while doing the same assignment.  Jake soon finds himself teaming up with Mallory to catch this cunning thief. 

I honestly can't say UNLUCKY was my favorite novel.  For me, the romance between Jake and Mallory felt forced from the beginning and besides her looks, it seemed that Jake found little of interest at first.  Not exactly the beginnings for a gripping romance.  I struggled with the author's previous novel as well, so I have a feeling that her writing style just doesn't appeal to me. 

Things do pick up and I found that line to be a little more enjoyable, but from the start the characters negative attitudes over "Yankees" wore thin.  Being from the north, I've never understood the hostility that still exists with southerners complaining about "Yankees."  I've had many southern friends tell me that it is a common issue still, but I don't get it.  Up north, those I hang around with never sit an insult southerners.  The Civil War is long since ended, no one alive today actually fought in that war, so why can't some move on? 

The ending in UNLUCKY did take me by surprise and made the story worthwhile, but I can't honestly say that this book makes my keeper list.  It's okay, but nothing that really drew me in and held me entranced from beginning to end.