Reviews with content warning for Alcohol - Betting On You

This book and its characters really grew on me by the end. At the beginning, I struggled with the cynicism of MMC Charlie and the whininess of FMC Bailey, but their character development and friendship over time was lovely. I felt very sorry for Bailey as

a child of divorce who had two selfish (in different ways) parents

- some of that, especially with the subplot relating to her mother, was handwaved away. This book kept a lighthearted tone despite some of the serious subject matter, and the wide variety of side characters worked well. I didn’t like it as much as the last Lynn Painter book I read, but I still enjoyed it.

Content Warnings

sunshinekmp's review

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emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

This is concerned Teen Fiction-but I wouldn’t let my younger (14yo) teen read it. I know she’s heard the language before but she doesn’t need to read so much of it.

Content Warnings

allingoodtime's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This is one of those authors I have been meaning to read for so long, and now that I have I’m kicking myself for waiting until now. This book is fantastic. Although my parents weren’t divorced, I’ve seen enough divorce in my life to know this story rings so true. When it came to the bits about Bailey and her feeling regarding her parent’s divorce and how it affected her relationship with her dad, it gutted me. Her fears and insecurities were so real.

While Charlie is a huge pain in the butt, he’s also funny and ends up being a big teddy bear. He just cannot let Bailey feel sad. He’d rather distract her by getting her mad at him than let her feel down. Soon the ribbing and poking fun turns to friendship, although Charlie doesn’t believe men and women can be friends. Which makes things super sweet when he slips and calls Bailey his friend rather than his co-worker. Charlie and Bailey are wonderful together and just what the other needs to navigate their way through their angsty teenager on the cusp of adulthood years.

I did find myself getting frustrated with Bailey at times, and definitely questioning the plan Charlie and Bailey had to “scare away” her mom’s boyfriend. Then I’d remind myself that this book wasn’t written for me, it is a YA story written for (this is crazy) young adults. When I would put that in perspective, I’d realize the things that were bugging me (and only slightly) were exactly as they should be for the age.

When it comes down to it, this book gave me all the feels and I didn’t want to put it down. Now I just have to figure out what to read next by this author. Now that I’ve experienced her writing, I want more!

Content Warnings