Now an Amazon Top Ten Bestseller: #1 Sports Romance, #1 New Adult Romance, #1 Romantic Comedy
WSJ bestselling author Ilsa Madden-Mills returns with an all-new swoon-fest of a novel about what happens when you look beyond labels and take a chance on love.Sexy Athlete: I bet you won’t . . . Penelope Graham: Burn in hell, quarterback.The late night text is random but Penelope figures out exactly … Graham: Burn in hell, quarterback.
The late night text is random but Penelope figures out exactly who “Sexy Athlete” is. And why she shouldn’t take his wager.
Ryker Voss.
Football star.
Walks on water and God’s gift to women.
Just ask him.
His bet? He promises Penelope he’ll win her the heart of the guy she’s been crushing on. His plan–good old-fashioned jealousy. Once her crush sees her kissing Ryker, he’ll realize what he’s missing. Sounds legit, right? The only question is. . . why is Ryker being so nice to her?
Penelope Graham.
Virgin.
Lover of sparkly vampires and calculus.
His mortal enemy.
Penelope knows she shouldn’t trust a jock, but what’s a girl to do when she needs a date to Homecoming? And Ryker’s keeping a secret, another bet, one that could destroy Penelope’s heart forever.
Will the quarterback score the good girl or will his secrets mean everyone loses this game of love?
I Bet You is the second standalone installment in The Hook Up series by Ilsa Madden-Mills and oh my freaking goodness I think Ryker Voss and Penelope Graham knocked Maverick Monroe and Delaney Shaw (from I Dare You) down a peg in my heart. I absolutely found myself falling head over heels in love with these two and I couldn’t put their story down. The moment I picked this story up I knew that I wasn’t stopping until I reached the end because these two managed to wholeheartedly captivate me within the first few pages.
Penelope Graham is the kind of girl that we can all relate to and I have a MAJOR girl crush on her. She is a strong and independent woman, but at the same time she is super shy. Ryker is the kind of guy she needs because he gets her to step outside of her shell and she blossoms right before our eyes. Although they started off on the wrong foot, their chemistry is instant even if she keeps denying it.
Ryker Voss. OH HOT DAMN! My heart is swooning in overdrive and I am absolutely in LOVE with him. I really liked his character in I Dare You and I was super excited when I found out that this was going to be his story. He is a sexy football player and golden boy whose reputation was tarnished thanks to an article written by non other than Penelope.
Penelope and Ryker’s sexual tension and sizzling chemistry was OFF THE CHARTS and readers will absolutely love their story from start to finish. Oh and of course don’t forget those secondary characters…I seriously cannot freaking wait for the next book in this series!
My love for football and books have hooked me with this series. I love a good sports romance to get lost in and I Bet You was the perfect one.
Penelope grew up in a small college town. She doesn’t have much dating experience but can tell you about books. She loves a good romance novel and is a hard worker.
Ryker is the captain and quarter back for the Wildcats. Him and his friends tend to hang out at the restaurant Penelope works at. Some how she has caught his eye and she isn’t sure how she feels about that.
I loved this college football romance! This was a one sitting read that I couldn’t put down.
A heartfelt read of unexpected young love. It started as a bet but to Ryker it wasn’t just a bet. Penelope was someone who challenged everything Ryker knew. She became his obsession and he stopped at nothing to show her where she belonged. A misunderstanding was all it took to bring Penelope front and center into Ryker’s world. You remember the saying, “if a boy is mean to you, it’s probably because he likes you”.
Seriously, I Bet You is literally everything you could possibly want out of a brilliant romance read.
I honestly devoured this book and read it one sitting. I loved everything about Ryker and Penelope. Everything about the two of them made fall completely in love with this book, right from their back stories, to how a football star and a nerd could be so perfect and complement one another.
I adored watching how their relationship developed; how they started as ‘enemies’ (well, from Penelope’s view!), to slowly forming a friendship and to how their slow burning romance begins to blossom. Their electric connection is undeniable and the sexual tension builds deliciously the more time they spend together.
The angst, the drama, and the emotion were all well placed and believable. Their road to coupledom is a bumpy ride but unique and I loved that it wasn’t the standard storyline when it came to the bet. When the truth eventually comes out, both of their hearts get broken and I absolutely loved how Ryker was determined to make Penelope understand his feelings no matter how much she pushed him away. His determination and love was very real and he wasn’t giving it up. Definitely swoon worthy!!
You get all the feels throughout this book. I laughed, I teared up. I wanted to metaphorically punch certain characters! Yet I couldn’t help but be invested in what happened next.
Also, Vampire Bill the parrot was the absolute best! He had me smiling and laughing throughout.
I was unaware that was the second book in the series. It’s a standalone but you don’t have to have read the first book, I Dare You but I will be one clicking it now as I need to read more of these guys!
This was okay for me. The writing flowed well for the most part, and I liked the characters okay. YA novels are hit or miss with me, and this one had immature main characters. I know they’re in college, but I would think seniors would be a little more mature. I knew where the story was going to go from the first chapter, so it wasn’t a surprise when the drama started. I liked Ryker better than Penelope. Ryker generally tried to do the right thing, and I felt like he was a good guy. Penelope manipulated Ryker into coming to the party, but she was going to write him off because she thought he told people they’d had sex? Sorry, but unless he’s posting it on billboards, I don’t think it was that big of a deal. I liked the ending, but the scenes that were supposed to be Penelope writing historical fiction felt really out of place.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book.
I loved the sassiness of Penelope and the Cockiness of Ryker. I especially loved the Penelope’s pet Vampire Bill, lol so wrong but hilarious all the same. Great book and thank you for the opportunity to read it.
I received this book as an ARC for my honest review.
This is a great 4 star sports, college romance. An entertaining read that is quite addicting.
Ryker is a college football star who likes to entertain bets between his teammates. Penelope is the college “nerd”. A bet is cast and they will both fall victim off.
A great story that was beautifully written. The characters were perfect for each other. Ryker was not who I thought he was. Underneath all that he was a regular guy with feelings. There was never a dull moment.
Standalone told in a dual POV with an HEA. I highly recommend this story.
Sigh*
I love a good, panty-melting, sexy football romance. It all started with a bet which inevitably ended into an igniting tale of love. I had a girl crush on our girl,Penelope! She is someone who can hold herself and fight with a never-ending sass. She was the perfect girl for Ryker, the arrogant and manly quaterback of the team.
I was hooked!
Live love, breathe love and give love…
Whew! This story is classic Ilsa Madden-Mills!
This is the story of Ryker and Penelope. And what a refreshing story it is!
Penelope is a bit of a nerd, an outsider a force all her own. She knows this and she owns it and it makes her a brilliant character. She has a rough past and is missing an important person in her life. Her past molds her a bit into who she is now and how she relates to the people around her.
Ryker is fantastic, a bit of a “alpha-hole” when you first meet him. He’s got swagger and he thinks he has the skills to make Penelope fall for him…oh does he have another thing coming!
This story is hilariously funny! From Penelope’s romantic imagination (she’s a bit of a history fan….) to her friends. From Ryker and his football team. The dialogue is witty and fast paced! But there is bit of angst and a whole lot of smexy times that will make you swoon!
This story, like all of her others is a page turner! It wouldn’t let me put it down until I was finished with it!
Ilsa has a talent to create magic with her words and creates worlds I wish I could be a part of!
I BET YOU by Ilsa Madden-Mills was, for me, a light and easy read.
The main characters are well fleshed-out, and I particularly liked Ryker. He may be the popular sports jock but he is clueless about how to win over a girl who has no interest in him; he’s never had to try! His popularity and the expectations of others has left him somewhat isolated and vulnerable. He was brave in approaching Penelope and I am glad he found his kindred spirit.
Penelope’s family dynamics were of more interest to me than she was at times. I wanted to know more. She likely represents her age group well but I am beyond that; I think I am just too old for some of these college romances.
Overall there are no big surprises in terms of plotting but I will add I felt the blurb was a tad misleading. Penelope’s crush on the “other man” went nowhere and fizzled early. Frankly, this entire storyline could have been cut from the book.
This book will tick the boxes for readers looking for a college sports romance.
“His lips take mine in a hard kiss.”
Oh this story was such a good read. I devoured it and highly enjoyed this book.
Bet me anything you won’t fall head over heels for Penelope and Ryker. Penelope couldn’t be more over all the overinflated machismo that seems to surround everything football centric at Waylon. None more so than the golden boy Ryker Voss, who because of some skill with a football, feels like he the world is his oyster. Between women fawning all over him and the world his golden ticket, you would think he would have little time to pay to a nobody such as her. Yet he seems to take great pleasure in carving out time of his bushy day just to torment her. With his childish antics and less than gentlemanly demeanor she should loathe him, and for the most part she does, but a small part of her spins wicked lust filled fantasies starring him ravishing her utterly. When they become frenemies and he offers to help her match her with the man of her dreams, she doesn’t realize that when he plans on delivering! Ryker is not what everyone thinks. They put the world on his shoulders but he is fallible just like any other man. It’s no more evident than when he inadvertently hurts Penelope while trying to fulfil a stupid bet. To make it up to her and make them square he’s going to get her the guy she wants on her arm. He’s just not ready for the possibility when it’s turns out he wants it to be him. Making this wild wonderful woman fall for him won’t be child’s play, but he likes his odds of success.
I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this book.
Gosh I love how this author writes sports romance. It’s always smart, it’s always funny and it’s always HOT!!! I Bet You is the next standalone from one of my favourite one click authors & I definitely recommend.
QB1 Ryker Voss + a bet = big trouble for Virgin Penelope Graham.
One of my favourite things about this author is that she gives us heroines who know their mind, they may be shy or they may even be virgins but they’re not easy pushovers. Add to that alpha guys that are not OTT. They are MEN, like MANLY MEN, that give us that yummy tummy feeling when a guy is all growly “MINE” over a girl, but they’re also hardworking guys who understand consent, being a gentleman and just being decent.
Add in a kick ass group of best friends and you’ve got a believable college romance where you’re wanting everyone to get their HEA and I already have a bunch of side characters I hope we’re going to get more from.
If you’re looking for a fun, smart read – this one’s for you.
Word to the wise: do not start this late at night if you plan on sleeping!! I was sucked in from the second I started and had to pry my kindle out of my hands to sleep.
Seriously.
Let’s talk about Penelope’s imagination, because.. holy heck!! Now, I’m not in any way trying to say that the real-life situations in the book are any less hot or swoon-worthy, but there is definitely something to be said about a college co-ed fantasizing – in great detail – about pirates and lords, and just… oh my.
The chemistry between Pen and Ryker is off the charts HOT. What I found refreshing about this story was that, while the connection was always there, Penelope, jaded by her mum and dad’s story, was not entertaining the thought of the QB, and Ryker, wanting Pen to acknowledge her feelings on her own, instead ‘helps’ her with her crush while staying right in her periphery. So it was a new take on the old premise, but Ryker, in completely the opposite to what Penelope thinks of him, is not pretending to pursue other women at the same time. (Which I LOVED.)
This book is funny, sweet and so swoony. I’m still thinking about Ryker and his clueless earnestness and swooning.
The character development and growth are spot on, the support characters provided excellent comic relief and insight, and the story bounces along at the same fun, strap in and don’t put it down pace it starts with.
I’m crossing my fingers and toes that this isn’t the last book we get from Waylon University.
This is my favorite book from this author for sure! I love a sassy heroine and this one did not disappoint!!! and finally a football player that is not a douchebag! it was refreshing and really funny! I read it in one sitting!
Ilsa you have done it again! Please don’t stop writing this series. I seriously need more Blaze, Maverick and Ryker! I knew I would enjoy this story but I absolutely loved it from start to finish! Can I just say I wish Penelope was real and my BFF, that girl kicked butt and didn’t care about anyone’s opinions! Ryker was amazing, I love the way he went out of his way to make it up to Penelope and the effort and time he made to gain her trust ultimately winning her heart. Honestly I believe that ever guy written by Ilsa can’t top the previous one but man is Ryker sitting pretty at the top of my list right now! Any lover of football and romance novel this is a must read book!
If you’re a fan of sports romances, New Adult, swoony heroes, and fun, quirky heroines, I bet you will love this book just as much as I did! I’ve got a major girl-crush going on for Penelope and I’m totally swooning over Ryker!
I Bet You is so fun and entertaining. I loved the banter and the back and forth between Penelope and Ryker. I really enjoyed the evolution of their relationship and how endearing Ryker was at the beginning. Penelope is feisty, a bit sassy, but vulnerable as well. Ryker is the star athlete, self-assured, confident, and oh so charming. They are such opposites but just worked together!
I’ve been kind of staying away from a lot of NA books lately, because of the silly over the top drama that they tend to/can be known for, (and the fact that I haven’t been a “New Adult” for too many years to count!) but I Bet You is a perfect example of one that I can totally get behind. Funny, silly, sweet and sexy, this book had me hooked! Once I sat down with Penelope and Ryker I didn’t get up until I finished their story- I couldn’t get enough of them!
Dang! Ilsa knocks it out of the park again with this steamy college football romance! Ryker is HOT, sweet and totally swoon worthy! You can tell he likes Penelope right off the bat, but he has to prove to her he isn’t like all football players, whom she refuses to date! And that will not be an easy feat.
When one bet goes wrong, Ryker is left puzzled, wondering what happened and left standing with wet pants. Quite hilarious if you ask me. Penelope is a pistol and I love her attitude! She’s quirky, witty and doesn’t take crap from anyone. She knows want she wants, and what she doesn’t (football players), she wants safe and someone she thinks would be a good fort for her.
Little does she know, all she thought she knew is about to change!
Their chemistry is off the charts and the banter between them had my laughing and then swooning. They are a great pair!
I loved the side characters too! Charisma is the best friend someone would want. And I really hope her and Blaze get their own book!
Another great football romance! Loved it!
“His lips take mine in a hard kiss, sucking on my tongue and devouring me, tasting me as if he’s stranded in the desert and I’m a tall glass of water . He drinks me down, consuming me.”
I bet you was just what I wanted and so much more. I seriously LOVED everything about Penelope and Ryker’s story. I literally devoured this book in one sitting. I just could NOT stop myself once I started. I loved how the author had you falling in love with all the characters of this book not just the main characters. I can’t wait to see whose story she writes next. *cough Blaze and Charisma cough* and don’t even get me started on Vampire Bill. That bird had me laughing it up he was definitely a character for sure. I love the emotions the author brought out in I Bet You. One page would have you laughing out loud. Only to have you throwing your kindle in anger the next. There was definitely more than one time I wanted to punch something or should I say a certain someone. The chemistry Ryker and Penelope had was seriously OFF THE CHARTS! It sizzled and cracked through your kindle pages. Two characters could not have been more perfect for each other then these two. And OMG I could not get enough of that ending!! I absolutely LOVED it soooo much!
“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.”
Penelope is definitely one of my favorite heroines to date. She was such a breath of fresh air from the normal heroines you read. She was independent, creative, and had humor for days! She had this light, airy personality that fit the story perfectly. She was not affraid to be a total spitfire if she needed to be. Penelope pulled on my heart strings many times with her childhood loss and heartache.
“You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me— even better than football. If I had to pick between the two, it would be you every single time.”
Ryker is one of the cockiest hero’s I have read, and I LOVED every cocky word out of his mouth. He commanded your attention. While having you quickly falling for his charming ways. He had me melting in a puddle of swoons so MANY times. He is definitely the perfect contradiction. I loved Ryker was not affraid to show his insecurities. He was vulnerable and raw and it pulled at your heart.
*4&1/2 STARS*
Well earned for this enemies to lovers/romantic comedy mix. If you’re looking for a unique Football read. I can not recommend this book enough.
Wow! What a delicious read! I devoured every single word. I loved the characters, their story and the writing is phenomenal.
Ryker and Penelope are the type of characters that have You routing for them the whole way. He’s a jock, tall, blonde and sex on a stick. She’s quirky, smart and easily puts him in his place. I loved the banter with these two and really enjoyed the secondary characters as well. Great read all the way around! You’ll love it!