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Mr. Wrong Number #2
The Love Wager
Hallie Piper is turning over a new leaf. After belly-crawling out of a hotel room (hello, rock bottom), she decides it's time to become a full-on adult. She gets a new apartment, a new haircut, and a new wardrobe, but when she logs onto the dating app that she has determined will find her new love, she sees none other than Jack, the guy whose room she snuck out of.
After the joint agreement that they are absolutely not interested in each other, Jack and Hallie become partners in their respective searches for The One. They text each other about their dates, often scheduling them at the same restaurant so that if things don't go well, the two of them can get tacos afterward.
Spoiler: they get a lot of tacos together.
Discouraged by the lack of prospects, Jack and Hallie make a wager to see who can find true love first, but when they agree to be fake dates for a weekend wedding, all bets are off. As they pretend to be a couple, lines become blurred and they each struggle to remember why the other was a bad idea to begin with.
Two people make a wager on who can find love first, not realizing what they should be betting on is each other, in this new romantic comedy by Lynn Painter, author of Mr. Wrong Number.
After the joint agreement that they are absolutely not interested in each other, Jack and Hallie become partners in their respective searches for The One. They text each other about their dates, often scheduling them at the same restaurant so that if things don't go well, the two of them can get tacos afterward.
Spoiler: they get a lot of tacos together.
Discouraged by the lack of prospects, Jack and Hallie make a wager to see who can find true love first, but when they agree to be fake dates for a weekend wedding, all bets are off. As they pretend to be a couple, lines become blurred and they each struggle to remember why the other was a bad idea to begin with.
Two people make a wager on who can find love first, not realizing what they should be betting on is each other, in this new romantic comedy by Lynn Painter, author of Mr. Wrong Number.
320 pages, Paperback
First published March 14, 2023
2631 people are currently reading
145488 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 14,774 reviews
November 27, 2023
i have a good feeling about this one, she says for the infinitieth time
update: well.
i wanted to like this book. in fact, i was convinced i would, due to the following factors:
1) it seems like i haven't liked a romance in a while, which is unfair, and life is supposed to be kind and sweet and nice to me always;
2) i have liked other books by this author, or actually one other book, in the singular, which is still more than most can say;
and 3) i wanted to.
but alas. apparently — and this is news to me — i don't make the rules???
huh.
regardless, this was immediately girl hatey, in an insane, like, 2000s level, toward not one but two women! the only other two women, in fact, who exist in the first chapter at all and aren't our protagonist.
which is kind of a feat, if you think about it.
on top of that, while there were moments when this was funny and even charming, it wasn't ever close to enough to overcome the terrible beginning or how unlikable our main characters are.
good god, those main characters! hallie piper (oof) is a not-like-other-girls lab-created disaster whose only two personality traits are having red hair and getting on my nerves. she is, apparently, immediately Special, not like these Dumb Other Women, and is also hot, which is where the tragedy occurs.
she attracts the attention of a straight-up nightmare monster. but sadly this not descend into a gory horror bloodbath. she lives happily ever after with the gruesome figment we meet in chapter one.
he is our love interest, jack.
he objectifies. he harasses. he doesn't take no for an answer. he repeatedly deliberately sabotages a relationship his so-called best friend is really excited about, via childish antics and blind entitlement.
he is, worst of all, boring.
i'm forced to say it. this book has a 4.04 average rating, but it's cringey, outdated, unromantic, silly, creepy, and weird.
so here we are again. here it is:
bottom line: i'm back in my unpopular opinion era.
(thanks to the publisher for the e-arc)
update: well.
i wanted to like this book. in fact, i was convinced i would, due to the following factors:
1) it seems like i haven't liked a romance in a while, which is unfair, and life is supposed to be kind and sweet and nice to me always;
2) i have liked other books by this author, or actually one other book, in the singular, which is still more than most can say;
and 3) i wanted to.
but alas. apparently — and this is news to me — i don't make the rules???
huh.
regardless, this was immediately girl hatey, in an insane, like, 2000s level, toward not one but two women! the only other two women, in fact, who exist in the first chapter at all and aren't our protagonist.
which is kind of a feat, if you think about it.
on top of that, while there were moments when this was funny and even charming, it wasn't ever close to enough to overcome the terrible beginning or how unlikable our main characters are.
good god, those main characters! hallie piper (oof) is a not-like-other-girls lab-created disaster whose only two personality traits are having red hair and getting on my nerves. she is, apparently, immediately Special, not like these Dumb Other Women, and is also hot, which is where the tragedy occurs.
she attracts the attention of a straight-up nightmare monster. but sadly this not descend into a gory horror bloodbath. she lives happily ever after with the gruesome figment we meet in chapter one.
he is our love interest, jack.
he objectifies. he harasses. he doesn't take no for an answer. he repeatedly deliberately sabotages a relationship his so-called best friend is really excited about, via childish antics and blind entitlement.
he is, worst of all, boring.
i'm forced to say it. this book has a 4.04 average rating, but it's cringey, outdated, unromantic, silly, creepy, and weird.
so here we are again. here it is:
bottom line: i'm back in my unpopular opinion era.
(thanks to the publisher for the e-arc)
Want to read
March 11, 2022lynn painter:
me: 💳✨💳✨💳✨💳✨
me: 💳✨💳✨💳✨💳✨
May 24, 2023
4.5⭐️ This book made my heart so happy!! The banter!! The swoon worthy quotes!! I loved it all! Jacks & Hallie decide from the beginning that theyre not into each other (which we all know will turn out to be a lie🙄) but I love that that allowed them to become best friends before they started catching romantic feelings. It made it so much more meaningful when they finally got together.
Also their physical chemistry was INSANE! There was an unexpected one bed trope AND fake dating *bows down to the trope gods for blessing us* Overall, if you're looking for a book that will make you feel all the warm giddy mushy feelings pls read this book. I swear I was stupid grinning at the pages 92% of my read.
Also their physical chemistry was INSANE! There was an unexpected one bed trope AND fake dating *bows down to the trope gods for blessing us* Overall, if you're looking for a book that will make you feel all the warm giddy mushy feelings pls read this book. I swear I was stupid grinning at the pages 92% of my read.
May 11, 2023
my previous reading experiences with LPs books have been lukewarm - not bad, but not great - so im pleasantly surprised that i enjoyed this as much as as i did!
and the thing i keep coming back to is just how much i believed in the story. were some moments a bit much/over the top? absolutely. thats classic LP for you. but the banter, the friendship, the attraction all felt so natural. which is probably because i saw the characters as real people, with genuine feelings, rather than romance caricatures.
so a very cute and easy read, one that has me not giving up on LP just yet.
↠ 3.5 stars
and the thing i keep coming back to is just how much i believed in the story. were some moments a bit much/over the top? absolutely. thats classic LP for you. but the banter, the friendship, the attraction all felt so natural. which is probably because i saw the characters as real people, with genuine feelings, rather than romance caricatures.
so a very cute and easy read, one that has me not giving up on LP just yet.
↠ 3.5 stars
June 28, 2024
Listen, Tiny Bartender.' He grabbed the plate of nachos and slid it in front of her, because they both knew she loved selecting the first chip. 'You have bewitched me body and soul, and I love you three times. Please tell me my hands are cold so we can get on with our lives already.”
OMFG Besties!! I want to jump for joy. This book has my heart bursting with love.
It was so mf cute.
Random hookup, to the cutest of best friends, to lovers.
The banter is chef's kiss!
It was so laugh out loud funny, and I don't normally burst out with laughter from books -but obv Lynn Painter has magic and I'm under her spell.
Perfect for when you need a feel good read, which I did and it totally delivered.
In the mood for something light, flirty and fun after yesterday's heavy read. 💖
OMFG Besties!! I want to jump for joy. This book has my heart bursting with love.
It was so mf cute.
Random hookup, to the cutest of best friends, to lovers.
The banter is chef's kiss!
It was so laugh out loud funny, and I don't normally burst out with laughter from books -but obv Lynn Painter has magic and I'm under her spell.
Perfect for when you need a feel good read, which I did and it totally delivered.
In the mood for something light, flirty and fun after yesterday's heavy read. 💖
September 28, 2023
Writing: avg | Plot: IT COULD'VE BEEN GREAT!!!!!!!! | Ending: so abrupt it gave me a lil whiplash
SYNOPSIS
After a one night stand, Hallie and Jack decide they're better off friends and make a wager on who will find true love first. But when they agree to fake date for a wedding, all bets are off (HAR HAR HAR)
MY OPINION
AFONAFKANFKANFKNKNGKNKGJFDJDJDJDJ!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's been a couple days since I finished this one and I STILL don't know how to rate it. The best way to sum up my feelings about this book is: it's like dating a guy who's a total wildcard. You want to bring him around your friends, but you don't know what version is gonna show up.
I wanted to like this book SO badly because—at times—it was legit funny. And—at times—it was cute. And—at times—the bants were bantering. But then at other times I wanted to yeet myself off a bridge tied to both Jack and Hallie. This book was playing so many games with me it honestly felt like a personal attack. JUST LET ME LOVE YOU!!!!!
It's usually easier to blame things on men but in this case, they were both insufferable. The first time we're forced to suffer through Jack's POV, he makes MULTIPLE remarks about what a teeny tiny smol bean Hallie is. He even nicknames her Tiny Bartender (and continues to call her this even when she quits so she can be a tax accountant FT. Tbh Tiny Tax Accountant sounds better to me). Instead of telling Hallie he wants to scalp her and wear her hair like a wig (aka he likes her), he decides to cancel her date with another man and throw a fit. Nice. Also, what was that whole deal with his Uncle Mack aka modern day Great Gatsby? Talk about an unresolved storyline.
And lastly—when Josh says going up to randos at a bar is so stupid because you're initiating a convo based on looks and he would rather approach someone on the basis of their intelligence I nearly screamed in my dog's face at point blank range. In this fictional hellscape are people going around with their college transcripts and IQ score stapled to their forehead? How exactly will you know if someone's intelligent IF YOU DON'T APPROACH THEM??????? And of course Hallie was aroused by this "feminist" outlook. I must be blind because I didn't see it.
Hallie's POV doesn't start off much better: she gets mad at Jack for asking her manager if she can work a bar in the back and accuses him of being blatantly sexist. Ummm... I'm sorry that your manager happened to be a man??? Like if you wanna be mad about sexism I can point out 2149094 things Jack did that you could legit be mad about.
Honestly it felt like Hallie had her own wager going on for how frustratingly inconsistent she could be. I don't think I'll ever recover from the following scene: Hallie's man du jour recommends the lamb and risotto (it's an immediate yes from me) which Hallie balks at because she's a picky eater who only enjoys burgers and chicken nuggies. That's fine, but tell me why the very next page she thinks "the lamb isn't actually that bad... if she didn't think of fluffy, little lambs jumping around." WHAT??? You eat BURGERS and CHICKEN NUGGIES??? How is this any different? This would've made sense if Hallie was a vegan, but since she had no qualms about deep throating a "chicken" nugget (I would guesstimate there's about 2% of actual chicken in all nuggies), why the fk is she pressed over some lamb????
Anyways. My last complaint is how these two numb nuts were always banging on about being besties and not wanting to date when: 1) you've legit known each other for two moon cycles. Relax. and 2) it was never really explained WHY they didn't want to date. Well I guess Josh said he doesn't want to date a one-night stand (????????????).
Ugh. Whatever. I need to stop but I'll just say one last thing: the ending was so abrupt I literally thought I had a misprint. Turns out I didn't. I guess Lynn Painter had enough. And if you made it to this part of the review, you may be surprised by what I say next. YES, I would read another book by her. I think when she's funny, she's legit funny. Maybe this was just a bad one FOR ME. Maybe she's got other bangers out there. I see the vision. Stay tuned.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: funny (AT TIMES), cute (AT TIMES), great banter (AT TIMES), solid premise (iffy on the execution), short, fast paced
Cons: painfully inconsistent characters, the feminist/boss babe behaviour felt forced and misguided, ending was so abrupt like her subscription to Microsoft Word ended and she had to call it a day
SYNOPSIS
After a one night stand, Hallie and Jack decide they're better off friends and make a wager on who will find true love first. But when they agree to fake date for a wedding, all bets are off (HAR HAR HAR)
MY OPINION
AFONAFKANFKANFKNKNGKNKGJFDJDJDJDJ!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's been a couple days since I finished this one and I STILL don't know how to rate it. The best way to sum up my feelings about this book is: it's like dating a guy who's a total wildcard. You want to bring him around your friends, but you don't know what version is gonna show up.
I wanted to like this book SO badly because—at times—it was legit funny. And—at times—it was cute. And—at times—the bants were bantering. But then at other times I wanted to yeet myself off a bridge tied to both Jack and Hallie. This book was playing so many games with me it honestly felt like a personal attack. JUST LET ME LOVE YOU!!!!!
It's usually easier to blame things on men but in this case, they were both insufferable. The first time we're forced to suffer through Jack's POV, he makes MULTIPLE remarks about what a teeny tiny smol bean Hallie is. He even nicknames her Tiny Bartender (and continues to call her this even when she quits so she can be a tax accountant FT. Tbh Tiny Tax Accountant sounds better to me). Instead of telling Hallie he wants to scalp her and wear her hair like a wig (aka he likes her), he decides to cancel her date with another man and throw a fit. Nice. Also, what was that whole deal with his Uncle Mack aka modern day Great Gatsby? Talk about an unresolved storyline.
And lastly—when Josh says going up to randos at a bar is so stupid because you're initiating a convo based on looks and he would rather approach someone on the basis of their intelligence I nearly screamed in my dog's face at point blank range. In this fictional hellscape are people going around with their college transcripts and IQ score stapled to their forehead? How exactly will you know if someone's intelligent IF YOU DON'T APPROACH THEM??????? And of course Hallie was aroused by this "feminist" outlook. I must be blind because I didn't see it.
Hallie's POV doesn't start off much better: she gets mad at Jack for asking her manager if she can work a bar in the back and accuses him of being blatantly sexist. Ummm... I'm sorry that your manager happened to be a man??? Like if you wanna be mad about sexism I can point out 2149094 things Jack did that you could legit be mad about.
Honestly it felt like Hallie had her own wager going on for how frustratingly inconsistent she could be. I don't think I'll ever recover from the following scene: Hallie's man du jour recommends the lamb and risotto (it's an immediate yes from me) which Hallie balks at because she's a picky eater who only enjoys burgers and chicken nuggies. That's fine, but tell me why the very next page she thinks "the lamb isn't actually that bad... if she didn't think of fluffy, little lambs jumping around." WHAT??? You eat BURGERS and CHICKEN NUGGIES??? How is this any different? This would've made sense if Hallie was a vegan, but since she had no qualms about deep throating a "chicken" nugget (I would guesstimate there's about 2% of actual chicken in all nuggies), why the fk is she pressed over some lamb????
Anyways. My last complaint is how these two numb nuts were always banging on about being besties and not wanting to date when: 1) you've legit known each other for two moon cycles. Relax. and 2) it was never really explained WHY they didn't want to date. Well I guess Josh said he doesn't want to date a one-night stand (????????????).
Ugh. Whatever. I need to stop but I'll just say one last thing: the ending was so abrupt I literally thought I had a misprint. Turns out I didn't. I guess Lynn Painter had enough. And if you made it to this part of the review, you may be surprised by what I say next. YES, I would read another book by her. I think when she's funny, she's legit funny. Maybe this was just a bad one FOR ME. Maybe she's got other bangers out there. I see the vision. Stay tuned.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: funny (AT TIMES), cute (AT TIMES), great banter (AT TIMES), solid premise (iffy on the execution), short, fast paced
Cons: painfully inconsistent characters, the feminist/boss babe behaviour felt forced and misguided, ending was so abrupt like her subscription to Microsoft Word ended and she had to call it a day
March 15, 2023
Holy HOT tamales - that was some spicy fun!!
I loved Lynn Painter’s book Mr. Wrong Number last year. That delightful one revolved around Olivia Marshall finding love after she texted a wrong number and fate intervened. Well in this second book in the series, it’s her brother Jack’s turn to find love, and once again, fate may have something to say!
After breaking up with his girlfriend and having an ill-advised drunken hookup with a cute, spunky redheaded bartender named Hallie at his sister’s wedding, Olivia signs Jack up on a dating app hoping he’ll find true love. Hallie has also been dumped by her long-time love, Ben, and she and Jack decide that rather than diving deeper into a purely sexual relationship with each other, they’ll just be friends and be each others’ wingmen on dates as they both search for “The One”. They even make a bet with each other to see who will find love first.
There’s one teeny, tiny problem. After weeks of fun and flirtatious texts and calls, one or both of them just might have some actual real feelings growing, and neither of them is prepared to risk their friendship to find out. When they have to pose as boyfriend and girlfriend at Hallie’s sister’s wedding for the benefit of her family, it’s not the alcohol that’s blurring the lines this time!
Jack and Hallie may be my new favorite rom-com couple. Their banter is laugh out loud funny, their friendship is genuinely charming and sweet, and their chemistry is *ooo la la!*. Seriously, you could fry an egg on these pages. I had so much fun with them as they navigated their messy feelings.
My one and only complaint is that the plot followed the expected course with the miscommunication/non-communication trope and requisite last minute crisis. I really wish that wasn’t a predictable part of EVERY.SINGLE.ROM-COM.EVER. Despite this, I loved the story overall, and I thought this was even better than the first book in the series!
I highly recommend both books in the Mr. Wrong Number series if you like witty, sarcastic humor, romance with some extra spice, and a light, fun time. I’ll be eagerly waiting for Book #3!
★★★★ ½
Thanks to Berkley Publishing, NetGalley, and author Lynn Painter for this ARC to review honestly. It’s due to be published on March 14, 2023.
I loved Lynn Painter’s book Mr. Wrong Number last year. That delightful one revolved around Olivia Marshall finding love after she texted a wrong number and fate intervened. Well in this second book in the series, it’s her brother Jack’s turn to find love, and once again, fate may have something to say!
After breaking up with his girlfriend and having an ill-advised drunken hookup with a cute, spunky redheaded bartender named Hallie at his sister’s wedding, Olivia signs Jack up on a dating app hoping he’ll find true love. Hallie has also been dumped by her long-time love, Ben, and she and Jack decide that rather than diving deeper into a purely sexual relationship with each other, they’ll just be friends and be each others’ wingmen on dates as they both search for “The One”. They even make a bet with each other to see who will find love first.
There’s one teeny, tiny problem. After weeks of fun and flirtatious texts and calls, one or both of them just might have some actual real feelings growing, and neither of them is prepared to risk their friendship to find out. When they have to pose as boyfriend and girlfriend at Hallie’s sister’s wedding for the benefit of her family, it’s not the alcohol that’s blurring the lines this time!
Jack and Hallie may be my new favorite rom-com couple. Their banter is laugh out loud funny, their friendship is genuinely charming and sweet, and their chemistry is *ooo la la!*. Seriously, you could fry an egg on these pages. I had so much fun with them as they navigated their messy feelings.
My one and only complaint is that the plot followed the expected course with the miscommunication/non-communication trope and requisite last minute crisis. I really wish that wasn’t a predictable part of EVERY.SINGLE.ROM-COM.EVER. Despite this, I loved the story overall, and I thought this was even better than the first book in the series!
I highly recommend both books in the Mr. Wrong Number series if you like witty, sarcastic humor, romance with some extra spice, and a light, fun time. I’ll be eagerly waiting for Book #3!
★★★★ ½
Thanks to Berkley Publishing, NetGalley, and author Lynn Painter for this ARC to review honestly. It’s due to be published on March 14, 2023.
January 18, 2023
Yes! It’s amazing to return back to Mr. Wrong Number universe which opens at Olivia and Colin’s wedding! But this brand new book is about Olivia’s brother Jack and tiny bartender/ tax accountant Hallie Piper!
They meet at the wedding where Hallie works as bartender and Jack is best man. Quick correction: they met a day before where Hallie works as saleswoman at jewelry story ( yes, she works at two part time jobs, taking a break from corporate taxes which can be understandable!) recommending him the best ring to him to buy for his future wife.
When Hallie tells Jack how they met ,the jealous girlfriend appears out of nowhere,steals the scene, accusing them having an affair. She even throws Chardonnay at poor Hallie’s face who still tries to explain she didn’t bang Jack! But at the end of the night she banged him as a consultation for dumping his girlfriend/ possible future wife!
After steamy one night stand later, Hallie performs crawl of shame ( she literally crawls to run away from his hotel room)
That hitting the rock bottom moment makes her realize: she has to make urgent changes in her life to look like hot mess sh*t show!
She plans to move from the apartment she shares with eccentric roommate, quitting part time jobs to return back tax accounting full time ( poor girl), having a new haircut helps her look like more adult!
She also decides to give a chance to the dating sites. But when she begins to scroll, one of the first names appears on her screen is Jack: her steamy one night stand.
She sends a teasing message to him and he immediately writes him back . They finally find an interesting way to motivate each other to find the right person. They start a bet: the first one who finds his/ her significant other will win! During this dating process, they will be each other’s wing-person, arranging the dates at the same place. If their date doesn’t work as they planned, they will meet at Taco Hut and eat their sorrows! As you can imagine they keep eating lots of tacos!
When Hallie’s sister wedding approaches, she quickly starts to look for a plus one! Jack volunteers to be his fake date. The sparks already fly between them after their own taco dates and now forced proximity may push them each other like magnets. Could they survey from this and save their friendship!
Well, I have to admit, I loved Mr. Wrong Number a little more! Friends to lovers is also great trope but I prefer enemies to lovers a little more!
I think the quick one night stand between characters killed my excitement because they already had passionate night and moved on!
The other thing bugged me was Jack’s fast move from proposing a woman he lived with and having one night stand, searching for dates at online apps! He made his own explanation about why he is desperate to find his soul mate but I found this reason a little weak. I wish their one night stand would be a little later after the wedding scene!
I still enjoy their banters. I laughed aloud. It reminds me of Colin and Olivia’s banters from first book!
The high chemistry between them was still explosive!
It was short, entertaining, cuddling, funny, unputdownable! I’m giving my four friends to lovers/ fake dating , chicken tacos with cheese stars!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this enjoyable digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
They meet at the wedding where Hallie works as bartender and Jack is best man. Quick correction: they met a day before where Hallie works as saleswoman at jewelry story ( yes, she works at two part time jobs, taking a break from corporate taxes which can be understandable!) recommending him the best ring to him to buy for his future wife.
When Hallie tells Jack how they met ,the jealous girlfriend appears out of nowhere,steals the scene, accusing them having an affair. She even throws Chardonnay at poor Hallie’s face who still tries to explain she didn’t bang Jack! But at the end of the night she banged him as a consultation for dumping his girlfriend/ possible future wife!
After steamy one night stand later, Hallie performs crawl of shame ( she literally crawls to run away from his hotel room)
That hitting the rock bottom moment makes her realize: she has to make urgent changes in her life to look like hot mess sh*t show!
She plans to move from the apartment she shares with eccentric roommate, quitting part time jobs to return back tax accounting full time ( poor girl), having a new haircut helps her look like more adult!
She also decides to give a chance to the dating sites. But when she begins to scroll, one of the first names appears on her screen is Jack: her steamy one night stand.
She sends a teasing message to him and he immediately writes him back . They finally find an interesting way to motivate each other to find the right person. They start a bet: the first one who finds his/ her significant other will win! During this dating process, they will be each other’s wing-person, arranging the dates at the same place. If their date doesn’t work as they planned, they will meet at Taco Hut and eat their sorrows! As you can imagine they keep eating lots of tacos!
When Hallie’s sister wedding approaches, she quickly starts to look for a plus one! Jack volunteers to be his fake date. The sparks already fly between them after their own taco dates and now forced proximity may push them each other like magnets. Could they survey from this and save their friendship!
Well, I have to admit, I loved Mr. Wrong Number a little more! Friends to lovers is also great trope but I prefer enemies to lovers a little more!
I think the quick one night stand between characters killed my excitement because they already had passionate night and moved on!
The other thing bugged me was Jack’s fast move from proposing a woman he lived with and having one night stand, searching for dates at online apps! He made his own explanation about why he is desperate to find his soul mate but I found this reason a little weak. I wish their one night stand would be a little later after the wedding scene!
I still enjoy their banters. I laughed aloud. It reminds me of Colin and Olivia’s banters from first book!
The high chemistry between them was still explosive!
It was short, entertaining, cuddling, funny, unputdownable! I’m giving my four friends to lovers/ fake dating , chicken tacos with cheese stars!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this enjoyable digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
August 17, 2025
3.75 ⭐️
A good fast paced palette cleanser with enough emotional depth to keep me intrigued! This was funny! Also I thought this was YA and it definitely isn’t HAHA
A good fast paced palette cleanser with enough emotional depth to keep me intrigued! This was funny! Also I thought this was YA and it definitely isn’t HAHA
July 20, 2023
3.5 stars rounded to 4 Not my favorite by the author but still a rollicking good time!
Whether you’re a fan of Mr. Wrong Number or reading this as a standalone story, it makes no difference, as the author does a fantastic job cementing these characters in their own arc fully. As someone who fell into the first category, I was eager to continue with some familiar side characters in finding their own happily ever after, and I wasn’t disappointed. Painter is known for her witty banter and hilarious exchanges between characters, which were on full display here. My gripe with the ending is that it felt like Jack took all the heat for how things went down, and I think both characters were equally at fault. Regardless, this was such a fun read and I look forward from more from the author!
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.
Whether you’re a fan of Mr. Wrong Number or reading this as a standalone story, it makes no difference, as the author does a fantastic job cementing these characters in their own arc fully. As someone who fell into the first category, I was eager to continue with some familiar side characters in finding their own happily ever after, and I wasn’t disappointed. Painter is known for her witty banter and hilarious exchanges between characters, which were on full display here. My gripe with the ending is that it felt like Jack took all the heat for how things went down, and I think both characters were equally at fault. Regardless, this was such a fun read and I look forward from more from the author!
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.
February 13, 2024
•*⁀➷ the love wager ! ༉‧₊˚
— by lynn painter
— 1 star out of 5 ☆
⚠ HEYYYY !! quick content warning: i curse a lot in this review and when i say A LOT i mean A LOT (and if you get that reference you’re cool) anyways, if cursing is not your thing or you are not comfortable with that, go right ahead and skip this review !! i totally get it !! this review is more rant-y than anything 💘
BUT OTHERWISE, ENJOY !!
okay now back to the scheduled programme 📺📺
god, what the actual fuck was this book? i have adored the last two lynn painter books i’ve read– better than the movies and the do-over were so good they were five stars and four stars respectively. but this? this was so bad. i was so disappointed.
to set the record straight, i love lynn painter. i adore and cherish the way she’s able to write such charismatic and enamoring characters like wes bennett, nick stark, liz buxbaum, and emilie hornby. the banter in better than the movies and the do-over were so incredibly good that i found myself giggling and genuinely having a fantastic time because of it. i think lynn painter knows how to write a good story– an appealing one. but the love wager was definitely not one of those stories.
i finished this book on may twenty-sixth and i took some time to process everything i read and my full thoughts on it. i do not remember a single thing i liked about this book– it was so unmemorable. it is very safe to say i was immensely disappointed.
thank god i remember all the bad things though, right guys? right?
i’m just going to go right into it and say it flat out– these characters sucked. i despised them. hallie piper and jack whatever the hell your last name is (is his name even jack? i don’t remember) were some of the worst lynn painter characters i’ve ever read about.
jack marshall (i finally remembered his last name) was one of the worst mmcs i’ve ever had the experience to read about. this man was a walking red flag if the red flag suddenly combust into flames and was thrown in manure. i hated him. he’s a rich prick with little to no personality except for his obsession with hallie. he was fiery, had problematic sense of passion, temperamental, obsessive, and overly spontaneous (to the point where it was harmful.) he was so protective over hallie from men who genuinely seemed like good people– although the readers knew jack clearly had fucking feelings for hallie, on the outside it seemed like he was purposefully trying to sabotage the wager so he could get his prize at the end– it was so shitty. if jack had just admitted to his feelings early on instead of teetering around the fact that he kinda, sorta thought he was in love with her– this entire book would have been over quicker and there wouldn’t have been such a dramatic ending. there was no act three breakup, but man act three was still annoying as shit. i knew from the moment jack i wasn’t going to like the ending.
another thing about jack that absolutely infuriated me was how annoyed he was with his sister. olivia (jack’s sister and apparently the fmc from mr. wrong number) had been the one to get jack on the dating app in hopes he could potentially find somebody to love and every time olivia checked in with jack– it pissed him off. he’d get unbearably snarky and blow up at her any moment he got. it honestly just seemed like olivia wanted to check in to make sure jack was not going down a path of life destruction. she knew her brother, she knew he is the type of person to make dumb and spontaneous decisions (especially regarding women and relationships). olivia ultimately wanted to keep jack in check and somehow that set him off. jack was just so incredibly bitchy and i couldn’t help but roll my eyes each and every time he was mentioned.
i originally really, really wanted to like jack– i thought his character was fun and he had a significant amount of potential but all that potential was all poured down the drain. he’s a terrible significant other, unbearably immature, and manipulates to get exactly what he wants, it is exhausting.
hallie piper was just as bad– somebody needed to yell at hallie kenji kishimoto style and tell her to grow the fuck up. her entire goal in this book was to change the person she’d been becoming and grow, BUT SHE NEVER GREW. somebody needs to tell hallie that a grown woman would pursue the man that is obviously obsessed with her instead of shooting him down every chance she got. this entire relationship between jack and hallie would have happened so much quicker if they actually sat down and had a heart-to-heart about their feelings as adults-- teenager in middle school can do a better job at communicating their feelings than these fuckers. a grown woman would know how to communicate, period, she’d know how to tell and known how to say no. a grown woman would ALSO not have awkwardly intense sexual tension with their ex-boyfriend while the man who she’s dating is right next to her.
hallie literally quit the two jobs she was working to pursue something else but she never goes looking for another job ??? how is she making money ???? why is she spending so much money on these dates ???? how was she able to afford moving ??? and flying to colorado ??? she says during the dates she has another job but it is never mentioned beforehand and with hallie’s track record it is incredibly hard to believe.
moving onto the ‘relationship’ aspect of this novel– WHAT THE FUCK WENT ON THE MAJORITY OF THIS BOOK ????? i said it once and i’ll say it again, if these characters simply talked to each other about their current feelings and the friendship they had an incredible amount of heartbreak (and eye-rolling from me in the third act) would have been avoided.
jack and hallie kept using the excuse ‘oh we slept together so that’s probably why we’re attracted to each other, it’s in our biology’ to excuse their obsessive and unnecessary behaviour towards each other. it was clear from the get-go that hallie and jack were not comfortable with them dating other people, so WHY did they keep doing it ???? if anything it just wasted their dates’ time. again, there could have been so much cut from this book if hallie and jack just TALKED. JUST LET THEM TALK LYNN IT’S ALL I ASK, PLEASE I BEG YOU.
also both of these characters NEVER learn from their previous mistakes– i cannot stress to you how many times it was discussed that jack’s spontaneous nature was a problem. during the end of the book he was the most spontaneous he’s ever been but MIRACULOUSLY it doesn’t matter. HE EVEN ADMITS TO BEING A LITTLE TOO SPONTANEOUS AND HE DOESN’T CARE– JACK MARSHALL YOU ABSOLUTE DUMBASS YOUR MARRIAGE IS GOING TO FAIL.
anyways…
i’m done complaining, i promise.
(come on man, you really thought?)
i hated this book. i hated this book more than i did the spanish love deception or the sun is also a star and those books have a personal spot in my version of the inferno. this was dogshit and it physically pains me to say so. lynn painter, i love you– but what was this?
this was a terrible first impression for lynn’s adult contemporary but nonetheless, i am going to still try to read the other books in her catalog (i.e. accidentally amy and mr. wrong number as well as all the upcoming new releases) i truly hope and pray those books are better than this absolute trainwreck. i still have faith in you lynn, please don’t ruin it.
the love wager was by far the worst book i have read in 2023 and i will live by that statement until i die– i would highly recommend staying the HELL away from this book (and if you truly want to endure a lifetime of pain and suffering, get a copy from the library.)
to leave off on a (semi)-positive note, here’s some quotes that actually make this book look like a good one:
i hope my pain and suffering brought you some sort of humour, i’ll be here all evening tearing this book to shreds.
and remember, do NOT read the love wager by lynn painter. you will save yourself from insurmountable frustration and annoyance.
book gods, please give me a five-star book sometime soon. i can’t swim in a sea of two, three, or even four star books any longer.
— by lynn painter
— 1 star out of 5 ☆
⚠ HEYYYY !! quick content warning: i curse a lot in this review and when i say A LOT i mean A LOT (and if you get that reference you’re cool) anyways, if cursing is not your thing or you are not comfortable with that, go right ahead and skip this review !! i totally get it !! this review is more rant-y than anything 💘
BUT OTHERWISE, ENJOY !!
okay now back to the scheduled programme 📺📺
god, what the actual fuck was this book? i have adored the last two lynn painter books i’ve read– better than the movies and the do-over were so good they were five stars and four stars respectively. but this? this was so bad. i was so disappointed.
to set the record straight, i love lynn painter. i adore and cherish the way she’s able to write such charismatic and enamoring characters like wes bennett, nick stark, liz buxbaum, and emilie hornby. the banter in better than the movies and the do-over were so incredibly good that i found myself giggling and genuinely having a fantastic time because of it. i think lynn painter knows how to write a good story– an appealing one. but the love wager was definitely not one of those stories.
i finished this book on may twenty-sixth and i took some time to process everything i read and my full thoughts on it. i do not remember a single thing i liked about this book– it was so unmemorable. it is very safe to say i was immensely disappointed.
thank god i remember all the bad things though, right guys? right?
i’m just going to go right into it and say it flat out– these characters sucked. i despised them. hallie piper and jack whatever the hell your last name is (is his name even jack? i don’t remember) were some of the worst lynn painter characters i’ve ever read about.
jack marshall (i finally remembered his last name) was one of the worst mmcs i’ve ever had the experience to read about. this man was a walking red flag if the red flag suddenly combust into flames and was thrown in manure. i hated him. he’s a rich prick with little to no personality except for his obsession with hallie. he was fiery, had problematic sense of passion, temperamental, obsessive, and overly spontaneous (to the point where it was harmful.) he was so protective over hallie from men who genuinely seemed like good people– although the readers knew jack clearly had fucking feelings for hallie, on the outside it seemed like he was purposefully trying to sabotage the wager so he could get his prize at the end– it was so shitty. if jack had just admitted to his feelings early on instead of teetering around the fact that he kinda, sorta thought he was in love with her– this entire book would have been over quicker and there wouldn’t have been such a dramatic ending. there was no act three breakup, but man act three was still annoying as shit. i knew from the moment jack i wasn’t going to like the ending.
another thing about jack that absolutely infuriated me was how annoyed he was with his sister. olivia (jack’s sister and apparently the fmc from mr. wrong number) had been the one to get jack on the dating app in hopes he could potentially find somebody to love and every time olivia checked in with jack– it pissed him off. he’d get unbearably snarky and blow up at her any moment he got. it honestly just seemed like olivia wanted to check in to make sure jack was not going down a path of life destruction. she knew her brother, she knew he is the type of person to make dumb and spontaneous decisions (especially regarding women and relationships). olivia ultimately wanted to keep jack in check and somehow that set him off. jack was just so incredibly bitchy and i couldn’t help but roll my eyes each and every time he was mentioned.
i originally really, really wanted to like jack– i thought his character was fun and he had a significant amount of potential but all that potential was all poured down the drain. he’s a terrible significant other, unbearably immature, and manipulates to get exactly what he wants, it is exhausting.
hallie piper was just as bad– somebody needed to yell at hallie kenji kishimoto style and tell her to grow the fuck up. her entire goal in this book was to change the person she’d been becoming and grow, BUT SHE NEVER GREW. somebody needs to tell hallie that a grown woman would pursue the man that is obviously obsessed with her instead of shooting him down every chance she got. this entire relationship between jack and hallie would have happened so much quicker if they actually sat down and had a heart-to-heart about their feelings as adults-- teenager in middle school can do a better job at communicating their feelings than these fuckers. a grown woman would know how to communicate, period, she’d know how to tell and known how to say no. a grown woman would ALSO not have awkwardly intense sexual tension with their ex-boyfriend while the man who she’s dating is right next to her.
hallie literally quit the two jobs she was working to pursue something else but she never goes looking for another job ??? how is she making money ???? why is she spending so much money on these dates ???? how was she able to afford moving ??? and flying to colorado ??? she says during the dates she has another job but it is never mentioned beforehand and with hallie’s track record it is incredibly hard to believe.
moving onto the ‘relationship’ aspect of this novel– WHAT THE FUCK WENT ON THE MAJORITY OF THIS BOOK ????? i said it once and i’ll say it again, if these characters simply talked to each other about their current feelings and the friendship they had an incredible amount of heartbreak (and eye-rolling from me in the third act) would have been avoided.
jack and hallie kept using the excuse ‘oh we slept together so that’s probably why we’re attracted to each other, it’s in our biology’ to excuse their obsessive and unnecessary behaviour towards each other. it was clear from the get-go that hallie and jack were not comfortable with them dating other people, so WHY did they keep doing it ???? if anything it just wasted their dates’ time. again, there could have been so much cut from this book if hallie and jack just TALKED. JUST LET THEM TALK LYNN IT’S ALL I ASK, PLEASE I BEG YOU.
also both of these characters NEVER learn from their previous mistakes– i cannot stress to you how many times it was discussed that jack’s spontaneous nature was a problem. during the end of the book he was the most spontaneous he’s ever been but MIRACULOUSLY it doesn’t matter. HE EVEN ADMITS TO BEING A LITTLE TOO SPONTANEOUS AND HE DOESN’T CARE– JACK MARSHALL YOU ABSOLUTE DUMBASS YOUR MARRIAGE IS GOING TO FAIL.
anyways…
i’m done complaining, i promise.
(come on man, you really thought?)
i hated this book. i hated this book more than i did the spanish love deception or the sun is also a star and those books have a personal spot in my version of the inferno. this was dogshit and it physically pains me to say so. lynn painter, i love you– but what was this?
this was a terrible first impression for lynn’s adult contemporary but nonetheless, i am going to still try to read the other books in her catalog (i.e. accidentally amy and mr. wrong number as well as all the upcoming new releases) i truly hope and pray those books are better than this absolute trainwreck. i still have faith in you lynn, please don’t ruin it.
the love wager was by far the worst book i have read in 2023 and i will live by that statement until i die– i would highly recommend staying the HELL away from this book (and if you truly want to endure a lifetime of pain and suffering, get a copy from the library.)
to leave off on a (semi)-positive note, here’s some quotes that actually make this book look like a good one:
“‘yes’ he swallowed and said, ‘i can't drive by a burger king without thinking of french fries in bed; i can't hear a british person speak without remembering your fucking awful accent; i can't see a diamond ad without picturing your stupid grinning face at the borsheim's counter; and i can't hear my phone buzz without wishing it would be some asinine text from you.’”
“‘and i know i didn't say it the right way, but i am so in love with you. and not just in love with you, by the way. i also like you more than anyone else in the world. you're funny and smart, and beautiful, and whenever anything happens to me, funny, awful, or wonderful, you're the first person i want to tell.’”
“‘listen, tiny bartender,’ he grabbed the plate of nachos and slid it in front of her because they both knew she loved selecting the first chip. ‘you have bewitched me body and soul, and i love you three times. please tell me my hands are cold so we can get on with our lives already.’”
i hope my pain and suffering brought you some sort of humour, i’ll be here all evening tearing this book to shreds.
and remember, do NOT read the love wager by lynn painter. you will save yourself from insurmountable frustration and annoyance.
book gods, please give me a five-star book sometime soon. i can’t swim in a sea of two, three, or even four star books any longer.
April 1, 2025
3.75 ⭐
thank you so much to zeynep for buddy reading this with me 🫶
this was such a fun and feel-good read!! lynn painter really knows how to deliver chaotic energy and soft moments all in one. i loved the setup of hallie and jack fake dating after matching on a dating app—it was playful, flirty, and full of banter that kept me hooked the entire time. their chemistry felt super natural and the texting scenes?? actually adorable.
hallie had that messily relatable energy and jack was such a sweetheart, total golden retriever vibes. i will say there were moments where i wished the emotional side hit a little deeper, especially when it came to the more serious parts of their connection. it stayed light for most of it, which made it fun but also made it a bit forgettable in some areas.
still, this was such an easy book to fly through. i had a smile on my face more often than not and even when it didn’t completely wow me, i was never bored. it’s not my favorite from lynn, but i had a good time with it and would def recommend it if you want a quick romcom that’s sweet, silly, and full of charm ❤️
₊˚ ‿︵‿︵‿︵୨୧ · · ♡ · · ୨୧‿���‿︵‿︵ ˚₊
𐙚⋆°｡⋆♡ pre-read ♡⋆°｡⋆𐙚
⤷ i’ve been meaning to read this one forever and i’m finally buddy reading it with the sweetest person ever, zeynep!! fake dating always owns my heart and i’ve heard the banter is so good in this. i’m fully expecting giggles, tension, and maybe a little screaming into my pillow. let’s see how this goes!!
thank you so much to zeynep for buddy reading this with me 🫶
this was such a fun and feel-good read!! lynn painter really knows how to deliver chaotic energy and soft moments all in one. i loved the setup of hallie and jack fake dating after matching on a dating app—it was playful, flirty, and full of banter that kept me hooked the entire time. their chemistry felt super natural and the texting scenes?? actually adorable.
hallie had that messily relatable energy and jack was such a sweetheart, total golden retriever vibes. i will say there were moments where i wished the emotional side hit a little deeper, especially when it came to the more serious parts of their connection. it stayed light for most of it, which made it fun but also made it a bit forgettable in some areas.
still, this was such an easy book to fly through. i had a smile on my face more often than not and even when it didn’t completely wow me, i was never bored. it’s not my favorite from lynn, but i had a good time with it and would def recommend it if you want a quick romcom that’s sweet, silly, and full of charm ❤️
₊˚ ‿︵‿︵‿︵୨୧ · · ♡ · · ୨୧‿���‿︵‿︵ ˚₊
𐙚⋆°｡⋆♡ pre-read ♡⋆°｡⋆𐙚
⤷ i’ve been meaning to read this one forever and i’m finally buddy reading it with the sweetest person ever, zeynep!! fake dating always owns my heart and i’ve heard the banter is so good in this. i’m fully expecting giggles, tension, and maybe a little screaming into my pillow. let’s see how this goes!!
November 12, 2024
4.5 ★'s
If anyone ever asks me what I'm looking for in a relationship, from now on I'll just hand people this book and say whatever these two have.
✧“So…, you in, Best Man?”
“I’m all yours, Tiny Bartender.”✧
I'm beyond obsessed with Jack and Hallie.
In my opinion, teasing is its own love language and these two have it down to a t. Their banter had me giggling, their chemistry had me falling in love right along with them, their sexual tension had me hot and bothered, their unconfessed feelings made my tummy hurt(in the best way) and the angst was out of this world.
✧“Making you look at me like that is downright intoxicating.”
“You enjoy making me weak?”
“I enjoy making you feel.”✧
This book was honestly downright intoxicating. I could breathe, eat and live of the chemistry these two possesses. You can tell, from the first chapter, how they truly, genuinely just enjoy each others company and I loved every second of seeing them falling in love...
I absolutely devoured this... but tbh, I never doubted I would. Lynn Painter... the woman that you are. I cannot wait to continue to work myself through the rest of her works.
Mr. Wrong Number #1 - Review
_____________
⌞Pre-read:⌝
I've honestly barely heard anything about this, but I just need something cute that I can devour in a day and Lynn Painter has never failed me before...😌
If anyone ever asks me what I'm looking for in a relationship, from now on I'll just hand people this book and say whatever these two have.
✧“So…, you in, Best Man?”
“I’m all yours, Tiny Bartender.”✧
I'm beyond obsessed with Jack and Hallie.
In my opinion, teasing is its own love language and these two have it down to a t. Their banter had me giggling, their chemistry had me falling in love right along with them, their sexual tension had me hot and bothered, their unconfessed feelings made my tummy hurt(in the best way) and the angst was out of this world.
✧“Making you look at me like that is downright intoxicating.”
“You enjoy making me weak?”
“I enjoy making you feel.”✧
This book was honestly downright intoxicating. I could breathe, eat and live of the chemistry these two possesses. You can tell, from the first chapter, how they truly, genuinely just enjoy each others company and I loved every second of seeing them falling in love...
I absolutely devoured this... but tbh, I never doubted I would. Lynn Painter... the woman that you are. I cannot wait to continue to work myself through the rest of her works.
Mr. Wrong Number #1 - Review
_____________
⌞Pre-read:⌝
I've honestly barely heard anything about this, but I just need something cute that I can devour in a day and Lynn Painter has never failed me before...😌
April 5, 2023
4.25 ⭐️ I LOVE LYNN PAINTER AND I LOVE THIS BOOK. i needed a fluffy, cute romcom and this gave me exactly that!!!!!!
December 28, 2023
lynn please stop 😙
March 21, 2023
I loved Mr. Wrong Number and was excited to see that Lynn Painter had another book in the series! This time featuring Jack who readers met in Mr. Wrong Number. I was happy to see that he was getting his own book. Just like Mr. Wrong Number, this book left me with a smile on my face, chuckling at the witty banter and looking forward to the next book in the series. Fingers crossed that Hallie's roommate gets her own book!
In the beginning of this book, Jack is the best man as his sister marries his best friend. Hallie is working as a bartender at the wedding and gets wine thrown in her face by Jack's jealous girlfriend. What follows is a one-night stand that morphs into friendship, a dating app, lots of witty banter, attraction, chemistry, tacos, and one heck of a journey!
This was a fun book. As I mentioned, I loved Jack and Hallie's witty banter and the thoughts/observations running through their minds. Both are likeable characters, and both have interesting backstories.
It's all about the journey and I loved reading about theirs! I can't wait to read what Lynn Painter writes next!
I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrators did a fantastic job!
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
In the beginning of this book, Jack is the best man as his sister marries his best friend. Hallie is working as a bartender at the wedding and gets wine thrown in her face by Jack's jealous girlfriend. What follows is a one-night stand that morphs into friendship, a dating app, lots of witty banter, attraction, chemistry, tacos, and one heck of a journey!
This was a fun book. As I mentioned, I loved Jack and Hallie's witty banter and the thoughts/observations running through their minds. Both are likeable characters, and both have interesting backstories.
It's all about the journey and I loved reading about theirs! I can't wait to read what Lynn Painter writes next!
I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrators did a fantastic job!
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
March 3, 2024
3,5
Klasyczny i lekki romans od Lynn, ale zabrakło mi w nim jakieś iskry
Klasyczny i lekki romans od Lynn, ale zabrakło mi w nim jakieś iskry
October 29, 2025
AHHHHHHHH my only problem with this book was that it had to end!!!! Lynn Painter has me in a chokehold I swear. 🙇🏻♀️ I don't know why I waited so long to read this one when I loved Mr. Wrong Number but I'm soooooo glad that I got around to reading it cause it was pretty perfect.
❝He was her favorite friend, and his presence was making everything okay.❞
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
pre-read 💛💬🩷
Hehehehehe Lynn Painter marathon!!
❝He was her favorite friend, and his presence was making everything okay.❞
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
pre-read 💛💬🩷
Hehehehehe Lynn Painter marathon!!
March 7, 2023
Unfortunately, I don't have a single kind thing to say about this book.
The banter was so forced and cringey, I was physically rolling my eyes and audibly scoffing. The FMC has some of the worst internalized misogyny/white feminism I've read in a book in a very long time, and of course the MMC goes along with it and spouts his fair share of "she's not like other girls." Beyond that, FMC is just completely and totally unlikeable, obstinate, and contrarian, and MMC is not much better. There's no depth to either one of them.
The book is dual POV, which usually I like, but in this case, we are flipping back and forth multiple times in the same chapter, sometimes after only a couple paragraphs, which is extremely disorienting and lazy. In terms of stylistic prose, I have read worse, which is the only thing saving it from being one-star.
I didn't like Mr. Wrong Number (thought it was weak and a bit creepy), but I thought I'd give Lynn Painter's adult novels another try. Not again. Her YA is leagues beyond this.
The banter was so forced and cringey, I was physically rolling my eyes and audibly scoffing. The FMC has some of the worst internalized misogyny/white feminism I've read in a book in a very long time, and of course the MMC goes along with it and spouts his fair share of "she's not like other girls." Beyond that, FMC is just completely and totally unlikeable, obstinate, and contrarian, and MMC is not much better. There's no depth to either one of them.
The book is dual POV, which usually I like, but in this case, we are flipping back and forth multiple times in the same chapter, sometimes after only a couple paragraphs, which is extremely disorienting and lazy. In terms of stylistic prose, I have read worse, which is the only thing saving it from being one-star.
I didn't like Mr. Wrong Number (thought it was weak and a bit creepy), but I thought I'd give Lynn Painter's adult novels another try. Not again. Her YA is leagues beyond this.
April 5, 2023
Hallie Piper is bartending at a wedding when one of the groomsmen comes by to get some drinks. Stunningly handsome the two share a few jokes until an irate woman comes over admonishing Jack for talking to her. The woman, Vanessa, is Jacks needy and jealous girlfriend. Hallie finds herself with a glass of wine tossed in her face while Jack and Vanessa make their exit. Hallie assumes that will be the last she sees of them until Jack returns with a proposition? Hang out and get drunk with him tonight seeing as he just dumped Vanessa. Hallie agrees and the two have an amazing night of flirty fun and even more once they get back to his hotel room. Ooo La La! 🔥
The next morning Hallie makes her exit as quietly as possible. Later on, she's scrolling the feed of her dating app when you know who crosses her feed? Jack! She can't help but to message him with a teasing text. From here the two become fast friends and agree to be each others wingmen as they search for their soulmates together. After their dates they meet up for tacos and to commiserate with one another. Needless to say, they eat a lot of tacos!
When the time comes for Hallie to fly to Vail for her sisters wedding she knows she needs to find a plus one since her ex-boyfriend is in the wedding party too. Jack agrees to *pretend* to be her boyfriend for the weekend. Will all this pretending lead to the real thing? You'll have to read this to find out!
What a fun, flirty, and funny rom-com this is! I loved both Hallie and Jack. So. Much. Sizzle. Even I, as the reader, had heart palpitations and butterfly belly. That's when you know the chemistry between the pair is off the charts. I'll admit the bedroom scenes were more open door than I am typically comfortable with but Painter didn't get into all the nitty gritty bits of anatomy and what was being done specifically and for that I was thankful. I loved the first book in this series, Mr. Wrong Number, and now I can officially say I loved this one too. I am a Lynn Painter fangirl for life! 4 stars!
Thanks to Overdrive for the loan!
The next morning Hallie makes her exit as quietly as possible. Later on, she's scrolling the feed of her dating app when you know who crosses her feed? Jack! She can't help but to message him with a teasing text. From here the two become fast friends and agree to be each others wingmen as they search for their soulmates together. After their dates they meet up for tacos and to commiserate with one another. Needless to say, they eat a lot of tacos!
When the time comes for Hallie to fly to Vail for her sisters wedding she knows she needs to find a plus one since her ex-boyfriend is in the wedding party too. Jack agrees to *pretend* to be her boyfriend for the weekend. Will all this pretending lead to the real thing? You'll have to read this to find out!
What a fun, flirty, and funny rom-com this is! I loved both Hallie and Jack. So. Much. Sizzle. Even I, as the reader, had heart palpitations and butterfly belly. That's when you know the chemistry between the pair is off the charts. I'll admit the bedroom scenes were more open door than I am typically comfortable with but Painter didn't get into all the nitty gritty bits of anatomy and what was being done specifically and for that I was thankful. I loved the first book in this series, Mr. Wrong Number, and now I can officially say I loved this one too. I am a Lynn Painter fangirl for life! 4 stars!
Thanks to Overdrive for the loan!
March 20, 2023
4.5 stars
The Love Wager was such a blast to read. Lynn Painter has quickly become a must read author for me and this is my favorite book of hers yet!
Hallie and Jack meet at a wedding in an exciting way and this one pulled me in from the very start. Jack is recently single and Hallie has been single for a while but is ready to get back to looking for love. After meeting at the wedding, they find each other on an app and chat up (as friends of course) and decide to make a little wager.
Who can find love first? To keep them both motivated to keep dating and going outside of their comfort zone, but they have tacos together after the dates to look forward to. These two have so much chemistry, but because of how they met they’re determined to stay friends. Until Hallie needs a date to her sisters wedding and another wedding changes everything.
Jack was such a fantastic hero. He made me laugh so many times and I loved watching him fall for Hallie. Hallie was great too. Honestly, I loved both of these characters so much. The conflict towards the end wasn’t my favorite, but thankfully things came back around pretty quick and I truly adored the ending!
Not only was this super fun and romantic, but it had so many troupes I love. Friends to lovers, only one bed and pining. This is a must read romance!
The Love Wager was such a blast to read. Lynn Painter has quickly become a must read author for me and this is my favorite book of hers yet!
Hallie and Jack meet at a wedding in an exciting way and this one pulled me in from the very start. Jack is recently single and Hallie has been single for a while but is ready to get back to looking for love. After meeting at the wedding, they find each other on an app and chat up (as friends of course) and decide to make a little wager.
Who can find love first? To keep them both motivated to keep dating and going outside of their comfort zone, but they have tacos together after the dates to look forward to. These two have so much chemistry, but because of how they met they’re determined to stay friends. Until Hallie needs a date to her sisters wedding and another wedding changes everything.
Jack was such a fantastic hero. He made me laugh so many times and I loved watching him fall for Hallie. Hallie was great too. Honestly, I loved both of these characters so much. The conflict towards the end wasn’t my favorite, but thankfully things came back around pretty quick and I truly adored the ending!
Not only was this super fun and romantic, but it had so many troupes I love. Friends to lovers, only one bed and pining. This is a must read romance!
July 9, 2023
3 out of 5 stars
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Me: *doesn't really believe in romance irl*
Also me: *when sees a new rom-com book adds it immediately into her tbr-list *
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Me: *doesn't really believe in romance irl*
Also me: *when sees a new rom-com book adds it immediately into her tbr-list *
April 8, 2023
4.5 stars! i truly wholeheartedly enjoyed this read
November 26, 2024
⋅˚₊‧ ୨୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅ 2.5★ ⋅˚₊‧ ୨୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅
“And I know I didn’t say it the right way, but I am so in love with you. And not just in love with you, by the way. I also like you more than anyone else in the world. You’re funny and smart and beautiful, and whenever anything happens to me, funny, awful, or wonderful, you’re the first person I want to tell.”
This book was full of banter and it was well done. I love the whole concept that they started it off as friends and slowly but surely fell in love with each other. Everything between them was so natural and easy going that they were literally meant to be together. The character on the other hands were not it.
: ̗̀➛ Hallie
I don’t know what it is with me but I just can’t stand any of Lynn Painter fmc. Like I find them all so annoying and obnoxious. Hallie sadly did make the list! She needs to grow up. Her quitting her job to pursue her dreams or whatever, there’s no mention of her new job ever like where is she getting on the money for dates and what not? The way she also finds Jack on the dating app and goes he’s moving on from his ex to quickly, let me message him. Like girl you’re the one who left after one night stand after he broke up with his ex so like why you questioning his decisions!?
: ̗̀➛ Jack
The only personality he has is that he’s obsessed with Hallie that’s all.
➺ “You have bewitched my body and soul, and I love you three times. Please tell me my hands are cold so we can get on with our lives already.”
* ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚
⋆.˚🦋༘⋆ preread
starting my audiobook of the month, i’m honestly nervous to see if i’ll like this one since i didn’t enjoy mr wrong number!
“And I know I didn’t say it the right way, but I am so in love with you. And not just in love with you, by the way. I also like you more than anyone else in the world. You’re funny and smart and beautiful, and whenever anything happens to me, funny, awful, or wonderful, you’re the first person I want to tell.”
This book was full of banter and it was well done. I love the whole concept that they started it off as friends and slowly but surely fell in love with each other. Everything between them was so natural and easy going that they were literally meant to be together. The character on the other hands were not it.
: ̗̀➛ Hallie
I don’t know what it is with me but I just can’t stand any of Lynn Painter fmc. Like I find them all so annoying and obnoxious. Hallie sadly did make the list! She needs to grow up. Her quitting her job to pursue her dreams or whatever, there’s no mention of her new job ever like where is she getting on the money for dates and what not? The way she also finds Jack on the dating app and goes he’s moving on from his ex to quickly, let me message him. Like girl you’re the one who left after one night stand after he broke up with his ex so like why you questioning his decisions!?
: ̗̀➛ Jack
The only personality he has is that he’s obsessed with Hallie that’s all.
➺ “You have bewitched my body and soul, and I love you three times. Please tell me my hands are cold so we can get on with our lives already.”
* ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚
⋆.˚🦋༘⋆ preread
starting my audiobook of the month, i’m honestly nervous to see if i’ll like this one since i didn’t enjoy mr wrong number!
September 10, 2023
Loved it!!
I loved Mr. Wrong Number and now I can say that I loved The Love Wager too.
This book is about Hallie and Jack.
The first time they meet, Hallie is working as the bartender for Jack's sister's wedding. It's also the time when Jack's almost fiancee decides to be nasty and attack Hallie. This leads to Jack breaking up with her and instead spending the rest of the time with Hallie. One thing leads to another or should I say, one drink leads to another, and Jack and Hallie will spend a one-night stand together. Yet, this is not the end for this pair. They will meet again while using an app known for finding true love and meeting "The One". At first, their interactions are messages, then texts, and then phone calls. Their conversations are about everything including sharing their bad dates from the app and deciding to meet after those dates to discuss what went wrong while eating tacos together.
You can guess what happens next. Hallie and Jack both start developing feelings for each other but what is the best course of action? Ruin the friendship they have and enjoyed or try to become a couple and wish for the best.
Love both characters, their banter, and their very real friendship. Also, I loved how perfect they were for each other.
I can't wait to read a new book in this series. Will it be about Hallie's roommate? She seems like an awesome character.
Cliffhanger: No
4.5/5 Fangs
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
I loved Mr. Wrong Number and now I can say that I loved The Love Wager too.
This book is about Hallie and Jack.
The first time they meet, Hallie is working as the bartender for Jack's sister's wedding. It's also the time when Jack's almost fiancee decides to be nasty and attack Hallie. This leads to Jack breaking up with her and instead spending the rest of the time with Hallie. One thing leads to another or should I say, one drink leads to another, and Jack and Hallie will spend a one-night stand together. Yet, this is not the end for this pair. They will meet again while using an app known for finding true love and meeting "The One". At first, their interactions are messages, then texts, and then phone calls. Their conversations are about everything including sharing their bad dates from the app and deciding to meet after those dates to discuss what went wrong while eating tacos together.
You can guess what happens next. Hallie and Jack both start developing feelings for each other but what is the best course of action? Ruin the friendship they have and enjoyed or try to become a couple and wish for the best.
Love both characters, their banter, and their very real friendship. Also, I loved how perfect they were for each other.
I can't wait to read a new book in this series. Will it be about Hallie's roommate? She seems like an awesome character.
Cliffhanger: No
4.5/5 Fangs
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
August 22, 2023
Gingers will never be free from the shackles of Ed Sheeran.
August 8, 2024
3.75 stars
This was actually really cute!! After having an unexpected one night stand, Hallie and Jack don't expect to see each other ever again. When they later match on a dating app, the two make a bet about who falls in love first. While dating other people, they become besties. But as time goes by, maybe they enjoy each other more than the dates they've been going on.
This was a fun quick read that had great emotional moments as well as funny ones. I really liked Jack and Hallie as characters, they were both really interesting and had great chemistry together. I appreciated that all the male POVs weren't full of romance cliches and bad internal dialogue (which I see more and more in romance every day). I've never read Lynn Painter before, but I definitely will try more books by her now.
This was actually really cute!! After having an unexpected one night stand, Hallie and Jack don't expect to see each other ever again. When they later match on a dating app, the two make a bet about who falls in love first. While dating other people, they become besties. But as time goes by, maybe they enjoy each other more than the dates they've been going on.
This was a fun quick read that had great emotional moments as well as funny ones. I really liked Jack and Hallie as characters, they were both really interesting and had great chemistry together. I appreciated that all the male POVs weren't full of romance cliches and bad internal dialogue (which I see more and more in romance every day). I've never read Lynn Painter before, but I definitely will try more books by her now.
March 8, 2023
This was such an adorable romance.
I loved Hallie & Jack's chemistry a ton. Their banter was witty and whew the sexual tension was there.
I remember reading one of Lynn Painter's YA books before and really enjoyed so I'm glad to see she transitioned into into adult romance quite nicely.
I loved Hallie & Jack's chemistry a ton. Their banter was witty and whew the sexual tension was there.
I remember reading one of Lynn Painter's YA books before and really enjoyed so I'm glad to see she transitioned into into adult romance quite nicely.
January 11, 2024
fake dating with a bet to see how far the other could go with PDA but ooOoo ✨"WE'RE JUST pReTeNdINg" ✨
March 28, 2023
There is many things wrong with this book, but most importantly the whole thing could have been over in 20 pages. Basically Hallie causes Jack to breakup with his (absurdly) horrible girlfriend and they then have a one night stand. After slut shaming herself, Hallie leaves the next morning without saying anything. Hallie then finds Jack on a dating site a week later and is like that is way to quick for him to be moving on from his girlfriend, let me just message him and freak him out by pretending I was expecting him to call! Then she proceeds to tell him that she is looking for true love and is absolutely 100 percent not interested in him. Which makes no sense. There was no point in her doing that and no reason either. She never explains to him OR TO THE READER why she does that when she clearly likes him. Absolutely pointless. So then they come up with that stupid bet about who will be finding love quicker and a bunch of shit happens including: feminist rants about very strange things even though neither of them seems to be particularly interest in larger issues or any real issues, Hallie shitting on her sister for wanting a *checks notes* nice wedding, Hallie adopting a cat because she didn't want to admit to her manic pixie dream girl roommate that she simply wanted her own space so she pretended it was because of her roommate's allergies (even though she didn't particularly want a cat), and a storyline about Hallie's asshole ex that is never fully explored or fleshed out.
But what really got me in the end was the dude Hallie dated temporarily. Let me introduce Alex: the apparently perfect guy Jack obviously hates. After Jack is a total asshole (not in a cool way) about and to Alex while he was dating Hallie, Jack also dropped the bomb on Alex about the bet (which comparatively is not the worst bet book characters have ever made). Alex then immediately dumps Hallie who has a complete melt down and Jack doesn't explain that he might have caused it. But the real kicker here is that Alex didn't breakup with Hallie because she bet on her general dating life (which would have totally made sense) but because the bet to him indicated that their match wasn't actually fate. Alex is so obsessed with the idea that the universe cause him and Hallie to meet (ON A DATING UP) that the existence of the somewhat unrelated bet made him break up with her. And after he explains this, Hallie is like that totally makes sense. Excuse me??? You're gonna be mad at Jack for wrongly disclosing information but a guy breaking up with you because the universe wasn't responsible for you getting together is totally fine??? Absolutely not.
And finally: this was not spicy despite many reviews saying it was. It might be open door, but the kind where the author manages to completely avoid being explicit. Thanks for nothing. Also a "running joke" was jack and Hallie continually joking about synonyms for having sex. We get it. You are immature. There's only so many times you can drop the words "get railed" before I want to scream.
But what really got me in the end was the dude Hallie dated temporarily. Let me introduce Alex: the apparently perfect guy Jack obviously hates. After Jack is a total asshole (not in a cool way) about and to Alex while he was dating Hallie, Jack also dropped the bomb on Alex about the bet (which comparatively is not the worst bet book characters have ever made). Alex then immediately dumps Hallie who has a complete melt down and Jack doesn't explain that he might have caused it. But the real kicker here is that Alex didn't breakup with Hallie because she bet on her general dating life (which would have totally made sense) but because the bet to him indicated that their match wasn't actually fate. Alex is so obsessed with the idea that the universe cause him and Hallie to meet (ON A DATING UP) that the existence of the somewhat unrelated bet made him break up with her. And after he explains this, Hallie is like that totally makes sense. Excuse me??? You're gonna be mad at Jack for wrongly disclosing information but a guy breaking up with you because the universe wasn't responsible for you getting together is totally fine??? Absolutely not.
And finally: this was not spicy despite many reviews saying it was. It might be open door, but the kind where the author manages to completely avoid being explicit. Thanks for nothing. Also a "running joke" was jack and Hallie continually joking about synonyms for having sex. We get it. You are immature. There's only so many times you can drop the words "get railed" before I want to scream.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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