What do you think?
Rate this book
Bet
As teens, Sunny, Parker, and Zeke made bets on everything from who could hit a ball the farthest to who could make the biggest splash in the pool. But now that they have graduated from high school, everything is about to change.
Sunny is completely in love with Zeke, not that she'd ever admit it. Parker has devised a crazy scheme to get the girl of his dreams before he leaves for college. And Zeke…well, Zeke is keeping a secret that could tear his family apart.
Before they go their separate ways, there’s time for one last bet. With 10 clues and $10,000 on the line, Parker leads their entire graduated class through an epic summer adventure.
This bet will be the biggest one yet.
Sunny is completely in love with Zeke, not that she'd ever admit it. Parker has devised a crazy scheme to get the girl of his dreams before he leaves for college. And Zeke…well, Zeke is keeping a secret that could tear his family apart.
Before they go their separate ways, there’s time for one last bet. With 10 clues and $10,000 on the line, Parker leads their entire graduated class through an epic summer adventure.
This bet will be the biggest one yet.
- GenresRomance
364 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 17, 2022
4 people are currently reading
202 people want to read
About the author
Casey Gordon
1 book7 followersCasey Gordon lives in Minnesota with her husband, two sons, and adorable Maine Coon cat. She is a Chief Information Officer by day, writer by night. Her favorite genres to read and write are romance, young adult, and fantasy.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
Want to read
August 13, 2022it's giving potential love triangle which creates fear in me
July 11, 2022
I am so impressed with this new author's engaging voice and style! This was a romance but it was also a smart commentary on families, secrets, and finding happiness within yourself. I really loved the message that college is not the only option for success, I think that is a brilliant and encouraging sentiment for young readers to see. The characters were so well-written, well rounded, and charming. I also really loved the pop culture references sprinkled throughout.
February 9, 2023
Storylines are all over the place. SO FREAKING MUCH MISCOMMUNICATION. Didn't like any of the characters. Why the hell is it so long??
Cute cover though.
Cute cover though.
July 18, 2022
I was so excited to read this new book! This is the PERFECT YA book in terms of balance between characters and romance and fun and depth. Read if you like The Kissing Booth and The Summer I Turned Pretty and I highly recommend for the YA reader in your life.
Parker likes Mika and wants his best friend Sunny to help him win her over before they go to college. Sunny likes Parker's brother Zeke and is waiting for him to notice her as more than just a friend. And Zeke? He's got the weight of the world on his shoulders and his own issue to deal with...
ℍ𝕖𝕣𝕖 𝕚𝕤 𝕎𝕙𝕪 𝕀 𝕃𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕕 𝕀𝕥:
- Sunny codes!! How awesome is that? More books with STEM leads please, especially young girls in STEM!
- This book was slightly reminiscent of The Kissing Booth but with more depth and less unrealistic hijinks. I really connected with the characters and they were very three dimensional in terms of their struggles and emotions
- It was A FUN read! The title comes from the bets Sunny and Parker usually make with each other but when Sunny develops an app and they take it on a larger scale the stakes get really wild...
- One thing Sunny and Parker + Zeke have in common is that they have both lost a parent (TW) but the author does a wonderful and delicate job of addressing this and of delving into those feelings and using it to tether these characters together
- I loved the journey and ending for each of these characters. I would also love to use the Bet app that Sunny made (how awesome would that be?!)
Overall an excellent debut release from an author to watch.
Parker likes Mika and wants his best friend Sunny to help him win her over before they go to college. Sunny likes Parker's brother Zeke and is waiting for him to notice her as more than just a friend. And Zeke? He's got the weight of the world on his shoulders and his own issue to deal with...
ℍ𝕖𝕣𝕖 𝕚𝕤 𝕎𝕙𝕪 𝕀 𝕃𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕕 𝕀𝕥:
- Sunny codes!! How awesome is that? More books with STEM leads please, especially young girls in STEM!
- This book was slightly reminiscent of The Kissing Booth but with more depth and less unrealistic hijinks. I really connected with the characters and they were very three dimensional in terms of their struggles and emotions
- It was A FUN read! The title comes from the bets Sunny and Parker usually make with each other but when Sunny develops an app and they take it on a larger scale the stakes get really wild...
- One thing Sunny and Parker + Zeke have in common is that they have both lost a parent (TW) but the author does a wonderful and delicate job of addressing this and of delving into those feelings and using it to tether these characters together
- I loved the journey and ending for each of these characters. I would also love to use the Bet app that Sunny made (how awesome would that be?!)
Overall an excellent debut release from an author to watch.
January 26, 2024
Such a cute read! I love the characters, the development, and the entire storyline. I love that the setting was in Minnesota, so many fun references I could relate to! This author is fantastic and I cannot wait to see what else she comes up with!
July 16, 2022
I loved this cleverly written story. Grabbed me right away and did not disappoint.
July 15, 2022
LOVED IT! It pulled on my heart strings in so many ways!
December 11, 2022
Best friends, Parker and Sunny, have just graduated from high school and want to create a memorable summer before they head off to college. Parker’s older brother, Zeke, has been kicked out of college and returns home to do community service for a crime he did not commit. This drama comes to a head when secrets are revealed, changing everyone's lives.
The author created interesting characters. Her vivid descriptions and use of internal dialogue allowed me to get to know Parker, Sunny, and Zeke quite well. Her emotive writing moved me (Example: “It seemed to her that he wore his coldness almost like a jacket that was too tight”). She did a good job of portraying young love. Using 10 clues to earn a $10,000 prize tied the story together nicely, although I think the title is misleading. This coming-of-age story is about much more than a bet.
The author tossed in gratuitous cuss words which detracted from the storyline. She overused the word ‘bark’ (bark of incredulous laughter, barker of frustrated laughter, barked at the same time, etc). Unless you’re talking about dogs, one bark goes a long way in a novel. She did some head-hopping, which pulled me out of the story. The movie quotes used throughout the book got old. Overall, it was a fun read.
The author created interesting characters. Her vivid descriptions and use of internal dialogue allowed me to get to know Parker, Sunny, and Zeke quite well. Her emotive writing moved me (Example: “It seemed to her that he wore his coldness almost like a jacket that was too tight”). She did a good job of portraying young love. Using 10 clues to earn a $10,000 prize tied the story together nicely, although I think the title is misleading. This coming-of-age story is about much more than a bet.
The author tossed in gratuitous cuss words which detracted from the storyline. She overused the word ‘bark’ (bark of incredulous laughter, barker of frustrated laughter, barked at the same time, etc). Unless you’re talking about dogs, one bark goes a long way in a novel. She did some head-hopping, which pulled me out of the story. The movie quotes used throughout the book got old. Overall, it was a fun read.
January 31, 2023
Meet Addison “Sunny”, Parker and Zeke a trio of newly graduated teenagers the summer before the enter the real world. All Sunny wants is to make MIT, but she needs Parker’s huge bet that’s costing him 10k, and Zeke who’s covering for someone else after a life altering event.
The Bet by Casey Gordon is a coming-of-age novel like no other. This had the perfect amount of romance, the perfect amount of competition, and very easy to love characters.
Sunny created an app that lets people make bets with each other, her perfect ticket in. I loved this concept and having someone who’s so strong with online algorithms because I would see them as a bunch of numbers.
This is a non-spicy romance based novel. It’s on the more YA side.
I loved this a lot and thought it was really well paced with a great writing style. We do flash back in time quite a bit, but that felt perfect for setting up our current events. I plowed through this, and while it ends on a perfect note, would read more about these characters!
CW: death of a parent (mentioned not on page), alcohol use, driving while intoxicated, gambling
The Bet by Casey Gordon is a coming-of-age novel like no other. This had the perfect amount of romance, the perfect amount of competition, and very easy to love characters.
Sunny created an app that lets people make bets with each other, her perfect ticket in. I loved this concept and having someone who’s so strong with online algorithms because I would see them as a bunch of numbers.
This is a non-spicy romance based novel. It’s on the more YA side.
I loved this a lot and thought it was really well paced with a great writing style. We do flash back in time quite a bit, but that felt perfect for setting up our current events. I plowed through this, and while it ends on a perfect note, would read more about these characters!
CW: death of a parent (mentioned not on page), alcohol use, driving while intoxicated, gambling
January 15, 2023
If you’re looking for a YA novel that has first love, friendship, riddles, big life decisions, secrets, and loss this is the one for you.
Bet is heartfelt and filled with life lessons from the first page to the last.
Coping with loss and grief was a major theme of this novel, but this didn’t impact the fun and lighthearted vibes. I enjoyed the way the author illustrates how grief changes everyone it touches in a different way. This is such an important detail that I think a lot of people forget.
This coming of age story perfectly displays the weird phenomenon that is becoming a legal adult and deciding your future. College, the workforce and following ones passions are hot issues for the main characters, and each option is displayed without judgement.
This book is great for anyone, but especially for young adults who are living through the what ifs and the after high school decisions that feel so monumental.
The characters are well rounded and relatable and you’ll be cheering for them the whole way.
Looking forward to more from Casey Gordon!
Bet is heartfelt and filled with life lessons from the first page to the last.
Coping with loss and grief was a major theme of this novel, but this didn’t impact the fun and lighthearted vibes. I enjoyed the way the author illustrates how grief changes everyone it touches in a different way. This is such an important detail that I think a lot of people forget.
This coming of age story perfectly displays the weird phenomenon that is becoming a legal adult and deciding your future. College, the workforce and following ones passions are hot issues for the main characters, and each option is displayed without judgement.
This book is great for anyone, but especially for young adults who are living through the what ifs and the after high school decisions that feel so monumental.
The characters are well rounded and relatable and you’ll be cheering for them the whole way.
Looking forward to more from Casey Gordon!
January 6, 2023
3.5 stars
There's a lot of middle ground for me here. I really enjoyed the author's writing style, and the characters were unique and realistic. And there's a lot of story going on, multiple threads all coming together. You've got Parker and his bet, Zeke and his secret, Sunny and her decision over college--but there are also a lot of secondary stories too, and it maybe got a little convoluted in the end. It made the story a bit longer than it needed to be, and it began to drag while wrapping up the various threads. Overall, I did enjoy it and would give something else by the author a shot.
There's a lot of middle ground for me here. I really enjoyed the author's writing style, and the characters were unique and realistic. And there's a lot of story going on, multiple threads all coming together. You've got Parker and his bet, Zeke and his secret, Sunny and her decision over college--but there are also a lot of secondary stories too, and it maybe got a little convoluted in the end. It made the story a bit longer than it needed to be, and it began to drag while wrapping up the various threads. Overall, I did enjoy it and would give something else by the author a shot.
January 2, 2023
This was a really fun romance/adventure book that kept me engrossed through every chapter. The characters were all very “real” to me which can be rare in YA. I would have loved to see more details and plot from the other characters involved in the big bet as that was a really engaging aspect of this story. Overall very well done from a new author! Looking forward to reading more from her!
January 21, 2023
We are proud to announce that BET by Casey Gordon has been honored with the B.R.A.G.Medallion (Book Readers Appreciation Group). It now joins the very select award-winning, reader-recommended books at indieBRAG.
June 25, 2023
I enjoyed the story. The characters are fun and sweet. It’s a great relaxing read with quite a few relatable moments. I found myself cheering on the characters, laughing, blushing with embarrassment and I even got teary eyed. A great beach read or wrapped up in your favorite blanket by the fireplace.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews