Member Reviews
Lynn Painter is my new favorite author! I’ve read almost everything she’s written and this book doesn’t disappoint. Funny, sweet and very relatable. I know many students who will want to pick this up.
In my opinion this book relies a bit too much on its inspirations (When Harry Met Sally and He's All That, I believe). The bits of originality it did have seemed a bit absurd - I was in actual disbelief at the fact that the plot device used to force the two main characters in the same room was a goose flying through the window (?). That part took me right out of the story because it was so bizarre. That being said, I really liked Bailey as a main character, and I felt for her and the struggles she went through. She and Charlie had a lot of chemistry, especially for a young adult novel (dare I say they had more chemistry than most mainstream adult romance books out there today), so they were fun to read about. Charlie was a little annoying at times with how cynical he is, but then I just think about how cynical I was as a teenager and I'm like, yeah, makes sense. I think my biggest qualms with this book were the excessive pop culture references and the mom's attitude towards everything - that whole part seemed like it was resolved way too quickly. The pacing was a bit strange at points, but I thought the banter and the dialogue were all pretty good (although I wish less of it were in text format, I feel so old complaining about that). Overall, it was a cute and easy read!
I know she's a popular YA romance author, but this one just wasn't for me. I made it 20% of the way before I gave up out of irritation. Why do I need to know through every thought and conversation that they have that they find each other unbearable and also unbearably attractive? Neither of their personalities worked for me, especially Charlie's manic pixie dream boy thing. Just because you mention the use of a trope does not mean you subvert it.
My friends all know that When Harry Met Sally is one of my all-time favorite movies. That movie is sheer perfection in my opinion. Betting On You is a YA version of that story and it is completely fantastic.. Not only does she adapt the original story into a fun little YA rom com, but then she throws in my favorite trope of fake dating with a ton of sarcastic humor, real world family issues, and great chemistry. Lynn Painter is a freaking genius and I will read every single thing she writes!
This one had some really fun and endearing moments. I liked some of the scenes at the resorts and a lot of the banter. But that’s about all I liked.
And maybe that’s because I’m a 22 year old and I teach high schoolers & middle schoolers and this is YA. It’s not written for me and my age. But I just read Amy Lea’s newest young adult romance and it was beautifully written, and appropriate for 12 and up.
I didn’t love how they always handled the mom’s boyfriend at all. I know that this situation is common for kids of divorce and it’s new and it’s a hard change. I just hated him so much at the beginning I barely saw in endearing qualities. I didn’t really even like the mom or saw her good qualities. It was frustrating.
IDK I really wanted to love this one but I couldn’t. They’re wrre lot of cuss words for a YA novel which was shocking.
Lynn Painter is an automatic read for me and this title did not disappoint. Her YA titles are so well done. She does a great job capturing the teenage angst and emotion in her characters and their unique storylines. Bailey and Charlie are two of her best characters: they are funny, even if slightly neurotic, and relatable. You are rooting for them the whole time. Overall, it's an easy, fun read that will leaving you smiling. I hope there is a sequel. Would love to know what's next for these two.
If Lynn Painter writes it, I’m gonna read it! 🙌🏼
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Betting On You is her newest YA romcom.
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Bailey and Charlie:
💕dual POV
💕opposites attract
💕frenemeis to lovers
💕fake dating
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Bailey and Charlie are complete opposites. Building a connection because of their family dynamics, Charlie insists boys and girls can’t be friends. Bailey is determined to prove him wrong.
This book is cute and so funny. The banter is top tier! I’d definitely recommend to all the YA romance fans!
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Thank you netgalley and Simon and Schuster for the opportunity to read this book!
I love lynn painter! I think she’s a great ya author and I loved this one. I was kind of hoping it was a going to be a second book to better than the movies but it’s not.
She has done it again! I first fell in love with Lynn Painter's books when I read "Better than the Movies". Believing that this book could not live up to her previous book, I was proven wrong. I enjoyed "Betting on You" with nearly as much joy as I did with BTTM. I encourage anyone who loved her previous works to pick this one up!
Thank you @netgalley for the ARC -- all opinions are my own. I LOVED this book -- I can't get enough of how Lynn Painter writes banter and deeply relatable perfectly imperfect characters who really CONNECT with each other. I loved how Charlie and Bailey found a common connection early on even if they didn't like each other. I couldn't get enough of their fun banter and honest conversations about their parents' divorces. I couldn't get enough of the moments they were able to be really vulnerable with each other. I LOVED watching them slowly realize their feelings for one another. I LOVED the kissing scenes (gah)...and all the references to Taylor Swift, Poldark, Bookstagram and fantasy romance...and there were nods to 90s 00s teenage movies galore. Love, love, love. A YA favourite of 2023.
Wow, Lynn Painter has done it again! She is just so good at writing YA Romance, and she’s especially good at writing Enemies to Friends to Lovers!
The chemistry and banter between Bailey and Charlie had me on a rollercoaster of emotions. I was giggling, swooning, blushing and crying throughout the book, and I had to keep reading my favorite parts over and over again!
I loved all the characters and was so invested with not only the main plot but the side stories as well. Being a romance, I knew this book would be about love, but I appreciated that so much of the love was expressed through the friendships and family relationships.
The angst, heartache, tenderness, and will they/won’t they anticipation had me thoroughly entertained. I couldn’t put this book down, and I loved every bit of it!
Thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster, and Lynn Painter for this amazing ARC opportunity.
Will post my reviews on my social media within a month of the publishing date as specified in the email from NetGalley and Simon & Schuster.
I found this author through the Grand Canyon Reader Award committee and I am so grateful. Her books are lovely. Sweet and real and funny and heart wrenching and I just loved both of those I’ve read. Like, a lot. Great characterization and I love the settings. 💜📚
You know that warm fuzzy feeling you get in the fall sipping your stereotypical pumpkin spice latte in your favorite sweater? That’s this book. The characters are likable and relatable. While set in the present, the plot has enough similarities to 90s teen romcoms to give those romcom lovers a healthy hug of nostalgia
Thanks to NetGalley for the EAC.
Lynn Painter is a terrific YA writer! I am a big fan and always recommend to readers. This book is funny, touching and just what a rom-com is after.
A perfect, fun, relatable read. From the beginning you are rooting for Glasses and Mister Nothing! I giggled throughout this book. It was a great feel good read.
Lynn Painter delivered again! Charlie and Bailey are such cute protagonists and I generally loved this story. However, I did have a pretty significant problem with the way the divorced-parents-dating-new-people dynamics were handled, mostly because I think Bailey deserved a lot better from her parents (or at least better apologies from them).
this was such a cute book. i was giggling on page nine already, kicking my feet in the air and laughing out loud. this was actually my second book by lynn painter and yet again, i loved it so much. her books are just so easy and quick to read, very light and entertaining. the perfect summer romcom.
this book is full of jokes, sarcasm and most importantly bets. charlie’s and bailey’s first impression of each other was.. not such a meet-cute but entertaining as hell, that i can tell you. over the span of three years, they saw each other once or twice until one day they end up working at the same waterpark. and as things happen, they are betting on something. charlie keeps teasing her, bailey keeps waving him off. the amount of times i was blushing-
forced proximity, fake dating, swoon-worthy moments. everything your heart desires, you will get in this book
Thank you to Net Galley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
This book left me questioning whether or not the issue was the book... or if maybe, ultimately, I was the problem. Because - hear me out - maybe 15 year-old Arielle would have felt differently. Maybe the problem in reading a YA-book in your 30s is that you are so far beyond the key demographic that certain parts of it absolutely shouldn't translate!
So, admittedly, maybe the reason for the low rating is because I'm well beyond the cut-off age to enjoy something like this.
But it's also possible that it was just written kind of poorly. The concept was fine. Moments of the execution had potential. It just felt a little messy. The banter either worked or fell flat for me. And unfortunately, it was more often the latter throughout. The pacing was also strange. I liked the fact that it initially jumped around in time. However, once that sort of quickly ended and we started following the same timeline, it didn't move very cohesively.
All in all, I don't know where to point the blame. But, I'll leave it at -- this one wasn't for me.
I received this ebook from NetGalley for review purposes. Anything Lynn Painter writes gets 5 stars from me! As always with Lynn Painter's books, this young adult romantic comedy was HEAVY on the comedy. There are also so many swoony moments, and great character development and growth. READ. IT.
Thank you, Netgalley and Simon and Schuster, for my ARC! Lynn Painter is an auto-read for me. This is my second YA book of hers I have read. She don’t miss! The banter is always adorkable and funny. Sometimes even laugh-out-loud funny. I do think, in this book, sometimes the chat could be a bit much. What I mean is…an 8th grader is not that quick-witted and cynical. So not 100% realistic. I love the relationship between Bailey and Charlie!! The description of the book says it is She’s All That and 10 Things I Hate about you mashed up, but this is very reminiscent of When Harry Met Sally too. With some of the exact same occurrences. This had too many tropes going on. Enemies-to-Lovers, Friends-to-Lovers, Fake Dating, etc. I personally think the fake dating was not necessary at all. Also, could she have not mentioned T. Swift every chapter? Weird. Overall, it is a fun and an easy read. I read it all in one sitting. This is a 3.75-4 star for moi.