Lynn Painter

Betting On You

okay annoying pero kinilig ako sa endearment

“Relax, Glasses. I just don’t want to wait in that line, so I’m making it look like we’re together.”

“What are the odds that we’d be seat neighbors?”

“But there was no point in texting Grace. Like, ever again. Because relationships failed on a daily basis when people lived in the same fucking house. Relationships were doomed to fail period.”

“Oh. Could I please have half Coke, half Diet Coke, mixed together in a cup? With no ice, please?”

“Relationships are doomed to fail. The odds are greater that you’ll be diagnosed with a deadly illness than live happily ever after with the love of your life.”

“For me it’s soda. He drinks gallons of regular Coke, but then I can’t—”

“You can’t make your halfsies,” he interrupted, his mouth turning up in a small smile.

A startled laugh escaped me. I was shocked that he would immediately remember the soda and get it. “Bingo.”

“She was twenty things that annoyed me, all rolled into one, but there was something oddly relaxing about being around her.”

i wouldn’t marry me either, a pathological people pleaser 😔

“You’re kind of a pathetic people pleaser.”

“ ‘All Too Well.’ The ten-minute version.”

“Did it, now?” I said, fighting the urge to lean closer. But, fuck. I wanted to lean closer.”

hehehrhhehahHahahjHhwheSGJEOAOWOEIWIHSHEBWNWKWJDNJWJJEJWIDIISIRJHEBEBWHW

“It was a little jarring, how well he knew me.

“But Glasses—the minute I see your move, it’s like the gauntlet has been thrown and I can’t stop until you’re smiling at me.”

“I wasn’t sure how she knew me so well, how she’d somehow always seen me.”

I spent most of my time feeling like everyone in my life didn’t get me, yet there was Glasses, seeing right through me.

“Because regardless of how he meant it, I wanted him to mean it.”

“I like feeling your hands on me while I kiss you.”

“He kissed me like he’d been holding back for years and was finally giving in.”

Predictable, probably most resonant for teens with divorced parents in different states/ counties, and motivation to call out your pick me boyfriend 

Jazz j

From the New York Times bestselling author of Better than the Movies, this swoon-worthy rom-com in the vein of She’s All That and 10 Things I Hate About You follows a teen girl who unwittingly finds herself at the center of a bet while working at a waterpark. 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?

Betting on You

this wasn’t quite a 5-star read for me as i expected it to be, since i enjoyed better than them movies so much; mainly because of how the final chapters played out. with just a few chapters left, a bunch of conflicts were suddenly introduced and then just as quickly resolved. it felt a bit rushed, like everything wrapped up too neatly without enough build up. that said, it’s still a fast and easy read overall, which makes it enjoyable in its own way.

"when you're in the room, every single cell in my body—every nerve, every muscle, every breath—is lost in you."

well, YES!!! lynn painter has done it again! every single cell in my body—every nerve, every muscle, and every breath—was screaming, crying, kicking their hypothetical feet in the air! 

i just felt like there are characters (bailey's mom and nekesa, specifically) that weren't explored to their fullest potential that would've given some scenes more context, because they did some things that were a bit questionable to me. 😅

bailey and charlie had 3 meet-cutes!!!!!!!! and charlie remembered all of bailey's quirks and "labor-intensiveness"!!!! which reminded me a lot of chandler and his 'i like maintaining you' line (WHICH MADE ME WANT TO COMBUST BTW BECAUSE WHAT THE HELL 😭😭😭😭😭😭) and i like how this basically is a book version of 'when harry met sally,' only i enjoyed this a whole lot more (sorry nora ephron my goat). the tension and the banter was chef's kiss! 

such an enjoyable read! i needed more of puffball though........

vera ౨ৎ

"when you're in the room, every single cell in my body—every nerve, every muscle, every breath—is lost in you."

well, YES!!! lynn painter has done it again! every single cell in my body—every nerve, every muscle, and every breath—was screaming, crying, kicking their hypothetical feet in the air! 

i just felt like there are characters (bailey's mom and nekesa, specifically) that weren't explored to their fullest potential that would've given some scenes more context, because they did some things that were a bit questionable to me. 😅

bailey and charlie had 3 meet-cutes!!!!!!!! and charlie remembered all of bailey's quirks and "labor-intensiveness"!!!! which reminded me a lot of chandler and his 'i like maintaining you' line (WHICH MADE ME WANT TO COMBUST BTW BECAUSE WHAT THE HELL 😭😭😭😭😭😭) and i like how this basically is a book version of 'when harry met sally,' only i enjoyed this a whole lot more (sorry nora ephron my goat). the tension and the banter was chef's kiss! 

such an enjoyable read! i needed more of puffball though........

oh my god??? i’m obsessed???? lynn painter does it again?!?! she is SO good at writing YA. the feels? the butterflies? i was giddy and kicking my feet?????

all i wanted was more povs from charlie. this was so seamless. i could NOT put this down omg. sue me, but i think this takes the cake over better than the movies!

Tara Bounkeovisane

oh my god??? i’m obsessed???? lynn painter does it again?!?! she is SO good at writing YA. the feels? the butterflies? i was giddy and kicking my feet?????

all i wanted was more povs from charlie. this was so seamless. i could NOT put this down omg. sue me, but i think this takes the cake over better than the movies!

౨ৎ | ‘i spent most of my time feeling like everyone in my life didn’t get me, yet there was glasses, seeing right through me. 

“until your moldova special made me never want to kiss anyone else ever again.”

the only reason this is a four point five star is because it took me two hours to read 78 pages the beginning was just slow and kind of boring. 

i had mixed feelings on charlie for like 90% of the book. the last 80 pages redeemed him SLIGHTLY still dislike him though. 

i love bailey and shes so me i swear. (like hello she runs a book social media?!). 

i loved their banter, and their friendship, and i would have loved their relationship if charlie wasnt a dick. but i love bailey so much. lynn painter can write a girl that is so me coded that’s for damn sure! 

also fuck theo i hated his dumb ass from the start :) 

౨ৎ | ‘i spent most of my time feeling like everyone in my life didn’t get me, yet there was glasses, seeing right through me. 
~
“until your moldova special made me never want to kiss anyone else ever again.”

— ★ 4.5/5

the only reason this is a four point five star is because it took me two hours to read 78 pages the beginning was just slow and kind of boring. 

i had mixed feelings on charlie for like 90% of the book. the last 80 pages redeemed him SLIGHTLY still dislike him though. 

i love bailey and shes so me i swear. (like hello she runs a book social media?!). 

i loved their banter, and their friendship, and i would have loved their relationship if charlie wasnt a dick. but i love bailey so much. lynn painter can write a girl that is so me coded that’s for damn sure! 

also fuck theo i hated his dumb ass from the start :) 

eu teria amado esse livro se eu fosse uma menina de 14 anos (não me impediu de ter devorado ele rs)

Pedro Rodarte

giggling kicking my feet the entire time these too are the loves of my life omg also the cat 

melanie

obsessedddddd with bailey and charlie!! a real friends to lover, loved the banter between them and i liked we got charlie’s POV even though they were a lot shorter than bailey’s. but yeah fun giggling and kicking your feet book

debbie <3

This was such a good coming of age YA romance. You really grew with the characters as it went on and you see them mature in page. It was also so cute and while it was a little heavy it balanced out so well. I really enjoyed it and honestly obsessed with Glasses and Mr. Nothing. 

Priscilla Stanfield

4.25/5⭐️
This was such a good coming of age YA romance. You really grew with the characters as it went on and you see them mature in page. It was also so cute and while it was a little heavy it balanced out so well. I really enjoyed it and honestly obsessed with Glasses and Mr. Nothing. 

The fuck was this? I was expecting it to be so good but i was sooooo wrong. The beginning was amazing and i really liked it but as i was getting to the middle i started to hate it. The fake dating between Bailey and Charlie was so unnecessary. Like i get the fact that Bailey was upset about her mom and Scott dating but it’s so fucked up that they fake date only to get back at Scott(and tbh i felt that she was also mad at her mom). Bailey loved her mother she said it herself so why didn’t she respect her. She couldn’t ,,undivorce’’ her parents or something. Why didn’t she let her mom be happy with Scott?? And don’t even get me started when Charlie went with Bailey to Colorado for a trip with Scott and her mom. I hate Bailey for not telling her mom about this like WHY DID SHE DO THAT. I’m only giving it a 2.5 star because it’s Lynn Painter😩 AND THE FACT THAT BAILEY REALIZED SHE WAS INLOVE WITH CHARLIE ONLY ON PAGE 296 CHAPTER 36???!!

irina

The fuck was this? I was expecting it to be so good but i was sooooo wrong. The beginning was amazing and i really liked it but as i was getting to the middle i started to hate it. The fake dating between Bailey and Charlie was so unnecessary. Like i get the fact that Bailey was upset about her mom and Scott dating but it’s so fucked up that they fake date only to get back at Scott(and tbh i felt that she was also mad at her mom). Bailey loved her mother she said it herself so why didn’t she respect her. She couldn’t ,,undivorce’’ her parents or something. Why didn’t she let her mom be happy with Scott?? And don’t even get me started when Charlie went with Bailey to Colorado for a trip with Scott and her mom. I hate Bailey for not telling her mom about this like WHY DID SHE DO THAT. I’m only giving it a 2.5 star because it’s Lynn Painter😩 AND THE FACT THAT BAILEY REALIZED SHE WAS INLOVE WITH CHARLIE ONLY ON PAGE 296 CHAPTER 36???!!



millena

2,5 ⭐️ never thought i wouldn't like a lynn’s book but yeah here i am

the first 50% was painful, i don’t wanna read a romance book where the main characters are attached to their exes (?) also charlie saying “coworkers” every time she said “friends” really pissed me off

Linara K.S

Morphine could never. But this book... this book had me physically shouting and laughing and punching the air all while trying to go about my day. 

I loved the quirks Bailey and Charlie both had, and BOIIII, i wish I could catch myself a Charlie.

radhika dhawan

sooo i preordered this book and indigo accidentally shipped it 3 weeks before its release date??? which ironically fell on my birthday. so i’ll take it

lynn painter manages to hit the mark with all of her YA books - there is something so special about teenage love, how naive the characters are, the silly mistakes they make when they can’t understand their feelings, and how when they fall in love it’s so wholehearted and with their entire being (and that is what teenage relationships feel like!!). and when it’s well written it’s just so fun to get lost in and feel all the feelings about a universe where you find the love of your life at 17. 

i don’t want to say more bc i technically shouldn’t even have my hands on this book but i binged it in one night and couldn’t wait to log it in goodreads 🫶🏽

Elizabeth Denny

i also loved the way the struggles with divorced parents were shown, and how bailey feels kind of guilty that she doesn't like her parents being divorced.

matti horckmans

I NEED A CHARLIE

i also loved the way the struggles with divorced parents were shown, and how bailey feels kind of guilty that she doesn't like her parents being divorced.

issa

Nanthanat Chompradist

I initially gave this book 4.5, but after letting it marinate, I revised my rating to 3.5-4 🌟

-I love Bailey and Charlie’s dynamic, relationship build-up, and character development. 
-imo the closure between Bailey and her mom (and her mom’s boyfriend/her stepfather) was unsatisfying. I don’t think her mom truly listened to her or tried to clear things up much. It felt like her mom just expected Bailey to adapt and move on. I wanted them to have a nicer, more meaningful conversation.
-I enjoy the fake dating trope, but the fake kissing part felt meh.

Such a cute romance, this is for the gen Z. The amount of references to modern media had me shook. I don't know what I would do if a guy was into romcoms and listened to Conan Gray and Gracie Abrams.

Joan 

super cute, loved all of the tay references 

Erin 

Greer Andersson

4.5 ⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
-
This was just such an enjoyable read! In my personal opinion it gives Better Than The Movies a run for its money. Bailey and Charlie are such interesting characters and are so fun to read about.

AND THE CHEMISTRY. Good lord. No words.
The conflict, while being perhaps a little unrealistic, was still so fun and you can understand where each character is coming from in their response. 

Would definitely recommend a read, this is one you won’t want to miss!

** spoiler alert **
           i had high hopes for this because i really loved “better than the movies,” which is by the same author, but i am Very Disappointed 😭

i understand that all the main characters in this book are high schoolers and they are supposed to act like one, but they are so damn annoying to me.

BAILEY is such a freaking spoiled brat. i couldn’t stand how unkind she was towards scott, her mother’s boyfriend, when all he ever did was try to get close and be nice to her.

NEKESA flirts with another man at work when she’s in a whole relationship, chooses that man over bailey multiple times, and then has the audacity to get mad at bailey for not calling her out after her boyfriend finds out she kissed another man, like… girl… didn’t bailey try to warn you about hanging out with that man and you kept insisting it was fine and that you were “just friends”? aaron does not deserve someone like that imo.

And CHARLIE… charlie, charlie, charlie. i really thought he would be the redemption of this book, but he proved to be a red flag when he decided to just ghost bailey after emotionally taking advantage of her when she was in her most vulnerable state. he was such a 🍆 for that, and i wished bailey didn’t forgive him that quickly. bro obviously has some deep-rooted issues that he needs to resolve because if he would ghost people every time he’s scared to face his emotions then… 🤷🏻‍♀️

ultimately, my feelings about this book are like this all throughout 📈📉📈📉📈

make of that what you will…

este libro es 3.5 solo nomas por las bromitas de the office de vez en cuando y por validar a las que nos gustan los prietos 

renata hernandez

This book was so perfect, I’m actually bawling my eyes out right now. The friendship and chemistry between Charlie and Bailey was sooooo good, I constantly had a smile on my face whilst reading this. This was a slow-burn, however when the realisation hit that they both loved each other, it made the waiting worth it. I think this might be my new favourite book (it changes quite a lot). 

Olivia 

Julia

OMGGGG THE BANTER BETWEEN CHARLIE AND BAILEY OMGGGG I’M FRICKING LEVITATING AAAAAAAA