Betting on Love

A great story in Brodie-Ellis land. Whitney has returned home to Gatlinburg after a nasty divorce and is now jobless, homeless and living with her cousin. She needs a job, a place to live and get back on her feet. Sam Ellis is the oldest of the Ellis siblings and inherits the role of CEO and totally overcompensates trying to prove to his dead father he's not flighty. Something he overheard his father say as a child. The two meet at the local watering hole when Sam after being harassed by his two brothers and sister to take a night off and a break from work. The two don't realize that there is some long standing feud between the families until Whitney's obnoxious cousin comes in and causes a little disruption between the two. Sam and Whitney don't seem to care, nor do his sibs. As Sam is getting ready to launch the latest thing in rides at a large amusement park, he needs someone with marketing experience and that's right up Whitney's alley. Sam hires her and she's the missing magic he's needed. In more ways than one. I loved watching his brothers Lucas and Caleb, sister Becky and their antics along with their betting! Things heat up quickly between the two, great character development there. They are two totally relatable people. Whitney guides Sam slowly along the path of the life/work balance. Arriving at the carefully orchestrated weekend event for the ride launch, there's a sticky situation that Sam blames Whitney for. Sam spews like a volcano and... This was a short, easy read with a little angst, crazy fun family and one workaholic man, light on steam. Did I want more story? You betcha! Will I be waiting for the next book to come out? You betcha!

I loved this book! Whitney is a woman trying to start over after divorcing her cheating husband and returning home to nurse her wounds and get back on her feet. A chance meeting in a bar seems to be a chance at a good job and a way to get started. Unfortunately, there's lots of complications. Sam is the boss and is driving himself into the ground trying to prove himself to his dead father. When he meets Whitney, his is interested in her as a woman, but needs her as a boss. What follows is the beginning of what could be a beautiful love story or the thing that destroys him. If you enjoy the genre, you will love this book. The characters felt real and relatable - especially Whitney. I doubt there's a woman among us that has been involved with at least one toad at some point in their lives. That makes Whitney's story feels especially relatable. Put this one at the top of your TBR list. While part of a series, this is a stand alone novel, however, it's so good that you really owe it to yourself to read them all. The author is on my must read authors list.

Book 2 in the series takes us back to Gatlingburg, TN and the Ellis siblings. This time the story belongs to Sam, the brother that since the death of his parents a year ago, has taken the reins of the Ellis Enterprise. He is fearful of failing the family and to that end has become a workaholic, not sleeping or eating. His siblings are worried and to keep them off his back, he agrees to go with them to the local bar. There he meets Whitney. A cousin of the feuding family and a woman who has been crushed by her ex. The moment they meet , sparks erupt and his family decides to bet him that he can’t find love in 30 days because of his work . Little did anyone realize, especially Whitney and Sam, that not only their lives would forever be changed, but fears and secrets would be revealed. Aside from the storyline, it’s a story about family. About what a comment made in a moment of jest, could change the trajectory of a person and also how love though messy at times, can conquer everything. I was entrusted a copy of this book by Entangled . The opinions expressed are solely my own.