Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

Unfortunately, I found this book to be very cringey as far as the romance goes. I am not sure why, because I did enjoy Amanda Sellet's first book (and I would consider reading more by her in the future). Overall, I just did not see the chemistry in this book and the romance seemed to be kind of forced.

I’m not totally sure what I was thinking when I requested this one. It’s the follow-up to Hate to Fake it to You, which I haven’t read. I went in blind and definitely felt like I missed the memo. The book assumes you already know Jean, and I was still trying to figure her out.

The story leans hard on miscommunication, which is not my favourite. I’m someone who probably shares too much, so watching characters dodge basic conversations made me want to scream into a pillow. Just talk to each other. That said, it ends with a sweet happily ever after. Cute, quick, and might land better for readers familiar with book one.

Three stars from me.

Amanda Sellet’s The Odds of Getting Even was entertaining and frustrating in equal measure. The first few chapters made me laugh and then in the middle of the book, all the tension fizzled. The epilogue was a nice return to the beginning, so I’ll pick up more of Sellet’s books, but this one was a disappointment.

Jean is an artist, but to make money, she’s a concierge at a stuffy resort in Hawaii. She is a madcap adventure waiting for an opportunity. Opportunity arrives when she gets a call to deliver towels to a cottage at the end of her overnight shift. She walks in on a very naked Charlie. He’s adorable and sweetly clueless about his own attractiveness. The banter is great – very old Hollywood romcom kind of banter with a dame looking to dirty up the sweet boy with a snake tattoo on his ass. Charlie loves snakes and Jean is not shy about snake innuendos. I laughed several times and started recommending this book to everyone. And then the two separated and the tension just died.

One of the reasons I requested The Odd of Getting Even was because Jean chases after Charlie to get revenge for abandoning her. Charlie’s best friend and former babysitter, Mugsy, shows up at the resort to drag him home for a big several day family business party in South Dakota. Charlie is actually the scion of a beer making family and reportedly the subject of a pop star’s latest anthem to lost love. The misunderstandings and miscommunications begin here. Jean does crash the family party, pretending to be a beverage heiress, but there isn’t a lot of enacting revenge. Mostly, it was like reading a very long “who’s on first?” bit with sulking and pining.

I really liked Jean and Charlie together. I’m also not opposed to miscommunication or misunderstanding. I just wanted to see more of Jean being devious and Charlie loving her for it. The book sparkled when they were together.

This book just didn’t do it for me. The characters did not feel relatable to me at all. The book couldn’t keep my attention. If it wouldn’t have been an arc, I would have probably not finished it because it just wasn’t the book for me. It was not a bad book by any means, it’s just not the book for me.

I had not previously read anything by Amanda Sellet prior to reading this book, the description sounded interesting to me, but it was really hard to read this book. The conversations at the beginning were really hard to determine the actual context of the conversation. It starts out in Hawaii and then jumps to South Dakota where the dialogue gets even more mixed up. It took me a few days to read it because I just didn't want to pick up my kindle to read. By the time I got to 60% it was, "I've gotten this far I might as well finish it", but it didn't get much better for me. Most of the conflict in this would have been solved by simple conversations.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This review is based on an ARC from NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher.

A hip modern retelling of Lady Eve classic film. This romcom has plenty of wit, charm, and laughs with screwball comedy vibes. Jane recognizes the guiless nature in Charles and is immediately taken with cracking his shell, when he ghosts after a whirlwind romance, she’s determined to settle the score. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for an advanced copy for an honest review.

DNF @ 18%

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for inviting me to review a free e-ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I wanted to like this book, but I just don't think this was the book for me. The writing felt stilted and I honestly didn't really get the point of these meet-ups between Jean and Charlie, especially after the initial meet-cute. Maybe if we got straight to the action of the book and learning why Charlie was hiding out in the cottage earlier in the book (from what I read, we only got allusions as to why he was in hiding) I would've stuck around with this book longer, but I just didn't want to waste my time with a book I'm not that invested in.

Jean worked the graveyard shift at a ritzy hotel. When she got a call for extra towels she had no idea she’d be walking in on a handsome (very naked!!) man with his snake (tattoo) out. When she asked him how long he’d be there he had no answer and wanted her to tell no one that he was there. But WHY?

Jean grew up being told that she was too much. She was over that and realized she needed to branch out and find people that could handle the real her - hence why she was in Hawaii.
The closer Jean got to Charlie, the more she was catching feelings even in just the short span of a few days. Charlie loved that Jean didn’t recognize him right away. He was actually a famous beer bachelor who dated well known celebrities — he was next in the familial line to own a super popular beer brand. He didn’t want Jean to know him that way so he tried to play it off like he was just your average guy. Easy enough until the public realized where he was and he had to abruptly leave Hawaii to avoid publicity — leaving Jean in the dust. Feeling betrayed, Jean wanted to get even and Charlie wanted to know how Jean could have potentially outed him to the world — get ready for some major miscommunication!!

The banter was AMAZING! I was hooked from page one and couldn’t put the book down. I absolutely loved how witty and quirky Jean was and how dorky and introverted Charlie was. They were both escaping lives they didn’t want and although they were complete opposites, they were truly the best match for each other.

Intro/synopsis:
“The Odds of Getting Even” was a quirky romance novel with a very different way of structuring a plot, one I had yet to see in a romance novel. Charlie runs into Jean while she is bringing him extra towels in a hotel I. Hawaii. In the week that ensues they grow a connection that seems to be moving towards love. Then everything breaks down when Charlie’s suspects Jean of ratting him out to the press he is trying to hide from and Jean finds out he hasn’t been telling the whole truth about his identity. Neither talks to each other even though Jean tries to only to find out Charlie ghosted her. Then she losses her job because of him and her revenge plot is hatched. The third act break up ensues where Jean puts her plan into action but will they both realize their problems can be solved by communicating.

My thoughts:
I found the way the author structured the plot to be interesting and I was hooked on the story despite it containing two of my least favourite tropes(miscommunication and third act break up). I would have DNF’d the book if not for the chemistry they built in the first part of the book because I was looking to see how they found their way back to each other. I liked the writing style and parts of the story but it is not a book I am likely to pick up again.

I enjoyed this book, even with all the snakes, however these 2 were horrible at communication and that's one of my least favorite elements in books and gets frustrating. A simple conversation would do so much!

Tropes:
Opposites attract
Insta love
Hidden Identities
Closed door/fade to black

Overall it was a quick read with quirky characters.

A lot of characters and some unnecessary plot points. I did not enjoy this story and felt like the author could have wrapped this up had the two main characters actually had a conversation.

That was a lot of information about snakes :/ I was pretty excited for this book, but it was just okay. There's some cute little nuggets sprinkled throughout but there were also parts that left me like, huh? I did love that it was set in South Dakota--not sure that I've many (any?) books set there, so that was a nice change! Read if you like: snakes, cowboy romance, banter, and/or revenge plots. *I received a complimentary e-ARC from the author/publishing company via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts & opinions are my own.

First thank you to st martins press and NetGalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review

Synopsis: Jean meets Charlie one night in a very compromised position. She’s curious and things progressed quickly. Then Charlie leaves without a word so she vows revenge

What I liked: I was expecting a cute rom com but it felt very forced and didn’t get the chemistry between the characters. Jean came off too strongly and Charlie was very timid. The revenge plot didn’t make sense given how Jean talked at the beginning

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press & Amanda Sellet for the chance to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is my second Amanda Sellet read and if I learned anything from the first (Belittled Women) and gathered anything for the start of this book- she bucks convention.

I think many of us are conditioned in romcom world with straight forward characters, bubble gum and magnetism. Do not expect that here. Amanda's characters have nuance, quirks and are full of surprises. They have their own original thoughts and actions. Once you let go of your straightforward expectations- and go on the quirky ride- you are golden! If you're hung up on the strange happenstances- you'll be stuck in 2-3 star review land. Capiche?

The settings (Hawaii AND Black Hills, South Dakota) are great. The lovely side characters reveal themselves as they go and you'll understand what they are about before our MCs do. That's fun. The book is interspersed with related (and quirky!) media- gossip articles, poetry, lists made by the MCs etc. It's very fun!

The Odds of Getting Even started with a unique meet cute, and I was ready for an exhilarating romance. What I got instead was a tangled mess of misunderstandings that could have easily been resolved if they would have just talked to each other!! This was just annoying to me.

Character development was done well. I really liked Jean and her quick wit. Charlie was a bit timid and if I'm being honest, seemed whipped. I wasn't too impressed with Sellet's Hate to Fake it to You, but I gave this one a try. It was just difficult to enjoy because it annoyed me.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.

And here I thought I loved Hate to Fake it to You!?
The Odds of Getting Even by Amanda Sellet was freaking phenomenal!
This novel was laugh out loud funny, but also very tender.
The characters are incredibly well-developed, with chemistry that leaps off the page, making every interaction feel genuine and full of depth. Sellet’s writing is warm, engaging, and full of humor, creating a story that feels both comforting and fresh.

[ARC REVIEW]
THE ODDS OF GETTING EVEN by Amanda Sellet is less slapstick than its predecessor, Hate to Fake it to You, where we first meet one of our characters, Jean.

It also is unusual because it doesn't follow the normal romance beats. The get together early on, and the 50% mark is instead when love interest (and dual POV character) Charlie sees Jean for the first time after she has crashed his family's house party. But she's not there for romance! She's there for revenge, after he misled her about his identity and then ghosted her.

I'm not sure how Jean was planning to exact her revenge, and I'm not sure she was either. There was a nebulous plan involving influencer/journalist Hildy (whomst we also met in the first one) and some sort of exposé, even though did anyone think she'd actually sell him out like that?? Apparently only Hildy, who bankrolled the operation on the assumption she'd get the scoop. Idk, it doesn't really matter.

Jean is bold and weird and funny and Charlie is a sweet little nerd who just wants to study snakes but is being steamrolled by his family (and even his best friend) into taking over the family business and they meet when he his hiding from them at the hotel where Jean works. They get together, he gets dragged back to his real life and leaves without saying goodbye, and then the aforementioned revenge campaign.

Overall, I liked it, probably even more than the first one in the series.

Jean is working as a concierge at a fancy resort (she's really an artist) when she meets Charlie, a charmingly awkward #hotnerd and would-be herpetologist who may or may not be hiding there for mysterious reasons. Hijinks ensue when the real world catches up to Charlie and Jean realizes that he wasn't what he seemed. Or was he? Oh, I liked these two! Jean had just the right level of snark, and Charlie is adorably sweet. The plot relies heavily on the misunderstanding/miscommunication trope, which got a little frustrating after awhile. Despite that, I loved Jean and Charlie and their opposites-attract energy!

This was a quick and fun fade-to-black insta-love romance, and was faster-paced than I expected. The author has us jump right into the story, and there was a madcap element throughout that I really enjoyed. It's a follow-up to Hate to Fake It to You with throwbacks to characters from that book, but it works fine as a standalone. The author has a fun writing style with lots of subtle and not-so-subtle humor. I've read her before (including the previous book) and I look forward to reading whatever is next! Publishes 7-15-25. This review was based on a complimentary copy of the eARC, all opinions are my own.

Resort employee Jean Harrington meets Charlie in the middle of the night, and the two click. She teaches him poker, and they get to know each other, but there are people trying to find him. Charlie leaves without a word, and Jean won't let that go. She chases him across an ocean and to the small town where his famous family lives. Jean wants the upper hand, but maybe Charlie can call her bluff.

Jean and Charlie get together very quickly after their meet-cute at the resort. He two get along so well, it's adorable to see, and it makes sense that the two would pine for each other after parting. He's hiding from family responsibilities and a famous ex, and thinks Jean outed him to the press when she didn't know who he was. She has reporters as friends, so she offers a scoop in return for emotional revenge. Is it the healthiest reaction? No, but from the start, she's impulsive and more likely to respond on a whim. He's literal and more interested in snakes than the family business, making me feel like he's on the spectrum. They're completely opposite to each other, but click well, you can't help but root for the two to get together for good.

Normally, I don't enjoy miscommunication as a trope keeping people apart. Just talk to each other! But it works here because Charlie is so literal and genuinely doesn't understand the conversation going on around him. Because of this, Jean's duplicity adds confusion to the company party, where his ex, the music superstar, and her high school ex, the rich misogynistic tool, are present. The confusion and misunderstanding continue to mount until everything comes out all at once. Not to worry, we still have our happily ever after, and a few side characters as well. It's a lot cuter than a misunderstanding trope suggests, and worth the read.

★★★★☆ (3.5 rounded up)

I really enjoyed the overall tone and voice of The Odds of Getting Even. It’s witty, charming, and full of heart. Jean and Charlie’s banter was a definite highlight. Their dynamic brought a spark and kept the pace moving, and I found myself rooting for them throughout. The miscommunication trope wore a little thin for me. I found myself wishing the characters would just talk instead of stewing in half-truths and assumptions. I also struggled a bit with how fast the love story developed. It leaned into the “falling hard, falling fast” vibe, which I know works for some readers, but it didn’t totally land for me. Still, Sellet’s writing is engaging, and I appreciated the thoughtful exploration of identity, pressure, and finding your place when life gets messy. A solid read with sharp dialogue, even if I didn’t fall completely head over heels.

Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for advanced copy, and I give my review freely