Thank you to Netgally and the publisher for this ARC.
I enjoyed reading this book. It’s a closed door romance. No spice. But a very sweet read. And there’s some hi jinx, colorful characters, and a quirky story line. I really enjoyed the first half of the book. Once the story setting changed to the country,
I got a little bored with the story but it picked back up when the cast of characters started mingling more. And the forced proximity trope led to some classic misunderstandings. A fun adventurous read!

Im sorry but I couldn’t finish this one, it is a DNF for me. I was immediately thrown off at the beginning with the meet and greet with the FMC using her staff card to get into the MMCs hotel room without his permission and their subsequent “snake” conversation. I read some more and I’m all about quirky and different but the plot just never clicked for me. I never got invested in the MMC and FMC relationship.


I posted my DNF review on goodreads, posted a story on my Instagram page, and saved the story to my ARC Reviews 2025 highlight reel on 6/16/25.

“The Odds of Getting Even” by Amanda Sellet
Romance & Misunderstandings
This was a ‘never a dull moment’ read that just kept me turning those pages. So anxious to find out what was going to happen on the next page. There were a substantial number of ‘bedroom’ scene but with a decent imagination you knew what was happening without needing to be told the intimate details. Yes, I loved this story and all the twists and turns and mistaken beliefs people can create out of thin air. When I have some free time in the future I will enjoy reading this story at least one more time. Happy Reading ! !

I really wanted to like this one, but I couldn’t get into the MMC or FMC. I found the FMC to be entirely unlikeable, bordering on cringey at times, and I didn’t understand the MMC’s draw to her? It felt forced and unrealistic to me, and I ended up DNF-ing it, unfortunately.

This book was so much fun. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but once I met Charlie (snake scientist! painfully awkward! cinnamon roll!) and Jean (absolute chaos in the best way), I was all in.

The setup is gold: Jean's working at a resort in South Dakota when she meets Charlie during a late-night towel run. He’s quiet, nerdy, and unexpectedly charming—and their chemistry? Immediate. Their banter was giving peak rom-com energy. So when Charlie ghosts her after what felt like a moment… oh, Jean does not take that lying down. She launches herself into a full-blown revenge quest, and I loved every unhinged second of it.

Amanda Sellet writes with so much wit and heart. This has major screwball comedy vibes—think mistaken identities, surprise family drama, cross-country chaos, and one very memorable snake scene. It’s over-the-top in the best way but still grounded in real feelings. The emotional payoff hit me right in the heart after all the ridiculous, messy fun.

If you’re in the mood for a quirky, heartfelt, laugh-out-loud romance that doesn’t take itself too seriously but still knows how to land a moment, you’re going to love this one.

Tropes:
- Cinnamon roll hero
- Chaotic heroine energy
- Opposites attract
- Ghosting with consequences
- Travel/adventure romance
- Workplace setting (resort)
- Found family vibes
- Awkward meet-cute (towel run!)

Charlie is on the run from his inherited life as the scion of a beer dynasty. Rather than take over the family beer company like his ambitious and traditional father wants, he loves snakes and wants to get his PhD in herpetology. He’s introverted and socially awkward and hiding out in Hawaii because he doesn’t want to go home to his familial responsibilities. There, he meets Jean…an artist with a big personality who’s working at the upscale resort where he’s staying. Jean bolls him over and the have a short loved, passionate relationship. Charlie’s friend and pseudo minder arrives unexpectedly to bring him home…so quickly he doesn’t have time to tell Jean who he really is, how he really feels about her and say goodbye. Once Jean finds out that he’s gone and that he’s not just sweet, sexy Charlie, she embarks on a path of revenge. She’s enabled by her friend Hildy whose family owns a tabloid publishing empire and wants the inside scope of reclusive and press shy Charlie. Add a lot of misunderstanding, a wildly successful pop star and an obnoxious creep from Jean’s past to to mayhem and it may lead to better things.

This one was alot of fun. You can almost feel the angst build in the characters as you read it. Thanks for the opportunity!

This was such a fun summer romcom adventure that made me think of Christina Lauren's Something wilder. Full of adventure, amazing chemistry, a swoony nerdy MMC and a fun unique setting. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review. This is a new fav from this author.

This reminds me a lot of the author's debut which is great because it means we've come to expect a sort of madcap romp filled with hijinks and that's what she delivers.

I resonated with Jean, and very much enjoyed Charlie, the awkward smarty pants hero of my dreams. Suspend disbelief and buckle up! And not for nothing, I finally feel like I've been to South Dakota.

The Odds of Getting Even was such a fun read!! I loved the premise of this book and the story lived up to the hype. Charlie and Jean are both interesting and hilarious. Jean’s personality is bold and adventurous and I loved getting to live vicariously through her as someone who is definitely not adventurous, haha!

Both Charlie and Jean are characters with such strong, identifiable personalities. I loved how they both felt like themselves throughout the story, even when others wanted them to present as someone different. They’re such real people that completely jumped off the page.

This story was easy to read and funny, full of awkward moments and miscommunications that made you laugh out loud. I loved Charlie’s longtime friend Mugsy and her ability to stand up for Charlie as well as herself. It’s so heartwarming to see those friendships that feel like families.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and St. Martin’s Griffin for the opportunity to read and review this book! I received a free advance copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for the #advancReviewCopy of The Odds Of Getting Even

Genre: #romcom

Release Date: July 2025

Summary: Jean is a witty, outgoing, carefree, resort employee who happens to meet the man of her dreams while delivering towels to his luxurious cottage.

Charlie is a quiet, shy and reserved quirky scientist who has a really good reason for being butt naked when he requested the towels.

Charlie’s nakedness and Jean’s utter shock is the perfect formula for love at first sight.

But people are not always who they seem to be, and when Charlie suddenly disappears because of a misunderstanding, Jean sets out intended to get revenge.

My Thoughts: This is a classic ‘misunderstanding’ plot where both main characters think the other did them wrong. I do enjoy this plot line, but in this case there were certain aspects that went a little too far. There was also a part of the book that was a tad confusing, and it centred around when they finally get to the beer celebration and they see each other again and Jean pretends to be someone else. It was odd the way it was handled, and I was confused not understanding if Charlie really thought she could be someone else and why he went along, pretending she wasn’t who she really was. Her actions were also questionable and out of place. The romance could have been a little tighter as well. Even the ending didn’t really centre around the romance, but more around the family business.

Other than that, I did enjoy the book. It reads very quickly, and I did remain engaged throughout.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

2⭐

LIKED:
- The plot (when the book gets to it) is pretty fun. It’s a little hidden identity on both sides and that’s cute.
- This book is very quick to read, and I mean that as a compliment. It’s not meant to be anything too heavy so you can just pick it up and get through it in one sitting relatively easy.
- I like this title. I wish it had anything to do with this book (They are not getting even. About anything. There is no revenge.)
- This cover is…fine. But the MMC looks so creepy. Why is hair stringy? What is he wearing? What is that expression? Just why.

LAMENTED:
- The pacing of this book is inefficient. We did not get to the actual meat of the story until 30% into the book. That is too far in. I know that the author needed to do some set up for the infatuation between the two, but it did not need to be that much. And then once we get to whatever Dakota it is, there still is not a lot of time spent on their relationship. The author is trying to do too much while not investing writing into what was most important.
- This romance made no sense. I did not care about either character or them getting together. They knew each other for like a day and a half and I cannot suspend my disbelief that this relationship would by any means last.
- I find the MMC to be really unappealing. He’s just kind of whiny and weird in a bad way. Also he’s supposed to be obsessed with reptiles but also we don’t really get to see why or how he wants it to be his dream. He does not feel fully fleshed out.
- I do not like the famous ex plot line. It just felt odd, personally, in how it was handled.
- There are too many side characters and they all feel really one dimensional. I did not care about any of them and, again, I just feel like they took away from the actual romance of the rom-com.

LONGED FOR:
- Any semblance of chemistry between the leads
- More actual focus on the romance
- Stronger pacing and less dilly-dallying when the book is quite plot focused

Will I read the next one? : No.

This is such a cute rom-com style book set in South Dakota. Jean and Charlie had chemistry from the first moment they met. Their banter made the book so good and I could picture it all happening as a movie in my head as I was reading.

This was a fun, wacky read! Jean and Charlie were such different characters and I loved how they fit together in the best possible way. There were so many great hijinks and miscommunications in this book and I was laughing the whole time. A lighthearted rom com perfect for summer!

I love a good feel good book and this was exactly it. I don't think there wasn't a single chapter where i wasn't giggling like a maniac.
the banter and humor was amazing and it felt like i was watching a rom com movie and i didn't know i needed this type of energy so bad rn.
The characters, the setting, and the writing was top tier and this is def one of my top books of the year :)

thanks to St. Martin's Press and netgalley for the ARC!

This book was just okay. The story just didn't hit the tropes for me, and the whole "revenge" plot was just kind of meh. That being said, it was a fun, low stakes, quick read that would be a great beach or vacation read for when you don't want anything complicated or crazy. I enjoyed the snake double entendres 🐍

Sadly, this book fell flat for me and it was a DNF.

Thank you, NetGalley and St Martin's for the e=ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’m sorry to say that I found this book to be more annoying than adorable. From the first chapter, I never felt any chemistry between Jean and Charlie, which sadly meant that I didn’t feel a connection with them myself.

This book was such a gem—clever, funny, and full of heart. Amanda Sellet has this amazing way of making her characters feel totally relatable, even when they’re caught up in the most ridiculous (and hilarious) situations.

The humor had me smiling the whole time, and I loved the mix of snarky banter, heartfelt moments, and just the right dash of chaos. The friendships were a major highlight for me—real, messy, supportive in all the best ways. And the main character? Loved her voice—smart, a little awkward, and just trying to figure things out like the rest of us.

It’s the kind of book that sneaks up on you with deeper themes too—about growing up, figuring out who you are, and learning how to be okay with uncertainty. But it never feels heavy. Just thoughtful and fun.

If you’re into witty, character-driven stories with a touch of rom-com energy and great dialogue, this one’s totally worth picking up!

*thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

I really wanted to like The Odds of Getting Even, but it sadly just didn't work for me. What should have been a fun and quirky meet cute between the MCs gave me the ick.