The story begins with Aja having a panic attack in a grocery store, and Walker waiting with her until she recovers. This act of kindness hooked me! Bet On It features a delightful group of family and friends, a quaint small town, and a lively bingo scene. I also appreciated the thoughtful way the author handled mental health.

If you're looking for a sweet and spicy small town romance with some depth, check out Bet On It.

Have you ever tried running from your past? Well Wally, or Walker is trying to do just that. Well he was until his grandmother needs him to help her while she recovers from a nasty fall. So back to Greenbelt, South Carolina he goes. There he meets Aja Owens who suffers from anxiety just like him and accepts him flaws and all.

The characters are so real and honest in this book and the group of friends that Aja finds after moving to Greenbelt are so kind and accepting. The love story of Walker and Aja is steamy and full of compassion and love. The banter is something I’m always looking for in romance books and this had some but not in an over the top way. Overall I really loved this book. Thank you to NetGalley and Jodie Slaughter for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for my review. All thoughts are my own.

Bet on It is a really cute, bingeable romance (I read it in about a day) about lovable but heart-breaking characters. Both main characters struggle with mental illness and have a lot of social anxiety and I think it's portrayed really well while not distracting from the plot of the story. This is definitely my favorite ARC of the one's I've read. I'm very excited to add this book to my shelves and find more of Jodie Slaughter's books.

Plot- 5 stars
Characters- 5 stars
Writing- 4.75 stars

*This review contains content warnings*

Aja and Walker meet in a small town that for her acts as a refuge and new home, and symbolizes trauma for him. Both recognize swiftly that they are kindred spirits who share mental health challenges and an undeniable attraction to each other. But as Walker is set on leaving town as soon as his injured grandmother he cares for is well enough again, both Aja and Walker want to play it safe for their feelings sake, and make a Bingo-based pact.

While this romance definitely had its lighter moments with fun banter and sexy sexy-times, the mental health topics are a central aspect to nearly each scene in the book, and partly cover some traumatic aspects. I did not perceive this as the fun, beach read/ rom-com that I've seen it advertised at at times. Please see content warning at the end.

On a related but separate note: I wished the term 'mental illness' would have been replaced by the more inclusive term 'mental health' in the novel.

_ Tropes: Small town + We’ll suppress our feelings for each other but can make out if we win at Bingo and won’t fall in love!
- Heat level: 3.5
- Overall rating: solid 4 stars

**I would definitely recommend this book and make sure to mention the content warnings when doing so**

I thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a copy of this romance before publication date in exchange for a review.

Content warnings include:
Mental health struggles including Anxiety and PTSD, child endangerment, addition, child neglect and abandonment, bullying, loneliness

It took me a while to read this one. That wasn’t because I wasn’t enjoying the book, it’s just that the two main characters both struggle with anxiety and that hit very close to home for me. Usually when I pick up a rom-com I’m expecting a story that is relatable but also still escapism. This book was very relatable but it also felt very real.

That being said, the story was lovely and the characters were well rounded and had great development. The bingo aspect of the book was fun and the sexy times were *fire*!

Pick up if you’re looking for a summer read, characters that go to therapy, steamy sexy times, fairly good communication, characters who are aware of and working through their issues, or a book that features bingo as foreplay.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC!

A quick and perfectly fun read, this book was full of charm while packing in a few serious topics.

I think the story shined when it came to discussing mental health. Both main characters experiences with their traumas and anxiety felt genuine and it was nice to read that and see how it impacted their budding relationship. I do wish we got a bit more backstory on how Aja’s anxiety developed as well as her relationship with her own family- we learn so much about the same for walker it felt a little lopsided. On the other hand, I felt the opposite in regard to their friends- we got a decent amount of detail on Aja’s budding friendships but hardly anything about walker’s crew. Overall, characters and developments in Greenbelt took center stage, and I wished there was just a little more backstory built out for both of them.

The romance was cute, if a bit contrived. The pacing was a little off sometimes but overall I felt like I could follow the story and that it felt realistic.

The writing was generally fine, but I did really struggle with one particular thing that kind of clouded the whole book for me, though I am sure this will be a matter of preference for readers. I couldn’t stand the choice to emphasize walker’s accent via dropped g’s (for example, he would say somethin’ rather than something). Yes, this is probably accurate to how a man with walker’s background sounds. But as a reader I can supply an accent in my mind without needing to read it on the page. I found it incredibly distracting. And I say this as a southerner who often speaks this way myself. Something about translating it to a book this way just threw me off and prevented me from really enjoying the writing. But to each his own!

Aja moved to greenbelt to get away from the crowded city of DC in hopes it would help her anxiety and live a quainter life. Walker left Greenbelt because of all the pain and suffering from his childhood. He only came back to help his grandmother while she recovered from breaking both her arms. They meet at bingo night, and Aja befriends him. The attraction is there but they both know it can't last, so they make a pact, if they win at their weekly bingo game, they can get intimate. Can they keep their pact to just be friends with benefits?

We've got a small town friends to lovers romance, whats not to love?! The flawed characters were a big bonus in my book. As a woman with anxiety and depression, I loved the focus on the characters mental health. It was nice to see a functional relationship with two anxious people play out in the pages. Walkers grandma was the best secondary character. I also enjoyed a female main character in a larger body and the steam between her and Walker. Overall this was a really enjoyable realistic romance!

Thanks to the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review. This book releases 7.12

4 stars

While this one wasn’t quite as light and fluffy as I was initially expecting (and hoping, honestly), I did still enjoy it. The characters felt well-developed, had interesting backstories, and (I thought) had real chemistry. There were a lot of sweet moments, but also some pretty heavy scenes; the main characters carry a lot of baggage, primarily in the forms of mental health issues and related trauma. These issues are treated with care, though, and the writer even provides a brief warning at the beginning of the book. At some points, the characters almost felt a bit too thoughtful and self-aware; that might just be a reflection of the personal growth I need to undergo myself (haha?), but sometimes, it felt a bit unrealistic. Even so, I liked their story, and some elements of this lovely rom-com were actually pretty unique. At a few points, something about the tone of the story made me worry it was going to have less of a traditional ending rather than the HEA I wanted; thankfully, I was wrong about that. It was a fun read with a happy conclusion.

Based on the adorable cover and synopsis I assumed this would be a lighthearted read and it was at times, but it also had some heavier aspects as well that I’ll get into later. I know you can never tell how steamy a romance will be based off those two alone either but this one gets spicy and the chemistry between Aja and Walker was apparent from their first encounter. I believed in their relationship and I even believed in their messy issues, both separately and together. I was definitely rooting for them, HARD even when they were both making mistakes.

Maybe it’s just the romances I’ve been reading lately but there seems to be a new trend of exploring mental health issues in quite a few romances lately and this is one trend I can get behind. This one has both main characters dealing with anxiety disorders and it’s a big part of the story, so a heads up if that may be a trigger for you. If it’s not, I thought the author did a really great job of exploring anxiety and balancing the heavy with the light. The audio was solid and Angel Pean did a great job bringing Aja and Walker to life.

The chemistry in Bet on It is sizzling. There's heat from emotion filled glances across Bingo boards. And as Aja and Walker continue to get to know each other, they have to wonder if they're doomed before they even start. Walker is 100% convinced he wants to leave the town, whereas Aja moved there specifically for the atmosphere. Bet on It is a testament to the power of love and someone who can make us question ourselves and our own limitations. To challenge us, support us, and laugh with us.

From the beginning, I loved Aja. How she's real about her struggles and the ways in which she has to realize that she has to believe in people around her. In her goodness that people recognize and are drawn to. At the same time, Walker is navigating his own family and his past as he's immersed back in his hometown. In Bet on It, both of these characters and POVs felt detailed and three dimensional. I think a good quality of a dual POV romance book is when both of these characters go on a journey together and apart.

This was spicy! The perfect Rom-Com, but with all the spice you can ever think of.

Meet-cute turned into an awkward meeting. Aja meets Walker for the first time while having a severe panic attack. Luckily, when they see each other again, no one but their insides are under attack. Walker is Aja's bingo buddy's grandson and a cute one at that. She's totally embarrassed because of their last meeting, but Walker reassures her he understands how she feels.

Their budding friendship grows into a spicy soup with tender love. But Walker is only in town to help his grandmother, so how can there be more to what they have?

This story touches on anxiety and panic attacks but doesn't focus wholly on that — it shows us how two flawed humans can find love when they least expect it.

Thank you, St Martins, for this beautiful book.

I was provided a free advanced copy of this book from @netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
This is a fun quick romance read set in a small southern town! It's got bingo, southern charm, peach cobbler, and mental health discussions! 🙂
Both of the main characters struggle with mental health issues, to include anxiety and PTSD, so there is a lot of discussion and insight into these struggles. The characters were likeable, and mostly relatable. Even though they discuss some tough topics, they do so in a realistic/relatable way and shows how mental health issues are important to talk about!
It lost some stars for me for some of the unrealistic scenarios and dialogue to include during their more intimate encounters. 🤨 Some of it seemed pretty out of character. So much of the rest of the book seemed realistic so this took away from the reality for me.
But then again, sometimes you don't care about those things in fun romance reads.
This one is scheduled to be released tomorrow (12 Jul) so check it out!
#NetGalley #BetOnIt

Really liked this one! A super cute little rom com with some main characters I liked a lot and was really rooting for the whole time!

When Aja Owens meets Walker Abbott they have instant chemistry, even if the first encounter is while Aja is having a panic attack. This is a steamy, fast-paced romance and I ate it up quickly. The representation of PTSD and general anxiety disordered was appreciated and treated with care.

While the chemistry was so intense, I feel like the emotional connection was slightly lacking. Readers who prefer more emotional connection and less steam may not enjoy this one as much. But, if you love steam, diverse leads, and engaging well-done sex scenes, this one is for you.

I think this is an excellent choice for Talia Hibbert and Jasmine Guillory fans.

3.5 stars rounded down.

I loved this book. This was my first book by Jodie Slaughter, but her backlog is now on my TBR list. I loved the chemistry between Aja and Walker, and I loved his grandma. I wanted to devour the book because it was so good and read slowly because I didn’t want it to end. It was well-written with great characters and I have already recommended it to friends.

Bet On It
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Romance / Rom-Com
Format: Kindle eBook and Audiobook
Date Published: 7/12/22
Author: Jodie Slaughter
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press (ebook) and Macmillan Audio (audio)
Pages: 320
Goodreads Rating: 3.79

TW ⚠️: Mental illness, panic attack, anxiety, PTSD, self-harm, and addiction.

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio, and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: 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 counting down the days until Gram heals and he can get back to his real life. Just when he thinks his plan is solid, enter Aja to shake everything up. A hastily made bingo-based sex pact is supposed to keep this…thing between them from getting out of hand. Especially when submitting to their feelings means disrupting their carefully balanced lives. But emotions are just like bingo callers—they refuse to be ignored.

My Thoughts: I alternated between the ebook and the audiobook. The narration was great, especially with the various voices. The story is narrated by Aja and Walker, in alternating perspectives. One of my favorite trope is the friends to lovers trope, I just love how the relationship builds into a romantic one. Being no stranger to mental health issues with various members of my family, I really appreciated how the author approached it in this book. The characters were well developed, had depth, charisma, an immediate connection, building of female friendships, and had spice, lots of steamy spice! The author’s writing style was complex, multi-faceted, creative, and emotional. There were moments of humor but this was more emotional for me. This book releases tomorrow and I highly recommend you purchase it. I will be reading more books by Slaughter!

What a fun read centered around an encounter in a small town bingo event. I loved how anxiety was reflected with realistic characters you rooted for as the story progressed.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the ARC.

#betonit #netgalley

Bet on It is a cute (but a bit too steamy for me) read. Bonding over bingo, and eventually, a sex bet, Bet on It is definitely unlike any other romance I've read.

3/5 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When I see the name Slaughter, I always think of psychological thriller writer Karin Slaughter, but as you can perhaps tell from the modern, bright-colored cover of Bet On It that is currently supremely trendy, this is 100% a light, fun rom-com. Although it is a lighter romance read, it does tackle issues and focuses heavily on mental health and anxiety.

Main characters Aja and Walker meet at Bingo, an unlikely hangout for young professionals, but uniquely adorable. Aja moved to the tiny town of Greenbelt to enjoy a slower pace in hopes of helping her manage her anxiety. Walker grew up in Greenbelt and fled as soon as he could, but this summer he returns to take care of his grandmother after she took a fall. Walker also struggles with anxiety and PTSD stemming from his childhood trauma.

The two form a friendship predicated on their loneliness and lack of friends with an underlying current of attraction that they try to fight at first because their relationship has an expiration date. Once Walker’s grandmother heals, he’ll go back to his big city life again. It’s a romance novel, so of course, we know how this is going to go – from the obvious bumps in the road to the inevitable conclusion.

I’ve been slowly getting into more and more romance novels this summer. While this isn’t my favorite, it’s definitely a fun, easy read with some funny dialogue. I really enjoyed Aja’s discovery of a friend group in Miri, Olivia, and Jade. It was wholly unrealistic that new friends would be so attuned and considerate to how their new friend might be feeling in overwhelming situations because unfortunately, most people are just too self-involved and narcissistic to realize it. However, it was refreshing and sweet to see how much these friends checked in on each other and I hope this, along with the growing openness to discussing our mental health, becomes more and more common.

As someone who suffers from anxiety, I was so glad to see the representation here! There were many things that I loved about this book. Walker is back in his hometown to help take care of his grandmother after a nasty fall. One of his grandmother's friends happens to be Aja, and there is definitely a spark between the two when they first meet I loved the interracial aspect of their friendship and relationship, and I loved that this book showed both a male and a female that suffered from anxiety. These are the types of books that we need more of to breakdown the stigma about anxiety, and bring awareness about the importance of mental health. I liked that Aja and Walker were both successful, or what society would deem successful- jobs, friends, etc. Although from Aja's perspective, we know that she has trouble making friends and Walker has a small circle of friends. I also liked how it showed that anxiety can have different causes, whether that be childhood trauma or something else. Walker was sweet to Aja the entire book, and I also enjoyed how the characters communicated their feelings and expectations to each other. Walker wasn't afraid to tell Aja how he felt, and I thought both characters were very mature in communicating their needs to each other. The steam and chemistry between the two of them was the icing on the cake to this story. It was entertaining and a great read. Thank you to the publisher for giving me the chance to read an early copy of this book.