4.5 out of 5 stars for THE WAGER. Check out the blurb right here and read on for the rest of the review.
Lose a bet, lose your heart...
What is it about a junior-high crush that can send an otherwise intelligent woman into a tailspin? TV reporter Char Lynn wishes she knew. Jake Titus is too rich, too handsome, too arrogant: a trifecta that once lured Char into the best night-and worst morning-after-of her life. Now they've been thrown together in a wedding party. It's awkward, but survivable . . . until Jake stops acting like a jerk, and starts acting like the man she'd always hoped he could be.
If watching your brother marry your best friend is weird, being attracted to your best friend's other best friend is downright bizarre. Unfortunately for Jake, Char hasn't forgotten how he once tossed her aside. Worse still, Jake's already-nutty grandma is even crazier about Char. Cue meet-cute shenanigans and all manner of meddling, and somehow, Jake's falling. For Char. Now all he has to do is make her believe it . . .
I absolutely ADORE the Tituses. Especially Grandma Nadine!
Rachel Van Dyken did a WONDERFUL job writing this sequel to THE BET. I loved Jake in TTHE BET but after reading THE WAGER, there's no question that Jake has my heart and soul.
Why, you ask? He's absolutely adorable. And hot. And... okay, let's just get on with this review, shall we?
Char had a childhood crush on Jake Titus, the notorious playboy-millionaire-CEO of Titus Enterprises. But after she made the mistake of sleeping with him one night (a mistake that cost her her career thanks to an unfortunate event with a chair, live television and uploaded YouTube videos), she vowed to never think about Jake Titus with thoughts other than strangling the life out of the asshole who abandoned her after sex... which led of course to the whole falling out of her chair debacle.
She thought she was over Jake Titus, that is, until she found herself on the same flight as her own personal devil. Thus, started a whole series of events (thanks to Grandma Nadine, of course) that made Char remember why she liked Jake Titus in the first place. She started to wonder what could've happened to the sweet boy she used to be friends with, how he became the man that he is now.
Jake Titus definitely lived on the fast lane. Cars, girls, money... he had it all. And he loved it. At least he thought he loved it. Char gets under his skin like no one else can, not even his brother, Travis. But despite how infuriating she finds Char, he cannot deny how beautiful she is, how extraordinary. Jake knows his first time with Char was a mistake, a mistake that he is responsible for. Jake is falling hard and fast for Char. The question is, will she fall into it with him?
Rachel Van Dyken did a WONDERFUL job writing this sequel to THE BET. I loved Jake in TTHE BET but after reading THE WAGER, there's no question that Jake has my heart and soul.
Why, you ask? He's absolutely adorable. And hot. And... okay, let's just get on with this review, shall we?
Char had a childhood crush on Jake Titus, the notorious playboy-millionaire-CEO of Titus Enterprises. But after she made the mistake of sleeping with him one night (a mistake that cost her her career thanks to an unfortunate event with a chair, live television and uploaded YouTube videos), she vowed to never think about Jake Titus with thoughts other than strangling the life out of the asshole who abandoned her after sex... which led of course to the whole falling out of her chair debacle.
She thought she was over Jake Titus, that is, until she found herself on the same flight as her own personal devil. Thus, started a whole series of events (thanks to Grandma Nadine, of course) that made Char remember why she liked Jake Titus in the first place. She started to wonder what could've happened to the sweet boy she used to be friends with, how he became the man that he is now.
Jake Titus definitely lived on the fast lane. Cars, girls, money... he had it all. And he loved it. At least he thought he loved it. Char gets under his skin like no one else can, not even his brother, Travis. But despite how infuriating she finds Char, he cannot deny how beautiful she is, how extraordinary. Jake knows his first time with Char was a mistake, a mistake that he is responsible for. Jake is falling hard and fast for Char. The question is, will she fall into it with him?
When men fall, they fall hard, they fall ass backward into the water without a life preserver.
What I liked about THE WAGER:
1) Oh, my, JAKE TITUS. Make my heart swoon, why dontcha? I don't know what it is about Jake but, in my mind at least, he seems to be so much hotter that Travis. I think it's this whole playboy-millionaire he's got going on but mainly, I think he's got this charm that is all him. I can't get over how undeniably sexy he is. Of course, he's obnoxious and arrogant but it's all just part of his charm. Jake Titus is swoon-worthy, that's what he is.
2) Char. I loved Char's fierceness right from the very beginning. As much as Jake annoys the hell of out her, she annoys the hell out him, too! She's come a long way from the shy girl that crushed big-time on Jake when they where children. It was evident that the woman that Char grew up to be was a perfect match for Jake. She can take Jake's obnoxiousness and dish out her own without even batting an eye. She's quick-witted and sharp-tongued and I loved every second of their bickering! It was entertaining as hell!
3) Grandma Nadine. The mastermind. The all-knowing. If you've read THE BET, the you already know how bad-ass this old woman is. She seems just as cool (maybe even cooler) in THE WAGER. Grandma Nadine loves her grandsons and would love to see them settled and happy... no matter what she has to do. Her meddling into the Jake's and Travis' lives is such a joy to read.
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Rachel Van Dyken did it again! She cracked me up over and over and over again, that's for sure. THE WAGER was such a quick, fun read. It's witty and funny... something that I've really come to associate with her writing style. THE WAGER had a generally light-hearted tone but there are also some moments that are awww-inducing and gut wrenching. It's a good balance, I must say. She knows how to bring her characters to life. Despite of the jokes and comic-qualities of the characters, you can still feel the depth of their individual personalities. They've all got issues they struggle to come to terms and Rachel Van Dyken was able to bring that to life.
I liked reading THE WAGER. It's definitely a feel good book but it's not a book I would obsess about for days on end. :)
1) Oh, my, JAKE TITUS. Make my heart swoon, why dontcha? I don't know what it is about Jake but, in my mind at least, he seems to be so much hotter that Travis. I think it's this whole playboy-millionaire he's got going on but mainly, I think he's got this charm that is all him. I can't get over how undeniably sexy he is. Of course, he's obnoxious and arrogant but it's all just part of his charm. Jake Titus is swoon-worthy, that's what he is.
2) Char. I loved Char's fierceness right from the very beginning. As much as Jake annoys the hell of out her, she annoys the hell out him, too! She's come a long way from the shy girl that crushed big-time on Jake when they where children. It was evident that the woman that Char grew up to be was a perfect match for Jake. She can take Jake's obnoxiousness and dish out her own without even batting an eye. She's quick-witted and sharp-tongued and I loved every second of their bickering! It was entertaining as hell!
3) Grandma Nadine. The mastermind. The all-knowing. If you've read THE BET, the you already know how bad-ass this old woman is. She seems just as cool (maybe even cooler) in THE WAGER. Grandma Nadine loves her grandsons and would love to see them settled and happy... no matter what she has to do. Her meddling into the Jake's and Travis' lives is such a joy to read.
---
Rachel Van Dyken did it again! She cracked me up over and over and over again, that's for sure. THE WAGER was such a quick, fun read. It's witty and funny... something that I've really come to associate with her writing style. THE WAGER had a generally light-hearted tone but there are also some moments that are awww-inducing and gut wrenching. It's a good balance, I must say. She knows how to bring her characters to life. Despite of the jokes and comic-qualities of the characters, you can still feel the depth of their individual personalities. They've all got issues they struggle to come to terms and Rachel Van Dyken was able to bring that to life.
I liked reading THE WAGER. It's definitely a feel good book but it's not a book I would obsess about for days on end. :)
