I Bet You

ADORED this sports/college romance! All my fave ingredients in one place!

“Penelope Graham is the kind of girl who would never give me a shot.”

Ryker Voss likes to rile up the girl who wrote a scathing article about him in the college magazine. He also likes a bet. However, when a bet gets him up close and personal to Penelope, he’s surprised by the interest she sparks in him – a girl who is not usually his type. Unfortunately, she doesn’t seem at all interested in him…well, until he stumbles across an insight into her mind. Then, all bets are off.

“I can’t help this pull I feel toward him, as if I’m the moon and he’s the Earth.”

Penelope is not interested in football players, especially a player like Ryker. However, she can’t deny that he’s hot as hell, nor the sizzling connection between them. Her attempts to keep him in the friend zone start strong but her pesky attraction to him keeps getting in the way, making her question what she really wants, and if she’s willing to risk her heart.

“No matter what I tell myself, he’s stealing my heart, bit by bit, and it’s going to take everything I have to resist falling.”

I just adored this story! Penelope has hang-ups but she’s cute, smart and funny. Ryker is gorgeous – there’s more to him than meets the eye. He’s not as superficial as he might seem at first glance – he’s actually pretty caring and thoughtful, and sometimes really sweet. They made such a cute couple!

This story was fun and sexy, with a touch of angst. Nerdy girl, cocky athlete, compelling attraction, and a great storyline. LOVED IT!

Ok so I read everything this woman puts out because her writing is just top notch and this book is no different. From the first page to the last page I was totally invested in this book and was living right along side Ryker and Penelope. And I so wanted this book to go on and not end but that’s the way it is with such great books isn’t it, you never want them to end. This book was everything you could possibly want in a book from the comedy being on point, to the heartbreak, to the awesome best friend who needs a book,from the douche always wanting to start trouble and then go ahead and throw in another butthead. See this book has all the perfect ingredients for a best seller, because 5 stars doesn’t do it justice!!! I absolutely loved this book and am ready to reread it again. And I highly highly recommend this book!!!! – By Tina

I had a hard time sleeping in anticipation of reading this book today! The immediate saucy and spicy banter between Ryker and Penelope had me HOOKED! I also LOVE that she had been writing about him while he was in the same space as her, that had me cracking up! The nicknames, the banter, the “hate” talk, all of it just made QUITE the impression! I laughed so much throughout this book, I was constantly on my toes waiting for the next giggle. IT WAS GREAT!

I really love how Penelope and Ryker were desperately trying to deny their feelings for one another, it made for some great entertainment. Ok, all their jokes and funniness aside, I love how these two became so close. They really did seem to be friends first, and I think that makes a such a strong relationship. These two really knew each other in and out. I also loved their quirks. I loved that she loved to write and loved the library. And other than football, Ryker’s friends were so important to him.

Speaking of friends, we can’t ignore Charisma and Blaze! First of all, the names are so perfect for the BFF’s!!! These two were hysterical and totally loyal. I love how each of them came to their friends defense so many times, but I also love these two for their own banter together. The way that they all banded together was great! And of course the additions of Margo and Conner were interesting too. I was very interested in the dynamic of Margo and Penelope, and seriously hope I get to see more of that!

I REALLY HOPE THAT ILSA WRITES MORE OF THESE BOOKS! EVERY football player needs a book! lol

Penelope Graham has a crush on the studious Connor but somehow she has attracted the attention on Lord Ryker Voss, the Duke of Waylon and football star. Penelope would rather stick to her own friends than mix with the football players as she has heart many things about their “bets”.

Ryker Voss is a quarterback and star of his college team but has lost his chance at the Heisman trophy after a scandal last year at the school. Now he just wants a shot at a NFL contract and a great season. And possibly the girl.

When a bet is given to Ryker from Archer, a defensive player, surrounding Penelope will Ryker take the bet and win the girl?

This was such a good book and I was hooked from start to end!

I loved Penelope’s character and that she was a really good girl and not looking for popularity. She had her own troubles growing up and had a rough relationship with her step-sister Margo. I loved her parrot and the stuff that came out of his mouth.

Ryker seemed to be a good guy but I wasn’t happy with the bet that was made. I really thought he was sincere when it came to Penelope and I liked that he was helping her with Connor although it may have been a little to his advantage as well.

I liked that Ryker and Penelope started off as friends and it gradually started looking like more but I knew that the bet and Archer were constantly still in the background and that at some point things would come crashing down. I thought it was awesome how Ryker finally confessed how he felt but I knew things were too good!!

The fight near the end on the field was awesome and intense and I was wondering what was going to happen and the repercussions from it!

The very end was great and I loved it!!

I always love her stories. Great writer!

Utterly fantastic. This is my favorite Madden -Mills to date. Ryker was freaking sexy and lovable and romantic and ..just…mmmmmmm! Penelope was my favorite kind of nerdy sassy heroine. Together they were so marvelous, I think i’m going to read it again!

Five sparkling stars! This read is a Touch Down direct to your nerdy heart.

For sparkling-vampires sake! I Bet You by Ilsa Madden-Mills is a surprisingly impressive masterpiece. This book is a unique unicorn. No one writes passionate, intense and scorching sports romances like Ilsa. Her male characters are intense with capital letters and sexy AF! Who can resist a hot football player? There has been a soft spot in my heart reserved for cheeky athletes, especially infuriating American football players. Gosh! Ilsa delivered a mind-blowing and steamy sports romance with soft touches of enemies-to-lovers-romance. That is a spicy combination that will make you blush like a teenager. I Bet You is a touchdown direct to your heart! It has all the feels. It is a glittery perfect & read!

This book is a college romance filled with broken down emotions that will drag you with want and like a sparkling vampire it will blind you and it will leave you drooling over the strong alpha male character because Ryker worth it. There is something really special and surreal when it comes to Ilsa’s books. She drags you from the first chapters until you can’t stop yourself and you devour the whole book in one sitting. It is like her writing lulls you in a bookish comma.

This is about a nerdy, beautiful, auburn girl trying not to fall for the hot football player and failing miserably because honestly, hot athletes are gods sent to earth to tempt quite little girls into falling into sinful and ravishing desires. It is quite poetic, isn’t it?

Penelope and Ryker’s story has beautiful disaster written all over. The attraction is there consuming their toughs and keeping distance to resist it is a herculean effort. The sparks between them will start a fire that will consume their bodies to ashes! Penelope is not the kind of girl a boy should not fool around because she is to be taken seriously, and she is a good one. She is really skittish to get involved with a football player because her mother did it and it ended badly. She doesn’t need to date a douchebag like her father was. Ryker is the temptation she should resist but how could you resist a cheeky and irresistible quarterback if he does sweet things for you. Will she taste the forbidden fruit?

Ryker is the hot football star at Waylon. He is what girls call a “sexy athlete”. He is the golden boy, the player that broke hearts and beds. Figuring him out is hard to play. However he is a tempting mysterious. Football is his thing and writing is for Penelope but when it comes to the game of love there will be other priorities. Like superman, he has a weakness and it has a name! Penelope. She is not the type of girls he “does laundry with”. She is more special but the repelling feeling she has toward him made it hard for him. Betting is a game. Playing is easy but winning love is a beautiful touch down!

I Bet You is like smelling rainbows*, it is a wonderful read. It’s charming, funny, nerdy and sexy with a bit of drama and angst. Just perfect! College romances could be a little cliché but trust me, this book is everything but cliché. Ilsa manages to refresh it like a pro with the blush of young and true love conquering all.

J’aime le fait que les protagonistes féminines de la série Ilsa Madden Mills « The Hook Up » soient un peu ringard, un peu bizarre et nous ressemblent beaucoup (filles qui adorent lire des livres, qui sont obsédées par l’amour des romans amoureux).

I absolutely recommend you this book. It is a perfect swoon-worthy read that will wrap you like a taquito. If you love Twilight, sparkling vampires and nerdy t-shirts, you will be really getting yourself indentified pretty quickly with the heroine in this book.

* If you don’t know how the rainbows smell, ask Ryker 😉

I bet you is a charismatic, ball busting, pantie melting must have!
Yes, when I say its one knock your socks sexy read, that will have your heart on complete lockdown once you’re through! Seriously will not be able to resist Ryker and Penelope undeniable pull!

I bet you that Penelope Graham and her nerdy girl awesomeness and whimsical historical romance fixation will have you smitten from the beginning of the story.

I bet you that Ryker Voss will captivate you with his quarterback skills, big man on campus attitude, and the man he is beneath the persona he’s created due to his competitive nature and his inability to turn down a dare/bet.

I bet you that one of Ryker’s teammates will have you frustrated, annoyed, and beyond pissed off with his on and off the field antics that lead to misunderstandings, hurt feelings, and a slew of other issues all due to the very big chip on his shoulder.

Penelope is my favorite kind of heroine – her quirkiness, her intelligence, her ramblings, and her heart makes her an incredibly relatable character. The way she handles herself in front of those who want to tear her down and those who make her want to scream and rage due to their mistreatment proves just how strong and resilient she is, and while she does have her flaws, they make her real and even more endearing because the reasons behind her actions, her thoughts, and her feelings are based on a past that readers can understand.

Ryker is definitely larger-than-life as the star quarterback for the Waylon Wildcats, but there’s more to him than what he allows people to see, and for some reason, he feels a connection and an attraction to Penelope that he wants to pursue even though he can’t quite explain why it’s there.

The path these two take is not an unexpected one, given the title of their story and circumstances that surround their connection, and while it’s fairly predictable, I still very much enjoyed watching everything play out between them: the text messages they wrote, the nicknames they called each other, the intimate and honest conversations they shared, and the attraction that continued to grow even when neither of them knew what their end game would be.

I Bet You is another great read from Ilsa Madden-Mills, and I’m hoping that a few of the supporting characters in the story get their own books because Penelope’s best friend and Ryker’s teammate would make for one interesting read.

4 Poison Apples

I tend to stay away from New Adult romance, as an older reader I really can’t relate to young and/or immature main characters or storylines; I tend to grit my teeth, a lot, while reading them. Every now and then I come across a story so well written, and I’m swept away by it, and I forget I don’t usually like this genre. I Bet You features characters so amazing, both main and secondary, that you forget their young age and just sit back and enjoy the story. This one hits all the marks; it was at times laugh out loud funny and then it would take a serious turn and pull at the heart strings. This is a Standalone and the second books in The Hook Up series.

“Love works like that sometime, comes right out of the blue and you see that you didn’t even realize everything you’ve been missing.”

Penelope Graham’s a senior at Waylon University, the same school her mom was a professor at until her death three years ago. Her father was out of the picture her entire childhood and has recently tried to make amends for his absence.

“My mom always said I was too curious for my own good and it’s landed me in trouble plenty of times, but I can’t resist prying away layers to get to the heart of the matter.”

Penelope considers herself more of a bookworm than a nerd; she’s reads romance novels and her dream is to be a writer. She’s loves Waylon and is has an active social life; she’s a member of the Chi Omega sorority and volunteers helping students in a math study group. Plus she works at Sugar’s, the popular bar and grill frequented by Waylon students. She’s still a virgin, a status she has no plans to change soon. But there might be a contender; she’s set her sights on a classmate, one who seems safe, boring, and a real Brainiac.

“I avoid guys who aren’t likely to stick around. Connor is solid.”

Unfortunately Penelope’s on the football team’s radar, thanks to an editorial she wrote last year featuring Ryker Voss; the handsome and popular quarterback, and his involvement in a football fighting ring scandal. The NCAA investigated and exonerated him, but it damaged his reputation and his chance at the Heisman Trophy. And Penelope dislikes the attention her article attracted and she especially doesn’t like Ryker.

“I don’t fall for football players, especially high and mighty quarterbacks who think they walk on water. My dad was the star player at Waylon twenty years ago, and trust me, I know how they operate. They get what they want and then they walk out, leaving broken hearts everywhere.”

Ryker should hate Penelope, her story damaged his reputation. Strangely, he’s attracted to her and knows she won’t ever give him the time of day, especially when she finds out his team members have placed bets on her.

“The next time you attempt to win a bet like this, consider the feelings of the person you mess with.”

When Ryker notices Penelope’s attracted to a geeky classmate with an unfortunate name, Connor Dimpleshitz, Ryker offers to help her catch his attention, to make up for the stupid bet. And she takes him up on his offer.

“Out of all the girls at this school you could have messed with, you chose the nicest one.”

When Ryker’s team mates make another bet, involving Penelope, he refuses to take part of. After Ryker and Penelope discover they don’t really dislike each other and the opposite is true, things progress quickly. But if she finds out about that stupid bet, it could be misconstrued and be the end of them.