This is another case for me of liking the characters well enough, but not really liking them together? There wasn't that spark of tension, chemistry, or any real vibe felt when they interacted. They were together simply because it was written that way rather than feeling that way.

I do love the trend of mental health in romance because while they aren't typically heavy novels, they are every day problems and I think welcoming these struggles into the conversation is the best way to make talking about them easier.

I love the charm in small town romances and that desire to move to a tiny town in the middle of no where, but this one didn't give me that feeling as much. I wanted more quirk and side characters.
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Can you find true love....at bingo? Aja and Walker don't think so, but are willing to try to find out.

I thought this was a super sweet, easy and fun read, perfect for those days when you just don't want to think too hard but you still want to smile. I like the way that Aja and Walker were written, just the perfect amount of sugar and spice.

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

I love this book! Both of the main characters are unique and refreshing. It is so nice to see characters deal openly and honestly with their mental health. They are supportive and understanding of each other throughout the whole book. And who knew bingo could be spicy!

The cover first caught my eye with this book, but the story brought me in.

I liked the honest representation of PTSD and anxiety. The story was relatable, well written and had wonderfully rounded out characters. I definitely will be looking forward to more books from Jodie Slaughter!

I want to thank NetGalley, Jodie Slaughter and St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin for the e-ARC of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are honest, my own and left voluntarily.

I absolutely love bingo. So when I saw a romance book where the leads go to bingo with the male lead's grandma who just happens to be the female lead's best friend - I knew I had to read it. Add in a plus size female lead who deals with crippling anxiety and a male lead with a sad back story - hits all the buttons for me.

Aja moved to a small town to work on her anxiety and slowly re-enter a life of being social. Walker returns to his small hometown to help take care of his grandma even though he left the town 10 years ago and never looked back. These two have a couple of chance meetings where sparks fly, and eventually enter into a sex pact (because why not?). Neither are prepared for permanence, but we don't always get what we ask for.

I enjoyed the representation in this book, I felt it was indicative of how someone who is plus size and anxious would feel/react (I am both of those things so I write from experience). I loved Walker as a hero even if Aja didn't always grab me and keep my attention. I did love her side journey to making friends as a cute addition. And of course the bingo.

A solid romance, but lacked something to make it spectacular.

**Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review**

The first thing that really stands out about Bet on It by Jodie Slaughter is that it has some serious anxiety representation. Going into it, I thought this was going to be a funny, more romcom-type story but found it to be much more serious than that. Aja struggles with crippling anxiety and panic attacks, while Walker suffers from some anxiety of his own as well. I loved the idea of the concept because who doesn't love bingo? but the book didn't really dive into it as much as I had hoped it would. There were definitely a few steamy scenes and some romance, but I think the contemporary fiction reader may prefer this over a normal romance reader. I really appreciated Slaughter putting a sensitive content disclaimer right at the start of the book, and it refers you to her website which provides more information on what exactly this book entails. I would highly recommend checking that out prior to reading if you are triggered by certain things.

The pacing is a bit on the slower end, so I was happy I had gotten the audiobook which is narrated by Angel Pean. I would personally have loved another narrator for Walker's chapters, but Pean was great to listen to and she nailed the emotion of the story. She even did a great job with Walker's voice! The sex scenes are fairly graphic (at least they were for me), so if you are a lover of steamy scenes that don't leave much to the imagination, I think you would enjoy them. I really loved how real the characters and their struggles were, and I honestly think Bet on It did a wonderful job of showing how people can overcome adversity. Despite the serious tone of the story, there were still plenty of humorous moments which really helped break things up a bit. I wanted Aja and Walker to work out, and I was a huge fan of both of them as well as other characters in the book. I had never read Slaughter before, but I definitely will again.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book just wasn't for me. I wasn't feeling either of the main characters and their romance just felt off to me. I wanted to like it but it just fell flat for me. I did think the secondary characters were good and I thought the mental health representation was great.

A very cute rom com about taking chances and letting the chips fall where they land! Aja and Walker couldn't be more different but they do share a love for Walker's grandma who in turn loves to meddle with them. As they get to know each other the pull becomes difficult to ignore.

I was pretty underwhelmed by this book. I thought both characters were developed well and they certainly had chemistry, but something kept me from fully believing in their connection. There was a ton of pining, which was fun, but there could have been some refinement in their interactions and dates. I appreciated the mental health representation but also didn't think it was the most accurate representation of panic disorders. I did really like the ending though!

Enjoyed this story so much! This author was a first time read for me so this was fun. The spicy scenes were everything along with the growth for both hero and heroine.

4.5/5 Stars

Don’t let the cartoon cover fool you, this romance is surprisingly spicy.

It follows Aja, a plus-sized black women with anxiety who has moved to a small southern town to get a handle on her mental health, and Walker a southern white body who grew up in said southern town and vowed to never return… until his grandmother was in an accident and needed some care. The two realize from the start that they are attracted to each other, but since Walker is admitted about leaving as soon as his grandmother has recovers, they make a pact to help stop them from developing feelings for each other- they can only have sex after one of them wins at bingo!

This steamy romance is fun and enjoyable while also managing to have good representation of two characters who are struggling with their mental health, but also working to improve with the help of therapy and support networks.

Overall I would recommend Bet On It!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC!

Unfortunately, this one just wasn't for me. As someone that struggles with anxiety, the mental health rep was a highlight for me with this read! However, it felt like I was waiting through the entire book for some joy and fun to provide balance with the heavier moments. But I never really felt that reprieve. The story lacked the charm and warmth that I look for in romances, particularly ones set in small towns.
I also didn't get the chemistry between our two main characters. It felt like their shared experience with anxiety was the one point of connection, other than pure sexual attraction.
Was really excited about this one, but was disappointed that it didn't work for me. :(

I really wanted to love this book. It had so much - mental health rep, plus size/real body love, small town, POC... Unfortunately, though it was cute, I couldn't get into it. The pacing was slow and it was difficult for me to stay engaged.

Aja is a city girl that recently moved to a small town, looking to manage her anxiety better. Walker is a former small town boy that couldn't get away faster, to escape the damage his family caused him, dealing with PTSD. With the help of Walker's grandma, Miss May, weekly bingo and helping each other, they find a friendship and eventually more.

I loved the varied representation in the book and appreciate the effort that the author took to write but it felt like the actual falling in love part was secondary and never really felt invested.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

Bet on It is a cute romance where the two love interests share anxiety issues. This common bond brings them closer as they learn what the other needs to cope to move forward. Their meet cute at Bingo and subsequent encounters lead them down the path from friends to lovers.

This story is easy to cruise through for a quick, summer read. The small town atmosphere added a nice element to an otherwise ok romance novel. The nickname she's given was terrible!!!

Thank you St. Martin's Press for the #gifted copy of this novel.

I don't know why I waited a month after pub day to read this book, but I think my mind was telling me to wait so I could read it when I really needed it. I also suffer from panic attacks like the MCs and seeing the effects of panic attacks on the page was inspiring. They're debilitating and Jodie Slaughter spelled it out in no-uncertain terms on what it's like to live with anxiety and depression. I liked seeing the two MCs find each other and lean on each other and that their mental health didn't hold them back, but made them better. They worked through things together and I liked that, I liked seeing someone like me fall in love on page. It helps me know I'm not damaged and that I can find love too.

This was cute enough and the mental health rep was good, but I wound up liking the side characters more than the mains and I really don’t think that the main couple would actually work/stay together

This wasn't an easy read for me. It took me weeks to get through. But overall, I appreciated it for all the representation. I thought that the author did an especially great job with the mental health related storylines in the book. Read if you're looking for very lust-forward spicy books that also cover heavier topics.

👍
+ The main characters in this book have anxiety and PTSD, causing panic attacks for them both. These I thought were handled quite well, as they come up in various scenarios, both in terms of showing how the characters dealt with it, but also in terms of showing how it can impact one's day.
+ I also appreciated the emphasis on therapy, we even got scenes of the main character talking to her therapist. I liked the emphasis on growth rather than "fixing" someone.
+ I loved that even though Aja had a lot of anxiety, and came off as quite shy in social situations, she was never shy about embracing her sexuality.
+ I really enjoyed a lot of the side characters. Walker's grandmother, Aja's friends. They were all genuinely nice people, which created a good balance from the heavier issues the main characters were dealing with.

👎
- The main issue I had with the book is that I never connected to the characters, especially in terms of their relationship. Nothing made me want to continue turning the pages, and TBH, I didn't really care if they got together or not.
- One of the reasons for this for me was that their relationship felt very lust driven. They read like horny teenagers. How much they sexualized each other in the most mundane situations, before they even really know each other was just not for me. And this coming from a person who loves spicy books!
- Tiny nit-pick: That's not how bingo works!

I am not typically a fan of romance books but I am very glad I gave this one a read. I think it was so sweet and I love that the author included things like anxiety and trauma -things that should definitely be talked about more often and are still so taboo.

Thoroughly Delightfully Delicious Romance!

What a thoroughly delightful story about two flawed anxiety-ridden individuals dealing professionally with life issues who meet and bond over weekly bingo sessions, thanks to Walker's grandmother. Together, Aja and Walker discover that there are people who can understand and love you in despite issues, baggage and preconceived notions. I savored every word of this story.

This was such a dynamic romance with the cutest characters that I adored. There romance was very sweet and a little spicy too, but also they grew as people in the book and the author took on some great topics for discussion. I especxially appreciated her talking about mental health and anxiety, not to mention the plus size rep! This was a really fun quick summer read for me and I would recommend checking out my review on Youtube for more details.