It has come to my attention that I absolutely adore anything written by Lynn Painter!
This was one night stand to best friends to lovers and throw in some fake dating and there was only one bed trope and I absolutely loved every second of it!
I adored Hallie and Jack, I loved their banter and how they bounced off each other and I loved seeing them fall in love with each other through the dual pov.
Highly recommend this book if you’re looking for a romance with great chemistry, guy falls first and a little bit of spice thrown in for good measure!

Gahhhhhhh!! This book! I loved it so much! I love the dual point of view, it kept changing mid scene and I loved how quick and snappy the scenes were. The sexual tension and chemistry between Hal and Jack was captured perfectly and I could not read this quick enough! Perfection!

This book definitely gave me THAT feeling!

Thank you so much to @penguinrandomhouse for a copy of this via NetGalley! This one is available March 30th in ebook, audiobook and paperback!

3.25⭑

Tropes;
Friends to Lovers
Guy Falls First
One Bed Trope
Fake Dating
Dual POV

This was a cute romance book but not quite a rom-com as advertised. I did not find myself laughing very often when I compare it to Painter’s debut adult romance Mr Wrong Number, which was hilarious and definitely fits the rom-com category better than The Love Wager.

With that being said, I still enjoyed this book. I liked that our main characters became fast friends after their one night stand and I liked the guy falls first aspect of their relationship. He was pretty obsessed with her from the beginning and I loved it!

There was a small element of fake dating in this book and I wish it had been a bit longer because the chemistry and tension between them during the fake dating chapters were fantastic.

If you loved Christina Lauren’s book Josh & Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating, you will love this book. It has very similar vibes in that two best friends go on dates with other people together and are each others support through it all the while they are actually falling for each other.

It didn’t quite meet my expectations after the hit that was Mr Wrong Number but it was still a very enjoyable read.

This was a brilliantly fun book to read. The tension between Hallie and Jack was amazing, it really left me wanting more.
I found it almost comforting every time I picked the book up to read it.

Would 100% recommend and I’ll definitely be reading other books by this author.

Thank you Netgalley, the publishers and the author for approving my request to read this book.

You know when you just absolutely love an author... I devoured the other book I read by her and loved it. This one was no different. I was hooked from the very beginning! It is a definite must read!

Hallie and Jack have a one night stand at a wedding, later reconnect on a dating app, and decide to set a wager on who will find true love first.

Unfortunately, this one didn’t do it for me - I found the beginning chaotic and I almost DNF’ed. I kept at it, and the middle got better, with the plot picking up. By the end, I felt there was too much going on and had just accepted that this one isn’t for me.

There’s been loads of positive reviews for this upcoming release, so plenty have loved it - It wasn’t my style and that’s okay! This one is released March 30th - Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Awww this was such a wonderful book!

Jack meets Hallie who works as a bartender at his sister wedding, and yes it is Olivia and Colin's wedding party from the Mr. Wrong Number book.

After a tricky first meeting they spend the night together drinking and more. What started with a one night stand turns to friendship when they reconnect on a dating app. Instead of trying to date each other they make a bet to see which of them will find the one first.

As time passes they start to spend more time together than with the dates they suppose to be getting to know over tacos and easy conversation.

And let me tell you their banter is incredible, they have a great time of give and take and neither backs down from the challenges. The banter continues to the messages as well, the text exchanges play a big part of their relationship and it is delightful.

Which brings me to their connection and chemistry both of which are off the charts from the very first on page exchange.

Hallie and Jack really got each other and it made me swoon. They felt seen by the other in a unique and special way, I really loved this one!


* I received an ARC and this is my honest opinion.

I had an absolute blast reading this book! I was consistently laughing out loud and quite frankly, I didn’t care about where I was or who could hear me, it was worth it. The banter between Hallie and Jack was bang on, I loved it. I speeded through this book because it was such a joy to read.

This book is fun and entertaining and I didn’t want to put it down. The pacing was great and the angst of them acknowledging their feelings and the journey of them coming to realise and sharing them with each other was perfectly done.

I am definitely going to the shop to buy some more Lynn Painter books… Like, right now! 😁

Thanks so much to NetGalley and all involved in me being able to read this book for an honest review. I loved it!

This was a cute, fun and funny read. Hallie and Jack were both really likeable and their chemistry was great. I liked their banter and ability to tease and make fun of each other. In all their interactions it genuinely felt like they enjoyed each other’s company. I did find their declarations of being best friends a bit rushed but otherwise liked how things developed between them as the story went on. Some wedding shenanigans, fake dating and friends to lovers drama made for a quick and engaging story. ( 3.5 stars ⭐️)

4.5 stars

So I read Mr. Wrong Number before reading Love Wager and Lynn Painter has now become an auto-buy author for me.

I flew through this book and definitely found myself connecting with our main characters,who are incredibly realistic and relatable. I loved their banter and the chemistry they had.

The Love Wager is fast-paced, fun and I knew from the first chapter that I was going to enjoy this one!

I'm excited to delve into Painter's backlog even more now!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4.75⭐
After hearing so much about this author on social media, and reading one of her other books, I was really excited to start this one and it did not disappoint!
Hallie and Jack were amazing and the connection between them both friend wise and romantically was insane. I loved the whole concept of the book and it made me laugh so many times!
The friends to lovers trope is not normally my favourite but it was done so well in this book and was so seamless that I actually enjoyed it!
Overall, this book was so good and I cannot wait to read some more of Lynn Painters books as she is such an amazing author!

I have mixed feelings about this one! The writing is fun and easy to read as always, but some of the actions that the MCs did didn't sit well with me and made it hard to root for them as a couple. Jack sabotaging Hallie's date - on multiple occasions! - and then hiding it was really kind of...mean.

I absolutely loved this book!! I was a huge fan of Me Wrong Number so I was excited to read something else along those same lines by Lynn Painter. It was beautifully written, it was heartfelt and a little bit emotional. The characters were also adorable and I felt like I could relate to different aspects of each of them! I loved the different books/movie references as well as Taylor Swift ones. It was just overall written in a way that I thought was perfect and does as it tells you in the description. The friends to lovers and fake dating was amazing. Hallie and Jack were also hilarious and I was actually laughing out loud which I usually never do so this will get 5/5 stars forever from me!!

This author knows how to write a rom-com. Hallie and Jack had instant chemistry and their fun dynamic was built on as their budding friendship grew. Their scenes together sparked with energy, from their taco-fuelled post-dates to their fake dating wedding scheme. I really enjoyed watching Hallie and Jack’s conversations go back and forth – their humour almost seemed to sync up. The couple’s dialogue would effortlessly sway between silly and swoony, making it clear that they were perfect for each other. The use of the texting format was particularly cute.

Unfortunately, I thought there were some issues with the plot itself. Specifically, some of the events in the book felt too conveniently placed and other points were too quickly glossed over. The banter definitely helped me forget some of the novel’s problems but they still undermined my enjoyment.

OVERALL: The spot-on writing style and the main characters’ effortless banter made it easy to get swept up in this upbeat rom-com, but I did find issue with some of the plot points.

Would I recommend?… Yes, suspend your disbelief and be prepared to have some fun

After a one night stand at a wedding, Jack and Hallie reconnect on a dating app and start a wager: who will find true love first?

I loved both Jack and Hallie - they were real and well rounded characters and their story was fun to read. I liked the different turns it took and their romance was built up nicely and left me wanting to read more.

The writing was mostly okay, except for the beginning. The entire wedding scene felt poorly written and full of poor cliches that made me cringe and almost made me not want to carry on reading. The only other fault I could find was that the friendship between Jack and Hallie happened immediately and I wish it had been developed a bit more before they were suddenly best friends.

Painter has created an adorable, perfect and fluffy read that I would happily fall in love with again and again and again.

this was so perfectly lynn painter! this story follows Hallie and Jack who initially meet via one-night-stand then reconnect on a dating app. whilst forming a friendship, they set a bet for who can find their love connection first.

The Love Wager is the perfect cosy read that you can devour in one sitting. i loved the links back to Mr Wrong Number and it was so easy to delve into the world of the characters!

You know what, I just love Lynn Painter's books and writing.

The Love Wager reminded me a bit of Josh and Hazel's Guide to Dating by Christina Lauren. In terms of the main characters going on double dates together.

I liked Jack and Hallie a lot. I would've liked some diverse characters. I don't think it's hard to include some secondary characters that are diverse. But this is a common complaint I have.

I also found some details a little unclear. Hallie says on a date she's an accountant but in the first couple chapters, they make her being a bartender and a jewellery shop employee a big part, so this was confusing. I know those were her part-time jobs but that could've been reminded.
There was another unclear detail but obviously, it wasn't that important because I've totally forgotten it.

Other things like Jack's Uncle Mack weren't very fleshed out.

But I did love the storyline and their chemistry. This was the best thing about the book and it was the perfect amount of angsty.

I've been in a big book slump recently and Lynn's books are so well written, easy to read and to get into, so it was great.

I loved this one!! Lynn Painter never fails to make the best romcoms and this was no different!! This had EVERYTHING - fake dating, only one bed, jealous love interest - I loved every SECOND!

After reading Mr Wrong Number last year I was so excited when The Love Wager was announced!
I absolutely love Lynn’s writing, the power to be comedic in all the right places while also giving the room for characters to develop and grow and having a really good plot is sometimes so hard to find, but Lynn balances it all out perfectly!

I loved that we started this book at Olivia and Collins wedding, it was such a nice re-entry and reintroduction to the characters that I loved in Mr Wrong Number!

It didn’t take me long to fall in love with the main characters of The Love Wager, Hallie and Jack. Their chemistry from the very beginning was electric, the banter between them was truly laugh out loud funny at more than one occasion!
I am a huge fan of the “Friends to Lovers” trope and this book is such a good example of why it’s my favourite! Some of the other tropes include “Fake Dating” and the “One Bed” trope, which I know is a firm favourite among so many readers!

Overall I really recommend this brilliant Rom-Com! It’s funny in all the right places and just a perfect example of how the perfect parter you’re looking for can already be in your life without you realising!

Thank you to NetGalley and PenguinMJ/Penguin RandomHouse for allowing me to read this early in exchange for my honest review!