Betting on You

From the New York Times bestselling author of Better Than the Movies, this swoon-worthy rom-com in the vein of She's All That and 10 Things I Hate About You follows a teen girl who unwittingly finds herself at the center of a bet while working at a waterpark.

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?

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Published: 11/28/2023
Pages: 432
Size: 8.25h x 5.50w x 0.83d
ISBN: 9781665921237
Age: Young Adult


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 09/15/2023
Publishers Weekly 10/09/2023

About the Author
Lynn Painter writes romantic comedies for both teens and adults. She is the author of Better Than the Movies, Mr. Wrong Number, The Do-Over, and Betting on You, as well as being a regular contributor to the Omaha World-Herald. She lives in Nebraska with her husband and pack of wild children, and when she isn't reading or writing, odds are good she's guzzling energy drinks and watching rom-coms. You can find her at LynnPainter.com, on Instagram @LynnPainterKirkle, or on Twitter @LAPainter.