My rating: 4.5/5 ✨

I think i’ll be giving Lynn Painter’s books 4-5 stars for the rest of my life. This was the absolute cutest book and I enjoyed it thoroughly! I was cheesing throughout the entire book and read it in one sitting!

This story follows Charlie and Bailey who meet at the airport in Alaska, as they both head home to Nebraska at the end of the summer. After being seated next to each other on the flight, both of them leave a lasting impression on each other. After a few random bump ins over the following years, they end up working at the same place and become closer than ever.

Tropes:
- Fake Dating
- Coworkers
- Forced Proximity
- Dual POV
- Taylor Swift coded

I am eternally grateful for receiving this ARC!! Thank you Lynn Painter for writing such an amazing book and thank you Simon & Schuster AU and Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC.

3.5 stars.
Betting on You was an enjoyable story but it had a lot going on, too much in my opinion. This included divorced parents, attempting to split parents up from new partner, fake dating, teenage angst, various bets, friends to enemies to lovers. And not being a Taylor Swift fan a lot of the references went over my head.
The blurb pretty much gives away the bet Charlie made so I was disappointed that what I suspected was correct, and just didn't think it was needed. There was alredy plenty going on and enough to make an interesting story.
I enjoyed the dual POV and did enjoy the banter between Charlie and Bailey and watching their friendship grow

Lynn Painter can do no wrong. While it isn’t my favourite book of hers, I was still in love with this book from the moment I saw the cover & that love only grew as I read. Plus, when Taylor Swift references started in the first chapter, I couldn’t put the book down.

Bailey reminded me of… well… me. Right from the beginning. Which seems to be Lynn’s signature — making every main character extremely relatable. Bailey is structured, Emily Henry obsessed, and a bit too much of a perfectionist. And Charlie reminded me of every guy I’ve ever come to heads with. Too chill for their own good (or so we are to believe), somewhat troubled, and oddly wise.

Slowly but slightly predictably, the romcom unfolded and I was right there alongside Bailey falling for the ridiculous charm (why can’t I have a Lynn painter MMC irl?). Ahhh and fake dating?!?! Love that. I went into this novel completely blind & fake dating is one of my favs. I mean… the tension!!! Also, I was very much reminded of Lorelei & Rory with Luke & Dean which is absolutely a good thing.

Now to the slightly less good things. Sorry Lynn (and America) but calling spaghetti “noodles” should be illegal. The only other thing that felt a little off was that there seemed to be a lot jammed in. Between enemies to friends to lovers, bets and wagers, fake dating, one bed… it was a lot.

Some of the Taylor references were so subtle this time that only a swift or would pick up on them. Absolutely loved it.

Thank you to the author & NetGalley for approving me to read this book as an ARC.

I LOVE everything Lynn Painter writes and this was no exception! Her stories are always so well paced and her characters are so delightful, with excellent tension.

I think you'll love this if you like:
♥️ Fake dating
♥️ YA romance
♥️ Forced proximity
♥️ Hilarious wit and banter
♥️ Meet cutes
♥️ Bets!
♥️ Waterpark setting

I will read any book that LP writes, forever. Thanks for the ARC!

I am such a big fan of Lynn Painter’s stories and betting on you did not disappoint. ONE OF THE CUTEST STORIES THIS YEAR. Honestly adorable, love these two so much and they deserve the world.

This is just wonderful! Lynn Painter‘s young adult writing is superb. Here she builds us a believable world with Charlie and Bailey. Bailey is uptight and serious, but also brave. Charlie is cranky, cynical, manipulative and self-aware, and I’m really not sure how he’s going to become likeable enough for us to want him to get together with Bailey but it happens and Charlie’s amazing!

There is some serious stuff going on here with a thoughtful commentary on how teens navigate their parents' divorcing and moving onto new partners. It’s poignant and offers a lot of insight into just how difficult this can be at a time when teens are also finding themselves and trying to let go of that parental closeness, while still needing their love and support. Bailey's mum clearly loves her daughter but she’s out of tune with the nuances of showing love to a teen and this hurts Bailey over and over again as she immerses herself in her new relationship. Charlie has already experienced all this with his parents' breakup. It's a coming-of-age for both of them.

There's a lot of micro-joy here - the games they play, their workplace, the music references, the push and pull as Bailey and Charlie fall for each other. It's not perfect and there's some unresolved issues (what's with the Tums?) but overall this is vintage Lynn Painter. A great read for teens and a charming romp for adults.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC.

4 stars
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-ARC to review. All thoughts are my own.

Painter always has a good balance of emotional content, lighthearted hilarity and banter, and good character growth in her YA novels, and all was present here. Both main characters are children of divorced families and could relate to one another and their struggles with new partners infiltrating their family dynamics. Together they find a level of solace and care amidst the upheaval in their home lives, which was written well.

The main storyline is around Bailey, the female protagonist, and her struggles with her mum's partner staying over more often and the changes that creates to her life. Charlie, our main guy, has been going through this a lot longer than Bailey and offers to help her navigate ways to remove her mother's partner. I feel this was approached well through teenage reactions. At points I wished that Bailey would just speak to her mother, so things wouldn't be as chaotic and resentment filled, however, I could respect the journey Bailey faced, and the insecurities embedded in her from her estrangement with her father and not wanting the same fate with the parent she lives with. Whilst there is some growth, with Bailey getting to know the partner further and realising he's not a complete jerk as she first believed, and her own emotions towards the situation, I did find this part of the story a little dragged out. I know, it's the main storyline, so it makes sense it took up a lot of time, but I did find myself more interested in the connection between Charlie and Bailey than the borderline toxic lack of communication going on between a parent and child.

For the most part, the romance in this book was delightful. I enjoy a good friends to lovers moment, especially with the whole "boys and girls can't be friends" stance thrown in there. The pair get to know more about themselves through the eyes of the other which leads into something so wholesome and believable. Even when Charlie was insistent no labels be made over his connection with Bailey, it was evident both were falling in love and also deeply connected as friends. Painter's ability to showcase teens with real teenage responses and tone is the reason I prefer her YA over any adult romance she pens. As an adult reading these, I can appreciate the way this author wields her words to best suit the confusingly dramatic and emotional state that are teenage years.

That said, I did find the pinnacle moment when Bailey talks to her mother too late and a letdown, and whilst the angst between Bailey and Charlie was made believable, I just found the last portion of this novel to let down the rest of the journey. The betting portion of the novel was predictable in how it would cause trouble, but it fell flat for me because of everything else that was happening. The ending, whilst cute enough, wasn't enough to keep this as a 5 star read for me.

4.5 ☆ thank you SO much to the publishers for giving me an e-arc. lynn painter has not once let me down. ever. i cannot WAIT to get a physical copy and annotate the living daylights out of it!!!! my second fav lynn painter, after better than the movies! the novel follows charlie and bailey who had an unfortunate encounter in the past and now have to work together. unbeatable banter, check. top tier characters, check. the cutest romance, CHECKKK! i love the conversations around parenting and how divorce affects people’s perception of love. one thing i wish was explored more is charlies anxiety because that wouldve added a whole other special layer! but apart from that, so so so good

Thank you to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for providing me with an Advanced Reader’s copy for the purposes of providing an honest review.

Lynn Painter has quite the reputation (Taylor Swift pun intended) on booktok she’s regaled as the queen of YA Romance, with odes to rom coms and Taylor Swift references aplenty, she’s a bookstagrammer’s dream, but unfortunately this book is a nightmare.

I feel like it had such great potential but got caught up and confused by all the different things it was trying to be, do and say and lost a lot of its impact and meaning.

The writing style was easy enough to read, and the pacing was fairly okay, but plot wise, there was just way too much going on and it really needed to focus on maybe one or two elements instead of badly juggle the 5 different elements at once.

The title really didn’t have any significance, the bets inly making a brief appearance at the beginning and returning at the end to cause the main conflict. The fake dating really didn’t need to be a thing, and felt awkward, however I felt the novel really shone when it focused on the complex emotions surrounding being a child of divorce experiencing your parent moving on.

If the story had chosen to focus on that and maybe incorporated the fake dating a little more realistically, then this might have been a smash hit.

The character’s felt too much, both giving off manic pixie dream girl and guy vibes, over the top to the point of cringe.

I like Taylor Swift, but there was at least one TS reference per 5 chapters, and there was a lot of chapters, it drove me nuts!

Overall, this book is best described as “too much” which is why I unfortunately gave it a 2 star rating. I have her other YA and Adult romances and am interested to see whether they’re any more grounded.

4/5 stars

I really enjoyed reading this ARC. It was such a sweet high school enemies to lovers story. The FMC & MMC were polar opposites and the dual POV made you fall in love with them both (although Charlie takes the win in my opinion).

My first read from Lynn Painter and definitely will not be my last, her writing style is witty, humorous and so enjoyable.

My ONLY critic on this book was that there was a few too many swiftie references for my liking (and I am a diehard taytay gal so that is saying something).

Overall a really enjoyable book, recommend picking it up when it is released!

Thank you NetGalley, Lynn Painter and Simon & Schuster for allowing me to read this ARC of BETTING ON YOU!!! Usually I’m head over heels for every title that Lynn writes but I just feel that this one missed the mark for me - it was still cute but more in a super super YA way and I just don’t think I really got the whole point of the story to be honest. It definitely had some cute moments but I think a lot of other things overshadowed it and made it more complicated than it should have been. It was an enemies to lovers / friends to lovers closed door romance with topics about family situations and starting over. Unfortunately this one for me is only ⭐️⭐️.

Perfect light YA rom com reading, not only was Charlie & Baileys journey just enchanting but the realness of ‘life’ that surrounded them both while dealing with their respective parents & home lives changing, but having each other to help them through, just took the story to another level.

Enjoyable relatable read which is a good one to recommend for older teens.
Characters were real, flawed and interesting to spend time with. Thanks for the read.

What a fabulous rom-com meet cute novel. It would be the sweetest thing if this was made into a tv movie 💝 …. Ummm hello Hallmark Movies!!!

Absolutely loved the transition of the Bailey and Charlie, the way they work through their lives, and their feelings and how they navigate the world of being a teenager. I loved the fact that this novel was full of real world issues, drama and life lessons.

If you are looking for a change of pace, a light hearted novel and some teenage angst, this is definitely for you. Right from their first meeting, you get the sense that these two characters were made for this story.

It’s not a perfect world for them, with both having their own family issues, but the bond that they have, and the foundational friendship they create is a really solid base for a real relationship. Well done to Lynn, a truly delightful book.

Thank you to Net Galley, Simon & Schuster and Lynn Painter for this ARC copy to review.

I absolutely devoured this book - I read this in an afternoon. I had such a good time.

This is such a fun, sweet YA romance. The hasty and sometimes not great decisions the characters made were so relable - I could feel my teenage angst coming back!

Charlie and Bailey's relationship develops in a really great way - they have such a strong friendship as their foundation (even after a not amazing first impression of each other).

I highly recommend this beautiful story - you'll have such a great time and it will take you back to your teenage years. And if you're a teenager, you'll be feeling this one. This is a really gorgeous read, another great one by Lynn Painter.

This book was really adorable. By page nine, I was already laughing aloud and stomping my feet in the air. I am now a Lynn Painter lover, Her books are incredibly light, enjoyable, and quick to read. the ideal rom-com for summer.
This book is jam-packed with puns, jokes, and some sweet love. Charlie and Bailey's first meeting was, shall we say, amusing to say the least—not quite a meet-cute. Over the course of three years, they only sometimes ran into one another before eventually landing jobs at the same waterpark. they are placing a wager on something as events unfold.

This is my second YA novel from Lynn Painter and my third book overall and I feel like I kinda peaked with The Do-Over.

Don't get me wrong this book was ok but it had quite a few things that made it a little eyerolly (yep that is now a word).

Things I liked:

- the banter between Bailey and Charlie
- the reference to Bringing Down the Duke (I freaking love that book!)
- the feels from Bailey about the situation with her parents. I actually shed a few tears at one point
- the games Charlie makes up which do sound a lot of fun

Things I didn't like as much:

- all the Taylor Swift references
- Charlie’s absurd thoughts/ideas (not the games, see above). Just when I think he can't be more absurd, he out-absureds himself ("let's practice kissing"...*face palm)

Overall I thought this was OK but not life changingly great (yep, making up more words).

I received an ARC and because I'm currently running around Japan on the best holiday ever, I have left an honest review

Plot:
From the moment she meets Charlie (AKA Mr Nothing), Bailey is put off. He might be good looking and can lay on the charm, but he is irritating, over-confident and his abrasive cynicism is at odds with her people-pleasing temperament. Three years later, Bailey is starting a new job and is less than thrilled to find out that Charlie will be one of her new co-workers. Although their personalities are polar opposites, they make amicable coworkers who enjoy placing bets on their patrons and coworkers to prove who is right and pass the time.

Bailey is determined to prove to Charlie that boys and girls can be friends, and begins to learn that he is not as cold as he first appeared, and is actually quite thoughtful and well-liked by those he is close with. In turn, Charlie is also starting to find that some of Bailey's quirks that were annoying at first are actually interesting and a little adorable. Charlie knows that if he falls for Bailey, it will ruin their current relationship so he is determined to ignore and deflect all developing feelings. Can they stay friends or will he ruin yet another relationship with someone he cares about?

My thoughts:
This is the third book of Lynn Painter's that I have read and enjoyed. It is a light-hearted young adult romantic comedy. Bailey and Charlie have good banter between them and it is heartening to read about their growing relationship as the novel progresses. It also covers a lot of issues that are relevant to those final teenage years - friendships, jobs, parent's divorcing, prom, parties in a way that helps you relate to the characters without feeling to heavy in any one area. I really enjoyed Charlie's character - he has been written with a lot of characteristics that I (and the majority of the bookstagram community) look for in a main character. He delivered many swoon worthy moments that had me wanting to read more!

I think you will enjoy this book if you enjoy;
- Frenemies
- Romantic comedies
- Proximity
- Dual POV
- Fake dating (there is a small section featuring this)
- Taylor Swift references

There were a couple area's where the book fell a bit short for me. The dialogue was a bit stagnant initially, and it was hard to get into the flow of the conversations between Bailey and Charlie for the first few chapters. This improved a lot halfway through the book, but I thought could have been edited a little better in those initial chapters. The other area where the book fell short was tying up some of Charlie's issues in the book. I won't mention them specifically to avoid spoilers, but he had a lot of things going on in the background that didn't seem to be addressed or resolved by the end of the book. I think this would have helped to give his character a bit more depth, as there were times where he read a bit too surface level.

The other thing to note is that there is no spice in this book being a teenage/YA aimed novel, so please take that into account before reading if that is important to you.

Thankyou to #NetGalley, Simon & Schuster and the author for access to this ARC and allowing me to review it.

This was just such an enjoyable read! In my personal opinion it gives Better Than The Movies a run for its money. Bailey and Charlie are such interesting characters and are so fun to read about.

AND THE CHEMISTRY. Good lord. No words.
The conflict, while being perhaps a little unrealistic, was still so fun and you can understand where each character is coming from in their response.

Would definitely recommend a read, this is one you won’t want to miss!

this book has:
- enemies (lowkey) to friends/co-workers to lovers
- fake dating
- dual pov
- mmc falls first
- forced proximity
- taylor swift & new girl references

bailey & charlie have a history of running into one another over the years & become co-workers once they start a new job at a waterpark. as kids of divorced parents, they quickly connect & form a friendship, despite charlie insisting that they are only co-workers. they grow closer as they make a bet about their other co-workers & bailey enlists charlie to help her annoy her mom's boyfriend.

lynn painter books always have that perfect late 90s/early 00s romcom feel to them & this one was no exception. this book delves into the experiences of children with divorced parents & how that affects them. i rarely read YA romances but lynn painter's ones never miss! i always love the taylor swift references & this one also had new girl references which made it even better. the only thing i wish is that they would've been a little more grovelling at the end.

tw: divorce & strained family relationships

thank you to netgalley and the author for the arc in exchange for an honest review.