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.

First let me say that I really enjoyed this book. It had all of the things I love about Lynn Painter's adult romances - a ton of humor, flawed but relatable characters, an excellent supporting cast, and great banter - just with the romance element toned down a bit for a YA audience. My big point of confusion is with the marketing - the title and the description made it sound like it was really focused on a bet, a la She's all That or 10 Things I Hate About You, but the bet actually felt like a very minor element to me? Like, I pretty much forgot about it for the bulk of the book? I loved the story - 17 year old Bailey is determined to protect the life she has built with her mother after her parents divorced when she was 14, and she's currently struggling with the increased presence of her mom's boyfriend. Charlie, also 17, is a super cynical, anti-love kind of guy, and Bailey hates him because he annoyed her so intensely on her initial post-divorce flight from her dad's in Alaska to her mom's in Omaha three years ago. They end up working together in a Great Wolf Lodge kind of indoor theme park situation, and they become reluctant friends. Charlie thinks he can help her drive Scott away, which somehow turns into a fake dating scheme, all while they're actually becoming really close friends who are helping each other heal from the trauma of their parents' divorces. I like the way that Painter plays with tropes here - enemies to lovers, friends to lovers (or maybe enemies to friends to lovers?), fake dating, forced proximity - they're all present and accounted for. And yeah, there's also a bet, but it just wasn't that much of a plot point for me.

I'm not sure what I loved more, the When Harry Met Sally vibes, The Office mentions or the Taylor Swift tidbits. This was the cutest YA romance I've read in a while!

Betting On You by Lynn Painter is a YA romcom I've been so excited for ever since reading Better Than The Movies by the same author, which I loved. Thank you to Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with the ARC.

As Bailey finds herself working with the annoying guy she met on a plane ride a year ago, the two quickly begin to irritate each other every time they're on the same shift. In the meantime, they make a bet on two other coworkers that seem to be more than friends. And Charlie may have a betting problem as he makes a separate, secret bet unbeknownst to Bailey. They joke, roadtrip, fake-date, and a lot more throughout the book, creating a snarky battle whenever they're on the page.

I really enjoyed Bailey's character. She's a nerd (can relate), hates her mom's new boyfriend (haven't we all been there?), and she perfectly matches Charlie's arrogance and cockiness. I'm always afraid that an author's heroine will be too similar to previous characters, but Bailey had her own vibe going on, glasses and all, that I loved.

Charlie on the other hand wasn't my favorite love interest by Lynn. He said out of touch things that came off as rude to me, which made it hard to believe that Bailey would be enamored by his comments. Also, what is with male main characters and Tums?? I swear this is the second book I read this year where the main guy "pops a Tum" every. other. page. And that is two books too many, I strongly cringed every time this teenager pulled out a Tums and ate it because who does that? And who enjoys reading that? Sorry, this was a big ick for me, so I had to rant in my review.

For some reason (i.e. the synopsis), I really thought the waterpark work setting would be more prevalent in the book, but it wasn't. I kind of felt let down and like I was mislead, but that's more on me for interpreting the synopsis this way. Still, the waterpark romcom work rivals was what I wanted and didn't really get at all.

Overall, I did find this to be a solid romcom that served its purpose at telling a love story with humor, angst, and real life subplots that made the characters slightly more fleshed out. (Although I do think Charlie had some unresolved subplots as his chapters were less than half the size of Bailey's).

Would recommend for anyone wanting a quick YA romcom without having to think hard. Just an easy read with butterfly feelings occasionally. There's also Taylor Swift references and a cat. Very bejeweled of the author to include those.

This is me, officially gushing about this fantastic YA romance. I loved everything about this book. The mirroring of the story with the film, When Harry Met Sally, was so wonderfully executed! These two characters felt so real, like kids I knew and loved in high school. The dialogue was so witty and I actually laughed out loud quite a few times! I thought the subplot of kids trying to cope with divorced parents and blended families was really sensitively and poignantly explored - a little constant heartbreak in the background that made Bailey and Charlie's friendship all the more important. This is an absolute gem of a book and I fully intend to read more of Lynn Painter's work. I highly recommend this to anyone who loves a great romance novel.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book!

Betting on You was a light-hearted and fun read! Although this book didn't captivate me as much as Better than the Movies, I still enjoyed it. Like always, Painter did a fantastic job of creating entertaining characters. I really enjoyed the banter between Bailey and Charlie. I thought Charlie and Bailey were a good match. I liked watching their friendship develop throughout the story. The only things that bugged me about this story were Bailey's online friends (they didn't add anything to the story) and the Taylor Swift references. Overall, this was an amusing YA book. Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for the ARC.

Perfect for Fans of:

👫 When Harry Met Sally
💋 Forced Proximity
👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨 Fake Dating
🛏️ Only One Bed (Sorta)
🎵 Swiftie References

Lynn Painter does it again with BETTING ON YOU. This feel-good YA rom-com will have you laughing, swooning, and maybe even shedding a tear or two because it's so freaking heartfelt. These are not my favorite tropes, but it didn't matter. This book was Lynn Painter perfection.

Charlie and Bailey meet several times unexpectedly over the course of a few years before being hired to work at a local entertainment plaza together. Shenanigans ensue - because of course they do. Lynn Painter writes THE BEST shenanigans.

These characters were easy to love even when they acted like, well, teenagers. I especially appreciated the fact that we had a female protagonist here with glasses who DID NOT need to take them off to be considered pretty. (Thanks 90s-00s teen movies for making us think glasses aren't sexy... and thanks to Lynn Painter for spinning that stupid story right on it's head.)

Thanks, Lynn Painter, for writing YA that feels authentic and tender. Your books are never absent of heart and your readers love you for it. So few authors can cross between adult and YA genres and you do it with ease. You deserve all the success these books are getting and so much more.

Definitely add this to your library, educators. Grades 8 and up. (Good bit of cursing, especially from Charlie's POV and some detailed kissing scenes. Nothing else.)

You can't beat Lynn Painter if you want banter. These two kids are hilarious, especially super confident Charlie. Bailey dislikes him from the very beginning because he's got too much swagger and he's so cynical. She's a rule-follower, plan-maker who thinks Charlie is too full of himself. Then they keep getting thrown together, and it turns out that they end up getting a job at the same place years later. This book definitely has When Harry Met Sally vibes and references, with Charlie betting and men and women cannot be friends. Of course, Charlie and Bailey do become best friends. What really works between them is that they have a lot of fun together, and can also depend on each other as they struggle to deal with their divorced family situations. Painter is really sensitive to showing what kids who have gone through divorce feel and experience. And of course there's tons of hilarity as well because how can there not be when two kids and their friends work at a intensely themed amusement park/birthday party/fun house? This book has just the right mix of sweet, serious, and light-heartedness.

Thank you NetGalley for the digital ARC of this book.

Thank you NetGalley, Simon and Schuster, and Lynn Painter for my ARC!
🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷
Charlie aka Mister Nothing—obnoxious, emotionless jerk.
Bailey aka Glasses—insufferable, rule-following nerd.

Two children of divorce collide on solo plane rides to visit the other parent. The two clash when Charlie insists boys and girls can NEVER be friends and that love never lasts forever. Bailey finde Charlie insufferable and calls him Mister Nothing, words on his t-shirt. Several years later and the two become coworkers. But trouble brews when Bailey’s mom’s boyfriend Scott overstays his welcome. Charlie promises Bailey he will help scare Scott away by being her “reckless best friend” and stir up some trouble. But when Charlie’s plans become more extensive—involving fake dating—will Charlie and Bailey start catching real feelings? VERDICT: Painter’s relatable characters have a hypnotic chemistry that readers will find difficult to tear themselves away from the adorable banter and flirtatious friendship—includes delicious romance troupes we all love from enemies to lovers, fake dating, to being forced to sleep in the same room.

The story was absolutely adorable. I love fake dating tropes, and I think they’re really adorable within a romantic setting. This book was great for teenagers because it definitely showed what good friendships look like and also had to adjust to divorce parents moving on with their lives. I thought the two protagonist were very compatible and it did show that they were friends before anything else which made it all the more endearing .

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions expressed in this review are my own

Is there anything this author cannot do? The chemistry between Bailey and Charlie in this book is dynomite, the story is beyond cute, and the humor spoke to my millennial heart. It’s the kind of book that takes you back to the first time you had butterflies over a single look, talking hours though it seems like minutes, and the first time your heart raced over a hug. The budding romance between two friends was perfectly captured in an authentic way in this book. It’s charming without being too dramatic, while staying true to Bailey and Charlie’s character and age.

It was written in a way that felt realistic and authentic to how a 17 year old would process and cope with their parents divorce. The way they both communicate to one another matched their age which I appreciated. I enjoyed that the author didn’t try to make them seem older than they were or wrote them in a way that was too immature.

This book was a delight to read and once again I was enchanted by this author's writing. It lives up to the quirky humor I have come to know while also having characters that make their ways into my hearts. Though this is a YA book, it could easily be enjoyed by all readers at any age.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for the ARC

So... the MCs are super loveable. I'll give it that. On the other hand, I feel like this book had a lot of tropes going on, and maybe needed to choose one. I adore When Harry Met Sally retellings, but this one was just kind of... vague. And it was mostly friends-to-lovers, but also miscommunication? And also a romantic bet that didn't actually factor in until the last 1/3rd? Also dual POV, but very little of Charlie's? Not to mention the absurd way the adults in this book handled literally anything at all. Her mother had been dating this man for over a year and kept it secret, then expected her to be totally fine with him staying over. And she'd never even met her future stepsister before they got engaged?! Maybe this is a real world example of how divorced parents act and I'm just naive, but this sounds ridiculous. Talk to your kids, people! I love Lynn Painter books but something about this one feels half finished, I'm sorry to say.

No one does YA romance better than Lynn Painter!

Enemies to friends to lovers with a whole lot of simmering romantic tension in between! Betting on you is the YA, fake-dating dream come true that your heart has been waiting for! It’s impossible to walk away from a Lynn Painter book without a giant smile on your face and this book is no exception. If you read a YA romance, make it this one!

Lynn Painter is at it again with another wonderful YA romance! Her books make me want to stay up late giggling and kicking my feet (despite being too old for that!). But this one also made me cry for the main character, Bailey, as she was struggling through the divorce of her parents and the changes that occured due to it.

Bailey meets Mister Nothing on a flight to stay with her mom across the country right after her parents divorced. He is the most infuriating boy with no sense of boundaries or rules, but he also was flying between his parents like she was. A few years later, Bailey runs into him again, but he still is the same, frustrating her to no end and definitely not friend or boyfriend material. Despite the fact that he is "objectively handsome." One year later, they wind up coworker, which is her worst nightmare come true. Or is it?

Mister Nothing, or Charlie, believes that boys and girls cannot just be friends, and love always ends in heartache, so he is determined to not let Bailey get any closer than "coworkers". However, when Bailey needs help because her mom has a new boyfriend, Charlie helps to hatch a plan to scare the new boyfriend off. This leads to fake dating, a trip to Colorado, and realizing that maybe he does want more...

This is a perfect sweet romance story to keep you up late into the night to finish! (Did I also mention there's a cute kitten too?)

Thank you to Netgalley, Simon & Schuster, and Lynn Painter for providing me with an digital ARC. This was one of my most anticipated releases this fall, and I was jumping for joy when I opened my emails!

I have become very fond of Lynn Painter’s books. I was so happy when I saw this story. I loved Better than the movies. This book did not disappoint. I think I read it too fast because I couldn’t stop. That just means I get to reread it.

"Betting On You" by Lynn Painter is a captivating young adult novel that skillfully explores the dynamics of friendship, love, and self-discovery. Set in a hotel waterpark, the story follows the journey of seventeen-year-old Bailey and her coworker Charlie, whose friendship evolves in unexpected ways. The central bet they make on their coworkers' romantic prospects adds humor and depth to the narrative, challenging stereotypes about opposite-sex friendships. Painter's engaging writing and well-developed characters make this book an enjoyable and thought-provoking read. "Betting On You" is a heartwarming addition to the young adult genre, blending relatable characters with a touch of romance and a valuable message about breaking down preconceived notions.

This book did not disappoint. For some reason, this author can spin some of the best dialogue with her books. It's adorable, fun, enjoyable, and just incredibly good writing. From the story that pulls you in, to the characters and the side characters, you want to go back and re-read the book right away. Something about the writing that is so enjoyable and heartwarming yet moving. I really enjoyed this book and wish I could go back and read it for the first time. It was amazing and finished it in one sitting. It's funny, heartbreaking, and gives you all the feels throughout this book. Would recommend and enjoyed this book!

Huge thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Lynn Painter takes this millennial right back to high school- in the best way possible.

It’s giving all the gut-wrenching 10 Things I Hate About You moments and is positively unputdownable. Every squeal and swoon made me feel 17 again.

Extremely readable, easy to follow, relatable, good pacing, and natural dialogue. It does feel very YA, but some crossover potential.

I stopped after chapter 3 (7%) but I imagine this will be a solid four for the target audience.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the ARC.

I adored Betting on You. It was YA perfection. It's one of those books I want to scream "READ IT!" at everyone because I loved everything about it. It's my new favorite book by Painter. Not just YA favorite, but I think it actually passed up her adult romances, too. That is big coming from me. I just loved it so much! What was so awesome about it?

*The writing was so good! It made me feel all the emotions.
*Bailey and Charlie both got POVs in this book. I loved getting both their sides and opinions of things.
*The meet-hate was so much fun! Bailey and Charlie's irritation with each other was palpable and priceless. 
*The way Bailey and Charlie ended up working together later and discovering they might not hate each other was a lot of fun. I loved the way their friendship and feelings built. The little things they noticed and were surprised to appreciate about each other were really cool.
*Bailey and Charlie were both children of divorce. How they related to what they were both going through felt special. Bailey's trauma was newer and more of a focus. I loved how willing Charlie was to help her deal with it.
*Bailey and Charlie were pretty hilarious together. They were also pretty sweet. 
*Their friends were fun and added a bunch of great moments. I especially loved a party scene and a double date.
*There is a fun road trip.
*There were several Taylor Swift references, but they were done in really fun ways. Swift gets overused in most books, but I liked how her songs were used in this book. Same for other pop culture references. 
*I even liked the thing that caused Bailey and Charlie grief because I felt their feelings and understood them when they were being idiots. I loved their "aha!" moments.

Honestly, there wasn't anything I didn't love about this book. I feel like I forgot to mention some other big things I loved, but you get the gist. I could have easily read another 100 pages of Bailey and Charlie's story. I smiled so much while reading this book. It left me feeling happy and fulfilled. I can't wait to share it with my daughter. It's a book teenagers and adults will love.