Photo credit to Goodreads
By: Molly Cunningham
Betting on You is about a young woman who navigates the struggles of her parents’ divorce while also dealing with the challenges of being a teenager. The story introduces themes such as friendship, relationships, and, most importantly, finding balance between everything in life. The book begins with Bailey Mitchell meeting an annoying young man who she later learns is named Charlie Sampson. They bond over the fact that both of their parents are divorced, discussing it while being stuck next to each other on a plane—despite how irritating they initially find one another.
Although they are complete opposites, they manage to remember each other over the years as they occasionally run into one another. Later, Bailey decides to work at a new local fun center with her best friend, unaware that the once annoying boy would be there as well. She also doesn’t realize that they will be paired together once again, this time as coworkers and partners. As the story progresses, Bailey and Charlie grow closer, even though Charlie firmly believes that boys and girls cannot be friends without it turning into something more, which adds an interesting twist to the story.
I thoroughly enjoyed how Lynn Painter took serious real-life topics and presented them in a way that made the book easy to read and digest. While it touches on difficult subjects, they are written as part of the background rather than the main focus of romantic comedy. I also appreciated the family-friendly tone of the book even though it included mild cursing. I highly recommend reading Betting on You by Lynn Painter when you get the chance.
