THE BET (The Bet #1) by RACHEL VAN DYKEN

Gitte: I have to say I really enjoyed The Bet. It was a really sweet, funny and light read. One of those that you can read in one sitting with a smile on your face and one that slots perfectly in between darker more emotional reads. There were so many reasons why I loved it. Firstly I am a sucker for friends to lovers’ stories and secondly, it had one of the most wickedly funny Grandma’s in it ever!

Jenny: Absolutely Gitte. This was just the right read at just the right time. It was fun, sexy, sweet and indeed a nice light read that I became completely lost in.  The Grandma was hilarious! She practically stole every scene in the book.  This was a three way friends to lovers triangle with a twist so it was double the fun.

“Nothing makes a guy run faster than knowing he could have it all and lose it all, with one woman”

Gitte:  Kacey has grown up with Jake and Travis and there is so much history between the three of them and neither one can hide from the other, they share a past. Not all so good though. There are a lot of secrets and emotions in the bonds that ties them as well as tragedy.  The humour was excellent; I fell in love with Travis and Kacey who never really grew out of their banter and shenanigans.

“Oh gosh it’s moving! It’s so gross! Can’t you just like, flex your butt or something?” – Kacey

“Why, yes….Why don’t I just clench my butt muscles in hopes that it will shock the spider enough to crawl back into the hell hole it came out of.” – Travis

Travis was lush. He was a romantic and gave his heart away a long time ago. He made me laugh and he made my heart ache with the unrequited love. Despite being a gorgeous and passionate man, he had this child-like humour which I love and for a man of few words, used to being in the shade of his brother, the words he did say melted my heart!

“Do you really think I’m beautiful?” – Kacey

“No. I think you’re breathtaking….I think you’re life altering….I think you’re uniquely, wonderfully …you.” – Travis

Travis and Kacey are both on a path of self-discovery in this story, but it is a path neither would have taken unless for the meddling hand of the coolest Grandma ever!

“Where have you been all my life?” – Kacey

“Home,” “I’ve been home, waiting for you” – Travis

I have to say that Jake mostly irritated me but at least he knew his short comings and I understood that this guy is completely lost trying to either find himself-which is the hard way or living up to his persona-which is the easy way.

This guy has a lot of pressure passed on to him and he sees no way out except for the short gratuitous thrills landing at his feet everywhere he goes handed to him on a platter.

Grandma absolutely stole every scene she was in and I wanted to pick her out the kindle and become mine.

“Are you sure he’d be okay with this?” – Kacey

“Oh honey, why else would he give me a key?” – Grandma

“He didn’t give you a key. You lifted ten rocks to find the hide-a-key.” – Kacey

“Same thing” – Grandma

Jenny:  I loved the banter and fun between Travis and Kacey.  The fight on the kitchen floor was priceless and really endeared me to these two.  Really? Did these three really grow up and out of their childhood rivalries? No, and that’s what was so much fun.

“I don’t live in the city” He smoldered. Wait, did guys smolder? She looked again. Apparently they did.  Kacey

Kacey had a lot of past baggage to deal with and coming back to her hometown, albeit under abnormal circumstances was just what she needed.  The old saying about “being right under your nose” was spot on here and Travis was my guy from the get go. This beautiful man who held his feelings in check won me over immediately, and when he did give his heart…well, I was a gonner!

“Don’t do that, don’t look down when I give you compliments” –  Travis

Jake was way too intense and well….he was a bit of a dog to be honest, though he certainly gave me a few giggles.

Kacey was torn between the two and watching her decipher her feelings was told through humor and love and it really was endearing and funny.

Gitte:  So yeah I really enjoyed this story for what it was. It had great characters, fab humour and sweet romance. I would have liked to have more “afters” perhaps in an epilogue also I have to say that the cover does this book a great dis-service. The couple on the cover looks nothing like how the characters are described in the story which is a pet peeve of mine. It takes some of the shine off I have to say. It does however have a great message:

“It’s important to live and not get so hung up on the past. The past is called the past for a reason. If you are constantly looking behind you, your eyes aren’t on the road ahead. You don’t drive a car that way, so why would you live your life that way? – Kacey’s Mum

Jenny: This really was a lovely, light read and whilst I did get frustrated a couple of times with the characters actions, overall I did really enjoy it.  Friends to lovers stories…..is there anything better, and when told in a fun light manner, with a potential love triangle with lovable characters, well..how can you not enjoy it.