This book presented a narrative that, while engaging, veered into excessive chaos and miscommunication. While I appreciated the storyline, the overall messy presentation fell a bit short of my preferences.

The last thing reluctant resort employee Jean Harrington expected to find on a middle-of-the-night towel run was a bashful scientist in desperate need of company . . . and clothes. Charmed by his awkwardness and endearing tangents about reptiles, she returns the next day to give the handsome mystery guest she knows only as “Charlie” lessons in poker.

He’s reserved and she’s chaotic, but together, the two of them just click. Their connection might almost scare the commitment-shy Jean if it was more than fun and games. Or so Jean chooses to believe, until she discovers there’s a lot more to Charlie’s story than shyness and snakes—and she isn’t the only person with a pressing interest in his whereabouts, not to mention his secretly scandalous dating history.

When Charlie has the audacity to abandon her without a word, Jean responds like any self-respecting spurned woman with a score to settle. Assuming a false identity, she pursues him across an ocean to stage a confrontation at the centennial celebration for the famous family business he neglected to mention. With their exes around to raise the stakes, Jean is gambling she can get the upper hand before Charlie calls her bluff.

The real trick will be remembering what they’re playing for, when the biggest risk is putting all their cards on the table.

Found it to be charming and hilarious. Will recommend to others.

I'm bummed about this book. I had high hopes, but they sunk further and further throughout the story.

There was too much in the book. Too much of what you might ask? Well, snakes (to begin with). I don't mind a mention here or there, but c'mon, it was way too much.

And just too much turmoil. You expect some, but this was just too much.

I wouldn't recommend this book.

Thanks to Netgalley, and the publisher, for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Jean, a resort employee just trying to grab some towels for a guest, ends up meeting a shy scientist named Charlie—who’s not only awkward and adorable, but also missing his clothes. Their chemistry is instant, and soon she’s teaching him poker and enjoying the fun, until she finds out he’s been hiding his real life. When he ghosts her, Jean goes full undercover to track him down at a fancy family event overseas, ready to confront him and maybe win more than just the game they’ve been playing.

This book was the freaking cutest, and I laughed out loud so many times. Jean is the wittiest and most sarcastic FMC and I absolutely adored her interactions with Charlie. From the very beginning, to the very end, Jean was an extremely likeable character. I also enjoyed Charlie's character even though he did become a little unlikeable for me throughout the story due to the miscommunication.. But he was so cute and nerdy about his snakes, and awkward about life, that I couldn't help but still like him some. Jean and Charlie pulled out the best in each other, even if they were stubborn as could be. The overall character development was well done.

The side characters also played into the plot of the story really well. And the plot was well thought out and made me want to keep devouring the book. I love how the snakes played into the entirety of the story, from the relationship to just who Charlie was as a person. I also thought the notes that were in the chapters added to the story so well and were so cute. Overall, I highly recommend this one if you like quirky romance!

Rating: 4.5/5
Spice: 1/5

Tropes:
Runaway Romance
Enemies to Lovers-ish
Nerdy MMC
Quirky FMC
BANTER
Misunderstandings
Revenge

Thank you so much to NetGalley, St Martin's Press, and Amanda Sellet for this eARC. All thoughts are my own.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin and Amanda Sellet for the gifted eARC of the odds of getting even! All opinions are my own.

Being inside Jean’s head… I’ll be the first to admit it felt odd. Her inner monologue made it painfully clear she’s immature and has a talent for jumping to conclusions. And yet, somehow, despite the fact that we’re in her head, I constantly felt like I was missing context for her reactions. It made the story a little disorienting.

Then enter Charlie — sweet, awkward, and apparently saddled with a ridiculously meddlesome “best friend” (and I’m using that term very loosely, because woof, she’s the worst I mean she literally is paid to be there, stole charlies gf and then is trying to tell him his dreams don’t matter do what your parents want). He wants to be free and thanks to his best friend, his tryst with Jean is ruined.

Then, determined to be the one doing the leaving, Jean gets it in her head that she has to get revenge and tracks Charlie down, setting the scene for hilarious moments. That said, there were definitely moments that worked and ideas I liked in theory, but overall, this one just didn’t land for me. The writing style wasn’t my taste, and I never really connected with the characters.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️/5

My review was posted to Goodreads and Amazon on 7/31/25.
My Instagram review will be posted on 8/7/2025.

The Odds of Getting Even starts off strong with a fun, flirty setup: a chaotic resort employee meets an awkward, towel-less scientist in the middle of the night—and somehow, sparks fly. Jean’s bold personality and Charlie’s reptile-nerd energy make for a quirky opposites-attract dynamic that had me hooked early on.

There are definite highlights: witty banter, a slow-burn romance with emotional stakes, and some truly laugh-out-loud moments. But as the story unfolded, the pacing faltered for me. The plot took some wild turns that felt more over-the-top than satisfying, and certain character motivations were a little murky. The second half, with its sudden shifts in tone and setting, lost some of the charm that initially drew me in.

That said, if you enjoy a rom-com with high drama, road-trip vibes, and a heroine who refuses to be sidelined, this might still be your kind of read. It just didn’t quite deliver on the potential I was hoping for..

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for granting me access to this title via NetGalley.

The Odds of Getting Even by Amanda Sellet
2nd in a series following Hate to Fake it to You. Contemporary romcom.

I really enjoyed the flirting and comedy of attraction in the first half of this story. Jean is full of joy and Charlie is shy and willing to do anything for Jean. Sweet and sexy and provocative.
The second half of the book gets serious, complicated and sometimes confusing. Maybe it was me and their names or the fact that I can’t do two of the same genre similar books in a row.
I reread the last quarter of the book a second time and really enjoyed the humor and longing for each other. An example: “Charlie almost fell over from the relief of finding her, and also because one of his shoes had come untied.”
It’s adorable and sexy and funny and irreverent.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley.

At first glance, this book seemed like it was right up my alley—quirky rom-com vibes, endless banter, and a unique setting that promised something fresh. And I have to admit, there were definitely moments that sparkled. I found myself laughing out loud at some clever one-liners, and the chemistry between Jean and Charlie had me eagerly flipping the pages in the beginning.

However, as the story progressed, it felt like it was trying a bit too hard to maintain that momentum. The pacing hit a few bumps in the middle, with some scenes stretching out longer than necessary. The reliance on miscommunication became so heavy-handed that I wanted to scream at them to just talk it out! There’s a lot of charm packed into the pages, but at times, it felt overshadowed by unnecessary fluff and a bit of chaos.

Ultimately, I didn’t walk away from it with a sense of hatred, but I wouldn’t say it captured my heart either. It’s a fun concept with some entertaining moments, but it's not something I’d be eager to revisit anytime soon.

First off...eww snakes! The MMC is absolutely obsessed with snakes and there are a whole lot of snake facts thrown into the book. However that was my only con really. I did enjoy the book. It's a romcom that's sweet and so funny at times. The book often gave me outdoors and camping vibes which I love. The Setting was a mix of Hawaii and South Dakota, both states that I don't feel like I find a whole lot of settings. I loved how Amanda Sellet wrapped up the ending. Perfect!

Thank you to NetGalley, Amanda Sellet and St Martin's Griffin for allowing me this e-arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book was a little nerdy but ultra chaotic. I enjoyed the story but go too messy for my taste. Lots of miscommunication and that's just not my cup of tea.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
This book was quirky, fun, unique, and a quick read. I really enjoyed the banter between the characters and adored our MMC Charlie. I loved how his brain worked. This book is different than other books I have read this year and I liked that.

Jean meets Charlie when he is staying at the resort where she is working. It he has not been truthful about why he is there, and when he leaves unexpectedly she follows to get her own back. A fun and fast paced read.

This one had a very interesting premise that hooked me right away. And I really enjoyed the beginning, but then it got away for me and I struggled to maintain my interest.

Unfortunately, this one just did not click with me. I was sold on the description, it's nice to see books that have unusual settings or character backgrounds. This one takes place in South Dakota and follows (in dual POV) Jean, an artist and hotel concierge, and Charlie, one of the guests in an exclusive cottage on the hotel grounds. Outside forces drive them apart, but it sends Jean on a mission to get back (or get back with) Charlie.

I had two main complaints with the book. First, I found the key conflict to be overblown. I won't share any spoilers, but I found that the response to the event that breaks the two MCs apart was outsized for what happened. Despite that, I was enjoying the book up (at a 3 star level) up until the last handful of chapters. At that point, I felt like so much was going on, it was chaotic, and the actions of the full cast of characters became more and more outrageous. My enjoyment of the book followed a bell curve, with the zenith coming at the midpoint.

* Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review! *

The beginning of this had me hooked. I loved the awkward meeting between Charlie and Jean, which led to a romping good time as they grew closer and closer. Then, it happens. He thinks she figured out who he was and ratted him out to the press, and she realizes who he is and is super upset that he didn't tell her. (No telling the press involved) This leads to some anger, and the need for REVENGE! at least on Jean's part. Which leads us to the middle, which lost me for a bit. There were a lot of new characters introduced, as well as some extra plot points that I just really didn't care about. I JUST WANTED JEAN AND CHARLIE BACK TOGETHER! However, once all the miscommunication stuff was cleared up, and all the things we expect from a romcom happened, I loved the way it wrapped up.

Rating: 4.5 /5
I received an ARC for my honest opinion

This was a cute, refreshing romcom with tropes like secret/hidden identities, nerdy MMC, revenge vibes from MFC, and great banter between the characters. In this book you will meet Jean who works at a resort; late one night she gets a call for more towels from a guest and that is where the magic happens. You will meet Charlie who is a little nerdy, really good looking and is hiding out from the world. He doesn’t want to go back home, where his parents are going to force him to work for their company when he would rather be playing with his snakes.

I loved this book; the plot was fun and different from other romcoms I have read this summer. The pace of the book was faster than I would have expected, and I loved it, I found the banter between the characters to have been top notch, and I liked that the side characters had humor as well. There is some misunderstanding/miscommunication trope but the way that the author handled it I didn’t feel like I normally do with those. It was more just in the background because of all the shenanigans going on in the book and as I said how fast pace it was. The characters are the real stars in this book.

Charlie is so sweet, charming, nerdy and a little naïve but that is what makes him so endearing. He is a shy scientist who just wants to study snakes and other reptiles. He is just the world's sweetest guy, who trusts the wrong people and doesn’t know how to stand up for himself really. However, things start to change when he goes back to his hometown and Jean follows after him. I loved getting to see him before he was surrounded by his parents and everyone that they have invited. He was able to come out of his shell alone with Jean, but with Jean there even if it started out as a revenge plot for her going to the party that his parents were throwing, you could slowly see how he wanted to be that person again. With Jean I wasn’t sure about her at first, she does come off like a little too much, but once I started to understand her and get to know her, I really liked her a lot. She is bold, unpredictable and just knows that life is too short to not have fun, but she also loves with her whole heart and when she gets hurt, she does jump into things without thinking but I think that is why I liked her character so much. She felt real and so did Charlie too, and the love that they developed felt genuine. This couple has a messy story that is full of romance, charm and a whole lot of chaos that just works for them, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.

I want to thank NetGalley and SMP for the opportunity to review this book.

This quirky rom-com had plenty of charm, with a lovable nerd hero, chaotic heroine, and some truly hilarious moments. I loved the banter and the unique setup, but the middle got messy with too much miscommunication and a plot that tried to do a little too much. Still, it’s a fun, offbeat read if you enjoy chaos, snakes, and a romance that eventually finds its footing.

I had no idea what the book was about going into it, but I am generally an easy-to-please reader. With that being said, I thought this book was odd (pun intended) and hard to decipher what was going on. I did not care about the characters, honestly. I found both the MMC and FMC to be annoying and was bored. The beginning was good so I kept reading, but by the middle I didn't care anymore.

What a fun book! TOOGE was a quick and funny read. I love Charlie so much. He's just such a cutie pie. There were so many fun plot twists towards the end, and I really appreciate how Charlie and Jean learned to fix their communication issues. I highly recommend The Odds of Getting Even for your next summer read.

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

This book was cute! I enjoyed the Jean character quite a bit. As someone who considers herself quirky, I see a lot of myself in Jean. The romance was sweet and spicy, and I enjoyed it quite a bit!

Thank you again for the ARC!