Something you should know about me. I have read EVERYTHING that Ilsa Madden-Mills has written to date. She tends to write contemporary romance with a little dirty in it. Her writing superpower is creating characters and relationships that seem to exist in the “real world.” When I read her books, there is a part of me that believes I could be friends with the characters she creates. They are visceral in the way she creates them.
Now, after an Amazon struggle the past couple of days, her readers are finally able to get our hands on I Bet You, the next book in a series of football romance stories set in Magnolia, Mississippi at a fictional university, Waylon University. The first book, I Dare You, released earlier in the year. I Bet You tells the story of Ryker, the star quarterback of the Waylon U football team, and Penelope, a fellow student. Penelope and Ryker are seemingly two very different people. Ryker is the sexy, attractive BMOC, wildly popular among the students, while Penelope is a beautiful nerdy romance-loving writer. Even through Penelope is attracted to Ryker, given her past, Penelope has made the rule: no football players. However, a quick bet, a plan to help Penelope attract Connor, and a lot of time spent together, leads them to the impossible.
Characters: 💙💙💙💙💙
One of the strengths of Madden-Mills’s romances is her characters. As I mentioned at the beginning of the blog post, her characters could be real people, people that you and I would consider personal friends. In this book, Ryker and Penelope are everything. In I Dare You, Ryker is Maverick’s player roommate. There isn’t a woman that Ryker doesn’t like. However, even with that flaw, he is loyal. As Maverick makes some unwise decisions, Ryker continues to support him, even to his own detriment. In I Bet You, Ryker continues his loyalty, this time to Penelope. We realize early on that the two are seriously attracted to each other. This attraction to Penelope leads him to show his loyalty by helping her connect with Connor, the boy she believes is a better match. Ryker readily forgoes his attraction to her to maintain his loyalty to their burgeoning friendship.
As of late, authors such as Kandi Steiner with The Wrong Game and Meghan March with The Sin Trilogy have created the penultimate book boyfriends. They are sensitive, caring, willing to sacrifice their reputations for the heroines, sexy, and handsome. Whether you read Zach or Lincoln and now, Ryker, you cannot help but wish there were more men like them in the real world. Like Steiner’s Zach and March’s Lincoln, Ryker’s sensitivity to the Penelope makes him irresistible to the reader. This trend leads the reader feel strongly for the actions of the hero. You cannot help but root for Ryker because his clearly knows that Penelope is “it” for him: “I feel like I’m in a dream. And here’s the thing—I’ve had some kickass moments in my life, the time I won a state championship, the day I got my scholarship from Waylon, but nothing… nothing beats having her.”
Now, Penelope embodies the woman who knows herself, and she does not care about other’s thoughts about her. She tells us early on that she forgives easily. She loves her historical romance, Twilight, vampires, and statement tees. She doesn’t feel the need to meet some societal expectations. Instead, she is simply who she is, and it is perfect for Ryker. She brings out the best in him, and she knows him better than other woman could ever know him: “The Ryker of my heart would never participate in a bet that involved me. And I didn’t need Margo to tell me that. Or Charisma to explain about how sometimes we say things we don’t mean. I know him. I think maybe I’ve known him for a long time, or my soul has. Since the moment I researched and wrote the article about him, he carved out a place in my brain, and now he owns my heart.” I love these two together.
Story: 💙💙💙💙💙
I have to admit that I did see the conflict coming from afar. When the focus of the book is betting, it is obvious that a bet would cause problems for Ryker and Penelope. And that is the case with this story. What I love about the story, though, is the redemption of Ryker in the end and Penelope’s ability to finally move past her anger and disappointment with her father. This can only occur when she faces the difficulty with Ryker. Characters overcoming their pasts always makes for a strong romantic trope.
Even more, together, Ryker and Penelope are funny and charming and compelling to read. Focusing on their relationship would be enough for the story, but Madden-Mills also gives us more with Penelope’s “daddy” issues and Ryker’s sensitivity to perfectionism. These are common issues and readers can relate to them.
Sexiness Quotient: 💙💙💙💙
Madden-Mills always gives us enough sex in her books. We get enough to underscore the characters’ relationship. It adds another dimension to their love, but the sex does not overpower the relationship. The way in which they connect on a spiritual or emotional level is the most important, and sex simply adds a bit more to those levels. This is truly the case in I Bet You. Ryker and Penelope seriously want each other, and their bodies show this, but Madden-Mills does not give us all the raunchy details. She gives us enough physical to enhance the emotional and spiritual.
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5 Stars)
I will always read anything from Ilsa Madden-Mills. I find myself in her stories. They are real and relational and readable. I Bet You took a bit to get to Amazon, but it is definitely worth the wait. Ryker and Penelope will make you laugh, make you cry, and make you love a little bit deeper.
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Popular Highlights in this book
“I love you,” he says quietly. He closes his eyes then opens them. “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.”Highlighted by 872 Kindle readers- “I only use lines on jersey chasers. You’re the kind of girl I have to work for.”Highlighted by 729 Kindle readers
- “Every man who sees it down imagines his hands wrapped around those strands as he’s taking you from behind.”Highlighted by 638 Kindle readers
- “And Penelope is mine. She’s always been mine. That bet is won, paid in full.”Highlighted by 557 Kindle readers
- With a flourish, he drops his backpack, sweeps me into his arms, and kisses me in the middle of the bookstore.Highlighted by 468 Kindle readers
About the author
Isla Madden-Mills' I Bet You is OUTSTANDING!
There is nothing more exciting than seeing one of your favorite authors releasing a new book… unless it’s getting your hands on a copy of that book before it releases so you can read it early—or for bloggers like myself read and review it. That’s where I was this weekend when I saw I Bet You hit my kindle, literally jumping up and down, screaming joy!! And yes, I scared the kids and the dog with my actions, but my family knows not to come between me and a book by one of my go-to authors. Ilsa Madden-Mills is one of my favorites and I have been anticipating I Bet You since I finished I Dare You a few months ago. Needless to say, I dropped out of life for the time it took to consume I Bet You and it was more than worth the insane amounts of laundry and cleaning I had to do today to make up for lost time. Ilsa Madden-Mills is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today best-selling author. Her track record for releasing outstanding romances speaks for itself and calling her one of my favorite authors is not an exaggeration by any stretch of the imagination. Other than the fact that she pens stories which are unputdownable—they are consistently original, fun, and sexy—there is something about her heroes and heroines that just grab your attention. Heroes like Ryker, heroes who are that perfect balance of cocky, alpha and gentleman willing to go to great lengths for the woman he loves. And there is certainly no denying the appeal of a heroine who’s strong, intelligent and brave (read: Penelope). Am I intriguing you yet? I’ve found that each and every one of Ilsa Madden-Mills hero and heroines meets these characteristics and if you are anything like me, you will find them easy to get lost in much like the storylines of Ilsa’s books. I Bet You is Ryker Voss and Penelope Graham’s love story. Ryker is QB1 for his college football team whose lost his shot at The Heisman Trophy after an expose written by none other than Penelope. While the two have spent three years at the same school, they’ve never run into one another before but that all changes after Penelope’s coverage of a football fighting ring. Now they are seeing each other everywhere and with each interaction, their fascination for one another grows… and the sexual tension mounts! Be prepared for a slow-burn, sexy YA romance that will leave you wanting to return to college. Or at least, a college experience like Ilsa Madden-Mills paints! The sheer chemistry between Ryker and Penelope alone made the book worth wild, to say nothing of the sexy times which I certainly enjoyed! 😉 I Bet You was hot for sure, but I truly loved the wit and banter between the pair every bit as much… and Penelope’s journal entries as well! I Bet You is the second book in The Hook Up series by Ilsa Madden-Mills. Although part of a series, these sports romances can be read as standalones. Of course, as soon as you read one, you’re going to want to read the other, so do yourself a favor and just buy them both and dig in! You’ll be thanking me! Ilsa Madden-Mills latest, I Bet You, is another five-star romance that you can. not. miss!
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2018
- Reviewed in the United States on October 29, 2018
There is nothing more exciting than seeing one of your favorite authors releasing a new book… unless it’s getting your hands on a copy of that book before it releases so you can read it early—or for bloggers like myself read and review it. That’s where I was this weekend when I saw I Bet You hit my kindle, literally jumping up and down, screaming joy!! And yes, I scared the kids and the dog with my actions, but my family knows not to come between me and a book by one of my go-to authors. Ilsa Madden-Mills is one of my favorites and I have been anticipating I Bet You since I finished I Dare You a few months ago. Needless to say, I dropped out of life for the time it took to consume I Bet You and it was more than worth the insane amounts of laundry and cleaning I had to do today to make up for lost time.
Isla Madden-Mills' I Bet You is OUTSTANDING!
Reviewed in the United States on October 29, 2018
Ilsa Madden-Mills is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today best-selling author. Her track record for releasing outstanding romances speaks for itself and calling her one of my favorite authors is not an exaggeration by any stretch of the imagination. Other than the fact that she pens stories which are unputdownable—they are consistently original, fun, and sexy—there is something about her heroes and heroines that just grab your attention. Heroes like Ryker, heroes who are that perfect balance of cocky, alpha and gentleman willing to go to great lengths for the woman he loves. And there is certainly no denying the appeal of a heroine who’s strong, intelligent and brave (read: Penelope). Am I intriguing you yet? I’ve found that each and every one of Ilsa Madden-Mills hero and heroines meets these characteristics and if you are anything like me, you will find them easy to get lost in much like the storylines of Ilsa’s books.
I Bet You is Ryker Voss and Penelope Graham’s love story. Ryker is QB1 for his college football team whose lost his shot at The Heisman Trophy after an expose written by none other than Penelope. While the two have spent three years at the same school, they’ve never run into one another before but that all changes after Penelope’s coverage of a football fighting ring. Now they are seeing each other everywhere and with each interaction, their fascination for one another grows… and the sexual tension mounts! Be prepared for a slow-burn, sexy YA romance that will leave you wanting to return to college. Or at least, a college experience like Ilsa Madden-Mills paints! The sheer chemistry between Ryker and Penelope alone made the book worth wild, to say nothing of the sexy times which I certainly enjoyed! 😉 I Bet You was hot for sure, but I truly loved the wit and banter between the pair every bit as much… and Penelope’s journal entries as well! I Bet You is the second book in The Hook Up series by Ilsa Madden-Mills. Although part of a series, these sports romances can be read as standalones. Of course, as soon as you read one, you’re going to want to read the other, so do yourself a favor and just buy them both and dig in! You’ll be thanking me! Ilsa Madden-Mills latest, I Bet You, is another five-star romance that you can. not. miss!
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Top reviews from other countries
- timeoutReviewed in the United Kingdom on April 6, 2022
Uncomplicated and all the better for it.
