Title: The Wager
Author: Rachel Van Dyken
Published: October 1, 2013
Series?: The Bet #2
Format Read/Pages: ebook/256
How/When I Acquired It: NetGalley / September, 2013
Date Finished: November 18, 2013
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 . .
~
When starting The Wager, I was mildly afraid that I would
not follow the complete story, not having read The Bet. I should not have had
any fears, there are a few references that were unclear, but overall the
author, Rachel Van Dyken, made the plot very easy to follow. Possibly too easy.
The characters are likable in their own ways. Jake Titus,
constantly referred to as a “ruined” man, is trying to make amends and redeem
himself of past deeds. Char Lynn, the TV personality trying to bring herself
back from the brink of unemployment after a stunt that left her too hung-over
to stay seated during a newscast (thanks, in part, to Jake). Comic relief comes
in the form of Grandma Nadine, the over manipulative and meddling woman that is
the Titus matriarch. While I do hope my own Grandmother is as spry and
energetic at 86 years as Grandma Nadine is, there would definitely be some
problems if she was as invested in my life as Nadine was.
The story follows the formulaic model that many romances
have come to resemble in the past few years, wealthy character (usually male),
is trying to reform their life, wants character (usually female) that seems to
be holding a grudge (not uncommon for
the reason to be unknown to the reformed party). While this model can be
entertaining, it often gets old and predictable after so many versions.
Speaking of predictability, I almost put the book down and
gave up on it after Jake and Char procured an unsigned marriage license. Please
can we at least have characters that use their college educated brains?
Obviously that would not happen in the real world, not only is it illegal (I am
pretty sure that is mentioned in the story) but it is also very implausible
that the marriage license would not be ready, especially given the high profile
wedding that is taking place. After seeing the gullibility of the characters I
knew what was coming for them, essentially an arranged marriage, without the
dowry and binding contracts. And then for the characters to just sign a paper
without reading it? Nope. I just wanted to shake them and knock some sense into
them, especially Jake, who is supposed to be a big shot in the family company,
even though Grandma recently fired him… but he should know better than signing
a document without reading it!
For all its misgivings The Wager was a fun, light read
centered around a man and woman attending the wedding of those they are closest
with and being thrown together in a manipulative matchmaking ploy. It is the
type of story that any romance junky will likely enjoy.
