Don't we all secretly, or not so secretly, enjoy watching Netflix's Selling Sunset? Bet Against Me is set in a similar world and it has me thinking I should switch careers as soon as possible.

Trina has a reputation of being a ruthless deal closer and seems to be a shoo-in for the Realtor of the year award, that is until her new rival Kendall takes home the trophy. Trina's boss comes up with a deal to settle the battle once and for. Trina and Kendall are to sell the luxurious Harbourside condos, whoever brings in the most dollars wins. Trina starts with being her cutthroat and bitchy self, at least that is what she seems to be on the very superficial surface. Kendall is relatively new to the real estate market, at least the one in Boston. She has cut all her family ties after a scandal and fled Connecticut to start with a clean slate in Boston. There is obvious attraction between the two characters from the start, they sling insults like it is no one's business and take it in stride. They go out of their way to see each other and when the sparks finally turn into a flame, they might even burn too hot to not have them combust.

I really appreciate the banter between the two mains, I can understand it not being for everyone, but I love it. I think I really like it because it is a dynamic that I have with my SO and friends as well. So the dialogue in this book is really good for me, for me that makes the characters pretty great as well. The supporting characters are great as well. I could have done without the daddy drama, basically all of the daddy drama, but especially the drama towards the end. The reaction, or better yet, overreaction, to that was a downside to the story for me.
This book is the first of a new series and I can see at least 2 characters that could get their own book, I for one can't wait. I am hoping the second book will be centered around Lauren, Trina's best friend and colleague is a funny character.

Thank you NetGalley, the author and publishers for the opportunity to read and review "Bet Against Me".

I have previously read all but one of Fiona Riley's fiction novels and enjoyed them all. She has a definite style of instantly likeable characters with sizzling chemistry and interesting storylines,

The premise for "Bet Against Me" sounded great, the main and minor characters were all appealing, but the story was really hard going initially, with lots of wordy detailed background which slowed the reading down. Instead of a trail of breadcrumbs to follow, the reader was faced with in-depth description of the processes of selling property and customer profiling. It simply crowded out the narrative, slowed down the reading and it was a dilemma to quit or perserve.

Suddenly in chapter 11 one turn of a page, like a match to a flame the pace quickened, and it was suddenly classic Fiona Riley and more. The narrative flowed and the characters and story came alive and lived up to its premise.

And for those who enjoy reading a decent lesbian sex scene in their reading, this novel contains arguably amongst the best written and described sex scenes I have ever read in lesfiction. No cringe factors, no fade to black, just tangible, realistic exploding sexual chemistry.
4.5*

An enemies-to-lovers steamy romance set in the world of luxury real estate in Boston. I enjoyed both characters of Trina and Kendall, but felt like the secondary characters could've been a little more interesting or well developed. I loved all the "fashiony" aspects of the story, from the condo amenities and finishes to the outfits worn by Trina and Kendall. This book was very well written and flowed smoothly from beginning to end. The dialogue was fun and natural without being too cutesie, and as with all of Fiona Riley's couples the chemistry jumps off the page. Trina and Kendall both had backstories that humanized them and kept them from being too ice queenish in spite of them being rich, gorgeous, and competitive. My only criticism is that it felt a little long in places and was a little hard to get into. But the story escalated nicely and ended strong. Overall, a fun glimpse into the lifestyles of the rich and famous.

Trina Lee and Kendall Yates are rivals for best realtor in Boston. From their initial meeting, sparks fly when Trina accuses Kendall stealing her award. Their bosses pit them in a competition to sell the most units, our leading ladies have more toe-to-toes. Both are clearly attracted to each other, but Trina has preconceptions that Kendall is using her father's name to get ahead and Kendall is trying to get out from her former failed relationship and her father's manipulative legacy. Trina's heritage shows up with her cooking a meal and expectations/traditions of her family. I liked that Riley casts an Asian lead in the story, but am not convinced that the cultural aspects were incorporated well into the story. I felt the story moved a bit too quickly when Trina and Kendall gave into their desires. I don't mind if the character is flawed, but felt that Trina was too distrustful of Kendall for them to end up together the way they did. I think they have chemistry, but the development of their relationship need more pages.

4 stars. Trina Lee is a real estate agent that would do anything to be the best, she is super competitive and wants everyone to know she is the best. She worked hard all year to prove she is worth of realtor of the year. When a newcomer and rival, Kendall Yates wins realtor of the year, Trina can't help but be annoyed and disappointed. Her boss decides the best way to settle this is to have a contest where Trina and Kendall have to sell the most luxury apartments in a new building. When Trina and Kendall both start to be attracted toward each other, they try to avoid it in order to not be distracted by the contest.

I liked this book a lot. It was cute and the relationship evolved at a good pace. I could not stop reading to see how they went from hating each other to being together. The tension in this book was good and there was the right amount of it in the book. You get to see some of their relationship and how it evolved while being rivals in a selling contest. There is a good amount of drama that makes sense and makes the story more believable. I was not frustrated by the drama that seemed to just be added in to make sure they have that drama added in. I would recommend this book, it was a cute, easy read.

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

When you first read the description you think that all you might find are tough women. Yes, the competition is there, but the most important parts of this book are the one that maybe are not on the surface. Fiona Riley brings us sensitive women and I am not only talking about the main characters. It is important to notice the support network that Trina has around her and help her to move on. Another important topic that is important is Jax, a trans character who is going to face surgery. Overall, I really liked the two strong women and the electricity and chemistry that spark between them is something really good.

I loved this book. I need to start with that because my journey to get there was rather circumvoluted.

Trina Lee is about to reach her goal as Realtor of the Year. She has the best boss and the best team. Her mother, the head of her Vietnamese-Chinese family, might compare selling luxury real estate to selling yourself, Trina is more than proud of her accomplishments. When the title eludes her, she feels cheated, all the more so as the award goes to Kendall Yates, daughter of the infamous real estate magnate Dick Yates. Trina hates the idea that her hard work didn’t prevail over nepotism. When Trina and Kendall’s bosses come up with the idea of a challenge between the two women, Trina can’t wait to show her rival what a really and truly good agent is.

I didn’t check the blurb before opening Bet Against Me. I only read blurbs for authors I don’t know yet or those I’ve had a bumpy experience with. Fiona Riley isn’t one of them so I didn’t. A few pages in, I was almost regretting it. Not for me, for the author. I don’t want to not like a book because I made the wrong decision reading it. It’s not the author’s fault when I don’t care for a storyline that’s clearly outlined in the blurb. This novel had everything stacked against it at first: I don’t find real estate an exciting environment and I thought the main characters most unlikable, especially Trina and her terrifyingly sharp tongue. While I didn’t change my mind about the first point, I came to realise the characters really showed themselves in their worst light in those first chapters and they were a whole lot more interesting and complex than they seemed. I felt sad for Kendall and was glad she had best friend Margo Channing (yes, Riley went there) by her side, and I loved Trina with her loved ones, from her friends and colleagues to her brother and his kids. She’s also much more considerate with everyone she meets than she first lets on. I really had a hard time warming up to her and I love that Riley managed to make me like her a lot in the end, after I was so worried that no one could get over the awfully hurtful stuff she flung at Kendall when they first met. Fiona Riley made it believable and that was no mean feat.

And the chemistry, wow… Honestly, that first kiss is a beauty. I won’t even comment on how hot the sex is because, you know, Fiona Riley.

With Kendall’s father as some sort of MacGuffin, I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. And when it did, boy did it hurt! Then, fortunately, everything got better, since it’s a romance novel, and an excellent one at that. Fiona Riley plays with her characters’ and her readers’ feelings and emotions with obvious glee and the result is delightfully sweet and sexy, with hints of tenderness mixed in with the sassy – and at times snarky – banter.

I received a copy from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

This was exactly as promised! Trina and Kendall have fiery hatred at the start of the story that translates into fire in the bedroom later. It was a highly enjoyable read with incredible sex scenes. This is the first time I've read anything from this author but I was impressed with the depth of the story and with the writing overall.
Recommend!

Trina Lee is a property realtor in Boston.  She is ruthless and has countless awards to show for it and is expecting to win Realtor of the Year award until it's announced its won by Kendall Yates. Kendall is trying to get out from under the shadow of her father who is currently in jail due to his shady property dealings. She starts fresh in Boston and has worked hard to move up the property ladder. When Trina and Kendall are suddenly pitted against each other in a property sales competition their dislike for each other intensifies.
Fiona Riley knows how to write a good romance and this book doesn't disappoint.  This is a slow burn with tonnes of sizzling chemistry between Trina and Kendall. There's also loads of witty banter to keep you amused and great sex scenes. A definite page turner. Loved it

Trina and Kendall both work at different firms and both are top realtors in the business. When Kendall wins top Realtor of the year Trina is shock because she been winning this award for years.

When there bosses make a bet that their top realtors Trina and Kendall can out sell each other the game is on. What they didn’t expect is the attraction that’s happening between them as they don’t pull any punches with each other as they try to stay in top.

The chemistry is there between them from the start although it took me minute to warm up to Trina because she is a bit cocky abrasive and Kendall who isn’t always itching to fight is a bit more congenial especially when you learn that she was a spoiled as child and how she tries to move past her family reputation.


I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

An honest review thanks to NetGalley. I love Riley, she writes characters who chemistry literally jumps off the page and this book was no exception. The competition and rivals angle was refreshing seeing the enemy's to lovers play out which I absolutely love. This was a fantastic romantic read!

Who knew that the world of luxury realty was so intensely competitive?

Trina Lee is a rockstar realtor who outperforms all others in the industry and has developed a reputation of being cutthroat and ruthless. She’s been featured in a magazine’s list of 30 under 30 and as the cherry on top of her cake of a great year professionally, she’s a hairsbreadth from winning the coveted Realtor of the Year award. Except that she’s pipped to the post by a Jane-come-yesterday, Kendall Yates. The two work in rival companies and there’s no love lost between their bosses. Post the award presentation, as Trina is attacking Kendall with all she’s got and Kendall is pulling no punches in trading insult with insult, their bosses come up with a ‘friendly’ (but not really) competition between their star performers – to outsell the other in one particular upcoming development.

Trina and Kendall get down to it, never missing an opportunity to bring out those deadly claws and sharp tongues to deliver scathing insults. But that much passion spills into unexpected channels and their whole relationship does a 180 degree.

Trina Lee is one livewire of a character. Sassy, sarcastic, sharp and competitive, she is also borderline arrogant and cocky but tempered down with her sweetness and loyalty right from the beginning. Though she comes across as the more abrasive and antagonistic of the two initially, her character is so well rounded by her other relationships that she is never dislikeable. Kendall has a past that she’s trying to outpace. She cuts a more sympathetic figure at start. Also she’s not the one itching to fight all the time. However, Riley does a great job of making both women equally appealing. More to her credit, Riley somehow manages to give a flavour of I-like-her-therefore-I’ll-pull-her-pigtails-to-get-her-attention to the whole animosity.

The chemistry between the two leads is sizzling. And par for the course, as with all Riley’s books, the heat-o-meter is set at burn. The book has a great balance between romance and sex.

We sorely missed an epilogue in this one. We’re sure that Trina and Kendall will be happy together for life, but we’d have definitely liked to know what Kendall does professionally and how she fares after all the evil-dad-interfering-in-her-life drama. (BTW, this dad-villain bit added to the rather farfetched premise makes this one more a romcom than a contemporary romance. But in no way does it detract from the fact this is a hugely entertaining book with great chemistry and amazingly good sex).

Definitely recommended.

First things first, as an LGBTQ Asian, yay representation!
I wasn't a fan of Trina's sharp tongue. Kendall later comments that Trina is not ruthless or malicious, but I can't let go of the terrible first impression that Trina made. It wasn't just the usual taunting insults, Trina went for the jugular with her barbs, and they hurt Kendall more than she would know. The fact that they started getting along without having cleared that up made the relationship seem imbalanced to me. Although Trina has many admirable traits, Kendall seems too good for her. The highlight is the flirting, because they certainly have chemistry.
I've come to recognize the pattern of competition-driven romances, so the plot wasn't particularly riveting. The final conflict only serves to make me more annoyed with Trina, who apparently loves Kendall so much but can't trust her, despite not getting proof that Kendall knew what was happening. In Trina's shoes, the fact that Kendall sold one of the last units under asking price would give me pause, but fine, whatever. Then the confrontation: what exactly did Kendall expect her father to do to Trina? It seemed like his only intentions were to make Trina win, since he wasn't dangerous until Kendall arrived.
From Fiona Riley, I've only read Not Since You, so I don't have much to compare to. For what it's worth, I liked Bet Against Me more between the two. Four stars.

I feel like I'm disappointed a little, I hated Trina, A LOT. she's a bully and though-out the book i could not like her. Kendall tho was wonderfull and felt sorry for her in many ways, her father, her last relationship and for knowing and loving Trina.! she's so fast to judge Kendall even after she got to know her. that's not healthy or love to me. and lets not stop there, Kendall was really trying her best to get her back. LIKE HELL Kendall WHY ! Why did you not love Ellision ! she's awesome, understanding and so kind ! and likable as a character.

I don't think me not liking Trina has anything to do with the author writing since she's a fantastic writer. dialogues were great as well.

One of her bests. And I have loved each one that I have read of Fiona’s. This book had is all and it was written superbly: friends to enemy, tension, great dialogue, great conversation and wonderful characters who were real and flawed and honest. If you are a fan of Fiona Riley then add this one to your collection because it will not disappoint. Great job!

This book just got better and better as it went on. The character arc made the entire book, and catches you by surprise. When I first meet the main characters I had my doubts because there was so much tension and hostility when these two real estate agents are pitted against each other. The plot unfolds and their banter turns more flirtatious and friendly, and the true personalities start to come through as they uncover the depth of their feelings for each other. The story is charming, steamy and heartfelt all in one fell swoop.

This is a enemies to lovers novel.
The main characters are beautiful, professional woman.
This is classic romance novel, with some sexual diversity.
This was an easy read.

3 stars.

I’ll admit that Bet Against Me was a difficult read to get through the first couple of chapters. My first impression of both women were ego-laden primadonnas that may have been talented at real estate, but were loathsome human beings especially to each other. I’m glad I hung on because once Trina and Kendall gradually allowed each other peaks through the window into their worlds, inch by inch they found so much more than just a masterful competitor. They soon find they are the yin to each other’s yang, and that ultimately the adrenaline rush of a closed deal is no comparison to the cozy warmth of genuine companionship and a passionate lover. The story arc tests each woman their resolve through professional competition while balancing their love affair along with a little intrigue and thrills from meddling family. One of my favorite attributes to this book is the intensity of each woman. They work hard, they play hard, and consequently their love affair is smoking off the pages. Truly one of the best in this genre for the year, look for this one to win some well deserved awards. I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love how Fiona Riley tells a tale! This book starts by introducing both Trina and Kendall as ruthless realtors not above cutting people off at the knees to make a sale. I honestly couldn't find any redeeming qualities about Trina for the first 1/4 of the book. Then what Fiona Riley did was share with the reader, the softer sides of both of our main characters. She showed how each, especially Trina, are caring and compassionate with the people they love. I really enjoyed the competition aspect of this book, it helped elevate the chemistry between Kendall and Trina. The supporting characters are great and added another layer to the plot. The only thing I wish was that there was a little more to the ending, perhaps an epilogue to share how Trina and Kendall's relationship progressed. Thanks Fiona for another amazing read!

This is a haters-to-lovers kind of romance, it looks like a new series is coming too, High Stakes#1 is the under title of this one, set in the high realtors world.

This story has as main protagonists two women, lesbians, feminine, gorgeous, the best in their working world as real estate agents of luxury homes. But Trina was the best in Boston, until Kendall arrived from Connecticut and snatched the title of Best Realtor of the Year without Trina being able to figure out how it happened.

And after a tough first meeting due to this fact and a situation caused by the owners of the real estate companies in which they work, they are forced to compete openly to sell a super-luxury development that is under construction.

In addition to this personal struggle at work, they also have to face the attraction they feel from the first moment. And in this aspect the story has many heated situations during the development of the personal relationship between them. Some steamy ones. Some really sweet. Points in favor for my liking are the lack of malice and resentment of the two women, despite having some baggage from their past that could have soured them.

The plot had to have its share of tension, that undercurrent with Kendall's father was created throughout history, something dramatic inevitably had to happen. It was fine with me despite my usual reluctance to pointless drama.

So this has been a pretty classic romance, with some touches of sexual and racial diversity, which I really liked, definitely.