I devoured this book!

Bet on It by Jodie Slaughter is an impactful romance novel following Aja, a plus size Black woman who just recently moved to Greenbelt, South Carolina for a new environment and change of pace, and Walker, a man who hadn’t stepped foot in Greenbelt in twelve years until his grandmother got injured and needed his help.

One night, Aja was in Piggly Wiggly (just a few minutes from closing) getting hot pockets when she had a panic attack. Walker came across her and stayed with her until she was calm enough to check out her groceries. They went their separate ways, expecting to never see each other again until a few days later when Aja finds out that her bingo buddy is Walkers grandmother. Since his grandmother was injured, she couldn’t play bingo herself and dragged Walker with her. Walker and Aja became closer and eventually, decided to make a pact that if and only if one of them won, they would have sex. It seems simple right? Wrong. As we all know, little deals like this always end up to be way more than the characters bargained for.

I really enjoyed the PTSD and anxiety rep and appreciated how honest and raw it felt. It wasn’t glazed over, and don’t judge this book by the cute lighthearted cover, there are some deep topics mentioned.

My only criticism is that when I went into this book I expected it to be more heavily based on bingo and aside from a few scenes, I felt like that part could’ve been stronger.

Huge thanks to Netgalley and the author/publisher for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review!

Based on the title, Bet on It, which refers to a pact made between Aja and Walker based on an additional prize–so to speak–whenever one of them wins a local bingo game, a reader might think this is a lighthearted romantic comedy, but Aja and Walker are both fighting their own demons.

As they fall in love and make decisions about their relationship status, they are careful to take their mental health into account. I am impressed by how Jodie Slaughter handles and addresses Aja’s generalized anxiety disorder and Walker’s PTSD in the book. She depicts their feelings and reactions with care. We see them work through coping mechanisms and Aja’s interactions with her psychiatrist; how mental health impacts day-to-day activities, such as just going to the grocery store; and how anxiety puts strain on them as they develop friendships with others.

Also impressive is how Slaughter captures the essence of a small, Southern town–both the positives and the negatives.

Slaugher serves up character growth, friendship, and a heaping side of steam in Bet on It.

Angel Pean’s narration is understandably paced for a tale set in small town South Carolina, but I found myself speeding up the audio. That being said, I could feel the heat and humidity and taste the peach cobbler as I listened to the audiobook.

At a glance:
-Dual POV
-Mental Health Rep
-Plus Size Heroine
-Small Town
-Interracial Romance
-Friends to Lovers
-Let’s do this without feelings.
-Open Door
-Some Anywhere but the Bed Action

CW: Complex PTSD, generalized anxiety disorder, parental abandonment, child neglect, child endangerment, discussions of drug use and drug abuse, tumultuous and traumatic childhood, panic attacks

I received an ALC from Macmillan Audio and NetGalley. Review thoughts are my own.

2/5⭐️
This book was a miss for me. From the description ‘Bet on It’ seemed like a light hearted romantic comedy but in reality it was a heavy book that deep dived into trauma, PTSD, child abuse and much more. While I appreciate the mental health incorporation and whole heartedly believe in ending the stigma the description and actual book just didn’t line up.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my advanced copy.

2.5 stars

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with this arc. Walker and Aja's story was an okay story. I thought the subject matter regarding how both characters deal with panic attacks or PTSD was something I haven't read before. The story focuses on Walker's reluctant return to his hometown to take care of his grandmother who recently broke her arm. He meets Aja while accompanying his grandmother's bingo game. The two have an instant attraction and become fast friends. Aja is new in town and is trying to make friends while also dealing with her panic attacks. One thing leads to another they end up sleeping together and make a bet that they will only continue their sexual relationship if one of them wins bingo. They end up really like each other and things get intense.

Something felt off about this book. Walker and Aja are supposed to be in their late 20s or early 30s and they felt like they were older. The way they both talk to each other sounds like a weird '90s movie. The sex scenes were so boring and felt overwritten. I didn't need the extra description of the sounds outside or the movement of the curtains or how the pillows felt. It felt too generic. I wish we weren't in both of their overthinking minds. they both kept assuming what the other was thinking without asking each other. They were guessing the whole time. It was exhausting. I wished we had more scenes of them building a real connection. I didn't believe that they fell in love or the intensity they felt for each. It didn't make sense.

I knew we would get our happily ever after but the ending didn't feel earned. The epilogue was cute.

2.5 stars

Bet on It is my first read from Jodie Slaughter. This book is a romance and it discusses mental health quite a lot. I always appreciate that in a romance, it makes it really relatable to me. It was almost a little much in this. It overtook the romance a bit. Not a real complaint or anything just how it felt to me.
Despite the heavy moments, this was still overall a fun and light read. I will say though that the characters were kinda awkward to me. I just didn’t connect with them very well. I did love the bingo element and their silly pact. There are a handful of steamy parts as well, definitely not a closed door romance if that matters to you. Overall would recommend. I liked it but it wasn’t my favorite.

Bet On It was a really lovely story.
A girl who just wants a small town and moves to the best small town she can find meets a guy who only wants to get away from his hometown but stays to help his grandmother. She begins to get comfortable and make a life for herself, while he is forced to face his past. I loved the growth of the characters.

I came for the cover (I mean look at it… so cute) and stayed for the great read. I really really enjoyed this audiobook!

The narrator was awesome!! They were perfect for the MC, Aja. Since it was dual POV I found it a little bit distracting that both MCs were read by the same narrator. This is fully a personal preference that I like two narrators for dual POV and once I got into the audiobook I found it mattered less.

I loved the mental health rep. As someone with anxiety, I fully related to Aja. I really like how the author wrote both main characters with anxiety. Slaughter did such a good job of highlighting the differences among people who experience anxiety and/or trauma and how it can manifest so differently for each person. I really enjoyed how the author highlighted Aja’s struggles with making meaningful friendships. This one hit close to home for me and I really enjoyed how the author incorporated that into the story.

PEACHES! Don’t even get me started on how freaking cute Aja and Walker were. I absolutely loved the development of their relationship. The tension was so great and I loved how they started off as friends and things naturally went from there. Their bet was hilarious and so cute and ADDED to the dang tension. The steam in this one.. whew… SO good.

The premise was hilarious with the small town vibes and bingo set up. I thought it was perfect and unique! I really enjoyed how there were some serious topics in this one with Walker’s past history growing up in Greenbelt and his complicated relationship with his father.

Overall, the audiobook was super enjoyable and such a good story! It was a heartfelt, emotional, funny, steaaaamy and just all around a good time.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced listener’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

This review will be posted to Goodreads, Storygraph & Instagram on the pub date.

A story of anxiety, panic attacks, ptsd and a need for love that shines through the darkness. I liked this story a lot because I too suffer from anxiety/ panic attacks and it was interesting hearing a story with characters that experience the same things I do. I also love bingo which is why the cover caught my eye. The level of spice was at a 3. The narrator did a great job but read a little slow in some parts which is why I gave this 4 stars. I would not categorize this story as a romcom though. Overall I enjoyed the story and will recommend it.

Special thanks to netgalley and at martins press for providing an audio arc in return for an honest review.

Who knew a friendship formed over bingo and peach cobbler could turn so steamy!!! Aja meets Walker when he comes home to help his grandmother for a couple months. The two bond over their mental health struggles, Walker has complex PTSD while Aja has an anxiety disorder that makes it hard for her to socialize. Knowing nothing could really come of a real relationship with Walker planning to leave after eight weeks, the two make a bingo based sex pact.

This book was SOOO steamy y'all and I LOVED it!! The chemistry between Aja and Walker was sizzling and the mental health rep was unexpectedly amazing too which I love seeing in a romance book. Definitely recommended for fans of books like A brush with love by Mazey Eddings or Playing for love by Jeevani Charikaand. Great on audio too narrated by Angel Pean. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance review copies!

Honestly, I really just cheated, stamped my dauber all over the sheet, and pretended I had BINGO so I could move on.

I think it's important to know what you're getting into with this as I did not see any trigger warnings before starting this. All I saw was bingo-sex-pact and I pounced because I wanted something light and fun to read. Instead, this dives into some deep themes with important rep (discussed below) that felt quite heavy, and I definitely was not prepared for that. However, regardless of what I expected, I get the sense that this book was highly cathartic for the author, and it really does feel like this should be declared a book of their heart. However, it sadly was not one for me.

I was going to give this three stars, but after sitting with it for a while, I realized I just did not enjoy this book. At the three-quarter mark, I started skimming because I could not care about the story or these characters anymore. Actually, no. I lied. I really liked Aja. A lot. Her character felt more developed and real and when she shines, it’s impossible not to like her. Not to mention the great the body positivity she rightfully displays at all times. I just think she deserved so much better than Walker.

As mentioned, this has a lot of mental health rep that is super important to show on the page. Aja has social anxiety. It’s difficult for her to be out in new environments with a lot of people, and it’s hard for her to jive with new people. This I can totally relate to, as I often experience some of this myself, but it kind of … sucked all the joy out of the book and the character. Witnessing her being so scared and panicked in the first several chapters while I begged her to do certain things that help me cope, only for her to not—it was immensely frustrating and stressful. Thus why trigger warnings are important to know beforehand. While Aja moved to this middle of nowhere tiny town to combat her anxiety, Walker would like to never return to this town ever. He deals with PTSD after a traumatic childhood and left as soon as he could. But that means when he comes back, he is just so angry. At everything and everyone all the time. And yes, it’s an understandable reaction, given the circumstances, but it made it really hard to want Aja with this bitter man who has so much baggage he refuses to face and move past.

Personally, there was zero spark in their relationship. Absolutely nothing. Sure, the insta-attraction, banter, respect, and a lot of horniness are there, but everything felt like they were just going through the motions. “Oh, she said this, so that means I should definitely say this, which will make her say exactly this.” They didn’t feel like a couple that should work. They had quite a bit in common and yet were entirely different people that didn’t feel like they would click. Not to mention, with how adamant they both are in handling their own respective mental health, the whole book carries a tone of this will not and cannot end well. He refuses to stay in this town, she refuses to leave. And for a book centred around a bingo sex pact, it missed the mark. Apparently, it is impossible to win at bingo because in two months, they each win once.

I dunno. I don’t like ragging on books, especially when it has such great rep with mental health and body positivity, but this was just not an enjoyable read and I am very disappointed it wasn’t what I wanted.

I really enjoyed this book! It was witty, compelling, and it hooked me from the very first chapter. Good one!