Name of Book: Bet on it
Author: Jodie Slaughter
Narrator: Angel Pear
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Genre: Chick Lit
Pub Date: July 12, 2022
My Rating: 2

Aja Owens and Walker Abbott first meet in the frozen food section of a Piggly Wiggly in Greenbelt, South Carolina.
Aja is new to town and is dealing with anxiety in fact, the story is heavy on the anxiety that both Aja and Walker are suffering.

I am sad to say that this was a mistake on my part. I should have done more research. I am not a big fan of romance but sometimes a nice ‘clean romance’ is a welcome read after the psychological thrillers ~ my ‘go to’ reads. This story had more explicit language and sex than I enjoy reading. I have a great imagination and don’t need detailed descriptions.
I guess this type of a story is a generational preference~ I am either way ‘too old’ or perhaps not ‘old enough’ as I don’t enjoy this type of a story.

Want to thank NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this audio eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for my honest opinion.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for July 12, 2022

I absolutely loved this story! The sexual tension was steamy and the mental health dynamics were surprisingly calming to listen to. The bingo bet was clever and unique and I was rooting for characters the entire time.

I wasn’t a fan of the narration; it didn’t seem to match the characters, especially Walker but the story overall was 5/5!

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillon Audio, and Jodie Slaughter for the opportunity to listen to this audio.

I loved the mental health aspect of this book. As someone who struggles with anxiety and depression, it was great to see it being brought to the forefront of a plot. I also loved the trigger warnings in the beginning of the book in regards to what the book entailed. I loved the opening of the book being in Piggly Wiggly (Wisconsin girl here) but unfortunately, I could not connect with this audio what so ever. It was boring and the narrator was very monotone. I also don't know if this is the netgalley app, but the speed greater than 2x makes an echo with the voice. So I was forced to listen to this even slower making it hard to listen to and not enjoyable.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for sending me an early copy of this audiobook! All opinions are my own!

As someone with an anxiety disorder, I would like to start by saying that this book was very well done. Both Aja and Walker learn about themselves and their own strength. They were both so understanding and open with one another, even when it hurt, and I appreciated that. It was refreshing to not have to watch characters deal with the daily things like being shamed by those around them or being told it's all in their heads. I loved the way that they grew and healed and didn't give up parts of themselves to do it.

I really loved their romance and thought it was adorable and sexy at the same time. The whole bingo concept was the cutest, and I loved the way it played into their relationship. There was so much gentleness between them and I loved the way they fit so perfectly together.

I also really enjoyed the plus sized representation and the way that nothing was ever really said about Aja other than how gorgeous she was. She was such a powerful character and her confidence even in the midst of her anxiety was so inspirational. I loved that every part of her was so authentically her and that she never shied away from any of it.

If you're a romcom fan, check this one out! I *bet* you'll fall in love!

Unfortunately, I cannot tell if it was the writing or the narration, but this book had me cringing way too many times to give it a glowing recommendation.

I loved the positive rep as it relates to mental health, anxiety, and interracial relationships. I loved the steamy scenes!

However, some of the dialogue just had me cringing. Does Walker have any other reaction than "Damn."? Again, I couldn't tell if it was the writing or the narration of it - but Walker just came off as the type of man that was hot, and he knew it, so he seemed smug and condescending (and not in a "I love an alpha" way). I did enjoy the concept of the book and the relationship, but some of the dialogue (specific to Walker) was just so bad that it took away from any enjoyment I got from reading.

This book felt so incredibly long and we had very little substance. This book started out so incredibly strong- an first meeting during Aja's panic attack in the Piggly wiggly and Walker coming to her rescue. Then they meet again at bingo when Walker is joining his grandma. However, that's pretty much where the appeal ended for me. This had so much potential, but the love just felt so awkward for me, and this story had so much detail without anything actually happening. ALSO THE SMEX SCENES ARE SO FREAKING WEIRD!!! IN THE BINGO PARKING LOT???

I was so happy to receive this audio ARC. I loved everything about this book; the characters, the relatability, the warmth, and how mental illness was worked through and not shunned or dismissed. It is a beautiful HEA. I can see myself living in this book! And now I really wanna try some peach cobbler. The narration was great! It ended well but I'd definitely like an update :)

This was so cute! I am so happy that I listened to the audiobook, as it was super funny and engaging. I think this book is a great read for anyone looking for plus-size rep! This book means so much to me because it doesn't imply that plus-sized women are inherently less worthy of love and respect than other women, which is how it should be!

Thank you for this book in exchange for my honest review.

Bet on It by Jodie Slaughter is good for any and all people who love romance. This book is perfect for the lover of love.

3.5 stars! This book was super cute and surprisingly steamy! I loved the main characters and the mental health representations. Overall a good read but not super memorable for me. The narration of the audiobook was excellent!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Bet On It by Jodie Slaughter

This story takes a look at anxiety and having panic attacks. It is complex to have mental health issues and having to deal with that in public. I liked how the author addressed this in this romance novel.

Aja moves to a small town name Greenbelt in South Carolina this is what she needed to help manage her mental health issues.

Walker returns to greenbelt to help take care of his Grandmother after she injured herself from a fall. One thing that he likes about this small town is the peach cobbler.

Walk catches Aja at the Piggle Wiggly and sees her in the throws of a panic attack and he understands what she is dealing with. He assists her for he completely understands what she is dealing with because he too has panic attacks.

The next time they meet is at Bingo hall playing Bingo and this is where the two become friends.

They both are dealing with mental health issues Walker does not like Greenbelt and Aja moves to Greenbelt to find a safe space for herself. In this they find each other and become friends and then later they become friends with benefits but nothing more.

Will there agreement last that it is just a summer thing or will they see that they might be right for each other. This is a 3.5 star rating I enjoyed some parts of the book but it got a little boring for they spent way to much time at the Bingo Hall for my liking. I wanted even more romance and less Bingo.

Thanks to Netgalley and MacMillan Audio for free audio copy of this book for an honest review.

Walker Abbott will forever be the new standard of book boyfriend!

As someone who has struggled my entire life with mental illness, the way Jodie Slaughter constructed the main characters of Bet On It hit particularly close to home. I found myself relating to both main characters as well as the story in a way I usually don't when it comes to mental health heavy storylines.

Her work developed relatable characters who are fighting their own battles while learning to lean on one another in a fun and refreshing way with an even more adorable bingo themed love story.

Jodie found a way to describe Aja, the FMC, with words like "stretch marks" and "fat belly" while making them sound erotic and sexy, not something to be ashamed of, in a light and refreshing way. Through her story, she made me love my own body more.

Aja and Walker are the couple you root for throughout the entire story. The way they both handled issues with anxiety was so well done throughout the entire book. It was refreshing to see a love story unfold while still focusing on the reality of mental health struggles in new friendships and relationships.

I adored the character development, but wanted more from the “betting” portion. I didn’t feel there were enough components to the bet. It should definitely be taken at face value, just as the blurb said. It revolves around a sex pact blossoming into a relationship, without any actual connections being built, in my opinion.

I received an ARC audiobook version from NetGalley and Macmillan Audio.

*Side note, the narration was very slow and needed to be bumped up to almost double speed.

This was good.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my advanced copy of Bet On It.

What I Enjoyed-

✨ The Audio- Bet On It is narrated by Angel Pean. She did a great job.

✨ The Setting- This book is set in a small town and centers around a bingo hall. I appreciated its uniqueness.

✨ The Representation- Bet On It's main characters both struggle with anxiety. Almost 20 percent of adults in the United States have some form of anxiety disorder. I don't see it written about often enough.

✨ The Romance- There was a good deal of spice in this book. There were also sweet moments. There was a good balance.

Overall- Recommend.

A high-stakes bet made in a small town bingo hall? I’m listening!

The author is excellent at writing about mental health and what it’s like to deal with anxiety and PTSD on the day to day. Our main characters have their own struggles and a mutual understanding of what it’s like to battle with our mental health. As someone who struggles with my own anxiety diagnosis and ADHD, this was very comforting to read and feel connected to a character (having an attack in the freezer aisle of Piggly Wiggly is very similar to my own attacks I’ve had in the most inconvenient of places, namely the self-checkout of a Kroger being the most memorable).

While this shines as a story that highlights mental health and what that life looks like, the couple didn’t mesh perfectly for me. At least, not in the way my Happily-Ever-After-Obsessed heart wants in a romance. I just don’t see them being happy in the long run. Of course, that’s just me and other readers may find it to be a perfectly acceptable ending and pairing. But you’ll just have to read it for yourself to find out!!

The book started off strong, but seemed to get repetitive. I enjoyed the characters, but am not sure this is my type of book. The writing was very well done however.

I definitely went into this audiobook thinking it was light hearted romcom but it was a pretty heavy book that deep dived into trauma, PTSD, child abuse and anxiety. The two main characters were a little awkward and hard to connect too.

2/5 stars


Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this audiobook for a honest review.

A romance based around bingo with mental health representation, I'm in! Also, yes to books starting with content warnings!! 👏

The mental health representation was so well done. In my opinion, the author did a great job of describing anxiety attacks, anxiety and complex PTSD. I also loved that the MC was plus-sized. However, there were times I was cringing throughout the audiobook including the whole sex pact aspect, any spicy scene & every time Walker said "peaches" 😬 parts of the book just felt so awkward!

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press & MacMillan Audio for advanced copies in exchange for an honest review!

This was my first novel by Jodie Slaughter and I don't think it will be my last. Bet on It was a great summer romance novel, with the heat of South Carolina pouring through it in more ways than one.

The southern small town vibe came through with this one without being overly done, which is always appreciated. I liked the main characters and I enjoyed their chemistry. The spiciness level in this book was oh-so-good. Really loved that. There was a great vibe in those scenes and I really liked how the author wrote them up.

My favorite part of this novel was how, while Aja was a plus size woman that had nothing to do with the storyline! It was handled SO FREAKING WELL. It was just a part of her and not something to be focused on and that so rarely happens. And Walker was so into Aja and every part of how she looked, and it was seriously one of the biggest highlights for me.

I feel like mental health in romance novels runs a fine line. They are so incredibly important to discuss and to normalize, but making them too heavy in a rom-com style book can be hard. I felt like here it made so much of the book feel sad and melancholy that it dragged it a little too far down. I don't know if it's how the audiobook was narrated? But I struggled with it enough to take away a star. I go into romances for the warm and fuzzies and I think those were really muted here.

Angel Pean was the narrator. And even with the seriousness of the tone throughout the book, I enjoyed her narration.

This one was just pure fun! Aja first meets Walker in the frozen section of the Piggly Wiggly when she is the midst of a panic attack and he recognizes exactly what she is going through and is a pro at walking her through it and then out the store. A few days later she then meets him again when at Bingo he walks in accompanied by her bingo friend and finds out he is her grandson. There is definite chemistry between them and soon a "bet" is established between them. When either of them wins a game they can have sex but only if they win, no kissing because that could lead to more. Oh, they are doomed since they definitely have sparks and both want more. These two are just perfection. Both have similar anxiety issues and know the triggers so are able to work together well. I recommend this one and since I not only read this one but also had it in audio you know I enjoyed it.