Jake Harrington and his roommate Jess have the perfect arrangement. They're friends with benefits. No chance of commitment because it's not what either of them wants. However, when Jake asks Jess to accompany him to New York in order to help him face his past, she agrees. However, neither expected their vacation would have them questioning everything. Will they make their relationship permanent or will Jess walk away for good?

After reading the first two books of this series and really enjoying them, I was looking forward to reading more of Ms. Carter's Brits in Manhattan series. However, I was very disappointed with this book, which has taken me nearly nine months of on and off reading to finish because I'm not a reader to DNF a book. The way this story started had me disliking the main characters immediately, as their arrangement may be perfect to them, but to me it was absolutely ludicrous. They're both using each other because they've both been hurt in the past and don't want to be hurt like they were again by getting close to anyone.

As for the dialogue, I found it slow. Then again, it didn't help that I couldn't get into this story like I did the first two books of the series. The main characters weren't relatable or likeable, even though there were moments where I thought maybe I'd warm to them, but it didn't end up happening. The hero is an absolute jerk. The heroine not much better with her opinion of love and commitment. Just because they've both been hurt in the past doesn't mean they have to be so cynical or acting like life is fine when it clearly wasn't all sunshine, lollipops and rainbows. Why did the hero need Jess so badly when their relationship was only friends with benefits? Was he really that scared to be in the presence of his ex who betrayed him that he needed a crutch? Indeed, I believed this story would have been better off as a second chance romance between the hero and his ex. There would have been a lot more interesting tension and a lot stronger chemistry.

Overall, I have to give this story two stars because I did finish it, but it certainly has left me wondering whether I'll give another book by Ms. Carter a try. I would recommend Hedging his Bets by Laura Carter, only if you enjoy friends with benefits stories.

I had been in a bit of a book funk when I realised this had been sitting on my kindle for ages. I remembered how much I'd enjoyed the first 2 books so decided to jump in, I'm so glad I did.

Another great story with likeable characters that kept me hooked from the beginning. Can't recommend this series enough!

This sexy number was quiet the read. Not perfect but pretty damn good! Kept me engaged and curious the entire time. Some parts are very cute, others hilarious. It's a good bath book!

Excellent contemporary romantic story. A great read that will keep the reader turning the pages to see what comes next for Jake and Jess. I absolutely love this book coz it was like a rollercoaster ride that has you free falling with every twist and turns this story has. Beautifully written with sizzling chemistry, passion and a perfect ending. I would wholeheartedly recommend this book to all book lovers out there

This is the final book in this Brits in Manhattan. Laura Carter has written page turning read that will make you cry and make you smile. Its a great friends to lovers story of Jesse and Jake.

This time its the New Yorker, Jake Harrington, living in London with his British flatmate Jess. They have a no commitment arrangement. They both have fears from their pasts they aren't willing to face. One week in the Hamptons turns their worlds upside down and changes everything.

It was great to see the others from the series back so even though this can be read as a standalone I would recommend reading the other books first.

I am looking forward to seeing what Laura brings us next.

book three in the brits in manhattan series, hedging his bets, has drew's little brother jake front and center with his commitment-phobic roommate jess.

these two are kind of dumb, and i mean this in the nicest possible way, because they are damn likable and funny and just a pleasure to read about. but they are also impossibly stupid because they are so all in with each other from the get-go. jake and jess have this friends-with-benefits-only-when-we're-drunk relationships that is a cover for the fact that they are really in a relationship.

when jake's ex is going to be around for his planned vacation with his family in the hamptons, he convinces jess to join him. it's not a fake relationship story, she's there for moral support. everyone knows they say they are just friends, but everyone also knows they are totally into each other and can't get out of their own way.

the novel is about them figuring out their baggage and finding a way to move foward in a way that lets them acknowledge how they feel. and it's all really enjoyable.

i don't know if there are more stories planned. is it wrong if part of me would like a marty and sarah story? like maybe there was something more going on there?

**hedging his bets will publish on may 22, 2018. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/kensington books (lyrical caress) in exchange for my honest review.

This is my first read by Laura Carter. I thought the writing was okay but I honestly didn’t care that much about either of the main characters. I’m afraid this might be a case of “it’s not you, it’s me” and that my mood at the time of reading this might have played into my opinion of it. Mostly I just didn’t understand Jake’s pining away for his best friend, especially when we actually meet her and listen to her explanation for her “betrayal”. The whole friends with benefits arrangement felt kind of icky to me, not because I think there’s something wrong with that type of relationship but because of Jake’s attitude about it.

I’m not sure if I would read more from this series or not but I’d probably give the author another chance at some point.

*I received an ARC from NetGalley for voluntary review

4.5 Stars!

Hedging His Bets by Laura Carter grabs you right from the beginning and its meaningful plot never loses momentum. The two primary characters, eclectic fashion designer Jessica Walters, and hedge fund investor Jake Harrington, have undeniable chemistry, and their road to forever is replete with friendship, desire and love. This is the third and final book from Ms. Carter's Brits in Manhattan trilogy, and it can be enjoyed as a standalone.

When Jess decided to stay in London to build her business and lay down some roots, Jake and his roommate had a spare room available for rent. Jess moved in and an amazing friendship developed. Jess and Jake were the very best of friends, and overtime evolved their relationship to include sex, whenever they drank a little too much. Due to their respective pasts, they both did not believe in commitment. Jess accompanied Jake to the Hamptons to visit his brother, where Jess was warmly accepted into Jake's group of friends and family. For the first time ever Jess felt truly rooted, while Jake was able to make peace with his past.

This is a well-written, emotionally charged book with a wonderful compliment of characters. Ms. Carter passionately combines emotion, friendship, and sexy times into this romantic story. I immediately connected with both Jess and Jake, and there was never a moment that I did not want them to be together. Jess's sad and unusual childhood tugged at my heart. Overall, this is a terrific book with a happy ending that will leave a smile on your face.

Complimentary copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.

Jake - sixteen years ago- Jake is waiting for Emily/Ems after school is out as usual. Jake plays football. Jake is ten and Emily is eight. Jake walks home Emily every day after school to make sure she gets home safely. Tommy is a bully and wants to pick a fight with Jake as he is the popular kid at school. Emily was running and ran into Tommy and he pushed her down and Jake finally fights Tommy and he doesn’t bother either of them anymore. Jake at present time- Jake is at a bar in Cornwall having a pint of English brew. Jake has been in London for two years now since he took a job at hedge fund - Gold Rush Investments in London- right out of college at NYU. One of Jake’s roommates -Alex is also there. If Alex likes you -really likes you Alex will move heaven and earth for you or pay someone just to do that. Alex, Sean,Tim and Jake all have each others back. They make up four of the usual Saturday night six-some. Tim and Sean were the first guys Jake met when he moved to London. The other two of the six are Jess and Abby. Jake is roommates with Jess and Abby is Sean’s girlfriend. Jess and Jake are best friend and have an agreement that when they are drunk and want to they have sex with each other. Only when they are drunk and after sex they go to their own rooms. Jess is emotionally scarred and Jake will never allow himself to be burned by a woman again. Jake misses Staten Island and his friends and family but in London he's not reminded everyday of the girl he had loved and lost to his best friend who he had walked in on as they were having sex in his home. They had been sleeping together for several months and his good friend Brandon had known how Jake had felt about Ems and they had lied to Jake. Ems had been Jakes from grade school until college then she wasn’t. Drew is jake’s older brother and he called to warn Jake that Emily was in the Hamptons for her parents anniversary party. Drew wanted to know if Jake was still coming. Drew had bought a house in the Hamptons and Jale was to go there for a week to be with his brother and his friends, Jake knew he would run in too Emily one way or the other while being at the Hamptons as her parents lived next store to Drew’s new house. Jake asks Jess to go to N Y with him and she reluctantly agrees as she had always wanted to run around N Y. Jess’s father died when Jess was yung abd eighteen months later her mother had also passed away. Jess was thirteen and had to go live with her aunt and uncle who she barely knew. Jess’s parents had a deep strong love, they were truly soulmates and Jess was happy she was a part of it. But Jess now fears love , she fears it’s strength, things that have to happen for it to live on. She cherishes it and cowers from it for love is dangerous, It has the ability to consume you. It has the power to end you. Jakes and Jess’s arrangement works just fine Jess has a huge mushy heart and is the best person Jake knows. If she likes someone she’ll do anything and everything for them. Jake knows how how hard Jess’s life has been Jake was out for a run with the guys and Emily was out for a run also. She tripped when she seen Jake . Jake stayed back with Emily but she still wants their friendship . But Jake doesn’t know if he can be friends. But Jess is there waiting for Jake to make sure he was okay. Jake thought about his best friend Emily from his past and how he felt and feels and his best friend Jess in his present and future.and how he feels about her.
This was a very very good easy read , a little predictable but that didn’t take away from this book. I loved Jake and Jess together. I loved the relationship and interaction between Jake and his brother Drew and also his friends. All being there for each other. I loved how Jake’s friends and family accepted Jess so easily and completely. I liked that emily and jess actually got along. This dragged a very little bit for me at times. I loved the characters and the ins and outs of this book and I recommend. I do wish I could rate this 4.5.

Ah I have loved the Brits in Manhattan series from Laura Carter, and I have to say Jake and Jess' story in 'Hedging His Bets' was lovely!

When it started off I was a little unsure of Jess and Jakes arrangement and the whole 'friends with benefits' thing, as often the stories can be too predictable. But this story wasn't at all. Neither Jess nor Jake are in the right frame of mind for a relationship, so what they have works for them both.

Jess had a very emotional and complex upbringing, travelling with her aunt and uncle for a large part of it, and everything she carries around id having a huge impact on her life and the relationships she builds today. Within the story we see snippets and 'flashbacks' if you like of Jess' past and things that have happened.

With Jake he is still reeling over the loss of his childhood best friend. A girl he loved so much who he always believed he would end up with and be together forever. Yet when she betrays him he cannot get over that and a huge part of him cannot let her go.

When Jake is heading back to the Hamptons for a family holiday, and word is Emily will be there too, things are about to change.

A large part of this story is all based in the Hamptons, which I loved because we got to see all of the other characters from the other books all come together once again. I loved the friendship and family that the whole bunch create, and loved how Jess and Jake's story entwined with it all.

A lovely romantic story with a fair bit of angst and emotion. Definitely a book you can get lost in for a few hours! Really enjoyed it!

This book totally sucked me in – it'll do that to you too – trust me!!

Hedging His Bets is the third book of the Brits in Manhatten series. Each are standalones so it isn't necessary to read the others before you read this one. (Although the others are pretty spectacular, lol)!!

Jake and Jess are roommates. They're also best friends – oh, and friends with benefits when alcohol gets the better of them! Neither of them want anything more – well, that's what they think anyway!! But, lines get blurred and things get complicated – especially when Jake has to confront his past.

I'd love to say Hedging his Bets was my favourite in the series, but I honestly can't pick between them. Each book was such a brilliant read. Laura Carter can do no wrong!

5 shiny gold stars from me!

Hedging His Bets is book three in the Brits in Manhattan series. Although part of a series, it definitely can be read as a standalone.

This is a typical friends with benefits to much more story. Jess and Jake have a great best friend friendship. That turned to a friends with benefits one evening after feeling frisky, they decided to try it out. It works for them, for the most part, until it didn't. Neither wanted a romantic relationship, but low and behold, that's exactly what they were in!

Both of these two have quite a bit of baggage to wade through. Neither confronted their issues and actually dealt with them. They have been there for each other-like best friends are-in times of trouble. These two fit rather well together, but were so very short-sighted in realizing exactly what they had. Jake was a bit crass with his interpretation of their relationship at time, and other times so very caring. He seemed to really understand her fears. But in order to move on, they have to confront their fears and do the dirty work. I rooted for them to get through it.

I enjoyed the book as I love the trope, but it didn't wow me. I think I was expecting maybe a bit more from these two smart, capable people. Still a good story and solid book to read!


reviewed by Deb

The third novel in the Brits in Manhattan series, Hedging His Bets takes place in London where Jake Harrington is by day working as a commodities broker and by night enjoying his friends with benefits arrangement with roommate Jess. What looks to be an easy arrangement between friends has hidden depths and as this novel evolves we learn through flashbacks that each of them is hiding from deeper emotions. Jess from the loss of her parents at a young age and Jake from the betrayal of his best female friend back in New York, Emily. When Jake has to go to the Hampton’s for a week to visit his family. he asks Jess to go with him for moral support. While working to put his past behind him, Jake realizes what he wants for his future.

Jess was such an interesting heroine! Seeing her mother die from a broken heart, after watching her father waste away, she was afraid of love. She traveled with an aunt and uncle to third world countries and saw a bigger world view that influenced the decisions she made in life. Those flashbacks to Thailand showed a contrast between that culture’s faith and her own despondence and lack of color in her life. When she met Jake, her world bloomed.

Jake had a totally different upbringing with a happy family and happy life. His world, until he graduated from college revolved around his friendship and feelings for Emily. When he meets Jess, it is an instant connection but the easiness of their friendship fooled him for awhile. It isn’t until he has to face his past that he truly grows up and see’s what’s right in front of his face.

I liked Balancing the Scales and enjoyed Drew and Becky’s relationship. It was fun, hot and well there were pastries and everything is better with a piece of cake, right? It was a good start to a nice series, however, Hedging His Bets was the full meal, not just the dessert. The characters were well rounded, the sex scenes moved the story forward, and most importantly the emotional climax of Jake and Jess’s story gave the ending the impact I wanted for my happily ever after. Hedging His Bets is the best book in the series and Laura Carter’s best book to date. If you haven’t read the first two books in this series, I would encourage you to not be discouraged from picking up this novel. It can easily be read as a stand alone novel, but the first two books are also worth reading because of the British cheekiness and charm that infuses Ms. Carter’s style of writing. ❤❤❤❤❤

This was an excellent read. While I found Jake and Jess's "arrangement" a bit bizarre - to each their own I guess. Roommates and sex buddies seems to work for them - until it doesn't. Things change when Jake convinces Jess to accompany him on a trip home where he will be forced to confront the past he went to England to get away from. This time together stirs up some unplanned feelings between the two. Feelings that could change their whole relationship.

I would recommend this one.

Entertaining friends to lovers romance

I thought Laura Carter did a good job with writing this book as a stand alone but still tying in the characters from the previous books.
Jess and Jake were realistically depicted and believable. I enjoyed their banter and the dialogue between Jake and his family and friends. The story took me through spectrum of emotions from laughter to tear to a very satisfying HEA.
I received an advance reader copy from Netgalley.

This was a decent read, it just didn't hold my attention, I'm sure there will be a lot who will enjoy this but for some reason I just couldn't get into it? Anyway this is Jake and Jess book, Jake is a big time hedge fund manager his bosses move him to London which of course the British woman looooove his American accent! He's definitely a big playboy!! He gets a sexy new flatmate which is Jess, they start a roommates with benefits relationship! It's definitely a steamy hot read! Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for sharing this book with me!

I've only read book 2 in this series, each can be read as a standalone. I have to say I enjoyed this book so much more then book 2. Jake and Jess just jumped out to me from page 1 and I couldn't get enough of their story.
There were a few times that I wanted to bang their heads together, but only because they both couldn't see how perfect they were for each other.
The whole story was fun and easy to read. I did have tears in my eyes at a few points when Jess was talking about her parents. I can't imagine what she went through at such a young age, and it was understandable why she would build this giant wall around her heart.
Jake had had some heart ache in his past and was still struggling with it. So their arrangement of friends with drunk benefits works well for them both. But the problem is spending a lot of time with someone is that you can start to get feelings for the other person. Weather they are wanted or not.
I loved the banter between all the characters not just Jake and Jess. They were this big friends/family group of people that got on amazing. I would love to have a group of friends like those lot.
I think I need to go back and read Drew and Becky's story to see how they got together. I really enjoyed Drew's character!

Totally loved this book!

"There's never a question of whether one of us wants more. She's emotionally scarred and I'm too sensible to be burned by a woman again."

Jake and Jess are flatmates, best mates, and friends-with-sexy-benefits. They understand the rules and, so far, it's a fantastic arrangement. They adore each other, have the most awesome chemistry, and are in no danger of losing their hearts to one another.

"Right now, I'm damn confused about where friendship stops and exclusive relationship begins."

When Jake has to go home and confront his past, he persuades Jess to come along for moral support. However, he wasn't prepared for his feelings to ambush him. His feelings about the past, the present, and the future.

"If I wasn't too afraid to accept it, Jake, I'd say you'd be the best man I could ever ask to spend my life with."

Jess has lead a nomadic life from a young age. She has high walls around her heart. She's afraid to love; afraid to put her heart on the line. Jake is the best friend she's ever had and he anchors her more than she would probably admit.

Jake and Jess were gorgeous together! I adored their friendship. I honestly don't know how they seriously kept the boundaries of friendship in place, in spite of their agreement. They obviously knew each so well and were so in sync with one another that they might as well have been a couple. Their chemistry and connection was hot and playful.

They were both vulnerable and scared to lose the beautiful friendship that they'd built, but once Jake made up his mind that Jess was his future, I loved that he knew her well enough to manage his approach to her. He was careful but determined.

It was also fun to see the rest of the gang! I love their dynamic and I loved Jake's relationship with his big brother, Drew. I'd love a story about Sarah - she's such a good friend to everyone, and so funny that I'd love to see her get her HEA.

This is the 3rd book in Laura's Brits in Manhattan series, and I must say this one I loved, the best of the series for me.

Jake is living in London after a suffering from a massive broken heart, a situation that wasn't closed and one he couldn't face and ended up running to London to get away from. Jess is his room mate, a wonderful free spirit having traveled the world as a child after suffering a huge loss in her life. She has never settled in any place for long, being in London with Jake is the longest she has stayed anywhere. Jake and Jess have the best of friendships, they are there for each other through thick and thin, but their relationship has developed into one with 'benefits', but there are sure and fast rules to this, both more than happy to go along with this as there are no strings and emotions involved for either, right?

Jake has been invited back to the Hamptons to spend a week with his brother, but this may well mean coming face to face with the situation he ran away from, so he invites his best friend Jess to come along, hoping she will be there for him and support him. Jess is happy to go along, but when they get there and are having to share a room and a bed together, emotions and feelings start creeping in and those friends with benefits rules start blurring.

This was a great read, highly emotional at times, making me laugh and smile at others. I loved the main characters, Jake and his determination and understanding of Jess, and Jess with her free spirit but how broken and frightened she was of loving underneath all that. On top of all that you get to reconnect with the characters from Laura's other two Brits in Manhattan books in this story who are also at the Hamptons for the week, so that just rounded off the story really well for me.

For me this was the best of the series, the story line, the background, the emotions, the characters - beautiful and well written, a truly captivating love story full of emotions from start to finish. A fabulous series.

Hedging His Bets is book three in the Brits in Manhattan series. Although part of a series, it definitely can be read as a standalone.

This is a typical friends with benefits to much more story. Jess and Jake have a great best friend friendship. That turned to a friends with benefits one evening after feeling frisky, they decided to try it out. It works for them, for the most part, until it didn't. Neither wanted a romantic relationship, but low and behold, that's exactly what they were in!

Both of these two have quite a bit of baggage to wade through. Neither confronted their issues and actually dealt with them. They have been there for each other-like best friends are-in times of trouble. These two fit rather well together, but were so very short-sighted in realizing exactly what they had. Jake was a bit crass with his interpretation of their relationship at time, and other times so very caring. He seemed to really understand her fears. But in order to move on, they have to confront their fears and do the dirty work. I rooted for them to get through it.

I enjoyed the book as I love the trope, but it didn't wow me. I think I was expecting maybe a bit more from these two smart, capable people. Still a good story and solid book to read!