This was a cute, quick, semi spicy read perfect for the summer time!

I am not sure that this will be incredibly memorable, but I enjoyed my time while reading it.

Sweet rom-com with a friends to lovers trope. Fortunately this is a more compelling story because of the main characters and their backgrounds. Aja has anxiety disrder, Walker deals with PTSD and both are not ready for a relationship. Yet fate, grandmothers and bingo change the course of their lives. Thanks to netgalley and St Martins Press for this advanced copy.

DNF at 37%. I thoroughly enjoyed the mental health representation in this story. I felt it was written very well and felt relatable. I liked that both main characters had their individual mental health obstacles and found common ground there. I actually really enjoyed that Walker's grandma and the bingo joint played a key role in the characters coming together. It was different, fun and down right cute. I just wasn't into the quickness of the sexual innuendos and banter. I realized I wasn't looking forward to seeing how their relationship played out and decided that was my cue to bow out.

There was a lot to love about this one! It’s heavy on mental health, focusing on anxiety and PTSD, but it was done with such care and honesty. And Greenbelt, South Carolina was the most charming town. I’m dying for a piece of the peach cobbler from Minnie’s Diner.

Walker escaped Greenbelt and its misery twelve years ago. Now he’s back to temporarily help his grandmother, never imagining a game of local Bingo would introduce him to the wonderful Aja. Let me tell you, this setup was so unique. As the tension between them starts to grow, Walker and Aja form a pact where they can only hookup after one of them wins Bingo. It was hilariously fun!

Aja being somewhat new to town, finding friendships that accept her wholeheartedly was beautiful. As a romance I really enjoyed the conflict and happily-ever-after, but overall the internal dialogue was SUPER heavy on their sexual attraction, which isn’t my preference. I wanted more chemistry outside of that. I can see others really enjoying this one!

THIS COVER!!!!!
romcoms with anxiety rep >>

this book had me HOOKED from page 1; our mc is having a panic attack in a grocery store and who helps her out? our love interest of course!

this book has a fwb element that was just so fascinating (bingo!) i adored aja and walker so much; i truly felt for walker

yes it’s insta love but it’s a guilty pleasure of mine so

This book was almost perfect. Having two characters deal with mental illness was surely a risk Wally (PTSD) and Aja (GAD). How do you balance their relationship while navigating their conditions? Idk but Jodie Slaughter managed to pull it off. The layers of tenderness, community, setting boundaries, failing, and starting over again was chef's case. The only thing that I can critique was the pacing sometimes felt like a lag. It could be that she wanted to slow down the story to give the reader some time to breathe but it made the ending feel rushed. Nonetheless I loved these two trying to figure it out together.

PS. I want a HEA for Miri, do I need to start a petition?

So happy I was able to get this ARC! It was giving me everything that needed to be gave and had amazing complexity!

I really enjoyed this romance. It was super quirky and I really appreciated the anxiety representation. I also really loved the small town atmosphere and how bingo was part of the story!

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Bet on It was definitely a unique story line for me. Two people who meet during a panic attack. Their combined anxiety gave me anxiety at times! A sweet live story. The very explicit sex scenes caught me off guard, so beware future readers.

A sweet, simple romance. I did enjoy reading Bet On It, but had a hard time connecting with any of the characters. I thought that the author, Jodie Slaughter, did a good job at mental health representation. Some of the descriptions of the sexcapades were a little weird for me. An average romance that won't stand out to me to remember in 2022.

Thank you to St. Martin's & NetGalley for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

A story that will keep you engaged with the storyline.
Main characters, Aja and Walker, have emotional issues. They meet accidentally at a grocery story in the freezer isle and go there separate ways. Then another chance encounter happens at the Bingo Hall. What happens next? The chemistry between the two of them is fully charged.
Very emotional read with mental health struggles.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Bet On It features something I’ve rarely seen in romance in that both Aja and Walker, the MCs, are dealing with generalized anxiety (and PTSD in Walker’s case) that has greatly affected their lives. Both characters have been in therapy for years and have tried to organize their lives so that they set themselves up for success instead of failure. Their first encounter happens when Aja suffers a panic attack one night at the local Piggly Wiggly. Walker sees her difficulty, recognizes it, and provides a calm, soothing presence to help her get through it.

When they next encounter each other, it’s at a bingo game. Walker is visiting his small hometown from Charleston, SC to help his injured grandmother, who plays every week, and whom Aja has become friends with. From there, a sweet yet quite smutty summer friendship and romance grows between them. They bond over their shared experiences and a strong mutual attraction. Both feel like the other “sees” them in a way they haven’t experienced before, but they both know their relationship has an expiration date since Aja specifically moved to town to get away from the pressures of her life in the big city, while Walker hates it there and moved to Charleston to get away from all of the bad memories associated with his childhood.

Aja and Walker were sweet, caring and careful with each other. The romance felt balanced in terms of the power dynamic, with both characters working hard to achieve their own personal growth and protect their own mental health. I also thought that their mental health issues were incorporated organically into the story in a way that never felt preachy but this is definitely not a rom-com (in spite of the cute cover) and the anxiety descriptions might be a trigger for some readers. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

This is a hesitant four star read from a debut author and I would rate this as 3-4 steam (out of a 5 scale). I absolutely loved the body positivity of a fat female heroine. I liked the focus on mental health. It might have been slightly less than 4 stars but I enjoyed it and it wrapped in a lot of things and I am bumping the rating a bit. This is solidly romance and not erotica. It is on the spicy side compared to books I have been reading and I loved the descriptions in the sex scenes.

This was absolutely adorable! I mean a story revolving around bingo and has such great representation? It's giving me all I could've wanted! The anxiety representation throughout the entire story was so well done. It was honest and vulnerable. This is another book we can add to the positive therapy moments pile! We love a book with a positive perspective on therapy! Something I didn't quite care for was the insta-love. It just happened so fast and threw me through a loop really. There could've been plenty of moments where the couple as a whole could've grown and expanded with their relationship but it didn't get to that point so I wasn't entirely as invested.

This was adorable! Definetely brought back memories of going to Bingo night with my grandma.
I loved this sweet friend to lovers romance. Both main characters struggle with their mental health, I thought this was dealt with really well.
Side characters were wonderful, kinda hope this becomes a series because I need Miri's story 😁

I adored everything about Bet on It by Jodie Slaughter. As someone who suffers from anxiety and panic attacks, this was a swoony romance story of my heart. From the opening scene of Aja's panic attack, I found her empathetic and so relatable. Aja and Walker's chemistry is steamy and sweet. I loved the setting, the importance of bingo and bingo hall dates, the peach cobbler, Ms. May and the girlfriends Aja makes in Greenbelt. The representation for mental health and a plus-sized black woman with a sweet southern boy was fantastic.

This was a great story. Highly recommend it for fans of contemporary romance. Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press & NetGalley for providing me an e-arc of this wonderful book.

Bet On It by Jodie Slaughter was a romance that surprised me in all the best ways. Not only was it a fun book with plenty of heat and laugh out loud moments, but its discussion of anxiety and mental health was extremely well done.

4.5/5 stars

Aja moved to Greenbelt, South Carolina to escape life in the big city. Her anxiety is an overwhelming part of her life, and she takes careful steps to manage it. One of her favorite new activities is Bingo night, where she spends time with Ms. May and listens to the older woman rave about her handsome grandson. When Walker shows up for Bingo while Ms. May is recovering from an injury, Aja recognizes him as the kind stranger who helped her through a grocery store panic attack. Aside from being intensely attracted to each other, they carefully get to know each other while being mindful of each other’s mental health. But Walker lives in Charleston and has no intention of staying in Greenbelt. Hence, their Bingo pact is born.

Look, this book had me interested the second I heard “bingo-based sex pact,” and it delivered on the promise of the premise. These characters are adorable and sincere. Both Aja and Walker say “It’s just sex, it should be easy enough” to keep feelings out of the way. Hahahaha!

As someone who hasn’t befriended new people since my teen was in preschool, I appreciated Aja’s difficulty making new friends as adults, especially with her anxiety. Walker has plenty of his own baggage, and it’s tough to fault him for his mistakes when they are seen through the lens of his past. The discussion of anxiety and PTSD is carefully and respectfully included in this story. It’s not something for the characters to “just get over,” but a realistic part of their lives and how they interact with the world.

Bet On It is a romance that’s a well balanced combo of humor, heat and more serious moments. I thoroughly enjoyed my introduction to Jodie Slaughter and I can’t wait to read more of her work.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley. All opinions are my own. Bet On It by Jodie Slaughter was such a delight to read. From their first awkward encounter in the frozen foods aisle to their hard-won HEA, there is not a moment that you are not cheering for Aja Owens and Walker Abbot to find a way to make things work. The story is sexy and sweet, and the angst is so heart-felt because you know that these two are truly meant for each other. This book has some of the best descriptions of how crippling anxiety can be and that no matter how much we try to protect our hearts, sometimes the only way forward is through. I enjoyed this book immensely and highly recommend reading it. One might consider having Peach Cobbler on hand while reading it. Steam Level: Very. Publishing Date: July 12, 2022. #BetOnIt #JodieSlaughter #ContemporaryRomance #ContemporaryRomanceReader #RomanceReviewer #Bookstagram #Bookstagrammer #StMartinsPress #RomanceReader

4 stars / This review will be posted on goodreads.com today.

Aja is trying to settle into her life in her new town. The last thing she needs is to be having an anxiety attack in the frozen section of the grocery store. Perhaps if she just stays in that aisle it will pass before the store closes. But then a stranger approaches to make sure she’s okay. Just his presence helps to calm her so that she can gather her things and leave the store. She never even looks at him.

Walker never wanted to come back to Greenbelt. The trauma that he suffered in this town was more than any one human should have to bear. But when his grandmother May needs him, his love overcomes his fears, and he ventures back to the town he swore he’d never visit again. Little did he know that he would encounter a beautiful woman in the grocery store. A woman who seems to be struggling with her own demons.

When Walker and Aja end up at bingo night together, the tension and chemistry is there. But Aja has sworn off men for now, and Walker, well, he’s not planning to stay in this town. He can’t even think about starting a relationship with someone who lives here. But Ms. May has other plans for Walker and Aja.

This is a romance novel that not only deals with romance (and sex sex sex) but some pretty heavy mental health issues. There are trigger warnings at the start of this novel, due to the nature of Walker’s PTSD and Aja’s anxiety. No spoilers, just going to say that if you are triggered by certain things, you may want to check out Jodie Slaughter’s website to be sure that this book won’t set you off.

It was a fun novel for exploring when someone moves to a new town, struggles with meeting people, and how just a chance encounter can bring her out of her shell. Walker’s return to his hometown shows how someone can find good in any situation. Their connection is palpable. I loved how vivid their interactions were. This is a good story. Not all neatly tied in a bow at the end, but with hope and optimism. And did I mention sex sex sex?

Unfortunately I just did not vibe with this and gave up pretty quickly. I didn't like how the author wrote Walker's dialogue with his Southern accent—it was distracting—and I also didn't like how he thought about Aja. There was a lot of immediate sexualization of her in the first few chapters which really turned me off from him. I don't really want to read a romance novel where I am initially fully against one of the main characters/love interests. Just not for me!