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chulaisreadingromance's review against another edition
5.0
Update December 16 2022: The audiobook is magical!
Reading a Staci Hart novel is like sunshine in the rain, a romantic breath of fresh air when the world is full of crap! Bet the farm wasn't the exception! Again, she brought to life a powerful couple in a unique, funny and emotional roller coaster ride. A heroine you instantly click with and a hero you immediately fall in love with.
As always, Staci's world building captivated all my senses in every page. Her descriptive and detailed writing made the perfect scenery for Jake and Olivia. I loved every single detail of the environment Staci created for them. I was able to picture myself there with them in the farm, the town, the world Jake and Olivia lived in. I could hear the sounds, felt the smells, the textures, everything!
Olivia is a dreamer, an optimistic and a true visionary. There's nothing that can stop her! I loved her heart of gold and her willingness to do whatever it took to save her beloved farm. I was able to connect with her feelings from the very first page, her mourning, her loss, her happiness and her sense of belonging to the farm and everyone there. I loved how positive she was and even though she made a few mistakes, she never wanted to do any harm. Her love for Jake was so beautiful and true, I loved how she made her way to his heart with patience and understanding, always trying to put herself in his shoes and acknowledging all of his efforts and his hard work.
Jake is a dreamboat! He was strong, determined, loyal and protective about everything he loved. He wanted what was best for everyone and even if sometimes he came out rude and rejecting towards Olivia, he only meant well. He had his heart well hidden because he also was protective of his feelings, but I loved how welcoming he was in the end to give love a chance in every way: Being open to new possibilities regarding the farm and giving himself the opportunity to love Olivia freely. His love for Frank was so heartwarming, the way he expressed himself about him, how devoted he was to his legacy and how he made so many efforts to preserve it with so much love and gratefulness was so uplifting and beautiful and it made me bawl as I learned the way him and Frank became a family with such a strong bond.
I have to say, the enemies to lovers trope is a difficult one for me, there has to be a good reason for the couple to be labeled as "enemies" and a deep connection for them to be able to work out and move past the differences. Staci nailed it with Jake and Olivia! Their disagreements were founded in the love and loyalty they both have for the farm and for Frank (Olivia's grandfather) and they always had the best intentions at heart, even when they couldn't come to an understanding. I was able to read how much they really cared in between the lines of their fight and the reluctance to let the other in. In the end, they were home to each other, even when they hadn't acknowledged, making the pacing of the book going at the right speed.
There wasn't a moment in this book where I doubted about the spark or chemistry between Jake and Olivia, the care and love they had for each other was obvious from the very first page. The slow burn had the perfect build up, it culminated in a poetic and utterly romantic climax that left me swooning for hours! The spark, the physical touch, the desire and love this couple shared was absolutely beautifully described and represented.
The supporting cast was a wonderful and heartfelt complement in the development and growth of the couple. The relationships and friendships outside the romance were beautifully written and held so much meaning for the story to move forward towards the happy ending. The sense of family and the spirit of Frank was everywhere and could be felt in every interaction with the secondary characters, made the book heartfelt and wholesome. The angst and struggle they all had to go through was incredibly moving and hard to witness, but loved how the resolution came at the right time for the incredible ending.
This is a story about what home truly is, about trusting the ones you love and having faith that love can conquer it all.
Staci Hart will always have a special place in my heart and I am so incredibly blessed to have read this beautiful story ahead of the release date.
Get Bet the Farm TODAY, read it, savor it and swoon with it just as any other Staci Hart book!
Reading a Staci Hart novel is like sunshine in the rain, a romantic breath of fresh air when the world is full of crap! Bet the farm wasn't the exception! Again, she brought to life a powerful couple in a unique, funny and emotional roller coaster ride. A heroine you instantly click with and a hero you immediately fall in love with.
As always, Staci's world building captivated all my senses in every page. Her descriptive and detailed writing made the perfect scenery for Jake and Olivia. I loved every single detail of the environment Staci created for them. I was able to picture myself there with them in the farm, the town, the world Jake and Olivia lived in. I could hear the sounds, felt the smells, the textures, everything!
Olivia is a dreamer, an optimistic and a true visionary. There's nothing that can stop her! I loved her heart of gold and her willingness to do whatever it took to save her beloved farm. I was able to connect with her feelings from the very first page, her mourning, her loss, her happiness and her sense of belonging to the farm and everyone there. I loved how positive she was and even though she made a few mistakes, she never wanted to do any harm. Her love for Jake was so beautiful and true, I loved how she made her way to his heart with patience and understanding, always trying to put herself in his shoes and acknowledging all of his efforts and his hard work.
Jake is a dreamboat! He was strong, determined, loyal and protective about everything he loved. He wanted what was best for everyone and even if sometimes he came out rude and rejecting towards Olivia, he only meant well. He had his heart well hidden because he also was protective of his feelings, but I loved how welcoming he was in the end to give love a chance in every way: Being open to new possibilities regarding the farm and giving himself the opportunity to love Olivia freely. His love for Frank was so heartwarming, the way he expressed himself about him, how devoted he was to his legacy and how he made so many efforts to preserve it with so much love and gratefulness was so uplifting and beautiful and it made me bawl as I learned the way him and Frank became a family with such a strong bond.
I have to say, the enemies to lovers trope is a difficult one for me, there has to be a good reason for the couple to be labeled as "enemies" and a deep connection for them to be able to work out and move past the differences. Staci nailed it with Jake and Olivia! Their disagreements were founded in the love and loyalty they both have for the farm and for Frank (Olivia's grandfather) and they always had the best intentions at heart, even when they couldn't come to an understanding. I was able to read how much they really cared in between the lines of their fight and the reluctance to let the other in. In the end, they were home to each other, even when they hadn't acknowledged, making the pacing of the book going at the right speed.
There wasn't a moment in this book where I doubted about the spark or chemistry between Jake and Olivia, the care and love they had for each other was obvious from the very first page. The slow burn had the perfect build up, it culminated in a poetic and utterly romantic climax that left me swooning for hours! The spark, the physical touch, the desire and love this couple shared was absolutely beautifully described and represented.
The supporting cast was a wonderful and heartfelt complement in the development and growth of the couple. The relationships and friendships outside the romance were beautifully written and held so much meaning for the story to move forward towards the happy ending. The sense of family and the spirit of Frank was everywhere and could be felt in every interaction with the secondary characters, made the book heartfelt and wholesome. The angst and struggle they all had to go through was incredibly moving and hard to witness, but loved how the resolution came at the right time for the incredible ending.
This is a story about what home truly is, about trusting the ones you love and having faith that love can conquer it all.
Staci Hart will always have a special place in my heart and I am so incredibly blessed to have read this beautiful story ahead of the release date.
Get Bet the Farm TODAY, read it, savor it and swoon with it just as any other Staci Hart book!
sarah_1's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
alekswjsn's review against another edition
3.0
partially really cringe and frustrating but made me cry at least 4 times which is why it's getting 3 stars instead of 2 i guess
catxbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Bet the farm is the new book by Staci and I loved it. It’s an enemies to lovers story and those are my favorites. Olivia and Jake inherited her grandfather’s farm but she was gone for a few years so Jake doesn’t believe she has what it takes to pay off the farm’s debts so they make a bet to see which one will own more of the farm and then it begins their story.
Olivia was amazing, she was sensitive but she was always positive about things to improve the farm income and she tried to see the good in everyone. Jack was completely the opposite, he was grumpy around Olivia and his life revolved about the farm and his work.
Throughout the book we can see more of their interactions and how little by little Jake starts to warm up to Olivia, even though they still fought most of the time. Then they realize her grandfather was right and they really needed each other, despite their banter, they always had the best interests in order to save the farm.
The book was full of drama, banter and romance, it was a sweet and fun story and I really loved Olivia and Jake.
ARC kindly provided by author, in exchange for an honest review.
Olivia was amazing, she was sensitive but she was always positive about things to improve the farm income and she tried to see the good in everyone. Jack was completely the opposite, he was grumpy around Olivia and his life revolved about the farm and his work.
Throughout the book we can see more of their interactions and how little by little Jake starts to warm up to Olivia, even though they still fought most of the time. Then they realize her grandfather was right and they really needed each other, despite their banter, they always had the best interests in order to save the farm.
The book was full of drama, banter and romance, it was a sweet and fun story and I really loved Olivia and Jake.
ARC kindly provided by author, in exchange for an honest review.
sierradummitt's review against another edition
4.0
In terms of chick-lit, this is a solid four stars! I’ve read like three chick-lit books recently and they were terrible. This one however, I enjoyed! I feel like I have to rate these types of books on a different scale, because really nailing this genre can be difficult, in my humble opinion.
Honestly, I kind of wish this book had been a bit longer! I liked the characters, and would have liked to have more story to go with them. My only big issue was that Jake was pretty horrible/toxic the entire book, which made it difficult to fully enjoy the end.
All in all, this was a happy, lovey dovey book with a fairly predictable story line, and I liked it!
Honestly, I kind of wish this book had been a bit longer! I liked the characters, and would have liked to have more story to go with them. My only big issue was that Jake was pretty horrible/toxic the entire book, which made it difficult to fully enjoy the end.
All in all, this was a happy, lovey dovey book with a fairly predictable story line, and I liked it!
courtofsmutandstuff's review against another edition
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
I saw a tiktok recently that asked "is it enemies to lovers, or does he just need therapy?" and oh boy does Jake REALLY need therapy. I loved that it was dual POV and the "save the farm" plot was almost more centered than the romance plot, but I couldn't root for them as a couple because it was just so clear that Jake wasn't capable of being a healthy partner. Olivia also had big manic pixie dream girl energy at times, and while I liked her as a character well enough, I also didn't want to have to think more complexly about the characters or I would start to not like them.