Bet on It by Jodie Slaughter
What first drew me into Bet on It (St. Martin’s Griffin) by Jodie Slaughter was the cute cover and the book description’s mention of Piggly Wiggly and the fictional town of Greenbelt, South Carolina. Rarely do you see a contemporary romantic comedy set in that state, and it was exciting to see since I grew up there, and I love this romance subgenre. Also as someone who grew up in a small town with a neighborhood Piggly Wiggly, I can attest that odds are you will run into someone you know there, and whatever you do or put in your cart will be gossipped about. Hence, I knew this would be a fun one. Little did I know that the novel would also be a much-appreciated lesson in navigating relationships with PTSD and social anxiety disorder.
LIVING AND LOVING WITH ANXIETY
Slaughter’s debut romantic comedy introduces Aja Owens, a new resident of Greenbelt from Washington DC, and Walker Abbott, who is returning to his hometown after 12 years away. They first meet in Piggly Wiggly in the frozen food section. It’s just before closing and Aja is having a panic attack in front of the case with the Hot Pockets — an item that’s on Walker’s list. The way Walker deals with the panic attack — by calmly waiting it out with her — shows that this is not new for him.
At first, I was unsure about Aja’s inner voice; she’s attracted to Walker but also finds him annoying. I quickly realized that this is an example of the internal war that goes on in the mind of someone with an anxiety disorder when meeting someone new. She overthinks what his actions may mean. She’s flustered because she’s unsure how to react without making a mistake that she will internalize forever. And she’s trying to let someone new into her life when her resting emotional state is to keep strangers out. It’s a huge jumble of emotions that one has to delicately dance around in order to function. As an introverted writer and someone with undiagnosed social anxiety, I could relate to this, but seeing from Aja’s close POV gave me the opportunity to gain a new level of understanding.
Walker’s PTSD started with being taken away from his drug-addicted parents to live with his grandmother. It was exacerbated by school bullying and the townspeople’s gossip, and his symptoms were barely controlled because his grandmother had inadequate knowledge and resources. And while Walker now seems to have a handle on his mental health, pivotal triggering incidents show readers that he will always be a work in progress.
POETRY IN PROSE
What I was most apprehensive — but also most eager — about with Bet on It is the dialogue. Very often in TV and other media the Carolina twang, as I call it, is confused with Texas talk, or Alabama or Mississippi drawl. Here, it’s done right but not overdone. Walker is the epitome of a country boy and a Southern gentleman, and it shows in his language.
What I wasn’t expecting was seeing the dramatic adjectives and the colorful similes and metaphors of Southern prose. It is a lot like poetry, but many use it in everyday vernacular. Walker’s especially good at it, especially when he’s extolling the virtues of Minnie’s peach cobbler, which he’s named the best dessert on the face of the earth. Readers will laugh out loud just from some of the characters’ turns of phrase.
STEAMY ROMANCE WITH A LOT OF LAUGHTER AND HEART
For fans of steamy contemporary romantic comedy, you will not be disappointed here. While Slaughter’s novel deals with some heavy topics — drug addiction, bullying, anxiety disorders — the romance is all fun and light. The dating and dinner scenes are cute, and the love scenes are very steamy with a lot of dialogue, consent and agency not just because it’s the 21st century but because Walker’s a Southern gentleman and that’s how he was raised.
What will have readers smiling the most are the “cutthroat” Bingo nights. If you’ve ever been to a community Bingo night with the senior citizen crowd, you’ll immediately recognize the vibe, but everyone will appreciate and laugh at the colorful characters and the supercharged atmosphere in those scenes.
Bet on It deftly balances daily mental health struggles with sexy, fun and flirty moments, giving readers an enjoyable romance with an authentic feel. I loved the healthy depictions of dealing with mental health issues, the compassion around Aja and Walker from supporting characters, and the reassurance that yes, you can find love while living with anxiety.
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About Jodie Slaughter:
Jodie Slaughter is a twenty-something romance author who spends most of her days hunched over a computer for her day job and her nights hunched over a different computer for her novels. While her back is definitely suffering, she wouldn’t have it any other way. She loves love, so she writes romance novels full of heart, passion and heat. When she isn’t putting steamy scenes or declarations of devotion on the page she can normally be found being generally hilarious on Twitter, dreaming about brisket, or consuming way too much television.
