A Very Bad Bet by Elana Johnson: Book Review

  *Book received for consideration. All thoughts are my own.

Sometimes a wager only makes things more fun...

She’s got seniority over the obnoxious grump next door, and she's determined to beat him out for the top job in their charming hometown. But a bold bet spins their rivalry into a flirty attraction that could change everything.

Claudia:
I was born to be the Cider Cove City Planner. But Beckett Fletcher—the hothead who works next door to me—wants the job too. We can hardly stand each other on a good day, much less compete for the same promotion.

So I make him a bet: Whoever proves they best know the citizens' needs and submits the top proposal for the Christmas Festival gets to apply first.

I've got seniority and a solid plan. What can go wrong?

Well, this bet also means talking to Beckett daily. I can't believe I've done myself dirty like this.


Not only that, but the more we're together, the more I see he's not just a competitive grump. Suddenly I'm noticing things like his cute dogs, and how he cares for his sick aunt.

Do we have more in common than I thought? And why does my pulse do cartwheels when he walks in the room?

But I refuse to be distracted by my insane attraction to the man trying to steal my dream job. I set out to win the bet—and the job—but keep losing focus thanks to Beckett's handsome face and extraordinary kisses.

Can our rivalry and this very bad bet spark something very right?

Sometimes the worst wagers have the sweetest outcomes.

USA Today bestseller Elana Johnson writes adult contemporary beach romance. She is the author of over 130 books across two names, and there's nothing better than sun, sand, and swoon-worthy kisses! Unless it's a sweet-and-sexy cowboy - read those under her pen name of Liz Isaacson. Learn more about her sweet beach romances at www.elanajohnson.com. Join her texting group by sending the word SAND to 474747 and get exclusive sales, freebies, and more.

A Very Bad Bet is the second book in the Cider Cove Sweet Southern RomComs series. I had not personally read the first book and found it read fine as a standalone, though there were a few times where it seemed like there might have been a little backstory I wasn't aware of... not so much where I was confused or unable to enjoy the story... just enough to make me wonder what I'd missed. 

This was a cute read! When the story starts Claudia and Beckett have a bit of an office rivalry going on. But when they have a little run in outside of the office, they begin to see each other differently. These characters were imperfect and had their issues, but I really enjoyed them together. It seemed to have a bit of a slower pace and took place over the course of a few months, so it was really nice to see their relationship develop as it went on. We are also given some peeks into what is going to happen next in the series, which certainly had me looking forward to the next book! 

A Very Bad Bet is a closed-door romance with kisses only and no language. 

Purchase here: https://amzn.to/41Iupax