Max Monroe

When it comes to life's fun and games, always know: The rules. What's at stake. When to quit. Wise words from...well...my fortune cookie. But wise words, nonetheless. I just wish the Fortune Cookie People had considered how hard the whole "knowing when to quit" would be to carry out when a woman like me is gambling with her feelings. Heart-palpitating, vageen-tingling, butterflies-in-my-belly feelings for a noncommittal, hot-as-sin player by the name of Jude Winslow. After a crazy night where we were both pretending to be someone else, I've found myself immersed in the fun of the fling. The thrill. The irresistible charm. The pleasure of being with a man like him. Problem is, I'm positive he's the exact opposite of husband material, and that is a serious issue for someone who is fixated on finding her happily ever after. I know the rules and I know the stakes, oh wise Fortune Cookie. Now I'd just like to know how close to self-destruction I have to get before I find the will to quit Jude Winslow. Goodness knows, when your heart is on the line, you can't ante up your bet with an IOU.

The Bet

samantha youngclaus

turns out there is a limit on too much smut in a romance novel

Jayla Poindexter 

Nicola Sarah Brooks

I was a bit undecided after reading this one. I was so conflicted! On one hand it was a hawt, hawt read, interesting characters and a decent amount of humour (mostly supplied by Jude's niece). On the other hand, his complete anti-relationship rhetoric goes on for so long, the quick turnaround in his feelings gave me whiplash! don't get me wrong I love it when a so-called "no strings" hero gets all tangled up in strings but it was just so immediate.

Jude's relationship with women has been questionable, to say the least - he leaves in the middle of the night, makes them doubt themselves, and barely shares more than his name with them. Sophie is like the poster girl for long-term commitment but she was willing to put aside her needs and wants to have Jude, that was my complaint about her. I did enjoy that most of the scenes between the couple were just them and they do share combustible chemistry.

There's spice a plenty but not so much on the feels front.

Michelle Vasquez

“Jude might just be a guy I’m having fun with, but he makes me feel more like me when I’m with him.”

Jude is the fun time guy. The no strings, emotions, or attachments guy. He is the one you will experience living in the moment, but won’t share those milestone moments with. 

Sophie is the extrovert but because of being sidelined in solidarity of her introvert twin, she has repressed her feelings and never truly acted out on her desires or things she truly wanted to experience.

“The Bet,” by Max Monroe is book one in their Winslow Brothers Series. It is a standalone romcom, and gives us a man afraid of commitment and a girl that is looking for it. Jude can’t back down from a bet, and Sophie can’t miss the opportunity to help her twin in need. When you mix the two of them together, add a shot of whatever alcohol is nearby, you get a male exotic dancer and a bride to be. Sounds fun right? The saying goes, objects in mirror are not as they always appear. In this case, both Jude and Sophie are in an alternate universe, and they have just rocked each other’s worlds. Toss in a date gone wrong, and the right place at the right time, Jude and Sophie went on a whirlwind spree of no-strings. But what happens when those non-existent feelings show up? Is it flight or fight? This story packed a punch and I loved every minute of it. Please keep the sizzle coming because this is my new fave by my fave romcom duo.

The Bet

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