Fake dating, yes.
Sharing a bed trope, yes.
Friends to lovers, hell yes!

The Love Wager is sexy, fun and flirty. With fantastic banter between characters, a galore of tropes that just make you giggle and a romantic getaway in the hills in a gorgeous hotel room, with a single bed and a very inviting shower, what more could you want from your latest romance obsession?

Are we even surprised that The Love Wager is the first book I’ve actually finished reading in 2023? It seems that all the books that are able to capture my attention these days are romances. And, that’s not a bad thing. Starting off on such a sweet note seems to signal a good year for me. I picked it up just before heading to bed, thinking that I’d do a couple of chapters and then head to sleep. Gentlereaders, this is clearly not what happened. I finished it in a single sitting with my eyes burning from wanting to fall asleep while my heart races to find out what happens next.

Did I think there were a few flaws? Yeah. But did I also cling to my phone with desperation for a happily ever after I know will happen anyway? Also, yes.

To preface, The Love Wager is a part of the Mr. Wrong Number universe which I sadly, have not read. But it did not affect my reading experience at all. It begins at a wedding where Hallie is a bartender getting a drink thrown in her face and Jack, the best man, is the boyfriend of the woman throwing said drink, after accusing Jack of cheating on her with Hallie. It’s all a misunderstanding but jokes on her, Hallie and Jack do end up in a one night stand (it’s all legal, I promise, no cheating plot here!) that ends in a comical walk of shame and involving, a missing bra.

Sleeping with the best man: what a cliche! Coupled with other misfortunes, Hallie realises she has hit rock bottom and decides to change her life around. One of these changes: making an effort to get back into dating. Hallie then finds herself on a dating app and who does she see as she swipes aimlessly? That’s right, her one night stand best man. After sending him a flirty message, this kickstarts an unlikely friendship and a wager that will no doubt end in disaster, promising to be each other’s wing man and escape plans for lousy dates.

But in the game of love, the universe will always find a way to trip you up and make you fall on your face. Hallie’s sister’s wedding is approaching and she finds herself without a date. Except, for one very available Jack who readily volunteers to be her fake boyfriend: cue fake dating trope! And we all know how that goes.

I’ll leave the imagining of the rest of The Love Wager, up to you!

It is a perfectly sweet read that leaves no room for surprises; what you see is what you get. It doesn’t quite change the game of romance nor offer anything new. But the banter, oh my gosh, does Lynn Painter just absolutely excel at it. It made the characters so relatable, so charming and so endearing. I also loved how although The Love Wager relies heavily on the chat/text format to tell the story, it is so well done that I feel like I’m reading someone’s actual text messages. There is no unnecessary jargon, no unnecessary use of emojis or text speak. It feels very normal and very real. Perfect storytelling right there.

But, I did feel like the plot was doing a bit too much with too many things happening at once. It jumps from event to event at lightning speed, never staying long enough to truly explore any depth to the characters, their personalities and their situations. There isn’t much introspection or character growth. Also, The Love Wager introduces a couple of supporting characters such as Hallie’s best friend, Chuck as well as her housemate, Ruthie but neither of these characters served any real purpose. They were there one moment, gone the next. So, if you’re expecting anything more than a light-hearted romance, this is not for you.

I also absolutely loved Hallie’s absolute spirit and her positivity, especially as she comes at a point in my own life where I am close to hitting my personal rock bottom. I love her tenacity and I love her skepticism. I love how she takes every hit that life throws at her and makes it work. I love that she’s so honest with herself and that she’s a huge softie at heart. She makes you want to root for her so hard!

Jack, on the other hand, tends to give me a bit of an ick. I’m not a huge fan of how quickly he falls in love. He has only dated his ex-girlfriend for a few months before wanting to propose to her and although he explains it in a way that makes sense, it just seemed too ick-y for me. And, I was also not a fan of his jealous streak which was necessary plot-wise but also felt very mean-spirited and childish. He also comes off a little misogynistic at times but that may just be me because he already gave me the ick. I think even The Love Wager struggled a little to prove that Jack was not an ick because I noted multiple instances where we had to be told that yes, he’s a good guy. Yes, Jack is a feminist. No, he’s not being a man just because he says that Hallie looked hot. Like, it felt like it was trying very hard to convince me that Jack was the perfect guy.

But I really loved how well-written their chemistry was and just how perfectly the tension was created. It truly kept me awake way past my bedtime and I felt an absolute sense of relief when things finally fell into place. I also loved how well the tropes were used that although they were glaringly obvious, it didn’t feel forced. I also really love the tongue-in-cheek in-character references to the tropes.

In conclusion, The Love Wager is the perfect book to cuddle up with on a cooling rainy day with a nice cup of coffee. It is a light-hearted read that doesn’t take itself too seriously and plays on a lot of popular tropes in a way that feels fresh and exciting. The banter is top-tier and I would read it just to witness Hallie and Jack’s banter over and over again.

I was really charmed by this book. The characters were both really well defined and likable. The premise of the story is one of my favorite romance tropes and it was really well done. The cover is attractive.If you're looking for a fun, fast-read, laugh-out-loud, romantic comedy, I recommend this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book in exchange for a honest review.

I enjoyed this one so much. It's the first book I've read by Lynn Painter but I've already requested the first book in this series from the library so I can read it. With that being said, I didn't feel like I missed anything by not having read it before this one. It's definitely enjoyable as its own story.
I just loved watching these two become friends and then fall in love. They have so much fun together and complemented each other so well. I always struggle when one character relies on info from an outsider rather than discussing their issues together but it didn't ruin the story for me. It's such a typical thing in stories like this. I also found it a little weird that we don't get a ton of backstory about about Jack, but maybe that's in the other one? It just seems weird that Hallie never really asks him about his past much. But oh well.
Overall, this was so much fun. It moved quickly, it had great banter, the characters were full of chemistry, and their friends made great supporting characters. I definitely recommend checking it out if you like fun romances. There's even some fake dating and the one bed trope stuck in here. All good stuff.

Well if this wasn't the cutest book ever, I don't know what is. Lynn Painter can do no wrong in my eyes and this was another no-brainer 5-star read for me.

After reconnecting on a dating app after a one-night stand, Hallie and Jack agree they are better off as friends. But to make things fun, they place a wager on who can find love on the app first. They constantly update each other on their love lives and often share tacos after bad dates. (Let's just say, there is lots of taco eating.) But when Jack offers to be Hallie's fake date for an out-of-town wedding, feelings get blurred, but neither is willing to risk their friendship.

This is one of those books where I was literally smiling from cover to cover. I LOVE JACK -- He's protective, charming, sarcastic, and such a damn romantic at heart. But I also love Hallie! Their banter was top tier and my favorite part? Their friendship. They seriously had the sweetest relationship and I'm such a sucker for a good friends-to-lovers.

So if you're looking for a feel-good, swoon-worthy, rom-com with some hints of spice (nothing crazy!), this is a MUST-READ. I can't wait to tab the sh*t out of my physical copy.

I adored Mr. Wrong Number. I never stopped laughing and I thought the characters were absolutely the best kind of chaotic.

The Love Wager didn't hit those notes for me, unfortunately. Three things - I found both MCs to be self-absorbed and emotionally immature; the book felt like a bunch of tropes stacked in a haphazard pile; and, while the banter entertained me, their chemistry just wasn't electric and alive for most of the book which took away from my investment in them.

Let's start with the MCs. They're fun - Hal is quirky, but cool, and Jack is seemingly the hottest man alive. They're fun, they become friends, and it's all good. Except Hal proved herself to be a terrible friend by avoiding telling her roommate she's moving out, MOVES OUT, and then says her roommate won't notice for a bit since the roommate owns all the communal furniture. Like???? And then the roommate is used as a plot device. Meh.

Then there's Jack, who does something cruel and impulsive because he's jealous and can't figure out his own feelings and then spends the majority of book grousing about his feelings that he refuses to admit to Hal for some reason?? Blah.

This book, as a whole, felt formulated to hit those popular tropes. You could actively feel yourself passing each checkpoint like it was a Super Mario game and I hated it. It didn't get me invested in the characters and it didn't make me want to care about them more. It just frustrated me that two adults were just bopping through these tropey concepts that felt rote and forced.

Additionally, characters popped in and out to achieve plot points - there was a cousin/friend who popped in at the beginning and was never mentioned again until there was suddenly a family event and I'd forgotten all about him. The secondary characters were not fleshed out at all and they had zero personality except for what they could do to shove the MCs together.

Lastly, while the banter had it's fun moments, I really didn't feel that buzz between Jack and Hallie, especially on Hallie's side. Yes, there was the physical tension, that was fantastic, but Hal's feelings almost felt forced into love. I don't know. It just didn't feel right. There wasn't that zing for me.

All in all, it's a solid romance book, the pieces are all there, but I don't think they were put together well enough to paint me the full picture. This could also just be that I'm tiring of books that rely too heavily on the tropes they hit (I feel like social media has contributed to this new wave of tropey books), but this just wasn't for me.

TW: sexual content (a couple very open door scenes in the second half), alcohol consumption, countered misogynistic comments

Plot: 2/5
Characters: 2/5
World Building: 2.5/5
Writing: 4/5
Pacing: 1/5
Overall: 2/5

eARC gifted via NetGalley by Berkley Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review.

I've read two of Lynn's YA books and enjoyed the immensely. So when the publisher asked if I wanted to read this and give my thoughts I dove at it. I have not read the first book in the series, but I do not think it is necessary given how little the couple from the first book shows up in this. The story focuses on the brother of the female lead of Mr. Wrong Number.

The story begins at the wedding reception of the two from that book. The brother, Jack, runs into our female lead, Hallie, who is serving drinks as a bartender. She had sold him the ring that he is to give to his girlfriend within the near future. He witnesses his girlfriend being absolute dickish to Hallie and it puts him off. He tells her that after this he does not wish to marry his girlfriend who he then leaves to get drunk. Hallie is supplying him the drink, they have chemistry, which then leads to them screwing that night. After waking up and realizing what happened, Hallie quickly leaves (leaving her bra behind) and thinks that she has seen the end of her one-night stand.

Until she finds him on a dating site a couple days later. She messages him and they strike up a friendship, thinking that both of them are unfit for one another but they have perfect potential as friends. They then decide to be one another's wing wo/man in their quest for love. They both plan dates at the same time, then if the date goes bad, they end up stuffing their face full of tacos at a local taco joint.

I think what I liked about this book is that Lynn has an amazing gift of creating likeable characters that feel natural. They're witty, nice, and absolutely ooze chemistry. Hallie and Jack felt like best friends and totally had the chemistry to take it up a notch to become lovers as well.

Of course, the plot of the book is that Jack is feeling things for Hallie but he is afraid of ruining their friendship if it doesn't work out. Hallie meanwhile is unsure of if her feelings for Jack are true and she has to pretty much figure them out while they are at the wedding of her sister.

There is one slight issue that has me a bit... iffy on which is why I marked it down a star. It all has to do with Jack and what he says to a guy who Hallie is dating. That bit and then its return at the end of the book had me a bit upset and how it was brushed over or used as the 'fight / leave' part. Hallie didn't seem too put out by the ramifications of what Jack did and while others might not take an issue with it, I felt it was kind of scummy and that if he had feelings he shouldn't have done that - he should have told her.

But, their reconciliation and the epilogue at the end was super cute. I really enjoyed this one and I loved the sneak peak of the next story - The Objectors - that is coming out later this year. Lynn has become a new writer who writes those teen / rom-coms I'd love to see adapted into movies.

I did not expect this book to be this funny or entertaining. I'm not going to lie, I did not read Mr. Wrong Number (read some reviews that made me.... but I think after reading this I'm going to give it a try), so I jumped into this book with no prior knowledge because #chaosreading is a thing. Oh my word did I enjoy this book. The banter and chemistry between the two characters was the best. I loved how Painter's writing kept me involved the entire time.

Loves:
-Hallie and Jack were so freaking entertaining together. Think like Set It Up (movie-netflix-watch if you haven't seen) level of chemistry and banter. From their meeting at Jack's sister's wedding to every bad date to every single text. All the way to the end. It was TOP TIER. I was wiping away tears laughing. Ugh, the chemistry between the two characters? There was never a doubt that they were perfect. FYI this is a slow burn even though they do hook up at the very beginning (it's like a jump ahead moment).

-The timing in this novel was excellent. One thing I have some issue with in romance books is that the entire book takes place over like 3 days... sure Jan... but this one built up enough with all of their texts, taco meet ups, and other fun events like moving and weddings. It felt unrushed in their relationship, very practical, and yet still enough tension to keep me scrolling through the pages because THEY NEEDED to be together.

-All of the Pride and Prejudice references were the best. All you need to know is Mr. Smith.... you will completely laugh if you've seen the 2005 version. I adored these moments.

-I liked a lot of the individual characterizations of Hallie and Jack. They were fabulous together, but there was plenty of deeper moments to the characters.

Meh:
-I felt like there were some plot lines that deserved more fleshing out. Jack never fully addressed his whole situation with his deceased uncle and Hallie never addressed the issues with her ex. They were put out there but I wanted more of the journey for them individually on these things because they were big pieces to who they were and why they were single.

-Jack has horrible taste in sports. That's it. I loved Jack, but seriously? xoxo, Cincy fan who lives in STL

Long story short I LOVED this book. Even with some of the meh moments. I'll even get over the ridiculousness of the break up between Jack and gf at the beginning of the book. The banter, chemistry, wit, and utter joy that reading this book had put all the negatives to shame. I wish I could reread this for the first time again. Seriously, I keep thinking about how comparable this is to Set It Up because Hallie and Jack have Zoey Deutch and Glen Powell chemistry and vibes.

Thank you so much Berkley Pub and NetGalley for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own. Pub date: 14 March 2023

Thank you for the chance to read this early. I really thought this was a fun read- I love feeling denial, so this was great for that. It's a strangers to friends to lovers romcom. Hallie and Jack are so good together and I loved their tension and denials. They have a bet to find true love first which was a really fun aspect to the story. This was such a fun and enjoyable read! Highly recommend.

Unfortunately, I did not like this book. I've never read this author but I know she has written YA and unfortunately, despite the adult content, this felt too juvenile for my taste. The characters behaved like twelve years olds, rather than almost thirty year olds. I had a feeling I wasn't going to like this when the beginning started out with Jack's girlfriend throwing a right hissy fit for basically no reason at all. Every action and reaction from the characters was over the top and ridiculous. Throwing tantrums, screaming for no reason, turning cartwheels, overly excited exclamation point dialogue are just a few examples. Adults don't act like that, or maybe they do and I'm just too old for this book. I don't think New Adult is my genre if this is typical or perhaps this author is just not for me. Others may enjoy this but I think anyone wanting maturity should look elsewhere. Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the DRC in exchange for an honest review.

Oh my god. I loved this book so much. I actually finished it in one sitting. It was funny, witty, sweet, romantic, and a little spicy. The spicy scenes weren’t TOO spicy but just enough to add something to the story. But let me tell you, it didn’t even need that. Jack and Hallie were so perfect and I adored both characters so much. I actually wish Jack was real just because of how funny and well written he was. I loved that it was from both perspectives and it made it feel like I torn through the book even faster. Absolutely amazing. I will definitely be looking up this authors other books!

I loved this book SO much. It was hilarious, cute, quick, and just a lot of fun overall. I read it in a day and a half and was sad when it was over. The storyline and tropes were perfect.

I read Mr. Wrong Number last year and I really enjoyed it. When I saw Lynn was coming out with another book this year, I instantly added it to my tbr pile.

After belly-crawling out of a hotel room, Hallie Piper decides it’s time to make some life changes. She starts on a dating app, hoping to find new love but finds none other than Jack, the guy who she ran out on after their one night stand.

This book was so freakin cute! I read it in one sitting. I loved the characters and the plot was very well done. I’m all about the friends to lovers and the guy falls first tropes. Also the one bed trope, you can never go wrong there. I loved Hallie and Jack’s relationship so much. Their banter and sass was spot on.

Lynn Painter is officially made her way into my auto-buy authors list and I cannot wait to see more from her.

Highly recommend picking this one up on March 14th when it’s released!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Berkley for the e-arc!

Such a fun read! What I loved most about this novel was the banter between Hallie and Jack - which cause me to laugh out loud. I found this book hard to put down as the story gives a twist to the online dating scenario. Reading this novel has encouraged me to put Painter's other work on my TBR list.

A solid 4.5⭐️! I devoured this book in a single sitting and had a stupid smile on my face the entire time. Loved this adult rom-com (it’s not very spicy - maybe level 0.5). The chemistry between the characters are amazing and it was great seeing the relationship blossom from strangers to friends to lovers. Their text messages were well done and showed readers why they should be together even as they were making bets on dating other people. The dual POV made it so much better

Lots of fun tropes:
- Fake Dating
- Strangers to Friends to Lovers
- One Night Stand
- One Bed Trope


I am hooked on Lynn Painter’s writing and I highky recommend this read! This book does feature characters from Mr Wrong Number but it can be read as a standalone.

Painter's second adult novel was a great follow up to Mr. Wrong Number. It was a dual pov friends to lovers with plenty of banter to keep you laughing and swooning all at the same time.

I'm not sure I've ever read about a set of characters with more sizzling chemistry. They just played off each other so well, I could see why they were best friends to begin with. They had superb texting banter, so many fun outings, and knew exactly what to say to get the other to smile and laugh.

And Jack! I did not expect him to be so charming. It was interesting going from knowing him as Olivia's older brother and Collin's best friend to having him as the love interest. We see him through a very different set of eyes and this set of eyes thinks he's funny and handsome and charming rather than an annoying big brother.

There was a bit of realness missing from them, I think. They briefly addressed some of the internal problems they were having, Hallie had some baggage from her past relationship. Jack had some baggage from his uncle's death and misperception of relationships. I would have liked a little more introspection as to how these things were really affecting their romantic relationship with each other. These things were mentioned in passing, but I would have liked a deep dive during the third act into why these problems were there and how they were going to be overcome.

Also, I wouldn't have minded some mystery in their feelings for each other. That angst and pining weren't quite there and I think if they would have been, this would have been a five-star read.

And can I just say...Pride and Prejudice and Mr. Smith. You could not have won me over with anything else.

As someone who hasn’t read Lynn Painter before, I had no idea what I was in for. Even so, the writing of The Love Wager and the storyline immediately captivated me. The book follows Hallie who is a wedding bartender which is where she meets Jack. The two have a mishap while his girlfriend is here so Jack gets broken up with.

Jack goes back to talk to Hallie and the two end up leaving the wedding early to hook up. At first, it seems like the two will never see each other again but after matching on a dating app, the two agree to both look for love and meet up either during or after their dates to discuss.

While things are going great at first, feelings start to get involved especially for Jack. Everything comes to a head when Hallie invites Jack to go along with her to her sister’s wedding which her ex is also a part of.

Aside from the fun storyline, I enjoyed these two as characters. Hallie is just trying to get her life together and feel more adult while Jack is grappling with the grief of losing a beloved family member and having his worldview changed. It’s so incredible to see how much these two overcome in such a short time of being friends and working to be better together.

While the romance does take a bit to develop, the tension, mutual attraction, and pining were delightful. I love friends-to-lovers romances and this gave me everything I wanted because they were best friends despite their hookup at the beginning. I just couldn’t get enough of these two.

The Love Wager was also funny. This was truly a romantic comedy. There were plenty of funny moments happening with Jack and Hallie separately along with them together. Honestly, this book was so much fun and I can’t believe it took me this long to finally pick Lynn Painter. Her books are a hoot.

The only issue I had was with Jack’s decision in talking to one of Halle’s interests. I do understand why he did it, but it left a bad taste in my mouth. I understand it was a key part of the plot, but I didn’t enjoy that. Nevertheless, The Love Wager was a lot of fun and is a romance I know I’ll revisit in the future.

The Love Wager was such a fun and sexy read. I cannot recommend this book enough to lovers of rom coms. It was so charming, funny and well written with main characters that felt real with dialogue that felt authentic. It was impossible not to root for Hallie and Jack as their relationship ran the gamut from hookup to best friends to lovers. Their chemistry was perfection. I did not want to put this book down, and I did not want it to end.

I am now in love with Lynn Painter, and I will be reading everything that she's ever written. There was also an excerpt for her next book The Objectors, and I am so excited!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC in exchange for a honest review.

“Because every molecule of his being wanted Hallie Piper. She was all he ever thought about anymore.”

Hallie and Jack. From having a one-night stand to finding each other on a dating app to making it clear that they aren’t interested in one another and being best friends only. They make a wager on who can find love first. But the more time they spend together, the feelings begin to grow.

Lynn did it again! I love her words and her characters! It was full of chemistry, hilarious banter, cute moments and lots of tacos! I am head-over-heels, worship-the-ground-you-walk-on, wildly obsessed and madly in love with this book!!

✨READ IF YOU LIKE✨:
- dual POV
- strangers to best friends to lovers
- fake dating
- one night stand
- dating app
- witty banter
- hilarious text messages
- post-date Taco Hut routine
- one bed only
- Pride & Prejudice

cw: death of loved one

Thank you to @berkleyromance for the free ebook! The Love Wager is available on March 14, 2023!

rating: 3.75 ~~~

this book starts off with our two main characters, jack and hallie, who meet at jack’s sisters wedding (*wink wink* if you’ve read mr.wrong number) where hallie is working as a bartender and jack is prepared to propose to his current gf who quickly becomes his ex gf when it becomes clear the two are not a match. things happen quickly and next thing we know is hallie waking up next to jack the next morning.

they both go their separate ways until they coincidentally end up matching together on a dating app and the real bet begins from there…

overall: I really enjoyed the banter between the two characters, and from the beginning it was pretty clear how perfect they were for each other. I’m personally not the biggest fan of friends to lovers, especially when they start to fake-date because it can be really frustrating to read about. I do in fact believe that public enemy number one in books IS the miscommunication trope. but anyways, super light and quick read that I would recommend to fans of mr.wrong number!

loved this romance of a one night stand that turned into a friendship and romance and while trying out a new dating app. Loved the family and the heat. very good romance and very swoony.