Cute sweet it a little too fluffy for my taste. It’s a one sitting type of read but lacked depth or emotional drivers to feel memorable

First thought: Always love a good strong plus size character that is actually relatable! Plus enemies to lovers in a small town, is two of my fav tropes so this one was definitely an auto must read for me!

Jillian is a plus size pharmacist that is a passionate gardener in her spare time. She works magic and passion into her garden and her goal was to win the local gardening competition. The only issue is no matter how good her garden is she seems to never win. Her other goal this year is to continue her dating journey but she’s learning she has to weed out a lot of guys to find what she’s looking for.

Noah is coming off of a breakup, he is ready to move on from his old life and moving back to the small town that he use to work at during summers growing up. What he didn’t take into account is what living in a small town means. He quickly realizes there will be a melding trio of neighbor netties and a scheming mayor that holds grudges.

Noah and Jillian cross paths when he moves in next door and his first mission is to rip out the hedges in his yard. The same hedges Jillian planned to use as the backdrop to her garden design! So as you can see things didn’t go well, it was instant hate for Jillian.

To make matters worse Noah gets roped into entering the gardening contest and the mayor planned to rig it so he would beat Jillian. But as things progress the lines between hate and like are being blurred and these two will bond over a garden gnome, bad dates and gardening.

Literally Themes you’ll find:

* Enemies To Lovers
* Plus Size FMC
* New to Town MMC
* Gardening
* Small Town
* Dual POV
* Closed Door

🌸🌻🌷🌸🌷🌻🌸🌷🌻🌸🌷🌻🌸

I love romanced and although Grumpy/Sunshine isn't my go to, I really enjoyed this book! I love that the main character is divorced and navigating the world of dating apps. So much more believable than a 20 something year old in my opinion! Major Kudos to the author who made the main character relatable and not some skinny supermodel. A new neighbor moved in and they don't get along. Cue grumpy trope! Noah is from Cali and recently went through a breakup. The two characters are rivals in a gardening contest but slowly grow to find romance! Really great spring read! Thank you @Netgally for an ARC version of this book for an honest review.

In support of the SMP boycott, I will be withholding my review of this title until SMP speaks out. If the boycott is resolved, I will update with a full review.

This one was cute but nothing special. I liked the small town setting and meddling older ladies in town. Willow Cove was a nice setting. I did not feel the chemistry between Noah and Gillian. I felt like Gillian cared much more for her garden than she was interested in Noah. Overall just okay, nothing special or memorable. I would have loved more chemistry and romance between the main characters.

this book was pretty cute but kind of forgettable. i really loved the little group of old meddling ladies because they were super funny and caring. i do think that there were some plotholes that i wish were either resolved or not mentioned at all. also, i understand that her weight was a major point in the book, but i literally couldn't picture her because she was never described (or she was not described well enough?). it was also mentioned so many times that i was like okkk.... i get it. anyways it was a solid 3 stars, cute but not amazing.

This is a charming, lighthearted rom-com. I debated giving this one 3 or 4 stars, but ultimately decided to round up to 4. There were many things I enjoyed about this story - the relationship that developed between Gillian and Noah was sweet and fun and the side characters, including Gillian's group of friends and her trio of older neighbors, were delightful and added a lot to the story.. There were also a few things that bothered me about the story. While I appreciated the theme of body positivity, the continual mentions of Gillian's body type and the effect it had on her relationships was quite heavy-handed. And the storyline involving Gillian's nemesis in the gardening club, Louise, seemed very forced and cartoonish. There was no logical explanation for the level of hatred that Louise had toward Gillian, so her actions seemed over-the-top and unbelievable. Overall however, I did enjoy this story and am interested in going back and reading the first in this "series" (although the books can certainly be read as standalones), mainly because of the fun and entertaining side characters. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

Prepare to be enchanted by this rollercoaster of laughs and love in Hedging Your Bets, the latest offering in the realm of enemies-to-lovers contemporary romances. With sparkling wit and undeniable chemistry, Jayne Denker, an author who never disappoints, crafts a tale that is equal parts heartwarming and hysterical.

From the moment Gillian and Noah meet, readers are treated to a battle of wits that crackles with energy and charm. Their banter is razor-sharp and hilarious, and their undeniable attraction practically leaps off the page. The author's mastery of comedic timing ensures that every interaction between the protagonists is a joy to behold, leaving readers grinning from ear to ear and salivating for more.

But what truly sets this story apart is the electric chemistry between the leads. Their simmering tension is palpable, their dynamic is intoxicating, and their slow-burning romance is nothing short of irresistible. As they navigate the complexities of their feelings, readers will find themselves rooting for this dynamic duo every step of the way.

Whether you're a die-hard romantic or just in need of a good laugh at the end of a hard day, this book is sure to leave you smiling long after you've reached the end.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, this book was not for me. I had to keep reminding myself that this was supposed to be set in present day. It felt so dated! Online dating is definitely not for everyone but the weird fear and distrust of it felt like it belonged in 2005 and not 2024. And Louise’s lifelong hatred of Gillian just for being a happy plus sized woman seemed like it belonged in the 1950’s. I could not believe the conflict between them. What adult looks at a plus sized 15 year old and just decides “you haven’t done anything to me but you’re fat and I will always hate you”???

Also, if you told me that Noah was an alien in human skin who had never interacted with a human being before the start of this book I would believe you. This was not enemies to lovers. This was bad first impressions with a weirdo bipolar neighbor to lovers. Gillian went on a bunch of terrible dates and said “fine, I guess the hot but super angry for no reason guy next door will do”.

Other things that I hated: The conflict in this book was stupid. Blackmail over a small town gardening contest ridiculous. Betty Davis’ ghost.

Gillian and Noah were enemies to lovers, and that is one of the best tropes of them all. This was amusing, and I'd definitely read it again. Now I need to read the other Willow Cove books!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book in exchange for my review.

This is the second book I have read by Jayne Denker. If you like romantic comedies by Emily Henry or Abby Jiminez, etc. I believe you will adore this book. It was a super cute and adorable read!

My blog is https://bookreviewsbyjules.blogspot.com/

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Thank you!

✨ Hedging Your Bets ✨⁣
⁣⁣
⁣Genre- Contemporary Romance. ⁣
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⁣Length- 320 pages. ⁣
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⁣My thoughts- What a fun little rom-com! Hedging Your Bets features several tropes- opposites attract, enemies to lovers, and small town romance. It’s a slow burn, sweet and enjoyable closed door romance. ⁣
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⁣When new neighbors Gillian and Noah meet, Noah is hacking down his bushes— ruining Gillian’s well thought out garden plan! Noah soon finds himself roped into a gardening competition- pitted against Gillian! I’m a gardening girly- so I appreciated all the flower talk. ⁣
⁣⁣
⁣Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for my honest thoughts. Hedging Your Bets is out now. Four stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was already in love with the town of Willow Cove but now I love it even more!! I love books that could be read as stand alone but are also connected to previous books. I loved being able to hear little tidbits about Eli and Leah who I fell in love during Jayne’s last book The Rom-Com Agenda.

Now on to Gillian and Noah’s love story. I love an enemies to lovers trope and was instantly enthralled by this book. Noah and Gillian’s squabbles were perfection and I enjoyed every minute of it! I loved the gnome bit and that they ended up loving it so much! I wish I could see a picture of how beautiful Gillians garden was because I feel like my imagination doesn’t even do it justice.

As a plus sized woman I really related to Gillian and the struggles she went through. It was so refreshing to be able to really relate to a romance character and I loved her confidence.

Overall it was a super easy, fun, romance read and I can’t wait to see what next for my new favourite friend group!!

I read the rom com agenda and I didn’t love the book but I did find it to be amusing. This one I just felt like I couldn’t get into it. The writing style is just not my favorite. I am also not a big fan of long chapters, I have a hard time holding my attention for that long without breaks.
I didn’t mind the main characters. Both of them were decent. But I don’t feel like I super connected to either one of them.

On paper this one should have been a home run for me, but ultimately I couldn’t connect with the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a cute enemies to lovers and opposites attract romcom!! A big thanks to NetGalley and St Martins Press for a chance to read an ARC of this.

There are so many things that I absolutely loved about this book, one being the banter and back and forth between Gillian and Noah. Their dynamic was delectable. This is a closed door romance, but that did not take away from the story as someone who enjoys reading open door romance. I liked the plus size rep, but that comes with a caveat and the reason I took off a star.

It became repetitive with the main character saying she was big but fit and in great health, which was fine! What I disliked is that one of the main reasons for a character not liking her was her size. The villain is the villain because of it. I’m not a fan of it being used as a plot point. I feel the dating representation was accurate and refreshing to see, as a plus size woman who has navigated the online dating space before; however, I wish there would have been at least one or two dates more dates referenced that didn’t revolve around her size being an issue.

I love a good enemies to lovers trope and this one was also grumpy/sunshine. I wasn't always sure which was the grumpy because both Gillian and Noah fit that through different times in the book. Both characters and the side characters on the street and town were amazing. I love that Gillian was not a model-sized, perfect woman and that she embraced her body as it was. Jayne Denker write for the every-woman and I love her books!

This story is told in third person and follows Gillian and Noah. Gillian is happily divorced and trying out various dating apps. Her dating experiences consisted of some odd shenanigans that were definitely fun to read. Noah has just moved to town after a breakup that took him away from a little boy who would have been a beloved stepson. I really enjoyed both characters and their backstories. Their journey to a relationship was fun and entertaining.

However, I had some issues along the way. There were a ton of side characters in this story, and I felt bombarded with new characters at the beginning. Later in the book, they were used to relay information that I would have preferred to experience first-hand, such a more serious foray into one of Gillian’s dating matchups. While I enjoyed the initial references to “inner Bette”, they eventually started to get old. I also found the villain of the piece a little too caricaturish. Noah’s purchase of the marina and his ignorance of the liens didn’t feel realistic to me as well as his situation with Aiden.

It sounds like I had a lot of issues and while I did, I also enjoyed parts of this book immensely. I enjoy romances that involve gardening and most of those aspects were fantastic along with the dating app shenanigans. So if those are your jam, then definitely give this one a try!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for a copy provided for an honest review.

ARC Review ~ Hedging Your Bets ~

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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The premise really drew me in for this book and it ended up being a lot cuter than I expected. The dual POV really sold this book, giving a fun insight into both characters and their development both as individuals and romantically. There were a few points I wish were talked about more but overall it was a great book!

Features:
*Grumpy/Sunshine
*Enemies to lovers
*Closed door
*Body Diversity
*Dual POV

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for this ARC!

I loved the banter between Gillian and her neighbor Noah. I liked Gillian's personality to an extent. I didn't quite understand her imaginary talks with Bette. This did not deter me from enjoying her character though. Gillian's passion for gardening was inspiring and made her interesting. Let's just say that no one messes with Gillian's love for plants and gets away with it. ;) I'm all about body positivity. This book sheds light on the importance of body positivity, which makes me happy. It's a subject that's hard to discuss without being penalized or misunderstood. All her friends are so cool and interesting. I loved the inclusion of a variety of ages within her friend group and their protectiveness towards her. They were comedic and thrilling additions to Gillian's and Noah's stories.

Noah is just himself looking to start over after a long-term relationship went amiss. I felt sorry for him as his connection with his ex-girlfriend's son had to be broken for him to let go and move on. The confusion and heartache felt so realistic to me. I couldn't imagine going through something like that and having to just walk away from a child I've bonded with. I loved that he is portrayed to be a misunderstood man going through real issues and figuring out how to move on with his life. He made me laugh so much with all the antics he pulled to help out Gillian when she was in a pickle. The gift that Noah gives to Gillian is a unique addition to their relationship blossoming. I loved everything about the gift and what it signified to both of them.

This book is for you if you enjoy a slow burn, low-spice (closed-door), enemies-to-lovers, small-town romance, and fun banter.

I received an advanced review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.