When a chance encounter, a lucky number, and a not-so-blind blind date bring hopeful actress Ella Chase and carefully scheduled pro baseball player Christian Lucas together, neither is prepared for the connection that follows.
Intrigued? Read on to discover the synopsis and an excerpt from Lucky 22 by Ashley Eckstein and Samantha Chase, which releases on September 8th 2026.
Twenty-two was just a lucky number. Until it wasn’t.
Ella Rose Holt believes in magic. Not always the fairy-tale kind, but the quiet kind that shows up when you least expect it. On the brink of her golden birthday, chasing acting dreams in Los Angeles, Ella’s life feels full of possibility…and just a little unfinished.
Christian Lucas has built his world on discipline, dedication, and the game he loves. As a professional baseball player, his life is carefully scheduled, a bit guarded, and rarely spontaneous.
When a chance encounter, a lucky number, and a not-so-blind blind date bring them together, neither is prepared for the connection that follows.
What starts as an unexpected meeting quickly becomes something deeper—an easy friendship, a steady trust, and a romance that grows quietly but undeniably. As their worlds collide under bright stadium lights and red-carpet flashes, Ella and Christian must decide whether love has a place in lives already full of ambition, sacrifice, and dreams in motion.
Because sometimes, the most extraordinary love stories aren’t loud or dramatic.
They’re built on faith. On timing. On believing that when the moment comes, you’ll be brave enough to say yes. And a little bit of luck.
Excerpt
Prologue
The stadium roars with life around me—an electric, relentless hum of cheers and chants. It’s almost deafening, but you can’t help but get caught up in it. Bright lights bathe the diamond in a surreal glow, catching every glint of sweat, blade of grass, and nervous twitch of the players. In my head, I’m cheering just as loud as everyone else. It’s like I’m trying to telepathically say, “You’ve got this.”
But sitting in the stands, in a pocket of solitude amid the chaos, I am alone.
Literally.
My husband is mere seconds away from winning the World Series, and minutes ago, security came to get all the players’ friends and family to bring them down so they could run onto the field when the big moment arrived.
But I stayed behind.
I never should have looked at my phone.
Heck, it should have been turned off. But I’m in the middle of shooting a movie here in St. Louis, and I already know I need to be on set in the morning. The producers were kind enough to work around the World Series schedule, but I need to be aware of any schedule changes.
Hence, the phone being on.
My heart races, and my hands feel clammy as I clasp my cell to my ear. I’m watching what’s happening on the field, even as I listen to my agent presenting the biggest role of my career. This is what I’ve been working toward since I was a kid. If ever there was a dream part, this is it. Unfortunately, her timing couldn’t be worse. Everyone knows I’m here to support Christian.
This is his moment.
I wish she had considered that and waited until tomorrow to call.
A tiny voice in my head reminds me, “It’s Christian’s moment,” but this is important, too.
Not that anyone understands that.
My husband does. Truly. But the looks I got as the rest of the friends and family were ushered away—and the snarky comments from some of the players’ wives—told a different story. Words like selfish, self-involved, and rude were whispered.
I’m an actress, and things like that aren’t anything new. But this time, the words stung quite a bit more than they usually do.
I look down at my free hand—at my wedding ring sparkling in the stadium lighting. It represents the promise that Christian and I made to each other.
So many promises.
So many sacrifices.
I hear the exuberant announcement. “And the Archers have won the World Series!”
“Ella? Ella, are you listening to me? This is an incredible opportunity. They want an answer from you tonight.”
Everyone’s running onto the field, laughing, cheering, hugging their loved ones. I should be down there. But I’m not.
“I’m going to have to call you back,” I say. “I need to run.”
I hear a loud sigh on the other end. “Seriously? This is the chance of a lifetime. What is there to think about?”
“We’ll talk tomorrow, okay?”
“Jeez, Ella.” Another sigh. “Are you sure he’s worth it?”
* * *
Chapter One
Three years ago…
Today was supposed to be a great day.
Personally, I think every day offers an opportunity to make it great, but today was supposed to be a little extra dazzling because I’m flying back to Los Angeles for an audition. I had a great time visiting my family in Tennessee, and knowing I was heading back home for a potential role made leaving a little easier. I’ve been living on my own for a couple of years now, but I truly believe this is my time.
The year of Ella.
I giggle to myself because it’s kind of silly. But I have worked so hard to get where I am as an actress, and I’m ready for the next step.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we’re sorry for the delay,” our captain announces. “We are currently waiting on a couple of passengers on their way from their connections. They’re running to the gate as we speak. Once they arrive, we’ll be ready for takeoff. Thanks for your patience.”
Great.
Delays are totally normal, but I was psyched when it looked like everything would be on time. I’m a nervous flyer—always have been—and sitting here on the ground waiting just gives my anxiety more time to kick up a notch. My flight from Memphis to Dallas was completely uneventful, and I hoped my good luck would continue on through to LA.
Sighing, I give the empty seat beside me a cursory glance—another thing I was psyched about. The empty middle seat means I can stretch out a bit and relax. And believe me, if there’s ever been a time for me to relax, this is it.
Because my ex is sitting in the row directly in front of me.
With his new wife.
And their baby.
Luckily, they didn’t see me. I boarded first, and I’ve got on my favorite baseball hat pulled down low to hide my face a bit. But I saw them. I hear them cooing affectionately to their baby, and the whole thing makes me feel like an awkward voyeur.
So not my day…
With nothing to do and in desperate need of a distraction, I pull out my journal and decide that a bit of mindless doodling might work. I could watch a movie or play a game on my phone, but I feel like I need to be actively doing something. With my notebook open in my lap, I draw my favorite number.
Twenty-two.
That may seem juvenile to some people, but it’s very calming to me. The number twenty-two makes me happy and gives me hope whenever I see it. Call it my lucky number or just a positive sign from the universe, but the number seems to randomly find me wherever I go. You see, I was born on September 22 and am turning twenty-two in a few weeks. It will be my golden birthday—when the date of your birth coincides with your age. In fourth grade, my teacher explained that concept to me—well, to the entire class—and said that something special would happen on that day. And I’ve basically been waiting for thirteen years to find out if that’s actually true.
It is, I tell myself. It has to be.
Just thinking about it and all the possibilities makes me giddy.
* * *
Excerpted from Lucky 22 by Ashley Eckstein & Samantha Chase.
