This novel has a great beginning, and I'm glad to see these characters and their struggles. I was absolutely drawn in by bingo and hope for matchmaking/meddling by older women. The steaminess of the romance was also wonderful. That said, I found myself skimming what seemed like repetitive and slightly too long descriptions of the character's struggles with their mental health and familial relationships. By the end of the novel, I kinda didn't think Walker deserved to be forgiven (so quickly) by Aja. I wondered if their personal struggles were also too parallel, which made it feel extra repetitive when either was spiraling.

Thank you to NetGalley for this advanced reader copy. All opinions in this review are my own.

I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read this book ARC and I really loved it! Bet On It has a lot of my favorite romantic comedy book tropes, but I think there are a few things to focus on.

1. A good look at small town life. Lots of rom coms take place in the big city, and I don’t really read a ton that focus on small town life. Bet On It looks at the benefits of living in a small town (i.e., the community) but also the challenges of living in a small community, like incessant gossip. The author did a great job of making both things feel really believable.
2. Male mental health. I have read a lot of books that discuss mental health, but this is the first one I’ve read where it’s such a point of focus for the male protagonist. I think it’s much more traditional in romance books for the female protagonist to overcome any mental health challenges, and that is definitely well represented here. However I really loved the fact that the male protagonist had real mental health challenges (and trauma) and spent a lot of time discussing them and coping with them. It was a really refreshing plot point that I greatly enjoyed.
3. The Bet. Betting spice on bingo? Love it! What a fun and clever challenge and plot point. I thought the spice in this book was great, and really love reading about sex-positive characters. Plus, the main character describes herself as fat, and I think it’s so important that readers see different body types deserving of love and spice. This has both in spades, and I really liked reading all of it!

Aja and Walker meet at the frozen food aisle of the Piggly Wiggly in the middle of Aja’s anxiety attack. Because of Walker’s own experience with anxiety, he knows how to be there for her and helps her calm down. After their initial encounter, she bumps into him again when he turns out to be her bingo buddy’s grandson.

Slaughter does a great job of describing anxiety and dealing with mental health issues, but it makes for a difficult read because the heavy parts weigh on you. Similarly, although Aja and Walker’s sexual tension is palpable, their love story felt more like a lust story - which is fine if that’s what you expect or are looking for, but not if you’re looking for a wholesome read.

Overall, Slaughter is a good writer and her book is enjoyable. I wouldn’t prioritize it, but I would recommend it if you want to read a love story between two anxious folks and how supportive it is to be with someone who understands.

So here’s the thing: I only finished the first 14% of this book before I had to stop. And the reason I had to stop is because the book starts out with very serious mental health issues. Both main characters have anxiety, panic disorder, and PTSD. As someone who has multiple anxiety disorders myself, I found this book very triggering. And odd as this sounds I mean that as a compliment. The anxiety is very well written and very accurate. There’s a section where Aja made plans to go to a group event but canceled because of her anxiety, and the shame she felt for days afterwards—I had a little cry over that because I do the exact same thing.

There’s probably some fun sexy times later in the book; just be aware of the heaviness at the beginning.

Thank you to NetGalley for this advanced reader copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
CW: references of mental illness, anxiety, PTSD, drug abuse, child endangerment

An absolutely easy 5 star read!!

Things I loved:
- meet (not so) cute
- complex family relationships
- genuine conversations and depictions of anxiety and mental health
- unabashed sexual attractions
- boy obsessed
- witty banter and humor
- a bingo sex pact
- peach cobbler/piggly wiggly/Atlanta Braves/a love letter to the south through the depiction of South Carolina (while still addressing the realities of being Black in the small town south.)
- the TENSION
- good communication
- good friends with real conversations and relationships

Aja and Walker are kindred souls, which is apparent from their first encounter in the piggly wiggly isle. They understand each other and their experiences, and are so communicative about their needs and prioritizing their mental health. While the relationship sparks quickly, it is rooted in friendship and understanding and they truly just LIKE being around each other. Mix in some bingo humor, a strong emphasis on mental health, discussion of complex families, and enough sexual tension to make you explode, and this book is a light-hearted show stopper that will fill your soul almost as perfectly as Minnie’s Peach Cobbler.

It’s a fast and witty read, perfect for a summer day!

(A side note that I did not include in my review: other than a few minor typos, there were 3 inconsistencies that I noticed: When Aja is about to get her hair done, she says she is getting braids and then a few lines later Walker wonders what she’s doing. When talking about Benny, May says he’s coming in September but to fit the 8 week timeline it would be in July (which is when he is ends up coming). In the epilogue when they talk about people that helped them move, they mention Maya but that character hadn’t been mentioned before.

This book took me awhile to get into. I think I expect a light and easy book to just breeze through. The PTSD and the realness of anxiety made it real. The author dealt with these issues well. But...... I wanted a meet cute, light romance. It wasn't bad just not my fit for what I needed at the time. It did have moments that I enjoyed and thought was cute. I was cheering them on the whole time. Not much relationship building before they were hitting the bedroom, that missed it for me. I like the building up to that moment. Overall it was okay, nothing more or less. Just okay!

Thank You Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! A wonderfully written love story about two people who suffer from panic attacks and had a lot of suffering in their formative years but manage to help each other become better and stronger people. Great to read a story about a white-black relationship that focuses on character, not just on sex. Walker and Aja are wonderful characters and perfect for each other. Received an ARC from NetGalley. My opinions are my own.

This was a fun rom-com with real issues. While it was fluffy, cute, and funny, it handled some very serious topics like anxiety and child neglect. I loved seeing both characters work on their issues and develop relationships outside of their own. I was rooting for them to be a couple the whole time but rooting for them to be happy on their own as well. I loved seeing their character development with fun flirty banter in the mix. I recommend this book but be aware of the possible triggers.

This was SO fun. The romance is sweet and a bit steamy, it was funny, it didn't take a ton of mental energy to read (which is always a plus), and overall was written really well. I can't recommend this enough if you want a solid romcom.

This book has a little something for everyone: contemporary romance, fun flirty characters, lol moments, some steamy moments, and it also tackles some serious issues such as anxiety.
I'm obsessed. It's SO MUCH FUN but also SO real and I am just so deeply invested in this book.

Aja experiences a panic attack in the frozen food aisle of her local grocery store. Walker recognizes the symptoms and helps her through the attack. She is able to complete her shopping and leave the store without embarrassment. They meet again at Bingo as Aja plays each week, and Walker is there to help his grandmother who is recovering from a fall. This sets the course for the book. Their friendship turns into much more based on their attraction to each other as well as their understanding of their coping mechanisms. This was an interesting read. I didn't really care for it, but I did enjoy the thought the author put into the situations and the couple's relationship..

Loved the concept of a wholesome meet cute. I always appreciate accurate, and honest mental health discussions. This book had a lot of great things going for it, but I never felt any chemistry. The interactions and dialogue came across as cheesy. Overall, and entertaining contemporary romance…

This was a fun romance! I enjoyed the bingo aspect. Both characters were very engaging and I rooted for them throughout.

Thank you to the publisher for this ARC!

Love love loved this book! Characters dealing with mental illness, love, sex and bingo…you can’t go wrong! This book was written so well, the author had great character building with characters that were likable. I loved how quick and fun of a read this was! Romantic and cute and exactly the perfect kind of rom-com for the summer it comes out!

I absolutely adored this book. I mean Jodie did so much right. From not having the narrative at all about Aja's weight. Loved. Having mental health and anxiety be the driving storyline. The good and the ugly of mental health and boundaries..adored.

Aja is the most understanding and unpretentious person ever. Walker has some baggage coming back into town and he knows he isn't staying for long.
Meanwhile, the chemistry between Aja and Walker is hard to resist and boy do they try.

The sex was amazing... Perfectly spicy. I hope this is a series and I can read more. Awesome. It's a yes for me!

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

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley #netgalley

Diversity in relationships is so amazing to see in a curvy heroine was even better!

Both Aja and Walker suffer from PTSD: anxiety and panic attacks. They find each other, quite amusingly, at a Bingo Hall in Greenbelt SC that Aja and Walker’s grandmother frequent. Walker grew up in that town and it has traumatic memories for him: his father was a junkie and even when he moved in with his grandmother the townsfolk rejected him and made up rumors and so on about him. He hates the town but is there to care for his grandmother who has broken both arms. Aja has trauma of her own and has just moved to Greenbelt where she feels safe emotionally. But there is no stopping attraction and love.
The author warns that there will be mental health and child endangerment issues so that folks don’t stumble into the book and have difficulties. Even though it deals with such issues the book is not a downer. You grow to understand and love the characters. The plot and the outcome are beautiful. It is also nice to provide books for my patrons with inter-racial couples. Thank you author and publishers. I would recommend this book to my patrons.

What a lovely, thoughtful read! This book follows two characters, one with anxiety and one with complex PTSD from a childhood of neglect, in a small South Carolina town. It so vividly captures the small town atmosphere (in all its charms and hurts!) and the complicated nature of recovery from mental illess, while still having levity and lots of swoons. I loved watching them fall in love with each other and the realistic way they had to grapple with their own insecurities and flaws in the process. The bingo bet was so fun, and even though it seemed unlikely at first, what twenty-something has not deliberately made their love life harder for the sake of trying to keep someone at arm's length? A fun read that tackles some heavy topics with elegance.

I may be in the minority here, but I'm not a fan of this book. It seemed to drag on and a lot of it was repetitive. (I get that you have anxiety and you have PTSD, now move on.) It was very predictable also so I was just waiting to get to the end and what I knew was coming. 2-2.5 stars at best.

Aja was shopping when she had a panic attack. While resting her head on the freezer glass, trying to calm herself, Walker noticed her and the symptoms of the attack. He stood with her until she could exit the store. Aja wanted friends but could not get herself to go many places except for bingo on Wednesday nights. She always sat by Ms. May and felt relaxed. One night Ms. May introduces her to her grandson who is in town to take care of her after she broke both arms. Of course, he is the guy from the grocery store. Over time they begin to see each other and it seems they both have painful childhoods, PTSD, panic attacks and issues of trust. Walker has patience and understanding as they maneuver through the dating difficulties. The importance of friends who accept you as you are is utmost if you are going to have a social life at all. I liked these characters and feel that the reader gains insight into those who experience mental health issues.