Rating: 3.5 Stars

I had mixed feelings about this book which I think may be related to the fact that mental health romances can be hit or miss for me. The balance of the romance and the exploration of the health issues is critical for me, and I think maybe there were times when the characters anxiety/PTSD/trauma kind of skewed the focus too much. That said, there were some incredible moments in this book that had me grinning like a fool. I enjoyed the friendships that both Aja and Walker had. The conversations between Aja and Reniece were hilarious, and Grandma Abbott was so much fun too. I am probably an outlier here, but I think I would have rather seen more of the relationship building between Aja and Walker than the sex scenes. I wanted more the cute and sweet, I suppose. Not a perfect romance for me, but still enjoyable, and Slaughter's exploration of their mental health issues was well done.

This is a strangers to friends to lovers rom-com that didn’t work well for me for a couple of reasons. More on that in a moment. First, the characters were more or less realistic and likable if not completely relatable for me. Both Aja and Walker suffer from anxiety issues so that commonality somewhat contributes to their first meeting in the Piggly Wiggly where Aja has a panic attack and Walker stays with her to help her through it. Second, the plot was predictable but since most rom-coms are, that was not an issue for me. I did enjoy the Bingo night interludes and the description of the great peach cobbler as well as Mrs. May, the grandmother. What I did not like was the constant inclusion of unnecessary expletives that distracted from the story and from the characters. I could not picture wholesome, small town people using such language with such frequency in public and was put off by it. I also did not enjoy the extra steamy romance and the way that Walker observed Aja’s rear end, with descriptive details. I was looking for a laugh out loud rom-com and instead got bad language and a romp through the sex lives of two needy people. I rounded the stars up because of the realism, but it’s really about a two for me. Those who are used to the expletives being used constantly and the sexual undertone running through the plot will enjoy the book, but it was not my cup of tea.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

Thank you St. Martin’s Press Jodie Slaughter NetGalley for the #gifted e-copy

Thoughts

This is a story about Aja who moves to Greenbelt, South Carolina from Washington DC to help manage her anxiety. The hustle and bustle of life in DC was too much, but Greenbelt is perfectly quiet, not a lot to do. I had to laugh when Aja talked about playing bingo with the older town folk because I feel like all small towns have a bingo night. I’m from a small town, and my mom goes to bingo night.

Anywho I read this book was very steamy, and it had its moments after Aja meets her bingo buddies grandson, but I was expecting it more often than just a few times. Overall this is a cute friends to lovers story that brings mental health issues to the forefront.

This was a cute rom com with fantastic representation of mental illness. I could totally relate with both the MC’s. Not my favorite book this year but worthy of all 3 stars. I didn’t like the ending “miscommunication” . That really ruined it for me. You don’t love someone and make love then leave within seconds and then go back months later and ask forgiveness. I hated how she just forgave him… that is where my stars went.

Thanks for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

there is spice there is spice! i was not expecting spice but there is spice and the romance was chef's kisssssss

Aja and Walker were refreshing in this small town friendship to lovers romance story. Sexy, sweet, quirky, heartfelt and heart warming.
I really liked this story. I knew I would from the cover and blurb but the plot made it all the same heartfelt as well. Yes, I have read similar tropes but Jodi Slaughter gave us a story of two individuals on the road to becoming whole as they dealt with anxiety and PTSD. In the name of friendship they found something deeper that started as a space of respite but evolved into healing. :) They took a bet on each other and founded something special in the midst of their pain. :)
Happy reading!

Ahhhh I loved this book! It was one of my most anticipated releases of the year and I was so excited to get approved for an ARC. It did not disappoint. The romance is incredibly sweet and very steamy. But what really makes this book stand out is the mental health representation. Both of the main characters are dealing with their own struggles with mental health. We see their individual struggles during their POV's and how this impacts their relationships with friends, family and each other. This felt like an accurate portrayal of what it is like to have PTSD and anxiety - I say that not only as a mental health therapist but also as someone with PTSD and anxiety. I especially related to Aja and her struggles to make friends in her new town. Why is it so hard to make friends as an adult?! This book also made me want to go play Bingo so bad! It's definitely a unique premise which was refreshing.
But seriously, this is a must read for anyone looking for a steamy romance who wants to feel seen with mental health rep.

Bingo has never been so much fun!

This is a steamy, friends to lovers treat for any readers looking for diverse characters, realistic portrayals of how mental health effects relationships, and ride or die groups of supportive friends.

Content warning: profanity, drug abuse, child endangerment, explicit sex scenes

I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was really interested in reading Bet on It for a few reasons, it’s a romance and it had Bingo. Yes, I know I sound like a weirdo but including Bingo was intriguing because I haven’t seen it used before in a romance.

We start with Aja having a panic attack in the supermarket and Walker helps her through it. We soon learn that both have mental health issues they are working through. Aja has anxiety and Walker has PTSD, which led to him leaving Greenbelt, SC. They later meet again at the Bingo Hall, where Aja plays weekly and sits with Walker’s grandmother. Walker is in town to help her recover from her accident. They start as friends as they try to fight their attraction since he is only town for a short time but as it goes, they can’t. So they make a bingo based sex pact to keep things from spiraling out of control.

This is not a light romance since most of the plot revolves around their mental health and how both of them learn to manage their issues. I like how open everything was between the two of them as they talked through their thoughts and feelings, and helped each other deal with their struggles. Both grow individually, which helps them come together as a couple. And I really related to Aja, a lot of what she was going through, I have felt at one time or another.

I recommended for readers that enjoy:
🍑 Friends to Lovers
🍑 Small Town Settings
🍑 Steamy Romance

Bet on It will be out on June 12. Thanks to St Martins Press and Netgalley for the advanced readers copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

I was gifted a copy of this book from Net Galley and St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review. This book is available on July 12, 2022. ⭐⭐⭐ 1/2 Very cute romance. I have never experienced anxiety, but I felt like it was handled well in this novel. All the characters were likable, which rarely happens for me. Would recommend for a light summer read.

Love the mental health representation!

This book reminded me so much of Get a Life, Chloe Brown and the series by Roni Loren! It felt like a perfect mix of those two books combined to create Bet On It!

This book focuses heavily on mental health rep, which I love, with both MCs dealing with mental health issues that they are both working through and understanding about, while also guiding through a relationship as well.

I love the Bingo aspect of this book. It shows the fun side of Bingo and the competitiveness side of it too! Bingo isn't always fun and games!

I just wish there was more actual romance in this book!!

This book was riveting. I can’t remember reading a book where mental health was spoken in such an honest way, and was such a driving force to the story. It absolutely informs how both Aja and Walker live their lives and make their choices. And the lack of body-consciousness! Aja is described as “fat”. Period. End of sentence. There are neither paragraphs about how she celebrates her curves, nor how she wishes she were smaller. And Walker is in insta-lust with her. It made me so happy!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

Well, this wasn't exactly what I expected it to be, in some ways that I really enjoyed. Aja and Walker are two people whose mental health issues have them each running to and away from Greenbelt, SC, and in the process they find each other. This was WAY hotter and steamier then I necessarily thought it would be but it worked well, and the whole book felt unabashedly Southern. You could almost feel the summer heat throughout. While this wasn't amazing for me, it felt like a good, steamy summer romance with some substance.

I DNF'd this book about 20% in. I liked the mental health representation, but that was about it. The storyline was much too slow for my liking, and I didn't want to keep waiting for things to pick up and get more exciting.

This was bingo and a love story. I think people would relate to this story if they like to play bingo. It is also about a girl named Aja and a guy named walker who met playing bingo. It was a cute love story. This book goes to show you never know where you will meet the one you will fall in love with.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
Bet on It is my first read from Jodie Slaughter, although I’ve heard a lot about her work previously and have long wanted to try her stuff. In retrospect, while I did mostly enjoy this, I feel this was perhaps not the best place to start.
I really like the way mental illness was depicted on-page as part of the lives of both leads, Aja and Walker. Both deal with anxiety and panic attacks, and I love how it serves as a bonding point for the two of them. And Aja’s relationship with her therapist throughout is really beautiful and affirming. And ultimately, it’s not about being “fixed,” whether through finding love or otherwise.
That said, I had a complicated relationship with…other aspects…of the way the romance proceeded. Despite the deeper bond at play, I struggled to feel really invested as things turned sexual, and found them rather awkward to read, when I’m sure that wasn’t the intent. When it came down to it, and the question of whether they would be together or go back to their old lives, I wasn’t sure what stakes were really at play on the romantic front. I know it works well for other people, but my graysexual self rarely gets the “friends-with-benefits banging to get it out of our system” trope.
This one overall was a mixed bag for me. I can see why it would work for other readers, especially if you enjoy stories that have a balance of lust driving the dynamic with deeper issues below the surface.
CWs: discussions of mental illness, panic attacks, drug abuse, and child endangerment.

This book had it all, the humor, the bingo nights. The romance was amazing, it was spicy, it was straight to the point the main characters were very honest and real with each other not beating around the bush, Walker was amazing to read. This couple is interracial, she's a black woman, in a new tow starting from scratch, meets this gorgeous man, who is white and just perfect, and how they understand each other really me love the book so much more. There is the topics of mental health the characters talk about, Walker goes through PTSD from his very horrible childhood, and he struggles with that but I love how he faces it head on more and more being with Aja. Aja also goes through her own mental health and her own severe anxiety, in a new town trying to find her place in the world and before we know it she has gained new relationships and every day she is working on herself.

This book was just awesome to read, I loved how everything just worked and how this couple just belonged together, it was awesome to read, I cant say it enough. Thanks Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

This was such a great romance book. I felt like the relationship developed in such a realistic way. The conflict at the end was a little frustrating but it fit really well in the storyline. Aja and Walker had such great banter and I really loved how their friendship bloomed into such a wonderful relationship. The anxiety rep in the book felt integral to the storyline but it didn't feel overwhelming or tough to read at any point - even when it was clear that the characters were really struggling. I adored the spice scenes, they were so unique and I love that they really brought something extra spicey to the book.

This was a good friends to lovers story. I loved how the author included characters with mental health issues that made them relatable and realistic. Aja and Walker both had their own personal demons to slay. Their anxiety prevented them from going after what they wanted. When they started their bet, I thought that was the perfect cover for them to given in to the feelings they couldn't quite voice. The characters' struggles with mental health lend itself to breaking the stigma of talking about it and seeking help. I loved how Aja and Walker balanced each other out and could be each other's support.


I received an advance copy of this book at my request and voluntarily left this review.

Aja and Walker see themselves as broken and struggle to truly trust and let people in. Both of them have built successful careers while they cope with debilitating anxiety. For Walker, being back in Greenbelt is challenging all the success he has had at coping and handling his anxiety. Aja had moved to Greenbelt to find a quieter daily life from the city but she is still struggling with building relationships with people her own age. It’s so fun that Bingo brings these two together, a safe place for Aja where she has cultivated a friendship with Ms. May. For Walker, he is helping his Grams, aka Ms. May, due to an injury which allows Aja to help him learn the ropes. I love how they became allies as they allowed themselves to build a friendship. They even allowed themselves to embrace and acknowledge the amazing chemistry they have which really helped them face their fears. But Walker can’t stay in Greenbelt, there is too much pain associated with this city from his childhood and Aja needs the quiet of the small town. Is there any chance they can find a forever together? I rode the rollercoaster with both of them as they chartered new paths for their lives. This story made me laugh, cry and swoon. I voluntarily read an ARC of this book and this is my honest review.