This Book Made Me Want to Yap Again - Betting on You

Author: Lynn Painter

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨(4.25)

Genres: Romance, Contemporary

TW: Abandonment, Panic attacks/disorders, Cursing, Mental illness, Infidelity, Alcohol, Pregnancy, Violence

What do you mean I haven't updated this blog in 2 years?!!! And more importantly, this book actually ignited my desire to yap my thoughts on this blog again?!

Book summary: When seventeen-year-old Bailey starts a new job, she's less than thrilled to see an old acquaintance as one of her coworkers. Bailey met Charlie a year ago on the long flight to Omaha, where she moved after her parents’ divorce. Normally in rom-coms it'd be a 'meet-cute', but for Bailey, it was 'meet-hate'.

Now, Bailey and Charlie are still polar opposites, but instead of everything about him annoying Bailey, she starts to look forward to hanging out and gossiping about the waterpark guests and their coworkers. Bailey and Charlie make a bet on whether or not the cozy pair will actually get together.

Bailey and Charlie keep close track of the romantic progress of others while their relationship develops.

So. The start of this was rather slow compared to Lynn Painter's other works, because they start off as not even friends. I didn't feel much at the start, and started to think that this wouldn't be one of my favorites from the author, which is okay, because there can't always be hits.

Then the second half happened, in as non-spoilery as possible, Colorado. Their relationship progresses, and freaking Charlie Sampson won me over. Guy wears pink flannel pants with hearts on them because his sister bought them for him as a gift, piggybacks Bailey down a hiking trail because she's tired, climbs a tree to rescue a smol gray kitten and proceeds to adopt the kitten and becomes obsessed with said kitten (even speaks to the kitten in cute voices and etc.) - HOW COULD HE NOT WIN ME OVER.

and (spoiler)

cancels a party moments before it happens because Bailey needed him. WHERE CAN I FIND A CHARLIE.

(end of spoiler)

Other than the romance, I also loved that both characters were trying to navigate their parents' new relationships. I'm glad that we got to see Bailey start to adjust and accept the changes (my heart melted when Scott shared his story with her and hugged her at the end) and her dad started to text her more too. Would have loved to see Charlie slowly come to terms with his own family's new relationships, but I guess life isn't perfectly wrapped up like that.

Though, I wanted to learn more about why Charlie always eats TUMs and why he's so aversive to germs.

The story was still predictable at times (with the bet(s) and all) and how he thought he could avoid his feelings by distancing himself and hurting her in the process, but damn it was still cute in the end.

I literally threw the book onto the bed when I finished reading and said "shit it's so cute".