Rating: 5/5 stars

“The Love Wager” by Lynn Painter (“Mr. Wrong Number”) follows the characters Hallie and Jack who are both determined to find “the one.” They first meet at Jack’s sister’s wedding, where Hallie is bartending. Jack thinks he is ready to propose to his girlfriend, but after an incident, he breaks it off.

Hallie and Jack have one night together before Hallie crawls out of his hotel room the next morning, determined to get her life back on track. She reluctantly joins a dating app where she finds Jack. They begin messaging each other as friends and make a wager: whoever finds love first wins a prize. 

Both Jack and Hallie are determined to win the prize they settled on so they go on dates at least once a week. This book is filled with hilarious failed dates that often end up with Hallie and Jack getting tacos together afterward. They quickly become best friends and it is clear to everyone but them that they are perfect for each other.

Painter included many tropes in this novel including friends-to-lovers, the one bed trope and the fake dating trope. All of these make this book hilariously romantic. Hallie and Jack’s banter is sure to make you laugh constantly.

The book pulls the reader right in and hooks you from page one. There is insane chemistry between the characters, as well as funny side characters that leave you wanting more of just them.

Going in, this book seems like it could be very cliche and boring, but Painter made it completely her own. Many romance authors will make their characters fake date to a wedding, but Painter did it in a way that was not like any other.

This book is the second in Painter’s “Mr. Wrong Number” series. Jack is Olivia’s brother and Collin’s best friend so they appear a few times throughout this novel. Jack was a prominent character in Olivia and Collin’s story so it was nice to see him in the spotlight in this book. 

“The Love Wager” had a very realistic storyline and was not filled with unrealistic things that some romance authors put in their books. Jack and Hallie’s story felt like it could happen to anyone.

Painter wrote both Hallie and Jack’s character development very well. Hallie decides after her first night with Jack that she has hit rock bottom and needs to change. She also has trust issues from her ex-boyfriend and we see her work through this as she trusts Jack more and more.

Jack finally realized his issue was that he was trying to rush love and settle for what he thinks his life is supposed to be. After he breaks it off with his girlfriend at the beginning of the book, he slowly transforms into a man who is not afraid of commitment.

“The Love Wager” is the perfect book for anyone looking for a rom-com that they will not be able to put down. Painter’s writing will suck you in and not let you go until you reach the end.

Image from Lynn Painter via Lynnpainter.com