Read if you love:
🤣 Books that make you LOL
🤷🏼‍♀️ Chaotic FMC
🔥Steam and Tension
🌶️ Hookups to More
❤️ Friends to Lovers

Just as I devoured Mr. wrong Number, I absolutely devoured this one too! Lynn Painter is definitely my go to Romcom writer as she does it with such effortlessness that makes it so I can’t put her books down!

I love that her female main characters are all a bit messy and chaotic and real! It makes the humor so much better and unputdownable!

I also love that her male MC’s are hot and tender and dreamy steamy boyfriends! I definitely have a new book boyfriend in Jack!

Thank you Berkley for my AR copy of this one! I was so excited to read it in advance of its release! I can’t wait for more from Lynn!

This was. unexpectedly cute.

Hallie Piper is turning over a new leaf. After belly-crawling out of a hotel room after a one night stand, she decides it’s time to become an adult. She gets a new apartment, a new haircut, and a new wardrobe, but when she logs onto the dating app that she has determined will find her new love, she sees none other than Jack, the guy whose room she snuck out of.

After agreeing they are absolutely not interested in each other, Jack and Hallie realize they’re each other’s perfect wing-person in their searches for The One. They text each other about their dates, often scheduling them at the same restaurant so that if things don’t go well, the two of them can get tacos afterward.

I love a good rom com. This one has everything: Fake dating, friends to lovers, one bed...like my favorite troupes done well. The spice was open door...but not too many details...in case you wanted to know lol

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Guys, I’m pretty sure I said this about Mr. Wrong Number, but I’m gonna say it again THIS is why I fell in love with romcoms. The banter. The fun. The laughing out loud. The sexy times that, while great, don’t take over the whole book. I absolutely adore Lynn’s writing and can’t scream type loud enough about it. Her books bring me back to the classic 90s romcom movies 💗

What to expect:
•TEXT BANTER!!!
•LOL funny moments. So many!
•One night stand - that turns into:
•Friends to lovers
•Fake dating
•Funny bad dates
•Previous book updates
•Tacos(the food you dirty birds)
🤗ONLY ONE BED
🔥Open door, mild descriptions

This level of superb banter should probably be illegal.

| The Love Wager ARC Review |
By Lynn Painter

“𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘐 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘺, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘴𝘰 𝘪𝘯 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺. 𝘐 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥. 𝘠𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦, 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘺, 𝘢𝘸𝘧𝘶𝘭, 𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭, 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭.”

The Love Wager has wiggled its way into the top spot on my all time favorite contemporary romance reads list, and I’m not quite sure anyone will ever be able to top it. The chemistry, the banter, the TENSION. I can’t tell you the last time I read banter and on page chemistry this well done. One of the easiest 5⭐️ ratings I’ve given.

The Love Wager is a shot of serotonin that works it’s way deep into your heart, but makes a couple of pit stops on its way to put a stitch in your side and a giddy smile on your face. Below are a few of my favorite things from this masterpiece of a book.

✨One night stand to friends to idiots to lovers
✨Fake dating
✨Only one bed
✨He falls first
✨Epic love confession
✨Jack Marshall, your newest book boyfriend
✨The kind of love we all long for (and makes us extra appreciative, if we already have it - poor hubs, I was attached to his hip after reading this)

Full disclosure, I made the mistake of reading my girl Angie’s review before writing my own and I echo almost all of her sentiments, so I’ll point you in the direction of her Goodreads to finish this up. 😘

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5405043352

The Love Wager comes out on March 14th, and trust me, this one is worth a preorder. 🖤

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘓𝘺𝘯𝘯 𝘗𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳, 𝘉𝘦𝘳𝘬𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘗𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘎𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘱, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘦 -𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺. 𝘈𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴, 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.

So I didn't have the greatest experience with the first book in this series, Mr. Wrong Number, but decided to pick this one up because I do remember liking the author's writing style, even if the story itself wasn't for me.

Fortunately, I enjoyed this one MUCH better! There were a few things that I didn't like, hence the star rating, but I still enjoyed the story and the characters overall.

My favorite part was honestly the witty banter between Jack and Hallie. They were so funny and I just really loved their relationship.

So if you are like me and weren't super enthusiastic about the first book in this series, give this one a chance - it might surprise you!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing the ARC.

Here for the follow up to Mr. Wrong Number!

Although not technically a sequel, Painter delivers us back to that setting, only this time focusing on Jack, Olivia's brother and Colin's former roommate. While in the first book, it was true that Jack loved his sister and demonstrated that love, I always kind of got the impression that he was a bit of a tool. I was pleasantly surprised to see that wasn't the case, even if he is a bit thick.

And Tiny Bartender Hallie, who is sweet as pie and gives as good as she gets is the perfect counterpoint to Jack. All she wants is to fall in love with her best friend, and when Jack slides into that role, it becomes very easy for her to do so.

One thing that Lynn Painter excels at is banter. I am a firm believer that roasting your partner is a love language and these two have it in spades. There are times when I could not stop laughing at the commentary between Jack and Hallie. It is the best part of the book.

However, I do not like miscommunication and I feel like this book was kind of rife with it. Both Jack and Hallie weren't able to communicate their feelings effectively and that was the primary source of conflict. And while it did get resolved quickly, both of them well super thick about the whole thing.

Overall, it was a great book with great characters and great dialogue. I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

Lyn Painter is just it.

Her writing voice is hilarious and fluffy, but packs a great punch. The Love Wager is teeming with chemistry and hilarity from the first page. I laughed out loud and marveled at the dating situations both of the MCs encountered. This novel is just a delight and matches well with TBR first book in their series, Mr. Wrong Number.

Thank you Berkeley for the gifted copy.

When it comes to romcoms my criteria is stringent: the sequel to Mr. Wrong Number TICKS ALL THE BOXES.

Hallie is an adorable, refreshing character who doesn’t take herself too seriously, but the guys she dates want her to be less herself and more what they think she should be. Jack just wants what his friends have, someone to spend his life with.

When Hallie and Jack end up on the same dating app (after a crazy one night stand) they make a wager. The first one to find love wins…

Lots of banter, chemistry for days, and a super fun read.

4.25 ⭐️ Hilariously fun! An absolute joy to read!


"You have bewitched me body and soul, and I love you three times. Please tell me my hands are cold so we can get on with our lives already."


WHAT TO EXPECT:
✨ sarcastic, hopeful bartender / tax accountant FMC
✨ charming, witty landscape architect MMC
✨ one-night stand to friends to lovers
✨ dating apps
✨ 'who can find love first' bet
✨ fake-dating (at the end)
✨ one-bed trope
✨ open door romance with minimum details
✨ snarky banter
✨ amazing flirting
✨ eventual jealousy
✨ omission of feelings
✨ love confessions in the rain 'The Notebook" and "Pride and Prejudice" style
✨ dual pov


I read Lynn Painter's Mr. Wrong Number and thought it was cute, but I wasn't necessarily eager to read this one until a friend of mine gushed about it, saying it is now her favorite contemporary romance! So I requested an ARC on NetGalley, and thank goodness I did because The Love Wager was an absolute freaking delight! You know a book's good when it makes you laugh out loud so many times and ultimately pulls you out of a reading slump. So if you're questioning if you should read it, this is your sign to do so!


My Thoughts:


I absolutely adore Jack and Hallie. Even though they are great characters on their own, I can't think about one without the other. Together, they just make sense. There is no Jack without Hallie and vice versa. They really do complement and complete each other. They see the other for exactly who they are, and not only do they accept the other's uniqueness, they love it. Jack and Hallie are the definition of soulmates, and I would die for them.


The one-night stand to friends to lovers romance. I'll admit, I wasn't sure how on Earth this was going to work, but Lynn Painter did it beautifully! Not only do these two have so much romantic chemistry, but it's made abundantly clear that their friendship is just a strong. Even though they had a one-night stand, they really were just pals after, and it was entirely believable in my opinion. It was fun watching them banter and develop a sweet friendship that turns into love.


Some of the best snarky and flirty banter. Seriously, I cannot tell you how many times I laughed out loud. Their text messages in particular were great! Here's an example:

Jack: Wow. He seems nice? Is that where the bar is set - at nice?
Hallie: What's wrong with nice?
Jack: Nothing. I mean, I'm sure you cannot LIVE without getting railed by a "nice" guy.
Hallie: Eww can you explain the particulars of what getting "railed" entails? It sounds . . . torturous. Painful. I think you might be doing it wrong.
Jack: HAL.
Hallie: I'm mocking the terminology and THAT IS ALL.


The romantic scenes may not be very descriptive, but they are still sexy. One of the things I didn't love about the first book was that these scenes were usually only two paragraphs long and extremely light on details. While they still aren't explicit, they are much longer and happen more often, so I was happy about that!


The only reason this isn't getting 5 stars for me is that I didn't 100% jive with the author's writing style. There's absolutely nothing wrong with it. I just sometimes had to pause midsentence to reread a sentence more than a handful of times, which disrupted the flow of the story for me. It could be because this was an ARC, so it wasn't fully edited either.


Overall, The Love Wager is a rom-com you should read if you're looking for something charming, comical, light-hearted, and romantic. I'll definitely be buying a copy for my library.

“Jack: That falling-off-a-building feeling the first time you kiss someone is just perfection.”
— The Love Wager, Lynn Painter

You know that feeling you get in your chest when you read a really good love story? Your heart swells, your pulse quickens, you’re kicking your feet and squealing? That was me with this book.

I didn’t think it was possible for Painter to top herself because Mr. Wrong Number is a masterpiece, but…she did.

This book was funny, sweet, sexy, two-halves-of-a-whole, once in a lifetime kind of love amazing.

Jack and Hallie meet when she’s bartending his sister and best friend’s wedding (yes, Olivia and Colin!!!!) and what ensues is a super hot night of slutty wedding sex. But they later connect on a dating app, and through mutual dating woes, become best friends.

Until they both want more, and it all comes to a head in Vail at HER sister’s wedding.

Lord I just love these two so much. They were both hilarious and sweet and soooooo hot. They both wanted to find love, and wound up finding so much more than they ever dreamed of.

Lynn’s writing is beautiful. Her prose flows well. She’s hilariously talented, and creates characters that you feel like you’re living right alongside. I wanted to live in this story forever.

I adored this book! As usual the characters, the fun, whimsical storyline, the snarky banter, hilarious situations the characters found themselves in, all of it added up to perfection for me! It was fun getting to see Jack, was Olivia’s brother from Mr. Wrong Number, get his HEA. And we got a fun bit of time spent with Olivia and Colin too in this book.

The meet-cute in this book was a little bit of an eye-opener for Jack, who found out the woman he’d been about to make his fiance was a bit of a jealous crazy for no reason. And he hadn’t even asked her to marry him yet! But the getting over it along with Hallie was pretty fun. But they left it as a one night stand kind of thing until they “found” each other on a dating app. I loved the parts with the dating app as I am someone who does the scrolling, or as I call it, window or catalog shopping. The two of them became friends as they tried to help each other navigate to find their perfect match.

As you would expect though, the friendship between them became so rich and wonderful, that it was hard to not develop more feelings. While Jack kind of fell first, the feelings were niggling at the back of Hallie’s mind as well. As I mentioned the banter, the hilarious texting and nicknames and debating over what was the “okay” term for sex, railing, bonking, etc., was exactly what I love in a rom-com. The fact that Jack’s cat was named Mr. Meowgi was perfect as well.

It was not just the main couple that I loved, but the side characters as well. And not just the ones that we know from the first book, but also Hallie’s roomie, and sister, and really it was just a great ensemble of characters. I hope there is a third, not sure who it would be, but I’m there for any characters that Lynn Painter wants to write a story for.

I did discover a bit of a continuity error in the book, and I assumed it was probably going to be changed before the book was released. I reached out to the author to ask her about it, and she said that it slipped through. And also there was a mention about someone making a funny Kansas City Chiefs joke, and I don’t remember that, so don’t know if that would have made me a bit mad as I read it, lol. My only criticism really is that there was so much of the “not ruining the friendship” and not believing he wanted more even when he really did kind of come out and say it. I know, I know, it’s a normal romance dramatic storyline, but sometimes I get a little bit irritated with characters who keep it going, like Hallie kind of did. Also, I’d like to find my own Jack who has lots of frequent flyer miles to upgrade my plane ticket to Scotland this summer.

I didn't read Mr. Wrong Number before reading this and I was still able to follow along and enjoy the book. Hallie was character to root for as she figured out a new line of work while romancing her one-night stand. I will recommend this one to readers looking for something light and enjoyable.

Lynn Painter is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors. The Love Wager is no exception to her reputation as an excellent rom-com writer. Hallie has been working dead end jobs in an effort to reinvent herself after a bad break-up. Jack recently dodged becoming engaged to the wrong woman. After a one night stand the two form a fast friendship, and an alliance as they seek their "forever" partners.
The structure of the novel, the texts, and the supporting players -- all add to the novel instead of detracting. I loved this book. Great banter, fast pacing, and well rounded and likeable characters.

A disclaimer that this book will have you laughing out loud, smiling like a fool and giggling.

Dang this was SO good. Hallie and Jack had some electric chemistry that make reading this book SO SO fun. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the first book in this series but this book was SO surprisingly good. I’m obsessed with this friends to lovers meets fake dating goodness. Hallie was such a good heroine and Jack was a jealous, romantic, HOT hero.

Here’s a little bit of what to expect:
- Friends to lovers
- hero who has cat 🐈
- Fun texts 😏
- Shameless flirting 🤭
- So many good jealousy scenes
- Fake dating scheme
- One bed trope 🛌
- THE BEST BANTER
- Love confessions in the rain

Maybe the only thing I didn’t like was that they spent a long time not being together but it was a slow burn so totally understandable. I’m honestly struggling to find something about this book I didn’t like.


Thanks SO much to Berkley Publishing for this ARC!!🫶🏼

THE LOVE WAGER – Lynn Painter
A Perfect 10
Berkley
ISBN: 978-0-593-43728-5
March 14, 2023
Romantic Comedy

Omaha, Nebraska – Present Day

After having gone through a painful breakup with her longtime boyfriend, the last thing Hallie Piper needs is a new romance. One night while working as a bartender at a wedding, a man comes up to the bar to order a drink. She recognizes him from the jewelry store where she also works part-time and remarks to him about it. His girlfriend thinks they are coming on to each other and throws a hissy fit—and tosses a drink at Hallie. With the guy now being dumped by his girlfriend, he corrals Hallie into drinking with him. She wakes up the next morning in his bed. She doesn’t know his name, but it must have been good drunken sex. She sneaks out and doesn’t see him until she meets him a few days later.

Turns out the guy’s name is Jack Marshall, and he is fun to be around. Hallie and Jack hit it off as friends and avoid the romance route. As they kid around and get to know each other, he gets her to agree to a dating app challenge. If one finds true love using the app, they will have to pay the other in a bet (she offers up a rare, signed baseball and his is a bunch of airline miles). Along the way, they encourage and critique each other’s date choices. Despite the chemistry between them, Jack and Hallie don’t want their friendship to turn into friends with benefits.

There’s plenty of fun going on in THE LOVE WAGER, a romantic comedy that revolves around the romantic lives of Jack and Hallie. To a point, neither can find Mr. Right, so after they ditch their online dates, they end up at a local Mexican food joint to commiserate. Just when it looks like they are both about to hit the jackpot, things change—and Hallie needs a date to her sister’s destination wedding in Vail. Jack agrees to be her pretend boyfriend for the weekend, and that is when this tale really takes off as the chemistry between them sizzles smoking hot. It doesn’t help that their shared room turns out to only have one bed. Can they spend a night together in the same bed? It isn’t like they haven’t done it before…

THE LOVE WAGER is cute and entertaining with its sassy dialogue and intriguing characters in Hallie and Jack. They don’t see themselves together as the perfect romantic couple but feel friendship is their best bet. He teases her and she confides in him. Why ruin a good friendship with love? Yet, it is clear to readers that they are great together. When will they realize it? THE LOVE WAGER takes you inside the ins and outs of online dating. It is either hit or miss, but is it worth it? Yet, Hallie can’t get past that night of drunken sex (as she calls it) and feels they will ruin a good friendship by having sex. Will the trip to Vail be a game-changer? You’ll have to read this tale to find out the answer.

Enjoy the fun and sexy shenanigans by grabbing a copy of THE LOVE WAGER. I certainly enjoyed it and that is the reason I gave it a Perfect 10.

Patti Fischer
Romance Reviews Today

Four and a Half Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭒
The Love Wager by Lynn Painter is the second book in her Mr. Wrong Number series. It’s a delightful, laugh-out-loud, romantic comedy that I enjoyed very much.

Story Recap:
Hallie Piper had a night she doesn’t want to remember and decides to turn over a new leaf. She’s ready for one steady boyfriend and to start a real relationship. She gets a new wardrobe, haircut, and attitude.

When Hallie goes to the app to find someone, she finds Jack, the man with who she spent a one-night stand that made up her mind to change herself. Through the app they become friends, and they decide to go on dates at the same time, so they can back each other up if the dates go wrong.

My Thoughts:
The Love Wager has the perfect balance of romance, humor, emotions, and conflict. I loved the characters and just knew they were meant for each other from the beginning. The chemistry between Hallie and Jack was evident from the very beginning, but I loved their friendship even more. They were great together, and their banter was so much fun to read.

This book took off from the very beginning and never slowed down. I just can’t explain how much I adored both Hallie and Jack, they know how to have fun.

Recommendation:
I highly recommend The Love Wager to anyone who loves romance. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

"It couldn't have been anyone but you."

I have always been a fan of LYNN PAINTER'S work, and every book of hers that I read, continue to remind me why. This book will have your emotions going haywire, and at some points, want you to smack your head against the wall because of how dent Hallie and Jack can be, but these are what what makes this such an AMAZING BOOK. Hallie Piper has just ended things with Ben, who she thought was the love of her life, but turns out he was only in love with the "idea" of her and what he was trying to get her to be like (what a loser🙄). Meanwhile, Jack's gotten out of a relationship with Vanessa aka a girl who may be gorgeous but honestly needs help🤢 When Jack meets Hallie at his sister's wedding (READ MR. WRONG NUMBER OMG OLIVIA & COLIN ALL THE WAY) where she's working as a bartender, sparks fly over alcohol and small talk. After that one night stand ends, Hallie believes she'll never see Jack again, and after some convincing from her best friend/cousin, she goes on a dating app. But WHO DOES SHE MATCH WITH ON THIS APP? THAT'S RIGHT, JACK HIMSELF. But of course, the two decide to just be friends, and instead, bet each other into seeing who can find love first on the app. They plan taco dates when their dates with other people don't work out, and text each other all the time about prospects. However, when it's time for Hallie's sister's wedding, and she doesn't have a date due to a lack of prospects, Jack steps in as a fake date (YUP WE'VE GOT A FAKE DATING TO LOVERS TROPE HERE TOO). But, what happens during the weekend of the wedding, when lines are being blurred between what's real and what's fake? Can Hallie and Jack have actual feelings for each other that never went away to begin with...UH OH. CUE THE CHAOS Y'ALL. LOVED THIS BOOK. WE GET THE WHOLE JUST KISS AND GET TOGETHER ALREADY VIBES RIGHT HERE.

The Love Wager by Lynn Painter is the definition of a cute rom com. Aside from entertaining characters, and a friends to lovers, fake dating plot, it has the best banter and funniest quips I’ve read in a long time.

4.5/5 stars

The story begins at Jack’s sister’s wedding, when instead of proposing to his jealous girlfriend as planned, he breaks up with her. Bartender Hallie gets drunk with him and they have a one night stand. Neither can stop thinking about it, and later the two coincidentally match on a dating app. After lots of amusing messaging, they bet on which of them will find true love first, and start dating other people. But what happens when their friendship is the most fun either of them has ever had? Clearly when Hallie needs a date to her sister’s wedding, it makes perfect sense for Jack to attend as her fake boyfriend. No romantic feelings here, right?

I’m a big fan of a story where the characters say they won’t develop feelings but oops they somehow have feelings. It’s the banter and chemistry between Hallie and Jack that makes this trope feel fresh. I wish I was as quick with a quip as Hallie is! And any book that features a cat named Mr. Meowgi is a winner for me.

Sometimes it’s tricky to have one MC dating someone else when other decides they’ve fallen; how far does that other relationship go? I thought Painter did a great job of pushing to exactly the right point where it feels convincing, but not like cheating. And while book is not closed door, it is low heat, which worked for this rom com settling.

The Love Wager was my first book by Lynn Painter, and it won’t be my last. This book is a wonderful execution of a friends to lovers, fake dating romance. But it’s the top notch banter that makes it so much fun.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reading copy! This is a sweet sequel to Mr. Wrong Number, and I love this universe from Lynn Painter. This author is a great writer of contemporary romance, and really master's the art of romantic banter and comedy. This book starts at the wedding of Olivia and Colin from the first book in this series, but this time Olivia’s brother Jack is the main character looking for love. Jack has a one night stand with the wedding bartender, Hallie. Hallie is trying to reclaim her life after a bad breakup, and decides it’s time to get serious about dating after this one-night stand. Jack and Hallie reconnect by finding each other on a dating app, and become friends while searching for love. But will their friendship turn into more? I loved this book, mostly to do with Painter being so good at writing flirty scenes, fun side characters, as well as sweet and thoughtful romance. She’s really good at this complicated balance. I love a friends to lovers plot line, and liked Hallie and Jack. In order to create conflict between these two who are obviously perfect for each other, the book does rely on the miscommunication trope, but again, the sweetness, banter, and respect between the characters makes this work. I recommend this book for fans of Lynn Painter, romantic comedy, and low-angst, fun contemporary romance.

I love Lynn Painter. I have read her teen books and now this one. This story kept me thoroughly entertained and I love how she can tell a story that elicits so many different emotions. The intimate scenes are always on point and then can turn around and make me laugh in the next sentence. A great read that my library has already purchased.