The Romance Bet

by Jae

Reporter Abby James prides herself on never having read a romance novel. She thinks they’re formulaic, shallow, easy-to-write drivel—until romance author Tamara Brennan challenges her to write one. Is it possible that Abby will find the outcome of that bet not so predictable after all?

First published in Love at First Write

Genres: Romance, LGBT, Short Stories, Lesbian, Fiction, Contemporary, Ebooks

20 pages, ebook

First published June 1, 2016

About the author

Jae is the author of twenty-six award-winning romances between women. She lives in the sunniest city of Germany, near the French and Swiss borders. The writing bug bit her at the age of eleven.

She used to work as a psychologist but gave up her day job in 2013 to become a full-time writer and a part-time editor. As far as she’s concerned, it’s the best job in the world.

When she’s not writing, she is an avid reader of sapphic books, indulges her ice cream and office supply addictions, and watches way too many crime shows.

Reviews

[Laure · Rating 5 out of 5]

IMO this short story would be a good prologue for ... a romance novel !!
I'd love to read way more about those 2 characters.

[Dide · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 star rating
Why did I pick a novella by Jae! Just when I was looking forward to where the two cute about-to-be couple will take my imagination, Jae ends the story....oh my goodness.
So I'm giving this my aforementioned star rating because I feel deprived 🙈

[Luce · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars for this very nice short story.

Junior Reporter, Abby is assigned to interview successful Romance writer, Tamara Brennan. Turns out Abby is pretty clueless and is flabbergasted that it is a Billion dollar genre. She basically says how hard can it be to write a romance story? (Famous last words). Tamara challenges Abby to write a 50K word romance novel in thirty days. Abby agrees. “No problem.” Abby discovers maybe she spoke too soon and asks Tamara for advice.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute little short story.

[B · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars.

Honestly I don't remember anything about this one apart from the fact that it was short and a romance. Maybe give it a read?

Review written on 25th October, 2023.

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DISCLAIMER-All opinions on books I’ve read and reviewed are my own, and are with no intention to offend anyone. If you feel offended by my reviews, let me know how I can fix it.

How I Rate-
1 star- Hardly liked anything/was disappointed
2 star- Had potential but did not deliver/was disappointed
3 stars- Was ok but could have been better/was average/Enjoyed a lot but something was missing
4 stars- Loved a lot but something was missing
5 stars- Loved it/new favourite

[Saiesha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was cute!

[Marianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, super short story. The story ended right when I wanted to read more, but it was still a fun quick read. Plus it gave me the excuse to stay in bed a little longer this morning.

[Tierney Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and sweet but fun and neat. Jae really knows how to write such different stories. I really enjoyed the meta aspect of romance book writing showcased here.

[maité · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐️ — short but sweet. would've loved to see a tiny bit more of what happens after though.

[Kandance Rochelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was a cute short story of a playful banter between a romance novelists and a skeptic.
I used to think romance novels were all the same predictable- happily-
ever after until I read my first lesbian romance and became addicted. But unlike Abby, I will leave the writing to the professionals.

[Pers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun.

[Linda Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short, cute, humorous read. Very enjoyable.

[Atlas Topone · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Romance Bet by Jae is a contemporary romance novella that has received generally positive feedback for its charm and simplicity. The story revolves around a straightforward bet, leading to engaging conversations and banter between the protagonists as they connect over the course of NaNoWriMo. I loved the novella’s light-hearted tone and sweet dynamic. While the short length limits character and plot development, it remains an enjoyable and delightful read.
The narrative follows Abby, a character who initially looks down on romance novels but gradually discovers their value and appeal. This meta-aspect—exploring biases against the romance genre—adds an additional layer of interest. I appreciated the authentic dialogue and the gradual formation of the central relationship, though I wish the story had been expanded into a full-length novel to allow for deeper exploration of its themes and characters.
Strengths:
• Engaging banter and realistic conversations between the leads.
• Meta commentary on romance novels and the publishing industry.
• Sweet, low-angst romance that is approachable for fans of the genre.
Limitations:
• The novella’s brevity restricts character development and plot complexity.
• I felt unsatisfied, wanting more depth and length to the story.
Overall Assessment:
The Romance Bet is a charming, quick read that will appeal to fans of light, contemporary romance. While it may leave some readers wishing for more, its warmth and wit make it a pleasant addition to the genre.

[Diginaut · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice story, a bit short. Yeah, I know, a short story is supposed to be short but the end was a bit sudden and I would have liked a tidbit more depth.

I was triggered by this story because I recognize myself in Abby. I am also one of those readers of "high" literature who until recently never read romance novels and looked down on them. Have since discovered that there are plenty of romance novels that are an excellent read. Written by skillful writers, with a good story.

But I’ve found the bias is also partly true: a lot of garbage is written AND published. Predictable, formulaic, downright badly written. With desperately ugly covers sometimes. The bar for what publishers seem to think is worth publishing is shockingly low, it amazes me. After reading this story this story I realize it might have to do with the size of the market, as described in this novella. Apparently the demand is so great that garbage also sells. So it gets published. And tarnishes the reputation of writers who are actually talented and take the craft of romance novel writing serious.

[Marianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cutesy short story between a journalist and a romance author. It was super short, it was sweet, and managed to dismantle the whole "romance is trash" mindset in 20 pages. Honestly, I really would love this premise in a full length novel between the same characters.

It followed the characters over Nanowrimo, with loose conversations over facetime etc while the journalist wrote her own romance novel. It would be great to see it with the conversations etc expanded on as the two of them form a connection.

[Arlynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh em gee I need more!! This was my first novella/story by Jae and I was not disappointed... besides it being too short!!!! I loved the characters and while it was quick, the way their relationship developed was adorable. This story could have been set up as a prequel or even had its own extended novel so I could get more out of the characters

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun read for when I only had a short amount of time. I cared about the characters and already felt the chemistry between them. I’ve read this author before and this story reminds me that I should read more from her.

[Elin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick, cute read. Not life changing, but a good distraction from studying.

[Linzi Day · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super cute short story about a reporter interviewing a romance writer. She's sceptical about 'how hard could it be to write a romance novel?'
A bet involving NaNoWriMo ensues.

[Diedra Drake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute short story, just the basics. Nice introduction to the author's style.

[Celenia S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short Story about about a Romance Writer and a Journalist

[Cori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely cute, and an especially fun read while actively in the middle of (camp) NaNo.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars for making me smile giddily

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a cute little trope-y book.

[BookishKB · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute short story!
I would absolutely read a full novel!

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a cute short story. A simple bet involving lots of conversation and banter. I wish it had been longer, if it could be stretched to a novella or full-length novel.

[Issy Waldrom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short, cute and adorable. A very fun and heartwarming read.

[Nicola · Rating 5 out of 5]

I decided to start reading this book on my lunch break! I was instantly hooked! I haven’t read any other books from Jae but i am going to search for some now after reading this!

[Lisa Benton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cute short story. Leaves you wanting more

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was squealing and kicking my feet the whole way through. I need this to be a full-length book