Shy rich boy meets loud outgoing girl. I loved Charlie and his sweet,shy personality and I thought Jean was funny- if not a little overdramatic. However, I hate a miscommunication trope and that was 75% of the book. The secondary, behind-the-scenes romance was just as enthralling as the main one. While I think the premise was good and the banter was amazing, the miscommunication trope was a lot for me.

This was fun! A fast paced romance with fun characters that I read almost in one sitting. I really enjoyed the dual POV in this, as well as the little extras at the end of some chapters. I think Charlie's love of snakes was fun, and liked Jean's attitude as a whole. But I hated the miscommunication in this so much. Mostly when I feel like Charlie's character was solidified well at the start, and that Jean seemed to understand him, so I don't really get where some of the mistrust came from I guess. I understand that it must be that she has been hurt before and doesn't want to be again, so she just flipped, but I didn't love it. miscommunication is a trope that I really struggle with though. I did like the reveals at the end, and how the romance wrapped up though.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars)

🎲 Chaos, chemistry, and a charmingly awkward #HotNerd? Count me in. 💘

The Odds of Getting Even is rom-com gold—fast-paced, wildly funny, and packed with banter that snaps like a deck of cards mid-shuffle. Jean is chaotic in all the best ways (artist turned accidental concierge turned romantic vigilante), and Charlie is her perfect foil: a sweet, awkward scientist hiding more than just snakes in his suitcase.

From quirky resort shenanigans in South Dakota to secret identities and poker-faced flirting, this book is off-the-rails fun with just the right dose of heart. It’s a whirlwind opposites-attract adventure with big movie energy and a hilarious cast of characters—including throwbacks for fans of Hate to Fake It to You (but it totally works as a standalone!).

Yes, there's some miscommunication drama, but the sizzling chemistry and madcap momentum more than make up for it. Fade-to-black romance, insta-love vibes, and an author whose witty writing style keeps me coming back for more.

📅 Pub Date: July 15, 2025
🎁 Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the early copy!

The Odds of Getting Even is Amanda Sellet’s fifth book, her second adult novel following her three young adult novels. Jean Harrington is a very talented artist but until the rest of the world notices her talent she will work the front desk at the Dolphin Bay Resort. When a late night call comes from one of the secluded private cottages, it is Jean who answers and ultimately delivers the stack of towels, not realizing it will be her future that opens the door.

When he hears the knocking on the door, Charlie Pike answers with barely a hand covering himself and dripping from the shower having used all the towels to clean up from a rain storm that soaked the floor where the door was left open. As Jean was delivering the towels after already clocking out, and the handsome but shy man invites her in, she might as well see where the night will take her.

But when some days later he disappears, and Jean finds Hildy Johnson of Johnson Media appearing on the heels of losing her job, she follows Hildy to South Dakota to get answers as there will be more to get even than the loss of a job she didn’t like anyway.

This is a fun story told with humor and heart. While a bit on the adult side, the story is so much more. With fun characters, dynamic settings, and even rock stars, this enjoyable story made me laugh and kept me engaged. I did enjoy this story and do recommend it.

This was an interesting story! The beginning of how the FMC/MMC met was interesting, and the whole problem in the story line was fun. Charlie was a super unlikable character to me, though. He didn’t seem to have much of a personality and I just could not see the chemistry between him and Jean.

Thank you to St. Martin’s for an early copy!

Jean Harrington did not plan on getting attached to the charming, towelless stranger she stumbled across during a late-night resort shift. But “Charlie,” the bashful scientist with a thing for snakes and poker, turns out to be unexpectedly irresistible. What begins as a spontaneous getaway romance turns into something real—until Charlie vanishes without a word, taking Jean’s heart (and her dignity) with him.

Too bad for him, Jean doesn’t believe in unfinished business. Especially not when she finds out “Charlie” isn’t exactly who he said he was. With scandal, secrets, and a suspiciously famous family name in the mix, Jean sets off on a chaotic quest through the wilds of South Dakota to track down the man who ghosted her…and maybe give him a piece of her mind (or heart) in the process.

Full of razor-sharp banter, messy feelings, and high-stakes hijinks, Amanda Sellet’s hilarious follow-up to Hate to Fake It to You proves that sometimes the biggest gamble is admitting you’re all in.

This was such a fun and charming read! I loved how unapologetically nerdy the characters were—it made the story feel fresh and endearing. The vibe is playful and funny with just the right amount of low-key spice and sweet romance.

It’s fast-paced, quirky, and doesn’t fall into overly predictable tropes. I’ll admit, Jean took a little time to grow on me, but by the end, I found her totally likable and rooted for her!

If you’re into geeky banter, unexpected love, and stories that don’t take themselves too seriously, then this one’s for you.

2.75⭐️ rounded up

On paper, it sounded like exactly my thing—quirky rom‑com energy, banter for days, and a setting you don’t see every day. And to be fair, there are moments that shine. A few one‑liners actually made me laugh out loud, and Jean and Charlie have a spark that kept me turning pages early on.

But after a while, it felt like the story was trying too hard. The pacing went wonky in the middle, some scenes dragged on, and the miscommunication trope got leaned on so heavily I wanted to gently shake the characters and tell them to use their words. There’s a lot of charm here, but it’s buried under extra fluff and chaos.

In the end, I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it either. Fun idea, some good bits, but not something I’d reach for again.


Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the free eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book had me hooked from the first chapter! What a meet cute HA. This book follows Jean and Charlie and their budding friendship that includes Jean teaching Charlie how to play poker. Jean is so witty and her humor kept me laughing out loud the whole time. Charlie had that sweet charm about him that made him so lovable to me. I enjoyed this book and recommend it for anyone looking for a quick and fun summer read! Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the gifted eARC. All opinions are my own.

Instagram review is live.

This is a quirky, fast-paced rom-com full of sharp banter, unexpected twists, and lovable oddballs. Jean, a chaotic resort worker, and Charlie, a shy scientist with a snake tattoo, make an unlikely but endearing pair. Their whirlwind romance, fueled by poker games and revenge plots, is both hilarious and heartfelt. While the story occasionally leans into absurdity, its charm and emotional core shine through. A fun, offbeat read for fans of unconventional love stories.

I have to admit that I was ready to dnf this new-to-me author since the story felt like a jumbled mess from the start. However, I'm glad I kept going since it turned out to be quite the unique story full of good characters and the crazy they both cause and encounter. And maybe the 3rd person narrative threw me a bit although it usually doesn't bother me but at times I felt as if I didn't really get to know Jean enough. To me, she was the star of this nutty show and perhaps being inside her head a bit would have helped me understand her a bit more. However, that all being said, I enjoyed her independence and how she went after what she wanted, no matter what. No obstacles were ever too much for this brave woman and the fact that she finds a way to face Charlie once he leaves their Hawaii paradise without warning was something to behold.

The story is an interesting one as Charlie and Jean's 'love affair' was at times wacky yet wonderful just the same. That each felt seen for the first time as they could be true selves no matter what. Jean's finding out after the fact who Charlie really was only fueled her desire to find him in again and tell him how much he hurt her. Jean has a vulnerability she doesn't like to show all that often but I understood trying to keep your guard up when her time in high school taught her how cruel the world could be.

As Jean and Charlie's worlds collide in the wild ways, I wish that they could have resolved their issues a bit quicker. Jean kept backing down or Charlie would be pulled away by his family and I was like: "get on with it already and have that darn conversation!" It simply took too long for the right things to be said, with so much background noise getting in the way. Much is happening with Charlie's family's legacy together with former lovers, friends and rivals all vying for the spotlight at one time or another. Allowing Jean and what he desperately needed to say to her always getting pushed aside.

The steam is light as most of their trysts while in Hawaii were fade to black yet there is great comic relief in how Jean teases Charlie using many euphemisms for his physical traits and actions. They are quite the pair and I'm confident they'll be each other's person for a long time to come.

Again, this was a book that had to grow on me before I felt like I could connect with the story and the characters. A good 75 pages could've been shaved off since my frustration with Jean and Charlie in finding a minute to say what they needed to one another mounted quickly for me. But in the end, I'm glad I gave it an honest chance and am mostly satisfied with how everything turned out.

3 stars.

I don’t want to take off stars because I am just not a fan of the writing style. I think the book has a great premise and the possibility to become a fantastic romantic comedy, but it just feels choppy for me. I think hearing more from the Hero’s POV would really really really make a difference!

This book started off strong and had me hooked right away. From the opening pages, I was completely pulled into the world Amanda Sellet created.

Jean immediately stood out. She reminded me so much of Krysten Ritter’s character in *Don’t Trust the B* in Apartment 23*: bold, confident, hilariously blunt, and endlessly entertaining. While she mellowed out by the end, that shift made her more relatable and rounded out her character nicely.

Charlie, on the other hand, was overwhelmingly charming. A sweet, nerdy snake enthusiast with a heart of gold. His naivety made him endearing, and was a nice switch up from the typical male roles I've been reading lately. I absolutely adored him. Together, Jean and Charlie had that kind of chemistry that made me wish I could live in their quirky little bubble forever.

Normally, I’m not a fan of the miscommunication trope, but in this case, it worked beautifully. Thanks to Charlie’s innocence and lack of experience, the misunderstanding felt organic and believable rather than forced or frustrating.

I tore through this book in just over a day and enjoyed every second. My only complaint was the ending... it felt a bit random given the circumstances, even if things ultimately worked out well.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the e-ARC! This was the perfect poolside read; fun, fast-paced, and full of heart.

2.5/5

Some books really pull you in from the start…this wasn’t one of them for me. I just felt like I had to force myself to stay focused while reading it.

I loved both of our main characters as individuals but I felt like they lacked both the emotional maturity and the chemistry when it came to their romance.

I also felt like I could have enjoyed this book story a lot more if the characters communicated more and talked about their issues instead of avoiding each other.

Throughout the book, a few characters randomly popped up and we were never given information/ insight about who they were or what their purpose was in the story, it really made the plot feel disjointed.


Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the E-ARC of this book!

Solid writing, plot, and story... but it felt a little rushed for me. The love triangle and miscommunication trope just arent for me either.
I loved the formatting of the chapter notes.

I’m not sure this one was for me. I really appreciated neurodiverse representation and thought the quirky cast of characters brought a nice charm to the story.

That said, I struggled with the FMC, Jean. The miscommunication trope is already a tough sell for me, and Jean’s tendency to assume the worst and react poorly made it hard to stay invested.
While this one didn’t quite land for me, I think it may still appeal to readers who enjoy offbeat characters and low-stakes romantic drama.

I don't know that this book was for me. I enjoyed the neuro diverse representation and the quirky characters. It was an easy, quick read but the FMC was just terrible. It was a miscommunication trope which is not my favorite. On top of that Jean (FMC) is so quick to jump to the worst assumptions and react so terribly! The plot was pretty predictable which I don't really mind. In this case I just didn't love the FMC.

This was written in a really strange style with a strange narrative arc, and unfortunately, it did not work for me. Further- I didn’t care about either MC and truly didn’t care if they ended up together or not. I’m sure this will be great for many, but this one wasn’t for me.

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

I had so much fun reading this book. Jean is hilarious, Charlie is perfect for her, they are EVERYTHING. Charlie is taking a vacation from some tabloid drama and also just getting away, he decides to vacation at a luxury resort, and Jean is the VIP’s handler, literally. So she is his concierge and the first time they meet had me laughing so hard, it was sooFUNNY, I couldn’t get enough of them after that little meet and greet.

But Charlie is hiding something from Jean, and when she finds out that he’s part of his HUGE scandal and also an heir to a huge Beer company, she wants to exact REVENGE on him. That was a fun to read. You guys this book was just so much fun, I am so happy its out there in the world, this book gives the best mix of romance and humor.

I didn’t forget to mention that this book is hilarious right?? Lol

The Odds of Getting Even was a very fun escape read that provided really good humor throughout. I thought both of the main characters had great qualities and were likeable for the duration of the story. Although the storyline did get a little far fetched at a few points, I appreciated the humor and lightness to the story.