Wow - this was an intense romance novel that was hard to put down.
I loved the characters and the entire preface of the book based on BINGO.
This was my first book by this author and I was pleasantly surprised.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for fair and honest review.

I'm sorry to be giving this one just 3.5 stars because I truly wanted to like it due to the fact that it shows that even people with high anxiety and other mental health issues can find their people and love and happiness, but I never managed to connect with neither Aja nor Walker.
It could just be that I wasn't in the mood for a love story, semi-rom-com with such a downbeat backdrop because I do think that the writing is good.
Slaughter does a fantastic job of presenting what a person with extreme anxiety and PTSD can go through on a daily basis and just how hard seemingly simple things can seem. As much as I couldn't quite make myself care for the relationship between Aja and Walker, I did find myself caring for how they interacted with and navigated the rest of the world.
In the end, it wasn't for me despite my being 100% supportive of the story that Slaughter is trying to tell.

Happy thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's, and Macmillan Audio for the early read/listen!

I thought the bingo premise/meet cute was such a fun idea. This book really focuses in on mental health for both characters. At times it felt the romance was secondary to their individual mental health plots. While this book had some spicy scenes the chemistry between Aja and Walker didn’t seem to go beyond innuendo and sexual attraction. I did enjoy this book but it didn’t deliver in the way I had hoped.

I rate this book 3.5 stars

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for sending me an e-ARC of this book to read and review. I thought this was so cute. I loved the idea of betting over a bingo game and the southern charm vibe the whole story had. The banter was super sweet and I really loved what Walker and Aja brought out in each other. This book also had such great mental health representation. Both of the characters were dealing with anxiety among other things and I just think it was talked about so well. This was spicy too and we got some nice nicknames out of it IYKYK. I love the sweet type of romance with that blend of spice and this certainly delivered on that end. I also really loved the healing and friendship vibes. This was super cute and I really enjoyed it!

Bet On It is a Southern small town romance. Aja and Walker first meet in a grocery store while Aja is having an anxiety attack. Aja is a Black newcomer to the town and Walker is a White Southern man visiting his Gran. They meet again while playing Bingo, find they like each other, but think their romance can’t survive in the long run.

They both have anxiety and PTSD that played heavily into the storyline. I liked that different aspect of the story. I thought that their chemistry was ok but at times, they were a bit awkward together. There were a few steamy posts. I liked Aja and how she becomes comfortable in her own skin. Walker was a bit of a miss for me. It’s a quick read overall.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Can two people riddled with stress disorders be the balm to help one another?
Given that their meet cute involves a panic attack at Piggly Wiggly and the other calming them down, I believed there was hope.

Aja Owens suffers from social anxiety, ranging from discomfort in meeting new people to panic attacks.
Walker Abbott suffers from PTSD due to her upbringing with a drug addict for a father.
Their first meeting is brief but memorable. Who could have guessed they'd meet again at bingo?

From the beginning, I loved how these two showed respect for one another, and how that opened the door to take things further. But given that Walker was only temporarily visiting, neither viewed their relationship as more than a fling.

While Walker does bungle things up at one point, his personal issues made it understandable. And I commend him for how he repaired the damage done. Showed true maturity. I also liked that the author featured an interracial couple but did not make their race a focus of their relationship.

Overall, this was a quick and enjoyable read, from a new-to-me author.

Bet on It
Rating: 2 stars ( I actually DNFed it)
Thank you to the publisher for the ARC given through NetGalley for review. All opinions are my own.

Sad to say I DNFed this book around 65% of it (according to my Kindle). I really had high hopes for it because I thought the premise was original about two people falling in love while getting to know each other playing Bingo. Aja and Walker both are dealing with anxiety/PTSD. They first meet when she's having an anxiety attack at the supermarket and he approaches her to offer her support. It was a very brief interaction, but I thought it was very sweet of him to identify her needs at that moment. I actually really liked the first 45% of the book. I really enjoyed their banter and how much they supported each other when dealing with their anxiety/PTSD, but to be honest I lost interest after their first sexy times encounter. I got bored. I really tried to get into the story but I think there was too much inner dialogue. I guess it's one of those situations where it's 'show me, don't tell me'. I kept picking up the book and just skimming parts. I think it’s more of ‘it’s me and not the book’ situation.
This story was not for me but could be for someone else.

I always enjoy a romantic comedy and this one definitely did not disappoint. What I enjoyed the most was how well the author was able to make me feel and understand what each character was thinking and feeling. Because so much of their relationship revolves around their mental and emotional troubles in ways that I have not experienced the author’s writing made it real and understandable for me. It helped with building a connection from the reader to the story. This was well written and kept my focus through out the story. Watching these characters grow was encouraging to think we could all grow if we take some lessons from what they learned. Thank you for the ARC and the opportunity to share my thoughts on this wonderful story.

I think I'm getting to a point where I need to back away from the anxiety heroines in romance. I think it's wonderful that authors are dealing with real issues through the lens of romance- and the match-up here of anxiety and PTSD made perfect sense for the characters. Even more so when half the action takes place in a literal bingo hall, old ladies and daubers included. But I think I need just a little more career, or a little less reality in my romances right now. That said this was a pretty sweet and steamy romance where both the main characters had some growing and dealing with their own stuff to do- but she went about it a lot more quickly and reasonably than he did. I found it to be a little light on grovel for what was a pretty grovelable offense- but up until the last 40 pages I was all in on hoping they could figure out a way to solve their geographical challenge and real mental health issues and end up together. Spoiler alert- it's a romance! Of course it works out in the end.

Four stars for some nice writing and great descriptions of how hard it is to make friends after the ease of school and family. But only four stars because this wasn't the right fit for me. It just might be the ticket for you, though!

This is a cute, small town romance novel. I like the representation of characters with anxiety, you don't see that in a lot of books. Overall it was an enjoyable read.

Sweet, funny and of so romantic!

I really enjoyed this romance, and I’m happy that I was able to get approved for it in order to read it before it hits the shelves.

I loved the chemistry between the Aja and Walker, and I usually don’t love friends to lovers but this just works for me!

Who knew bingo was the place to be? You can win money, hang out with interesting people, and even meet your intended.
I liked Aja. She was funny, down to earth and knew her foibles.
Wally was a breath of fresh air for Aja and their meet cute was in a grocery store.
Both deal with extreme anxiety, which is a hot topic today.
Slay your angst by cracking open this book and finding love, Southern style.

Aja is in the middle of a panic attack, caught in the middle of the Piggly Wiggly, when a stranger comes up to her and calms her anxiety. She doesn't look at him, she can't, but she thanks him all the same, makes her purchases and hightails it out of there.
Aja has trouble meeting new people, with her crippling anxiety she moved from DC to a small town trying to get away from the big city. Her social hour includes bingo with her buddy Mae. When Mae shows up to bingo with two broken arms and a hot grandson in tow, Aja knows she's done for. The grandson she realizes, is the one who helped her through her attack.
Walker knows anxiety when he sees it, with PTSD from his rocky childhood he wasn't keen on coming back to the little town that judged him so harshly, but he will do anything for his grandma. He begins a friendship with Aja, but soon he must face the fact that he is falling hard for this woman. The truth is, he is leaving soon, so this can't work, but with so much in common they need to enjoy it while it lasts.
I enjoyed the black, curvy girl representation in this story, I loved Aja and her sass. I also loved the mental health representation, because the truth is we don't talk about it enough. This started as an insta-love trope, but I would classify it as friends to lovers. They had built such a great foundation first. 3.5 stars.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Jodie Slaughter and Netgalley for an early copy.

Gen Z Mental Health Dang Near Erotica... Romantic Comedy? Up front, there was nothing technically wrong about this story - hence the five stars here. There is nothing for me to hang a star deduction on as objectively wrong here, and indeed there are several things to actively like. Such as the interracial romance in the South, where neither character tries to bring in bygone eras that were dead long before either of them were alive. As a Xennial / elder Millenial Southerner, this was genuinely refreshing to see in novel form, since so many try to depict the South as some racial tension hotbed that isn't actually present in reality. Or at least that's not what the *entire* South is, nor any that I've ever experienced in a lifetime of living here. So for fellow Southerners tired of so many novels looking down on us and trying to force depictions of us that aren't always accurate... give this one a try, I think you'll like it. :)

Now, onto the stuff that those same fellow Southerners might actually have more of an issue with.

For one, if you don't like hot and heavy, dang near erotica level sex in a book... this one isn't for you, no matter where you're from. If you prefer "sweet" / "clean" romances where the couple barely kisses or where anything beyond maybe heavy kissing is "behind closed doors"... this book isn't going to be something you enjoy. There are two sex acts performed essentially in public - one in a car in a parking lot, the other inside the Mayor's Mansion during a town festival (and on a couch in a room, rather than in some closet!). Along these lines, there was much talk of condoms and STI testing (at least at first), and again, these are some issues that I know some will LOVE being included but others will wish had not been, so either way you now know to expect them and can proceed according to your own attitudes on the subject. :)

For another, and this is absolutely one where your mileage may vary depending on any number of factors, there is a LOT of talk about mental health here, to the level of being fairly preachy at times - particularly in espousing a more Gen Z view of the field. Both of our leads suffer from anxiety, and at times it feels the focus of the book is on these issues rather than anything remotely romantic or even comedic. While it is absolutely refreshing to see these issues discussed so openly, and I absolutely love that a book featuring this is on the market, I also realize that it won't be everyone's cup of tea. So hey, better to skip the book because I warned you than to read it and leave a 1 star review complaining about all the "pansy ass whiny bullcrap" or some such that I know several people personally would absolutely complain about. :)

In the end though, this *was* a mostly fun, relatively light (particularly given its subject matter) romantic comedy, and it *does* work within that genre, just far from your typical entry there. As someone who constantly seeks new wrinkles I hadn't seen before, I enjoyed it from that side in particular. Very much recommended.

While the premise of the story intrigued me, it didn’t capture my full attention.. At first, Aja’s panic attack had me feeling empathy for her, but the real trauma or reason behind Aja’s panic attacks was never really revealed. Or if it was, it was in one of the many paragraphs I skimmed through or skipped over to keep any interest in the story.

Walker’s PTSD source was revealed deep into the story, and a reader could feel empathy for the trauma he endured during his childhood, but the entire story could have been told in less pages.

I actually enjoyed the side characters, Miri, And Ms. Maye kept the storyline moving.

I did enjoy the getting to chemistry between Aja and Walker that they tried to deny, but again even with dragging their relationship out, the story could have been compacted and kept my interest.

Bet on It by Jodie Slaughter

The absolute standout for me in this story was the representation of anxiety and panic. It was so specific, authentic, accurate. Aja has a panic attack in the frozen food aisles at a Piggly Wiggly and handsome, kind stranger, Walter, recognizes her panic and talks her through it. A few days later, the two randomly meet again, this time at a bingo hall. Aja and Walter, connected through their experience with panic, become supportive friends and eventually more, engaging in some hot hookups, but only after a bingo wins.

Overall, this book had phenomenal representation of mental health, a plus sized heroine, some seriously sexy times and was a touching story of being kind, learning to trust and working through past issues and scars.

Rating: 3.5 Stars

I had mixed feelings about this book which I think may be related to the fact that mental health romances can be hit or miss for me. The balance of the romance and the exploration of the health issues is critical for me, and I think maybe there were times when the characters anxiety/PTSD/trauma kind of skewed the focus too much. That said, there were some incredible moments in this book that had me grinning like a fool. I enjoyed the friendships that both Aja and Walker had. The conversations between Aja and Reniece were hilarious, and Grandma Abbott was so much fun too. I am probably an outlier here, but I think I would have rather seen more of the relationship building between Aja and Walker than the sex scenes. I wanted more the cute and sweet, I suppose. Not a perfect romance for me, but still enjoyable, and Slaughter's exploration of their mental health issues was well done.

This is a strangers to friends to lovers rom-com that didn’t work well for me for a couple of reasons. More on that in a moment. First, the characters were more or less realistic and likable if not completely relatable for me. Both Aja and Walker suffer from anxiety issues so that commonality somewhat contributes to their first meeting in the Piggly Wiggly where Aja has a panic attack and Walker stays with her to help her through it. Second, the plot was predictable but since most rom-coms are, that was not an issue for me. I did enjoy the Bingo night interludes and the description of the great peach cobbler as well as Mrs. May, the grandmother. What I did not like was the constant inclusion of unnecessary expletives that distracted from the story and from the characters. I could not picture wholesome, small town people using such language with such frequency in public and was put off by it. I also did not enjoy the extra steamy romance and the way that Walker observed Aja’s rear end, with descriptive details. I was looking for a laugh out loud rom-com and instead got bad language and a romp through the sex lives of two needy people. I rounded the stars up because of the realism, but it’s really about a two for me. Those who are used to the expletives being used constantly and the sexual undertone running through the plot will enjoy the book, but it was not my cup of tea.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

Thank you St. Martin’s Press Jodie Slaughter NetGalley for the #gifted e-copy

Thoughts

This is a story about Aja who moves to Greenbelt, South Carolina from Washington DC to help manage her anxiety. The hustle and bustle of life in DC was too much, but Greenbelt is perfectly quiet, not a lot to do. I had to laugh when Aja talked about playing bingo with the older town folk because I feel like all small towns have a bingo night. I’m from a small town, and my mom goes to bingo night.

Anywho I read this book was very steamy, and it had its moments after Aja meets her bingo buddies grandson, but I was expecting it more often than just a few times. Overall this is a cute friends to lovers story that brings mental health issues to the forefront.

This was a cute rom com with fantastic representation of mental illness. I could totally relate with both the MC’s. Not my favorite book this year but worthy of all 3 stars. I didn’t like the ending “miscommunication” . That really ruined it for me. You don’t love someone and make love then leave within seconds and then go back months later and ask forgiveness. I hated how she just forgave him… that is where my stars went.

Thanks for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.