Bet Me Review & Q-n-A

Bet Me
Jennifer Cruise
432 pgs.
St. Martins Paperback
BCC











Amazon Blurb -

Setting: small city in Ohio
Thirty-three-year-old Minerva Dobbs is annoyed when her current boyfriend dumps her three weeks before her sisters' wedding. But she's downright furious a few moments later when she overhears her now "ex" boyfriend bet hunky Calvin Morrisey that he can't take her home and bed her. In fact, she's so angry at them both that she lets Cal take her to dinner and decides to string him along until after her sisters' wedding. Minerva pegs Cal as a handsome "used car salesman of seducers." Cal thinks Minerva is a "cranky, starving, risk-averse statistician." But Minerva's hormones keep whispering "this one," although she knows the gorgeous Cal isn't the man for her practical, white-cotton-bra, several-pounds-over-thin, self. And Cal is blindsided by the lust he feels for the voluptuous, sensual woman he glimpses behind Min's actuary exterior. While Cal and Min struggle to deal with their mutual distrust and attraction, their friends and families try their best to interfere and direct the progression of the unlikely romantic connection.
Bet Me is unabashedly, irrepressibly romantic. In the wacky, wonderful world of Min and Cal, author Jennifer Crusie leaves no humorous situation unexplored--no potential comedic cauldron left unstirred--no hysterically funny complication left undeveloped. The reader is treated to a seemingly mismatched hero and heroine who fling caution to the winds to explore their unexpected attraction. The sexual tension is hot, the dialogue witty and wickedly sarcastic, and the supporting cast of secondary characters hilarious. Like Min's favorite Krispy Kreme donuts, this novel is rich and sinfully delicious. Indulge. Enjoy. 
******

Poor Minverva is in a club with her boyfriend David and her bff's, Liza and Bonnie, when David decides it would be best if they went their separate ways.  Not only is she angry at being dumped, but her sister Diana's wedding is in 4 weeks and he was her date, never mind that her weight obsessive nag of a mom Nanette loves him.  Her night doens't get much better when she overhears her ex bet drop-dead gorgeous Cal that he can't get her in the sack in a month.

What follows is a fun, funny story of how the two wind up connecting.  Min is not the knock out in the traditional sense of the word.  She is a full bodied woman who's mom is forever haunting her ceaselessly to loose weight.  She sure doesn't think she's what Cal would ever desire let alone dream of, especially after seeing his ex, love shrink Cynthie with a Victoria Secret model body.  Cynthie and David hook up to try and sabotage the two from being together, her friend Liza is a pitbull worried sick Cal will hurt Min, the only one with faith is Bonnie who believes in fairytales and is living out her own with Cal's friend Roger.

Both of them have dysfunctional families with Cal's taking the cake!  There were bits of sadness mixed in with the fun. This was my book club, Authors By The Alphabet, February choice and I really enjoyed this book, this is the first time I've read Cruise, and the only thing that got to be a bit much was the constant talk of food and weight.  That went over the top a bit for me.  I recommend this book.

3 1/2 cannolis

Book Club Q -n - A -

1.    What did you think of 'the bet'? Do you think Min should have just asked Cal about it or do you think she was right in waiting for him to reveal it himself?
Of course the bet was stupid!  And yes she should have just asked Cal about it.  Unfortunately that’s a mistake we tend to make is skirt or hint and not just come out and ask.
2.    What is your favorite scene in the book?
I think when he told her how beautiful she was and that she needed to accept that about herself instead of constantly seeing a fat girl.  Letting herself go and allowing herself to be sexy.  That was so intuitive of him and really sweet.
3. Who is your least favorite character and why?
It had to be Min’s mother Nannette, to be so dam frigid and obsessive to the point of not being happy.  Min nailed it when she said go home throw away your fashion mags and eat !4. Who is (are) your favorite secondary character(s) and why?
Both of their friends were just great!  I loved each of them what super characters, I bet everyone wishes for friends like that.  Each one had such different personalities, yet they were loving and cared for each other.
5. Do you believe in the fairy tale ending of finding true love and living happily ever after?
Yup, I sure do!

I had a fave quote, when Liza told Bonnie do you want bullet head or the dumb blonde?  I just hadda laugh!  What a description of Cal's friends, bullet head being Tony and the dumb blonde being Roger.