K.M. Jackson knocks it out of the park again with The Betting Vow. Leila and Carter are both great characters and I was quickly rooting for them to get a Happily Ever After.

Enjoyed the latest installment in this series.from KM Jackson. Ni e, entertaining read and looking forward to more from her.

I really liked this book. Leila and Carter were different but so alike in many ways. One way is that neither will back down from a challenge. Leila has a had a hard love life. Her last relationship ended and her ex comes away looking like the better person due to his song "Darling Leila". She is trying to break away from that love em and leave em persona the media has branded her with by getting more serious in her acting career. Carter is a TV executive and he is looking for his next big star for a comedy show. He thinks Leila is that person but she is looking for more serious work. SO how can each person get what they want?? Add in a bet and a Vegas wedding.

I really liked Leila. At first she rubbed me the wrong way a little but she quickly grew on me. I really loved Carter too. He was such a gentleman and he was perfect for Leila. I could see they were so good as a couple and hoping they would realize this too. I really liked how they dealt with the issues that came between the two of them. The conflict and resolution to this book was very realistic and satisfying. Now I need to go back and read the other two books in the series.

K.M. Jackson continues her Unconventional Brides romance series with another unconventional wedding!

Darling model and aspiring actress, Leila Darling, is looking forward to furthering her career, but the press is only willing to focus on her string of exes and her party lifestyle. Carter Bain seeks her out in the hopes of finding the star of one of his new shows, but Leila wants a more high profile role than what he's offering. That is until Leila's agent initiates a bet to have the two marry in order to clean up Leila's reputation. Their whirlwind marriage takes their family and friends by surprise, but to Leila and Carter, the end justifies the means.

The Betting Vow takes every girl's dream of marrying 'the one' and turns it into a fun rom-com that keeps readers flipping the pages. The characters are realistic even in a situation one could hardly ever imagine themselves in. I really enjoyed the fast pace of the story. K. M. Jackson gets to the point while also developing multi-dimensional characters with an interesting story to tell. Leila and Carter are both hard working individuals ready for the next chapter in their lives. Readers will see the doubts and insecurities that plague the unexpecting groom and bride in their journey to forever. It's sickeningly sweet with a comedic edge!
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review*

Leila Darling is looking to make a career change from supermodel to actress, but without a way in, she'll never get a chance. So, when a bet grants her the opportunity to improve her reputation by marrying TV producer Carter Bain, she takes it. Yet, the more time she spends with Carter, the more Leila begins to see that their deal is more than business. Will the pair give their marriage a real chance, or will they go their separate ways once the six months they agreed to are up?

This series is an absolutely brilliant concept, and I have loved every book, because the main characters are well-developed and face such challenging obstacles that just make a reader want to know more about how these couples are going to achieve their happy ever after. The way this story started had me wanting to laugh at the heroine's predicament, as being a supermodel has made her jaded and determined to make a change, so the industry stops seeing her as an high-maintenance and impulsive woman that uses men then leaves them high and dry when she's done with them. Will she be able to change her career with little to no problems or will she face competition from those determined to annoy her such as one of the secondary characters that Leila has a total problem with?

As for the dialogue, it was intense, entertaining and had me loving both the main characters, as the heroine provides quite a challenge for the hero. Will the hero be able to win Leila's heart since it's palpable he wants more than an 'in name only' marriage, even though he does his best to hide his feelings from her by burying himself in work? However, the dialogue wasn't all intense. There were some really good light-hearted moments that had me amused by this couple's use of the words 'Wifey' and 'Hubby' and the way they tease each other, as they adjust to their new arrangement. Moreover, the heroine is strong, brave and I liked how determined she was to go from being a supermodel to an actress. Really, it's the best thing for her, considering what one of her exes have done that makes her out to be the bad guy when he was the one in the wrong.

While the hero, he's hard-working, determined to help the heroine in any way he can because of the bet, and I liked how he stood up to those that he'd known for years for the heroine. She's good at what she does and deserves a shot at acting, and I liked that the hero realized how good she was because she needs someone like him on her side. I also liked the close friendships he shared with his two friends, Aiden and Vin, and that they could tease each other when it came to things in their lives especially women. Yet, what I liked most of all about the hero is how he handled the moment he met Leila's family. Really, it seemed nothing phased the hero, no matter how embarrassing a situation.

Overall, Ms. Jackson has delivered a wonderful read in this book where the chemistry between this couple was fantastic; the romance delightful and did justice to this couple's intense chemistry; and the ending had hoping that the hero would do right by the heroine and that their bet and marriage wouldn't be null and void. Luckily, Carter isn't afraid to stand up to his boss; a man that's been more like a father to him than his own father. However, I liked how things worked out for the heroine when it came to her career, even though everything could have turned out differently because of what happens to her towards the end. I would recommend The Betting Vow by K.M Jackson, if you enjoy the fake relationship trope, the marriage of convenience trope, or books by authors Kianna Alexander, Tina Martin, Farrah Rochon or Rochelle Alers.

In The Betting Vow by K.M. Jackson, what happens in Vegas definitely does not stay in Vegas. Leila Darling is a supermodel with a temper and aspirations to be taken seriously as an actress. Carter Bain is a television executive in charge of launching a new network. To do that, he needs a star — someone like Leila. In this third and final book of Jackson's Unconventional Brides series, the mechanism for getting the couple together is wonderfully absurd — a high stakes, late night card game leads to a wager of marriage — but it's the start of a fine romance. If they wed, Leila will get the image overhaul she needs and a chance to act in Bain's shows while Bain himself will get the star power he needs to launch his network successfully.

The set up requires some suspension of disbelief, but the romance feels real. Bain and Leila navigate learning to trust and getting to know each other while battling a simmering attraction and a close-quarters living situation. And while Jackson clearly delights in contemporary pop culture — she blends tabloids, TV and romance beautifully — the novel also has echoes of classic Regency romance tropes like wagering a woman in a card game, and a marriage of convenience. It all adds up to a satisfying romance that shows a wedding is just the beginning of happy ever after.

LOVE IN THE LIMELIGHT
BookPage feature by Lois Dyer

Have you ever contemplated being rich and famous? Dreamed of walking a red carpet or seeing your face featured on Page Six? All that attention sounds glamorous, right? Perhaps it would be a dream come true and a wonderful experience, but in the book duet we’ve chosen for you this month, fame and fortune complicate our couples’ chances of happy ever after to an amazing degree. Can lovers find happiness with the world watching their every move? Let’s find out. . .

MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL MARRIAGE
Former fashion designer K. M. Jackson closes out her Unconventional Brides series with The Betting Vow. Supermodel Leila Darling is ready to move on from print ads and runway modeling. After a small part in a movie earns her critical acclaim, she’s energized and determined to focus on her acting career. A recently broken engagement, however, has only contributed to her reputation as a high-maintenance party girl. Handsome TV executive Carter Bain has had a crush on Leila Darling since the first time he saw the beautiful model in a print ad, and he wants to sign her for a sitcom on his network. When Leila’s manager introduces them at a party in Las Vegas, the two find themselves sharing drinks and playing poker, which results in an unconventional agreement—a six-month marriage.

Leila and Carter’s marriage of convenience is supposed to be good for both of their careers and neither expects love out of the deal. Except–the spark between them was undeniably strong since their first meeting. Can they share an apartment and keep their relationship platonic? It’s clear they have much in common, but is there any chance their business arrangement could end in true love? If they lay their hearts on the line and gamble on forever, do they really have a chance at living happily ever after?

There is much to enjoy in this novel, from the slow burn of growing affection that adds heat to an already powerful physical connection, to the cast of very likeable family and friends who support the couple. The background setting in the TV and modeling world add color to a plot driven by an engaging couple. Leila is smart, strong and perfectly balanced by the stable, wise and eminently sigh-worthy Carter. Romance readers will love this story.

Lelia Darling is an over the top model aspiring actress who is known as the love them and leave them type. While in Vegas at a party for a Vodka brand, ends up making a bet with her manager Jasper and his friend, Carter Bain. Carter is a television producer and wants her for a certain show. Lelia wants to do a different show, so they make the bet to get married and stay married for at least 6 months. The end of the six months will decide what show Lelia will do.

I Appreciated the fact that even though they married without knowing each other, they took time to get to know each other. You could feel that they cared for each other and were determined to make the marriage work. I also liked the fact that they balanced each other out, with Lelia being the wild child and Carter being stuffy. It was a fun and entertaining story and a great way to end the series.

The lighter side of love with some serious issues thrown in for good measure. K.M. Jackson and her band of Unconventional Brides make the grade, as they throw shade and bring on the laughs while finding their heart's desire. Leila and Carter know that love is a serious business, but with humor and compromise, falling in love can be a treasure worth waiting for. The Betting Vow bets on happily ever after and scores big time.

Carter has always liked Leila and he finally gets a chance to win her heart through a bet. Of course, he accepts. A fun story about a fake marriage turning into real love.

K.M. Jackson finishes a wonderful trilogy with the Vegas wedding of model Leila and producer Carter. They lost a bet and if they stay together six months, Leila gets to audition for a drama Carter is casting. If not, she auditions for a comedy part she doesn't really want. Both ambitious, intelligent people manage with living arrangements, family drama, and paparazzi like a normal married star couple would and they also fall in love. The swoon worthy honeymoon will stay in readers minds as they root for this couple to stay together. Looking forward to Jackson's next books.

This one was quite an entertaining read. It got a few eye-rolls from me with all the (light skinned) "super sexy, super beautiful super model with long hair who eats a lot but stay thin" and all, but the plot was actually interesting. I liked how things started awkward between Leila and Carter, even if the latter had had a crush on the former for some time when they finally met. They made a hot and sexy couple.

cute concept, nice to see multicultural stories not all have the same plot

When Leila and Carter are thrown together in a marriage, on paper only, they never expect to find themselves liking each other...much less all the sparks that fly between them. Leila does this to help her party girl image while Carter does it to help look like he knows how to have a personal life away from work.
I laughed out loud throughout the book and couldn't wait to see what would happen to Leila and Carter.

I absolutely adored this book. When I saw it was coming out, I rushed to buy TO ME I WED so I wouldn't miss anything. I'm glad I did. This entire series is exactly what I'm looking for in a romance. I was a little worried I'd have trouble warming up to Carter, but he won me over soon enough. Leila is a great heroine. With her backstory, I kept worrying we'd run into a subplot with Carter cheating at some point, but the author wisely steered away from that course.

A terrific end to a terrific series. I'm only sad there aren't more.

First of all, this book is NOT 3600+ pages as listed. It's more like 200. Second, the first part of the synopsis (the hook) has nothing to do with the story. There's no 'special day,' with or without ice swans.. Leila and Carter request a quickie preacher sent up to their hotel room for a frills-free exchange of vows.

As for the characters, I didn't much care for Leila. Whenever something happened, her knee jerk reaction toward Carter was always 'you're trying to screw me over.' There was no trust at all. I understand that her history of bad relationships colored her thinking, but she never seemed to look at her own role in them, either, why she kept hooking up with losers. At some point, wouldn't you think she'd do a little self-examination? Carter comes across as an incredibly standup guy. A normal guy would have just said 'you know what, I'm out of here, no job is worth it' after the first few times Leila refused to listen to him.

Also, as far as I know, supermodels do not get to scarf bacon, biscuits, burgers, and fries. Except maybe on Leap Year Day. I'm pretty sure the metabolism fairies just aren't that kind.

Finally, while Leila is described many times as African American, we're never given a description for Carter. Maybe Jackson does this intentionally?

I was grateful to be able to read this new-to-me author, but I probably won't be checking out the rest of the series. It might be exactly what you're looking for, however.