Published: 2023
Series: Betting on You Series
Author: Lynn Painter
Illustrator: N/A
Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Contemporary Fiction, Rom Com
Audience (Grade Levels): Teen (Grades 9-12)
Number of Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5 Stars)
Goodreads Link: Betting on You
Triggers: None
Review By: Lindsay Cesari
Publisher’s Summary:
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?
Review:
Banter can make or break a YA romance, and in this case, it’s the banter that pushes the title over the line between meh and good. I appreciated the chemistry between Bailey and Charlie, and by the midpoint in the title, was rooting for them to couple up. Some scenes, especially the goose intruder (so randomly weird) and the blanket fort, were perfectly crafted vignettes that will stick with me. The second half of the book is stronger than the first half, and there were times the plot left me wanting more. Charlie’s POV chapters are too short and don’t reveal as much about his inner thoughts and experiences as I would have liked – tell me more about the Tums, his anxiety, and his family life. I also wish the waterpark, where Charlie and Bailey work, played a bigger role in the story – as a setting, it’s kooky and zany and perfect fodder for weird and humorous interactions. It’s featured prominently in the opening of the book, when the main characters reunite during job training, but I’d have loved for more of the action to take place in this unique setting. Even with these list of wants, the title is still a strong YA romance.
Classroom & Curricular Connections:
- English Language Arts (Creative Writing & Pacing): Address the reviewer’s critique regarding short perspective shifts and underutilized settings. Have students rewrite a scene from Charlie’s perspective, expanding on his internal dialogue, family history, or physical symptoms of anxiety (such as the mentioned Tums). Alternatively, task them with writing a scene where the hotel waterpark setting acts as a central comedic catalyst for character interaction.
- Social-Emotional Learning (SEL – Coping with Family Dynamics): Use Bailey’s backdrop of her parents’ divorce and the awkward interactions with her mother’s new boyfriend to discuss navigating massive family transitions. Students can engage in group discussions or journal reflections about healthy boundaries, communication styles, and adapting to changing family structures.
- Psychology / Health (Deconstructing Anxiety): Explore the hints of Charlie’s anxiety noted in the text. Educators can partner with health or psychology concepts to discuss social anxiety, physical manifestations of stress, and coping mechanisms, helping high school students build empathy for peers experiencing hidden mental health struggles.
- Extension Activity (Media & Genre Tropes): Have students map the narrative progression of the “fake dating,” “enemies-to-lovers,” and “friends-to-lovers” tropes utilized in the novel. Challenge them to evaluate why these specific tropes are incredibly popular in young adult contemporary fiction and how authors subvert or lean into audience expectations.
