“To her, it didn’t seem fair that someone could be in your life for such a short amount of time but still upend it completely.”

Genre: Romance
Actual Rating: 4 stars
Content Warnings: Discusses mental illness, panic attacks, drug abuse, and child endangerment (These were stated at the beginning of the book, 10/10 for that).

This book follows Aja Owens, who just moved to the small town of Greenbelt, and Walker Abbott, who swore he would never come back to his hometown of Greenbelt. Walker is the grandson of Aja’s bingo partner and has moved back to Greenbelt temporarily, as he helps his grandma recover from a fall. As Aja and Walker bond over bingo (and their undeniable chemistry), they unintentionally form a pact: they will have sex if and only if one of them wins in bingo… Because they can’t and won’t fall in love. What would be the point? Walker will be leaving soon and Aja still hasn’t found what she’s looking for in small-town living. “Bet on It” is a story of friendship and understanding, bingo and luck. You will be left hanging from your seats, willing for a bingo as soon as possible.

“Bet on It” has been one of the most entertaining books I’ve read this year. If it hadn’t been for other commitments, I would’ve most certainly read it in one sitting. Both Aja and Walker were such related characters for me. They were really well written and I just loved how Jodie Slaughter went out of her way to show how anxiety and panic attacks could look different for different people and how different coping mechanisms are still valid.

I fell in love with the potential Aja and Walker had. They truly complimented each other. It wasn’t just the raw sexual tension between them that tied them together, no. They bonded over their most personal experiences and they tried to be there for each other and be open with each other. Their friendship and relationship was truly amazing to witness.

I would recommend this book to people who like romance books like The Hating Game and who aren’t afraid of some seeeerious sexual tension and restraint. I can’t wait to get my hands on a physical copy of this book.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second Jodie Slaughter novel I have read, and I am absolutely impressed by her versatility. The first book I read was a hitman romance and while the tone and emotionality of both books are totally different, they are both enjoyable and well written. In Bet On It, Aja Owens encounters Walker Abbott when she is in the middle of a panic attack in Piggly Wiggly. Walker recognizes that Aja is in the middle of an episode and waits with her until she can regroup. They reconnect when they find that they both attend the Wednesday night Bingo Game. Walker goes to assist his elderly and recently injured grandmother and Aja goes to make progress with her paralyzing social anxiety. As Aja and Walker engage and become friends, they find commonalities. They both have mental health issues and are working to keep balance in their lives. Balance does not include getting romantically involved with anyone. Furthermore, Walker does not intend to stay around long. He has returned to his hated hometown only to help his grandmother, while Aja sees Greenbelt, South Carolina as a quiet safe haven. I really enjoyed this book and especially appreciated the tactful way Ms. Slaughter tackled the delicate issue of mental health. This is an amazing story about two resilient but fragile people connecting and compromising on the important things in life.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me an ARC for my honest opinion.

As soon as I saw the words "bingo based sex pact" in the synopsis, I knew I would love this book! This book was so much fun! The small Southern setting had me feeling right at home, and I loved the approach Jodie took to tackling big topics while still making it a "fun" read. The matchmaking older ladies stole the show for me on this one!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars!

It is a great romance with some amazing representation (plus-sized woman of color, anxiety and mental health struggles). It was personally a little slow for me and took me some time to really get into it. However, it was very entertaining and I enjoyed seeing Walker's growth through out the book. I hope to read more of Jodie Slaughter's books in the future! :)

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. There are so many things about this book that I loved. I loved that it was set in the South, in neighboring South Carolina, with one of my favorite places as a backdrop—Charleston. I loved that Aja wasn’t your typical skinny protagonist, but one with curves and braids! Most of all, I loved this raw look at two people living and learning to cope with their anxiety, while falling in love and playing bingo. Coming from a small town in NC, I appreciated the mentions of Piggly Wiggly, drive in theaters, and peach cobbler in the summer. A fun read with relatable characters.

This was my first Jodie Slaughter novel and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was in third person POV, and while that is one narrative I don't always enjoy, I can simply say that this story was well written and flowed seamlessly enough that it wasn't an issue for me to read through. This story is a small-town, feel-good read.
I was able to relate to both MCs in this story and that is a first. It's also not that common to be able to lean into both MC, and it was hands down like reading about myself. The mental health aspect of each MC was written with care and an understanding that shined throughout this book. It wasn't entirely textbook and stereotypical. Thank you!
Absolutely loved Aja and Wally! You'll find humor, a bit of angst, personal trials, and STEAM with these two. We are also introduced to their friends, which leads me to hope that we'll be seeing more of Greenbelt.
I would have gladly read more chapters of these two.

I absolutely LOVED this one! I've never read a romance novel where both main characters deal with anxiety and have many triggers of it. The relationship between Aja and Walker was super cute and didn't feel too overwhelming to me. Although there was a bit too much intimacy for me, I still really enjoyed the other parts to this book. If you are a fan of Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert, I would highly suggest this one! Chloe and Aja reminded me so much of each other.

To me, the bingo bet premise is very thin pretext, but who cares when the writing is as charming and relatable as Jodie Slaughter's? The mental health rep is gorgeous (if you're wondering how mental health rep can be gorgeous, again that's down to Jodie Slaughter's talent and sensitivity) and the characters extremely likeable, especially Aja and the new friends she makes in town.

Thanks for the ARC through the publisher at NetGalley.

I'm either in the biggest reading slump of my life or this book just didn't grab me. I was able to put this book down for days in a row, and it wasn't one that kept my attention. I loved the representation, but the story was pretty underwhelming. I loved the inclusion of the anxiety disorders and hardships of some childhood trauma, but I just felt like it wasn't that deep. It was a cute rom-com, but just not what I guess I was looking for.

I think that this book was pretty good, there was a lot of tension between the characters (Sexual, romantic, general tension) LOADS of tension which was done really well!

I think that Aja was a likable character, she was probably my favorite, and Walker was... something? (I don't know how to describe it, but I didn't like him haha)

Anyway, this book would have been a 5 star read for me if there was a different romantic partner (Something about Walker just... felt wrong)

This was the first book I’ve read by this author. I enjoyed it. I liked how the main character was a plus size woman. You don’t normally see that in books. This was a truly rom com book with some spicy themes. Aja new to the area encounters Walker while having a panic attack in a grocery store. This was a more realistic rom com. Tackling mental health was a great addition.

I received this ARC through #netgalley and I am voluntarily reviewing this book

Review: SPOILERS
The book was an overall 4.5 / 5 stars and a 3/5 for spice level. There were a few grammatical errors which I am sure will be corrected. And don't we all love a good smutty book hidden behind a cute cartoon cover?! But overall, I enjoyed the story of Aja and Walker and their growth in their relationship as well as their mental health struggles. And honorable mention Ms. May, Walker's Gram, she knew what she was doing playing matchmaker and I absolutely loved her character. I enjoyed the setting of the book as well since I was from a small southern town.I related to the main characters in this story as someone with anxiety/ social anxiety.
Aja was a curvy, plus sized, poc main character which was fun to read as many books that are popular have mostly white and/or "skinny" main characters. And I loved that she embraced her plus size! There was no questioning her looks when she learned the Walker was attractive to her. She is confident in her sexuality and what she wants which is refreshing. I do wish we got to see more of her backstory.
Walker was a gem to read about. It was impressive that the author included the male main characters pov and readers were able to get a deeper look into his mental state. He wasn't ashamed of his mental struggles/ insecurities and spoke about them openly with Aja. I enjoyed that quite a bit as the majority of romance books have the male MC being this hot, popular, womanizer which is not Walker. Walker was bullied, not always gorgeous, and without friends in his teen years due to his family issues. He was also honest with himself when thinking of if a long distance relationship would work with Aja; he knew in that moment he was going to be able to give Aja the relationship she would have deserved, which I respected a lot. I do wish we get a slower build up to Walker forgiving his dad, Benny. In my opinion, he seemed to be forgiven rather easily but then again Walker knew it was better for his mental health to begin working on their relationship.
Now the spice...
"'I am hungry,' he assured her. 'I'm just not hungry for food.' He could see the exact moment the realization dawned on her." "'I am hungry for you.' The words were ragged, born completely out of the burning inside him"The spice was not expected in this book but was appreciated. Walker calling Aja "peaches" is just swoon worthy. This man doesn't play when it comes to his peach cobbler, so when he told Aja she was better than peach cobbler....my heart.There was definitely tension building between the two throughout the story and their relationship development. And the spice in this book was probably some of the most realistic I have ever read. The male MC wasn't this animalistic male who growled/roared doing sex. I also enjoyed Aja and Walker being honest and careful with protection and speaking about getting tested. I enjoyed Aja and Walkers chemistry in the book and how they grew to love each other and their flaws.

The good: the open discussions about mental health issues, Aja overcoming her anxiety to make friends in her new town

The bad: the relationship between these two just didn't have that special something I look for in a contemporary romance. It felt more like they were into each other because they were in a small town with limited other options, not because they had a real bond.

I walked into this book expecting more sassy grandmas at bingo and it just...wasn't that! Jodie Slaughter is clearly a talented writer, this just wasn't the relationship for me.

I received this book as an ARC and here is my review. I loved this book and the honesty of difficult feelings it presents. It is filled with fun and laughter and also with angst and heartache. The characters are multi-dimensional and filled with every possible emotion. This story is impossible to put down and is well worth the time and thoughts. I totally recommend this book to readers who enjoy romance and all the ins and outs of any relationship.

I don’t usually read romances but the description of this one had me intrigued. I didn’t expect the book to be a page-turner and one that I wouldn’t be able to put down but I was pleasantly surprised. Although the book started out very slow by the time I got to the middle I had to find out how it would end. The sexual tension the author has the protagonists, Aja and Walker, endure is nail biting to say the least. I found the characters very believable and endearing. The author chose to deal with mental illness throughout the story which is what prompted me to read the book. The author portrayed very well what can occur during a panic attack and this helped make the characters believable.

I do hope there’s a sequel because I would like to know what the future holds for Aja and Walker. The epilogue provides a sneak peek but not enough to satisfy my curiosity.

I enjoyed this book and will read more by this author in the future.

What a breath of fresh air for the romance category. First off, as a young adult who has accompanied her Mamaw to Bingo, the author really captured the essence and vibes of Bingo. I love that it was dual perspective and that both of the main characters had depth and real problems. For once, the characters weren’t only existing with each other. They both had friends and/or family that they were interacting with throughout the book and not just to discuss the relationship between the characters. They both had mental health diagnoses that allowed for a deeper look into the characters. Watching Aja grow into her true self while Walker works on forgiveness made for a truly dynamic read — and you can’t forget the spice between Aja and Walker. Excited to see what Jodie will come up with next!

Thank you to NetGalley, St.Martin’s Press, and the author for an advanced copy of this book for my honest review.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4376809328

Thank you to the publisher for my copy in exchange for an honest review!

This book is a delight! Aja and Walker are so sweet and our ever-present meddling grandma is the QUEEN of the whole book!

I really loved how the author detailed Aja's journey with anxiety. It was honest, sincere, and made me root for her above everything else!

This was a very heartwarming romance in small town South Carolina. I truly appreciated the focus on mental health and knowing your boundaries, and also touching on just how hard it is to make friends as an adult. I will definitely be getting a copy of this when it is released.

Thank you NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Okay I was not expecting this book to be as amazing as it was! It’s tackling topics like normalizing mental illness and therapy, finding love and taking chances, and facing your fears all in one amazing book! I found myself cheering for both of the main characters to work through their struggles in finding friendships, repairing family relationships, and falling in love at the same time! Plus, this book really makes me want to play some bingo LOL

Favorite Quote: “Heartbreak is like any other loss… It doesn’t matter how much we try to brace ourselves; the blow never comes any softer.”

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book is well written and the characters are described well. TRIGGER WARNING CHILD ABUSE, ALCOHOL ABUSE. This book is set in South Carolina. It is quick paced with great mental health representation. I highly enjoyed this book. I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone. This book will be in stores on July 12, 2022 for $16.99 (USD). This book will keep you engrossed from the first page to the last page. So when July gets here check this book out.