The Love Wager is Lynn Painter’s latest adult romance book and I’ve got the summary and my review to share so you can determine if this is a romance book worth reading!
*Disclosure: This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
The Love Wager
by Lynn Painter
Category: Contemporary Romance
Tags: Fake Relationship, Friends to Lovers, Online Dating, One Night Stand
Published March 2023
Amazon | Goodreads
Rating: ★★★★½
Boyfriend Rating: 
The Love Wager Summary:
Hallie Piper is turning over a new leaf. After belly-crawling out of a hotel room (hello, rock bottom), she decides it’s time to become a full-on adult.
She gets a new apartment, a new haircut, and a new wardrobe, but when she logs onto the dating app that she has determined will find her new love, she sees none other than Jack, the guy whose room she snuck out of.
After agreeing they are absolutely not interested in each other, Jack and Hallie realize they’re each other’s perfect wing-person in their searches for The One.
They text each other about their dates, often scheduling them at the same restaurant so that if things don’t go well, the two of them can get tacos afterward.
Discouraged by the lack of prospects, Jack and Hallie make a wager to see who can find true love first, but when they agree to be fake dates for a weekend wedding, all bets are off.
As they pretend to be a couple, lines become blurred and they both struggle to remember why the other was a bad idea to begin with.
The Love Wager: My Review
OMG, I loved this book so much. Why have I waited so long to read Lynn Painter? She’s a one-click author for me now!
So before picking up The Love Wager I was in a bit of a reading slump. Nothing was really hitting home for me and it was taking me days to finish a book which is unheard of for me.
Well let me tell you I couldn’t put this one down and finished it in two days (there were these things called sleep and work that got in the way of my finishing it in one day!).
I absolutely adored this friends to lovers turned fake relationship romance book and fell hard for Jack and Hallie.
We first meet Jack and Hallie at Jack’s sister’s wedding where Hallie is the bartender. Hallie unintentionally ends up being a catalyst for Jack breaking up with his girlfriend and ends up drinking with him in the kitchen to drown their sorrows.
Well…one thing leads to another and next thing we know Hallie is sneaking out of his hotel room ala walk of shame after a pretty hot and heavy one-night stand (or so we are led to believe).
Ready to leave that night behind her and start adulting, Hallie signs up for a dating app where low and behold she ends up reconnecting with Jack.
But since neither can admit the chemistry that was off the charts for their one night together the two kick off a really great friendship while bonding over their respective quests to find love.
Books aren’t that long when you think about it which is why I’m in awe that Painter was able to really sell me on the friendship that developed between these two.
I loved their banter back and forth via text and how they had each other’s backs when it came to the blind dates that they went on.
Because they took any potential relationship off the table from the get-go, it seemed like they were able to just be themselves with each other which was so refreshing and which really built the foundation of their friendship and connection.
It was so easy to see their chemistry and I was just counting down until they could finally acknowledge it to themselves and each other.
This friends to lovers romance took a turn into the fake relationship romance trope I love so much when Jack accompanies Hallie to her sister’s wedding so she can save face in front of her ex.
Yes, that makes TWO weddings in this book but it worked and their forced proximity situation finally got them to get over their initial hesitations and just bang again 😊.
Of course, there has to be a slight hiccup to their happily ever after but I loved that it really wasn’t excess drama but just a blip that they had to acknowledge before finally making it official.
If you love friends to lovers stories with great characters and fantastic writing then you will so enjoy this book. I highly recommend it!
More Painter Books:
Related Book Lists:
- March 2023 Most Anticipated New Romance Books
- Best Fake Relationship Romance Books
- Best Fake Dating Romance Books
- Best Friends to Lovers Books
- Hilarious Romcoms You Can’t Miss
Pin This for Later:
