Sweet, sensual and sexy. Loved the positive talk surrounding anxiety. The characters is were well written and well flushed out. The love scenes had just the right amount and not over the top. Loved the ending. Loved the setting of the story.

Who knew playing Bingo with a group of old ladies would change Aja’s life? Aja, suffering from severe anxiety and panic attacks, first meets Walker while having an attack at the local Piggly Wiggly. Walker is in town to care for his grandmother who is recovering from an injury. Being back in the small town who hasn’t forgotten his tragic past and never stopped gossiping about him and his family, it wreaking havoc on his PTSD. Playing bingo and getting to spend time with Aja, he’s finally able to see something positive in this small town. But, the distance between them has them hesitating to explore a relationship. When a sexy bet allows them the freedom to give in to their passion, they both have to fight their feelings of uncertainty of their future and their own continued mental health struggles. Add in some awesome friends as side characters and you truly root for everyone in this book.

Bet on It was a cute small town romance. I really appreciated the mental health rep and that there was some diversity in this book. I liked that the other characters treated the main characters like other people should be treating those with high anxiety, and that they were so understanding. I loved how Aja's favorite hobby was going to Bingo with all the older people, because I too feel like an 80 year old woman in a 30-something's body. It was also interesting to get a peek into the "Bingo culture." Seeing how invested and somewhat vicious the hard-core players could be was very entertaining.

There were a few things about this book that just didn't work for me. First, it just felt slow. I remember getting about 3/4 of the way through and thinking that nothing has really actually happened besides going to Bingo. Also, while they seem to share a bond over their anxiety/PTSD, their romance and attraction seemed purely physical. I didn't really understand why/how they became so invested in each other and wanted to have a long-term relationship when they only seemed to be physically attracted. I needed some more depth in their relationship to be able to really root for them.

These next two are small complaints, but I felt like Walker's accent was a bit inconsistent (which isn't that big of a deal, but it was something I noticed). The other is that I don't mind swear words in books, but in this one they seemed forced and unnatural (and there were a lot), and I think it would have been better without them, or with maybe just a few for emphasis.

Overall it wasn't a bad book, but I didn't love it like I was hoping to. I'm sure there are many people out there whom this book will appeal to, as evidenced by the many five-star ratings. It just didn't quite have that spark for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review!

Bet on It is a very fun book about a girl looking for love and a guy who comes to town to help his ailing grandmother. They meet up and sparks fly and they become romantically involved. A wonderful love story that will thrill romantics at heart.

Aja never thought that having an anxiety attack in the middle of a Piggly Wiggly would bring her in Walker's orbit.... Who also suffers from anxiety due to PTSD. Walker is back in Greenbelt to help his Grandma, who raised him, who broke both her arms. He never wanted to be back to this town he left.

I love that Aja goes to BINGO. I love that Walker's gram raised him and she is some comic relief in here. I liked that both Aja and Walker are in therapy and it's normalized in here at it should be. I like that they can recognize the anxiety in each other and can help each other through attacks.

I didn't understand why Walker left Aja the way he did because he wanted to avoid his father (who is a big cause of Walker's PTSD) Especially how well it went when the two men saw each other again and had a chance to talk.

The few intimate scenes were a bit cringy add 2 of them happened in public places and I just felt the white robe "you are going to get caught!" (They didn't lol)

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of “Bet on It”. I am sharing my review voluntarily.

Aja and Walker find themselves in the same small SC town for the summer but for very different reasons. One for escape and the other out of obligation. They meet at the bingo hall and the chemistry is instant. They struggle to keep their feelings compartmentalized as their friendship grows.

I loved that the hobby and connection point was something a bit unfamiliar and not fully mainstream. It was fun to learn a little about bingo and the culture.

The characters were vividly written and I felt like I know who they were and understood their motivators. The dialogue was fresh and believable. Both MCs had their own relationships to mental health and I liked the destigmatizing approach that was taken in that exploration.

Parts of the book felt dry and predictable to me but the story kept me engaged. The steam and chemistry was hot and really fun to read.

This is a book with complex themes and a light hearted hobby at the center. I recommend this for people who like to be challenged and wrapped up in romance simultaneously.

4 Star Review Bet On It by Jodie Slaughter

Jodie Slaughter is a new author to me and I am surprised I have not come across her books before. I enjoyed Aja Owens and Walker Abbott’s story and was invested from the first chapter.
Their initial meeting didn’t go so well considering she was in the middle of a panic attack. Walker has returned home to Greenbelt, South Carolina to look after his grandmother. That in itself had me falling for him.
Aja exploding into his life blowing his plans up, there is something about this woman that draws him to her and they quickly decide to embark on a no commitment relationship. Of course those plans quickly go off the rails and it was entertaining to watch their story play out. Both have baggage (and I really felt for both of them) that they need to deal with and it was encouraging to watch them support one another.
There were moments were I laughed out loud whilst reading Bet On It. It was romantic, funny and the characters were engaging. I was cheering for them both to get the happily ever after that they both deserved.

This book was an absolute JOY!! Not only does the author give us positive, well done portrayal of mental health issues but we get the most exquisite mutual pining. And I cannot express how much I LOVE mutual pining.

Both of our main characters struggle with anxiety. The author does a great job of expressing how each character experiences their anxiety and portrays how they handle their experiences in a way that is human, relatable, and understanding. This also leads to our characters have such great on communication between them. This is an adult relationship, fraught with real life but the communication is chef's kiss and I loved it.

I also enjoyed the characters exploring an dealing with their issues outside of the relationship. Seeing Aja make new friends and Walker come to terms with his past independently as well as with each other is a treat. This also makes the third act problem so much more believable and the resolution feel more whole. I will be picking up more from this author.

Between 3.5 & 4 stars - I absolutely loved the writing and the character work in this one! I've heard great things about Jodie Slaughter in the past, and this book definitely delivered: I thought it was very thoughtful about its portrayal of complex trauma responses, including PTSD and GAD. I loved that our h/h could understand that part of each other's experience and be supportive of each other (also, a meet cute in a Piggly Wiggy during a panic attack? iconic). The only thing that didn't totally work for me was that I expected a romcom in terms of tone, and that's just not really what I think this is book is. There are moments of humor, but I just felt like it was overall heavier than the marketing pitched it as, so that just set up the wrong expectations for me going into the story. Still, I will definitely seek more from the author & once I adjusted what I thought I was reading, I enjoyed this overall

CW: PTSD, anxiety, drug abuse

3.5 stars. This was a cute read, and I really liked how the author portrayed mental illness (the female Mc Aja has generalized anxiety, and the male Mc Walker has ptsd, anxiety/ panic attacks) and the fact that you still still have long lasting meaningful relationships- whether familial, friendships, or romantic- despite mental illness.

My main complaint for this story was that most of the best scenes were cut short- the scene would start out, but we hardly got to see any of it, then it was briefly glossed over after. I wanted to see for myself interactions between Aja and her new friends, them interacting with Walker as a grown up, etc. Too much was told to me, I would’ve preferred to see it for myself.

Leaving reviews on Goodreads and Amazon.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! 📚

Bet on It by Jodie Slaughter caught my attention because of the cover and the blurb mentioning Talia Hibbert! Now I’m a huge Talia fan and had high expectations, which were met.🤩

This book was the perfect rom-com recipe with the right amount of steam, cuteness, and laughs while also tackling some important issues such as mental illness, anxiety, and PTSD. Aja and Walker we’re easy to love with their banter and kind souls. The idea of a bingo bet
was unique and fun to explore. I was really reading this like I was playing bingo live with them for a minute.🤣

We LOVE to see it that Aja was plus-sized in a way that didn’t feel disingenuous. I felt the ending was a bit rushed but maybe I was just sad the book ended so quickly. 😭 looking forward to reading more works by Jodie Slaughter.

#NetGalley

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

Bet on It

Jodie Slaughter

Publication: July 12, 2022

I am not sure how to rate this book to be honest. It started off as a cute Rom-com with an interesting mix of characters dealing with anxiety and throw in bingo with senior citizens and I thought for sure I was going to love it. But then the characters started throwing out foul language right and left (not just one character...the main couple and all of their friends...) which quickly made me do a 180. And then the romance went from sweet to a lot of excessive sexual escapades and it went downhill for me. It would be one thing if the swearing was because of extreme distress or fit the situation/character, but it was really just used in everyday conversation. If the flavor of the book would have stayed with the sweet romance feel and focused on the issues of anxiety and the mending of the broken relationships this would have been a strong three stars for me, but with the way it played out it was only a two star read.

2.5 Stars

Bet on It was a wonderful romance read, perfect for fans of steamy tension with an emotional connection, friends to lovers and a small town setting. I fell in love with Aja and Walker and their relationship. It’s rare to see a couple where their emotional friendship is allowed to grow before any of the steam starts, seeing the two MCs bond over their shared experience in mental health difficulties was inspiring and great to see in literature. As someone who struggles heavily with anxiety, I felt like Jodie Slaughter’s portrayal of Aja’s anxiety was incredibly true to life and excellent rep. Her reaction to crowded spaces, intrusive thoughts and her own self worth were particularly well done.

I loved so much how Walker was so head over heels for Aja— Slaughter really made the dual POV the star of the show. While I felt like their could have been a bit more communication between the characters, especially with Walker’s family conflicts near the end, Bet on It was a diverting and encouraging read, full of all the pulse racing steamy scenes and heart wrenching emotional connection that makes contemporary romance shine as a genre. Would highly recommend!

I wanted to LOVE this book. I really really liked it. I liked the characters, their individual personalities and any and all anxiety issues they were going through. I love that we are now being more inclusive in our books and letting characters with mental health issues also have love lives, and roommates, and friends, and families, and the desire to fit in as much as any of us can.

While Aja and Walker meet and become friends, and eventually lovers, I found myself not loving how often Aja's body size came up in the book. I wasn't offended, but I felt like it was possibly being fetishized. I hate to even say that, but I did feel that way, more than once.

I will read more from this author.

I finished this book in ONE DAY.

I started it and before I knew it, it was mid morning and I was almost halfway through. This is such an easy read. The writing is fantastic. The characters are my favorite people, I want to hold both of them close to my heart and make sure nothing bad ever happens to them.

As easy as this read was, it also talked about a lot of heavy things. Aja, my darling, has GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder) and it is very prominent in the book. In fact, when we meet her she's having a panic attack. As a Black woman with anxiety, this book made me feel represented like no other. I felt for Aja, I understood her and I rooted for her. Then we have Walker. Walker has PTSD due to an abusive childhood, mainly due to his addict father but also due to the gossip and nasty attitudes of the people in his small town.

Walker and Aja meet (formally) through bingo and it is perfect.

This book is serious, fun, educational and undeniably s e x y !!!!

I am at a loss for words on how much I loved this book.

I love how it does not simply brush aside their mental illness but makes it an integral part of the story and makes them work through the fears and anxiety living with anxiety and PTSD will make you have.

I love the portrayal of healthy support systems. In the supporting characters and in the mention of therapy.

This book is a beautiful portrayal of mental health, living with it and finding love while healing yourself.

A super easy 5 star read.

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for allowing to read an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. Bet on It was definitely and interesting book. I really liked how honest it was about mental health struggles and how it tried to open up a conversation around it. I did enjoy the characters but some things felt too predictable. And while overall, I did enjoy this book, it took me quite a bit to get into it. The premise of this book revolved around a bet surrounding bingo which was definitely different and interesting.

I loved this book! The pacing was perfect and the story is such a sweet one.
I really liked Aja! She had a fun personality and I liked her attitude in life. She’s a bit shy and has a bit of social anxiety but it was so nice seeing her put herself out there when she made some new friends. I loved how she learns to trust people especially Walker.
Walker is such a cinnamon roll! I loved how he takes care of Aja all the time. Their meet cute happens when Aja has a panic attack in a grocery market and Walker helps her calm down. There’s even a scene where Aja is on her period and Walker comes over and rubs her feet! Be still my beating heart!
The steamy scenes in this book were amazing! I loved how you get emotional along with the sex. I loved how they bet to only have sex if one of them wins at bingo. It was fun reading to see if they would win. Also I’m obsessed on how Walker calls Aja “Peaches” as a sexual reference and that it’s his favorite pie!
The only issue I had was that I didn’t like that Walker’s grandmother kind of disses his PTSD and his anxiety from childhood and those around them trash talking. As someone who raised him I would have liked to see more understanding for him.

Read if you like:
3rd person dual POVs
Small town romance
Anxiety representation
Open door romance
Biracial couple

Aja is a women with anxiety that developed while growing up. Walker is a man with anxiety that developed from childhood. What happens when they meet? This a very cute and easy read about 2 people learning to become a adult and deal with issues that alot of people have developed or is a part of them. Check trigger warnings to make sure its a good book for you.

Friends! I am so excited to share my ARC review of Jodie Slaughter’s newest romance Bet on It.

As always these views are my own, and I have been provided an ARC for a fair and honest review.

I have had Bet On It on my radar for a while heading into 2022 and I was so freaking pumped to have been approved for advanced accessed. I’ll also share that I haven’t read any of Slaughter’s previous romances but after falling head over heels in love with Aja and Walker, I am really excited to burn through her backlist ASAP.
I don’t know if it was meant to be or what but this book came to me at the exact right time. From the meet-cute, right until the happily ever after, Bet on It was a freaking delight to read. It has so many of the things I love: small towns, two imperfect people falling in love, mental health rep, body diversity, period rep, lots of non sexual physical touch and the nuzzling, my lord, 10/10.

The deeply resonate characterizations of Aja and Walker will connect with lots of folks, especially the with those living through mental health challenges.

The anxiety and complex PTSD was written with such care, love and realism that there were moments where I felt like Jodie had somehow had gotten a glimpse right into my head.

The central love story between Aja and Walker absolutely sparkles, and balances soul deep connection with moments of deep joy, and of course skin searing sexual chemistry. Lord knows it will take awhile for Peaches to not pull up a few key images.

There’s something really fabulous about how Slaughter writes the found family for both Aja and Walker and will leave you with all the warm fuzzies as these two babies find themselves, then each other in the most beautiful of ways.

Bet On It is a DELIGHT and I encourage everyone to snag a copy when it lands on shelves and online July 12th 2022.

first off, let's get what I didn't like off the table. it irritated me that the author can't have played bingo, because the numbers are all wrong (unless the Southern States have some outlandish addition) there is no B90, or G4. grrr.

That being said, I really enjoyed the mental health aspect of this story, especially the focus on doing the work to get yourself better. It doesn't just magically go away, you need to have therapy, coping skills, ways to communicate. This was definitely the selling point on the story for me.

The romance and the premise of the story were cute. Love Grans, love the friends.