Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Mary Jo – ☆☆☆☆
Jace loves working the kids in the cancer ward, which is where he meets Alessandra aka "Dr. Coma." She's a bit different, a little blunt in a cute, nerdy sort of way. Alessandra doesn't have a clue who Jace is, other than a professional athlete that visits the sick kids on the cancer ward where she works.

Alessandra and Jace both have interfering friends, so when Alessandra's bestie, Lane, makes a bet with her that she has to go on three dates with the next guy who asks her, she agrees. Jace and his friends have a bet that their date to an awards ceremony will be the most beautiful, but Jace agrees to let his friends pick his date. When they pick Alessandra, Jace is both intrigued and dismayed.

Both Aly and Jace have issues with self-confidence and feelings of not being good enough. Jace's family pushed him away as he began to shine on the football field and Aly feels bad her for younger sister, who is always compared to her as the "perfect" sister.

Unable to resist each other, Aly and Jace slowly begin to navigate the waters of a new romance where Jace feels out his league by dating someone so smart and successful, while Aly is amazed that someone as athletic and popular as Jace would date a nerd like her.

I really enjoyed this book and can't wait for the next book in the series.


Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/F Romance

This was a super sweet story about opposites attracting and findings that what's on the outside, sometimes doesn't match.

Jace is a football player who is in his prime, but he holds a special place of guilt for his family. When he started to do really well, his family kind of pushed him away – they didn't want to hold him back, but then resented the fact that he was doing well.

Alessandra is an oncologist who is trying to finish her fellowship in one piece. She has an attending that not only belittles her but is, at times, jealous of her. She has a good friend who wants nothing but good things for her friend and bets Alessandra to go out with the next person who asks her, for at least three dates.

Jace's friends are also meddlesome and they come up with a bet about their next large awards program: who can attend with the most beautiful woman? So, the terms are set and the games begin.

Jace and Alessandra find kindred spirits in each other and then have to decide if their happiness is truly tied to each other or just the thought of a happy relationship. I think this was a fairly successful story without an insta-love connection, even though there was an insta-physical connection. I hope Jace's friends and Alessandra's friend get their own stories.


Sarah – ☆☆☆☆
This is a fun romance between a football star and a socially awkward doctor. And while Jace is a relatively predictable hero, Aly is an unlikely heroine who makes this story memorable.

At the start of this book, Aly has some definite Asperger’s tendencies. She is incredibly intelligent, but she takes things a little too literally and she doesn’t manage social situations terribly well. I loved the way she was shy and uncertain one moment and uncomfortably blunt the next. I was sad that Aly’s quirks aren’t sustained through the second half of the novel as she seems to lose some of her individuality by the end of the book. I wanted to see Jace appreciate Aly for who she was and it was slightly disappointing to instead see her becoming more ordinary as the story progressed.

Jace is too good to be true. He is a household name who takes time to build personal relationships with sick kids. He visits Aly’s patients without cameras or publicity machines. He is honourable and clean living. His relationship with his family is strained, but otherwise he’s a perfect male romantic lead.

Together, Jace and Aly make a sexy couple. The chemistry between them is instant and I thoroughly enjoyed the banter and teasing. But while the sex was hot, I’m not sure the sex scenes always fit the characters or fit the sequencing of the story. I struggled with the miscommunication between Jace and Aly near the end. It is a tired, formulaic trope and readers will see it coming from the outset. I expected better from logical, analytical Aly.

Beyond Jace and Aly’s relationship, there are several other plot threads woven into this book. We get little vignettes about Aly’s work, her patients and her relationships, and Jace’s family and teammates. None of these seem to conclude and I couldn’t help but feel they cluttered the book some.

I enjoyed this. I liked reading about a female lead who felt real and didn’t conform to most chick lit standards. Aly’s story is a breath of fresh air in a genre becoming increasingly formulaic.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆
This is an easy read, although rather too full of plot lines for me. It wasn't exactly that there was too much detail, but that there were so many potentially interesting avenues that it was difficult to concentrate on what was key and what wasn't. Maybe future installments will use what has been built here, but it just seemed too much information.

I found the bet being on both sides to be amusing, but Aly is such a particular character that it always made me feel she was the vulnerable one – that said, you will have to read it to see how it works out! It did amuse me how she managed to throw Jace for six, as he could never fathom just where her awkwardness would lead next. Whilst she was happy to experiment, her literal brain made some of the sexy less passionate than it could have been. I will be thinking about her for a while.

Sweet, fun summer read.


Lee’Anne – ☆☆☆☆
3.5 Stars

I seriously loved the beginning and end of this book, but the middle was almost boring. Aly is a doctor in a cancer ward and painfully socially awkward. Opposite end of the spectrum you have Jace, who is a sweet, outgoing football player who visits sick kids when he’s not playing ball. The two are instantly attracted while also irritate with the other, and then Jace and his friends make a bet that has Jace asking Aly on a date and Aly and a friend have a deal that she will accept any date requests, so she accepts!

This is definitely a quick read, though the middle of the story had some drag, it picks up at the end and goes out with a bang. I was disappointed with the “bet” though – I felt like it had a lot of potential for drama that just wasn’t there. I enjoyed the humor in the book, Jace and Aly’s banter was probably my favorite part of the story. All in all, a good, quick, light read that I enjoyed!

This book, as the title states, is all about bets. Jace's friends make a bet to see who can bring the best most beautiful date to a big party in a month. While visiting a teen in the oncology ward at the hospital, Jace meets the doctor, Alessandra. Alessandra is all business and uncomfortable talking to men. When Jace states that any woman will date him, his friends pick a woman for him which ends up being the doctor. The more time Jace spends with her, the more he realizes he really likes her. He calls off the bet but that still back fires on him. I really like Alessandra and her discomfort, but watching her grow into a more outgoing person was fun to read!

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC from Netgalley.

The Bet was an OK book. I didn't find it exceptional. Quite frankly, I was getting a bit tired of the "eye rolls." These characters are supposed to be in their late 20's, yet if I hadn't been told this, I wouldn't have believed it. I wish I could say I couldn't wait to read the next book, but I really could care less. But, that's just me. Someone else might enjoy it better than I did.

Professional football player, Jace has the looks and talent to be on top of his game, whether its on or off the field.

Aly is an up and coming doctor and as socially awkward as Jace is charming. These two instantly rub each other the wrong way. But their instant attraction is deniable.

"Even though you drive me completely insane, you’re beautiful and smart and intriguing in a way that somehow makes me want to kiss you and kill you at the same time.”

The Bet has two MCs that despite their differences, find each other falling into a forever kind of love with the kind of person they least expected. The story is low on angst and I liked the light heartedness of their love story. It unfolds over time and we get a lot of page time with them together, getting to know each other and appreciating their differences.

What I liked:
The whole "bet" thing can become a frustrating plot device. Especially because it can get really drawn out and the climax can become too cliche. I actually think the title is a bit misleading in the sense that the bet that takes place was called off early on in their relationship. Jace realizes that what he and Aly have is the real deal and calls off the bet almost right from the start.

That was a nice surprise and made me like Jace all the more.

Aly took a while to warm up too. She was just so . . . prickly, is the best word that comes to mind. Sometimes I felt like her sharp tongue cut a bit too deep sometimes. But Jace was persistent and he definitely brought out the best in her. It helped that he wasn't afraid to tell her exactly how he feels and totally owns it 100%.

"I’m not sorry I did it. I’d do it again in a heartbeat. Because you’re . . . everything. And no one gets to fuck with my everything, Aly. No one.”

Most Memorable Moment:
As weird as this might sound, I felt the most emotionally charged moment in the story that really showed Aly at her most vulnerable and human, was her interaction and later, reaction to Patricia, her pet hamster. That really opened her up as a more relatable person and a more dimensional character.

Overall this was an enjoyable and quick read, it had some cute banter, humor and the heat these two generate between them was HAWT!

DNF.
While the premise was interesting, this one simply fell a little flat for me. Possibly because of other recent five star reads, possibly because of my mood, possibly just not the style for me, The Bet had a lot of unfulfilled potential. The pacing was wonky, the characters good, not great and the overall feeling for me was one of what if? What if I'd tried this one earlier, before I'd picked up some fabulous reads? What if the relationship had developed at a better pace? What if there was more showing, less telling?
All in all, I think this one will be a fun read for some, but for me, wasn't quite there.

The first in a series, Elizabeth Hayley’s The Bet focuses on a famous football player whose skills on and off the field are legendary, his two equally sports famous friends, and a friendly wager revolving around a popular sports event. Each man has to convince whomever the other two pick as their date, to go to the event with them. Jace “The Jet” Benning isn’t quite on board with the whole idea but goes along with it anyway, especially when they pick the sexy but socially inept doctor who isn’t impressed with him or his fame.

Dr. Alessandra Mastrazacoma is a pediatric cancer specialist whose awkwardness and linear way of thinking has cost her a fiance and countless dates. When she walks out on her latest blind date, her best friend is convinced Aly doesn’t give anyone a proper chance so she makes a friendly wager with her. She must go on three dates with the next man who asks her out. No exceptions.

Two bets turn into something deeper when hearts get involved. But when everything is revealed, will this couple beat the odds or take a huge loss?

The Bet starts off with a bang with a meet-cute between our hero and heroine. Our hero, Jace, visits the local hospital on a regular basis; giving away his time and lots of swag to the pediatric cancer patients. He is both amused and intrigued by the klutzy and uncomfortable acting Dr. who bumbles around her patient’s rooms and who seems to have no knowledge of who he is..nor seems to care. Afterward, Jace is even more intrigued when he is leaving the hospital and the same Dr. calls him her boyfriend and lays one hell of a kiss on him in front of her ex-fiance.

I find romances that are built upon the premise of a bet to be amusing because you know the minute the focus of the bet finds out about the bet…well…then all ‘bets’ are off. Add in an opposite attract and I’m all, “Yeahhhhh, BaBy.” *cue my Austin Powers voice* The problem I had is that the story didn’t follow through with the promises offered by the premise. Relatively angst-free, two opposites meet, go out, and see that despite their differences, they mesh really well. Nothing too dramatic or over the top occurs; Hayley kills any sexual tension that might have energized the story by indulging her characters in anal sex on the second date.

The strength of this story is in the characters. Well drawn out, each one held their place in the story effortlessly and offered plenty of laughs, depth, and some heartfelt scenes. Engaging narrative fuels the story to the best of its ability. I loved the easy camaraderie between Jace and his buddies. Alessandra (Aly) steals the show. Her awkwardness and literal way of interacting with the world is both amusing and cringe-worthy. Think Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory. She is unapologetic in her behavior and I respected that. Her interactions and need to analyze everything made me giggle. Especially the hot dog incident.

I did feel Hayley added unnecessary conflict and filler to connect the dots while writing some scenes didn’t quite pan out for me. We have class issues, exes, estranged families, childhood illness, a men’s only club, an experimental hamster, and employment drama, all of which is either easily explained away or merely fades into the background. None of it truly adds to the story or this couple’s relationship. In the end, when it’s all said and done, the only thing the reader has to look forward to is the moment the bet is discovered. And even that was anti-climatic because the characters actions are so predictable. I was put out by Aly’s meltdown over the bet. She was guilty of the same crime but somehow it’s different in her mind.

The end is a series of emotional scenes with a very nicely done grovel scene that assures Aly that Jace truly loves her for herself and not the bet. Even with my many issues. I see a lot of potential for this series. Hayley’s voice is appealing, their writing is strong, and the plotline had all the tools to be a hit. If this book had been tightened up a bit more with some of the multiple threads and obviously filler eliminated, it would have been a winner across the board for me.

Grade D+

The Good, The Bad, and Everything In Between

-Lots of tropes I enjoy. You have a dash of sports romance mixed with the nerdy heroine, a dating bet destined to go sideways and a dash of mystery with a secret club. It’s a brew that has alot of elements that I typically enjoy. There’s some funny banter and yes, everything seemed to be in place for this to be a very enjoyable read.

-Perhaps too many tropes. My main issue with this book is it is trying to cover too many tropes, which makes them all kind of fall apart. The setup is clear with the hero’s friends who each play their own sport and are clearly destined for their own books, and the secret club angle, then there’s a “twist” towards the end that just made me side-eye it more than anything. I could deal with all of that, if I had connected with the central romance. But it’s the Firsts where the story stumbled and never quite recovered.

-Didn’t quite buy the love. I’ve talked about it before, but the Firsts (meet, kiss, love scene) are critical for me. If it clicks, I can forgive a multitude of sins and if it doesn’t, no “twist” is going to make up for it. The jump from meeting to sex was a bit jarring for my taste and I felt the author was trying a bit hard to make me believe it through their inner monologues when the character interactions didn’t quite match.


The Bottom Line 2 stars
With alot of potential, this read tried to be too many things to too many readers in my opinion, and it just fell short. While I wouldn’t rule out a second chance for this series, I’m just not sure I’d be in a rush to read it.

Well, you know how it goes, folks. Just look at the title. When a main couple gets talked into making two separate dating bets among their closest friends you pretty much know things are never going to go as planned. The cat always gets let out of the bag.

There really aren’t any major surprises in this one, my fellow romance book-loving friends. But what you will find here are some great chemistry, witty/back and forth banter, a likeable main couple, and off the charts steamy scenes that may leave you blushing. Yeah, this famous football hero knows how to make a play on and off the field. The logical, caring, sassy, adorable but easily tongue-tied heroine eventually becomes game to whatever he dishes out. Goodness, at times she is even taking the lead. Let’s just say, this nice doctor learns to be be naughty, as well. If steam is your thing, well, you’ll find it here.

You can’t but help cheer for Alessandra (aka Aly) the smart, beautiful, quirky cancer doctor that doesn’t seem to at first comprehend the prize she has won by gaining the attention and interest of Jace. His celebrity status doesn’t impress this girl, folks. In fact, at first she doesn’t want anything to do with him. When a bet forces her to go on three dates with him, she learns there’s a whole lot more to this guy than just football and popularity. After she gets acquainted with his amazing abs, she learns there’s a heart worth winning there, as well.

Though a somewhat similar bet prompted him to ask her out, they do get to know/genuinely like one another that leads to love. That’s a good thing because they physically got to know each other on a very intimate level their very first date. They both seem to think their fling will have an expiration date though. Yeah, it takes them both quite awhile to label it with the “l” word. No, not just lust, but love, as well. Surprisingly, Jace seems to realize it before his Aly accepts they could actually be a forever couple.

Typical competitive, cocky, jock talk got him into agreeing to the bet, but ultimately they both come out winners at the heart felt, romantic conclusion.

I must admit I could have lived without the boss drama and the rather lackluster family drama on both sides. Though one of those situations gave Jace the chance to show no one messes with his woman. I was also scratching my head at the poor taste/crude joke made about one of Jace’s friend’s mother.

Undoubtedly, Gabe or Ben will be featured as the next professional athlete in this series to get a HEA. Here’s to hoping it will be equally entertaining.

Romance Safety Gang: <spoiler> Though attracted to her upon meeting, Jace reluctantly later is forced to admit to her he likely never would have asked her out if not for the bet, because she wasn’t his type. Likewise, however, she thought his fame would make him unobtainable and a player. </spoiler>

Title: The Bet, Series: The Players (Book 1), Author: Elizabeth Hayley, Pages: 274, stand-alone but part of a series, likeable/sassy/pretty/quirky doctor heroine, good guy/football player hero, VERY steamy scenes with lusty language, no cheating, no OW/OM drama (except she goes on one bad date after briefing meeting the hero), no love triangle.

(This review is based on an advanced reader copy distributed via NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. No compensation was provided to this reviewer, nor is there any affiliation between the reviewer and author/publisher/NetGalley. It will be posted on Amazon, Goodreads, NetGalley, and Barnes & Noble.)

Check out this review and others at
www.Twinsietalk.com
www.Facebook.com/Twinsietalk
www.Twitter.com/Twinsietalk
www.Tsu.co/Twinsietalk
Newsletter : http://eepurl.com/brwkPv
Amazon link http://amzn.to/2tf4Jkt
The Bet by Elizabeth Hayley
I received this book from the author for an honest review.
I love these ladies’ writings and have been a fan since their first book came out.
This book is a sweet and kinda predictable story about a guy and a girl who run into each other. The girl, Alessandra, has no clue who the hottie, Jace, even is. Then Jace is bet by a friend and he needs to get Alessandra to go out with him. She is like not even close to thinking he is worth her time. But her friends convince her to go out with the hottie and give him a chance.
The banter is funny between the characters but I didn’t feel the heat like I usually do and especially from their fist books. One thing I did love about the story was Alessandra was kinda a hot mess. LOL She was super smart but kinda clueless in social situations…….like if you talked to her you would think AWKWARD which I thought was hilarious because the authors themselves say and do things that cause them to laugh at themselves. So I kept thinking “Was the Elizabeth or Hayley who wrote that scene?”
I liked the story and if you are wanting to read something sweet and easy then this is a great book. Its pretty angst free but has a fun feel to it.

I love a nerdy, smart heroine who is also a little or a lot clumsy. Add in a hot football player who visits pediatric cancer patients and you’ve got yourself one awesome read. Right? Well, I wanted it to be. After meeting Alessandra for the first time and getting a look into her thought processes, I was almost giddy with excitement. She was going to be my perfect h. Those are hard to find you know. Jace’s thoughts were pretty much wrapped up in Aly after meeting her so I added the potential for a perfect H as well. I settled in because dang, my boxes were being checking off as fast as I could read.

The klutzy heroine began to disappear, the strong alpha hero I was expecting only asked her out because of a bet. But I continued to hold on because there were all kinds of plot lines being dangled in front of me. 33% in and I didn’t know where the heck this book was going. All of those potential storylines just disappeared. Well, there was one or two but they weren’t even reintroduced until the very end of the book. Everything in between was slow and drama free and I just didn’t get it.

Fortunately the very end helped to bring this up from a 2 star review to a 3 because that was a pretty unique way to capture her attention and make his point.

ARC provided for this honest review

Dual POV
Safe
No apparent triggers

Sorry, no review on this occasion as DNF. Thanks for the opportunity.

I really tried to give this one a fair chance. It's not the book's fault that it came on the heels of another book that knocked my socks off and left me with a rather epic book hangover. However, I tried to pick this one up three times and each time I found my attention wandering and my interest...not there.

I felt like the writing was really stiff and choppy at the very beginning which made it hard to engage with the story. On top of that, I really didn't care for either of the characters much. They weren't...likeable. I saw a lot of bluster and hysteria, but no substance for me to latch on to and invest in. It is entirely possible that I'm just not in the right headspace for this one right now, but I feel more turned off than turned on and so I chose to give it up and move on.

I may circle back around at a later date, and will certainly leave a review on all venues if my opinion changes (as it is wont to do). I sincerely appreciate the opportunity to read and review.

Jace Benning excels on the field. A quarterback that always makes time to visit sick children on the oncology ward he meets Alessandra. The alluring doctor is definitely not impressed with the quarterback nor knows who he is. Completely disinterested in sports she accepts a bet from her friend. After going on three dates things begin to take a turn neither one expected. Loved the interactions between the characters and Aly always relying on facts. Absolutely hilarious!

This was a cute story.
There were some very funny lines and conversations.
The sex scenes were pretty hawt. The characters were interesting and well written, I could also feel the connection between them.
The only problem was that it was pretty predictable, it had the romance classic schéma that I’m starting to know by heart.
I would write more but my brain has melted from the heat.

Cute, but a little bland. I liked this book, but it felt long to me. I can, and often do, read a book a day. This took me 3 days, in part because I kept putting it down. The "drama" in the story/relationship seemed like minor blips that were easily forgotten. It all just kinda rolled along on an even keel. And that's fine, but it didn't really keep my attention. Sweet, but not really my thing.

3.5 - "...It bought me you." Stars!

The writing duo of Elizabeth Hayley, starts their new The Players series, with The Bet all-in-all a pretty enjoyable read.

IMAGE.

I finished this book a couple of days ago, and after having a think about it I decided to lower my rating a tad. Although Aly and Jace’s story was pretty easy-going, it struck me that there were an awful lot of pointless plot bunnies used in the story - (view spoiler). But the one thing that made me roll my eyes whilst reading, and keeps them rolling whenever I think about it was the -(view spoiler)

"Even though you drive me completely insane, you’re beautiful and smart and intriguing in a way that somehow makes me want to kiss you and kill you at the same time…"

Don’t get me wrong I have no problem with people taking their business to the back-door but is just seemed to be bizarre behavior if you take into account how socially awkward Alessandra is when she first starts dating Jace.

"There’s nothing about you I don’t like."

That aside there was plenty to like about the book, both the H/h are dating the other due to a bet, and both of them get more than they were initially bargaining for when it comes to how well they connect and the levels of chemistry that they have going on between them. This really is a story of opposites attract.

"Will you show me your hamster?"

I liked the banter between them both, as well as the camaraderie between Jace and his friends; Ben and Gabe, both high profile sportsmen like himself. The sexy-times were plentiful and the secondary characters many and varied in their levels of involvement. However, if the erroneous bits had been fine-tuned/removed this would have been a much sharper read.

"It hurts to lose what we love the most."

Knowing this couple initially come together due to a bet, it’s pretty clear as to why there is conflict towards the end of the book between them, but I have to say this is where the authors kept the rating up there for me though as it the way they bought Aly and Jace back together was one of the cutest apologies I have read lately.

A promising start to the series. This was my first book by this duo, and although a few niggles, I did genuinely enjoy the story. I hope to see Ben and Gabe have their stories told at some point in the future too.

ARC generously provided via Netgalley, in exchange for the above honest review.

3 1/2 Star review......

I love sports romance, and while the plot of this story was a little predictable, the characters were enjoyable and book was an easy read.

In a nutshell, a doctor who needs to learn to live life outside of her intense and often gut-wrenching profession, and a football player (player being the optimum word) who finally realises there is more to life than partying.

It will be interesting to see who’s story comes next.

The Bet is the first book I have read by Elizabeth Hayley and what a sweet, charming story. I found the dynamic and interaction between Jace & Alessandra characters quite enjoyable and look forward to reading more by this author.