Review: Cute contemporary read filled with humor and sexy romance.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 12 8, 2013
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie TalesQuick & Dirty: Cute contemporary read filled with humor and sexy romance.Opening Sentence: “Jake! Catch me, catch me!”The Review:Char Lynn left high school behind a long time ago, but there are some things you never forget. Like how the boy she crushed on and thought was her friend turned out to be a jerk.  Jake Titus is everything Char doesn’t need in her life and he has already broken her heart one too many times.  She would be happy if she never had to see him again, but Char is the maid of honor in her best friend’s wedding and Jake is the best man. As they get ready for the big event Char has to spend more time then she wants with Jake, but she is dealing with it…until Jake starts worming his way back into her heart.Jake Titus has never been in a serious relationship and that is fine with him. He enjoys playing the field and not having any kind of commitments, but lately he has started to feel differently.  His brother is marrying his best friend and all of the sudden Jake is jealous. Then Char enters back into his life and Jake can’t help but fall for her. But Jake has hurt Char in the past and he has to prove to her that he isn’t that guy anymore.I adored Char, she is a strong independent woman. When she was younger she had a lot of insecurities. She was a bigger girl and got made fun of a lot because of it. Her parents were never supportive of her, and they always wanted her to be more like her sister. Despite her hard upbringing, Char has become a successful person professionally, but personally she is still struggling.  She has a hard time letting people in because she has been hurt so much in the past. It was really easy to connect with Char, her problems were very realistic and it made her a very relatable character.Jake is the gorgeous playboy type of guy. He doesn’t care who he hurts or what he does as long as he is having a good time, but recently Mr. Titus has developed a heart. He realizes that if he keeps going down this destructive path, he is going to end up all alone at the end. I actually felt bad for Jake, he deserved a lot of his heartache, but underneath it all, he really was a decent guy.  I liked his character and it was interesting to be inside his head.The Wager was a cute contemporary read full of humor and romance. There were tons of laugh out loud moments that really helped to lighten the tone, but there were also serious issues addressed as well. The romance was sweet and developed at a really good pace. The story was completely predictable, but still entertaining. I felt that the book was a little too long and there were parts that could have been left out. But even with all of its flaws this was still a very enjoyable read. Anyone that is a fan of the first book will really enjoy this sequel. It could also be a standalone, so if you are looking for a funny sexy new adult read give this book a try.Notable Scene:“So…” Grandma leaned back. “I’m going to fix him.”Jake groaned.“You mean you’re going to neuter him?”“Oh, honey.” Grandma choked on her laughter. “There would be nothing better for the boy than getting neutered. Did you know I even looked into a male chastity belt?”Jake groaned again. “Dear Lord, save me from the female sex.”“Sex,” Char snorted. “Kind of what got you in this predicament in the first place, wouldn’t you say?”The flight attendant chose that exact moment to walk up. “Where’s the young man who wet his pants?” There was a nice pair of Depends in her hand.Both Grandma and Char pointed to Jake.FTC Advisory: Forever/Grand Central Publishing/Hachette Book Group provided me with a copy of The Wager. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.