Cait’s Review of “Betting On You” by Lynn Painter

By: Cait Marie

Blurb

When seventeen-year-old Bailey starts a new job at a hotel waterpark, she is less than thrilled to see an old acquaintance is one of her coworkers. Bailey met Charlie a year ago on the long flight to Omaha, where she moved after her parents’ divorce. Charlie’s cynicism didn’t mix well with Bailey’s carefully well-behaved temperament, and his endless commentary was the irritating cherry on top of an already emotionally fraught trip.

Now, Bailey and Charlie are still polar opposites, but instead of everything about him rubbing Bailey the wrong way, she starts to look forward to hanging out and gossiping about the waterpark guests and their coworkers—particularly two who keep flirting with each other. Bailey and Charlie make a bet on whether or not the cozy pair will actually get together. Charlie insists that members of the opposite sex can’t just be friends, and Bailey is determined to prove him wrong.

Bailey and Charlie keep close track of the romantic progress of others while Charlie works to deflect the growing feelings he’s developed for Bailey. Terrified to lose her if his crush becomes known, what doesn’t help his agenda is Bailey and Charlie “fake dating” in order to disrupt the annoying pleasantries between Bailey’s mom and her mom’s new boyfriend. Soon, what Charlie was hoping to avoid becomes a reality as Bailey starts to see him as not only a friend she can rely on in the midst of family drama—but someone who makes her hands shake and heart race. But Charlie has a secret—a secret that involves Bailey and another bet Charlie may have made. Can the two make a real go of things…or has Charlie’s secret doomed them before they could start?

Review

Okay, I’m officially obsessed with Lynn Painter’s books. This is the third one I’ve read in the last couple months, and as I’m typing this, I am already almost done with another. I’m going to be so sad when I run out!

This story follows Bailey and Charlie, who meet years earlier in an airport, then again at the movie theaters a couple years later. A year after that, they end up working together at a new job, and after not getting the best first impressions, their friendship starts off a little rocky. But they weren’t really enemies. It was more like they just enjoyed annoying and teasing one another, which was really fun and refreshing.

Even when Bailey thought she hated him, it was clear she didn’t. One thing I loved was that they both had this mutual interest that wasn’t fully denied ever. They had their reasons for not wanting to be together, but it was just kind of accepted that they both had feelings they weren’t acting on. And writing that now, I know it doesn’t sound great, but it worked well for these characters.

My favorite thing about Painter’s writing is that the tropes we all love are there, but they don’t completely follow all the same clichés. The books are light and fun while hitting on important topics. The characters are well developed and feel real, and it’s fast paced without being rushed.

I truly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it if you like YA or non-spicy romance.