2.5☆

What I liked:
The writing style
Part of a series: Ellis Family Saga
Standalone
HEA
Epilogue

What I didn't like:
The main characters

What starts as a fake relationship for Whitney and Sam quickly turns in to more. It starts as a bet to keep his siblings happy, but as he spends more time with her and less time working, he is worried he is failing the business. All his siblings want is for him to relax and have a life outside of work, but will his life be with Whitney?

Second book in this series, looking forward to the rest of them

I would like to thank Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. First, I do a lot of research when I am looking for a book to read. I saw this book, read the description, and requested it. I did not know this was part of a series. Nowhere does it say that. I am a little disappointed because I would have read the first one first obviously. I know that this is basically a stand-alone but I feel like I missed some key things.

What happened with Sams's parents and brother should have been included in this book. I feel out of the loop and feel like that was a big thing missing. I kept waiting for Sam to spill it or one of the siblings to talk about it. I also have no idea how Sam got to be the head of the company just reading this book. Seeing that his dad thought he was "flighty" that should have also been addressed. This is why I gave it only 4 stars.

On a positive note, I really liked all the characters. I feel like I got to know Whitney and Sam. I loved how quickly they fell in love, and how Sams's world changed the second she walked into it. I did not like how he ignored Stan and made it seem like Whitney's fault. Other than that it was a perfect romance, even though it started as a bet. Also, I am glad he told her about the bet right away. I have read too many books, and have seen too many movies like this and then it all blows up.

I really enjoyed this book and will read the first one even though I know what happens. I look forward to reading the books Jennifer Hoopes writes in the future.

Posted on Goodreads

Betting on Love by Jennifer Hoopes a five-star read you could bet your house on. I loved this one, I had read His reason to Stay, but honestly you don’t have to have read it first, it’s just about another member of the family and they only play a small part in this story overall. I don’t know why as Whitney Caroll is normally the character I would want to shake when I first meet her, but this time I wanted to envelop her into a hug and give her a glass of something strong and help her get her own goals, she is just so well written as a character. I loved watching her with Sam, and how protective his family were of him, watching him come out of his father’s history was sublime. The struggle felt real. This is a charming roller-coaster of a read, that will leave you on a massive high, much like the ride of your life.

This was a cute, quick read with a fake dating scenario. I thought it was written well, the characters are well developed and I absolutely enjoyed them. The story is short but sweet and gives off hallmark contemporary romance vibes. Whitney and Sam connect quickly and their fake dating arrangement seems silly considering their instant connection. Their relationship has a very real and charming quality to it and you can’t help but root for them. I only wish this story were longer and that we got to see things stretched out a bit more. If you’re looking for a quick, sweet contemporary romance this is a good choice!

Whitney has a weird quirk. She sits on her hands when she's nervous or doesn't know what to do with them. I found that to be very endearing.
Sam is a workaholic whose family is trying to get him to slow down. I found, Betting on Love, to be a sweet and funny romance.

I loved this book! Whitney is a woman trying to start over after divorcing her cheating husband and returning home to nurse her wounds and get back on her feet. A chance meeting in a bar seems to be a chance at a good job and a way to get started. Unfortunately, there's lots of complications.

Sam is the boss and is driving himself into the ground trying to prove himself to his dead father. When he meets Whitney, his is interested in her as a woman, but needs her as a boss. What follows is the beginning of what could be a beautiful love story or the thing that destroys him.

If you enjoy the genre, you will love this book. The characters felt real and relatable - especially Whitney. I doubt there's a woman among us that has been involved with at least one toad at some point in their lives. That makes Whitney's story feels especially relatable.

Put this one at the top of your TBR list. While part of a series, this is a stand alone novel, however, it's so good that you really owe it to yourself to read them all. The author is on my must read authors list.

I would like to thank Entangled: Bliss for sending me an #ARC of Betting on Love by Jennifer Hoopes via #NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

When I first came across this book on NetGalley and requested it, I had no idea it was part of a series. If I knew, I wouldn't have requested it, as I am the type of reader that wants to start a series from the very start. Luckily for me, it seems like you don't really need to read the book beforehand, to understand this one. While the couple from the last book are in this one, their story has no part in this one, so in a way, I felt like it was, or could be, a stand alone.

First of all, I was surprised at how short this book was. I was able to finish it in just a few hours. I really like the story. It was a cute, instant-attraction sort of romance, with the chemistry that comes along with that. But it was short. I like build-up. I like a story. We get the stories of what led these two characters to the path they are on now, but we see very little of what draws them together. It's easy to excuse it as "love at first sight", like the Ellis patriarch's supposedly had, but that falls flat for me. The saving grace was that the book ended (not including the epilogue) with them proclaiming to like each other. Not love. Like. At least it wasn't THAT fast of a romance.

Where the stories lacked detail, the characters did not, and were well written. Sam's struggles with something he overheard as a child, and shaped who he is in the present. The problem is, he let it override his life. Whitney also had an interesting backstory, and one that happens all the time. She was recently divorced, after finding out her husband was cheating on her, and was left with nothing, because she let him take care of her. Her need to get back on her feet and be independent was relatable to a lot of women out there.

If you like short and sweet romances, than you would really enjoy this book. The characters are written well, their conversations with one another are good, and there is obvious chemistry. It's a whirlwind. It's sweet. I think it could have been better with more time ... perhaps the 30 days of the bet drawn out, with more one on one time with them, and some dirty details on the sex scenes (so if you like romance that leaves out the details in the bedroom, you will like this one).

For more of my review, check out my blog, The Rambling Book Nerd

A man on a mission to prove himself worthy of his family's legacy, a woman on a mission to reclaim her independence and a bet. Great easy read with a fun and heartfelt familiar trope. I really enjoyed reading this novel in one day and look for to looking for more titles from this author.