Bet Me

by Lila Monroe

[stacey_is_sassy]

It was just a matter of timing…

***3.5...maybe 3.75...nearly 4 stars***

I read this book at the wrong time. I was actually looking for some smutty goodness and this one, I thought, had huge potential. Unfortunately, I was left waiting…and waiting…and waiting. Kind of like the heroine of the story.

Lizzie has not had a good run with men. Her long-time boyfriend who she helped and supported through his studies dumps her for a new and improved model. What follows is one bad date after the other. New Year's Eve one year had huge potential until the man of the moment falls asleep at a really, REALLY crucial moment.

This very embarrassing moment sets Lizzie on a new path but unfortunately, she seems to still be faced with dud after dud after dud. No man in New York seems capable of romance and all of them seem to be interested only in the end prize. It’s time for a break.

A private post to her sister somehow manages to go viral and shares Lizzie’s frustration with men in the city. With a glass of wine under her belt, she expresses her feelings of frustration and disgust with their lack of wooing and romantic gestures. Determined to not lower her standards, Lizzie decides to go on strike…and not have sex again until a man makes an effort first.

Jake is a cynical bugger when it comes to love. He’s extremely good looking, a smooth talker and a favourite with the ladies. With a successful career in acquiring obscure treasure for the rich and famous, he’s relatively happy with his life.

When his latest job is to obtain Hollywood memorabilia for The Met, he looks forward to the challenge. At his first meeting with the curator, he’s shocked at the hostile reception he receives. The woman (not like any other woman he’s dealt with before) seems to detest him…and for the life of him he doesn’t know why.

As the story goes on we learn more about Lizzie and Jake. We see their history and what has given them such negative feelings towards love and romance. Lizzie’s expectation is high, while Jake’s expectations move no further than the bedroom. When Lizzie becomes a viral sensation, Jake starts to look at Lizzie in a different light. The more time they spend together, the more they start to feel.

I did struggle with this story a little. Lizzie is not the most logical of people and the situations she gets herself into could have easily been avoided if she had thought before acting or speaking. Jake’s arrogance and stubbornness drove me a little batty. My biggest struggle was that IT TOOK THEM TOO LONG TO WORK THINGS OUT!! Bloody knuckleheads.

Like I said, timing can make or break a book for me. When you’re looking for smutty smut and you get a slow burn…you’re bound to be disappointed. I still enjoyed Bet Me. I had a few laughs, nodded my head a time or two and shared a glass of wine in sympathy with Lizzie. I most likely will read another book by Lila Monroe in the future.