The Bet by Max Monroe Blog Tour

When it comes to life’s fun and games, always know:
The rules.
What’s at stake.
When to quit.

Wise words from… well… my fortune cookie. But wise words, nonetheless.

I just wish the Fortune Cookie People had considered how hard the whole “knowing when to quit” would be to carry out when a woman like me is gambling with her feelings.

Heart-palpitating, vageen-tingling, butterflies-in-my-belly feelings for a noncommittal, hot-as-sin player by the name of Jude Winslow.

After a crazy night where we were both pretending to be someone else, I’ve found myself immersed in the fun of the fling.
The thrill.
The irresistible charm.
The pleasure of being with a man like him.

Problem is, I’m positive he’s the exact opposite of husband material, and that is a serious issue for someone who is fixated on finding her happily ever after.

I know the rules and I know the stakes, oh wise Fortune Cookie.

Now I’d just like to know how close to self-destruction I have to get before I find the will to quit Jude Winslow.

Goodness knows, when your heart is on the line, you can’t ante up your bet with an IOU.

Author Note: The Bet is a full-length standalone romantic comedy and the first standalone book in the Winslow Brothers Collection. This book is chock-full of hilarious rom-com moments, but also, it’s spicy. We’re talking alllllll the sexy.

 

 

Book 1
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
~  Also Available with KindleUnlimited  ~

 

 

Tell me… is it ever possible to recover from the shame of having orgasmed in public—discreetly, I think—all because of the stupid exotic dancer I hired for my sister?

Because, if not, I won’t bother sharing this with my therapist when we have our next session.

“Oh my God!” Belle yells from the stall, her feet teetering on my heels as she tries to squat and hover over the toilet. I swear, if she pees on my one and only pair of Jimmy Choos, I will hex her so hard. “Did you freaking see that guy? He bent you over backward and planted a baby in your womb through your dress, I swear to Jesus.”

“Uh, yeah. I saw,” I comment on the absurdly obvious. But truthfully, I didn’t just see anything. I felt his heat and his heart thrumming in his chest and smelled the undeniably intoxicating subtlety of his cologne. I felt the stretch in my muscles as he manipulated my body left and right and sideways and upside down, all while somehow managing to make the ridiculousness of a male stripper seem sexy.

The only time I could truly say I saw, I suppose, was during the out-of-body experience I had while he straddled my body in the sixty-nine position and straight up sent me into purgatory. There I was, just hovering by the ceiling of the room like Mary fucking Poppins and the kids when they go to have tea with the loopy guy, wondering if that was really my face under his superior crotch or if it was all just a mirage.

And then I had to go and fucking orgasm, like a teenage boy in the middle of a wet dream.

I shake my head to clear it again, thanking my lucky stars that, in this situation, I was at least afforded the luxury of being a woman. No boner. No jizz-filled underwear. Just a hard twist of arousal and a pair of damp panties.

“I swear he tossed you around like a rag doll!”

“Yes, Sophie,” I say, emphasizing my name instead of hers just in case any other drunken members of our group found their way in here and into another stall while I was busy with my emotional breakdown. “I’m well aware of everything Jude, the Magic Dancer was, thank you very much.”

She flushes the toilet and swings the stall door back toward herself, stumbling out into the open area and laughing hysterically at my revamp of Puff, the Magic Dragon, one of our favorite songs as kids before cynics ruined it.

I’m glad she’s having a good time, but holy hell. I’m still shaking. And once I’m certain none of the gals from our group are in the bathroom with us, I give her the cold, hard reality.

“You owe me so freaking much, it’s ridiculous.” Pretending to be the bride at my sister’s bachelorette party when I’m not even dating anyone would surely be something Dr. Winters would see as a “setback.”

“I know I owe you, I really do, but I would have died, okay? You know I would have died. And that would really complicate your use of my Costco membership, wouldn’t it?”

I snort. “Fine. But can we switch back now? Don’t you want to enjoy the rest of the evening as the bride-to-be?”

Belle shakes her head almost violently and stands at the sink to wash her hands. She waves them obnoxiously in front of the automatic sensor several times but still never manages to turn the faucet on. I lean forward and wave my hand in front of hers, bringing it to life.

For some reason, she always struggles with that.

“No way. I’ve had a great time the whole night tonight, but I didn’t realize how much better it is when no one is paying attention to me! Maid of honor is where it’s at, and I can’t go back now that I know how good it is here.”

“Are you serious?” I snap.

“Please,” she begs, pretending to pout. “I know it’s not ideal for you, but pretty, pretty please with a cherry on top, do this for me? I’ll bake you however many cookies and cupcakes and cakes you want for the next six months.”

My sister is the baked goods goddess, and she knows I can’t resist that kind of offer.

“Fine,” I grind out. “But if I were you, I’d invest in stock for flour and butter and sugar and shit because I’m going to run your ass like a factory worker.”

“Whatever you want. John’s really good with investments, so I’ll make him figure it out.”

I laugh at her drunken seriousness—it’s too hard not to—and finally pull her into a hug so I can whisper directly into her ear. “I love you, Bells. But I also fucking hate you.”

She nods. “It’s the Sage sister way.”

“Well, two out of three,” I correct, knowing that Katelynn is the least drama-associated sister of the three of us. At five years our senior, she was always more of a “Disciplinary Board” than a defendant when it came to Sage sister arguments.

“That’s true,” Belle agrees. “I’m seriously surprised at how drunk Kate’s gotten tonight. It’s a real mom’s-night-out kind of vibe.”

I roll my eyes. “Like you should talk. You’re drunker than she is.”

“Yeah, but it’s my bachelorette,” she asserts.

Immediately, I shake my head with a fake smile. “Uh-uh. Not anymore, it’s not. Thanks to you, the glory of tonight seems to be mine.”

 

 

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Mary – ☆☆☆☆☆
After reading Gotta Have Fate, I could not wait to read this one. Jude Winslow is one of the Winslow brothers and is up first in this series. He is a club promoter and playboy and doesn't believe in commitment. Sophie is an event-wedding planner and when she plans her twin sister's bachelorette party, she never thought she would be put in such a position. But she would do almost anything for her sister.

This story is filled with laughter, sexy fun, sizzles, sparks flying, and is absolutely perfect. Jude and Sophie are the perfect pair and made for each other, they are opposites that make it work. I was glued to my Kindle from the very first page and didn't want the story to end.

I haven't read these authors before these two books and I can't wait for more, especially Flynn, his book is next.


Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/F Romance

Sophie is a delight to read about. While I think she was rather naïve at times, I loved her idea of what love should be. As an event planner, she’s seen her share of weddings. She knows what she’s looking for, but when it’s pointed out to her that she may not be really looking to find true love, Sophie has to take a step back and truly think about how she’s gone about looking for Mr. Right.

Jude loves his family. They are his absolute priority. But when it comes to love, Jude knows that only leads to heartbreak. He’s seen it with his brother, Remy, his mom and knows that in order to protect himself from that type of hurt, casual is the way to go.

As the years go by, both Jude and Sophie find themselves looking for something but aren’t quite able to articulate what that might be.

Sophie’s encounter with Jude changes everything. She’s given the task to make different dating choices in her life and when she finds herself left on a date because of Jude’s rudeness, she takes a leap of faith in herself.

I loved watching Jude learn how love can change his life. Sophie knew all along that she wanted someone she could love, but didn’t quite know what that guy would look like. These two set out on a journey that changes what they think they know about love.

Watching the Winslow brothers figure their own story out is entertaining and I can’t wait to see the next brother’s story. I think you would be missing out if you didn’t read the novella that’s available as a precursor to this.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
I am a big Max Munroe fan, and love that familiar characters appear in semi-stand-alone stories. It is like meeting an old chum at a party and getting to see how life has treated them, and then watching the next romance unfold with their revised life view helping it along the way.

In this story we have a couple who meet under unusual circumstances, and both hold opposing life views. Sophie has sought out therapy to help her stop seeing every relationship as needing to lead to marriage, and thus is being disappointed repeatedly. Her therapist is keen that she just have fun. Jude is the ultimate good time guy who doesn't spend the night and rarely sees the same woman once they mention any type of commitment, preplanned activity, or desire to call it more than sex.

As they start to acknowledge the feelings they have for each other, they also have some really good, therapist-recommended, sexy fun. Both of them have good, happy sibling relationships, and they benefit from plenty of advice when they finally admit what has happened.

I didn't find this as hilarious as previous Max Monroe books, but I loved the vulnerability, the freeing of Sophie's pleasure, thanks to Jude's dedication to the cause, and the imperfectly perfect arrival at a happily ever after.


Angie – ☆☆☆☆
Jude and Sophie are the perfect opposites-attract couple. This story moved smoothly and held my attention. There were lots of laugh out loud moments. The chemistry was sizzling. Good start to a series.

 

 

About five years ago, a dynamic duo of romance authors teamed up under the pseudonym MAX MONROE, and, well, the rest is history...

Max Monroe is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than thirty contemporary romance titles. Favorite writing partners and longtime friends, Max and Monroe strive to live and write all the fun, sexy swoon so often missing from their Facebook newsfeed. Sarcastic by nature, their two writing souls feel like they’ve found their other half. This is their most favorite adventure thus far.

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of The Bet (Winslow Brothers #1) by Max Monroe to read and review for this tour.