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.

Bailey first meets Charlie at an airport in Fairbanks, Alaska. When they end up sitting beside each other on the long flight to Nebraska she learns he's sarcastic, cynical and generally annoying. She, on the other hand, is a people pleaser and very non-confrontational. And both of them are teenagers dealing with their respective parents' divorces. To say they're oil and water is an understatement.

Three years later when Bailey walks into her new job with her best friend, Charlie is there. After watching two coworkers who were old friends reconnect, Charlie and Bailey make a bet. He believes guys and girls can't be friends. Bailey thinks he's nuts. As their friendship grows can they keep from getting closer and becoming more?

Underlying all of this romcom hilarity is the theme of divorce and how teenage children learn to navigate the changes it brings. Bailey overthinks it all while Charlie just shuts down. The parents are clueless. I wanted to rage on Bailey's behalf just to wake her mom up. And Charlie? He broke my heart the way he'd stir the pot just to get some sort of emotional reaction because he's so invisible at home. They come to rely on each other as best friends but underneath it all is the fear that if this friendship goes wrong, and they ruin it by becoming more, they've lost each other. As usual, Lynn Painter brings the banter, the hilarity and those unguarded emotional moments that makes her books so memorable.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this story it was perfectly paced and had me feeling all the feels. I can’t wait to recommend this to others

I really love Lynn Painter but this book was a bit of a let down for me. I didn’t really like the over all story. Was a Little sad to be honest. I will keep reaching books by her. Just this one missed the mark for me.

This sadly wasn't my favorite Lynn Painter novel. It's definitely inspired by my favorite rom com of all time, When Harry Met Sally but it just didn't do it for me.
I didn't enjoy the characters or the romance...I'm bummed about it

3.5

Very cute. Charlie and Bailey have great chemistry and their story is really very cute.
There is SO much language in this book, like way too much. I don't mind some but this felt excessive.

3.5

i read bits & pieces at a time until about 50-60% (the colorado trip). nothing really sparked my interest initially, so i was progressing really slowly. sat down this morning and said ok, we’re going to finish! honestly, the second half is a lot better than the first imo. i think i wanted more to go on between bailey & charlie, which is why i preferred the back half. i really like both leads as characters, friends, and a couple. super glad we get dual pov.

#netgalley

Ugh I LOVED this one! Probably my favorite Lynn Painter book so far!

I'm not so eloquent with reviews so here are a few notes when I was reading about things I adored about this book:

"coworkers" to more (iykyk)
When Harry met Sally vibes
Type A with fun easy going guy
Road trip
Fun made up games
All the fun cultural references
Cute nicknames - "glasses"
The besttttttt banter
Practice kissing (swoon)
A tough goofy but soft on the inside guy

Needless to say, put this one on your TBR because it is amazing!! Charlie + Bay forever!!

5 stars easily always!!!

Lynn Painter never misses. Painter is quickly becoming my favorite romance author, and not only is Charlie Sampson my new favorite book boyfriend, but he’s also the new standard, which means I’ll be single forever.

Bailey first meets Charlie on a flight from Alaska to Nebraska, her first flight alone, and her first flight as a child of divorce. Immediately Bailey finds Charlie to be obnoxious—not only does he have a blatant disregard for the rules, but he also insists that boys and girls can never be friends. Without learning each other’s names, the pair become Glasses and Mister Nothing, destined to never meet again.

Except they do. This time they’re each on dates at the movie theater. Bailey is shocked to see Charlie has found love, considering his pessimistic outlook on relationships, and Charlie is surprised to see that dorky Bailey has blossomed into a beautiful young woman. Yet the two quickly remember their shared hatred when they open their mouths, briefly commiserating about their divorced parents before once again going their separate ways.

The last time Charlie and Bailey meet us during orientation for their new jobs. Both recently single and jaded, the pair bond yet again over the traumas of having divorced parents—specifically when those parents start dating. Finally learning each others names, the two form a fast friendship, despite Charlie’s insistence that they are merely coworkers. However, as time passes, they find themselves drawn closer and closer together, especially under the guise of fake dating to throw off Bailey’s mom’s boyfriend. But of course, as tensions rise between all parties, Bailey and Charlie decide that maybe he was right all alo mg—boys and girls simply can’t be JUST friends. Or can they?

Dare I say Betting on You is Painter’s best novel yet? The sexual tension, enemies to friends to lovers, the one bed trope (sorta), the fake dating trope, The trauma bonding—Bay and Charlie are a couple to be reckoned with, and I can’t wait to recommend this to everyone I know. (Also Funnn Land sounds crazy and I wish it existed in real life).

Make sure to read Betting on You when it comes out Nov. 28, 2023!

This is my third read from Lynn Painter and I've enjoyed every one. This was a super cute and fun read and fits right in with Painter's other works. While I did enjoy this one, it is a bit generic and I do think it's over shadowed by some of her other works. The plot was also a bit too full with everything going on and it would've benefited from narrowing some of it down.

“When you’re in the room, every single cell in my body—every nerve, every muscle, every breath—is lost in you.”

Bailey and Charlie. She’s an uptight, people pleaser that needs to be in control and hates changes. He’s sarcastic, always joking around and believes that girls & boys can’t be just friends. Complete polar opposites but the only thing they have in common is having divorced parents. They develop a “coworkership” and Charlie helps Bailey try to get rid of her mother’s boyfriend.

This was a cutie book! It was entertaining and funny. I enjoyed seeing Bailey and Charlie go from “just coworkers” to finally confessing their feelings for each other! I loved Charlie’s soft side; he is absolutely a “gooey, soft cinnabon bun.”

✨READ IF YOU LIKE✨:
- dual POV
- strangers to coworkers to lovers
- fake dating (practice kissing involved!!)
- bets, cute nicknames, piggy back rides, blanket forts
- he remembers every little detail about her
- taylor swift references
- she’s uptight, he’s cynical
- forced proximity: co-workers
- teasing & sarcastic banter
- opposites attract
- When Harry Met Sally, She’s All That, and 10 Things I Hate About You vibes

cw: divorce, mention of cheating, anxiety

Thank you to @netgalley and @simonandschuster @simonteen for the advanced copy! Betting on You is available on November 28, 2023!

Really really enjoyed this book!!!
Lynn writes absolutely wonderful book!
Loved this one!

Thank you soooooo much netgalley, the author and the publisher for the advanced review copy if this book💗
"I voluntarily read and reviewed the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

I always love Lynn Painter's books. They capture a bit of happiness in sometimes the most unexpected way. Bailey and Charlie are not fans of each other when they first meet, but they just keep getting thrown together again and again :) It has the best banter, but also a liiiiiittle too many Taylor Swift references...

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. this was fantastic, just what i have come to expect from this author and look forward to carrying in my book store.

This was absolutely freaking DELIGHTFUL!!!! No one knows how to write a swoony, angsty, hilarious YA Romcom like Lynn Painter. Bailey and Charlie Stole my heart from page one. And the banter was at its absolute best!!! My only critique is that the book was a little heavier in language than I prefer for a YA novel…. But that detail aside, this was a shining 5 stars in my book!!!

Thought this was such a cute book! I loved to see how Bailey and Charlie's relationship changed from their not so cute meet-cute to full blown swooning over one another whenever they were together. Felt this book really captured "young love" and had everything from family drama, high school friendships and fake dating.

Also, love that they're Swifties! Would definitely recommend!

Bailey and Charlie met years ago on a flight from Alaska to Omaha and immediately butted heads. When the plane finally landed, Bailey breathed a sigh of relief, knowing she'd never see Charlie's cynical face again. Fast forward a few years, seventeen-year-old Bailey is starting a new job at a resort, and her co-worker is none other than Charlie. The pair couldn't be more different: Bailey is a stickler for rules, whereas Charlie constantly toes the line. But soon Bailey finds herself enjoying Charlie's company, joking about the guests and even placing a bet on when their other co-workers will hook up. Charlie has never believed that guys and girls could be "just friends," but Bailey has wormed her way into that category. But the lines start to blur once the pair start fake dating to annoy Bailey's mom's new boyfriend. Neither can deny the growing attraction, but Charlie's hiding a secret that could ruin it all.

I don't typically read a lot of YA contemporary anymore because I'm so far removed from the targeted audience that it's hard for me to connect with the characters, but leave it to Painter. She had me smiling and kicking my little feet the entire time with this. It's so When Harry Met Sally-but-make-it-YA, and I loved every second of it. Bailey and Charlie were so different but worked so well together. The way their personalities complemented each other was so fun. Bailey is more reserved and a pro at overthinking, and Charlie is my favorite kind of character who comes across as cocky and sarcastic but is a total softie on the inside. Their banter and chemistry were also top-notch. Aside from the characters, I also liked how Painter touched upon how it feels to come from a divorced family and the effects it can have on the kids. It added another layer to the story that was so relatable. If you like friends-to-lovers or fake dating tropes, then I highly recommend this one.

This was another hit from Lynn. It took me a little longer to really get into the romance although the beginning really hooked me in general. Witty, funny and swoony as usual!

Such an awesome enemies-to-lovers romance! It also has fake-dating which is one of my favorite tropes. Lynn Painter is such an amazing romance author. She knows how to give the book a plot along with the romance. "Betting on You" kept me on my toes, and threw in so many different plot twists and I loved it!!