Betting on the Bird

Fixer Upper #1.5

by Cassandra Medcalf

She’s got the house, she’s got the girl… but Natalie is putting it all on the line to reunite her family for Christmas Dinner. Between the renovations and the menu, she’s up to her ears in preparations. And when a decorating fight with an animatronic Santa puts her on the bench, it’s up to her girlfriend Bonnie to save the day. But Bonnie’s already got her hands full managing Natalie’s expectations. Now she’s expected to prepare a feast of fancy recipes and deep fry a turkey to save Christmas? They should have called it off when the house caught fire. Now the family’s imploding and things are heating up in more ways than one. Can Bonnie and Natalie pull off playing Santa? Or will their relationship just become another Christmas casualty? Hijinks abound in this spicy sapphic Christmas comedy starring all of your friends from Betting on the House. It’s recommended you read the first book in the Fixer Upper Romance series before jumping into this one!

Genres: Romance, Lesbian, Adult, LGBT, Fiction, Audiobook, Queer

Audiobook

First published December 1, 2022

Reviews

[Doug Elliott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Betting on the Bird follows Natalie and Bonnie’s first Christmas together as they rush headlong from one mishap to another. There is some proportionate angst, but the result is a fun, heartwarming read. Along the way there are a few practical pointers on how not to cook a turkey.

[Amy's Book Cafe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't know that this was a part of a series🤦‍♀️ But I am now really excited to read the first book.

[Bre · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the perfect sequel to Betting On The House! I absolutely love Natalie, Bonnie, and Shawn. This book was the heartwarming “ending” to the story I wanted more of. I’m excited to read Shawn’s story, and hope to see more appearances of Nat and Bon!

[Ayezu Tamarapreye Okoko · Rating 4 out of 5]

BOOK REVIEWER -OKOKO AYEZU TAMARAPREYE

BOOK:-BETTING ON THE BIRD-FIXER UPPER ROMANCE #1.5:A SAPHIC CHRISTMAS ROMANCE COMEDY BY CASSANDRA MEDCALF

AChristmas eve story and lesbian romanceor prose fiction on sex toy or dildo(deal/the-ill-dow/di-ill- Dow/doh with doh for "well done" in urhobo pronounced hue-row-bo for "the coming of the row of the one made from man" in a mixture of English and ijaw language in Nigeria and di for come in effik) and hands romance described as betting on the bird(bird pronounced be-aired or erred), fixer(fee-key-sa with sa for great as "fee suspension is great or fee the male or one with the penis is great using the key as symbolitic of the penis) upper(or-pa or ore-pa for "or -out"or "iron pronounced i-on -out".The story through its characters,Natalie(Na-ta-lee for Go-source-lee) and her new found family Bonnie(Bore-nee) as lesbian Partners with Natalie initiating sex as they decorate(de-core-ray-t with de for brother in ikwerre language pronounced broader) the Christmas (christ-ma-sea) tree together.It aptly describes a saprophytic relationship with Natalie having the upper hand between the two girls.

[Nathalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know holidays bring out the worst (and best) in people and this sequel had it all!

Natalie is convinced she can mend her family and bring them closer together by throwing a Christmas dinner for her brother and his wife, her mother (and apperantly bf) and her girlfriend. Bonnie is not convinced this is the right approach but does she thinks any gf would do; she supports her and goes the extra mile by going out of her comfort zone.

Accidents come in threes so after Shawn falls down on Natalie while hanging the lights, her mom invites her boyfriend to the dinner and Natalie can't seem to get the dessert just right. Bonnie is such a grood trooper for helping out and indulging Natalie.

This story shows a lot of how past experiences or lack there of can make (or break) a person. Things that seems small can build up and influence you without you realizing it. I really loved how this story was told and how we got a glimps of how it affected them all and how they coped with it.

Shawn was a sweetheart as always and I loved the little nod to the grandmother by Ethan.

[Sarah Cimarusti · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story packs such big heart. I’m a fan of the emotional depth the author built into her characters, Bonnie and Nat. Bonnie has so much empathy and understands that hazy world of unspoken cues we send each other in romantic relationships.

Anyone who overhypes the holidays and gets lost in the familiar stress will feel less alone reading/listening to this.

It’s also very progressive as a bisexual romance if you ask me. I was easily immersed in the coming out story and complexities around family dynamics.

Oh, and chapter 2 was so hot I listened to it twice. This author knows how to write spice. A whole chapter of well written, erotic, heartfelt loving. It didn’t feel like cheap romance to me.

You need to listen to this on audio hands down. The author is an absolute professional and is not afraid to be vulnerable or bold in her expressions.

[cherry ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

i read this without knowing there was a first book, but it was extremely easy to follow the narrative, regardless. in fact, i liked that this was a pre-estblished relationship already. i was kind of getting tired of meet-cutes and meet-uglies, so having them together was such a breath of fresh air.

this was spicy and steamy! 🥵 but my favorite part of this book was their arguments. they seemed legitimate, instead of the usual "miscommunication" trope. what the characters were going through was genuinely stressful, and they talked it out eventually. also love that this was really holiday-focused, and that was the reason for the stress.

this was fun, flirty, and i would read the first book (if i remember it existed) 🤣

[Bailey Merlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I find this author's work very charming, well-paced, and funny. While I don't usually care for the overly wrought depictions of people struggling with perfectionism, I was willing to give this story a pass as both Bonnie and Natalie are shown as having positive sides to their personality quirks, too.

There are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments sprinkled throughout the story (and an outrageous scene featuring Baked Alaska) that will keep you hooked from start to finish.

Warning: she has some spicy scenes. I listened to the audiobook while walking the dog and was NOT expecting it to go 0 to.... we'll say 60, in chapter 2.

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I havent' found myself rooting for two people harder!
Natalie and Bonnie are sweet and funny and a little misunderstood as they discover their relationship is becoming more serious, all while their carefully laid plans burn down around them. Betting on the Bird is down to earth and immediately immersive! This work navigates through heavy situations well and with humor. I found myself yelling 'oh no!!' when things go wrong, and cheering when Natalie and Bonnie managed a win out of the fiasco they called Christmas dinner.
Cassandra Medcalf has a unique voice and a keen sense of humor. I'm eager to read more of her work!

[Jeimy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novella stressed me out—mostly because Natalie stressed me out. Her treatment of Bonnie and the unrealistic expectations she set for herself were a lot to take in. That said, her struggles were relatable in ways I won’t elaborate on, but if you know me, you might understand after reading it.

Like Betting on the House, the plot felt overly convoluted. Medcalf seemed to be balancing heavy family dynamics with slapstick comedy, but the result was a bit of a muddled mess. Still, it had its moments, and fans of the first book might enjoy the holiday chaos.

[Trudy Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

Well, first, let me say this: These people just had a Christmas that they won’t soon forget! Imagine your worst Christmas nightmare and multiply it by 10, that might give you an idea of how bad it was.

Second, I hope Natalie and Bonnie start to communicate more.

All in all, it’s a fun book to read. It sure made some of my Christmas disasters look good!

[SourPatchKid99 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This wasn't quite as enjoyable for me as the first book in this series, just because the stress of planning for the holidays felt a little too real lol. But like the first book, this is pretty enjoyable. I think it does a good job highlighting that even queer people sometimes display biphobia and view a bi partner (or a bi partner's friend) with suspicion because of negative stereotypes surrounding bisexuality, and that it's necessary to confront & rectify that internalized biphobia.

[Kina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Entire focus is on a meal - which got a bit tiresome, albeit full of challenges!
As the 2nd book in a series, it seemed two side relationships (Sean the Contractor) and the Brother (forget his name even though I just finished the book) were glossed over and I wanted more story on how one relationship seemed to evolve and the other seemed to flounder.
Heading into 3rd book in the series - but will take a break with another TBR 1st.

[Falencia Jean-Francois · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a little embarrassed to say I'm somewhat new to reading sapphic romance and I feel like this book was a perfect introduction! The story was really fun and well written; the characters were super relatable. All of the hijinks made it feel like I was watching a high quality holiday film! I can't wait to read more books in this collection!

[Savanna Vance · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a continuation of “Betting on the House”. I would describe it as a multi-chapter epilogue. There was not any real sustenance to the story, but it is a light, happy ending holiday story of two characters that I enjoyed. It kept my interest and was a great light read that did not require a lot of thinking, analyzing, etc.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a funny sequel involving Natalie and Bonnie and the entire clan from Betting on the House. Will Natalie ever get her perfect Christmas? Such drama surrounding holiday dinners. As much as I love the pairing of Natalie and Bonnie, I love the great friendship with Shawn as well. Everyone needs a best friend! Very enjoyable and relatable!

[Josephine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't realize this was a 1.5 and I probably should I have listened to the first book before this one. I didn't have any connection to these characters & felt a tad lost in some places, but the antics were fun to listen to to pass the time.

[Victoria Adams · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75⭐️ rounded up

I’m glad to see Bonnie and Nat get their happy ending, but not the greatest storytelling and narration, again.

I’m no prude, but the spice wasn’t hitting the way most would want.

The books (1 and 1.5) felt rushed and over quickly, could’ve used more context and lead up.

[Eli B · Rating 5 out of 5]

cute sequel

It was a short book, but it tidied up the ending of the first book with the promised Christmas story.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute Christmas story with some funny moments and some sweet moments. It was a quick fun read. I didn't read the previous book, but this stood on its own.

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cheesy, fun, heartfelt, spicy.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

First Christmas read of the year: My heart is very warm.

[billie copley · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good

This is the best story I have read in a long time. So dam funny. I just loved the ending!

[Damia Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is great, my only complaint was too much detail and not enough focus on moving the story along.

[hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ “i just want to point out, after all of our stressing, i wasn't the one to ruin dinner."

[Manar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect and MUCH NEEDED sequel! Their journey is so enjoyable and while there isn’t a whole lotta romance in the first one, this one makes up for that. Beautiful Christmas story!!

[Luiza Erickson · Rating 1 out of 5]

natalie is INSUFFERABLE this was so hard to finish holy fuck

[chels marieantoinette · Rating 3 out of 5]

This honestly made me anxious. I understand wanting the holidays to be perfect. But Nat treated everyone so badly, it was so frustrating.

[N.R.G. Selove · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super enjoyable lighthearted story about the importance of found family and communication in romantic relationships. The main characters are adorable, have wonderful chemistry, and have relatable conflicts. I love books that go beyond the coming together side of romance and portray the trials and conflicts that come with a couple being in a relationship. There were parts of the story that genuinely made me laugh out loud and there were parts that made me genuinely tear up. If you read Betting on the House and you want to know how Natalie and Bonnie are doing, read this book!