First off, this book was waaaay more “spicy” than I normally prefer but the rest of the story was so fun that I really didn’t mind. It worked. Aja & Walker are such interesting characters and the way they are making life work despite dealing with mental illness makes for a great read. It was frustrating that they were trying so hard not to be in a relationship but should have been all along. I also appreciated that Aja found such good girlfriends and those relationships were highlighted.

Thank you to NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press for the chance to read this book. It was great!

Oh gosh! This book made me giggle, swoon, and blush. I thought the plot was great and the story moved along at a good pace. There were moments in this book that felt a bit bland but overall, this was a easy romance read for sure!

I adored this book! It was so cute, it was so real. I felt Aja's anxiety, her introvertedness. I loved her. The whole Bingo thing was so much fun. My only disappointment was that Walker's port wine stain is not shown on the book cover. I feel like since it's even in the book, specifically pointed out, it should be represented on the cover. It's just a birthmark. But it's noticeable to Aja. But I loved this book and I look forward to more contemporary romance from Jodie Slaughter!

I think I would've enjoyed this more if I had read it rather than listening to the audiobook (which I got from my library). I wasn't a huge fan of the fact that both protagonists had similar issues, which made it seem monotonous at times. It just felt like they were both leading up to separate breakdowns with their emotions, which I wasn't particularly looking forward to. But I did listen to the audiobook, so I have to mention I wasn't quite sure what the narrator was going for in terms of the hero's voice. I didn't initially realize he was white. I think her Southern accent was just a deeper version of the heroine's voice, which was incredibly off-putting.

Overall, I did enjoy the romance, but the story was just okay. It didn't leave a lasting impression unfortunately.

A sweet romance set in South Carolina where they meet at a local bingo hall. This book has a heavier side with pretty realistic mental health issues such as PTSD, anxiety and panic attacks in the main characters. The bingo hall as was fun to read about. Thanks SMP Romance!

Aja has traded her fast-paced life for the quiet small town of Greenbelt, South Carolina. Unfortunately, she runs into the man of her dreams at the grocery store during a panic attack. Little does she know that said man is the grandson of her bingo buddy, and she will have to face him again. The two realize they have a sudden and intense attraction that they should not act on, so they make a pact that they can only act on their feelings when they actually win a bingo game. The premise of this story was a cute one, but for some reason, the characters did not sit well with me. I enjoyed it enough to finish it, but it wasn't one of my favorites. 3 stars.

This was an amazing, steamy romance. It had really fun banter between the characters, it had a great supporting cast of characters, and was really enjoyable to read.

The thing I liked the most about this book though, was the realistic way the book discussed mental illness. In this instance, the book addressed Generalized Anxiety Disorder and PTSD. I absolutely love that along with the happily ever after, Jodie Slaughter included realistic issues and struggles that Aja and Walker encounter, and the strides and backward steps that they make along the journey.

Not to mention that the book was just a lot of fun!

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book.

This book was only ok. I didn’t love the forced southern accent/sayings. The characters were likeable but I just couldn’t get over the southern thing. Being from the south myself it felt a bit irritating.

This is a cute story with some annoying characters that make you like - seriously? Get it together! But it is otherwise well written and the story itself is nice. Two socially awkward middle age adults meet each other at... Bingo, of all places. But they end up learning more about each other and figuring out life the best they could.

Bet On It by Jodie Slaughter follows the story of AJ and Walker. Unfortunately this was a DNF for me. It had potential but I had trouble feeling connected to the characters.

I really enjoyed Bet On It! I really liked the relationship between Aja and Walker and the bingo sex pact was not something I have ever seen as a set up before. As someone with anxiety, the depiction of panic attacks and generalized anxiety rang true for me.

Who doesn’t love a romance novel with an ill-conceived sex pact?? And it’s a bingo-based sex pact? Even better. Plus great anxiety and mental health rep! Overall a super cute and steamy small town romance with sweet characters dealing with complex issues and falling in love along the way.

I loved this book. I really enjoyed seeing 2 different characters with anxiety from different sources living life and falling in love through a bingo hall. It’s nice to see characters with an accurate representation of anxiety portrayed in a rom-com. I loved how Aja came out of her shell throughout the book, making friends and connections. I loved how Walker faced many of his own demons and worked through many of his own issues. This was a well written book and an enjoyable read.

Thank you St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for a review.

DNF @ 48%

I was really looking forward to this one: a mixed race couple who both address that they both experience mental health issues meet and bond at a bingo hall.

So going from there, the mental health rep was great including the importance of finding a therapist that works for you.

The use of the bingo hall was fun, I really enjoyed that, but there were a few details there that seemed off. Including there being no winners with three numbers left? Improbable

Why I’m DNFing:
1. Apparently food themed sexual innuendos make me gag. I don’t know if I ever want to eat peach cobbler again

2. Aja almost doesn’t brush her teeth because she likes the taste of him? GIRL. MISS. WHAT? Do people actually do this??

3. Due to reading this after publication date, I got the audiobook from the library for a tandem read. I personally don’t like how the narrator does Walker. The tone and cadence didn’t seem to match the character.


While I think this one has qualities a lot of people will like, it just isn’t for me. (

I really enjoyed the thought the author put into developing the characters individually and writing about the anxiety rep. There was spice but it didn't match the chemistry between the characters so there was a bit of a disconnect.

4 stars

Aja and Walker were so cute! I loved their story. Honestly, this book just made me happy. It was a fun, easy read that I flew through. This book had a good mix of sweet and heat and the storyline was fun. I wish that there was more of the small town and the side characters because I thought they were fun. I can't wait to see what comes next from this author.

CW: severe anxiety, panic attacks (on page), PTSD, self-harm, child endangerment, and addiction.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martins's press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review,

This debut novel takes on the realities of living, and loving, with anxiety. And Jodie Slaughter does a pretty good job of portraying the daily existence of someone with anxiety. I loved the community and secondary characters that she has written for this book, especially Walker's grandma, but didn't find myself overly invested in the relationship between Aja and Walker themselves. Much of the dialogue felt forced, as did some of the (very) open-door sex scenes. I'm interested to see where Slaughter will take her talents next.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for generously providing a complimentary eARC in exchange for my honest review.

The lead characters in this romance each deal with anxiety issues and it was interesting to see that common thread even though their struggles presented in different ways. There was so much here I found I could relate to that it turned out to be a very good read for me. It's nice when you feel like you understand where the characters are coming from.

Aja Owens has a panic attack at the Piggly Wiggly and a man named Walker Abbott comes to her aid. He's in town helping his grandmother as she recovers from an injury. He's eager to leave ASAP as his hometown stirs up bad memories of his childhood. It just so happens his grandma and Aja play bingo together every week. (Yes, Aja is in her twenties or thirties in case you assumed she was a senior citizen.) So of course Aja and Walker run into each other again and sparks fly. They strike up a pact that basically ensures they can have a casual type fling that will end once he leaves town. No commitment so feelings are out of the equation, right? We will see.

I liked how the author chose to go in a bit of a different direction with Walker. Military experience is usually the go to when it comes to writing about trauma for male characters. And that's certainly worthy to write about but I'm thankful Jodie Slaughter also recognized horrific childhoods can be a source of trauma for men. She got to explore the subject in a way that made you feel for the character but also didn't make the overall story a super heavy read. At the end of the day it's a lighthearted romance with a smidge of serious content.

My only small criticism is there were a few occasions when the dialogue was awkward and cheesy. The bedroom scenes are definitely steamy and graphic but that's not something I mind, it's more how certain lines were written. And it wasn't just regulated to the hot and heavy scenes as there were a some moments when they were talking about their feelings for each other that sounded slightly off. I'm a frequent reader of the romance genre and this isn't a common problem for me. Regardless, it was only a handful of times the writing grabbed my attention in a negative way. Overall it really is a good romance and 99% of the time I enjoyed Ava and Walker's chemistry together.

Highly recommend reading if you enjoy the genre and/or struggle with anxiety. It's inspiring to see characters trying to work on their issues.

4 stars!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The first time Aja Owens encounters the man of her dreams, she’s having a panic attack in the frozen foods section of the Piggly Wiggly. The second time, he’s being introduced to her as her favorite bingo buddy’s semi-estranged grandson.

In Walker Abbott’s mind, there are only two worthwhile things in Greenbelt, South Carolina. The peach cobbler at his old favorite diner and his ailing grandmother. Dragging himself back after more than a decade away, he’s counting down the days until Gram heals and he can get back to his real life.

I thought this romance (and its bingo-filled setting) was soooo cute! I really loved the anxiety rep that this book had and will definitely continue reading more by this author. The only thing is for me the romance felt a bit too instant, and although I believed they really were attracted to each other, I just wanted them to do more together especially in the small town!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and to the author, Jodie Slaughter for an advanced copy of Bet on It in exchange for a review. I genuinely enjoyed this book. As someone who struggles with their mental health, specifically anxiety, I loved seeing the accurate representation on how that affects one's relationships. I especially loved seeing that both of the main characters are dealing with their mental health struggles as that is an incredibly different dynamic that I have not seen explored in the romance genre very often. Slaughter also does a good job of making the setting of a small South Carolina time feel very lived in and well developed. While there are the heavy moments of discussing mental health, this book is still incredibly HOT. Those readers who enjoy an extra steamy romance will enjoy this as well. Overall, I really really enjoyed this story.