Thank you so much to NetGalley for providing me with this free ebook for my review!

DNF at 61%. I tried pushing through this book but I was not invested in the characters at all. I felt like they had no chemistry and their crush on eachother was really forced. I hated both Gillian and Noah’s characters a lot and found them both really terrible at communicating their issues.

I don’t know if the story got better after they finally got together but I really couldn’t push myself to read any further.

This was a nice cozy romance and pretty much closed door. I liked the premise of the story. Our FMC Gillian is a pharmacist who on the side loves gardening and runs in the local garden competition. She is determined to win this year even though her so called nemesis is a judge. Then comes our MMC Noah who becomes her new hot neighbor who comes out grumpy but just got out of a 2 year commitment and upended his life with a new business and moving across the country. The two end up becoming enemies and compete in the garden competition. This was a nice quick light read and I would recommend for someone looking for that.

A huge thanks to Jayne Denker, Netgalley and St. Martin's Press.

This book was cute. I was exciting to give a different genre a try. I did find it slow at times and Gillian and Noah fought in most of the book. I just couldn’t connect with the characters which made it harder for me to finish the book.
Thank you NetGalley, Jayne and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

Thank you, @netgalley, for a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This was a sweet tale of new neighbors becoming enemies to friends to lovers.

I always love a small town romance, whether it's sweet or spicy. The group of friends are fierce and loyal. In fact, every person in this town, except for one, is fiercely loyal to Gillian. It does make the new guys job hard of winning them over when he takes out part of her garden.

Tropes:
Small town
Enemies to friends to lovers
Competitors
New in town
Banter
Slow burn
Closed door romance

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

2.5 stars
So disappointed. I absolutely loved The Rom-Com Agenda (5 stars) and knew this one, not necessarily part of a series per se, had the same side characters. Gillian and Noah were such jerks to each other, I don't know how the romance part of "enemies to lovers" trope would take place, and I didn't read enough to find out. DNF'd at 35% as I just didn't care about either one, or what happened to them. They were so juvenile. The parts of the story with the friend group were funny.

It was cute . The premise was interesting and thought i would give it a try. Sadly, it was a bit slow to my liking and it was a bit confusing at times. A lot of names to keep track with the pacing od the story.

Gillian is hung up in her dating life. After a separation from her husband and serial dating every available man in her town, a strange, rude neighbor shows up, and immediately makes an enemy of her. Noah struggles to get his footing in this coastal neighborhood, especially when his neighbor, an affluent gardener/ pharmacist, despises him. With the local gardening competition quickly approaching, they might have to team up and put their differences aside.

I really liked the premise for this book. I only wish that the dialogue was more romantic and less realistic, if that makes sense. It took me so long to get into this book, purely because the chapters were so long it felt like a battle to read. But, I do love their love story, and I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a clean romance.

One thing that was confusing to me throughout the book was that there were so many characters. Yes, Gillian had a lot of friends, there were just a lot of people to keep track of, and I found myself getting lost. Along those lines, I found it difficult to classify some of the characters’ ages. I thought all of the women at the beginning were older than Gillian, acting as substitute mother figures. I didn’t know what the roles of Ben and Eli were, so their characters were confusing to me.

Finally, I really liked this book. I did not binge read it, but it was a nice pick-me-up after a long day of classes. This book has made me interested in this author, and I will gladly pick up another one of her books sometime soon.

Was so excited to read this advanced copy! I really liked the plot, and how the characters grew together. Reccomend!

Such a cute, uplifting story about two adults coming into their own as individuals and, eventually, together as a couple! If you are looking for a funny, heartwarming, low drama, no third act breakup, enemies to lovers rom com, this is a safe bet for you! I'm usually an open-door romance reader, but the slow burn, will they/won't they of this closed-door romance kept me hooked the whole time. Loved that the main character was a strong, likeable, woman, but had very relatable insecurities. However, she wasn't so insecure that she was self-destructive to her relationships like some stories tend to go.
It's a great read for spring time or when you want to be reminded what it feels like to have sunny gardening days!

In Hedging Your Bets, readers are welcomed into a tale of resilience, self-discovery, and the unexpected joys of love. Gillian, the strong-willed protagonist, emerges from the shadows of a toxic marriage to prioritize her own well-being. Her pride and joy lie within the carefully tended haven of her garden, a year-round labor of love entered into the local contest, symbolizing her determination to cultivate a new chapter in life.

The story takes place in the charming town of Willow Cove, where Gillian's life takes an unexpected turn with the arrival of Noah, a neighbor with a shared history of heartbreak. The enemies-to-lovers theme adds a delightful layer of tension to the story, and the pacing mirrors the careful growth of Gillian's prized garden—steady, deliberate, and ultimately rewarding.

I enjoyed her similarly aged friend group as they added depth and relatability to the story. Additionally, the town gossips, an older group of women, provide an amusing yet endearing backdrop, offering support and occasional meddling that adds a delightful touch to the narrative. This is more of a slow-burn romance and while not overtly steamy, the sweetness of their connection is palpable and heartwarming.

For readers seeking a contemporary romance that balances heartwarming moments with genuine character development, Hedging Your Bets is a delightful choice. Fans of enemies-to-lovers tropes and closed-door romances will find this book a satisfying addition to their shelves.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of this novel.

This slow burn rom com was adorable! The beginning was very slow but once I knew that Gillian and Noah were flirting, it made it easier to want to keep reading. I love how Gillian was confident in herself and her body as a plus size woman. It's always great to read about that representation. I was cracking up at the group of old ladies who live in the neighborhood and meddle. If the beginning had not been so slow, this would have been a 4 star read for me, but it took me numerous tries to get into the book.

This was my first time reading a book by Jayne Denker. It was a slow burn, rom/com but it picked up towards the end of the book.

When Noah and Gillian both realize that they liked each other, that’s when I really started to get interested in the story.

My favorite characters were the gang of old lady neighbors. Judy was so funny and I loved how nosy they were.

Another thing I loved was that Gillian was a full figured confident woman. I haven’t read many books about full figured/plus size woman. Being plus size myself I loved that representation.

I didn’t really care for Bette.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for letting me read an E-arc and giving my opinion and review.

3⭐️

I'm struggling on how to rate this one. It is sweet and has a charming small town feel to it. With the close knit friends and everyone in town knowing Gillian. Fiercely loyal to her and the distrust of this interloper that has made an enemy their beloved Gillian.

The issue I had was with the romance. It just didn't capture me and I had a hard time connecting. The chemistry between the two just wasn't there for me. I also was really put off by the comments regarding Gillian's body image and Noah stating she was acting like b#^tch in front of a complete stranger.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St Martins Press for this advanced reader copy. My review is voluntarily my own.

This was my first read by this author and although it didn't disappoint, it wasn't my favorite rom-com novel. This is a slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers book with some fun small-town charm. I most enjoyed the neighborhood gossip grannies especially because they actually meddled to save the day.

Hedging your bets is a low-stakes, enemies to lovers romance novel with closed door romance scenes. Gillian Pritchard is a long-time participant in Willow Cove's garden contest, and this year she is in it to win it. Noah West moves next door and unintentionally destroys the work she has put in thus far, so the two don't exactly have a great first introduction.

Overall this was a sweet story, however I didn't read "The Rom-Com Agenda" So I found myself lost on who some of the side characters were, and wish I would have read it before diving into this one.

I found their romance to be sweet and slow-building, however the mention of Gillian's body often came across as a non-fat person trying their hardest to write a curvier character, it just felt a bit off the mark.

That being said, I would recommend this book to any of my closed-door reading friends who are looking for a fun read that also includes a love for gardening.

Thank you to St. Martins Press for my pre-release copy of Hedging your Bets through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a sweet, cozy romance. I did have a problem connecting with the characters and it seemed a bit choppy but for the most part it was a cute story.

First off, thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have such mixed feelings about this book. It was just meh or okay for me! This had some of my favorite tropes but I could not connect with the main characters at all. The fighting and lack of chemistry between them for most of the book definitely played a huge part in my enjoyment of the story. Overall, it had some cute moments and the cover is adorable. However, I wish I had liked it more!

This book was a charming read. Nothing that made it stand out, but definitely a book I would recommend to anyone looking for a cute, small town enemies to lovers trope.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's publishing for the ARC of this book.

I loved the FMC, Gillian. She was such an easy character to root for, & I always love that in a rom com. This book felt like a cozy Hallmark movie & I really liked being back in Willow Cove. The Rom Com Agenda (the first book in this series) definitely worked better for me, but this one was really cute, too. I will definitely be back for the next book in this series ❤️

When you look at the cover of this book, you see gardening. That is exactly what you will get in this story.
It’s a light read. And pretty much all about gardening. Noah and Gillian don’t quite hit it off to start with but as the story grows and the gardens grow so does their relationship. This is a closed door romance. It does take some time getting into but once you do it’s a light and cute read.