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High Stakes #1
Bet Against Me
Trina Lee would sell her own mother’s house out from under her if it meant securing a sale, no joke. Her reputation as a ruthless deal closer and her record sales year in Boston’s luxury property market should’ve landed her Realtor of the Year, so when the award goes to new girl rival Kendall Yates, Trina is left speechless. And, okay, turned on. Kendall made more enemies than friends the night of her big win, but she couldn’t care less. She’s the best, and she has the obnoxious glass paperweight to prove it. This is the edge she needs to escape the shadow of her family’s reputation. When her boss accepts a friendly bet that she can close the holy grail of property deals, she’s not about to fold for anyone. Especially not to overly cocky and annoyingly beautiful Trina. Even if it breaks her heart.
299 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 15, 2020
49 people are currently reading
1389 people want to read
About the author
Fiona Riley
19 books343 followersFiona Riley was born and raised in New England where she is a medical professional and part-time professor when she isn’t bonding with her laptop over words. She went to college in Boston and never left, starting a small business that takes up all of her free time, much to the dismay of her ever patient and lovely wife. When she pulls herself away from her work, she likes to catch up on the contents of her ever-growing DVR or take a walk with her dog.
Fiona’s love for writing started at a young age and blossomed after she was published in a poetry competition at the ripe old age of twelve. She wrote lots of short stories and poetry for many years until it was time for college and a “real job.” Fiona found herself with a bachelor’s, a doctorate, and a day job, but felt like she had stopped nurturing the one relationship that had always made her feel the most complete: artist, dreamer, writer. A series of bizarre events afforded her with some unexpected extra time and she found herself reaching for her favorite blue notebook to write, never looking back.
Fiona’s love for writing started at a young age and blossomed after she was published in a poetry competition at the ripe old age of twelve. She wrote lots of short stories and poetry for many years until it was time for college and a “real job.” Fiona found herself with a bachelor’s, a doctorate, and a day job, but felt like she had stopped nurturing the one relationship that had always made her feel the most complete: artist, dreamer, writer. A series of bizarre events afforded her with some unexpected extra time and she found herself reaching for her favorite blue notebook to write, never looking back.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 161 reviews
September 15, 2020
This was a very good read. I have to be honest that I wasn’t crazy about 2 out of the last 3 books Riley has written. For me they were good but just missing that spark. I’m happy to say that this book was very enjoyable and more like the Riley that wrote the Match series that I became such a fan of. This was the steamy romance I was hoping for and I’m excited to read more in this series.
I’m a big steamy romance fan and I also love the enemies to lovers trope. And as someone who enjoys watching Million Dollar Listings, I was very happy with the high stakes realtor theme too. This book was definitely a match for me and I would easily recommend it to other enemies to lovers fans. The fighting and banter that oozed into sexual tension was really well done. I also thought the two mains stayed enemies for the right amount of time. A lot of books have that tension end way too fast, but this book had the perfect amount of time to build up some great chemistry.
While I found the real estate parts to be very interesting, the heart of this book is the steamy romance. As I already mentioned before, this romance had wonderful chemistry. The two mains seemed completely made for each other and the sparks between them just kept growing and growing. And because they had so much chemistry, the sex scenes were all really well done. The sex scenes had a good mix of intimacy and dialogue that just steamed up the pages.
I complain about this a lot but I wasn’t big on the big conflict moment. You could tell what it would be about very early into the story. It was a little too predictable for my tastes. But what was even worse was that the character that really needed love and support, and probably therapy, is the one that had to win the other character back instead. That didn’t make any sense and had me scratching my head. While I liked the way the character won the other back because it was sweet, it should have been the other way around with the other main doing the wooing. In my mind, since there were outside forces affecting the characters, the big conflict scene should have been the two mains against the outside force. That would have made more sense and they could have grown closer together since they fought together. Always using an auto break-up for the final conflict, especially when it makes little sense, doesn’t work with every romance book and it’s why I can’t give this book more than 4 stars.
While I didn’t like how the final conflict played out, this was still a really good read. It’s just that it could have been one of my favorites of the year. Oh well, I still easily recommend this one to steamy romance and or enemies to lovers fans. This kind of book is Riley at her best and it was very nice to read.
A copy was given to me for a honest review.
I’m a big steamy romance fan and I also love the enemies to lovers trope. And as someone who enjoys watching Million Dollar Listings, I was very happy with the high stakes realtor theme too. This book was definitely a match for me and I would easily recommend it to other enemies to lovers fans. The fighting and banter that oozed into sexual tension was really well done. I also thought the two mains stayed enemies for the right amount of time. A lot of books have that tension end way too fast, but this book had the perfect amount of time to build up some great chemistry.
While I found the real estate parts to be very interesting, the heart of this book is the steamy romance. As I already mentioned before, this romance had wonderful chemistry. The two mains seemed completely made for each other and the sparks between them just kept growing and growing. And because they had so much chemistry, the sex scenes were all really well done. The sex scenes had a good mix of intimacy and dialogue that just steamed up the pages.
I complain about this a lot but I wasn’t big on the big conflict moment. You could tell what it would be about very early into the story. It was a little too predictable for my tastes. But what was even worse was that the character that really needed love and support, and probably therapy, is the one that had to win the other character back instead. That didn’t make any sense and had me scratching my head. While I liked the way the character won the other back because it was sweet, it should have been the other way around with the other main doing the wooing. In my mind, since there were outside forces affecting the characters, the big conflict scene should have been the two mains against the outside force. That would have made more sense and they could have grown closer together since they fought together. Always using an auto break-up for the final conflict, especially when it makes little sense, doesn’t work with every romance book and it’s why I can’t give this book more than 4 stars.
While I didn’t like how the final conflict played out, this was still a really good read. It’s just that it could have been one of my favorites of the year. Oh well, I still easily recommend this one to steamy romance and or enemies to lovers fans. This kind of book is Riley at her best and it was very nice to read.
A copy was given to me for a honest review.
October 24, 2022
It's happened! If anyone's followed my Fiona Riley reviews, they'd see that, for me, nothing's been able to top her debut book, Miss Match. Well, with utmost confidence, I can say that Bet Against Me now reins as my favorite!
With Riley romances, I get some of my favorite things: brilliant gay women, sassy dialogue, sexy professional ladies in lovely fashion, incredibly sexy scenes, and (something some lesfics forget) FLIRTING. This is one of those I-hate-you-but-you're-so-hot-so-there's-sexual-tension-whenever-we-argue-please-kiss-my-face kind of books.
Let me get my nitpicks out the way: This story starts out a little slow. Lots of stuff about real estate, which is the name of the game. Is anyone familiar with Selling Sunset on Netflix? I pictured that vibe early on, but the world Riley builds is much more interesting. The other nitpick is a bit of 'overwriting'. Riley is definitely an info sponge and I can read all the research on my Kindle, but sometimes less details is more.
Now, FORGET ABOUT ALL THAT. Once Trina and Kendall start swapping barbs and spending time apart from their workmates, it heats up. Their chemistry is off the charts. Usually my re-reads of favorite chapters happen well after I'm done with the book. Not this time. I read the chapter at least four times before I completed it book. It has all the qualities of delicious flirting and sweet, girly chemistry. It made every part of me curl with happiness. That's where I became a diehard fan of this couple's eventual coupling. God, how I wish more writers focused on un-interrupted dates and had whole chapters of cuteness that doesn't get cloying. There's an underlying sexiness to Riley's cuteness, too. It's so good. Can you tell I love this?
I kind of dreaded when the drama would happen, but if anybody feels this way, just know that she doesn't drag it out. It lasts about as long as it felt appropriate since her characters actually communicate.
References that stood out to me:
- Does Shay remind anyone else of Shane from The L Word, haha? That character had a little brother named Shay, too.
- Lauren's AUNT CAROLE. AUNT CAROLE WHO WAS REALLY INTO TIGERS AND TIGER PARAPHERNALIA. This Tiger King ref had me laughing so hard. I'm always down for a Carole Baskin joke.
Kendall and Trina had just the romance I wanted. Trina, oh my goodness, Trina. She's such a spitfire and he has a gooey, sweet center. I'm a sucker for that. I'd also like her to step on me in her heels, please and thank you.
This is an easy 5-star review. It cheered me up so much.
With Riley romances, I get some of my favorite things: brilliant gay women, sassy dialogue, sexy professional ladies in lovely fashion, incredibly sexy scenes, and (something some lesfics forget) FLIRTING. This is one of those I-hate-you-but-you're-so-hot-so-there's-sexual-tension-whenever-we-argue-please-kiss-my-face kind of books.
Let me get my nitpicks out the way: This story starts out a little slow. Lots of stuff about real estate, which is the name of the game. Is anyone familiar with Selling Sunset on Netflix? I pictured that vibe early on, but the world Riley builds is much more interesting. The other nitpick is a bit of 'overwriting'. Riley is definitely an info sponge and I can read all the research on my Kindle, but sometimes less details is more.
Now, FORGET ABOUT ALL THAT. Once Trina and Kendall start swapping barbs and spending time apart from their workmates, it heats up. Their chemistry is off the charts. Usually my re-reads of favorite chapters happen well after I'm done with the book. Not this time. I read the chapter at least four times before I completed it book. It has all the qualities of delicious flirting and sweet, girly chemistry. It made every part of me curl with happiness. That's where I became a diehard fan of this couple's eventual coupling. God, how I wish more writers focused on un-interrupted dates and had whole chapters of cuteness that doesn't get cloying. There's an underlying sexiness to Riley's cuteness, too. It's so good. Can you tell I love this?
I kind of dreaded when the drama would happen, but if anybody feels this way, just know that she doesn't drag it out. It lasts about as long as it felt appropriate since her characters actually communicate.
References that stood out to me:
- Does Shay remind anyone else of Shane from The L Word, haha? That character had a little brother named Shay, too.
- Lauren's AUNT CAROLE. AUNT CAROLE WHO WAS REALLY INTO TIGERS AND TIGER PARAPHERNALIA. This Tiger King ref had me laughing so hard. I'm always down for a Carole Baskin joke.
Kendall and Trina had just the romance I wanted. Trina, oh my goodness, Trina. She's such a spitfire and he has a gooey, sweet center. I'm a sucker for that. I'd also like her to step on me in her heels, please and thank you.
This is an easy 5-star review. It cheered me up so much.
July 19, 2022
➥ 4 Stars *:･ﾟ✧
Buddy read with Amy 💕💕💕. Once I reached 40% I was having an absolutely fantastic time reading this book, but my rating ultimately boils down to the mediocrity of the beginning, and the insufferable, over-the-top, 3rd act conflict/breakup at the end.
What pains me is, if this whole book had been like the 40-85% part of this book, it would have been a full 5 stars for me. I don't think I was really able to express how much I really really did adore that part. It was so well written, the chemistry and tension were off the charts, the moments were so intense and well-thought-out, and ugh. It was truly amazing. The cafe scene, the country club scene (that's going in the books), Trina's apartment scene, hotel scene, the date night, and them babysitting together? I'm telling you, it was so good. I genuinely think it's still worth reading this book and giving it a chance because of how good those parts were.
I mean??? I was going crazyyyyy. Anyway, I had never read a book about real estate, let alone competitive real estate, but I think it had a lot of potential. If the characters had been more mature and did a little more bantering and less arguing, I think I would have been completely sold on the aspect. I loved how they bumped into each other when they were each showing around their potential buyers, I loved how well researched the concept was, and I loved the mean businesswomen in heels thing we had going on hehe.
I was very interested in the rivalry aspect of this book, because who doesn't love a enemies/rivals to lovers dynamic? But, the rivalry mostly consisted of Trina undermining and insulting Kendall for no reason, and Kendall just having to endure it? Another thing that bothered me about her character is the end. Firstly, after literally declaring that you love each other, why don't you trust the other to tell the truth? Why did you jump to conclusions? And why wasn't Trina the one grovelling? She's the one who messed up.
Yet, this book had so many good aspects too!! Like the hurt/comfort when The tension, the angst, it was just delectable. There were so so many amazing moments.
I do, however, wish we had gotten a moment where Kendall gave up and deadass cried in Trina's arms about her father. I wanted Trina to die from guilt, I'm serious. I wanted her to grovel so hard. That would have been fabulous. She should have realised how awful all those comments had been, she should have held Kendall while she cried, she should have apologised on her knees!!!!! Muah chef's kiss.
I also would have appreciated an intimate shower moment. Idk if that makes sense. We get some pretty fucking adorable domesticity, don't worry, but I wanted to see them wash each other's hair and shit so bad 😭. Idk, shower moments always do it for me.
But, I really didn't like the author's choice to include all the daddy issues drama. Not only was is extremely unrealistic and over-the-top, but it was clearly just inserted to cause a conflict. Which was another aspect I didn't need. Also, some of the side characters were ass. I pretty much love Jax, I wish we got a book for them (love the non-binary rep), but Lauren got on my nerves. She worsened the conflict and was a bitch to Kendall for no reason. Margot was okay but meh. Calvin was pretty cool though. Also, we should have gotten an epilogue!!
Anyway, overall I had a great time buddy reading this with Amy and those 40-85% parts were truly, truly incredible. This author has so much potential and I've been told that the books in this series just get better and better. Looking forward to reading more of this author's work!
Trina squeezed her hand before releasing it. "I have a meeting across town, and I have to go, but this was nice."
"Yeah, it was." Kendall grabbed her own cup just to occupy her now empy hand. She already missed Trina's touch.
Trina stood, placing her hand on Kendall's shoulder as she started to walk past.
"Just so you know, I wasn't wrong about your coffee order before - flavored, house blend," Trina said as she briefly massaged Kendall's shoulder before toying with her hair.
"I guess I'm just - what did you call it? - basic," Kendall said, looking up at her.
"Basic isn't a bad thing, I suppose." Trina looked down at her with a smile. Her fingers grazed Kendall's cheek as they left her hair, and Kendall felt her body heat up. "Have a good day, Kendall."
━━━━━━━━━━━ ♡ ━━━━━━━━━━━
Buddy read with Amy 💕💕💕. Once I reached 40% I was having an absolutely fantastic time reading this book, but my rating ultimately boils down to the mediocrity of the beginning, and the insufferable, over-the-top, 3rd act conflict/breakup at the end.
➥ Trina (h) was actually also part of the reason that I rounded this down. From the beginning, she's immature, judgmental, and comes across as very insecure in the way that she chooses to insult Kendall all the time. She did have her very hot moments (as you can see above) and I liked that we got Asian representation. It bothered me a little that we were just told "Asian" for the first half-ish, when that could mean anything; Asia is a large continent, but afterward, we were told that she's from Vietnam and China. There were actually a lot of well-embedded cultural aspects of her life and I thought it was done quite well. I'd only express my concern on the stereotypical Asian parents that don't let their children decide what they want to study and are mad when their daughter doesn't have a husband and kids. Although this could definitely be realistic, I wonder if it was the best choice? Anyway. It also bothered me that Trina was the one who fucked up but she wasn't the one groveling at the end.
Kendall ached for more, for faster, for harder, for less towel and more skin, but Trina shook her head and laughed against her lips as the kiss slowed to a more casual exchange than the heated make-out that made Kendall almost light-headed.
“That’s some mouth on you, Kendall Yates,” Trina said as she licked across Kendall’s lips before placing chaste, teasing kisses along the edge of her mouth.
➥ Kendall (h) was pretty sweet. I didn't have any problems with her. When she once lashed out against Trina in anger, she apologised and felt bad (ahem unlike Trina) and she really was a delight and she also had her hot moments. I felt bad for her every move being discredited and brushed off as her father's doing, but that aspect, in general, bothered me lmao. We are told she's blond so I imagined her as having like a dirty blond, long bob blowout with red lipstick kekke. Real cute.
“I think you’re great in bed,” Kendall said. “And I think you’re an amazing kisser. And don’t tell anyone I said this”—she motioned to the building behind them—“but I think you’re a hell of a Realtor, too.”
“Your secret is safe with me,” Trina said, blowing her a kiss.
What pains me is, if this whole book had been like the 40-85% part of this book, it would have been a full 5 stars for me. I don't think I was really able to express how much I really really did adore that part. It was so well written, the chemistry and tension were off the charts, the moments were so intense and well-thought-out, and ugh. It was truly amazing. The cafe scene, the country club scene (that's going in the books), Trina's apartment scene, hotel scene, the date night, and them babysitting together? I'm telling you, it was so good. I genuinely think it's still worth reading this book and giving it a chance because of how good those parts were.
Trina was wrapped in a soft, luxurious looking towel with The Country Club's logo on it. She closed her locked and stepped back into Kendall's space. Kendall was frozen on the spot, though the desire to reach out and trace her fingers along Trina's naked shoulder was almost unignorable.
"Who's calling at this time, I wonder?" Trina asked as she looked up at her with a mischievous expression. Kendall felt herself shudder when Trina reached into her pocket and withdrew her phone.
Kendall glanced down at the phone's screen but allowed herself the opportunity to appreciate Trina's cleavage. Being taller than Trina clearly had its benefits.
"Margo," Trina said with the smile. She held the phone out for Kendall to take.
"Oh, you're not just going to answer it?" Kendall was joking. She could feel the heat emanating off Trina's body against her own, and though she probably should have left a long time ago, she didn't feel the need to move out of this spot. Or proximity.
Trina raised an eyebrow in her direction before sliding her thumb against the glass face of Kendall's phone, answering the call. She brought the phone to her ear but kept those gorgeous brown eyes locked on Kendall's.
...
"Mm-hmm, I'll tell her. Thanks, Margo." Trina disconnected the call and slipped Kendall's phone into her pocket. She pressed her palm against the fabric, and Kendall reflexively grabbed her wrist.
"What did she have to say?" Kendall asked as she stroked her thumb along the inside of Trina's wrist.
Trina didn't pull back from her touch. Instead, she reached out with her other hand to pull at the bottom hem of her suit jacket, lightly grazing the front of her thigh in the process.
"She said to have you call her later, when you weren't busy," Trina replied, not breaking eye contact.
"Am I busy?" Kendall pulled Trina by the waist, bringing their chests together.
"Do you want to be?" Trina asked as she licked her lips.
I mean??? I was going crazyyyyy. Anyway, I had never read a book about real estate, let alone competitive real estate, but I think it had a lot of potential. If the characters had been more mature and did a little more bantering and less arguing, I think I would have been completely sold on the aspect. I loved how they bumped into each other when they were each showing around their potential buyers, I loved how well researched the concept was, and I loved the mean businesswomen in heels thing we had going on hehe.
“You’re probably going to need to reapply your lipstick,” Kendall said as she stepped out of Trina’s personal space. She needed to cool down, and that wasn’t going to happen if she was still in kissing distance of Trina.
“And you’ll probably want to wipe your mouth,” Trina said as she handed her a tissue from her desk. “I need a second—I’ll meet you out there.”
I was very interested in the rivalry aspect of this book, because who doesn't love a enemies/rivals to lovers dynamic? But, the rivalry mostly consisted of Trina undermining and insulting Kendall for no reason, and Kendall just having to endure it? Another thing that bothered me about her character is the end. Firstly, after literally declaring that you love each other, why don't you trust the other to tell the truth? Why did you jump to conclusions? And why wasn't Trina the one grovelling? She's the one who messed up.
Yet, this book had so many good aspects too!! Like the hurt/comfort when The tension, the angst, it was just delectable. There were so so many amazing moments.
"Kendall!" She heard her name called out and felt someone stop her just shy of smashing her face into the rail.
She fell to her knees and took a deep breath, but the icy cold wind around her caused her lungs to burn when she inhaled. She coughed as someone stroked her back.
"Hey, hey," Trina said, her face just inches away. "Are you okay?"
Kendall coughed again. She didn't feel okay. She felt like she was coming down from a heart attack and a near death experience, and why was it so windy right now?
"I'm going to need you to say something." Trina's hand was under her chin lifting her head up. Kendall was aware of how warm her tough was, which must mean that she was cooler now, not that she felt better.
Trina's fingers brushed along her forehead, seemingly looking for something. "Did you hit your head? Are you alright?"
I do, however, wish we had gotten a moment where Kendall gave up and deadass cried in Trina's arms about her father. I wanted Trina to die from guilt, I'm serious. I wanted her to grovel so hard. That would have been fabulous. She should have realised how awful all those comments had been, she should have held Kendall while she cried, she should have apologised on her knees!!!!! Muah chef's kiss.
I also would have appreciated an intimate shower moment. Idk if that makes sense. We get some pretty fucking adorable domesticity, don't worry, but I wanted to see them wash each other's hair and shit so bad 😭. Idk, shower moments always do it for me.
But, I really didn't like the author's choice to include all the daddy issues drama. Not only was is extremely unrealistic and over-the-top, but it was clearly just inserted to cause a conflict. Which was another aspect I didn't need. Also, some of the side characters were ass. I pretty much love Jax, I wish we got a book for them (love the non-binary rep), but Lauren got on my nerves. She worsened the conflict and was a bitch to Kendall for no reason. Margot was okay but meh. Calvin was pretty cool though. Also, we should have gotten an epilogue!!
Anyway, overall I had a great time buddy reading this with Amy and those 40-85% parts were truly, truly incredible. This author has so much potential and I've been told that the books in this series just get better and better. Looking forward to reading more of this author's work!
━━━━━━━━━━━ ♡ ━━━━━━━━━━━
October 19, 2020
Edit: October 19th, 2020
As I’ve said before, my friends and I have these book club chats once in a while, and this time we had chosen Fiona Riley’s latest book, Bet Against Me (the time before was Finding Jessica Lambert by Clare Ashton). Having read the book a few weeks ago and not trusting my memory to do it justice, I decided to listen to the audiobook version, narrated by Melissa Sternenberg.
First of all, I was surprised to realise I hadn’t forgotten that much about the book. And while I had a really hard time warming up to Trina when I first read it, the initial nastiness between her and Kendall seemed more balanced in audio.
Melissa Sternenberg’s narration – my first by her, I think – is pretty good, even if I didn’t find her voices distinctive enough. It didn’t bother me too much, however. And I enjoyed the story just as much as the first time. Once again, I probably overrated it a tad in my first review, and objectively it’s probably more a 4.5* or even a 4*, but as I’ve said time and again, my ratings reflect the feelings and emotions a book invokes in me. And I’m still as impressed as I was the first time with the fact that the author managed to make me love Trina by the end. So I’m happy with my 5*. And even more impatient for book 2, Bet the Farm (Lauren’s story, yay!), coming out next May, and book 3, which will focus on Ellison (double yay!). Which reminds me, that comment above about the voices in the audiobook not being distinctive enough? It doesn’t apply to Ellison’s, which totally made me swoon.
And I want to thank Fiona Riley again for making time to answer our questions.
------------------------------------------------
I loved this book. I need to start with that because my journey to get there was rather circumvoluted.
Trina Lee is about to reach her goal as Realtor of the Year. She has the best boss and the best team. Her mother, the head of her Vietnamese-Chinese family, might compare selling luxury real estate to selling yourself, Trina is more than proud of her accomplishments. When the title eludes her, she feels cheated, all the more so as the award goes to Kendall Yates, daughter of the infamous real estate magnate Dick Yates. Trina hates the idea that her hard work didn’t prevail over nepotism. When Trina and Kendall’s bosses come up with the idea of a challenge between the two women, Trina can’t wait to show her rival what a really and truly good agent is.
I didn’t check the blurb before opening Bet Against Me. I only read blurbs for authors I don’t know yet or those I’ve had a bumpy experience with. Fiona Riley isn’t one of them so I didn’t. A few pages in, I was almost regretting it. Not for me, for the author. I don’t want to not like a book because I made the wrong decision reading it. It’s not the author’s fault when I don’t care for a storyline that’s clearly outlined in the blurb. This novel had everything stacked against it at first: I don’t find real estate an exciting environment and I thought the main characters most unlikable, especially Trina and her terrifyingly sharp tongue. While I didn’t change my mind about the first point, I came to realise the characters really showed themselves in their worst light in those first chapters and they were a whole lot more interesting and complex than they seemed. I felt sad for Kendall and was glad she had best friend Margo Channing (yes, Riley went there) by her side, and I loved Trina with her loved ones, from her friends and colleagues to her brother and his kids. She’s also much more considerate with everyone she meets than she first lets on. I really had a hard time warming up to her and I love that Riley managed to make me like her a lot in the end, after I was so worried that no one could get over the awfully hurtful stuff she flung at Kendall when they first met. Fiona Riley made it believable and that was no mean feat.
And the chemistry, wow… Honestly, that first kiss is a beauty. I won’t even comment on how hot the sex is because, you know, Fiona Riley.
With Kendall’s father as some sort of MacGuffin, I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. And when it did, boy did it hurt! Then, fortunately, everything got better, since it’s a romance novel, and an excellent one at that. Fiona Riley plays with her characters’ and her readers’ feelings and emotions with obvious glee and the result is delightfully sweet and sexy, with hints of tenderness mixed in with the sassy – and at times snarky – banter.
I received a copy from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
As I’ve said before, my friends and I have these book club chats once in a while, and this time we had chosen Fiona Riley’s latest book, Bet Against Me (the time before was Finding Jessica Lambert by Clare Ashton). Having read the book a few weeks ago and not trusting my memory to do it justice, I decided to listen to the audiobook version, narrated by Melissa Sternenberg.
First of all, I was surprised to realise I hadn’t forgotten that much about the book. And while I had a really hard time warming up to Trina when I first read it, the initial nastiness between her and Kendall seemed more balanced in audio.
Melissa Sternenberg’s narration – my first by her, I think – is pretty good, even if I didn’t find her voices distinctive enough. It didn’t bother me too much, however. And I enjoyed the story just as much as the first time. Once again, I probably overrated it a tad in my first review, and objectively it’s probably more a 4.5* or even a 4*, but as I’ve said time and again, my ratings reflect the feelings and emotions a book invokes in me. And I’m still as impressed as I was the first time with the fact that the author managed to make me love Trina by the end. So I’m happy with my 5*. And even more impatient for book 2, Bet the Farm (Lauren’s story, yay!), coming out next May, and book 3, which will focus on Ellison (double yay!). Which reminds me, that comment above about the voices in the audiobook not being distinctive enough? It doesn’t apply to Ellison’s, which totally made me swoon.
And I want to thank Fiona Riley again for making time to answer our questions.
------------------------------------------------
I loved this book. I need to start with that because my journey to get there was rather circumvoluted.
Trina Lee is about to reach her goal as Realtor of the Year. She has the best boss and the best team. Her mother, the head of her Vietnamese-Chinese family, might compare selling luxury real estate to selling yourself, Trina is more than proud of her accomplishments. When the title eludes her, she feels cheated, all the more so as the award goes to Kendall Yates, daughter of the infamous real estate magnate Dick Yates. Trina hates the idea that her hard work didn’t prevail over nepotism. When Trina and Kendall’s bosses come up with the idea of a challenge between the two women, Trina can’t wait to show her rival what a really and truly good agent is.
I didn’t check the blurb before opening Bet Against Me. I only read blurbs for authors I don’t know yet or those I’ve had a bumpy experience with. Fiona Riley isn’t one of them so I didn’t. A few pages in, I was almost regretting it. Not for me, for the author. I don’t want to not like a book because I made the wrong decision reading it. It’s not the author’s fault when I don’t care for a storyline that’s clearly outlined in the blurb. This novel had everything stacked against it at first: I don’t find real estate an exciting environment and I thought the main characters most unlikable, especially Trina and her terrifyingly sharp tongue. While I didn’t change my mind about the first point, I came to realise the characters really showed themselves in their worst light in those first chapters and they were a whole lot more interesting and complex than they seemed. I felt sad for Kendall and was glad she had best friend Margo Channing (yes, Riley went there) by her side, and I loved Trina with her loved ones, from her friends and colleagues to her brother and his kids. She’s also much more considerate with everyone she meets than she first lets on. I really had a hard time warming up to her and I love that Riley managed to make me like her a lot in the end, after I was so worried that no one could get over the awfully hurtful stuff she flung at Kendall when they first met. Fiona Riley made it believable and that was no mean feat.
And the chemistry, wow… Honestly, that first kiss is a beauty. I won’t even comment on how hot the sex is because, you know, Fiona Riley.
With Kendall’s father as some sort of MacGuffin, I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. And when it did, boy did it hurt! Then, fortunately, everything got better, since it’s a romance novel, and an excellent one at that. Fiona Riley plays with her characters’ and her readers’ feelings and emotions with obvious glee and the result is delightfully sweet and sexy, with hints of tenderness mixed in with the sassy – and at times snarky – banter.
I received a copy from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
September 9, 2020
Since her debut novel ‘Miss Match’ was published in 2016, I’ve read all of Fiona Riley’s books. I enjoyed her first series ‘Perfect match’, and was excited to start with ‘Bet against me’, book one of her ‘High Stakes’ series. I loved it and can’t wait to see what’s coming in the next installment.
Trina Lee and Kendall Yates are luxury property realtors working in competing companies, both very ambitious and extremely good at what they do. But there’s just one place at the top and neither of them is willing to be second best. When their respective employers decide to bet who will sell more properties in one of the most expensive buildings in Boston, both women jump at the chance to win the bet. If only a pesky mutual attraction wouldn’t get in their way…
This was an entertaining, fun, and hot novel and a very promising start of the ‘High stakes’ series. I admit that I wasn’t a fan of Ms. Riley’s previous book ‘Not since you’ but with this novel, I’m happy that she’s back to writing what she does best: hot and sweet romances with lovable characters and superb chemistry.
This is an enemies-to-lovers romance with the setting of the cutthroat Boston luxury real estate environment. Even though the bet story sounds a bit extreme for the real world, Ms. Riley has researched the business well and it works in the plot, at least to an unknowledgeable person like me. There is a good amount of detail about the real estate business and the fierce competition in that high-end market. I enjoyed reading about it a lot.
Ms. Riley’s readers know that her books feature likable characters with great chemistry between them. This book has it in spades and, as usual, the author delivers pent-up sexual tension and hot intimate scenes. Even though both leads come across as jerks at the beginning, the story slowly reveals their human and lovable side and show why they are made for each other. I wasn’t that invested in the subplot of Kendall’s past but it makes sense in the context of the story and helps to see the character in another light.
Overall, another entertaining, fun, and hot romance by Ms. Riley. I can’t wait to see what’s next in the series. 5 stars.
ARC provided by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
See all my reviews at www.lezreviewbooks.com
Trina Lee and Kendall Yates are luxury property realtors working in competing companies, both very ambitious and extremely good at what they do. But there’s just one place at the top and neither of them is willing to be second best. When their respective employers decide to bet who will sell more properties in one of the most expensive buildings in Boston, both women jump at the chance to win the bet. If only a pesky mutual attraction wouldn’t get in their way…
This was an entertaining, fun, and hot novel and a very promising start of the ‘High stakes’ series. I admit that I wasn’t a fan of Ms. Riley’s previous book ‘Not since you’ but with this novel, I’m happy that she’s back to writing what she does best: hot and sweet romances with lovable characters and superb chemistry.
This is an enemies-to-lovers romance with the setting of the cutthroat Boston luxury real estate environment. Even though the bet story sounds a bit extreme for the real world, Ms. Riley has researched the business well and it works in the plot, at least to an unknowledgeable person like me. There is a good amount of detail about the real estate business and the fierce competition in that high-end market. I enjoyed reading about it a lot.
Ms. Riley’s readers know that her books feature likable characters with great chemistry between them. This book has it in spades and, as usual, the author delivers pent-up sexual tension and hot intimate scenes. Even though both leads come across as jerks at the beginning, the story slowly reveals their human and lovable side and show why they are made for each other. I wasn’t that invested in the subplot of Kendall’s past but it makes sense in the context of the story and helps to see the character in another light.
Overall, another entertaining, fun, and hot romance by Ms. Riley. I can’t wait to see what’s next in the series. 5 stars.
ARC provided by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
See all my reviews at www.lezreviewbooks.com
September 7, 2021
3.5 Stars
“Bet Against Me” is the first in Riley’s High Stakes series. And honestly, I’m glad she covered Trina first, because so far, she’s my least favorite at Gamble & Associates.
This is an enemies-to-lovers romance and I’m not sure I’ve ever read protagonists who were so nasty and mean to one other and end up falling for each other later on.
Trina Lee is up for realtor of the year and loses on her big night to Kendall Yates, who is very new to town and in Trina’s eyes, shouldn’t have won. Afterwards their bosses decide to bet them against each other to see who the real best realtor is.
I was put off Trina at first because Trina basically verbally attacks Kendall as soon as she meets her without any facts or actual knowledge. Kendall replies in kind but she isn’t nearly as nasty as Trina is about it. She’s also apologetic about it soon after. My only question after their first meeting is what kind of professionals are these? Especially in an awards ceremony setting where they are surrounded by their peers? Like wow.
That attitude seems to be a pattern of hers as she also reacts the same way after she finds out Kendall might’ve cheated in their bet. To me, it was worse in the later part of the book because she was supposed to be in love by then but just believed what she was told without asking any questions to Kendall.
Luckily, the book got better as it went on and Trina becomes more likable over time. Thankfully. I thought Kendall was sweet and I felt bad about her past. I was happy to see that she learned from her mistakes and seemed to be trying to be a better person. I was almost feeling like she deserved better than Trina for a lot of it. However, scenes with Trina’s family and friends show that she isn’t all evil. It probably wouldn’t hurt for her to work on her temper.
I really enjoyed this for the most part until the last 10% or so and that kind of ruined it for me. Like I mentioned before, Trina reacts very poorly to news without any proof and then it’s Kendall that has to work to fix their problems and that really irked me. It took a lot of my enjoyment out of the story.
My recommendation is to read to about 88% and then go “and they lived happily ever after” and close the book.
“Bet Against Me” is the first in Riley’s High Stakes series. And honestly, I’m glad she covered Trina first, because so far, she’s my least favorite at Gamble & Associates.
This is an enemies-to-lovers romance and I’m not sure I’ve ever read protagonists who were so nasty and mean to one other and end up falling for each other later on.
Trina Lee is up for realtor of the year and loses on her big night to Kendall Yates, who is very new to town and in Trina’s eyes, shouldn’t have won. Afterwards their bosses decide to bet them against each other to see who the real best realtor is.
I was put off Trina at first because Trina basically verbally attacks Kendall as soon as she meets her without any facts or actual knowledge. Kendall replies in kind but she isn’t nearly as nasty as Trina is about it. She’s also apologetic about it soon after. My only question after their first meeting is what kind of professionals are these? Especially in an awards ceremony setting where they are surrounded by their peers? Like wow.
That attitude seems to be a pattern of hers as she also reacts the same way after she finds out Kendall might’ve cheated in their bet. To me, it was worse in the later part of the book because she was supposed to be in love by then but just believed what she was told without asking any questions to Kendall.
Luckily, the book got better as it went on and Trina becomes more likable over time. Thankfully. I thought Kendall was sweet and I felt bad about her past. I was happy to see that she learned from her mistakes and seemed to be trying to be a better person. I was almost feeling like she deserved better than Trina for a lot of it. However, scenes with Trina’s family and friends show that she isn’t all evil. It probably wouldn’t hurt for her to work on her temper.
I really enjoyed this for the most part until the last 10% or so and that kind of ruined it for me. Like I mentioned before, Trina reacts very poorly to news without any proof and then it’s Kendall that has to work to fix their problems and that really irked me. It took a lot of my enjoyment out of the story.
My recommendation is to read to about 88% and then go “and they lived happily ever after” and close the book.
October 23, 2020
I can’t remember ever reading an enemies to lovers romance serving up so much venom in the opening scenes and chapters as Bet Against Me. Trina is a piece of work and Kendall is not far behind her. My first impressions had me rooting for Kendall. She’s trying hard to build her reputation as an agent selling luxury properties and trying to escape her corrupt and overbearing father. Moving to Boston is her chance to start fresh. Beating out Trina for Realtor of the Year puts her in Trina’s crosshairs. Let the battle begin.
Trina oozes with confidence and ego. You have to be tough and take no prisoners if you want to be the best and in her mind she is the best. Her Chinese/Vietnamese heritage means her family has expectations that both she and her brother Calvin struggle to achieve. She is cocky and aggressive but also caring and kind (at times).
Riley brings fire to this romance and as we’ve come to expect, the sex scenes are off the charts hot. There are sweet moments when Trina lets her guard down and she and Kendall find a middle ground for their undeniable attraction. They are offset with moments of jealous rage making Trina a character I struggled to understand and appreciate.
I had a hard time warming up to these two enemies and found it hard to believe they could ever cross that chasm to becoming lovers. Sometimes an author is so good at making me hate a character that I can’t bring myself to appreciate their softer gooey side.
Superlative writing but not my cuppa.
Trina oozes with confidence and ego. You have to be tough and take no prisoners if you want to be the best and in her mind she is the best. Her Chinese/Vietnamese heritage means her family has expectations that both she and her brother Calvin struggle to achieve. She is cocky and aggressive but also caring and kind (at times).
Riley brings fire to this romance and as we’ve come to expect, the sex scenes are off the charts hot. There are sweet moments when Trina lets her guard down and she and Kendall find a middle ground for their undeniable attraction. They are offset with moments of jealous rage making Trina a character I struggled to understand and appreciate.
I had a hard time warming up to these two enemies and found it hard to believe they could ever cross that chasm to becoming lovers. Sometimes an author is so good at making me hate a character that I can’t bring myself to appreciate their softer gooey side.
Superlative writing but not my cuppa.
November 18, 2020
I read Bet Against Me over a month ago, had a lovely meet-up with the author Fiona Riley in our book club read and still manage to forget to write a review. It seems to be a pattern with me because it also happened with our other group read. I even made a very detailed timeline for that one but still no review! Ugh!
I will make it short. Fiona Riley knows how to tell a good enemies to lovers tale. She takes the enemies part very seriously and I really wondered how she was going to pull this off. Setting this romance in the world of high-end real estate was original. Haven’t seen that before (I think). There is plenty of chemistry between main characters Trina Lee and Kendall Yates and when they finally bury the hatchet, the sexual heat is – in true Riley style – off the charts!
Did I like the characters? Not really, at least not in the beginning of the story. They both seemed very superficial in their pursuit of the Realtor of the Year trophy, but as the story unfolds and we get to know more about their background I warmed up to them.
Riley is off to a fabulous start with this new series.
f/f HOT!
4 Stars
I will make it short. Fiona Riley knows how to tell a good enemies to lovers tale. She takes the enemies part very seriously and I really wondered how she was going to pull this off. Setting this romance in the world of high-end real estate was original. Haven’t seen that before (I think). There is plenty of chemistry between main characters Trina Lee and Kendall Yates and when they finally bury the hatchet, the sexual heat is – in true Riley style – off the charts!
Did I like the characters? Not really, at least not in the beginning of the story. They both seemed very superficial in their pursuit of the Realtor of the Year trophy, but as the story unfolds and we get to know more about their background I warmed up to them.
Riley is off to a fabulous start with this new series.
f/f HOT!
4 Stars
September 17, 2020
Another fun read by Ms. Riley, I can't say I have ever been disappointed by her books. She has a way of developing strong sexy assertive MCs that make me drool just a l'il bit, her story lines vary book to book, and dang it all her writing is just simple and strong. Nary a typo to be found and normally a pleasing flow. Yes they are HEAs and predictable, this one being no exception. I saw immediately what was going to happen and it did. So while this wasn't her strongest work, I still enjoyed.
My only drop of a star was due to the slow beginning with the dump of real estate speak. I found myself skimming a bit, as it got a little boring, but the MCs still hooked me. I really liked the Asian culture mixed into the story, and the secondary characters were strong. I had wondered if this would be a series like her Miss Match ones, and am tickled to see that it is, as some of these characters definitely have something to say. Also the sex, THE SEX. Rawr.
Hooray, yay, read this, it's fun, won't develop world peace or anything but will certainly leave you short of breath, a wee bit sweaty and smiling throughout. 4/5.
My only drop of a star was due to the slow beginning with the dump of real estate speak. I found myself skimming a bit, as it got a little boring, but the MCs still hooked me. I really liked the Asian culture mixed into the story, and the secondary characters were strong. I had wondered if this would be a series like her Miss Match ones, and am tickled to see that it is, as some of these characters definitely have something to say. Also the sex, THE SEX. Rawr.
Hooray, yay, read this, it's fun, won't develop world peace or anything but will certainly leave you short of breath, a wee bit sweaty and smiling throughout. 4/5.
September 11, 2020
Trina is up for an award as luxury realtor of the year. She is certain the award is hers because she is the best and has put in all the hard work necessary. She didn't factor Kendall, another realtor who is new to the area, into the equation. They meet. share a heated exchange, and end the night committed. To a competition, that is.
At first, their contentious behavior toward each other made it hard for me to like either of them very much. But as the book moved on, my feelings about them changed for the better. There really is nothing better than two women that hate each other so much they either need to fight or.... you know.
I have to say that this book felt deeper than previous Fiona Riley books I have read. I found myself feeling super invested in these two gals. I loved their chemistry and couldn't wait for them to combust together. I wanted them to fall for and make each other's lives better. This could have been a book where the two of them continued to butt heads ,but I was happy that the author took them down a more adult route where they tried to navigate their circumstances with maturity and respect.
I really liked this book with exception of what felt like an anti-climactic ending. The whole book was building up to this foreseeable confrontation/climax. And while it did deliver the anticipated scenario, it didn't offer the amount of conflict or excitement that I had hoped for. It all felt a little bit rushed and resolved easily.
Overall, I'm fairly certain that this is one of my favorites from Riley.
I recommend this book to those who like to read about romance, enemies to lovers, luxury real-estate, chemistry, trying to keep things casual, and flowers.
I received an ARC from the publisher for an honest review.
At first, their contentious behavior toward each other made it hard for me to like either of them very much. But as the book moved on, my feelings about them changed for the better. There really is nothing better than two women that hate each other so much they either need to fight or.... you know.
I have to say that this book felt deeper than previous Fiona Riley books I have read. I found myself feeling super invested in these two gals. I loved their chemistry and couldn't wait for them to combust together. I wanted them to fall for and make each other's lives better. This could have been a book where the two of them continued to butt heads ,but I was happy that the author took them down a more adult route where they tried to navigate their circumstances with maturity and respect.
I really liked this book with exception of what felt like an anti-climactic ending. The whole book was building up to this foreseeable confrontation/climax. And while it did deliver the anticipated scenario, it didn't offer the amount of conflict or excitement that I had hoped for. It all felt a little bit rushed and resolved easily.
Overall, I'm fairly certain that this is one of my favorites from Riley.
I recommend this book to those who like to read about romance, enemies to lovers, luxury real-estate, chemistry, trying to keep things casual, and flowers.
I received an ARC from the publisher for an honest review.
October 16, 2022
Despite that early on it was predictable to how the main conflict would play out, I genuinely enjoyed Trina’s and Kendall’s story. Riley can definitely write sexual tension and steam, it was unbelievable!
As for narration I very much enjoyed Melissa Sternenberg’s performance though I could have a used bit more distinction between the two MC’s
Looking forward to reading more of Riley’s books.
Solid 4 amazing stars.
As for narration I very much enjoyed Melissa Sternenberg’s performance though I could have a used bit more distinction between the two MC’s
Looking forward to reading more of Riley’s books.
Solid 4 amazing stars.
May 28, 2021
Realtor enemies to lovers.
Kendall is a doll. I really like her. She is capable, generous and kind. She has integrity and never once has she let her family, family money nor connections get into her head. Trina, on the other hand, is much harder to connect with. She was so hung up over the fact that Kendall stole her "Realtor of the Year" title the whole time. I mean, I understand the disappointment. She's a hard worker from a humble background. She's smart and she brings in the sales. But it's unfair to blame Kendall for who she is and a bit silly to expect somebody to refrain from using connections (family or otherwise) in a field like real estate. And should I say that Kendall was basically bullied into competing with Trina.
Trina's move on Kendall felt a little sudden given that not five seconds prior, they appeared to hate each other's guts. But once they started flirting, I think they kinda grew on me. I enjoy an enemies-to-romance story and the sparks are definitely there.
I appreciate the cultural element that Riley introduces. Trina is Chinese and Vietnamese and she talked about a cultural Chinese Zhua Zhou ritual. In case anyone is interested to know, this ritual sorta predicts a one year old child's personality and career choice by placing items before them to grab. Each item represents a particular personality/ trade. So for example, if a child grabs a ball, it represents an inclination towards an athletic career, a brush for artist and money for well, a love for money.
I feel like giving this three stars might be a bit low. If anything, I did enjoy the sparks between the characters. I'd round this up to a four.
Kendall is a doll. I really like her. She is capable, generous and kind. She has integrity and never once has she let her family, family money nor connections get into her head. Trina, on the other hand, is much harder to connect with. She was so hung up over the fact that Kendall stole her "Realtor of the Year" title the whole time. I mean, I understand the disappointment. She's a hard worker from a humble background. She's smart and she brings in the sales. But it's unfair to blame Kendall for who she is and a bit silly to expect somebody to refrain from using connections (family or otherwise) in a field like real estate. And should I say that Kendall was basically bullied into competing with Trina.
Trina's move on Kendall felt a little sudden given that not five seconds prior, they appeared to hate each other's guts. But once they started flirting, I think they kinda grew on me. I enjoy an enemies-to-romance story and the sparks are definitely there.
I appreciate the cultural element that Riley introduces. Trina is Chinese and Vietnamese and she talked about a cultural Chinese Zhua Zhou ritual. In case anyone is interested to know, this ritual sorta predicts a one year old child's personality and career choice by placing items before them to grab. Each item represents a particular personality/ trade. So for example, if a child grabs a ball, it represents an inclination towards an athletic career, a brush for artist and money for well, a love for money.
I feel like giving this three stars might be a bit low. If anything, I did enjoy the sparks between the characters. I'd round this up to a four.
October 18, 2020
My first book by this author is an entertaining romance with enemies to lovers troupe in the setting of high luxury real estate. A business I know nothing about and in which I would never be successful because for me luxury is other things than lots of money, expensive cars, designer clothes, and luxury apartments. But it was entertaining to have a look inside.
After the new kid on the block in high luxury real estate, Kendall Yates snatched the title of Realtor of the Year from Trina Lee under her nose, it was basically a war between the two extremely competitive women. But then the two enemies were driven by their bosses into a competition that neither of them wanted to enter. But also neither of them wanted to look like a coward either, so they submitted to the wishes of their bosses. And both agreed independently of each other to put the annoyingly beautiful competitor in her place would be the sweet icing on the cake to win the competition.
What I really liked about this story is how the author manages to bring the two quasi mortal enemies closer together in a relatively short time. That both women start to think about their prejudices towards the other and question them. I liked that one of them was an Asian woman and we get a few glimpses into their family traditions. And Fiona Riley is a master in building up sexual tension and chemistry which culminates in hot and steamy sex. But the best scene in the book for me was the first date of the two. It started out really hot and promised so much more of the same, but then everything changed and the unexpected family scene really got to me. I love it when an author can get to my heart, and this scene totally did. And I really liked the secondary characters Lauren, Jax, and Ellison. It adds more diversity and shows friendship and a boss everyone likes to have.
But there are a few things in the story that I didn't quite understand or that I missed. As I’m a character-driven reader I wanted to know more about the MCs. For example, why does Trina obviously (or maybe only for me?) have trust issues? I wanted to know more about her upbringing and family expectations, what happened to her, what made her the way she is? I had trouble getting warm with her character, but on the other hand, was she very intriguing. I very much liked how she cared for her friends and how she paid attention to people and made them a joy. But every time I thought I like her, she said or did something and I was back to think, why that harsh reaction, why is she bitching? I would also like to know more about Kendall, about her family history. I liked her more from the beginning, although she had behaved badly at the beginning too. But as this is the start of a series, we will get to know them better in the next books.
And then there was this build-up of tension with the impossible and dangerous evil father of Kendall, which then, in my humble opinion, dissolved into a very quick solution. I expected a little more danger from this scene. For me, it happened too fast. But maybe it's just my thriller heart that wanted more.
It is an absolutely entertaining romance and a good start to a series. I’m looking forward to getting more from Trina, Kendall, Lauren, Jax, and Ellison.
My rating 4.25 stars.
After the new kid on the block in high luxury real estate, Kendall Yates snatched the title of Realtor of the Year from Trina Lee under her nose, it was basically a war between the two extremely competitive women. But then the two enemies were driven by their bosses into a competition that neither of them wanted to enter. But also neither of them wanted to look like a coward either, so they submitted to the wishes of their bosses. And both agreed independently of each other to put the annoyingly beautiful competitor in her place would be the sweet icing on the cake to win the competition.
What I really liked about this story is how the author manages to bring the two quasi mortal enemies closer together in a relatively short time. That both women start to think about their prejudices towards the other and question them. I liked that one of them was an Asian woman and we get a few glimpses into their family traditions. And Fiona Riley is a master in building up sexual tension and chemistry which culminates in hot and steamy sex. But the best scene in the book for me was the first date of the two. It started out really hot and promised so much more of the same, but then everything changed and the unexpected family scene really got to me. I love it when an author can get to my heart, and this scene totally did. And I really liked the secondary characters Lauren, Jax, and Ellison. It adds more diversity and shows friendship and a boss everyone likes to have.
But there are a few things in the story that I didn't quite understand or that I missed. As I’m a character-driven reader I wanted to know more about the MCs. For example, why does Trina obviously (or maybe only for me?) have trust issues? I wanted to know more about her upbringing and family expectations, what happened to her, what made her the way she is? I had trouble getting warm with her character, but on the other hand, was she very intriguing. I very much liked how she cared for her friends and how she paid attention to people and made them a joy. But every time I thought I like her, she said or did something and I was back to think, why that harsh reaction, why is she bitching? I would also like to know more about Kendall, about her family history. I liked her more from the beginning, although she had behaved badly at the beginning too. But as this is the start of a series, we will get to know them better in the next books.
And then there was this build-up of tension with the impossible and dangerous evil father of Kendall, which then, in my humble opinion, dissolved into a very quick solution. I expected a little more danger from this scene. For me, it happened too fast. But maybe it's just my thriller heart that wanted more.
It is an absolutely entertaining romance and a good start to a series. I’m looking forward to getting more from Trina, Kendall, Lauren, Jax, and Ellison.
My rating 4.25 stars.
September 14, 2020
I always jump at the chance to read a romance written by Fiona Riley. There are several reasons for that. Her books are always entertaining with exciting story lines, gorgeous main characters, and some of the steamiest love scenes around. With Bet Against Me, Ms. Riley has created all of these elements and a whole lot more in one amazing tale.
This is an enemies-to-lovers romance with two successful realtors competing in a bet to see who can sell the most luxury condos within a certain time period. Trina Lee and Kendall Yates are both very competitive. Both dislike each other at first sight, but there is also that pesky mutual attraction that they have.
This is one of those books that grabs you at the beginning, and refuses to let you stop reading until the very end. Trina and Kendall are kick-ass women with looks, style, intelligence, and the drive to compete and win. The romance is off the charts steamy; both erotic and romantic with lots of highs and lows. The way Ms. Riley builds romantic tension using both outside forces as well as the chemistry between the two characters is truly incredible. The story itself is entertaining and exciting. She has created a charming love story with this novel. I totally enjoyed this romance and can recommend it to anyone who enjoys a great love story.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.
Rainbow Reflections: http://rainbowreflections.home.blog/
This is an enemies-to-lovers romance with two successful realtors competing in a bet to see who can sell the most luxury condos within a certain time period. Trina Lee and Kendall Yates are both very competitive. Both dislike each other at first sight, but there is also that pesky mutual attraction that they have.
This is one of those books that grabs you at the beginning, and refuses to let you stop reading until the very end. Trina and Kendall are kick-ass women with looks, style, intelligence, and the drive to compete and win. The romance is off the charts steamy; both erotic and romantic with lots of highs and lows. The way Ms. Riley builds romantic tension using both outside forces as well as the chemistry between the two characters is truly incredible. The story itself is entertaining and exciting. She has created a charming love story with this novel. I totally enjoyed this romance and can recommend it to anyone who enjoys a great love story.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.
Rainbow Reflections: http://rainbowreflections.home.blog/
August 19, 2021
DNF at 57% (mid Chapter 18 of 31).
I think I'm falling into a reading funk, and it might've affected my enjoyment of this story.
Bet Against Me was my first book by Fiona Riley. When I put it on my TBR, I was excited to read it. The blurb didn't just pique my interest, it grabbed my face and told me this was a book I would enjoy.
First thing I noticed were the awkward initial dialogues 'cause of inserted descriptors here and there (e.g. “Let’s just admit your affinity for the tallest possible heels is so you can be more like me, your best friend and most loyal confidant.”). It doesn’t seem bad just looking at one example, but imagine a couple of lines written like that… It quickly made for a clunky exchange. There are far better ways to introduce characters in a story and let readers know who they are.
I loved that Trina is Vietnamese-Chinese 'cause, as a Filipino-Chinese, I understood the references to her upbringing and related to a few of her plights. So, Riley did very well for representation here.
Enemies-to-Lovers trope is one of my favorites, and I always love it when MCs stay enemies for a good portion of the story. This book did a fine job with that too. The fact this was slow burn gets a thumbs up from me 👍🏻
When I reached Chapter 13 however, I was blindsided by the sudden shift in the MCs' attitude towards each other. From biting each other's head off, they openly flirted here next...? To the point where hand-holding and finger-grazing-a-cheek were involved...? This was just their fourth meeting, and in the first three, they weren't exactly friendly. From hostile first and second encounters filled with insults, to a third filled with snide remarks, how am I supposed to buy a fourth filled with flirting? I needed a smoother transition to make the change in their dynamics believable 'cause...
Then the longer I read, the more I disliked Trina. Let's just say, I'm not a fan of people who make derogatory assumptions. Trina claimed Kendall wouldn't have gotten her achievements without the aid of her father, Dick Yates, who has a realty empire and a big name in the business. Unbeknownst to Trina, Dick Yates was an arrogant, physically and emotionally abusive, narcissistic monster. Kendall was only able to escape his influence 'cause he was incarcerated. But he was out from prison now, and his freedom was a dark cloud looming over Kendall's head. Every time Trina antagonized Kendall by mentioning Dick, it angered me. I imagined Kendall’s reactions to hearing about her father would’ve shown on her face, but Trina was too committed to insulting her to notice (actually, it was made known later that she did notice but still continued to malign Kendall by bringing up Dick). I found Trina's insensitivity intolerable. She didn’t even realize she’d driven Kendall into a panic attack by barraging her with baseless accusations regarding Dick's schemes to help Kendall succeed.
But let's go back to their romantic chemistry for a bit. Their flirting and teasing reminded me of this Twitter discussion I came across that opened my eyes to my preference when it comes to processing details as a reader. Granted, if you click further to the main tweet, you'd see world-building and characterization were the original topics, but I firmly believe these insights are pertinent to other facets of story writing as well. For this discussion, let's apply it to chemistry building between characters. Take this excerpt for example:
That last sentence was unnecessary. We readers are capable of putting two and two together. You don't have to spoon-feed us every single detail to get the point across. The beauty of subtlety is it's a powerful tool to make readers engage with the text. It imbues a certain amount of uncertainty that stimulates the mind. 'Cause honestly? If someone came on to me the way Trina seduced Kendall, I would've been turned off 😂
I observed this same issue again when Lauren and Jax helped Trina break down her attraction to Kendall. I usually don’t mind outside intervention by friends trying to help MCs realize what was going on between them and a potential romantic interest. But again, there was just too much spoon-feeding of this-is-what's-happening-here in this part and it snuffed out my interest to continue reading.
I know there's a huge chance I'm overanalyzing this. But I wanted to digest why this turned out to be a DNF when the book had so many elements I love written all over it. It should've been a book for me but, alas, here we are.
To end this on a happy note though, here are my fantasy cast for the MCs.
*not a spoiler*
God bless women in suits :')
I think I'm falling into a reading funk, and it might've affected my enjoyment of this story.
Bet Against Me was my first book by Fiona Riley. When I put it on my TBR, I was excited to read it. The blurb didn't just pique my interest, it grabbed my face and told me this was a book I would enjoy.
First thing I noticed were the awkward initial dialogues 'cause of inserted descriptors here and there (e.g. “Let’s just admit your affinity for the tallest possible heels is so you can be more like me, your best friend and most loyal confidant.”). It doesn’t seem bad just looking at one example, but imagine a couple of lines written like that… It quickly made for a clunky exchange. There are far better ways to introduce characters in a story and let readers know who they are.
I loved that Trina is Vietnamese-Chinese 'cause, as a Filipino-Chinese, I understood the references to her upbringing and related to a few of her plights. So, Riley did very well for representation here.
Enemies-to-Lovers trope is one of my favorites, and I always love it when MCs stay enemies for a good portion of the story. This book did a fine job with that too. The fact this was slow burn gets a thumbs up from me 👍🏻
When I reached Chapter 13 however, I was blindsided by the sudden shift in the MCs' attitude towards each other. From biting each other's head off, they openly flirted here next...? To the point where hand-holding and finger-grazing-a-cheek were involved...? This was just their fourth meeting, and in the first three, they weren't exactly friendly. From hostile first and second encounters filled with insults, to a third filled with snide remarks, how am I supposed to buy a fourth filled with flirting? I needed a smoother transition to make the change in their dynamics believable 'cause...
Then the longer I read, the more I disliked Trina. Let's just say, I'm not a fan of people who make derogatory assumptions. Trina claimed Kendall wouldn't have gotten her achievements without the aid of her father, Dick Yates, who has a realty empire and a big name in the business. Unbeknownst to Trina, Dick Yates was an arrogant, physically and emotionally abusive, narcissistic monster. Kendall was only able to escape his influence 'cause he was incarcerated. But he was out from prison now, and his freedom was a dark cloud looming over Kendall's head. Every time Trina antagonized Kendall by mentioning Dick, it angered me. I imagined Kendall’s reactions to hearing about her father would’ve shown on her face, but Trina was too committed to insulting her to notice (actually, it was made known later that she did notice but still continued to malign Kendall by bringing up Dick). I found Trina's insensitivity intolerable. She didn’t even realize she’d driven Kendall into a panic attack by barraging her with baseless accusations regarding Dick's schemes to help Kendall succeed.
But let's go back to their romantic chemistry for a bit. Their flirting and teasing reminded me of this Twitter discussion I came across that opened my eyes to my preference when it comes to processing details as a reader. Granted, if you click further to the main tweet, you'd see world-building and characterization were the original topics, but I firmly believe these insights are pertinent to other facets of story writing as well. For this discussion, let's apply it to chemistry building between characters. Take this excerpt for example:
“As much fun as this is”—Trina stepped back, and Kendall started to exhale—“I have to shower before I meet my client. So if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be getting naked at that locker in a moment and rinsing off around the corner.”
That last sentence was unnecessary. We readers are capable of putting two and two together. You don't have to spoon-feed us every single detail to get the point across. The beauty of subtlety is it's a powerful tool to make readers engage with the text. It imbues a certain amount of uncertainty that stimulates the mind. 'Cause honestly? If someone came on to me the way Trina seduced Kendall, I would've been turned off 😂
I observed this same issue again when Lauren and Jax helped Trina break down her attraction to Kendall. I usually don’t mind outside intervention by friends trying to help MCs realize what was going on between them and a potential romantic interest. But again, there was just too much spoon-feeding of this-is-what's-happening-here in this part and it snuffed out my interest to continue reading.
I know there's a huge chance I'm overanalyzing this. But I wanted to digest why this turned out to be a DNF when the book had so many elements I love written all over it. It should've been a book for me but, alas, here we are.
To end this on a happy note though, here are my fantasy cast for the MCs.
*not a spoiler*
God bless women in suits :')
October 11, 2021
Romance in the corporate world…Realty in Bet Against Me. Very good and entertaining. Very femme with Louboutins and Birkin in the mix. Very flirty, hot and sexy. Angsty… yeah sure.
Loved it and thoroughly enjoyed every moment in the book 😊
Loved it and thoroughly enjoyed every moment in the book 😊
August 12, 2020
I don't think I've recently read better flirting dialogue than in this book! I dare say it's my favourite ever! Saying that the chemistry is amazing is such an understatement! The only "flaw" this book has is Tina's verbal cruelty towards Kendall whenever she's angry with her; Kendall was treatinghher with much more respect and mindfulness. But these two are one of my favourite romance book couples!
September 26, 2020
Wow! I really loved this book a lot! The story was just so exciting and the main characters were just so interesting and their chemistry was off the charts! It was all very hot! And the side characters were so sweet too, all excite Withaker or whatever his name is and Kendall’s dad. Those two were the worst. Anyways, I was gonna give this book 5*, but then when I was reaching the end and the drama happened, it just lowkey screwed the vibe of the book for me. It was so unfair that it was Kendall who had to go after Trina when she was in fact just a victim in the story. After everything, Trina didn’t believe her and then when she found out Kendall didn’t do anything and was a victim, she still pushed her away and ignored her... like... make it make sense?! If she loved her as much as she said she did then she would’ve accepted her, and I’m not saying forgiven her because there was nothing to forgive, Kendall was innocent. But I’m glad Trina apologized in the end for having been unfair, but still... it left a bad taste in my mouth and that’s why I can’t give 5* to this. This mess happened too close to the end and ruined my mood a little bit. But anyways, I really enjoyed this book, and it would’ve been perfect if that last part hadn’t happened that way. But I do recommend this book to everyone. Trina and Kendall are amazing and so adorable together 🥰
September 14, 2020
Bet Against Me is the first book I've read by Fiona Riley and I'm furious! Furious that it's taken me this long to experience her story telling (and understand her reputation as the Queen of Steam!)
This enemies-to-lovers book centers around Trish and Kendall, two rival luxury realtors who are competing with each other for an unofficial "Realtor of the Year" award. At first it seemed like both the MCs were going to be ice-queens considering their dedication to their job, but as the story progressed, it was obvious that they care for their family and friends deeply, it's just each other they hate!
The flirting throughout the book was hot (and my god that first kiss!) and the dialogue was witty, biting and amusing for the majority of the MCs' interactions with each other. The secondary characters were well developed (Trish' brother, best friends Lauren and Jax, and Kendall's BBF Margot) although I did think Kendall's father and the ensuing angst was a little bit rushed.
Overall, I loved this book and can't wait for the follow up that will center around Lauren's story. In the meantime, I'm going to start reading the Perfect Match series to get my Riley fix.
An advanced reading copy has been sent to me by the publisher Bold Strokes Books through Netgalley for my honest review
This enemies-to-lovers book centers around Trish and Kendall, two rival luxury realtors who are competing with each other for an unofficial "Realtor of the Year" award. At first it seemed like both the MCs were going to be ice-queens considering their dedication to their job, but as the story progressed, it was obvious that they care for their family and friends deeply, it's just each other they hate!
The flirting throughout the book was hot (and my god that first kiss!) and the dialogue was witty, biting and amusing for the majority of the MCs' interactions with each other. The secondary characters were well developed (Trish' brother, best friends Lauren and Jax, and Kendall's BBF Margot) although I did think Kendall's father and the ensuing angst was a little bit rushed.
Overall, I loved this book and can't wait for the follow up that will center around Lauren's story. In the meantime, I'm going to start reading the Perfect Match series to get my Riley fix.
An advanced reading copy has been sent to me by the publisher Bold Strokes Books through Netgalley for my honest review
August 19, 2020
I love how Fiona Riley tells a tale! This book starts by introducing both Trina and Kendall as ruthless realtors not above cutting people off at the knees to make a sale. I honestly couldn't find any redeeming qualities about Trina for the first 1/4 of the book. Then what Fiona Riley did was share with the reader, the softer sides of both of our main characters. She showed how each, especially Trina, are caring and compassionate with the people they love. I really enjoyed the competition aspect of this book, it helped elevate the chemistry between Kendall and Trina. The supporting characters are great and added another layer to the plot. The only thing I wish was that there was a little more to the ending, perhaps an epilogue to share how Trina and Kendall's relationship progressed. Thanks Fiona for another amazing read!
I received an ARC copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I received an ARC copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
October 17, 2022
3.5 stars
Cute story. Low angst. Steamy scenes.
Cute story. Low angst. Steamy scenes.
July 6, 2022
4 stars for audiobook due to the narration - but 5 stars for the story!
First things first. I LOVED this book. The story was interesting, it had very engaging characters (especially Kendall Yates, who I absolutely fell in love with) and the dialogue was often fun and snappy. It could also be brutally harsh at times because of the competitive nature between Kendall and main rival Trina Lee, both high end real estate brokers in Boston, who are both trying to outdo each other in a "friendly" bet to see which of the two can close the most sales in a prime building location.
I've not seen many stories that feature realtors, so that was refreshing. And both characters have back stories that make this about much more than their competitive natures. Because Kendall just squeaked by winning Realtor of the Year, which Trina felt should have been hers, Tina is determined to show Kendall who was more deserving. Kendall is just as ready to prove that she's no flash in the pan.
These two characters are both stunning and have ridiculous chemistry. So it makes their story both exciting and very, very hot. There are also some unexpectedly tender moments which made me buy in all the more.
I read the first two of Fiona Riley's Miss Match series and really liked them, but this book made me want to devour the others in this series first - and pronto. It had everything I enjoy in a book.
The only downside to this experience was the just-so-so narration by Melissa Sternenberg. This was my first time listening to her and I often felt like I loved the book in spite of the narration, more than because of it. The best narrators elevate even the best work and that didn't happen for me here, which is concerning because I understand she narrates many of Melissa Brayden's books. That said - I already bought the rest of the ebooks in this series and will continue this series in that format.
I absolutely recommend this book! If audiobooks are your go-to, I'd still say to try it - even though the written word would likely be better.
First things first. I LOVED this book. The story was interesting, it had very engaging characters (especially Kendall Yates, who I absolutely fell in love with) and the dialogue was often fun and snappy. It could also be brutally harsh at times because of the competitive nature between Kendall and main rival Trina Lee, both high end real estate brokers in Boston, who are both trying to outdo each other in a "friendly" bet to see which of the two can close the most sales in a prime building location.
I've not seen many stories that feature realtors, so that was refreshing. And both characters have back stories that make this about much more than their competitive natures. Because Kendall just squeaked by winning Realtor of the Year, which Trina felt should have been hers, Tina is determined to show Kendall who was more deserving. Kendall is just as ready to prove that she's no flash in the pan.
These two characters are both stunning and have ridiculous chemistry. So it makes their story both exciting and very, very hot. There are also some unexpectedly tender moments which made me buy in all the more.
I read the first two of Fiona Riley's Miss Match series and really liked them, but this book made me want to devour the others in this series first - and pronto. It had everything I enjoy in a book.
The only downside to this experience was the just-so-so narration by Melissa Sternenberg. This was my first time listening to her and I often felt like I loved the book in spite of the narration, more than because of it. The best narrators elevate even the best work and that didn't happen for me here, which is concerning because I understand she narrates many of Melissa Brayden's books. That said - I already bought the rest of the ebooks in this series and will continue this series in that format.
I absolutely recommend this book! If audiobooks are your go-to, I'd still say to try it - even though the written word would likely be better.
unfinished
August 2, 2021I'm crashing out early in this one. I just don't like any of the hyper-competitive, highly-driven characters. And I suspect I have a prejudice against high-end real estate as a source of (societal/political) corruption, anyway, so its going to be a tough nut for the author to crack seeing how much of the plot is going to be a sales competition between the main characters. And I mean that this is a personal "tough nut", not a general one (though possibly that, too). Which is why I'm not going to rate this. A combination of me-thing and probably mood as well is prompting this dnf, so no prejudice to the book.
November 14, 2020
I absolutely couldn't stand Trina as a character. She was the one who initialized the antagonistic nature of their relationship all because she was upset she lost an award - exactly like how a child would act. What was even worse was that even in the beginning, Kendall still had the decency to apologize (multiple times I might add) for her part in their spats while Trina couldn't even pretend to be a decent person and take responsibility for her actions. We didn't get any kind of apology from Trina until literally the last chapter in the book.
And I hate that in the end, even when it was revealed that Kendall had always been honest with her, Trina still had the nerve to mope around like she was the one who was betrayed even though she once again rushed to judgement and treated Kendall like scum as a result. Why the author felt the need to have Kendall be the one to mend the fences when Kendall did nothing wrong is beyond me.
.
I truly honestly have no idea what Kendall saw in Trina beyond her looks because Trina treated her like garbage throughout the whole story. I understand that having an imperfect character is ok but it's just hard for me to buy the romance if one of the characters literally doesn't even have any redeeming qualities. The author tried to sell it by mentioning how nice Trina is to her friends and strangers but I just didn't see it when it came to how she treated Kendall. Kendall was honestly way more gracious than Trina ever deserved. With that said, I am interested in seeing what the next book in the series brings to the table.
And I hate that in the end, even when it was revealed that Kendall had always been honest with her, Trina still had the nerve to mope around like she was the one who was betrayed even though she once again rushed to judgement and treated Kendall like scum as a result. Why the author felt the need to have Kendall be the one to mend the fences when Kendall did nothing wrong is beyond me.
.
I truly honestly have no idea what Kendall saw in Trina beyond her looks because Trina treated her like garbage throughout the whole story. I understand that having an imperfect character is ok but it's just hard for me to buy the romance if one of the characters literally doesn't even have any redeeming qualities. The author tried to sell it by mentioning how nice Trina is to her friends and strangers but I just didn't see it when it came to how she treated Kendall. Kendall was honestly way more gracious than Trina ever deserved. With that said, I am interested in seeing what the next book in the series brings to the table.
September 12, 2020
Entertaining romance. While reading this high stakes, luxury real estate story, I could not help but think about the few episodes of "Million Dollar Listing" I have taken time to view. This glamorous job/career presents a pressure cooker for real estate agents. It seems as though you have to be walking the line of confident and arrogant to be successful.
The premise of the story was interesting with two ambitious and talented realtors. Kendall Yates, is from Connecticut and new to the area. But she works hard and wins Realtor of the year. Trina Lee is established in the area and she thought the award went to the wrong person. As a result, their bosses decide to hold a competition to see who can sale the most units in a luxury apartment complex.
Not only is the competition fierce, the chemistry between Trina and Kendall is sizzling. Each woman begins to question if there should be more to life than selling property and making money. The supporting characters provided life to the story. Especially, Trina boss, Ellison and Kendall's father. I appreciated the character diversity. Well done!
ARC provided by Bold Strokes Books, Inc. via NetGalley
The premise of the story was interesting with two ambitious and talented realtors. Kendall Yates, is from Connecticut and new to the area. But she works hard and wins Realtor of the year. Trina Lee is established in the area and she thought the award went to the wrong person. As a result, their bosses decide to hold a competition to see who can sale the most units in a luxury apartment complex.
Not only is the competition fierce, the chemistry between Trina and Kendall is sizzling. Each woman begins to question if there should be more to life than selling property and making money. The supporting characters provided life to the story. Especially, Trina boss, Ellison and Kendall's father. I appreciated the character diversity. Well done!
ARC provided by Bold Strokes Books, Inc. via NetGalley
September 16, 2020
I couldn't get into this one. Too slow, too much real-estate, too mean.
The whole premise of the story is based on a ridiculous bet.
Kendall wins best realtor. Trina and her firm are mad because they didnt win so they say some really cruel things to Kendall. So instead of turning and walking away, Kendall says a bunch of cruel things back. (That whole scene was over the top mean)
So Tina's boss challenges Kendall's boss with a bet that Trina can out sell Kendall at some new water front condo. So the the first 50% of the book is about how nasty these 2 ladies can try to be to each other. I got bored. I know they will get together but I didnt care. I didnt like either of the characters or the bet.
The writing was good but wordy. Too much description, not enough story to keep me interested.
The whole premise of the story is based on a ridiculous bet.
Kendall wins best realtor. Trina and her firm are mad because they didnt win so they say some really cruel things to Kendall. So instead of turning and walking away, Kendall says a bunch of cruel things back. (That whole scene was over the top mean)
So Tina's boss challenges Kendall's boss with a bet that Trina can out sell Kendall at some new water front condo. So the the first 50% of the book is about how nasty these 2 ladies can try to be to each other. I got bored. I know they will get together but I didnt care. I didnt like either of the characters or the bet.
The writing was good but wordy. Too much description, not enough story to keep me interested.
December 26, 2021
Diggin' this series.
I thought Kendall's a likeable character, and I liked Trina too - until she lost her sh!t at Kendall without giving her a chance to defend herself. Lauren was a bit of a stirrer too.
Knowing there's more to come regarding these characters we've been introduced to has me looking forward to hearing more about Jax. I wish Jax has their own book too 'cause they are my favourite character thus far.
I thought Kendall's a likeable character, and I liked Trina too - until she lost her sh!t at Kendall without giving her a chance to defend herself. Lauren was a bit of a stirrer too.
Knowing there's more to come regarding these characters we've been introduced to has me looking forward to hearing more about Jax. I wish Jax has their own book too 'cause they are my favourite character thus far.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 12, 2022
I will put a review after my holiday. But, 4,7 stars.
Holiday is over. I loved the story, the banter, the chemistry and both leading ladies. The sex was hot 🔥 🔥🔥. Fiona Riley is one of my favorite writers.
The Reason why I didn’t give it 5 stars total was the amount of details about real estate. It was a bit much.
12th of January started the audio, but Trina’s voice was to annoying. Not the Trina I had in my head at all. So had to return it.
Holiday is over. I loved the story, the banter, the chemistry and both leading ladies. The sex was hot 🔥 🔥🔥. Fiona Riley is one of my favorite writers.
The Reason why I didn’t give it 5 stars total was the amount of details about real estate. It was a bit much.
12th of January started the audio, but Trina’s voice was to annoying. Not the Trina I had in my head at all. So had to return it.
October 18, 2021
Just didn't really work for me - bottom line didn't like the 2 main characters and many of the back characters were pretty horrible to. Few redeeming features but move on...
September 9, 2020
Fiona Riley is one those authors that you have to read whenever a new book comes out. She writes good romances with steamy love scenes. Sometimes it’s what I really look forward to in a book, well, after a good plot. ;) Bet Against Me had that same Fiona Riley signature, but I must be honest that I find the plot almost ridiculous. But enemies to lovers trope is pretty exciting to witness. There’s always a promise of electrifying tension between the MCs and explosive bedroom hat-knitting after. This book had enough. Although the snarky banters were sometimes mean, the sexual tension covered for it. I was expecting more though about the dad. I was waiting for a bigger bomb than what actually happened. But it’s alright. Now, my main problem really was Trina’s character. I have never disliked an MC as much as I did Trina. She was a 5 foot 3 bitch to the perfect Kendall—who’s done nothing wrong but by being who she was. Even after everything has been said and done Trina likes to keep playing the victim. And Kendall deserves sainthood if not another woman. Don’t get me wrong I still enjoyed them together but I wished Trina did more to redeem herself to Kendall. She should’ve been the one to overwhelm Kendall with diamonds. It’s just major UGH for me. The secondary characters though were exciting. I can’t wait for Shay, Lauren, and maybe Ellison’s or Jax’s part in the series. I’m sure it’s gonna be another worthy read.
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