I really enjoyed Bet on It. I liked the fact that the main characters both had issues that they had to deal with, and they both handled them respectfully without it becoming a "thing." Some parts were personally hard for me to get through, but overall a good read.

Side note: My name is Aja and my family has called me Peach since I was a little, so *that* was a little weird, lol!

I liked that fact that Aja and Walker are not your typical mainstream characters but have real lives and real problems.
The author makes their story relatable and the bingo twist made me laugh out loud.
The fact that the happily ever after does come but only after the two main characters resolve issues around broken family relationships and the anxieties that just living life can bring makes for good read.

Bet on It is my first read from Jodie Slaughter. This book is a romance and it discusses mental health. I always appreciate that in a romance, it makes it really relatable to me. Despite the heavy moments, this was still overall a fun and light read. I will say though that the characters were kinda awkward to me. I just didn’t connect with them very well. There are steamy parts as well, definitely not a closed door romance if that matters to you. Overall would recommend. I liked it but it wasn’t my favorite.
This review will be posted on my social media closer to publication date. Thank you and and the publisher for the advance copy.

Loved this romance, the book discusses mental health issues, supporting your partner, and still managed to be steamy and fun to read.

I really enjoyed that this story featured main characters with anxiety, panic attacks and PTSD. We get to see how two characters take care of their own mental health issues and continue to be mindful of their own needs when interacting with others, including family and friends. Aja is new to her small town and loves to play Bingo. The routine of the game helps her focus and reduces her anxiety. Walker ends up at Bingo one night because he's in town to help his grandmother recover from a fall. These two quickly have some tension between them and realize there might be more between them.

I really enjoyed the discussions about mental health, therapy, and anxiety/PTSD support throughout the book. There were some great topics discussed and some healthy ways of coping with flair ups as well as ways to support a partner through those times. While the relationship seemed to develop quickly (almost but not quite insta-love), I appreciated the way that they reevaluated their relationship in order to establish healthy communication between them and take care of their mental health. Overall, a fast and enjoyable light read. This is an open door romance and features a few open door scenes. I also really love the cover design of this book with its cute Bingo card and Aja and Walker illustrated on the front!

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

I really enjoyed this book. I like how Walker and Aja understood each other and I also loved how they managed to find their own fun in a boring small town. The intimate scenes were hot and the story had great character development. I definitely recommend this book.

While I really liked the premise of this book and the representation of people living with anxiety and panic attacks I ultimately had to DNF at 30%. The conversations between the main character and the love interest felt very flat to me and it felt very unlikely to me that they would develop believable chemistry. I did enjoy the meet-cute setting at the Bingo hall. May have just been the right book at the wrong time for me!

There were some unique twists to this rom-com. Both of the main characters deal with anxiety, and that is a main theme in the book. (There is a content warning at the start of the book for those that need it.) The other unique part is the setting of the bingo hall! I can definitely say I've never read a book set in a bingo hall. This book was fun yet serious, and I liked the ending.

I enjoy contemporary romance for the relatable characters and the increasingly more diverse characters as well as honest portrayals of other issues. Here, we have a POC main character who suffers from anxiety. Liked the characters and the story. The sex scenes here are pretty spicy
🌶 🌶🌶1/2

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book is my first from Jodie Slaughter, but it's definitely not going to be my last. I loved everything about this book. It was so cute and funny while still being steamy and packing an emotional punch. I loved both the main characters so much, and I really felt their connection to each other and their chemistry. One thing I really appreciated was their individual mental issues with anxiety and panic attacks that they needed to overcome. Both Walker and Aja deal with anxiety and panic attacks, and I liked how they worked through their issues on their own and had a healthy relationship with each other without fully relying on the other to fix their problems. I absolutely loved the body positivity in this book as well. Aja was just so unapologetically fat and that didn't make her any less beautiful in her own eyes as well as the eyes of the people around her. I've rarely seen this portrayed so well in other romance novels, and it was so refreshing to see.

As someone who struggles with anxiety like Aja, it was nice to see that in a character. I feel like the characters in these types of romance novels are all kind of the same so it was refreshing to see something different. I loved the relationship between her and her friends, Walker, and his grandma. Very sweet story and thoroughly enjoyed it!

I loved it! The chemistry was so cute and the social anxiety rep really made me feel seen. Definitely recommend!

Amazing, unique, and real characters that I fell in love with while reading! I love this story and how even though Walter and Aja did not know each other for a long time, nothing felt forced or rushed with the growth of their relationship. I related so much to their experience with mental health, and was so happy to read some of the very relatable and validating experiences they both had. Also I was pleasantly surprised with the steamy scenes in the book! I found myself cheering them both on in their individual growth, but also really hopeful and excited to see their relationship grow as a couple.

Thanks to NetGalley, I really enjoyed this novel. The main female character Aja is unapologetically fat and gave me Talia Hibbert's Eve Brown vibes, but stands on her own! Give me more diversity like this, folks! I was less keen on the male character Walker but the author, Slaughter, captures PTSD and CPTSD really genuinely. This is a rare novel where I feel like we get a bigger slice of the male character's family and background than the typical female focalization. The Southern euphemism of "peaches" sometimes struck me as sexy, sweet, or eye-rolling worthy. Slaughter doesn't shy away from the spice and I found Bet On It charming!

I received an ARC of this novel from St. Martin's Press through Netgalley in exchange for my review..
Bet on It seems, at first glance, to be a quick romance read and it certainly has those qualities, but author, Jodie Slaughter tackles some tough subjects such as anxiety and family dynamics to give this story more depth. Main characters Aja and Walker don't have a typical "meet cute," instead Walker meets Aja in the middle of a full blown panic attack and supports her in just the sweetest way possible. As the story unfolds, Aja and Walker keep running into each other at bingo and they share a love for peach cobbler. Their love story is sweet and steamy and it really makes for a terrific story!

I loved loved this sweet friends to lovers book!

I loved the book for a variety of reasons. I loved that both characters suffered from anxiety. I loved the romance, the couple as individuals, the small town, the bingo!
It reminded me of a Talia Hibbert book and was just a good book! I can't wait to read more from this author!

Thank you to Net Galley for the advanced copy of this book

When it comes to books where the characters deal with mental health problems, I sometimes am wary of reading them. I’ve encountered books where the mental health problems are more of a random thing added in to give the character depth but it seems not needed. Then there are ones done right.

Bet On It’s main characters Aja and Walker have mental health problems but it’s dealt with so beautifully. It’s integrated in their lives as individuals and separately without taking over the book. Aja and Walker become friends after Walker helps Aja through a panic attack.

Aja also plays bingo with Walker’s grandmother (Walker doesn’t live in town any longer and Aja is a newbie). The two have an instant connection but Aja tries really hard to not give in. Walker is such a gentleman with Aja and he’s so incredibly smooth. Walker has had his fair share of childhood trauma and the way it’s written in the book is so realistic. You can tell that both are dealing with their anxiety in the best way possible. I loved their dynamic and the sex scenes were incredibly hot.

If you want a funny, sexy, swoon worthy, peach cobbler infused read, this one is for you!

This book was STEAMY. Like holy cow, made me squirm kinda steamy. 🤣🤣 Do not recommend reading in public bahahha.

My favorite trend in romances the past couple of years, one that is here to stay, is vulnerability. Vulnerability, honesty, consent, and equality. 🔥

I love that this book gave me insight into anxiety. I have a better understanding and more empathy for having read it.


Walker and Aja are so lovable. It was a true pleasure to watch them fall for each other. I also truly loved Aja’s girlfriends. Hoping for a book two?

Thanks to the publisher for a complimentary advance copy of this novel. All opinions are my own.

Bet on it


📚Book review📚

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with the arc in exchange for a review!

I feel you! I too have panic attacks in Piggly Wiggly. Serious attraction alert! Plus size POC for the win. I’m torn because it wasn’t much substance but it’s a pleasant story.
Contains the age old trope of friends to lovers.

3.5 stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️

What a cute and STEAMY read! I loved the tie-ins with Bingo, and I found the characters really believable and compelling. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin for a copy of this book for an honest review.