I was really excited to see another offering from Jayne Denker since I loved The Rom-Com Agenda so much. I don't usually like sweet romances, but that one hit all the right notes for me. In Hedging Your Bets, we return to the same town with several of the same characters. Unfortunately, overall, this one was a miss for me. I feel like it had so much potential and the elements were almost there, but then fell short in my opinion.
Throughout the story, the main FMC talks to a spirit (?) that she refers to as her inner Bette. This was cute the first time, but not the eleventy-billion times after that or when she started manifesting in real life. Unnecessary and a bit weird.
I was all in on the MMC back story with his ex and Aiden. But then that didn't really go anywhere and there was a random weird call to Aiden in the middle of the story that also didn't seem to have a purpose. This was never really fleshed out or explained well.
The slow burn "fighting" in this enemies to lovers trope (which is one of my favorites when done well) went on way too long and then jumped straight from I hate you to I love you in a few chapters. After the FMC was basically a snobby b-word to him the entire time.
And why couldn't MMC suddenly not say "I love you" at the end? This seemed like a stall tactic to get more words/pages in or to prolong the will-they/won't-they. It was never really clear why he had issues with saying that until all of a sudden he couldn't.
I live in a small town as well and although we do have some high flying personalities, the things the one woman was trying to get away with were not only mean and egregious but illegal. And everyone just continued to let it happen? I find this highly unlikely and as her antics continued to escalate, they just seemed more and more ridiculous.
I did enjoy hearing about the bad dates. Those were humorous if not a bit cliche. We've all been there. The writing is still lovely with some nice turns of phrase and unexpected descriptions.
The two main characters don't really even get together (definitely no "action") until around 80% which... I love a good slow burn... but that was a REALLY slow burn. And with a closed door romance, there wasn't even that much pay off until the very end. I guess overall I didn't really feel the chemistry between them.
Overall, this was an okay romance. I didn't feel compelled to keep turning the pages, but it was a fast easy read with little intense drama. I'm hoping the next book in the series will live up to The Rom-Com Agenda.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publishers for provided a free ARC copy of this book for my honest review.

I just love reading a good Grumpy/Sunshine book…
Gillian the beloved townie(yes it’s a small town romance as well) is a cheerful, loving woman who is divorced and trying to get herself out there, on dating apps. As she’s meeting horrible men who seem to want someone thinner, her new neighbor moves in and soon becomes her enemy(yes this is also an enemies to lovers also). Noah West just moved to Willow Cove, from California, after a rough breakup. Just on a whim he buys a house and the marina he worked in as a teen. When a gardening contest brings out the worse in both, Noah and Gillian, the competition is on.

I really enjoyed Gillian and Noah’s story. I just loved the older noisy neighbors! I also really enjoyed the friend group in the book, I feel like several books could come out of this one.
I really liked the dating aspect in the book and the issues that Gillian ran into. Especially cause it happens more than people would like to admit. Gillian might not of, but I loved Noah from the beginning.

Hedging Your Bets was a very cute and cozy romantic comedy set in a small town in upstate New York. I liked the previous book in this series so it was great to see some of the same characters pop up in scenes here and there and also meet some new people in the small town. Gillian and Noah clash right from the start when Noah arrives to town leading to some fun banter as they progress from enemies to friends and finally to lovers.
Noah very clearly took on too much when he moved across the country to take over a marina he had worked at when he was a teenager, only to find out that the marina has more debt than expected and realistically he has no idea what he is doing. Gillian is very happy in her life between her job as a pharmacist and her love of gardening. Her trials into the world of online dating were painful to read at times. She is a character that you definitely want to root for throughout the book after she gets out of a toxic marriage and seems to have her appearance judged constantly and way too harshly. Overall, Hedging Your Bets was a really fun and light read. I'm excited to read more from Jayne Denker. Thank you to St. Martin's Press/St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for the chance to read this novel.

I received a DIGITAL Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was fine but I found the middle section of the book way too slow and it bored me. But that's not to say that I disliked the book I just put the book down a lot more often than I normally do.

The meddling grannies were the best part about this book. They were great.

2.5 stars rounded up

This is a sweet enemies-to-lovers story. I liked the growth the two characters showed, and I also appreciated that they had great communication and understanding once they got together.

It wasn't my favorite read for the following reasons:
1. It read spicy at first (in terms of their attractions/fantasies about each other), but it was fade to black when the characters got together. Spice isn't a requirement for me in a romance novel, but it surprised me based on what I was expecting.
2. It took nearly all of the book for the characters to show they even liked each other much less were interested romantically in one another.
3. The dialogue felt stilted in places, and some of the things the male character thought/said made me cringe.
4. I wasn't entirely convinced even by the end that they would work out based on how much they disliked each other at the start, which I recognize is hard to pull off with this trope, but I wanted it to come together better.

Overall, I enjoyed the read and would recommend it, it just didn't stand out to me as one of my favorites!

“Hedging Your Bets” by Jayne Denker
A Fun Read, for certain sure!
I thoroughly enjoyed my time in this story. It is a romantic story with a humorous side. I loved the feeling of community and the power of friendships; made me want to be a part of this family of friends and relatives. Happy Reading ! !
Note: This review expresses my honest opinion.
I received an ARC of this story from the publisher via NetGalley

This was a cute and cozy read for me. I loved the slow burn trope, and that there was a competition between the two main characters! This is lighthearted and perfect for a sweet afternoon read.

This didn't have a third-act breakup. That might be a little bit of a spoiler, but not really. I think it actually worked for me. It was different. I feel like Denker still managed to insert tension with the whole garden competition at the end without leaning on miscommunication or secret-keeping or any of that. I also knew to expect, from reading this author before, that there would be a fade-to-black sex scene. I enjoyed the fat representation, the fun friend group, the sassy, spit-fire FMC, and just in general had a good time reading this. I'm looking forward to maybe finally getting Gray and Delia in the next one? That would be awesome.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for providing me with this free ebook for my review!

DNF at 61%. I tried pushing through this book but I was not invested in the characters at all. I felt like they had no chemistry and their crush on eachother was really forced. I hated both Gillian and Noah’s characters a lot and found them both really terrible at communicating their issues.

I don’t know if the story got better after they finally got together but I really couldn’t push myself to read any further.

This was a nice cozy romance and pretty much closed door. I liked the premise of the story. Our FMC Gillian is a pharmacist who on the side loves gardening and runs in the local garden competition. She is determined to win this year even though her so called nemesis is a judge. Then comes our MMC Noah who becomes her new hot neighbor who comes out grumpy but just got out of a 2 year commitment and upended his life with a new business and moving across the country. The two end up becoming enemies and compete in the garden competition. This was a nice quick light read and I would recommend for someone looking for that.

A huge thanks to Jayne Denker, Netgalley and St. Martin's Press.

This book was cute. I was exciting to give a different genre a try. I did find it slow at times and Gillian and Noah fought in most of the book. I just couldn’t connect with the characters which made it harder for me to finish the book.
Thank you NetGalley, Jayne and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

Thank you, @netgalley, for a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This was a sweet tale of new neighbors becoming enemies to friends to lovers.

I always love a small town romance, whether it's sweet or spicy. The group of friends are fierce and loyal. In fact, every person in this town, except for one, is fiercely loyal to Gillian. It does make the new guys job hard of winning them over when he takes out part of her garden.

Tropes:
Small town
Enemies to friends to lovers
Competitors
New in town
Banter
Slow burn
Closed door romance

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

2.5 stars
So disappointed. I absolutely loved The Rom-Com Agenda (5 stars) and knew this one, not necessarily part of a series per se, had the same side characters. Gillian and Noah were such jerks to each other, I don't know how the romance part of "enemies to lovers" trope would take place, and I didn't read enough to find out. DNF'd at 35% as I just didn't care about either one, or what happened to them. They were so juvenile. The parts of the story with the friend group were funny.

It was cute . The premise was interesting and thought i would give it a try. Sadly, it was a bit slow to my liking and it was a bit confusing at times. A lot of names to keep track with the pacing od the story.

Gillian is hung up in her dating life. After a separation from her husband and serial dating every available man in her town, a strange, rude neighbor shows up, and immediately makes an enemy of her. Noah struggles to get his footing in this coastal neighborhood, especially when his neighbor, an affluent gardener/ pharmacist, despises him. With the local gardening competition quickly approaching, they might have to team up and put their differences aside.

I really liked the premise for this book. I only wish that the dialogue was more romantic and less realistic, if that makes sense. It took me so long to get into this book, purely because the chapters were so long it felt like a battle to read. But, I do love their love story, and I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a clean romance.

One thing that was confusing to me throughout the book was that there were so many characters. Yes, Gillian had a lot of friends, there were just a lot of people to keep track of, and I found myself getting lost. Along those lines, I found it difficult to classify some of the characters’ ages. I thought all of the women at the beginning were older than Gillian, acting as substitute mother figures. I didn’t know what the roles of Ben and Eli were, so their characters were confusing to me.

Finally, I really liked this book. I did not binge read it, but it was a nice pick-me-up after a long day of classes. This book has made me interested in this author, and I will gladly pick up another one of her books sometime soon.

Was so excited to read this advanced copy! I really liked the plot, and how the characters grew together. Reccomend!

Such a cute, uplifting story about two adults coming into their own as individuals and, eventually, together as a couple! If you are looking for a funny, heartwarming, low drama, no third act breakup, enemies to lovers rom com, this is a safe bet for you! I'm usually an open-door romance reader, but the slow burn, will they/won't they of this closed-door romance kept me hooked the whole time. Loved that the main character was a strong, likeable, woman, but had very relatable insecurities. However, she wasn't so insecure that she was self-destructive to her relationships like some stories tend to go.
It's a great read for spring time or when you want to be reminded what it feels like to have sunny gardening days!

In Hedging Your Bets, readers are welcomed into a tale of resilience, self-discovery, and the unexpected joys of love. Gillian, the strong-willed protagonist, emerges from the shadows of a toxic marriage to prioritize her own well-being. Her pride and joy lie within the carefully tended haven of her garden, a year-round labor of love entered into the local contest, symbolizing her determination to cultivate a new chapter in life.

The story takes place in the charming town of Willow Cove, where Gillian's life takes an unexpected turn with the arrival of Noah, a neighbor with a shared history of heartbreak. The enemies-to-lovers theme adds a delightful layer of tension to the story, and the pacing mirrors the careful growth of Gillian's prized garden—steady, deliberate, and ultimately rewarding.

I enjoyed her similarly aged friend group as they added depth and relatability to the story. Additionally, the town gossips, an older group of women, provide an amusing yet endearing backdrop, offering support and occasional meddling that adds a delightful touch to the narrative. This is more of a slow-burn romance and while not overtly steamy, the sweetness of their connection is palpable and heartwarming.

For readers seeking a contemporary romance that balances heartwarming moments with genuine character development, Hedging Your Bets is a delightful choice. Fans of enemies-to-lovers tropes and closed-door romances will find this book a satisfying addition to their shelves.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of this novel.

This slow burn rom com was adorable! The beginning was very slow but once I knew that Gillian and Noah were flirting, it made it easier to want to keep reading. I love how Gillian was confident in herself and her body as a plus size woman. It's always great to read about that representation. I was cracking up at the group of old ladies who live in the neighborhood and meddle. If the beginning had not been so slow, this would have been a 4 star read for me, but it took me numerous tries to get into the book.

This was my first time reading a book by Jayne Denker. It was a slow burn, rom/com but it picked up towards the end of the book.

When Noah and Gillian both realize that they liked each other, that’s when I really started to get interested in the story.

My favorite characters were the gang of old lady neighbors. Judy was so funny and I loved how nosy they were.

Another thing I loved was that Gillian was a full figured confident woman. I haven’t read many books about full figured/plus size woman. Being plus size myself I loved that representation.

I didn’t really care for Bette.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for letting me read an E-arc and giving my opinion and review.