Jackpot summer, p.1
Jackpot Summer, page 1
Praise for The Most Likely Club
“Endearing and immensely readable, Elyssa Friedland’s The Most Likely Club is an ode to female friendship, second chances, and the people who are ‘Most Likely’ to love us the most.”
—Laura Dave, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Last Thing He Told Me
“Elyssa Friedland writes with heart, depth, and humor in this story of four friends exploring what they wanted in high school and what they have today. Utterly delightful and uplifting!”
—New York Times bestselling author Kristan Higgins
“A fun and satisfying romp through the journey from imagining we will have it all to realizing we don’t want it.”
—New York Times bestselling author KJ Dell’Antonia
“A hilarious, delectable, and much-needed time machine back to the nineties.”
—Jo Piazza, bestselling coauthor of We Are Not Like Them
“[A] hilarious, feel-good saga.”
—Woman’s World
“A high school reunion sparks new life for a group of best friends in Elyssa Friedland’s winning novel The Most Likely Club…. Through their triumphs and failures, the group cherishes the bond of their friendship and honors their childhood selves in this hilarious and heartwarming tale.”
—PopSugar
“We love this book about a group of girls who graduated in the ’90s and are coming up on a milestone high school reunion. Full of nostalgia and surprises, the ‘Most Likely Girls’ will discover that it’s never too late to make their dreams come true.”
—Medium.com
“Get ready to be in your feelings—especially if you read this from your childhood bedroom while home for the holidays. It follows four washed-up fortysomethings attending their high school reunion. As they look back at their yearbook superlatives and are reminded of their old hopes and dreams, they collectively decide to jump-start their lives and become the people their high school selves would be proud of. Aww.”
—theSkimm
“Perfect for fans of Emily Henry and Gail Honeyman, The Most Likely Club is a celebration of embracing all the ways your life derails—and the friends who help you along the way.”
—PureWow
Praise for Last Summer at the Golden Hotel
“Two families agonize over whether to sell their once-successful Catskills resort. Last Summer at the Golden Hotel promises snark, sass and sunshine-filled fun.”
—Bustle
“You will laugh out loud at the antics of two delightfully dysfunctional families as they fight, share secrets, and fall in love in the once-prosperous Catskills hotel that they own. Once again, Friedland brilliantly wields her rapier wit—if Dorothy Parker and Joan Rivers wrote a book, this would be it!”
—Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of Magnolia Palace
“Friedland brings two families full circle over the fate of a storied hotel they’ve owned together for three generations…. Old tensions and new romances arise as they decide if the nostalgia and storied legacy of the hotel can save it, or if they’re having their last summer at the Golden…. Episodes of intergenerational disconnect contrasted with unshakable family bonds make Last Summer at the Golden Hotel a great choice for fans of Schitt’s Creek and feel-good family dramedies.”
—Shelf Awareness
“In Last Summer at the Golden Hotel, Elyssa Friedland creates a broad cast of characters who are at once touching and hilarious. Their fears, their secrets, and their dreams come together in a moving story that balances nostalgia for the past and hope for the future. A perfect book for a family book club.”
—Jill Santopolo, New York Times bestselling author of Stars in an Italian Sky
“Long known for her humor and wit, Elyssa Friedland has penned a charmer of a novel in Last Summer at the Golden Hotel, a story about two families who own a resort in the Catskills, which was a crown jewel in its heyday but is now in decline. Fans of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Dirty Dancing will revel in the nostalgia of a bygone era and the richness of this intergenerational tale, which manages to be smart, funny, honest, and poignant all at the same time.”
—Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author of Code Name Sapphire
“Chock-full of charm and wit, Elyssa Friedland’s Last Summer at the Golden Hotel is the only family drama you need this year! Set in a ramshackle Catskills hotel and featuring a vibrant cast of characters, it’s a laugh-out-loud-funny novel with a heart of gold.”
—Karma Brown, international bestselling author of What Wild Women Do
“Prepare to laugh. Take a trip to the Catskills with Last Summer at the Golden Hotel and bask in the hilarity and chaos that make Elyssa Friedland the queen of the family drama.”
—Jane L. Rosen, author of On Fire Island
“Written with Friedland’s signature wit and sharp dialogue, Last Summer at the Golden Hotel is an incisive novel that touches on family legacies, nostalgia and multigenerational dynamics. Readers not content with armchair immersion will want to book their Catskills getaway immediately.”
—Booklist
“The vanished history of the Catskills is evoked with love and plenty of schmaltz. A high-spirited party of a book. BYOB: Bring your own borscht.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Friedland brings laughs and nuance to the family foibles and demonstrates a wide range in her convincing narration from the many points of view. Breezy and charming, this is great fun.”
—Publishers Weekly
Praise for The Floating Feldmans
“When Annette Feldman decides to celebrate her seventieth birthday with a family cruise, drama—and hilarity—ensue.”
—People
“Family reunions can rock the boat. This one does it on a cruise ship. When the Feldmans hit the high seas for their matriarch’s seventieth, a lot of drama and laughs come out in tight quarters. Think This Is Where I Leave You meets The Family Stone.”
—theSkimm
“The Floating Feldmans is a hilarious romp on the sea that is perfect for your poolside reading this summer! I read this book with a wide grin, and I know that you will too! Highly recommend!”
—Catherine McKenzie, bestselling author of Have You Seen Her
“Friedland uses multiple perspectives, witty dialogue, and complex characters that are incredibly relatable to deliver a funny, astute look at the family dynamic and the relationships shared within. Whether on a cruise or taking a staycation, contemporary readers will want to have The Floating Feldmans on deck.”
—Booklist
“The Floating Feldmans is a fast, funny, surprisingly heartwarming ride on the high seas.”
—Shelf Awareness
“Friedland creates vivid characters with distinct voices, from the outwardly critical matriarch to the insecure teenager…. A fun look at family drama on the open seas.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“The Floating Feldmans is a story about an estranged family’s wild vacation. This book is so dramatic that it might actually make your fam feel normal…even if you’re losing your mind on day five of your own trip.”
—Cosmopolitan
“Long a master of insightful books about modern life and relationships, Friedland turns her formidable talents to the family cruise. Uproariously funny, yet heartfelt and true, The Floating Feldmans will have each reader seeing her own family fun and foibles in the choppy waters, laughing and crying at the same time to the very last wonderful page.”
—Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Girls of Paris
“An intelligent, insightful, touching novel about the secrets we keep and the family that loves us anyway.”
—Abbi Waxman, USA Today bestselling author of Adult Assembly Required
“Elyssa Friedland’s premise is perfect. Take three generations of an estranged family, put them on a boat—a forced cruise to celebrate the matriarch’s seventieth birthday—and let the dysfunction fly. A pleasure to read.”
—Laurie Gelman, author of Smells Like Tween Spirit
“Such a smart, honest look at the modern American family. Elyssa Friedland has written a book that feels both up-to-the-minute contemporary and, somehow, absolutely timeless.”
—Matthew Norman, author of Charm City Rocks
“All aboard! The Floating Feldmans is for everyone who’s ever thought their family is absolutely crazy…but loves them anyway. Sibling rivalries and skeletons in the closet all come to a head in this fun, quirky family saga.”
—Georgia Clark, author of Island Time
“The Floating Feldmans was a blast: funny, moving, and immensely readable. Friedland’s all-you-can-eat buffet of quirky characters walks right off the page and into your heart.”
—Jonathan Evison, author of Small World
“Take a big, dysfunctional family, reunite them for the first time in ten years on a Caribbean cruise ship they can’t escape, and add endless buffets, blindfolded pie-eating contests, and impromptu conga lines on the sundeck. What could possibly go wrong? Both cruising fans and skeptics alike will get a laugh out of this story of a family trying to stay afloat.”
—National Geographic
“Friedland’s well-executed and smartly structured novel features chapters from each character’s point of view. The simple but clever premise lets the author e
—Library Journal
Praise for The Intermission
“The snappy dialogue makes this an effortless page-turner, almost a movie treatment more than a novel…. Intelligent commercial fiction.”
—The Wall Street Journal
“The Intermission is a thoughtful look at the complexities of marriage, delivering deep truths about how we share a life with another person. It will have you wondering: How well do I really know my spouse?”
—PopSugar
“A multifaceted look at the difficulties and rewards of marriage.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Entertaining marriage saga…. Friedland insightfully dissects motives, lies, and love in this engrossing deconstruction of a bad marriage.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Expertly paced and eerily realistic, this novel will make readers think twice about the line between deception and mystery in any relationship.”
—Booklist
TITLES BY ELYSSA FRIEDLAND
Love and Miss Communication
The Intermission
The Floating Feldmans
Last Summer at the Golden Hotel
The Most Likely Club
Jackpot Summer
BERKLEY
An imprint of Penguin Random House LLC
penguinrandomhouse.com
Copyright © 2024 by Elyssa Friedland
Readers Guide copyright © 2024 by Elyssa Friedland
Excerpt from The Most Likely Club copyright © 2022 by Elyssa Friedland
Penguin Random House supports copyright. Copyright fuels creativity, encourages diverse voices, promotes free speech, and creates a vibrant culture. Thank you for buying an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright laws by not reproducing, scanning, or distributing any part of it in any form without permission. You are supporting writers and allowing Penguin Random House to continue to publish books for every reader.
BERKLEY and the BERKLEY & B colophon are registered trademarks of Penguin Random House LLC.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Friedland, Elyssa, author.
Title: Jackpot summer / Elyssa Friedland.
Description: First edition. | New York : Berkley, 2024.
Identifiers: LCCN 2023050027 (print) | LCCN 2023050028 (ebook) | ISBN 9780593638545 (trade paperback) | ISBN 9780593638552 (ebook)
Subjects: LCGFT: Novels.
Classification: LCC PS3606.R55522 J33 2024 (print) | LCC PS3606.R55522 (ebook) | DDC 813/.6—dc23/eng/20231024
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2023050027
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2023050028
First Edition: June 2024
Ebook ISBN 9780593638552
Cover design and illustration by Lila Selle
Book design by Ashley Tucker, adapted for ebook by Kelly Brennan
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
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Contents
Dedication
Epigraph
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Acknowledgments
Readers Guide
Discussion Questions
Excerpt from The Most Likely Club
About the Author
_147266662_
For Karyn, the coolest Jersey girl I’ve ever known. You are deeply missed.
If I were a rich man
Ya ba dibba dibba dibba dibba dibba dibba dum
All day long, I’d biddy biddy bum
If I were a wealthy man
—Fiddler on the Roof
It’s like the more money we come across
The more problems we see.
—The Notorious B.I.G.
Heaven looks a lot like New Jersey.
—Jon Bon Jovi
Los Angeles Times
CALIFORNIA MAN WINS $2B JACKPOT: HOMELESS THREE YEARS LATER
By Macy Roko
Billy Rockwell knows better than anyone what it feels like to go from rags to riches overnight. He’s the winner of the largest jackpot in the country’s history, a whopping $2.3 billion. And for a period of eighteen months, Rockwell was living large. But by the third anniversary of the historic win, the country’s biggest winner was living in a homeless encampment ten miles from his foreclosed Beverly Hills mansion.
“Booze, drugs and women,” Rockwell said, speaking from inside his tent, which he shares with three other homeless individuals. “They will get you every time.” His only remaining possession of value is a rhino horn from Tanzania that he purchased on eBay for $2 million. “It was supposed to bring me luck,” Rockwell said. The horn turned out to be a replica.
Rockwell isn’t alone in falling on hard times after hitting it big. According to the National Endowment for Financial Education, a staggering seventy percent of lottery winners go bankrupt within five years.
“Most winners go hog-wild,” Everett McPherson, an accountant with nationally recognized firm Ernst & Young, said. “And they don’t realize just how large a slice of the pie Uncle Sam is going to take.” McPherson explained that taxes can eat up nearly half the advertised value of the jackpot.
“Billy was no good with money from day one,” his ex-wife, Jeannie Rockwell, said. “The Elvis who married us in Vegas swindled him out of three hundred bucks on our wedding night.”
Des Moines Register
IOWA TOWN POOLS TICKETS AND WINS BIG
By Carson Roberts
The residents of Holly Springs, Iowa, a quaint hamlet with a population of six thousand, have collectively won the Iowa state lottery. The $40-million prize was divided equally among the town residents, each of whom contributed five dollars toward the purchase.
Holly Springs is a factory town where life centers around potluck backyard barbecues and celebrations at the town pool. The day the residents discovered their win, the mayor organized a parade and fireworks display.
“Our citizens are simple people,” Mayor Julia Stillman said of how the lottery win will change life in Holly Springs. “I used my share of the winnings to build a man cave for my husband so he leaves me in peace.”
Harrisburg Gazette
LOCAL FIREFIGHTER WINS LUCKY BUCKS LOTTO: GIVES EVERY CHILD IN TOWN A FIRE POLE
By Emily Emerson
“There’s nothing like hearing that ‘Wheeeeeee!’ ”
That’s what Dwayne Jenkins said when asked what prompted him to buy every child in his town of East Rocklin, Pennsylvania, a fire pole after he won $6 million in the Lucky Bucks lottery.
Jenkins has been a firefighter in East Rocklin for nearly twenty years. He said he knew he wanted to fight fires since he was a little boy. It was the pole that attracted him.
“I couldn’t believe there was a job where I could slide down a pole,” Jenkins said, arm around his wife, Nola, on the porch of their new house, a 3,000-square-foot ranch on four acres of pristine farmland. The house was the couple’s biggest splurge after the win, but Jenkins seems far more excited about gifting the fire poles.
“Not all the parents are happy with me,” Jenkins said. “There have been a few broken arms.”
