Bet On It by Jodie Slaughter is a good fit for readers looking for a heartfarming and humorous contemporary romance that explores the complexities of addiction, mental health, and the healing power of love and connection.

Bet on It by Jodie Slaughter is a charming romance. Aja first meets the man of her dreams in the middle of a grocery store during a panic attack. The second time? When he turns out to be the grandson taking care of her injured bingo buddy. Walker is counting the days for his grandmother to be healed so he can escape the town he never wanted to return to. Facing past traumas and helping each other find the words for their anxiety and what they need to move past it? Check. High stakes gambling on bingo? Check. Body positivity? Check. Figuring out how to make friends as an adult? Check. Delightful banter to keep you smiling? Check. This book is lovely in so many ways and certainly stays with readers.

Thank you @Netgalley and @JodieSlaughter for the ARC.

This book is such a fun romance. Aja and Walker have a chance encounter when she's suffering a panic attack, but they don't get to know each other until they meet again at Bingo. Walker is the grandson of Aja's bingo buddy, and the chemistry between them is sizzling. Both characters have mental health concerns: Walker suffers from PTSD and being back home is triggering on many levels, and Aja's anxiety is so debilitating that she moved away from Washington, DC to live a calmer life. They obstacles they overcome are not insignificant and they're handled with care. There was one particular steamy scene that had me SO anxious, but it all turned out the way it should. It's a great read with wonderful main characters.

Many thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the advance listener's copy in exchange for my honest feedback.

I loved several things about the diversity represented in this book:
- size positive
- anxiety that wasn’t tropey
- interracial relationship
- strong female character
Ultimately though, the central conflict just wasn’t the right story for me and I struggled to connect with their characters. I will definitely check out this author in the future however. I enjoyed the writing, the witty banter, and the spice, whether the story delivered or not.

a charming and captivating audiobook that will keep listeners engaged from start to finish. With excellent narration and a well-crafted plot, it is a delightful blend of romance, humor, and heartfelt moments. This book is perfect for anyone looking for a feel-good story that reminds us to embrace the unexpected and trust our hearts.

Initially introduced as the semi-estranged grandson of Aja's favorite bingo companion, Walker becomes an unexpected constant in Aja's life. Despite their initial differences, they form a connection over bingo and shared experiences, ultimately leading to a bingo-themed pact to manage their growing feelings. This story blends humor and romance, while touching on themes of mental health, intimacy boundaries, and personal growth from past trauma, with PTSD and anxiety representation.

Sincere thanks to Macmillian Audio for an advanced listener copy in exchange for an honest review.

Bet on It by Jodie Slaughter is a cute rom-com with great dialogue and a sweet relationship. I like the writing and character development.

I received a review copy of this book from the author/publisher through NetGalley for my honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

I really enjoyed this book. It helped me get into the audio book format. What a cute ROM COM! I definitely suggest this book in audio!

This was a cute rom-com, but it was a miss for me. I think others will enjoy this book. It just was not for me.

A very funny, cosy romance, with PTSD and anxiety rep. This was a relaxing read and I really enjoyed seeing the main characters bond and grow closer - especially over bingo, which is often stereotyped as a hobby for older people. Aja was such a lovely protagonist and I just wanted her to find happiness throughout the story, which she did. I felt like we didn't get as much of Walker's personality as we did Aja, but I really liked their conversations about mental health and intimacy boundaries. Overall, this was a fun read!

I liked so many things about this book. Number one is was a fun, easy read that was paced really well. I also love the look at mental health. I suffer from PTSD and have had periods of horrible panic attacks though, thankfully, they are much better now. Anyway, the descriptions were really close to what I've felt when my panics are beginning and I love the way it was done in this book. Also, playing bingo is awesome and I love that it isn't just for the old people in this book as well. The characters and their banter was great and all around, I just thought this was wonderful. I will be picking up more books my Jodie Slaughter in the future!

This was a cute book and I liked the meet cute and the interfering/matchmaking elders as well. I liked the lead characters but the heroine was stronger for me

Bet On It by Jodie Slaughter tells a story of sexual tension, romance, and Bingo in a way that keeps you hooked. In this page-turning romance, we meet Aja Owens who is newer to Greenbelt, South Carolina. She's just trying to make it in a new place with less anxiety and pressure from a larger city. Aja encounters her dream man in the most unexpected place - the aisle of the Piggly Wiggly. In the middle of a panic attack, she meets Walker Abbott, who recognizes her panic attack and treats the situation and Aja with kindness and understanding. From that moment, I fell in love with Walker. Their second unlikely meeting is at Bingo where they have a mutual connection. Walker's grandmother is Aja's Bingo buddy. Throughout the novel, sparks fly, sexual tensions rise, and they make a bingo sex pact in order to keep their mutual attraction in check.

There were so many things about this book that I absolutely loved. As someone well-versed in dealing with anxiety, this was a refreshing representation for me. Both characters had their own mental health journeys to embark on. Aja with anxiety and Walker with PTSD and issues with being neglected as a child. They were both allowed to be who they were dealing with their issues with patience, time, and therapy. The journeys that each character went on kept me hooked throughout the book as well as gave me not only their budding romance to look forward to, but also their individual triumphs and hurdles.

I truly adored how they first met and continued to bump into one another. The spicy scenes throughout the book were incredible, and this is a story I would highly recommend to anyone looking to read a fun, but spicy love story. I rated Bet On It by Jodie Slaughter 5 Stars.

(Content Warning: The story deals with mental health, anxiety, PTSD, child neglect, and parental substance abuse)
This book was given as an ARC from Netgalley. I am willingly leaving an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for access to the audiobook of Bet on It by Jodie Slaughter in exchange for an honest review. In addition, I also won a physical copy of the book via a Goodreads giveaway.

CW: panic attacks, anxiety, see full list on StoryGraph

Such a sweet, relatively low spice romance. I loved the fun element of these two meeting at his grandmother's bingo event. So cute.

The shared bond between these two main characters and their felt experience of anxiety was so beautiful to see. They were able to lend so much empathy and space for one another.

Definitely pick this one up!

This was a hilarious yet somewhat steamy romance read. If you are looking for something with a chance encounter with true love this is for you.

The one thing I will never get over is how he didn’t even APOLOGIZE???

In all honesty, I considered DNF’ing this book multiple times. I really think I should have, but of course, I just wanted to see this romance play out. Ultimately, it just felt like trauma bonding.

Add in one too many peach cobbler monologues and this book just wasn’t for me and I had really wanted it to be. It also didn’t help that the voice for the MMC was quite the choice.

I would still probably read the author’s next book though.

What a sexy and steamy read! I just loved the relationship between Aja and Walker, and it proved yet again how much I’ve been enjoying small town romances lately.

The narrator was wonderful, and I felt like it was a perfect mix of funny yet heartwarming moments throughout.

*many thanks to St Martins Press and Macmillan Audio for the gifted copy for review

Unfortunately, “bingo sex pact” turned out to be a lot less exciting than I thought it would be.

Narration: New to me narrator, enjoyed, but not actively seeking out other books to listen to,

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the copy to review.

This one was so sweet and surprisingly steamy. Aja and Walker were everything I could ask for in MCs. It’s the perfect blend of light and serious issues. As a South Carolina resident, I loved being in the small town setting.

Aja moves to a small town to manage her anxiety. Walker comes back to the same town to help his grandma recover from an injury. The two meet by chance in Piggly Wiggly (could you be any more Southern?) when Walker sees Aja having a panic attack and goes to soothe her. They meet again in the bingo hall and what starts as a casual friendship leads to more!

I loved the romance between Aja and Walker, but I loved watching them grow and face their traumas even more.


Recommended if you like:
-small town romances
-mental illness rep
-plus size FMC
-book boyfriends
-sassy grandmothers
-great chemistry & banter
-open door romance
-playing bingo
-peach cobbler

The narration was great!

TW: drug use/addiction, parental abandonment, anxiety, panic attacks, PTSD

Thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and the author for my ALC copy. Bet On It is out now!

Review ⭐️⭐️. 🌶🌶🌶

A pair of single and bored adults in a small town playing bingo, fall into a strange bingo game based friends with benefits.

The male character is kinda cringy, it seems to be received well in the story but was off putting for myself personally.

Heavy on the narrators perspective when telling the story. Heavy on the sass and swearing, see trigger warnings before reading.

The spice in this book is moderate to heavy and if you’d like a spicy book with a generally story line this is the perfect pick.

Over all a good real life fiends to lovers romance with a dash of spicy

Thank you NetGalley and the author for the audiobook for my honest review.