The Love Wager
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, New York Times bestselling author of Mr. Wrong Number.
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 agreeing they are absolutely not interested in each other, Jack and Hallie realize they’re each other’s perfect wing-person in their 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 both struggle to remember why the other was a bad idea to begin with.
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 agreeing they are absolutely not interested in each other, Jack and Hallie realize they’re each other’s perfect wing-person in their 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 both struggle to remember why the other was a bad idea to begin with.
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Community Reviews
2.5 stars, rounded up
I adore Lynn Painter’s writing and will probably read anything she writes. (If you haven’t read Better Than the Movies, go read it, seriously). Her quick-paced writing is the saving grace for this novel because I found both Hallie and Jack to be fairly insufferable, selfish, and kind of mean. I did enjoy the fake dating element and the banter in the beginning of the book, but absolutely hated the “not like other girls” troupe Hallie had going on (which felt forced as could be) and how both Jack and Hallie treated and thought of their friends, family, and dates. They both were really one dimensional, surface level characters and they never got past that. It felt like their connection was built solely on physical attraction and high school humor about “getting railed” (if you don’t like the term ‘getting railed’ buckle up because it’s in this book at least 100 times). With all that being said, I flew through this book. It was a quick and easy read.
I adore Lynn Painter’s writing and will probably read anything she writes. (If you haven’t read Better Than the Movies, go read it, seriously). Her quick-paced writing is the saving grace for this novel because I found both Hallie and Jack to be fairly insufferable, selfish, and kind of mean. I did enjoy the fake dating element and the banter in the beginning of the book, but absolutely hated the “not like other girls” troupe Hallie had going on (which felt forced as could be) and how both Jack and Hallie treated and thought of their friends, family, and dates. They both were really one dimensional, surface level characters and they never got past that. It felt like their connection was built solely on physical attraction and high school humor about “getting railed” (if you don’t like the term ‘getting railed’ buckle up because it’s in this book at least 100 times). With all that being said, I flew through this book. It was a quick and easy read.
DNF 58%
The audiobook narrators where FANTASTIC but unfortunately they could not save me from how frustrating this reading experience was. I found the characters insufferable, and this romance plot line was like being put on a wild goose chase! After reading some reviews and learning that the conflict continues into the third act, I decided that this book is simply not for me. I just cannot stand it when an entire book's worth of will they/won't they could be solved if the main characters had an adult conversation about their feelings.
That being said I will be forever grateful for this book for introducing me to audiobook narrator Zachary Webber. This man's voice...
The audiobook narrators where FANTASTIC but unfortunately they could not save me from how frustrating this reading experience was. I found the characters insufferable, and this romance plot line was like being put on a wild goose chase! After reading some reviews and learning that the conflict continues into the third act, I decided that this book is simply not for me. I just cannot stand it when an entire book's worth of will they/won't they could be solved if the main characters had an adult conversation about their feelings.
That being said I will be forever grateful for this book for introducing me to audiobook narrator Zachary Webber. This man's voice...
Lynn Painter's The Love Wager is a charming and humorous romantic comedy. Hallie and Jack awkwardly decide to remain friends and use dating apps to help each other find "the one" after a drunken one-night stand. They establish guidelines, support one another, and even go on double dates, but the more time they spend together, the more obvious it is that they are meant to be.
The story keeps you interested until Jack finally realizes that Hallie is the only person he wants, thanks to its witty banter, hilarious texting scenes, and gradual transition from friendship to romance. It is a must-read for lovers of romantic comedies because it is light, contemporary, and endearing.
DNF'd after about 50% read...I think this might be my final Lynn Painter book. I've tried but just can't seem to like/enjoy her characters and story lines.
I like Lynn Painter’s adult romance so much more than her YA romance. The banter was bantering, the flirt was flirting, the romance was romancing. I think her books are fun and fluffy. The lack of communication went on for longer than necessary and the third act break was a stretch to be justified but overall I enjoyed myself.
I wish we had more of the quirky roommate, Ruthie. She had the potential to be a great side character or annoying but there wasn’t enough scenes with her for me to make a decision.
I wish we had more of the quirky roommate, Ruthie. She had the potential to be a great side character or annoying but there wasn’t enough scenes with her for me to make a decision.
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