I really wanted to love this one because I adore Bingo and love to play whenever I get the chance but this books just wasn't for me. We follow Aja who has recently moved to a small town in South Carolina to try and live a quieter life. When we first meet Aja she is having a panic attack at the Piggly Wiggly and is comforted by an unknown stranger. When she next goes to Bingo which is her only source of people interaction she meets her friends grandson named Walker who happens to be the stranger who helped her during her panic attack. Walker is staying in town to help out his grandmother who has had a recent fall. The two quickly become friends and maybe something more while also dealing with their personal trauma. Overall I thought the writing was really good in this book and there are open door spicy scenes but I just was not in the head space to read about the heavier topics that were discussed in this book. There are many trigger warnings so if you like to have those I would recommend looking into them. Thank you St. Martin's Press for my gifted copy for review.

I cannot get over this book! Aja moved to Greenbelt for some peace and to work on herself. Walker moved back to Greenbelt to help his grandma. The two share sweet moments throughout the book but know that it is only temporary, because Walker is moving after his grandma’s arms heal. Both main characters have their demons and are actively working through them. My favorite part of this book was the fact that Aja is fat and there isn’t a single moment she felt self conscious about it or that the attention was pointed to that fact. I also loved the way Walker described her body to himself, how hot and beautiful he found her. As someone who is constantly anxious about how their fat body is perceived, this book was a breath of fresh air.

Well this was exciting and unexpected. I really enjoyed this novel and felt like the quick pace and length was just perfect. Jodie Slaughter writes about a beautiful seemingly short-term relationship between two people who struggle with anxiety. They're both finding their own way and making their lives what they want but somewhere on the way, they cross paths and can't seem to not find one another again. It's got that perfect mix of on their own and together time, their friends and other side characters don't over power their story/relationship and there's lots of great dialogue and *sigh* steamy moments!

I also loved how much of this novel (and it's not too much if you're not into this) revolves around bingo night! From the special calls to the snacks, it's a great and unique backdrop for a blossoming love story!

I saw an author post the other day that someone lowered their rating of a book because they couldn’t relate to a character. But I don’t think we are supposed to relate to every character in every book. If we were all the same, how boring would the world be? We also don’t all have the same struggles.

I really thought about this as I was reading Bet on It by Jodie Slaughter. Can I understand exactly how Aja and Walker act or feel? A little bit yes, but there’s so much I don’t think about on a daily basis that people with anxiety or PSTD do. I think that reading books that make you see, think or feel in a different way than you already do are just as important as reading books where you feel like the characters get you. It makes us grow and learn and be a little more empathetic.

Bet on It made me remember that we don’t all think the same, and can be put in the same situation and have different reactions. I really love that Aja and Walker understood this about each other and I think it really only made their love stronger.

I really recommend picking this one up. Go in with an open mind and remember we all have different backgrounds and different struggles. Let’s all be a little kinder to each other.

I love a curvy MC getting hers and oh my goodness, does Aja get it. I love that she's confident and unapologetic about her body and how much Walker loves her body. As a plus size woman I love seeing it. I am not a southern, small town girl, so a lot of those vibes missed for me. I also thought it relied too heavily on past trauma to link the characters. Aside from physical attraction and shared trauma responses nothing else really through them together. I love mental health represented in a novel but this felt a lot less contemporary romance/romcom and a lot more literary fiction with the STRONG focus on PTSD, anxiety, depression, addiction, etc.

I wish we had seen a little more than cobbler and emotional trauma bringing these two together. Also, Aja's friends/family back home were so surface that they might have not been there at all. Walker's friend group and family felt much more fleshed out. Overall, the characters were so defined by their mental "illness" that it was hard to think of them as anything else.

It wasn't a new fave. I don't think I'd buy it. But I may recommend it given the right circumstances.

Aja Owens left the DC Metropolitan area behind for Greenbelt, South Carolina for a change of pace--which has done wonders for her anxiety. Still, she is struggling to adjust to a new place where she doesn't know anyone. Which is why she has a Wednesday night ritual of going to bingo. Sure, she's mostly surrounded by the geriatric portion of Greenbelt's small population, but it gets her out of the house and she enjoys the routine. However, she starts to worry when the lady she usually sits beside is absent for a few weeks, relieved to see Miss May walk into the bingo hall again.... then horrified to see the casts on her arms. And then absolutely mortified when Miss May's incredibly handsome grandson appears with her.

The same man who, just a few nights before, witnessed her anxiety attack in the local Piggly Wiggly.

Walker Abbott (Wally to his grandma) hasn't been back to Greenbelt since the day he left for College of Charleston and hasn't looked back. But when his grandmother has an accident, he drops everything to be at her side. But he's made it clear: he's only staying for a few weeks, until the casts are off. Then he's leaving again. Leaving behind the town that mocked him and whispered about him for his addict parents, his PTSD and anxiety attacks, and generally made him feel unwelcome in the very town he was born in. Nothing can make him stay, even though he adores his grandma, who raised him. Not even the gorgeous Aja Owens.

Sparks fly between Aja and Walker, though they both refuse to act on it; after all, Walker isn't going to be sticking around and Greenbelt is Aja's new home. That is until a bout of joking between them after a game of bingo leads to a pact: they can sleep with each other only if one of them wins a game of bingo. Then and only then. Nothing in between.

Yeah. Like that's going to last long.

A brilliant romance that focuses heavily on mental health, self-care, and works to destigmatize mental illness while also being funny, sexy, and an addictive page turner. Aja and Walker both have amazing and supportive friend groups, I adore Miss May, and the setting of a bingo hall is fun, creative, and incredibly unique. I was also relieved that, though there was tension between Walker and Miss May at the beginning, there was no big blow-up that was dragged out to the end of the book, only for them to reconcile after that; no, they handled it well and early on, talking like the adults they are about their feelings. That was a breath of fresh air.

A brilliant addition to your summer reading--and 100% South Carolinian approved!

This book is a fun yet also emotional read. It centres a small town, bingo and two likeable main characters that are trying to move on from the past. The cast is likeable, diverse and flawed which makes for a very rich and warm story. Add in delicious peach cobbler, spicy moments and a very interesting prize if either of the main character wins at bingo and you had got a pretty good read.

I really, really liked this one but then again, there were one minor thing that wasn't my fave.

LOVED:
- the realistic talk about anxiety, panic disorders and PTSD that Aja and Walker struggle with. they were so open & honest when discussing their mental health with each other and that is extremely healthy for a relationship.
- the supporting characters. Aja got a new girl squad while Walker has his wholesome grandma.
- Aja. She has so much self confidence with her body but she struggles with fitting in. I relate to that, thinking that no one likes me all of the time hahaha, and also being someone on the more plus size side, it was awesome having someone like Aja that is extremely relatable to most people.
- Walker. he was a cute little cinnamon roll, let's be real. He did some stupid stuff towards the end there but is it even a romcom without some third act conflict?
- the STEAM. ooooo-weeee. you'll never look at a parking lot the same way again.

MEH:
- i love the two main characters separately but they were lacking some chemistry outside of the bedroom. their relationship is very much insta-lovey.

thank you to the publisher for sending me an e-arc free to review.

This was cute but not my favorite. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m from the South and it felt like it was trying very hard to be Southern, but the characters didn’t reel me in as much as I would’ve hoped. I will say that it’s great to read characters who are open with their mental health journeys, and I’ve never seen bingo featured so heavily in a book before!

Wow, I loved this book! It was super cute! I love well written friends to lover trope! They had such great chemistry!

I really enjoyed this book. I love how both main characters had issues but were actively working towards being better. I like the depictions of found family (I need Miri’s book right now) and how past trauma shapes us and forgiveness. This book is definitely in my top ten romance book list.

This one was sweet and steamy.

I started the book via eARC then switched over to the ALC.

I liked the progression of Aja and Walker’s relationship. How they started as friends then decided to use their Bingo games as ways to move things forward.

There was a lot of talk about mental health in this book. Both Aja and Walker are working to address their histories and their current mental health symptoms. I appreciated seeing how they acknowledged each other’s needs.

I liked Aja’s progress in making friends with the other young women in the town. I liked seeing her struggle to put herself out there but push her a little past her comfort zone.

Overall, the story was good but I think I would have wanted more in some ways. I am not quite sure I can explain what was missing for me, but I just left feeling like I could have used some more.

This was was still a fun and enjoyable book. (3.5)

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

2 stars

I will admit, I’m in a bit of book slump so it’s possible this book just caught me on a bad week. However, I didn’t enjoy this book. It was just way too cliche for me. It was like 1,000 other contemporary romance books and I couldn’t get into it. I know the point of romance novels is happily ever after but this one was too predictable. The author definitely has potential. She’s witty and steamy but this book wasn’t her best work.

Walker comes to town to help his grandmother after she’s injured. Aja happens to be one of his grandmother’s bingo buddies. They don’t seem to have a great deal in common at first, but seem to bond over the anxiety they both battle.

This was a great story! It shows the characters growing closer as they face their pasts, their own insecurities, and their anxiety. I love the support of the secondary characters, with both Walker and Aja having solid friend-groups.

If you're looking for a fun + spicy romcom this is the book for you!

Aja Owens is mid panic attack in the freezer aisle of her local grocery store when she meets Walker Abbott for the first time. Soon after, Aja goes to her weekly bingo game where she quickly realizes that handsome Walker is none other than her bingo partner's grandson. An immediate mutual flirtation begins, although they each have reservations. Both dealing with anxiety and mental health issues they quickly find themselves falling for each other while also finding a solid ally to help them navigate the ins and outs of panic attacks, anxiety, and love. A risky bingo bet made on a whim for fun could quickly turn into something more serious when feelings start to develop and all bets are off.

This was my first Jodie Slaughter book and I would definitely classify it as *spicy*! The entire book is full of quirky moments, mostly involving food, and several laugh out loud funny lines. Even with all the spice and humor the story tackles some serious issues too. It feels real and relatable. 4 fun stars. And 5 🌶

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. Bet On It will hit shelves on July 12 and is the perfect book to take along for a trip to the beach!

I have very mixed feelings about this book. I liked that the main event for this book was a Bingo hall. I found that to be a unique activity but made sense for the small-town setting. Aja and Walker both suffered from different versions of mental illness and they both were handled very well. Aja was a very confident, body-positive, plus-sized black woman that stole the storyline.

The parts of the book that were a turn-off for me were the descriptions of the way in which they ate. To me, it came across as sloppy, manic, and unnecessary. I am all about someone enjoying their food but to depict someone devouring a hot dog in seconds and leaving remnants of the meal behind was not attractive. For me, it took away from the mood of the story. I also did not appreciate the description of the romantic scenes. It was more that the words that were used were almost vulgar and the images that were presented were not appealing. I may not be the majority in this opinion, but for me, it detracted from the story.

2.5 stars

Spicy read! I loved that the main character struggled with anxiety and panic attacks. The book seemed relatable in that sense and it was a nice read, though a little heavy for someone who also struggles from anxiety and panic attacks and triggers.

I have mixed feelings about Bet on It. I think Slaughter does a great job of addressing anxiety, panic attacks and PTSD. Both main characters, Aja and Walker, suffer from these issues but in different ways. Aja's in particular are triggers that people may have and not consider anxiety, like dealing with crowds or putting herself out and not knowing how people will react to her. While I may not experience those situations to the extreme that she does, I certainly get it. Walker, meanwhile, struggles with being back in a community where he was bullied as a child and had an absentee drug addict dad. Both are triggers for him. Slaughter builds a support network not just between the two characters, but also has secondary characters that are friends that are supportive of Aja and Walker. I do think that two people that deal with anxiety can be in a relationship, I struggled with the romance between the two. There's a particular moment late in the book where Aja doesn't handle a panic attack that Walker has particularly well - and instead of trying to understand what causes it, she gets mad at him because she was embarrassed. They also have permanent homes in two different places with friends that are vital to their well-being, and Ada's home will not work for Walker. I also just didn't like anything romantic between them, although calling it romantic is a stretch. I read across the whole spectrum of romance, and do not restrict myself to books with off-the-page sex, but the sex scenes have to feel either romantic or sexy for me to enjoy them and these just left me feeling kind of icky because they felt coarse. And there are a lot of unnecessary f-bombs in the book that added next to nothing for me. So...addressing support networks and managing anxiety issue is a win, romance is not for me - others may feel differently. A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I really enjoyed Bet On It by Jodie Slaughter! Big thank you to @NetGalley @SMPRomance @jodie_slaughter for an #eARC of this one in exchange for my honest review!! All thoughts are my own.
I really love Aja!! She was extremely relatable and I appreciated how Slaughter wrote about Ana’s struggles with anxiety and panic attacks. Walker was the perfect love interest for Aja and I loved how real they were with each other when talking of their mental health struggles! The spice level in this one was super hot and I am here for it!! The supporting characters in this one were also top notch and I really loved what they brought to the story! Overall a really great read!! 4.25 from me!!

(3.75/5) This spicy summer romance novel was a great read after a slightly disappointing last read. While I read this book quickly, I found the pacing to be a bit slow in some places. I enjoyed the depth that the characters had; it feels like rom-coms coming out now are more diverse and explore issues like mental health well. You can tell that either the author has made use of therapy themselves or really did their research to represent anxiety and PTSD well. I will say that it almost felt more like personal growth for each of the main characters separately than it did together - like, I almost wanted them to experience more together or for more emotional intimacy so that when the characters realize that they're in love with each other it doesn't feel out of the blue. I thought the side characters were a bit underdeveloped, but I did enjoy them and the fact that they supported the main characters well (take notes for your friends with anxiety).