Review: “The Bet” by Max Monroe

Series: Winslow Brothers, #1

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

Release Date: July 17th, 2021

Add to Goodreads | Amazon.in (Available on KU)

When it comes to life’s fun and games, always know:
The rules.
What’s at stake.
When to quit.

Wise words from…well…my fortune cookie. But wise words, nonetheless.

I just wish the Fortune Cookie People had considered how hard the whole “knowing when to quit” would be to carry out when a woman like me is gambling with her feelings.

Heart-palpitating, vageen-tingling, butterflies-in-my-belly feelings for a noncommittal, hot-as-sin player by the name of Jude Winslow.

After a crazy night where we were both pretending to be someone else, I’ve found myself immersed in the fun of the fling.
The thrill.
The irresistible charm.
The pleasure of being with a man like him.

Problem is, I’m positive he’s the exact opposite of husband material, and that is a serious issue for someone who is fixated on finding her happily ever after.

I know the rules and I know the stakes, oh wise Fortune Cookie.

Now I’d just like to know how close to self-destruction I have to get before I find the will to quit Jude Winslow.

Goodness knows, when your heart is on the line, you can’t ante up your bet with an IOU.

 

This might be the hottest Max Monroe book I’ve read. And I mean…Jude and Sophie might put Thatch and Cassie to shame, which is saying a lot. But good god, the heat is ALL THE WAY UP in this book and I loved every minute of it.

If you’ve read Winnie and Wes’ book (Scoring the Billionaire), then you remember Winnie’s crazy brothers. That’s who this new series follows! And first up, we have the youngest of the Winslow brothers, Jude. He’s a club promoter, a serial flirt and commitment phobe. Jude lives his best life and he’s not ashamed of it. He likes his women, he likes his parties and he likes to have a good time, there is absolutely nothing that is going to stop him from doing what he wants. Sophie Sage is the opposite, she’s looking for her forever and she’s not struggling to make that happen. Finding someone who will love her and give her the white picket fence life she wants is turning out to be harder than she’d like. Especially with her older sister being married and her twin sister getting married, it’s almost like her life is just falling apart. Till Jude and Sophie meet in a case of mistaken identity at a bachelorette party and everything is changed forever.

“In that moment, I’m certain I could f**k Sophie Sage a million times and never have enough.”

When I said The Bet might just be their hottest book ever, I wasn’t kidding. Jude and Sophie have a very sexual relationship that leads to them having sex in literally every place they go. This isn’t love, this is lust and neither of them are bothering to hide that. Their relationship is one long booty call. Jude is an extremely confident man when it comes to sex and Sophie is a little less confident, at least at first. But the more they explore her sexual boundaries, the more open and confident Sophie becomes. Jude beckons and Sophie shows up – that is the crux of their relationship. They explore lots of public sex, a lot of adventurous sex and of course a weekend in Vegas sex. Max Monroe rightfully dedicates this book to orgasms and it’s because there’s a lot. I could probably spend this whole review just writing about the kinds of wild and hot sex these two have, but I will spare you that, because there’s so much more to this book!

While still a romantic comedy, of sorts, The Bet is a pretty big step away from the kind of books that Max Monroe have written of late. Jude and Sophie are fantastic characters and they have incredible chemistry, but what I loved about this book was that they didn’t fall head over heels in love with each other from the moment they meet. It’s purely physical. Jude wants Sophie and Sophie wants Jude, it’s raw desire and lust. Their relationship develops over the course of their sexual escapades and honestly, that’s what makes things so exciting in their relationship.

“Jude might just be a guy I’m having fun with, but he makes me feel more like me when I’m with him. He quiets my tendencies to obsess over the future and overthink minute details that probably shouldn’t matter.”

Sophie is a really great character. She’s got these very fixed notions in her mind about romance and love and she’s spent a good time wanting that, but it’s only led her to start therapy sessions to make sense of what is happening in her mind. I really enjoyed those scenes with her therapist, because I feel that it gives you so much insight into a character. Plus, I’m all for normalising therapy and talking about it in romances to make people comfortable talking about therapy too. Jude is just…*fans self*…he really does give Thatch a run for his money. He’s all kinds of swoony, but he’s also charismatic and sexy, he’s an alpha male through and through, but he’s also a good guy. He’s a family guy, who loves his mom, siblings and his absolutely adorable niece. Jude’s the magical unicorn of guys if he was real.

While the slow burn doesn’t relate to their sexual relationship, it’s definitely got everything to do with their emotional one. Because while Sophie’s falling in love with Jude, he’s totally oblivious and even worse, he’s completely unaware of his own feelings for Sophie. It’s such a departure from the laugh out loud romances that Max Monroe have written before and I think that’s another reason why I absolutely loved this book, so much so that I dragged it out as much as I could even though I wanted to devour it whole.

The Bet has exotic dancers, a lingerie stealing hero, a sassy and sexy heroine, great family dynamics, a reward system that includes Girl Scout badges, a truly hot and steamy good time and a relationship that blows your mind.

Thanks to Max Monroe and Social Butterfly PR for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.