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ameretet's review against another edition
4.0
totally adorable book. recommended for light romance read.
anasatticbookblog's review against another edition
5.0
Read more of my book reviews and ramblings at Ana's Attic Book Blog.Read some fun stuff about being curvy at Starting On Monday
This is my first audiobook review for the blog. I do listen to audiobooks as an attempt to get myself up and walking, yet still reading. Well, honestly, I just ended up listening in the car. That's why Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie really hit home for me. Also, when I was putting together my list of Top Funny Happy Romance books, my research put this at the top of so many lists, so I had to check it out.
The main character had some weight struggles, especially with a mother that doesn't stop reminding her! (I TOTALLY relate to this). Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie was a total hit for me. It combined a fun chick-lit romance, contemporary romance, and body image stuff in one great book.
Min (Minerva Dobbs) has a plain name to go with her plain appearance. Dowdy and self-conscious, Min dresses to hide herself, except for her cute shoes. Her mother is all over her about her weight, and despite the fact that she hasn't eaten carbs or fat in forever, she still can't fit into the Maid of Honor dress for her perfect sister's wedding. On top of that, her asshole boyfriend, David (and date to the wedding), just ended things because she didn't sleep with him yet...and yeah, because of her weight.
Min has some great friends though. And they all go to a bar to hang out.
“Rum and Coke, please," she told the bartender.
Maybe that was why Liza and Bonnie never had guy trouble: great hair. She looked at Liza, racehorse-thin in purple zippered leather...Okay it wasn't just the hair. If she jammed herself into Liza's dress, she'd look like Barney's slut cousin.
"Diet Coke," she told the bartender.”
Cal Morrissey is a handsome womanizer who is known to break women's hearts after getting them to fall in love with him. His relationships all seem to end at the two month point. He is out with his friends at the same bar, when David (Min's ex, and a business acquaintance of Cal's) bets Cal that he can't get the plain and dowdy Min to bed in a month.
Min knows (or thinks she knows) about the bet, but decides, why not? She needs a date for the wedding, so she might as well go for it. After a fairly disastrous first date, Cal and Min decide not to see each other again. But they keep running into one another. And Min's friends and Cal's friends start coupling off. Time after time they are thrown together, and as much as they try to fight it and just remain friends, the spark between them is strong. Despite them feeling "mine" in their head, they remained platonic friends.
But the flirtation between them is strong, plus, Cal can't stop himself from looking down her shirt every chance he could get.
"You wanna be sexy, be sexy...You have assets that skinny women will never have and you should be enjoying them and dressing like you enjoy them...or at least dressing so that others can enjoy them."
"You dress like you hate your body, sexy is in your head, and you don't feel sexy, so you don't look it."
Well as a girl who spent her life with a mother who constantly harps on her weight (I can TOTALLY relate) how can she ever feel good about herself? But as the friendship continues, and the flirtation grows, so does Min's confidence.
"The truth is, most guys would rather go to bed with you than with a clothes hangar, you're a lot more fun to touch. But most women don't believe that, you keep trying to lose weight for each other."
But despite others' trying to break them up, this almost-couple had a pretty strong connection.
“The rush became a whisper – THIS one – and he breathed deeper, and before she could open her eyes, he leaned in and kissed her, tasting the chocolate and the heat of her mouth, and she froze for a moment and then kissed him back, sweet and insistent, blanking out all coherent thought."
Likes:
-The characters were so much fun and so relatable. I loved them all, I even loved hating the ones I'm supposed to hate!
-I TOTALLY get the whole perfect mom and sister thing (only I have two!).
-I totally fell for Cal too.
-Harry was an awesome kid character.
-I laughed many times throughout the story.
-It had a totally awesome epilogue.
Dislikes:
-Not enough sex. It was a bit of a tease.
-How much Chicken Marsala can people eat? Was there any other food besides Chicken Marsala, Krispy Kreme (yum) or Brats?
-I'm a visual person. There was so much talk about Min's weight, I would have liked to know...is she a size 12? An 18? How big is big?
Audio feedback:
-This was nice and long. There was over 12 hours of listening.
-I loved the acting and voices. It was clear who was speaking at all times, you can even tell when it was over the phone.
-Because it was audio, I really noticed how many times the author used "said". "Min said, Cal said...." it was overkill in an audio book.
Rating: 4.75 Stars, 2.5 Heat (Would have been 5 if there was more sex)
I know using quarter stars feels silly. But I have changed this rating back and forth from 4.5-5, so I settled.
Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie was a fun, relatable story. It was very refreshing to have a heroine that wasn't the most beautiful person the hero has ever known. I don't think you have to be overweight to love this story, but I do think that if you do suffer from some weight related, or any self esteem issues, you would totally love this story, and the message that beauty comes from the inside.
“She slid out from under his arm, and picked up his shirt from the floor. When she put it on, it failed to meet in the middle over her chest. that always worked in the movies, she thought, disgusted, and dropped it on the floor.”
This is my first audiobook review for the blog. I do listen to audiobooks as an attempt to get myself up and walking, yet still reading. Well, honestly, I just ended up listening in the car. That's why Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie really hit home for me. Also, when I was putting together my list of Top Funny Happy Romance books, my research put this at the top of so many lists, so I had to check it out.
The main character had some weight struggles, especially with a mother that doesn't stop reminding her! (I TOTALLY relate to this). Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie was a total hit for me. It combined a fun chick-lit romance, contemporary romance, and body image stuff in one great book.
Min (Minerva Dobbs) has a plain name to go with her plain appearance. Dowdy and self-conscious, Min dresses to hide herself, except for her cute shoes. Her mother is all over her about her weight, and despite the fact that she hasn't eaten carbs or fat in forever, she still can't fit into the Maid of Honor dress for her perfect sister's wedding. On top of that, her asshole boyfriend, David (and date to the wedding), just ended things because she didn't sleep with him yet...and yeah, because of her weight.
Min has some great friends though. And they all go to a bar to hang out.
“Rum and Coke, please," she told the bartender.
Maybe that was why Liza and Bonnie never had guy trouble: great hair. She looked at Liza, racehorse-thin in purple zippered leather...Okay it wasn't just the hair. If she jammed herself into Liza's dress, she'd look like Barney's slut cousin.
"Diet Coke," she told the bartender.”
Cal Morrissey is a handsome womanizer who is known to break women's hearts after getting them to fall in love with him. His relationships all seem to end at the two month point. He is out with his friends at the same bar, when David (Min's ex, and a business acquaintance of Cal's) bets Cal that he can't get the plain and dowdy Min to bed in a month.
Min knows (or thinks she knows) about the bet, but decides, why not? She needs a date for the wedding, so she might as well go for it. After a fairly disastrous first date, Cal and Min decide not to see each other again. But they keep running into one another. And Min's friends and Cal's friends start coupling off. Time after time they are thrown together, and as much as they try to fight it and just remain friends, the spark between them is strong. Despite them feeling "mine" in their head, they remained platonic friends.
But the flirtation between them is strong, plus, Cal can't stop himself from looking down her shirt every chance he could get.
"You wanna be sexy, be sexy...You have assets that skinny women will never have and you should be enjoying them and dressing like you enjoy them...or at least dressing so that others can enjoy them."
"You dress like you hate your body, sexy is in your head, and you don't feel sexy, so you don't look it."
Well as a girl who spent her life with a mother who constantly harps on her weight (I can TOTALLY relate) how can she ever feel good about herself? But as the friendship continues, and the flirtation grows, so does Min's confidence.
"The truth is, most guys would rather go to bed with you than with a clothes hangar, you're a lot more fun to touch. But most women don't believe that, you keep trying to lose weight for each other."
But despite others' trying to break them up, this almost-couple had a pretty strong connection.
“The rush became a whisper – THIS one – and he breathed deeper, and before she could open her eyes, he leaned in and kissed her, tasting the chocolate and the heat of her mouth, and she froze for a moment and then kissed him back, sweet and insistent, blanking out all coherent thought."
Likes:
-The characters were so much fun and so relatable. I loved them all, I even loved hating the ones I'm supposed to hate!
-I TOTALLY get the whole perfect mom and sister thing (only I have two!).
-I totally fell for Cal too.
-Harry was an awesome kid character.
-I laughed many times throughout the story.
-It had a totally awesome epilogue.
Dislikes:
-Not enough sex. It was a bit of a tease.
-How much Chicken Marsala can people eat? Was there any other food besides Chicken Marsala, Krispy Kreme (yum) or Brats?
-I'm a visual person. There was so much talk about Min's weight, I would have liked to know...is she a size 12? An 18? How big is big?
Audio feedback:
-This was nice and long. There was over 12 hours of listening.
-I loved the acting and voices. It was clear who was speaking at all times, you can even tell when it was over the phone.
-Because it was audio, I really noticed how many times the author used "said". "Min said, Cal said...." it was overkill in an audio book.
Rating: 4.75 Stars, 2.5 Heat (Would have been 5 if there was more sex)
I know using quarter stars feels silly. But I have changed this rating back and forth from 4.5-5, so I settled.
Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie was a fun, relatable story. It was very refreshing to have a heroine that wasn't the most beautiful person the hero has ever known. I don't think you have to be overweight to love this story, but I do think that if you do suffer from some weight related, or any self esteem issues, you would totally love this story, and the message that beauty comes from the inside.
“She slid out from under his arm, and picked up his shirt from the floor. When she put it on, it failed to meet in the middle over her chest. that always worked in the movies, she thought, disgusted, and dropped it on the floor.”
brighteyes0812's review against another edition
4.0
Really enjoyed this book...it was a great funny read!
jen286's review against another edition
4.0
This review was originally posted to Jen in Bookland
put Bet Me on my to-read list after listening to an NPR podcast on romance novels. Part of their summer romance reading thing. One of the people on the panel mentioned this book, that it was a fun, cute, good first read for people new to the genre. I thought why not give it a try?
When I first started reading this story I thought I don't know about this. Minerva is not a stick thin girl, and her mom is always on her case to lose weight. Her sister is getting married and she has had a year to fit into the smaller size dress her mom wants her to wear so Minerva is pretty miserable. She doesn't eat carbs or butter or anything that is on her mothers no eat list. She seems happy enough with herself, but it was just eh the way that was written. Really it is just...Like I don't know why she stayed with her ex. The book opens when she has just gotten dumped by him, and then she thinks back to how he was and he was horrible right from the beginning. He makes slight comments about her weight and so she wouldn't sleep with him, hence why he broke up with her. It was just...I didn't get it. I know Minerva doesn't like taking risks and she just wants something safe and secure, but why would you stay with that jerk?
Then when out with her friends they want her to go talk to the super hot guy across the room. She hesitates, but when she finally makes her way over there he is talking with her ex and overhears what she thinks is him agreeing to the bet that he can get her to sleep with him in a month. For $10. Of course Minerva is not very happy about that. She just knew this guy was a jerk. I mean he is so good looking he has to be.
Only that guy, Calvin, is not a jerk at all. He couldn't wait to get away from her ex and only agreed to the $10 bet that he could get her to leave with him that night. He never would bet that he could get her to sleep with him, a bet of $10,000, because that is just wrong. He is too much of a good guy for that.
It quickly became a really fun read. Min doesn't hold back with Cal. She is pretty angry since she thinks she is just some bet to him. She was pretty funny. And Cal? He was such a good guy. He wanted food so he asks her to dinner, buys her dinner, then expects to never see her again. Only they do. They keep running into each other for different reasons and it was fun. She drives him crazy and she keeps trying to keep the fact that she is just a bet in her head so she doesn't fall for him and his kind ways. Man I loved the time in the park with the doughnuts and it was hot and fun and silly and just great. The whole book was great. Cal was amazing, always trying to get her to have just a little bit of the thinks she loves to eat but can't. He thinks she is beautiful the way she is. She is gorgeous and if someone can't see that that is their problem. Loved them together.
Even though Min thinks she is a bet she can't help but fall for Cal. And even though she drives him crazy Cal falls for Min. It was so sweet. Cal's ex is kind of crazy, as is Min's but not to the same extent, and they were a bit ridiculous, but oh well. It all ends up great. Really those last scenes with Cal and Min in her apartment - that was so awesome! So much fun and kind of hot and a little bit of everything. Just a silly, hot, fun read.
put Bet Me on my to-read list after listening to an NPR podcast on romance novels. Part of their summer romance reading thing. One of the people on the panel mentioned this book, that it was a fun, cute, good first read for people new to the genre. I thought why not give it a try?
When I first started reading this story I thought I don't know about this. Minerva is not a stick thin girl, and her mom is always on her case to lose weight. Her sister is getting married and she has had a year to fit into the smaller size dress her mom wants her to wear so Minerva is pretty miserable. She doesn't eat carbs or butter or anything that is on her mothers no eat list. She seems happy enough with herself, but it was just eh the way that was written. Really it is just...Like I don't know why she stayed with her ex. The book opens when she has just gotten dumped by him, and then she thinks back to how he was and he was horrible right from the beginning. He makes slight comments about her weight and so she wouldn't sleep with him, hence why he broke up with her. It was just...I didn't get it. I know Minerva doesn't like taking risks and she just wants something safe and secure, but why would you stay with that jerk?
Then when out with her friends they want her to go talk to the super hot guy across the room. She hesitates, but when she finally makes her way over there he is talking with her ex and overhears what she thinks is him agreeing to the bet that he can get her to sleep with him in a month. For $10. Of course Minerva is not very happy about that. She just knew this guy was a jerk. I mean he is so good looking he has to be.
Only that guy, Calvin, is not a jerk at all. He couldn't wait to get away from her ex and only agreed to the $10 bet that he could get her to leave with him that night. He never would bet that he could get her to sleep with him, a bet of $10,000, because that is just wrong. He is too much of a good guy for that.
It quickly became a really fun read. Min doesn't hold back with Cal. She is pretty angry since she thinks she is just some bet to him. She was pretty funny. And Cal? He was such a good guy. He wanted food so he asks her to dinner, buys her dinner, then expects to never see her again. Only they do. They keep running into each other for different reasons and it was fun. She drives him crazy and she keeps trying to keep the fact that she is just a bet in her head so she doesn't fall for him and his kind ways. Man I loved the time in the park with the doughnuts and it was hot and fun and silly and just great. The whole book was great. Cal was amazing, always trying to get her to have just a little bit of the thinks she loves to eat but can't. He thinks she is beautiful the way she is. She is gorgeous and if someone can't see that that is their problem. Loved them together.
Even though Min thinks she is a bet she can't help but fall for Cal. And even though she drives him crazy Cal falls for Min. It was so sweet. Cal's ex is kind of crazy, as is Min's but not to the same extent, and they were a bit ridiculous, but oh well. It all ends up great. Really those last scenes with Cal and Min in her apartment - that was so awesome! So much fun and kind of hot and a little bit of everything. Just a silly, hot, fun read.
amibunk's review against another edition
4.0
This was steamy without being crass, romantic without the saccharine, and predictable without being boring. The author gives us a healthy dose of comedic moments, which I think are so critical in a good romance novel and her characters have a nice depth to them.
All in all, this was a fun book to read.
All in all, this was a fun book to read.
ateobey's review against another edition
5.0
This made me buy all the Jennifer Crusie books that I can get my hands on.
It doesn't really have much of a plot but it's a wonderful way to spend a couple of hours. Crusie has delightful dialog and the Cal and Min interaction just sizzle off the pages.
And oh, you can never really go wrong with shoes!
It doesn't really have much of a plot but it's a wonderful way to spend a couple of hours. Crusie has delightful dialog and the Cal and Min interaction just sizzle off the pages.
And oh, you can never really go wrong with shoes!
balletbookworm's review against another edition
5.0
Been on my long list to read forever but Fated Mates finally tipped me over the edge. Loved it, it’s basically a fairy-tale disguised as a rom-com. Would have poisoned all the parents tho, YIKES. (The heroine’s mom is EXTREMELY fatphobic and the heroine has internalized a lot of negative body image so if those things are triggering for you this may be one to skip. But the hero is basically “you’re attractive as fuck just as you are also we should eat good food because eating is pleasure” so I’m down with it)
elee2013's review against another edition
5.0
4.5/5
This was a reread (don’t actually know when I first read this)… Jennifer Crusie is rarely a miss with me. This book is full of food and love and dysfunctional families (both the funny parts and the not funny parts) and groups of friends who all see and experience love differently but come together and mesh into a whole really well. I love the food, Elvis the cat, the shoes, and even the miscommunication! (So hard to do right. But this one gets it.)
This was a reread (don’t actually know when I first read this)… Jennifer Crusie is rarely a miss with me. This book is full of food and love and dysfunctional families (both the funny parts and the not funny parts) and groups of friends who all see and experience love differently but come together and mesh into a whole really well. I love the food, Elvis the cat, the shoes, and even the miscommunication! (So hard to do right. But this one gets it.)
much_ado_about_mothman's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
carobcbg's review against another edition
5.0
This is the third book I've read by Jennifer Crusie. The first left me cold, the second I enjoyed, but this one I loved. In fact, I'd like to see it done as a movie:-) Longer review to come.