I read the rom com agenda and I didn’t love the book but I did find it to be amusing. This one I just felt like I couldn’t get into it. The writing style is just not my favorite. I am also not a big fan of long chapters, I have a hard time holding my attention for that long without breaks.
I didn’t mind the main characters. Both of them were decent. But I don’t feel like I super connected to either one of them.

On paper this one should have been a home run for me, but ultimately I couldn’t connect with the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a cute enemies to lovers and opposites attract romcom!! A big thanks to NetGalley and St Martins Press for a chance to read an ARC of this.

There are so many things that I absolutely loved about this book, one being the banter and back and forth between Gillian and Noah. Their dynamic was delectable. This is a closed door romance, but that did not take away from the story as someone who enjoys reading open door romance. I liked the plus size rep, but that comes with a caveat and the reason I took off a star.

It became repetitive with the main character saying she was big but fit and in great health, which was fine! What I disliked is that one of the main reasons for a character not liking her was her size. The villain is the villain because of it. I’m not a fan of it being used as a plot point. I feel the dating representation was accurate and refreshing to see, as a plus size woman who has navigated the online dating space before; however, I wish there would have been at least one or two dates more dates referenced that didn’t revolve around her size being an issue.

I love a good enemies to lovers trope and this one was also grumpy/sunshine. I wasn't always sure which was the grumpy because both Gillian and Noah fit that through different times in the book. Both characters and the side characters on the street and town were amazing. I love that Gillian was not a model-sized, perfect woman and that she embraced her body as it was. Jayne Denker write for the every-woman and I love her books!

This story is told in third person and follows Gillian and Noah. Gillian is happily divorced and trying out various dating apps. Her dating experiences consisted of some odd shenanigans that were definitely fun to read. Noah has just moved to town after a breakup that took him away from a little boy who would have been a beloved stepson. I really enjoyed both characters and their backstories. Their journey to a relationship was fun and entertaining.

However, I had some issues along the way. There were a ton of side characters in this story, and I felt bombarded with new characters at the beginning. Later in the book, they were used to relay information that I would have preferred to experience first-hand, such a more serious foray into one of Gillian’s dating matchups. While I enjoyed the initial references to “inner Bette”, they eventually started to get old. I also found the villain of the piece a little too caricaturish. Noah’s purchase of the marina and his ignorance of the liens didn’t feel realistic to me as well as his situation with Aiden.

It sounds like I had a lot of issues and while I did, I also enjoyed parts of this book immensely. I enjoy romances that involve gardening and most of those aspects were fantastic along with the dating app shenanigans. So if those are your jam, then definitely give this one a try!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for a copy provided for an honest review.

ARC Review ~ Hedging Your Bets ~

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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The premise really drew me in for this book and it ended up being a lot cuter than I expected. The dual POV really sold this book, giving a fun insight into both characters and their development both as individuals and romantically. There were a few points I wish were talked about more but overall it was a great book!

Features:
*Grumpy/Sunshine
*Enemies to lovers
*Closed door
*Body Diversity
*Dual POV

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for this ARC!

I loved the banter between Gillian and her neighbor Noah. I liked Gillian's personality to an extent. I didn't quite understand her imaginary talks with Bette. This did not deter me from enjoying her character though. Gillian's passion for gardening was inspiring and made her interesting. Let's just say that no one messes with Gillian's love for plants and gets away with it. ;) I'm all about body positivity. This book sheds light on the importance of body positivity, which makes me happy. It's a subject that's hard to discuss without being penalized or misunderstood. All her friends are so cool and interesting. I loved the inclusion of a variety of ages within her friend group and their protectiveness towards her. They were comedic and thrilling additions to Gillian's and Noah's stories.

Noah is just himself looking to start over after a long-term relationship went amiss. I felt sorry for him as his connection with his ex-girlfriend's son had to be broken for him to let go and move on. The confusion and heartache felt so realistic to me. I couldn't imagine going through something like that and having to just walk away from a child I've bonded with. I loved that he is portrayed to be a misunderstood man going through real issues and figuring out how to move on with his life. He made me laugh so much with all the antics he pulled to help out Gillian when she was in a pickle. The gift that Noah gives to Gillian is a unique addition to their relationship blossoming. I loved everything about the gift and what it signified to both of them.

This book is for you if you enjoy a slow burn, low-spice (closed-door), enemies-to-lovers, small-town romance, and fun banter.

I received an advanced review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I wanted to love this book. I loved the premise of it and the enemies to lovers trope. I felt like the first half of the book was slow and had a lot of extra details that did really have much relevance to the story. Also, I feel like the chemistry between Gillian and Noah felt kind of flat.

With all the trademark elements readers look for yet flush with new ideas on the genre, Jayne Denker's Hedging Your Bets is a nourishing read that will add to the flowering garden of contemporary romance books.

Hedging Your Bets was a cute and enjoyable romance. I enjoyed the enemies-to-lovers storyline and garden competition plot. It was a solid read that I would recommend for people looking for something quick and lighthearted with some romance! It was my first Jayne Denker book but I don't think it will be my last!

Hedging Your Bets is your classic, enemies-to-lovers rom-com. While I wanted to love it, I never really found myself immersed in the story. There is nothing wrong with it, the problem was more so that nothing really stood out to me as original. If you love rom-coms and the genre, I would recommend this to you, just know it might read like something you've read before.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC of Hedging Your Bets by Jayne Denker.

This is the 1st book by Jayne Denker I’ve read, and I tend to enjoy a good enemies to lovers romance. This was a low/no spice romance which is a nice change of pace. The main characters spend the majority of the story disliking each other and or denying their feelings, till they both finely realize they are in love. Pretty predictable, yet still enjoyable. I’d say more of a 3.5⭐️ but rounded up! I’d read another book by this author.

Cute closed door romance. Enemies to lovers between two neighbors fighting for top spot in a garden contest. Enjoyable though I could have done without the Bette side tracking.

This is a cute sorry about Gillian, whose life’s mission is to win the community garden competition, and Noah, new to town and also wrapped up in the garden competition. I felt the enemies to lovers portion was a bit heavy on the “enemies” portion, which felt a bit repetitive. There are great supporting characters that I wish we got to see more of. I appreciated the body positivity with the FMC.

This was a cute, clean, grumpy/sunshine, enemoes to lovers, rom-com.
It had a slow burn which was a bit annoying at times. I like when a book gets to the good stuff fast 😂. This book was also sweet, not spicy.
One thing I really liked was the gardening aspect. The FMC had a beautiful garden that she often entered into the local gardening competition. I like when a book is centered around a unique (to me) concept.
Overall, this was a fun quick read!
If you like rom coms, this is for you!

I would label this as a contemporary romance, with closed door scenes. Very fun, very flirty, enemies to lovers trope. I loved the storyline; the fun characters were well developed and by the end of the story I felt like I knew them all. Both main characters, Gillian and Noah, are coming off of a bad relationship experience. Gillian has decided that she's ready to start dabbling in dating again, so she signs into an online dating app. Noah's breakup is a little more recent so he's not into looking for someone special at all. When Noah buys a house and becomes the new owner of the town's marina, it is immediate enemy territory with Gillian, who unbeknownst to him is his next-door neighbor. It's a fun ride as they battle back and forth competing with one another in the annual Garden Contest. It was a good story, a palate cleanser romance that I will definitely recommend as well as going on to read other books by Jayne Denker.

Thank you to Jayne Denker, NetGalley and St Martin's Griffin Press for allowing me this kindle arc version in exchange for my honest opinion.

Hedging Your Bets is a fun romantic comedy with enemies to lovers. When Noah moves to the small town of Willow Cove, Noah does not expect to get into a feud with his gorgeous but "annoying" neighbor Gillian. The two could not be more different and they seem to clash on everything. When Noah decides to enter the town's gardening contest, the competition gets fierce, but maybe the competition will bring them closer together.

This book surprised me. I actually enjoyed the concept of the gardening competition and the banter that ensued between Gillian and Noah. The online dating for Gillian showed how awkward dating can be but I found many of her dating situations to be comical. I was a little confused on the number of characters that had backstories and although this book seemed to be a standalone, after checking on Goodreads it seems that Hedging Your Bets is part of a series. You may want to read Jayne Denker's first book, The Rom-Com Agenda before reading this book. However, you can definitely read this as a standalone.

Hedging Your Bets is out now!

Audiobook:
I was a little late in reading this book. I decided to get the audiobook so I could follow along with the digital copy. I highly suggest getting the audiobook if you are planning on buying this book. I loved the two narrators and found that they were perfect for Gillian and Noah. I didn't want to stop listening.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to review Hedging Your Bets. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I had a fun time reading this book! It’s a quick, easy, lighthearted romance book that I sped through.

Overall, the book was okay. There wasn’t anything special about it, especially since I’ve read hundreds of romance books before. It was a standard rivals to lovers (I think) book that takes place in a small town.

My only real complaint is that there were WAY too many characters. Most of them had no real plot line, and it was hard to keep track of everyone. I couldn’t remember their relationships to each other, and most of them weren’t necessary to the story. I understand that it’s set in a small town where everyone know everyone, but they didn’t all need to be included.

I loved The Rom-Com Agenda so I expecting to love this one too considering the characters (minus Noah) were the same but I just didn't. Took a bit to get into the story and then I wasn't a fan of how Gillian's weight kept getting mentioned. If the main character is skinny you don't continually hear about it, so why is it if you add some pounds that's everything? Also was not a fan of how Gillian's group of friends decided that she needed to be in a relationship (online dating or not) just because they were all in relationships. Not a fan of that in my own life so wasn't into it on the page either.

Will try again if Delia ends up getting her own book!

Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for a eARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was a very standard rom-com and very much not for me. I'm realizing I'm not a huge fan of the enemies to more style of rom com where the enmity is based solely on one or two annoying interactions.

I did like the body positivity aspects, and I suspect people who enjoy gardening will enjoy the garden competition aspects, but for me, I just didn't enjoy the interactions between the main characters and their relationship felt a little forced.

So, not for me, but I'm sure someone who enjoys this style of enemies to more would enjoy this.