“He was my best friend…” I say more to myself than her. “Yeah, so was I but you seem to have forgotten that part of your life.”The bet was simple. You draw a name from the hat. That’s the girl you have to seduce. It wasn’t hard for me to do, in fact, it was something I did all the time. I was known for breaking hearts. Sex was just that, sex. And it didn’t take me very long to get a woman on her … very long to get a woman on her back.
And then I drew her name: Jules Peterson.
My former best friend. My first kiss. My first love. Three years ago, she shattered my heart into a million pieces. She left me right when I needed her most.
And as fate who have it, she had entered my life once again, at almost the perfect time.
She was a transfer, fresh meat, and she had just put a target on her back. It was my turn to make her pay. It was my turn to break her heart.
Holding onto that hate, that anger, that f*cking heartbreak. It does something to you. It breaks you, and it broke me, it tainted me, just like I would do to Jules.
She used to be my everything, but now she was nothing but The Bet.
**The Bet is book one in the North Woods University series. It is a full length, standalone, novel. It contains adult themes and contents that are not suitable for all readers. It is NOT a young adult novel.**
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The Bet was a heart-wrenching bully romance from start to finish. The various things that happened to Jules were horrendous, between her father and brother dying, to the things Remington did because he was butt-hurt, the recording, Cole, and on and on. Honestly, this is one of the darkest, bully romances I have ever read.
Jules proves herself to be strong and forgiving to live through all the horrors she experienced. As far as Remington goes, all I can think is men can be so stupid. He’s a butt-hurt, asshole for most of the book, but in the end, he came through for Jules and became her hero.
A great book, very dark, but definitely worth the read.
This is a fantastic book! The storyline and characters are amazing! The Narrators for the audiobook are phenomenal and bring this story to life! This is a definite must read/listen!
Another Bully Romance
*self-purchased on Amazon. No need of sugar daddies called promo teams* “
Read on KU.
Perfect cover. Too bad I’ve read too much by these authors at this point. It read like one of their dark romances, but at the end of the book it was listed as a contemporary romance. I didn’t feel invested at all. I should stop with their bully romances so that I can like them again someday perhaps.
3.5 stars
Remington and Jules used to be best friends. But when she had to leave Remmy cut all ties to her and her brother. He constructed a wall and became a hard, ruthless man.
With the unexpected death of her dad and brother, Jules transfers colleges and runs into Remmy. Expecting it to be a joyous reunion she is left hurt and confused by Remmy’s anger and aloofness. As much as Remmy tries to push her away, he feels like he needs to be near her. Besides overcoming the past, they have a few other hurdles along the way.
Can these two former friends mend their relationship?
I liked this story overall, but felt let down by Remmy’s need to hold on to his displaced anger for so long and Jules easy forgiveness.
Jules (the MFC) is back in her hometown and starting at a new university. When the last person she expects to see there is her old friend Remington except the reunion isnt what she expected. Hes changed. Gone is the warm, funny guy she used to know and in his place is a cold, unfeeling stranger. One who is particularly unkind to her and tells her how much he hates her. She has no idea why? What starts out as a plot by Remington to get rid of Jules turns into an unsavoury bet that may just sever any friendship or feelings they ever had for each other. This is a story of hurt, trust lost as well as friendship and love. I loved both characters even if at times throughout the book i wanted to smack Remington for some of what he did to Jules. Overall its a great story and i loved reading it
I couldn’t really get into this book. The plot was weak and on the ridiculous side. Too dramatic for me.
3*
Remington & Jules we’re best friends until she was forced to move away with her father, he didn’t take it well and said lots of hurtful things.
3 years later she returns to his school but doesn’t get a good reception. Can they put the past behind them?
Looking forward to reading Lance’s story in “The Dare”.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.
Feeling a need to bring back that man, I grasp onto his shirt, grabbing a handful of the fabric, pulling him even closer while lifting up my head from the mattress. I don’t think. I simply press my lips to his and kiss him.
I really enjoyed reading this amazing fast-paced story. And I’ve fallen for the brother 🙂
A second chance bully romance with steam and suspense.
Jules and Remington grew up together and were best friends until she suddenly moved away and shattered his heart. Three years later, she is back and Remington wants revenge and to hurt Jules like she hurt him. A frat house bet to make a girl fall in love with you and sleep with you, then dump her, has Remington drawing Jules’ name and putting his plan into action. Remington is a complete jerk and bully to Jules until he learns of all the pain she has suffered recently. His love for Jules is still there and he is determined to make her his as she was always meant to be. As Jules and Remington try to mend their broken relationship, a new bully comes in to destroy everything.
I really enjoyed this book and all the emotions that Jules and Remington brought out. I can’t wait to read more of this series.
5 stars for The Bet by J.L. Beck and Cassandra Hallman. This is book 1 in The Northwoods University Series. This is a dark bully romance, that may contain some triggers for some. Remington is angry and hates Jules for leaving him a few years ago. He used to love her more than anything but not sure he can get back to that. Jules left a few years ago because she had to. “Jules has always been the sweetest person I know…until the day she ripped my heart out of my chest and left, taking the shredded pieces with her. Her sweetness turned sour the day she moved away, and all because she wanted to please her father. She didn’t even fight. Didn’t fight for us, for our friendship, for the chance of love.” She has just transferred colleges after suffering a major loss. She is not expecting to see Remy and she is not expecting his hate. They used to be best friends but now they are enemies in his eyes. His theory is “Hurt Her, Break her.” This book also has some suspense in it when someone is stalking Jules. Who is it and who wants to hurt her. Can these two every make it back to each other or is Remy to far lost. “You know what, Remington? I’ve come to the conclusion that you’re beyond saving. The person I used to know, the man that never would’ve taken from me, or hurt me, no longer lives inside of you, and that’s sad, so fucking sad.”
I absolutely loved this book. I will say it is extremely dark at times, but it just adds to the story. This is my first book from these authors but it will not be the last. I cam looking forward to reading more from them. I was hooked from page one until the very last page. I felt strong emotions while reading The Bet. It is such a good book and it is worth reading.
Jules and Remmy were together when they were young until she moved away. Three years later she’s back and he’s still mad at her for leaving him. Like it was her fault she moved, she was just a kid. I must admit that I’m having a hard time with this one because I wanted so bad to like Remmy but the assault really hit hard. I like that in the end he redeemed himself but for me, it didn’t make what happened better. I have read this author duo before and love their writing and I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
Can love and hate coexist? Can you work through all the lies to find the truth? Can you deal with mistreatment and cruelty to prove to someone how much you care? This must read tear jerker is so full of raw emotion! I couldnt put it down!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I enjoyed the read. Watching the H & h come to terms with their past and find their love for each other again has been a roller coaster.
Jules is a kind, sweet, and pure in every sense of the word. My heart hurts for Her. She’s been through so much. She starts a new school and the one person she loved basically turned his back in her because he was being a selfish jerk.
Remington has always loved Jules, but when she’s forced to move away, he selfishly feels she abandoned him. When she shows up at his school, he wants revenge.
Even though things happen that should never happen to anyone in this book, it helps Remington realize he still loves Jules and he’ll do anything to get her back. Remington is redeemed by the end of the book. Which I’m happy about because I didn’t particularly like him in the beginning.
This is a solid 4.5 star read for me.
Disclaimer: This review DOES contain spoilers. I received an Advance Reader Copy at no cost from the publisher/author. All opinions expressed in my review are my own.
This is one entertaining, fast-paced, and emotional read. My feelings were jumping all over the place. I was really captivated by the characters’ voices in this one. This isn’t a pretty story, but it is one that will take you for a ride.
This was a very character-based story and the development of the two main characters was wonderful. There was so much emotion between Remmy and Jules. Their past as childhood friends that loved each other but never got a chance to have a real relationship played well into their character identities. They are both dealing with the loss of the other in different ways. Remmy goes the way of chaos and uses sex and booze to mask his wounds left by her loss in his life. He blames her for leaving and it festers into a rage. Through the story, Remmy grows to realize that hurting Jules is only hurting himself because he loves her. He has some great growth. The Remmy from the start of the story and the Remmy from the end of the story were such different people. I felt that Jules had less growth then Remmy, but I enjoyed her journey as well.
I enjoyed the romance. You could feel the emotions lingering in the air like humidity with these two. Their rich backstory of being childhood friends was evident in the chemistry that they had. It was actually one of the reasons why the sexual assault scene at the beginning of the story felt a little gray to me.
The plot felt a little loose to me. Far be it from me to put a label on someone else’s feelings, but the reason behind Remmy’s hatred for Jules at the beginning of the book seemed way too trivial. She moved away as a teenager and since she was a teenager she obviously had no say in the matter. That was the entire reason why the plot unfolded the way that it did but the whole idea seemed superfluous. I felt like I needed a more substantial reason for all of his anger.
I have to mention my mixed feelings regarding Remmy’s bully behavior at the beginning of the book. At first, it was a little hard for me to believe that he actually cared about Jules because he sexually assaulted her. Considering his behavior later in the book, this behavior seemed out of character, even with his anger towards her in the beginning. It is true that people can change and that heightened emotions can make people do things that the wouldn’t ordinarily do, but this didn’t really sit well with me. Once I kept reading it bothered me less because of Remmy’s character progression, but I still think that he could have expressed his anger toward Jules and asserted his dominance over her another way.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this. There were a few things that bothered me, but I honestly could not stop reading. I was invested in the characters and I desperately wanted to know how the story would end. I expect to read the next book in this series when it releases. I have to add that this book does contain triggering themes so it isn’t a book that will work for everyone.
Well i wasn’t expecting that.
You know when you go into a book and you think you have it all figured out? That was me with this book. I thought I’d know what would go on and how i would feel but it was completely different.
Remington and Jules had chemistry and history is spades.
Jules i liked her, she wasn’t as weak as i thought she’d be. She gave Remington a run for his money and she stood her ground.
Don’t even get me started on Remington. He has that aura of broodiness and trouble seems to follow him but when he see’s Jules again after all them years brings back a rush of feelings but also alot of anger.
I honestly really loved this book. I’ve always loved these types of books and this one was just what i needed.
I didn’t get that bully feel but I finished the book and it held my interest.
Well, I just devoured this whole book in one day. If you enjoy reading new adult/young adult stories, this one is for you. Now, this story isn’t your typical romance story, there is violence, bullying, close-calls, and iffy encounters.
The Bet is a college based bully romance featuring Remington and Jules. Once upon a time they were best friends but after a great heartbreak, they are now enemies.
I enjoyed this second chance, once friends-now enemies/to lovers bully romance.. (wow, that was a mouthful).
Emotional and Intense Read!
This was a very intense and emotional roller coaster ride of a story. It made me laugh, hate and love each character. Many times I wanted to reach into the book and kick someone’s butt! Even though there were a lot of dark moments in this story, there was also a lot of beautiful moments too. The love that the main characters have for each other is sizzling and emotionally intense.
Very well written. These two authors make an amazing duo. Their stories are fantastic.
4.5 Stars
I really enjoyed this read. I liked the storyline, the characters and the hot sex scenes. I enjoyed how it was written too. I couldn’t put the book down. I can’t wait to read more from this series.
(There were a lot of errors/typos that were hopefully corrected as the copy I read was an ARC.)
As always I will be honest and say this one took me a bit to get into. I have read every book these two have written but this one is totally different than any of the others but in an enjoyable way.
This book brought a lot of feelings forward for both of these characters. Remington is a child stuck in a man’s body when it comes to Jules. He has always had feelings for Jules but was never really good at expressing them. So when Jules has to move away needless to say Remington takes it very badly.
Three years later Remington and Jules find themselves at the same college. Jules has no idea that Remington has bad feeling towards her. She is happy to see her old friend. But she has no idea how far her old friend will go to make her life hell.
Although Remington does come back as redeeming, I did want to slap the crap out of him sometimes. And Jules is just so sweet she just didn’t deserve what happens to her in this book. But then again life isn’t fair.