Jean Harrington never expected to meet the mystery guest working the graveyard shift at the concierge desk at Dolphin Bay but delivering towels connected her with “Charlie” who knew a lot about snakes. Charlie was the mystery guest at Dolphin Bay but Charlie and Jean were so very different in personality but there was something that attracted them to each other as they became friends and lovers when Jean figured out who Charlie was.

But Jean never expected that Charlie’s family would make him return home the Pike family estate for the upcoming celebration about beer and his famous ex-girlfriend who was going to be there to until Jean decided to crash the party without an invitation and everything goes wrong.

If you like opposite attracts type of romances you will like The Odds of Getting Even especially since it was set in the Black Hills and I really wanted a scene at Reptile Gardens.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the author and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to St. Martin's Publishing Group for the widget. Jean (FMC) and Charlie (MMC) meet and are getting to know each other and then Charlie "ghosts her" and Jean finds out who he is and decides to get revenge and travels to his hometown to get revenge on him. I just want to say I loved Charlie I could just feel his innocence thru the pages and he was so funny like Im just reading and bust out HAHA moments because...Charlie. This was such a easy and cute read.

Thanks to Netgalley & St. Martin's Press for the
E-ARC! Really enjoyed! Loved the characters & the setting. Banter was really good too. Will read more from this author.

It just was not my jam. The banter was great at first. But pretty soon I felt like all there was was banter. It was instalove. And the FMC is very manic pixie dream girl (which not my favorite). The instalove took away any hope of falling in love with the characters and the banter after awhile just became a slog... I know other folks will love this book. I am just not one of them. (I read an ARC)

2.5/5

The romance aspect of this was cute, but overall I unfortunately just think this book wasn’t for me. It seemed very interesting but it felt sort of all over the place, and kind of weird at some points. I would’ve liked to see more of why Charlie liked snakes so much.

Charlie and Jean. Ok, right off the bat, we have a fling/insta love happening, with a splash of secret identity. Their connection is charming and fun. Charlie is a socially awkward, snake loving sweetheart and Jean is vibrant and confident, so they’re very different. Then we move in to the rest of the story. If you’re planning to use the miscommunication trope, why not turn it up to 11 and have multiple people having layers of miscommunication? The book is charming and chaotic and the perfect escape from life.
Will it be my fave book of 2025? No, but it was a light, fun read.
3.5, rounded down to a 3. Quick read and quite funny.

It’s not the book, it’s 110% me. I hate miscommunication tropes with such a fierce passion that it ruins so much of the parts of the story I like.

I was so set up to like the one-night stand, the shy rich boy, and the out loud girl.

I liked those opposites…

Then the miscommunication trope and it’s a specific kind. I don’t like it when main characters think they’re entitled to the other characters’ whole life story, detailed information when they JUST MET!!! It’s ludicrous and happens in fiction all the time, but it is one of my biggest pet peeves.

I stayed through the end because the banter is exceptional, and I don’t see shy MMC all the time. So I covet them.

This is a fast paced opposites attract novel; Jean works at a resort where she meets snake obsessed Charlie and there relationship quickly escalates. This story full of mis communication and family dynamics.

Thank you to Amanda Sellet, St. Martin's Griffin, and NetGalley for giving me an eARC of The Odds of Getting Even in exchange for my honest review.

The Odds of Getting Even is a strangers to lovers to somewhat enemies to lovers book. At it's core it is about someone leaving without warning and the other person's life falling apart. because of it. Normally, this is the type of book I would like. I love a good enemies to lovers and friends to lovers with some slow-burn thrown in there. But unfortunately, something about this book did not work for me. Now, in all honesty it could have something to do with my own mood when reading it. However, I think it has more to do with the fact that it felt like it was simply doing to much. I always say there is a delicate balance between character development and plot, especially with romance. If a book is going to split the focus between character development and plot it is a dangerous balance that comes into play. I feel like with this book the plot and the character development kept trying to outdo the other and that it was this back and forth that left things confusing. This book at its core feels like it should be plot centered with a dash of character development that is not focused on the romance. However, there was these attempts at having this really powerful character development plus this crazy revenge plot that became to much for me. I hope it is just a me thing because I think this book has a lot of potential it just did not work for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I loved this book so much I read it in one sitting. I thought it was well written, loved the storyline and the characters. I ould definitely recommend this book.

A fling with a mysterious stranger leads to a rollicking adventure in the wilds of South Dakota in this madcap and romantic follow-up to Amanda Sellet’s Hate to Fake it to You.

It’s hard not to immediately fall in love with Charlie & Jean! There are definitely some twists! Be sure to pay attention to the verbal cues. A fun story!

This was chaotic and messy and a wild ride! I didn’t love how the entire plot was mostly centered around a silly communication, and almost all the side characters were kinda terrible people, but it was all so silly that I enjoyed it.

Thank you Net Galley for this ARC. The story revolves around Jean and Charlie who meet at the resort Jean is working at. They have a funny first meeting as Jean is bringing Charlie towels, who due to a mishap is naked. Jean and Charlie begin to banter, get to know each other, and eventually hook up. This leads to them meeting up more and slowly falling for each other. Then due a miscommunication and hidden identity, they go their separate ways. When they meet back up its fun seeing how Jean and Charlie reconnect and ultimately straighten out the situation. There are plenty of funny hijinks and heartfelt moments each character has to go through in order to show their love. Another highlight of this book was the protective friendships between Charlie and Mugsy and Jean and Hildy. This was a cute rom-com book full of fluff for when you just want a quick escape read. :) .

I loved this book! The first half had me smiling and laughing the whole time, and the second half had me on the edge of my seat to see how everything would turn out.

Resort employee Jean answers a late-night call for extra towels, only to walk in on a hot, naked scientist. This encounter begins a friendship and eventual romantic interest between these two polar opposites, until Jean learns about Charlie's secret fame and fortune just as he leaves without saying goodbye. Jean follows Charlie back to his home state of South Dakota and is determined to get under his skin and exact her revenge for keeping secrets and leaving her behind.

I hate hate hate the miscommunication trope, but the miscommunications and misunderstandings in this book are done so well that I enjoyed these elements! This is a fun and chaotic story that I loved from start to finish!

Read this book if you like:
- Secret/Hidden Identities
- Nerdy MMCs
- Snakes
- Western/Cowboy Vibes
- Revenge Plots

Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press/ You Had Me at HEA and NetGalley for the free ebook in exchange for my honest review!

3.75
This book was a slow pace, when we finally got to the plot it seemed to start to pick up. I think I went in expecting a little more based on the synopsis, but I am not sure if this book was for me? I couldn't really engage with either character. It was a cute short read though!

Who couldn't fall in love with Charlie? Such a sweetheart, despite his love of snakes. Jean is as 180 from him as one can get, but together they are dynamite. Jean has learned that her best self is her real self, and Charlie agrees. This story reminds me of an old Hollywood movie with a smart, wisecracking heroine and a sweet, naive hero. It doesn't get any better than this.

Not sure if I was in the wrong headspace for this one but I didn't connect with it as much as others who I have seen have reviewed it. I liked it but it wasn't anything that stood out to me. There was a lot of miscommunication and failed communication attempts which could have been made to avoid a lot of the situations that arose and I struggled to feel the chemistry between the two main characters.

A fun premise that didn’t quite land for me
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.5)

I’ve really enjoyed Amanda Sellet’s previous books, so I was excited to dive into The Odds of Getting Even. The concept—a chaotic heroine chasing down the guy who ghosted her, only to get swept into something much bigger—felt fresh and full of potential. There’s humor, adventure, romance, and a quirky, over-the-top energy that makes this a clear contender for a summer rom-com escape.

That said, this one didn’t quite come together for me the way I hoped. The setup takes a while to unfold, and the “getting even” plot doesn’t really kick in until a third of the way through. While I appreciate slow-build stories, I had a harder time connecting with the characters early on, especially with the romance feeling more situational than deeply developed.

Once the setting shifted to South Dakota, the book picked up—there were definitely laugh-out-loud moments and a wild cast of supporting characters that made the back half more enjoyable. Still, I didn’t totally buy the emotional arc between Jean and Charlie, and I found myself wishing for more depth or chemistry to make their connection land.

Overall, I’m glad I stuck with it, and I still think Sellet’s voice is sharp and distinct. If you’re in the mood for a rom-com with offbeat humor, desert hijinks, and a little revenge flair, this might hit the spot. It just didn’t quite reach the charm and spark of her earlier books for me.

What a fun read! It was a screwball comedy all the way, and delightful to read. My only criticism is that there were WAY too many assumptions. Then again, without them there, where would the story with all its twists and turns and surprises be?

4.5 stars. I really enjoyed this novel!