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juffnstuff's review
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Sexual content
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, and Bullying
unsuccessfulbookclub's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
In Bet on It, Jodie Slaughter captures small-town life from two distinct points of view - people who run TO small towns and the people who run FROM them. Aja, the FMC, has moved from DC to Greenbelt, SC to escape the hustle and noise of city life while Walker, the MMC, left Greenbelt for the city as soon as he could get out. Walker mainly to escape the oppressive history of living near people who think they know him, and who have seen him at his absolute worst.
Both Aja and Walker are dealing with intense mental health issues throughout this book. Their first encounter is when Aja is having a panic attack at the Piggly Wiggly, and Walker later experiences multiple symptoms related to his CPTSD diagnosis. I liked how Slaughter wove these aspects through the story in a way that made sense. I also LOVED the opening line of this book (on the second slide).
I loved the arc of this story, with Walker and Aja remeeting through Walker’s grandmother, and the fact that Aja was a regular at the bingo hall. The spice is spicing in this book, and the ending was really satisfying. The third act breakup was MESSY and PAINFUL but it made absolute sense. All in all, if you like stories about millennial angst but want a widely diverse cast of characters? This is a great book!
🎧 I listened to a good chunk of this on audio and Angel Pean knocked this narration out of the park. She brought an extra layer of detail to these characters that was a true joy.
👍🏻Recommended! A well done contemporary romance that deals with some heavy topics and gives a good dose of spice along with a nuanced and diverse look at small town life and mental health. If you like Talia Hibbert’s Ravenswood series or Denise Williams Fastest Way to Fall or Emily Henry’s Book Lovers, you will like this.
Romance Details & Tropes
Romance Details & Tropes
M/F romance
she’s Black, he’s white
She is plus-size
Contemporary
Emphasis on mental health and anxiety/PTSD
Small town
Sex pact/bargain
Banging “just to get this out of our systems”
Semi-public sex
Open door, explicit
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Drug abuse, and Abandonment
micalyia's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
I switched between the audio and physical for this.
1. The audio was narrated by a Black woman (happy dance). But she did a terrible job of voicing Walker 😂😂. I really wished they had gotten another voice actor for him. Cause if I didn’t know this man was white I would have fully believed this was a black man.
2. Why tf was Walker white? Honestly I think the author missed out on the perfect opportunity to have a cute black romance. Disappointed.
3. Him calling her peaches gave me the ick. I could not take that damn nickname serious. I hate it, I hate it, I hate it.
4. I did enjoy the conversations surrounding mental health issues, anxiety and ptsd. But it’s almost as though if one character was going through it, the other person was forgotten or expected to have their shit together which is not in the least realistic.
5. Overall it was cute. The sex was hot. In my mind I’m just going to keep pretending the entire cast was black lmao. This was a pretty strong plot and maybe if I didn’t listen to the audiobook I would have enjoyed it more but all it all, it is what it is peaches.
1. The audio was narrated by a Black woman (happy dance). But she did a terrible job of voicing Walker 😂😂. I really wished they had gotten another voice actor for him. Cause if I didn’t know this man was white I would have fully believed this was a black man.
2. Why tf was Walker white? Honestly I think the author missed out on the perfect opportunity to have a cute black romance. Disappointed.
3. Him calling her peaches gave me the ick. I could not take that damn nickname serious. I hate it, I hate it, I hate it.
4. I did enjoy the conversations surrounding mental health issues, anxiety and ptsd. But it’s almost as though if one character was going through it, the other person was forgotten or expected to have their shit together which is not in the least realistic.
5. Overall it was cute. The sex was hot. In my mind I’m just going to keep pretending the entire cast was black lmao. This was a pretty strong plot and maybe if I didn’t listen to the audiobook I would have enjoyed it more but all it all, it is what it is peaches.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, and Mental illness
Moderate: Addiction
headinthepages's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I really enjoyed this romance! I loved the small town setting, the themes of complex family, mental illness, new adult friendships, boundaries & moving on from the past.
The romance itself was great. I loved the tension and the “betting” trope done in a non problematic way! The bingo scenes were cute and made me want to go play!
The sex scenes were open door and steamy.
I can’t wait to read what the the author does next! :-)
The romance itself was great. I loved the tension and the “betting” trope done in a non problematic way! The bingo scenes were cute and made me want to go play!
The sex scenes were open door and steamy.
I can’t wait to read what the the author does next! :-)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Bullying, Drug abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Abandonment, Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Grief, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Addiction, and Cursing
meaghancook's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Abolish the third act breakup!!!!!!!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Addiction, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Abandonment, and Drug use
Minor: Bullying
annie1will's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, and Drug use
kaschaller's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Sexual content, Abandonment, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Addiction
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, Bullying, and Drug abuse
dramageek24's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction and Bullying
kelly_e's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Title: Bet On It
Author: Jodie Slaughter
Genre: Romance
Rating: 3.75
Pub Date: July 12, 2022
Thanks to St. Martin's Press for sending me a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
T H R E E • W O R D S
Refreshing • Unique • Steamy
📖 S Y N O P S I S
In the midst of a panic attack in the aisle of the Piggly Wiggly, Aja meets the man of her dreams. She meets him again at her weekly bingo, when he is introduced as the grandson of her closest bingo buddy.
There are only two things in Greenbelt, South Carolina that take up room in Walker Abbott's heart: the peach cobbler at his favourite restaurant and his ailing grandmother. When he returns to help care for her after a decade away, he has fast plans to be gone as soon as she's rehabilitated.
After the very first game, it's clear they are both going to pose a problem to each other.
💭 T H O U G H T S
I was initially drawn to Bet on It because of the cover, and after hearing the author discuss it in upcoming book preview event I attended, I was even more intrigued. It just sounded like the type of book I'd enjoy.
What I like:
• the representation. This book has mental illness representation, diverse representation, and fat representation. All of which were done incredibly well. The anxiety felt so accurate and relatable, and healthy conversations about therapy were a nice touch. The body positivity aspect was flawless.
• the meet cute. Meeting in a bingo hall. Yes, please! Aside from the mental health rep, the whole bingo aspect was my favourite part of the book.
• the grandma. It's no shocker I loved the grandmother.
• the small town vibes. Also not a shocker.
What I didn't like:
• lack of character depth. I felt like both Aja and Walker could have been developed more. Because of the lack of depth, the story kind of petered out.
• the second half. The relationship felt mostly about the sex, and I needed more of their relationship. My attention definitely waned after being so invested throughout the first half.
Overall, I enjoyed the idea of this book, the execution just could have used a little fine tuning. I'll be interested to see what Jodie Slaughter writes next based on the representation alone.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• readers who like their books steamy
• anyone looking for mental health rep in a rom-con -
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Her brain loved to overthink things. Find hidden meanings in moments without any. She was always digging through simple conversations for unspoken things that she’d already convinced herself were real, even against all logic."
"Shit’s hard. It’s important to be open and honest when you’re ready and willin’. But I don’t think we owe it to anybody to tell them shit we aren’t comfortable tellin’ them either."
Author: Jodie Slaughter
Genre: Romance
Rating: 3.75
Pub Date: July 12, 2022
Thanks to St. Martin's Press for sending me a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
T H R E E • W O R D S
Refreshing • Unique • Steamy
📖 S Y N O P S I S
In the midst of a panic attack in the aisle of the Piggly Wiggly, Aja meets the man of her dreams. She meets him again at her weekly bingo, when he is introduced as the grandson of her closest bingo buddy.
There are only two things in Greenbelt, South Carolina that take up room in Walker Abbott's heart: the peach cobbler at his favourite restaurant and his ailing grandmother. When he returns to help care for her after a decade away, he has fast plans to be gone as soon as she's rehabilitated.
After the very first game, it's clear they are both going to pose a problem to each other.
💭 T H O U G H T S
I was initially drawn to Bet on It because of the cover, and after hearing the author discuss it in upcoming book preview event I attended, I was even more intrigued. It just sounded like the type of book I'd enjoy.
What I like:
• the representation. This book has mental illness representation, diverse representation, and fat representation. All of which were done incredibly well. The anxiety felt so accurate and relatable, and healthy conversations about therapy were a nice touch. The body positivity aspect was flawless.
• the meet cute. Meeting in a bingo hall. Yes, please! Aside from the mental health rep, the whole bingo aspect was my favourite part of the book.
• the grandma. It's no shocker I loved the grandmother.
• the small town vibes. Also not a shocker.
What I didn't like:
• lack of character depth. I felt like both Aja and Walker could have been developed more. Because of the lack of depth, the story kind of petered out.
• the second half. The relationship felt mostly about the sex, and I needed more of their relationship. My attention definitely waned after being so invested throughout the first half.
Overall, I enjoyed the idea of this book, the execution just could have used a little fine tuning. I'll be interested to see what Jodie Slaughter writes next based on the representation alone.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• readers who like their books steamy
• anyone looking for mental health rep in a rom-con -
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Her brain loved to overthink things. Find hidden meanings in moments without any. She was always digging through simple conversations for unspoken things that she’d already convinced herself were real, even against all logic."
"Shit’s hard. It’s important to be open and honest when you’re ready and willin’. But I don’t think we owe it to anybody to tell them shit we aren’t comfortable tellin’ them either."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Abandonment, and Sexual content
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Ableism, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Drug use, Addiction, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Bullying and Cursing
PTSDcaitlinemccann's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Bullying and Child abuse