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    Bet Me
    Bet Me
    Bet Me
    Audiobook12 hours

    Bet Me

    Written by Jennifer Crusie

    Narrated by Deanna Hurst

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Min Dobbs knows that happily-ever-after is a fairy tale, especially with a man who asked her to dinner to win a bet. Cal Morrisey knows commitment is impossible, especially with a woman as cranky as Min Dobbs. When they say good-bye at the end of their evening, they cut their losses and agree never to see each other again.

    But Fate has other plans, and it’s not long before Min and Cal are dealing with a jealous ex-boyfriend, Krispy Kremes, a determined psychologist, chaos theory, a mutant cat, Chicken Marsala, and more risky propositions than either of them ever dreamed of including the biggest gamble of all—real love.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateMay 16, 2017
    ISBN9781543610741
    Bet Me
    Author

    Jennifer Crusie

    Jennifer Crusie has written more than fifteen novels and has appeared on many bestseller lists, including those of Publishers Weekly, USA TODAY and the New York Times.

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    Reviews for Bet Me

    4/5

    1,345 ratings80 reviews

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    • 4/5
      I have read and listened to the book more times than I can tell you! I have not read a lot by this author but I’m going to look into changing that. Easy fun read. I honestly love the book, the only negative I can say is “He/She/whomever said” is way overused. But totally worth it!
    • 3/5
      An entertaining book. If I didn't sleep on it, it would probably be rated higher than I like it before I started thinking about its issues.

      As usual, there are things that are great and those that are not. Before anything else, this will end up in I like it category because it made me laugh more than once. That would be the first good thing about it.
      Next, I love that Min is thirty three and she is not skinny. She doesn't get skinny by the end of the book either.
      Min enjoys food.
      I read this book in one sitting, so that has to count for something too. I wasn't bored.
      There is no cheating.
      Patchwork cat.
      It has a short, wonderful and realistic epilogue. Their families didn't change overnight.

      All the good is infused with the things that make me wonder why exactly did I like this.
      The great humour is like a bait. It is generous in the beginning, starting to dwindle as the story moves towards the end.

      The plot, the story itself, is hardly strong. After being dumped, a woman overhears her ex betting with a guy to sleep with her, decides to have her revenge, and after a while realizes that the guy (Cal) is great. The whole book is about Cal and Min and their friends socializing. I would think that the bet issue would provide a bit more backbone to the story. Then you have an unnecessary side story about Min's sister and her wedding.

      A I said, I love that Min is not skinny and doesn't lose weight in the book. However, she needed Cal to see herself as beautiful. The way Min's mother treats her is really annoying. She makes Min feel bad about herself. Every time she enjoys the food, it is followed by thoughts or conversations about her weight.

      There is one issue I couldn't believe was mentioned and just plain forgotten. Cal tells Min that he had a sort of an emotional affair with his sister-in-law and that ends with him admitting he was looking for her in other women afterwards. It doesn't matter he tells Min that she is the one or something like that. That was so pointless unless the point was to make readers feel bad. It left a bad taste, because they just changed the topic and Min didn't think about it anymore. It was a what a hell moment for me.

      Issues aside, I would recommend it to anyone in the mood for a humorous romance.
    • 5/5
      The characters. Fun read! I was working on a project when I started listening and never turned it off.
    • 5/5
      Ok, so this book is totally a guilty pleasure that I plan to enjoy again. When I had to put it down, I couldn't wait until I was able to pick it back up again. Loved it!
    • 4/5
      Besides it being a touch long, I liked this book. Characters were funny and compelling. I love witty banter and this book definitely has it.
    • 4/5
      Fun read. Loved the characters and the witty dialogues. I recommend.
    • 2/5
      I heard about Jenny Crusie through fandom_wank, and thence found myself at Arrgh Ink, her amusingly written blog about writing. Her blog was so funny that I randomly chose one of her novels and read it. Bet Me is not as funny as her blog, but it does have its moments. The plot is thin, the characters are cardboard cutouts, and the ending is as preordained as it gets. Nevertheless, Julian and I both finished it, so it can’t be that bad.
    • 4/5
      This book was a pleasant surprise. It was what I was expecting, light, fluffy, easy on the brain, but it also surprised me by being more. Great dialogue, great characters, a plot that has more twists and turns than the Danube river (not that I have any idea what I'm talking about there!) this book when down smooth and easy.This book reminded me a lot of Good in Bed, in that our heroine is on the heavy side and she's been burned by a guy and is decidedly NOT looking for love. But in walks Mr. Right and she's knocked for a loop she wasn't expecting. And he's just as surprised as she is, since he wasn't exactly looking for her either. Misunderstandings, bets, chicken marsala and lots of laughs insue as these two do everything in there power to stay away from each other. The sexual tension is hot, the love scenes hotter, and with a wicked cat named Elvis with a penchant FOR Elvis (as in Presley) this novel definitely seems to have it all. Highly recommend for a great distraction from the real world.
    • 5/5
      I love this book. Great narration. Listen to this twice already.
    • 5/5
      Yes, this book is pink. (Okay, yours might be blue. But mine is pink.) Yes, it has shoes on the cover. Pink and shoes. You know it and I know it. This means chick lit. But this is the apogee of chick lit. This is chick lit for people who do not read chick lit. This is a great, multi-layered, character-driven story packed with humour and style that just happens to be centred around a boy-meets-girl story and to mention, on occasion, shoes. Min Dobbs is 33, fairly sensible, a conservative dresser, risk averse but mostly comfortable in her own skin. Being sensible, she knows she'll never be skinny, but she also knows her appearance will never break mirrors, and once her sister's wedding is over and her mother gets off her back about being able to fit into her bridesmaid dress she'll be going back to eating butter and doughnuts with a (nearly) clear conscience. She has wit, intelligence, a good (if slightly dull) job and and very good friends. She is, moreover, a nice person. She also has a horrible ex, David. What Min really hates about David is not the fact that he dumped her because she wouldn't sleep with him (although she's not precisely pleased about that), but the fact he did it three weeks before her sister's wedding: now, her mother is nagging her about being dateless as well as being too big for the bridesmaid dress. David was a toad, but he was a toad that was keeping her mother happy. Even toads have some redeeming features.In a fit of drunken amphibian pique, David bets his business acquaintance Cal a serious chunk of money that Cal cannot seduce Min within a month. Cal tries very hard to tactfully decline the bet, being willing only to bet a pittance on being able to take Min to dinner. He's so tactful, though, that his friends don't notice he's declined the bet. Cal also has a horrible ex. No, that's possibly unfair. Cal has a deluded ex, who thinks he's still in love with her. Like Min, Cal has wit, intelligence, a good job and very good friends. He is also a nice person. Yes, he takes Min to dinner on a bet, but he soon sees past her boring suit. Cal likes Min. A lot. Min also likes Cal. But Min doesn't want to like Cal, because she overheard David making the bet and she doesn't realise Cal refused to join in. And this is where things start to get complicated, because Min refuses to take the situation lying down (pun totally intended).And so Min and Cal's story unfolds, interwoven with several excellent and well-developed plots involving the families, friends and exes of Cal and Min, plus an insane cat named Elvis. Altogether excellent. Intelligent and fun. And ignore the pink and the shoes: just because this isn't serious and depressing literary fiction doesn't mean it's superficial, inane or irredeemably girly.
    • 4/5
      This fast-paced, hysterical romance has to be one of Crusie’s best books. I’ve always loved her banter, but here almost every line is perfect and funny. A story about a commitment phobe, a woman who has viewed herself through her mother’s eyes for too many years, and a shabby cat that loves Elvis Presley's music. This might be classed as a big beautiful woman book, though truly Min is a perfectly normal woman. After reading this, many women will want their own ‘donut pusher’. This doesn’t beat my favourite book of hers, but it’s close, winning on the laughs alone.
    • 5/5
      Narrator of the audio book is excellent.
    • 5/5
      A slow burning romance just like I love them!
    • 2/5
      Firstly, not work appropriate: it may not have been until the very end, but the descriptive - shall we say - foreplay scene was not the best thing to listen to at work. Sure, no one could hear it on my headphones but the last thing I want while collating is getting all hot and bothered and start having flashbacks of dragging the cute boy into the locking photocopy room... when I can't do that anymore, that is.

      I was having so much trouble deciding if I liked the book or not. There were times I thought it was really lame and not well thought out, then there were other times I let out a little giggle at my desk listening to the audiobook. Overall, I think if you are looking for that not-serious typical girl relationship read, the one whit the guy who is so wrong for you yet somehow turns out to be so right, yeah this one's worth a shot. I'm not about to go running to my girlfriends to say "you gotta read this" but it was enjoyable. If you can get it in cheap paperbook, used or at the library, it might be worth it for a quick and easy smile, even if the relationship was anything but...
    • 4/5
      I had heard about this author before and was even convinced that I had read one of her books. But it turned out to be my first book by Jennifer Crusie. And I really enjoyed it. I think I was in the mood for something like that.

      I am very picky about humor in my books. Few things make me laugh, and many more things irritate me. In this book, humor is really good, light and not exaggerated. I laughed a few times. And I was very rarely annoyed with it.

      The characters are also well constructed. In some of the funny books, characters are a little silly. But not here. Of course, not all actions taken by Min and Cal are fully rational but, apart from one scene of a great quarrel at the end, their actions are quite rational. In general, Min and Cal are very nice characters. Supporting characters also deserve praise - especially Min and Cal's friends. It's nice to read about a group of friends who really support each other. The families add a whole deeper dimension to the story.

      I also liked the plot. It's a bit of a satire on all those theories about relationships and love. And of course the idea of star-crossed lovers who are destined to each other and the whole universe helps them to be together. Min and Cal trying to beat all those annoying coincidences are really funny. The plot is quite interesting.

      There are a lot of dialogues in the book, which is why you read it really quickly and easily. There are basically no long boring scenes. And even the bad characters that plot against the main characters are well developed and act on other reasons than just being malevolent.

      I definitely recommend this book and I will probably read other books by this author myself. I was thinking about the rating and if I could I would give it a strong 3.5 stars.
    • 4/5
      Enjoyed the witty dialogue and comedy in Bet Me, the main characters were refreshing and the peripheral characters were varied and entertaining. Overall, Bet Me was a satisfying read though as the book progressed I found some scenarios/interactions a bit repetitive which is why I rated it 3.5 stars instead of 4 stars.
    • 2/5
      It was definitely funny, though that made it feel slightly more unrealistic - everything every character ever said is clever and witty? Stretches my willingness to suspend disbelief. But made me chuckle. I liked the chubby heroine but she had more of a wry humor thing than an insecurity thing going on, so it nixed a lot of the potential angst. Basically, chick lit is not for me. Now I know. (2.5 stars)
    • 5/5
      I don't re-read very often because I just don't have the time, but I just finished re-reading this because I had recommended it to a friend and wanted to make sure it was the satisfying, swoon-worthy, Happy Ever After read that I remembered. It was. And I honestly think I love it even more this time around. There aren't a lot of books where the fat woman gets her prince without having to lose weight or him having a fat fetish. Cal does feed Min, that's true. However, it's because he enjoys seeing the look on her face when she allows herself to enjoy foods she's been denying herself—like bread and olive oil and donuts—because her mother has conditioned her into believing that she should be thin. This book just makes me happy, down to my (sadly unpainted) toes and I'm going to be coming down from that book drunk all day.
    • 5/5
      I was a bit shock while reading the book. The author might be a Harry Potter fan, or my obssession just got a hold of me. The main character's name is Minerva, her friend is Bonnie, and the nephew of the main guy character is Harry who wears glasses. All that aside, I generally like the story. I thought it will be pathethic because of the cliche plot of having a bet to hit on a girl. But I find it quite endearing and entertaining. They all lived happily ever after.
    • 3/5
      I'm in a chick-lit sort of mood so this seemed the perfect time to re-read some Jennifer Crusie and review some books from my pre-online days. Bet Me probably wouldn't make my top 5 Crusie list, but it's still an entertaining, snarky, fast-paced read with great characters, loads of sexual tension and some steamy but not overly-graphic sex scenes. As the title gives away, a bet is the significant plot point of this book. The MC, Minerva, is the curvy daughter of a stick-straight, insecure, diet-obsessed woman who is always telling her she's fat. I don't know if she's actually fat or not; the author never talks about measurements, weight or clothing sizes. From Calvin's descriptions though, it seems to me she's not actually fat, just voluptuously proportioned. Either way, it has a significant affect on Min's view of her own self-worth. The level of snark and sarcasm keeps things from feeling too angsty or melodramatic. Min's dumped by her angry boyfriend because she won't put out, and for reasons that are never explained, he really dislikes Calvin, who is gorgeous and gets whatever and whomever he sets his sights on, so that same night he tries to bet Calvin that Calvin can't get Min into bed in one month's time. Min overhears the bet, and well, Crusie isn't re-inventing the romance here, so the reader can expect to see what's coming. But she makes it fun to read about all the same.
    • 5/5
      I love this book so much that I've reread it almost every time I'd had to replace it. It seemed to leap off my bookshelves into the purses of friends. So this time I got it in audio, and found it to be even better! The six friends and their exes are all single thirty somethings, there are also a couple of siblings, some parents, and a nephew. There is drama with lots more situational and verbal humor. I'll leave the summarizing to the publisher's blurb and skip the spoilers. Just know that this is a really fun pick me up book!Deanna Hurst gives an excellent audio performance on this one.
    • 3/5
      3.7 stars I enjoyed this romantic twisted knot of a tale. The women had strong independent roles and were intelligent. I've had enough of the poor dumb women clichés'. It was filled with quick snarky lines and tender sweet moments. Yes there was a'bad' buy and although he wasn't stupid he was an idiot and very believable idiot.
      Now about the story, I don't really need to tell you anything about it. It's a contemporary romance, there is a cat, a handsome man, a woman,one witch of a woman, the evil man, some friends, two crazy nut-o families and some really good Italian food. If you're looking for fun, light romantic comedy with a HEA this is a good book for you.
    • 5/5
      My first Jennifer Crusie book and this will become a favorite reread chick-lit of mine. You KNOW that boy and girl will get together in the end (so NOT a spoiler), but how they get there is a good story. If you like chick-lit -- or need a touch of romance -- I highly recommend this book.
    • 4/5
      cute funny romantic romp ... I easily identified with food temptation ... rather low on sensuality scale
    • 2/5
      Bet Me is a quick, easy chickflick romance novel. Sugary sweet, lots of obvious this-could-be-me! moments and feelings, some it's-okay-to-be-not-skinny feels, best friends for life, and a ton of romance.

      It's a guilty pleasure, what can I say. Sometimes a girl has just got to read one of these in a while~

      Min is an accountant who spouts of statistics about everything. She's got a lot of curves and she loves crazy shoes. And she isn't about to drop her panties for some dumb idiot boyfriend who just wants to her sex. But when Mr idiot boyfriend bets a random stranger to get Min out on a date and out of her panties in a month, little does she know she's in for a hell of a ride. Especially since random stranger turns out to be hot and charming.

      Yep, it's pretty cliche. It's a little shallow. (Don't give me the whole, oh but they get to knowww each other completely and so deeply and encourage each other with their flaws and troubles and weaknesses~ bullcrap).

      But it's fun and I enjoyed Min and her friends Liza and Bonnie. It's another one of those stereotypical girl best friends for life groups that you just have to love. (And secretly wish you had If dinners too).

      Two stars. It was okay. Too many stereotypes to be a three. But still good. Would maybe recommend to someone who liked this genre.
    • 5/5
      I can't get enough of Jennifer Cruise and this is my favorite book ever!
    • 2/5
      Eh, I didn't like it as much as Welcome to Temptation. It wasn't very memorable except for the fact that there was a freaky over-fetishization of food. I didn't find it all that entertaining, and if it wasn't for the very long car ride I was on, I might not even have bothered to finish it. I'll pick up another Crusie, but this one just didn't do anything for me.
    • 5/5
      I enjoy reading Jennifer Crusie books. Bet Me is one of my favorite from her. I love the humor. I listened to it as an audiobook the 2nd time around and the narrator was great with the voices.
    • 5/5
      Amazing book. Seriously amazing.

      I love the humor, the banter and the overall storyline.
    • 4/5
      This book was OK. Not a fan of the way it was written, but the storyline was pretty interesting.