The one thing I will never get over is how he didn’t even APOLOGIZE???

In all honesty, I considered DNF’ing this book multiple times. I really think I should have, but of course, I just wanted to see this romance play out. Ultimately, it just felt like trauma bonding.

Add in one too many peach cobbler monologues and this book just wasn’t for me and I had really wanted it to be.

I would still probably read the author’s next book though.

I really REALLY wanted to love this one... but I barely got halfway before I got the weirdest combination of both underwhelmed and overwhelmed.
I LOVE mental health representation. It is often one of the things I love the most about a book. But for some reason it was the reason I was turned off by this book. Aja and Walker's mental health struggles came off as a bit monotonous; which is not to say that it sounded false or ingenuine. From what the author posts on social media, Jodie Slaughter has her own struggles with mental health that she deals with in her own honest way. It's just the way that everything is described in the book lacks the creativity that's present in the rest of the book. I really can't explain it any better than that but I do want to emphasize that this is something that I felt a bit off about and may not be the case for others
Something about a Southern accent outside a ranch in a white man is also not something I found particularly appealing, but again that's just me being a bit nit-picky
I loved Aja and her struggles with coming out of her shell and being who she wanted to be, again and felt connected to her in a lot of ways.

I loved this book SO MUCH!!! First of all, the anxiety rep was just so well done. I just want to hug Walker and take all his pain away. And Aja! Watching her find the friendships that she had been so desperately craving was so beautiful to see.

The two of them together were so good as well. Their banter, they’re CHEMISTRY, I couldn’t stop reading once I started. We also love to see the well done fat rep! 👏 I can’t wait to read whatever comes next from Jodie!

Thank you to netgalley for the ARC.

I really liked this book! Such a cute read. The anxiety part truly was understandable as I have anxiety myself. The tone of this book was honestly unlike any other romance I've ever read. It somehow perfectly straddled the line of being sexy while also being quirkily cute but also being extremely heartfelt and emotional. While I will admit that this wasn't a perfect read for me, I will say that it kept my attention and made me feel connected to the characters.

This was my first read by the author
Hope you enjoy it.
And as always Happy Reading!

*Arc provided by Netgalley and St.Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.*

The premise of this sounded bizarre but possibly fun. A sex pact based off bingo results just sounded like a nice low stress read. Lots of fluff if you will. This book was not the light hearted fluffy romcom I thought. The two main characters both have severe trauma and anxiety that plays a major role in the book. The sex was graphic for a book with such a deceiving cover. I know sex pact is the plot but woah. The level to which things were described was a lot sometimes downright crude and uncomfortable to read. I saw more of a lust filled connection than love as well.

This book wasn’t bad just felt a bit deceptive. If you read romcoms the cartoon like cover gives a very PG-13 vibe while the blurb doesn’t really indicate how heavy the book is. I’m someone who picks up a book first because of the cover before going to the blurb. As a result, I just really couldn’t reset my brain once things started down that path.

This book was absolutely adorable. It has just the right balance of slow burn, character development, and spice!

Aja is new to a small, South Carolina town, when she has a panic attack in the freezer aisle of the grocery story. Mid attack, a stranger stand with her, offering an empathetic, familiar level of support. Before she can find out more, the encounter is over and Aja is left to continue her life. But when she arrives at bingo the next day, the stranger is there, playing alongside his grandmother, Aja's bingo partner, May. The chemistry between Aja and Walker is almost instantaneous. But will their individual baggage be too much for the both of them to carry?

Aja and Walker were real, wonderful characters. This author did a great job at representing mental health, specifically anxiety and PTSD, in ways that our society may not expect them to be. While this is primarily a romance, we get to watch Aja, Walker, and even some of the supporting characters grow. Definitely a steamy book that fans of Talia Hibbert will enjoy with great diversity representation.

A delightful book that is very enjoyable! A very well developed plot and a very good romance story. A quick and enjoyable read

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc!

Bet On It has to be one of my favorite romance reads! I loved how both of our main characters, Aja, deals with anxiety, and Walker deals with PTSD. Slaughter's description of how these manifest is right on point. I can relate so much to Aja and anyone who deals with anxiety can relate to her too. My favorite parts of the story were how the two characters had their own issues, but they were able to support each other while overcoming them on their own. I also loved how well they communicated with each other, and it was nice to see in a romance novel. The wholesome friends (yessss!!), I loved how they were surrounded by people who loved, supported, and accepted our main characters for who they were! The setting was everything, usually, I'm not a fan of a small-town setting but Slaughter made it work.

Now all I'm craving is a peach cobbler by the end of reading this, iykyk ;)

Rating: 4.5/5

Bet on It by Jodie Slaughter is billed as a steamy bingo romance. What's not to love about that? :)

The chemistry between Aja and Walker is sizzling, and it makes one want to try a game of bingo.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

I really loved this book and recommended if you like Talia Hibbert and Tessa Bailey. It had plenty of spice and sweet moments with some deeper topics which I'd a great combination for me.

The bingo romance is SPICY. AS. HELL!!! I don't know how this is a debut novel, but I can't wait to read everything Jodie Slaughter releases. I've been recommending this book to friends all year!

I loved the concept of this book, Aja and her journey, and the mental health rep in this book. It was really hard to get past some of the more cringey moments in this book. My rating is lower because this is a romance, but the romance was not at all one of the best parts of the book and not in a good way. At some point in the book, I found it hard to keep picking it up because the pacing was so slow. It also bothered me that a book whose main plot is so based in bingo had things in the book that were not accurate to the actual game of bingo. However, if you want to read some mental health rep, be transported a small town, and love the power of friendships, this book is a good book to read to satisfy those cravings.
ARC kindly provided by the publisher (St. Martin's Press) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Aja is restarting her life in the small town of Greenbelt. She pushes herself out into the world, anxiety be damned, by attending weekly bingo with the senior citizens of the town. In addition to a kind, affirming view of mental health struggles (it's hard, therapy helps, empathy helps, but it's still really hard sometimes), the book addresses the struggle of making friends as an adult and the joyful friend crush when you find someone you hope to befriend who feels out of your league. Our love interest is Walker, a basic, cishet white boy with blond hair and a love for baseball. But the author doesn't stop with boring surface level, giving Walker layers and humanity. He struggles with PTSD from a childhood that asked too much of him. He has a loving and complicated relationship with the grandmother who raised him with acceptance but had little understanding of his trauma responses. And he doesn't want to be back in Greenbelt, the town that gossiped about him rather than supporting him while his dad lost his battle with addiction again and again.

Our romance is based on proximity, though it's not forced. Walker meets Aja at bingo when he arrives in Greenbelt to help his grandmother cope with recovery from an injury. There's a spark of attraction between them, a shared understanding built on Walker's empathetic reaction to Aja's panic attack in a Piggly Wiggly, and a desire for companionship in a town where neither feels connected. The developing relationship is up against the clock since Walker only intends to spend two months in Greenbelt. The town has too many unhappy memories for him to stick around, and Aja just moved here to escape the city. A future doesn't seem possible, so they try to limit their expectations with rules and parameters without giving up on time together-- playing bingo, going to a drive-in movie, or just hanging out at home.

One of my favorite moments is a class act epilogue that gives us the perfect scene to understand where our lovebirds' future is headed. It's not a generic proposal but a sweet slice-of-life. If you want a small town romance with modern sensibilities, a story that celebrates mental health progress while understanding the pitfalls, or two characters fighting their growing feelings because of life circumstances, this sweet, steamy romance might be up your alley. Thanks to SMP Romance for my copy to read and review!

Super cute story. A bit slow to get started but I appreciated the authors realistic portrayal of anxiety. As someone’s who’s never lived in the south, this book hits it on the nose when I think of southern charm and romance. A very cute romantic novel that’s easy to read.

As a lover of all things romance, 'Bet on It' is a delicious new take on the genre. The heat is just the right amount. Beyond that, this is a surprisingly earnest look at two people who are complete as individuals, and their journey to come together in the most compelling way.

This book is so relatable to people with anxiety! I love how strong the main character is. This book could be triggering for people, but overall they will enjoy it if they continue with it.

This was a cute romance that had good anxiety rep. The author used the dual POV to its best advantage. That said, it was a rather generic romance

Aja and Walker meet at Bingo as Walker is in town helping his grandmother recuperate from two broken arms. When Walker and Aja meet at Bingo they find out they recognize each other from an incident at the grocery store a couple of days prior. Aja suffers from crippling anxiety that can come on at any time. Part of the reason Aja moved to small town South Carolina was to try to get away from the hustle and bustle and live a calmer life which she’s hoping will help with her anxiety. Walker also suffers from mental health issues and PTSD from childhood trauma, which is why being home has taken a major toll on him. Walker and Aja continue to grow closer at their bingo games and bond over their shared mental health issues, but the stress that comes with thinking about the day when Walker has to leave is a lot for Aja to handle. Walker is completely into Aja and while he knows their time is limited he cannot resist her or being around her. When part of Walkers past comes back to haunt him, he has to make a big choice about what he really wants. Walker must decide if he can have the girl and leave his hurtful past behind for a bright future.

I am not usually a romance fan but this book was so cute. I really enjoyed this one. I would definitely read other books by this author. The plot worked well and it wasn’t a cliche silly romance. This book had great characters, and was very well written. Thank you NetGalley and St Martins Press Romance @smpromance for this ARC. #betonitnovel #smpromance #jodieslaughter

"Jodie Slaughter is a must-buy author, and Bet on It is a perfect example of what makes her writing delicious. Aja and Walker’s story is hot, sweet, and utterly unique, with a rock-solid emotional core." - Talia Hibbert, New York Times bestselling author of Act Your Age, Eve Brown

The first time Aja Owens encounters the man of her dreams, she’s having a panic attack in the frozen foods section of the Piggly Wiggly. The second time, he’s being introduced to her as her favorite bingo buddy’s semi-estranged grandson. From there, all it takes is one game for her to realize that he’s definitely going to be a problem. And if there’s anything she already has a surplus of, it’s problems.

In Walker Abbott’s mind, there are only two worthwhile things in Greenbelt, South Carolina. The peach cobbler at his old favorite diner and his ailing grandmother. Dragging himself back after more than a decade away, he’s counting down the days until Gram heals and he can get back to his real life. Far away from the trauma inside of those city limits. Just when he thinks his plan is solid, enter Aja to shake everything up.

A hastily made bingo-based sex pact is supposed to keep this…thing between them from getting out of hand. Especially when submitting to their feelings means disrupting their carefully balanced lives. But emotions are just like bingo callers—they refuse to be ignored.

Jodie Slaughter's Bet on It is a heart-stoppingly fun, emotional romance that will have readers falling in love until long after the last page is turned.

“Bet on It reads like the first rays of sun on your face after a long winter. I loved Aja and Walker's story about two genuinely good people who are playful and sweet to each other, helping one another heal, while also having incredibly hot sex. With standout portrayals of beautiful, generous friendships in addition to the love story, this is a book to be savored.” - Rosie Danan, author of The Intimacy Experiment and The Roommate

----

Another enemies-to-lovers book that I like! Not as steamy as I thought but I still like my reading experience with this book. Thanks for the ARC!