The Bet (The Bet, # 1)
By: Rachel Van Dyken
Published: March 26th 2013
240 pages
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary
Source: Borrowed from my SNL, Holly @ Words Fueled by Love
( Goodreads | Amazon
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Goodreads description--"I have a proposition for you." Kacey should have run the minute those words left Seattle millionaire Jake Titus's mouth. It's been years since Kacey's seen her childhood friend Jake, but the minute Jake mentions his ill grandmother, Kacey is ready to do anything for the sweet old woman. And if that means pretending they're engaged for her sake-so be it.But Kacey wasn't counting on Jake's older brother Travis still being there. She calls him "Satan" for a reason: she's never forgotten the way he teased and taunted her. Yet when they meet again, Travis's gorgeous smile is a direct hit to her heart . . . and Kacey's more confused than ever. As the days pass, only one thing starts to become alarmingly clear-she never should have accepted Jake's deal . . .
I saw The Bet on NetGalley, and I recommended it based off the description to my SNL, Holly @ Words Fueled by Love. She ended up requesting it from NetGalley, but before she actually read that one, she read and loved another book by Rachel Van Dyken—The Elite, I believe. Anyways, she ended up enjoying The Bet and so I decided I’d check it out.
The Bet was a quick read for me--one that had me antsy to come back to it when I would have to put it down. That was a good sign that I’d enjoy it. But I can’t say that I loved it. The Bet hits a lot of clichés with the whole fake engagement and with Jake being a typical, New Adult leading male. Fortunately, The Bet wasn’t really about Jake so much. I mean yeah, he’s there, he narrates some, and he definitely plays a part, but The Bet is largely about Kacey and Travis. And for that I was thankful. Jake was easy to hate. But that brings me to my next point…
I felt like Rachel Van Dyken was writing this story in a way that was intended to be more about leading the reader in how she wanted the reader to feel than as if it was a genuine and real story that she has the pleasure of telling. It didn’t seem like she had all of her facts or backstory straight. What I mean is, she would put filler information in that fit the moment, but not the entirety of the book.
Overall Travis is probably what made this book for me. I liked the idea of him teasing Kacey as a kid because he liked her and that he never really learned that teasing is akin to torture for a girl and that just isn’t the way to her heart. Travis has watched from the sidelines as his brother has swooped in time and time again to Kacey’s rescue from Travis’s proclamations of love torture, all the while Travis is the one who has always really been there for Kacey even though she never saw it. Travis is The Bet’s redeeming quality for me.
After all is said and done, The Bet gets 3 stars from me. Have you read The Bet? What did you think? Let me know!
This sounds pretty good but Van Dyken seems to like her cliches, I'm reading Ruin at the mo and I'm caught between swooning and eyerolling lol.
ReplyDeleteOh no! I hate to hear Ruin is the same way. It's on my TBR list. I have read The Wager too. Already got my review typed for it, and I have to say that it's not going to be pretty. :( Thanks for stopping by!
ReplyDeleteCliched or not this series was just fun. It wasn't serious, emotional or very deep. When I want a quick fast and fun read this is the type of book I like to pick up. Hate to see you didn't enjoy it more. And as for Ruin - well, I loved that one, gave it 5 stars. Yes, it's your typical NA book in a lot of ways, but it touched me (read the review to find out why).
ReplyDeleteNow you know I can't read your review until I've read it myself. Which I do intend to do because you rated it so highly. :)
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