Betting on You, by Lynn Painter, is the quintessential young adult romance novel. Bailey is dealing with her parents’ divorce and move to a new town when she meets Charlie, a witty and cynical boy who doesn’t believe in love. They are forced together on an hours-long plane ride, and by the end can’t be more thoroughly annoyed with each other. They part ways, expecting never to meet again, until they find themselves working together at the same waterpark. They immediately become friends and find themselves in the midst of a bet that men and women can’t be just friends. However, they both find their feelings growing, and must tackle the truth while dealing with the drama that unfolds from their bet.
This book was the first I had read by Lynn Painter, who I knew was a very popular young adult author. I definitely enjoyed the lightheartedness and fun of this read. I read it pretty quickly, and the writing flowed, making it easy. However, I definitely had some issues with the novel. It was very long, and despite being easy to read, it still felt like a slog to get through the last hundred pages. This book deals with feelings about divorce and family, which is a hard subject, and I felt that Painter could have handled it better. Charlie and Bailey’s feelings felt both underdeveloped and not fully explained. A lot of the comedy left me wanting more, as the jokes fell flat. While this definitely a fun read, there are other young adult romances that are more interesting and funnier. I give it a three out of five.