This is an interesting one for me to rate - on the one hand, there's a lot to like here. The enemies to lovers trope is well done, the tension is good, and at times I laughed out loud. At the same time, it leaned pretty heavily into the small town tropes - nosy neighbors, everyone knows everyone, low-level town council corruption.

I think it's a good beach read, or even a nice fall read. Curl up and enjoy the book! But it's not quite memorable enough to rate any higher for me personally. 3.5 stars rounded down. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC.

Gillian has been divorced for several years, and with a number of bad dating experiences behind her, she decides to stay happily single. Her passion is gardening, and her flowers make her happy.

When Noah West moves in next door after a bad breakup, his austere minimalist view of everything turns into a headache for Gillian. Their relationship goes from entertaining enemies to friends to lovers.

I really enjoyed the bicker and banter in the relationship with these two. It was fun and heartwarming to watch them grow together. I generally enjoy a little more spice in my romance books, but I knew going into this that I wouldn't get that, so I still really enjoyed it. I would definitely recommend this if you enjoy enemies to lovers romances!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you for the ARC 🪴 this was a cute enemies-to-lovers, small town romcom. While the romance itself was sweet enough, what I liked most in this book was Gillian and the topics of body image.
I’ll admit, the plus size chick on the cover was a big draw for me. I love books that have characters without “toned legs and a taut stomach”; I honestly don’t know anyone especially women, in real life that match that description. As a plus size gal myself, the way other people talked about Gillian’s body could have been pulled right from my own experiences. The way Gillian remained kind and confident was inspiring and exactly how I wish more of us handled judgement.
Louise was a well crafted villain and the neighbors added some levity. Overall, I enjoyed it. I don’t think I’d reread it but for a feel good romance with a curvy FMC it satisfied that for me.

This romcom was a happy find! I loved the premise (new neighbors who got off to a rough start and a garden competition), the characters were well fleshed out, lots of great wide characters, and a believable plot line. I think the way the main characters handled difficult situations was done really well and in a way that was believable but engaging. There was definitely romance and a great love story but no real spice. There is some swearing sprinkled throughout.

I received this ebook as an ARC from Netgalley and this is my honest review!

Absolutely fantastic plot! Could not put the book down once I began reading it. Cannot wait for it to be released. I will recommend it to everyone I know!

Gillian is a pharmacist who loves to garden. When her new neighbor moves in and rips up a hedge that’s precious to her garden design, the two become instant enemies. Along the way there are fights, pranks, and heated moments, which turn to laughter, sharing, and lingering moments as these enemies become friends. This slow burn romance features a plus-sized lead who is sure of herself and a (hidden) golden retriever male lead. A fun read featuring lots of tension, longing stares, and love!

Gillian is divorced and decides to try dating apps. So far, she has not been successful. The night she sees a young man in her neighbor’s house she can’t help wanting to meet him. When she sees him digging out the shrubs lining their driveway, she hates him. She has a garden competition coming up and those hedges were important to her. When Noah West’s girlfriend dumped him, he moved to Willow Cove buying the house next door to Gillian. He bought the marina where he worked as a boy after the owner died. Being a small town, when Gillian expresses her hate for her new neighbor, her friends don’t accept him. When he finds out there are liens on the marina for back taxes, he is asked to create his own garden to make sure Gillian does not win first place. I really enjoyed this book. The dates Gillian goes on with the dating app offer a lot of laughs. Noah’s attempt to get Gillian to like him is also endearing. I loved the small-town community and their allegiance to Gillian. It is fun to see their romance blossom. Great characters and story.

I loved the bickering and the community of Willow Cove because the side characters were just as good as the actual main characters.

This book is basically about a guy named Noah who moves to this small town and then wrecks this girl Gillian's garden and then they fall in love.

3 stars!

This book was cute and I enjoyed the theme of the gardening contest.

I did find it hard to keep track of all the different friends (that may just be a me problem).

I did enjoy the representation of the dating difficulties as a plus size woman.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

HEDGING YOUR BETS is filled with gossipy neighbors, a gardening competition, and an enemies-to-lovers romance that is just so precious! I adore all of Ms. Denker's books and this one is no exception. The characters from Ms. Denker's Willow Cove series make appearances, with Gillian, the pretty pharmacist, this time as star. Gillian is an avid gardener and has not yet won the town's gardening competition, since she unfortunately endures a vendetta from the head judge. Also, Gillian is a divorcee' and is on dating apps. One awful date after another leaves her jaded. When a hunkalicious man moves in next door, Gillian is hopeful. Maybe he is her match?

Noah West, suffers a rough breakup, is extremely grumpy and moves to Willow Cove. He is the new owner of a marina and proud owner of a house. He lives next door to a curvy, pretty lady. Noah is irritable after sweating and pulling out an ugly shrub. Noah is smitten with the snappy kitten as they argue over a hedge he unknowingly destroyed that was part of Gillian's garden plan. Now he's made an enemy with his dishy neighbor.

After Gillan meets her new neighbor turned nemesis after he uproots a beautiful boxwood bordering her garden, she loses hope in the male species. The war is on between them, Gillian is angry, Noah is spiteful, which makes for strained interactions. However, Noah is conned by the head judge to enter the garden contest and Gillian is furious. As they garden, side-by-side, bickering, bantering, and more, they forge a friendship. Is it possible that Gillian and Noah will fall in love with each other?

HEDGING YOUR BETS is a highly entertaining, grumpy meets sunshine, with small-town vibes, nosy neighbors, that perfectly combine in this winning new novel from my favorite author. Gillian and Noah fight over their gardens, social lives and more. However, there is an underlying romantic thread that brings them together, sneakily. Ms. Denker does a spectacular job of flushing out a rousing romance of will they or won't they get together? I often wondered if Noah and Gillian would put down their boxing gloves long enough to get to know one another. This is a delightful, delicious, doozy of a story that you will love!

Hedging Your Bets by Jayne Denker brings the reader back to Willow Cove and includes cameos from other characters from the author’s previous novel, The Rom-Com Agenda. Gillian is a pharmacist and avid gardener, who although not due to lack of effort but instead vendetta from the head judge, has yet to win the local gardening competition. Noah moves in next-door and immediately, unbeknownst to him, makes a change to his backyard. An ongoing banter battle ensues between the two. Cute book set in a small-town filled with gossiping neighbours, a close friend group and some healthy (gardening) competition.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for offering me a copy of the eARC of this book, as well as NetGalley and the author, in exchange for an honest review.

A fast-paced enemies-to-lovers romance that features two neighbors caught up in a gardening competition. Some fun characters and situations in the book, but there were enough moments of knee-jerk meanness between the two love interests that I just wanted to bash their heads together and tell them to stop being idiots. And I try REALLY hard not to call people idiots, so I hope that conveys my level of frustration.

Thank you, St Martin's Griffin and NetGalley, for providing an eARC of this book. Opinions expressed here are solely my own.

Loved, loved, loved this story of Gillian and Noah and their wonderful town. I appreciated the honest reflection on dating as woman who isn’t a size 0. Great dialogue. Sweet story. No 3rd act break up … and honest reflection between characters! What a novel concept.

This was a thoroughly entertaining and banter-y new neighbours + enemies to lovers + grumpy/sunshine + small-town romance ahh 😭 and the cover is so accurate?? The book is exactly what the cover is, they're neighbours, they have numerous fights about their gardens, and these fights do end up bringing them together time and again. If you're looking for a cheery read, I'd definitely recommend this!

TWs - fatphobia, divorce (past), a sudden breakup (past and present), professional sabotage, blackmail

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

I received this from NetGalley last week because I reviewed her earlier book. It doesn't come out until next January - was a delightful stand alone that can also be seen as a follow up to her earlier work.

Gillian has been divorced for a few years now but hasn't been able to dive into a new relationship until this summer when she begins going on a lot of "dating app first dates." She's also working on her garden for the annual summer competition. Then Noah moves in next door, rips out the hedges that line her garden, and makes a way into her heart - when they aren't battling!

It's a sweet love story!

Thank you soooooo much netgalley, the author and the publisher for the advanced review copy if this book💗
"I voluntarily read and reviewed the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”



Beautiful, fun🥰✨💞

really good romance in a small town and two neighbors who end up falling in love. Love the friends and the old ladies that are watching them. Loved that she is dating different guys and things work out for noah. Good romance .

Gillian is a pharmacist and garden enthusiast. Every year she enters the town garden competition, but this year, her obnoxious new next door neighbor Noah intends to give her a run for her money. They immediately start off in the wrong foot with each other, and become rivals and enemies quickly.

This is a sweet companion novel to The Rom Com Agenda. The stories are loosely connected but could also be read as standalones. The tropes in this one were so much fun- enemies to lovers always makes for great banter and this was no exception. I enjoyed Gillian being an unapologetic curvy woman and her insight into the way she is treated by both men and women because of her size. The garden gnome storyline was cute and I enjoyed their antics to get on each other’s nerves, while clearly caring about each other. If you love plants, friendly competition, enemies to lovers, and closed door romance, this is the book for you!

Thank you to Jayne Denker, St. Martin’s Press, and Netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

she was cute! i definitely flew through this one and while she was enjoyable it was nothing to write home about. i liked the characterization of our two leads and they had some good chemistry, but the story itself has been done before many a time overall

certainly wouldn’t want to dissuade others from picking up this book though!

This was perfection. I loved every page that I read and I can't wait to see what the author comes out with next. It was intriguing, entertaining, and overall a great read.