Lynn Painter

Two people make a wager on who can find love first, not realizing what they should be betting on is each other, in this new romantic comedy by Lynn Painter, author of Mr. Wrong Number. Hallie Piper is turning over a new leaf. After belly-crawling out of a hotel room (hello, rock bottom), she decides it's time to become a full-on adult. She gets a new apartment, a new haircut, and a new wardrobe, but when she logs onto the dating app that she has determined will find her new love, she sees none other than Jack, the guy whose room she snuck out of. After the joint agreement that they are absolutely not interested in each other, Jack and Hallie become partners in their respective searches for The One. They text each other about their dates, often scheduling them at the same restaurant so that if things don't go well, the two of them can get tacos afterward. Spoiler: they get a lot of tacos together. Discouraged by the lack of prospects, Jack and Hallie make a wager to see who can find true love first, but when they agree to be fake dates for a weekend wedding, all bets are off. As they pretend to be a couple, lines become blurred and they each struggle to remember why the other was a bad idea to begin with.

The Love Wager

alannah

Jack: This obviously has nothing to do with you, but I would really love to wring the neck of Ben Marks.

Jack: Certainly didn't help. But every time I look at him, I want to hurt him for making you feel like you weren't enough.

That grin crawled all the way up his face before he threw his head back and started laughing all over again, even as the hotel employee stared blankly at them.

 love his face there," she agreed, picturing Matthew Macfadyen's sweet smile. "But the near-kiss in the rain is the best moment."

"Agree to disagree," Jack said, rolling onto his side to face her. "It's too devastating when they pull back."

"If I didn't know better— and I do, so don't worry— I'd think you're kind of a hopeless romantic."

it was alright, very easy read, but didn’t give anything 

Julie Palacio

So I didn’t love this as much as I could have. I think it was the writing that really disconnected me. It felt mechanical and like it was needing to mark off a checklist as it was going and because of that it felt choppy. The timeline also affected the story for me because the romance felt rushed even though it built so much. It’s hard to describe. Maybe this one just wasn’t for me. 

Priscilla Stanfield

Doris Ivandic 

4.75⭐️ I did not expect it simply because this is my first Lynn Painter book, however this has become one of my favorite romance books! Hallie and Jack had me giggling and blushing on every single page of this book and I love them with all my heart. Their story was so adorable and beautiful that I had a hard time putting this book down and almost finished the entire thing in one sitting. Lynn Painter, you amaze me 🤍

Pre-order the next feel-good, hilarious and swoon-worthy book by Lynn Painter Praise for Lynn Painter 'The most sidesplittingly funny, sexual tension-filled book I've read in a long, long time. I dare you not to fall in love!' ALI HAZELWOOD, author of THE LOVE HYPOTHESIS 'Smart, sexy, and downright hilarious. Mr Wrong Number is an absolutely pitch-perfect romantic comedy' CHRISTINA LAUREN, author of THE UNHONEYMOONERS _____ Two people make a wager on who can find love first, not realizing what they should be betting on is each other, in this new romantic comedy by Lynn Painter, author of Mr. Wrong Number. Hallie Piper is turning over a new leaf. After belly-crawling out of a hotel room (hello, rock bottom), she decides it's time to become a full-on adult. She gets a new apartment, a new haircut, and a new wardrobe, but when she logs into the dating app that she has determined will find her new love, she sees none other than Jack, the guy whose room she'd snuck out of. Through the app, and after the joint agreement that they are absolutely not interested in each other, Jack and Hallie become partners in their respective searches for The One. They text each other about their dates, often scheduling them at the same restaurant so that if things don't go well, the two of them can get tacos afterward. Spoiler: they get a lot of tacos together. Discouraged by the lack of prospects, Jack and Hallie make a wager to see who can find true love first, but when they agree to be fake dates for a weekend wedding, all bets are off. As they pretend to be a couple, lines become blurred and they each struggle to remember why the other was a bad idea to begin with.

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i started this off by listening to the audio and i got 60ish pages in with that. i finally picked the physical book up and could not put it down! i finished the rest of it in one sitting. hallie & jack’s relationship was so cute and they were just so funny together. i was laughing a LOT throughout the book. if you want a short, fun & easy read, this is for you!

the only ‘issue’ i had with the love wager was that there was some modern slang and i just don’t like that in books 😭 hallie said some things that gave me the ick. she was also a lil annoying but i liked her nonetheless lol

a fav quote from the book: 
“she kept trying to find empathy, because she was a very empathetic person, but dr. stephen was literally crying at dinner because he was worried about the emotional scars he and his ex-wife might’ve left on their dogs.”

Kenzi Linton

This was a “skip the line” book for me on libby and I was excited to quickly snatch it as I’ve been really wanting to try this author out. I didn’t realize that it’s the second book in a series, but the first has different characters so I’m not too worried. This book was honestly so cute and it made me smile. I loved how fast it was to read and it kept me interested.

This book was exactly what I needed it to be. Sweet and silly. I was laughing out loud at multiple parts, the banter is great. 

Megan BV

Petaco

Nouran Hazem

I love the friends to lovers and banter in this book! This was just all cute and vibes and I enjoyed this one so much more than mr wrong number.. but the writing I did have some problems with….(which is why I believe Lynn painter’s best books are the YA ones) and not gonna lie I almost dnfed in the beginning because of the woman hating in the first chapter? Like there’s no reason to call Vanessa so evil for getting jealous? But overall once we got to the best friends and fake dating part the book definitely picked up! I literally finished this so fast in the car while going to and from uni!!

I really liked that they first became friends and after that, they became lovers. The banter between them was really great and I just really liked it

Ellen

my loves colin & olivia had their married couple cameo moment I LIVE!!!! but hallie & jack ARE EVERYTHING, they are so iconic & i just love them

belle

pleasantly surprising! it's a book that is really well-paced, fun, and just an overall enjoyable read.

i really loved hallie and jack's unexpected meet-cute, and their eventual communication with each other via text - it made for such fun banter! their attraction felt really natural and authentic whilst reading it all play out.

things started getting really good when the fake-dating scenario started because my god, their chemistry and tension was through the roof! also i'm a sucker for a good 

my only minor criticism is that i wish we had gotten to delve a little more into the backgrounds of hallie and jack as individual characters, but there's no denying their love story as a couple is so good!

but if you're a hopeless romantic (like myself), you'll definitely love this book. so many fun, classic romance tropes mixed in with a lot of heart. 🌹

pleasantly surprising! it's a book that is really well-paced, fun, and just an overall enjoyable read.

i really loved hallie and jack's unexpected meet-cute, and their eventual communication with each other via text - it made for such fun banter! their attraction felt really natural and authentic whilst reading it all play out.

things started getting really good when the fake-dating scenario started because my god, their chemistry and tension was through the roof! also i'm a sucker for a good pride and prejudice reference, and there were plenty!

my only minor criticism is that i wish we had gotten to delve a little more into the backgrounds of hallie and jack as individual characters, but there's no denying their love story as a couple is so good!

but if you're a hopeless romantic (like myself), you'll definitely love this book. so many fun, classic romance tropes mixed in with a lot of heart. 🌹

Jack and Hallie are pure perfection. I love them so much.

The last 10 pages got me in a chokehold. THIS WAS PURE PERFECTION

Thank you Lynn Painter, you're books are amazing!!

Jack and Hallie are pure perfection. I love them so much.

The last 10 pages got me in a chokehold. THIS WAS PURE PERFECTION

Thank you Lynn Painter, you're books are amazing!!

This was sweet and light hearted. I feel like anyone would enjoy this book. It involves the best tropes – fake dating and forced proximity/one bed! It loses stars because I felt like the conflict towards the end was over too quickly. 

Candice Browne

It was okay. I liked the start of the book but then it got pretty meh. Not all that special. Still good enough to get me out of a readingslump 

Emma Kamer

While serving as bartender for a wedding, Hallie Piper causes Jack Marshall and his almost fiance to split up, so Hallie and Jack commiserate and get drunk, leading to a very enjoyable night in bed together. Afterwards they decide they are better as friends, so when they run across each other again they both sign up for the same dating app and make a bet about who can find true love first.  Unfortunately, their "after dates" together are better than the actual ones that they go on.  A series of circumstances lead them to fake date at a wedding, and now they think their fake dates may be better than the real ones.

The Love Wager is a cute rom-com with lots of humor and banter between the two main characters.  While the romance is enjoyable, it is also frustrating.  For most of the story, it seems ridiculous that the two protagonists can't see their feelings for one another, especially since their time together is so much fun.  Also, they make so much of being such great best friends and yet they have only known each other for a few weeks.  Regardless of their illogical behavior toward one another, the characters are very likable and entertaining.  Overall, The Love Wager is a lively and witty romance that is delightful to the very end.

Lynn Braden

While serving as bartender for a wedding, Hallie Piper causes Jack Marshall and his almost fiance to split up, so Hallie and Jack commiserate and get drunk, leading to a very enjoyable night in bed together. Afterwards they decide they are better as friends, so when they run across each other again they both sign up for the same dating app and make a bet about who can find true love first.  Unfortunately, their "after dates" together are better than the actual ones that they go on.  A series of circumstances lead them to fake date at a wedding, and now they think their fake dates may be better than the real ones.

The Love Wager is a cute rom-com with lots of humor and banter between the two main characters.  While the romance is enjoyable, it is also frustrating.  For most of the story, it seems ridiculous that the two protagonists can't see their feelings for one another, especially since their time together is so much fun.  Also, they make so much of being such great best friends and yet they have only known each other for a few weeks.  Regardless of their illogical behavior toward one another, the characters are very likable and entertaining.  Overall, The Love Wager is a lively and witty romance that is delightful to the very end.

This book was such a fresh break from all other books. The banter was easy. 

The characters were hella funny and I absolutely loved them. I loved their tension and jealousy. 

Their communication is better than most characters ngl even though the 2 weeks thing pissed me off. 

But it's all good. They're cute and I loved them. 

Keira 💫

This book was such a fresh break from all other books. The banter was easy. 

The characters were hella funny and I absolutely loved them. I loved their tension and jealousy. 

Their communication is better than most characters ngl even though the 2 weeks thing pissed me off. 

But it's all good. They're cute and I loved them. 

I loved this book so much. It had friends to lovers, fake dating, only one bed, a dating competition, and just like really great banter. I swear I read it in like four hours. So many warm fuzzies. 

Brianna Foley

I'm obsessed with this book. I read it in one sitting because I couldn't put it down, and then once I finished, I went back to the beginning and re-read it to highlight my favorite parts. Spoiler alert: there were a lot of them. Painter's writing is so sharp and quick-witted, and her characters are so fun. Hallie and Jack were everything I could've wanted in a pairing. They had the playful, teasing banter I love so much, and their chemistry was palpable. I had a goofy grin on my face throughout the whole book because I couldn't get enough of them. There were some instances of miscommunication (my least favorite romance trope), but I never found myself that bothered with it here. If you're in the mood for an amusing yet swoony rom-com, I highly recommend checking it out.

Heather Harrington

Jennifer mitchell

Thank you Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book was SUPER CUTE and the chemistry was palpable, but it fell just a little short of being a 5 star read for me.

Things I liked:
-I loveeee a good bet/wager trope. Seriously, I think its so underrated in romance books. The premise of this book is what drew me in initially and the payout did not disappoint. I loved the set up for the story and the gradual shift relationship from friends to more as they tried to one up each other.
-C H E M I S T R Y. These two characters have it. The fun, flirty texts they exchanged turned my heart into a puddle of goo. Seriously, the room turned a few degrees hotter when these two started going back and forth with each other.
-Short, easy to read chapters. This may be a silly thing to some but there is nothing worse then slugging through a book with long chapters. I really liked the pace of this story and think the short chapters played into that a lot. It was a quick, easy read and the story flowed very smoothly. 

Things I didn't like:
-THIRD PERSON PERSPECTIVE!!!! ESPECIALLY considering the chapters are told from both characters perspectives. There is literally no reason on earth this story couldn't have been told from a 1st person perspective. It makes it harder for me to immerse myself in the story when its told as if I'm an outsider looking in rather than actually being in the character's shoes.
-Lack of spice - listen, if this was supposed to be a clean romance I wouldn't even bring it up BUT... it seems like this was intended to be spicy because the author definitely didn't shy away from it. In fact, the scenes were built up SO WELL because of the tension between the characters. But once you reached that part it was just kind of... blah. I just think the story would have flowed a little more and really wowed if those scenes were fully explored.
-did I mention I hate third person perspective?

Overall:
Super cute read, light, and fluffy. Definitely recommend for anyone needing a book to escape in.

The Love Wager

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