BETTING ON YOU is a funny and sweet YA romance that I couldn't put down. The banter between Charlie and Bailey was A+ and had me grinning the whole read.

This book will put a smile on your face if you enjoy:
- grumpy/sunshine tropes
- tons of pop culture refs (especially if you're a Swiftie)
- clever writing and banter
- enemies to coworkers to friends (?) to lovers
- 10 Things I Hate About You


Thank you NetGalley for the early copy!

This was a fun, lighthearted romcom about two friends who fight about whether they're friends, then fall in love while trying not to let the other know. It's nothing new, but it's done quite well.

There were a few moments that took me out of the story a bit, like when Bailey was surprised at her mom's reaction to bringing Charlie on their vacation? Girl! In what world! Plus the goose? I get that there needed to be a reason for them to sleep in the same room but this was just a bit too out of the blue for me.

All in all, a fine little read that I think the teens will love.

Lynn freaking Painter does it again.
at this point, we can just assume i am in love with this women. the way she writes, has captured my heart in all the best ways. her books are always filled with feel good, ooey gooey moments that have me giggling and kicking my feet up like a school girl with a crush.

some forced proximity and fake dating written in the best way.

a not so meet cute turned into working together 3 years later. theres just so much fun to be had while reading these two and their journey to falling in love with one another. ugh.

this was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and it did not disappoint.

[arc review]
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Betting on You releases November 28, 2023

Told in dual pov, we have Charlie and Bailey, who are both children of divorced parents and bond over the shared experience.
They first meet on a solo flight travelling to and from their respective parent, and are seated beside each other.
Two years later, they run into each other at a movie theater, and then one year after that, they end up working at the same establishment.

This was… fine. It definitely read very young and the job environment didn’t help things since it centered around so many rambunctious and arcade-like games.

Bailey was painted as a typical high maintenance, type A, rule follower, and Charlie was the quintessential annoying male lead whose sole purpose was to pester the fmc.

I couldn’t get behind the romance at all because to me, they came across better suited to be platonic bickering siblings.

Not only did Charlie make a bet with his friend on whether he could “get” Bailey, but he also initiated a bet regarding Bailey’s best friend Nekesa to see if she would cheat on her current boyfriend with their mutual coworker… which is icky.

<i>“And coworkers are the worst, too, by the way, because they don’t realize they’re becoming ‘friends’ until that ‘friendship’ turns into attraction, which ultimately becomes a hookup.”</I>

The scene with the goose was so contrived, and admittedly, the placement of the cat was pretty random too. They just so happen to find a kitten in a tree on their last day of vacation and he climbs up the tree to rescue it and takes it home without even taking it to the vet or questioning if it belonged to someone?

I found that the dual pov wasn’t utilized well because we barely got a glimpse into what Charlie’s complicated home life was like or the types of things he was internally struggling with behind that mask of sarcasm that he often displayed.

If you enjoy pop culture references, this has a fmc who is a bookstagrammer that reads Emily Henry books, Taylor Swift easter eggs, and Nora Ephron movies among other things.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

This was okay. It’s a YA romcom, and had a little bit too much stuff added into the mix for me. The banter between the characters and the dual POV was really nice to read though. But maybe just too many Taylor references…? And I feel like I’ve read a story like this numerous times. There was nothing “new” so to speak.

A chance encounter on a plane leads to a strange "not-friendship" between 2 teens struggling to find balance after divorces move them across the country. Charlie doesn't believe that guys and girls can be friends, but as he gets to know Bailey, the lines between co-workers and something else blur. As Bailey gets to know Charlie, she sees the kind boy beneath the sarcasm. When a bet gets in the way, will their not-friendship crash and burn?

Two well developed characters and witty banter make this a great read. Miscommunication - not malice - will be the ultimate villain in this story. Enjoy!

✈️🐱🩷⛰️👩🏻‍❤️‍💋‍👨🏻

Thank you Simon & Schuster Canada and netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

LYNN PAINTER IS THE YA QUEEN!!! This book was so cute and so fun! I love Charlie and Bailey! Their chemistry and their banter was *chefs kiss*. PUFFBALL 😭 I really enjoyed their story and getting to know their backgrounds. I liked seeing them grow together and individually. It was such a cute, sweet book. It had me in my feels and I was rooting for Charlie and Bailey from page 1. I wish we learned more about Charlie's family life, as the book was more Bailey focused despite being dual POV. I am glad everything worked out for them though, they're so good together ♡

If you're looking for a fun YA, please check out this book. If you enjoyed Better Than the Movies and the Do-Over also written by Lynn, I would recommend reading this one too!!

Betting On You: ★★★★☆ (4)

Pub date: November 28, 2023 - PREORDER YOURS NOW!

Lynn Painter has done it again, and by "it" I mean she's written another amazing YA romcom filled with banter and humor and angst and I absolutely loved it. This one is definitely for us Swifties, as there are a ton of TSwift references throughout the book, plus Bailey is a booksta girl which made me love her even more. Both Bailey and Charlie have to deal with difficult family relationships, and I loved the way this topic was handled throughout the story, though I'd hoped for more of a resolution for Charlie's issues. Thanks to @simonandschusterca and @netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

Awww Bailey and Charlie really were the cutest "coworkers", couldn't help cheering for them the whole time.

This would make suuuuuuch a good movie!
I LOVED the dual POV, the banter (it’s was perfect for the characters) and the length of this book!

I definitely recommend to anyone who is a fan of Better Than the Movies 🥰.

Thank you so much to Simon Teen for my arc of this book 💙.

5/5⭐️

4.75 stars— thank you S&S Canada and NetGalley for the eArc! This was at the top of my 2023 highly anticipated reads list as Lynn Painter is one of my favourite authors and I’m so grateful I got to read and review an advanced copy!

The tropes in this dual POV book were executed perfectly: the annoying “enemies” who can’t stand each other to friends who work together to lovers, the slow burn, the fake dating… I loved the banter, the friendly teasing, the pining and jealousy, the glances and flirting! It was everything you’d want from a cute and funny romcom. Charlie and Bailey’s chemistry was undeniable and their back and forth teasing was HILARIOUS.

My only critique was that the third act felt messy and it stressed me out. I didn’t always agree with what the characters (including the side ones) said or did, and I wish Charlie grovelled a little more. I also wish we got to hear about Charlie explaining his anxiety to Bailey and see them building that trust so he could finally share that detail about his life. It felt like the book was building up to it but it was never fully resolved. I also spotted a spelling mistake I think so maybe the editing could be tightened up in the future. Other than that, I loved this book!

5/5 stars, I couldn’t put this book down! I was hooked from the very beginning. This is the first book I’ve read by Lynn Painter and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Now I can’t wait to go read her other books. This book is released November 28, 2023. Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada, Lynn Painter and Netgalley for an opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.

I was graciously given access to this book on Netgalley and without giving too much away it is a must read. I mean the romance, the cuteness, the absolute perfect rom com ! It will be a definite recommend to all my customers for both teens and adults, the romance themes are so well written and relatable. You don't feel bored for a moment. What i felt especially passionate about was the depiction of divorce in this novel. For such a lighthearted novel it really counted themes of divorce in a relatable and comforting way that made sense to me having gone through something similar with my parents divorce. Thank you for the read !

Such a cute freaking read😭🩷 the author just has a way to write the absolute best romances ahh—the only reason it isn’t 5 stars is because I’ve DIED for her other books in comparison to this one, and at times I felt it drag on a bit, but the chemistry between the characters was PHENOMENAL and I will be thinking about “Glasses” and “Mister Nothing” for the next few business days (or weeks, even).

Highly recommend!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

This was the perfect read! It took my stress away and made me laugh and cry and it was just so filling. A romcom in my hands. I loved Bailey and Charlie so much. And their love for Taylor Swift and Conan Gray and I just related to them so so much.

oh my god i want to be in love

charlie and bailey were so cute, and their individual dynamic balanced each other out so well. the forced proximity, the fear of relationships as a divorced kid, the "'you came' 'you called'" moment. i am literally crying.

This is my first Lynn Painter book and I can confirm that her previously published books have officially become priorities on my TBR for when I need a solid heartfelt rom-com moment.

I gave this book five stars because it just properly checked all of the boxes for me: there were endearing and unique, while also being relatable, characters; slow-ish burn romance with lots of playful banter and teasing; and plenty of Taylor Swift and pop-culture references (and I ate it up, of course).

This book was not ground-breaking, but that’s kind of what’s to love about it. It’s familiar, cozy, and a lot of fun. I loved Bailey and Charlie and the whole will they/ won’t they relationship dynamic that they had going on.

Side note: I really liked the authors portrayal of divorce in this story, it offered a perspective I don’t get to see very often in the media (or life, for that matter) and it was honestly refreshing and done quite well.

Overall, I definitely recommend this book if you’re a fan of rom-coms and Taylor Swift ;)