One of my MOST anticipated books of the year. I adore Lynn Painter and firmly believe she is the queen of YA romcoms. What’s better than a Lynn Painter romcom? A Lynn Painter romcom inspired by When Harry Met Sally! Painter perfectly parallels Betting On You to the Ephron masterpiece with updated references for YA readers. I was positively giddy over the little nods to the original point of inspiration: multiple road-trips, the airport and flying next to each other, the double date, and a grand gesture ending with a heartfelt speech that will make you teary.

The humor and tenderness were beyond brilliant and cute. I adored the banter between Bailey and Charlie! Their quips were witty and full of fun pop culture references. They were authentic characters who initially made assumptions about the other, but over time, chipped away at each other’s emotional walls and learned those frustrating quirks were coping mechanisms for underlying anxiety and grief. It was so touching seeing the support Bailey and Charlie gave each other with zero explanations asked - just “you need me? I’m there.”

Alongside the romance and humor are discussions on divorce and the grief and anxiety that accompanies being jostled between parents, multiple homes, and new relationships. My heart ached for Bailey and Charlie as they navigated their new realities of blended families, and their pain and anxiety were vulnerable, realistic, and relatable. I think Bailey and Charlie’s stories can be a source of comfort to readers experiencing the same struggles and reality.

Highly recommend if you love…
* Opposites attract
* Friends to lovers
* Fake dating
* Forced proximity - they keep being thrown into the other’s orbit and end up as coworkers
* Pop culture references galore
* Nicknames

With Betting on You, Painter once again proves that she is the queen of YA romcoms and I cannot wait to reread this story!

Cute YA romance! Probably not as good as Better Than the Movies, but I still really enjoyed it! I would recommend if you like Painter’s other YA books or need a light read.

Lynn Painter writes books and I read them. It’s that simple.

Loved this one, even if Charlie actually kind of hurt my feelings with the way he acted towards Bailey sometimes….regardless, I loved watching these two o goodies become friends and then lovers….fall in love…ALRIGHT ALRIGHT - grow to love each other (iykyk)

Thank you to S&S and Netgalley for this free review copy!!!

Absolute masterpiece of a book! I am positive that this is one of my top books of the year. Every single person needs to read this. Bailey and Charlie are everything, and the romance in this book is top tier. The banter, pining, and literally everything about them and their story made me melt. I adored this book and everyone should read it when it comes out!!!

Thank you so so much to Netgalley and the publishers for an eARC of this beautiful book!

Lynn Painter is an excellent romance author, and "Betting on You" continues that streak! I wasn't quite sure if a YA book would have Painter's trademark charm and sweet romance, but it did. This book centers around teenagers Bailey and Charlie, who cross paths several times over the years before they finally both land in the same spot. While their previous experiences interacting each other have caused them to be rivals, once they become coworkers, they realize that they have a lot more in common than they initially thought. They're both dealing with their parents going through a divorce, have the same sarcastic sense of humor, and are fighting against the feelings that are growing between them.

This would have been a five star book if it weren't for the atypical way Charlie acts at the end of the book; it was quite a change for someone who was thoughtful and kind for the entire book up until that point. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

AH - this book was so cute!! While the plot wasn't anything brand new or out of the ordinary, I really loved Bailey and Charlie and their development over the course of the story; I'm a sucker for the fake dating/grumpy and sunshine tropes! Bailey reminds me a lot of my childhood best friend, making it even more relatable. There were plenty of moments that made me laugh out loud yet others that made me really stop and put things into perspective. I think a lot of my older middle school students would eat this up (and the TSwift references were awesome, too!) - it's definitely one I'd recommend for our free-read time in class.

Overall, I think this is a great YA pick that has a lighthearted feel while covering deeper topics like divorce and changing family dynamics. I finished this feel-good story in one sitting and look forward to more from Painter!

I recently finished reading Betting on You by Lynn Painter, and I must say, it has made me a fan of this author. Although I have not read anything else by her before, I am now eager to read more of her work in the future. The characters in the book were well-developed, and the plot was believable, which made it an enjoyable read. The book had both emotional and laugh-out-loud moments. The story revolves around coworkers pretending to be in a romantic relationship, and it was a fun adventure to follow. I would like to express my gratitude to both NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this ARC ebook.

This book is a captivating journey through the depths of imagination. Its rich storytelling and well-developed characters kept me engaged from start to finish. With its thought-provoking themes, it transcends genres and offers something for every reader. A must-read for anyone seeking a literary adventure.

"Betting on You" centers on two unlikely coworkers who support each other in navigating through the entangled feelings of being a teen of divorced parents.
Bailey and Charlie are coworkers at a waterpark hotel (think Great Wolf Lodge but with a SPACE theme). They work at the front desk together, but their story starts a few years earlier on a flight from Alaska to Nebraska. Charlie is returning from a bi-annual visit to his father and Bailey is moving permanently from her Alaskan home to her mother's new home in Nebraska. Charlie is a cynic. Bailey is kind and considerate. But they begin to really see each other beyond their initial impressions and their shared experience as kids of divorced parents who have moved on to new partners is something they can bond over.
This isn't quite the home run that Better Than the Movies is, but there is a fun chemistry between the two main characters. The truthfulness of the emotional challenges that a post-divorce teen deals with in their family is the best part of this book, in my opinion. It definitely resonated for me. She gives voice to two ways of dealing with the changes in a family but there is a give and take and a support for each other that allows the main characters to both have growth. (I wish there was a little more revealed during Charlie's POVs about his family history and more on the page about how he comes to his decisions in the end.)
Would absolutely rec this to my high school teen readers.
Thanks so much for the ARC!

This is my first time reading anything from this author and I really enjoyed it, I will have to read more! It was such a cute book and perfect for young adult audiences. I do think there was a few too many Taylor Swift references, but I guess its okay if your a fan.


Full review will be posted on Goodreads a week before release date.

Cute little YA romance. The slow burn of Charlie and Bailey was easy to root for. Pop culture references seemed a lot for me (as an adult), but would help to connect to the intended YA audience. It was the movie references that really drew me in. A few minor hiccups in how the teens and adults related, but that's reasonable. This was a quick read that took only a few hours, so devouring it was easy work.

Overall: 4 stars
I'll tell my students about: language

**Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for the free ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.**

Thank you to Net Galley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved Painter's first two YAs and had great anticipation for this one, but it fell flat for me.

Charlie's character needed way more development. I wish Painter would have explored Charlie's anxiety more. It felt like a missed opportunity to know he had issues with germs and was constantly popping Tums for stress induced acid reflux but not really get to the bottom of it. Bailey's character was like an open book, and it seemed an injustice to reduce Charlie to constant snark and f-bombs. (Did effing every effing word Charlie effing said have to have an effing f-bomb? That sounded ridiculous, right?) He was a smart and sensitive character but reduced to sounding like a frat boy on the pages.

And Painter's constant use of pop culture allusions came across as trying way too hard at being current or relevant. The constant references became eye rolling for me and made me think this book won't age well when the Ted Lasso and Swiftie hype dies down.

Although most of the characters redeemed themselves by the end, I spent most of the book finding them very unlikable. I had a lot of love and empathy for Bailey, though, and wanted to jump into the book to give her a big hug and rescue her from the ridiculous people in her life.

Hopefully, this is just a blip as I've enjoyed the other YA and adult books I've read by Painter up to this point. I would still put this in a classroom or school library as the topic of divorce is very relatable for teen readers.

Gahh!! I love love Lynn Painter and her newest book is no different! So cute!! Thank you for the opportunity to read and review!

"Betting on You" is a YA romance built on a homage to the When Harry Met Sally idea that men and women can't be friends and it's excellent. Straight-laced Bailey first meets charismatic Charlie on her way home (on a cross country flight) from her dad's house to her mom's. They encounter each other a few more times through the years, but the bulk of the book takes place after they both get jobs at a ridiculous space-themed water park. Much like Painter's other YA romances, "Betting on You" works thanks to some crackling chemistry between the lead characters. PainterBanter is superb. The main characters are a little more mature and clever than real world teens, but I like the think of these type of book teens as the teens we all wish we were as teenagers. Overall, I really enjoyed this read. (Thanks to NetGalley for the free advanced edition!)

The chemistry between Charlie and Bailey was amazing!!!!!! I loved their fake dating but maybe real dating. Also, I just love Lynn Painter's writing and character development!

It did get a bit boring and repetitive in the middle.

I really enjoyed this book it was funny, had some sad moments but both of the characters were written well and I really love her books

Lynn Painter is an insta-buy author for me, so thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the ARC!
I was so excited for this book, and it was excellent, but I feel like it didn't capture the magic of Lynn Painter's other books. Bailey and Charlie were cute and the Taylor Swift references were fun, I just feel like there was way too much going on. Still a great addition to Lynn Painter's other work, though, and I devoured it in a day. Absolutely read this book if you love Lynn Painter, Taylor Swift, and swoony YA romance!

As an adult whose teenage years were colored by the rom-coms of the 90's, it's been hard to find that feel good book or movie that meets the standard of such a classic decade and genre. This is my first Painter novel, and I have to admit, that one who has been searching, as I have, for the nostalgia of my past can pick up Painter's latest book and be transported back in time. This book, which I devoured in one sitting, had me feeling all the feels. It was funny, filled with teenage angst, but also delivered substance on the issue of divorce, and its affect on kids, friendship, taking risks on new love, and to a degree blended families. I appreciated the balance of these issues and the way in which Painter treated the topics. I will not hesitate to place this book on my classroom library shelf and recommend it to both the young and more mature readers in my life. I will definitely pick up Painter's backlist books, in fact, I have already borrowed my daughter's copy of Better Than the Movies to fill my Painter void.

I absolutely loved this book! It's a great fit for anyone who has experienced divorced parents and the uncertainty and trauma that goes along with it. I think many students will find they can relate to emotions both Bailey and Charlie experience in regard to their changing families. The relationship between Bailey and Charlie was adorable throughout, and swoon-worthy at times. It's a great way to spend an afternoon, curled up reading this story!

Betting on You by Lynn Painter was an average read for me. While I appreciated the concept, I couldn't shake the feeling of déjà vu. Nevertheless, the book did captivate me with its intriguing opening, delving into the complexities of divorced child syndrome. It shed light on how children experience such situations and how it shapes their trust issues in the future.