Bet Me

Minerva Dobbs knows all about risk management, which is why it’s such a shock when David, her extremely logical choice for a boyfriend, dumps her three weeks before her perfect sister’s wedding: David was not supposed to be a wild card. So when Min overhears David make a bet with his old nemesis—the gorgeous and successful Calvin Morrisey—that Cal can’t get Min into bed in a month, she decides that fate has just handed her a stacked deck: she can make Cal sweat his sex appeal and get a date to the wedding, if she plays along and doesn’t fold. What follows is a novel of destiny, chaos theory, Krispy Kreme donuts, the spirit of Elvis, Chicken Marsala, and a gamble for the highest stake of all: true love. Bet Me is the winner of a 2005 RITA Award. Amazon.com Review 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. --Lois Faye Dyer From Publishers Weekly Minerva Dobbs is an overweight, over-cautious woman in her 30s, but when she hears her ex-boyfriend bet handsome Calvin Morrisey that he can't get Min into bed within a month, she decides to give both men a taste of their own medicine. Inevitably, Min hits a stumbling block when she finds herself falling hard for Cal, who lures her with rich food and mind-boggling kisses. Cal, in turn, can't resist the lush, sexy Min. Their road is not an easy one, and they have to consume massive quantities of Chicken Marsala and Krispy Kremes—some might argue too many of each—before they reach their happy ending. Hurst's voice contains an energy and exuberance that leaves little doubt that she's the perfect narrator for Crusie's (Faking It, etc.) heartfelt comedy of errors; she ably captures both the fragile and feisty sides of Min's personality. The Southern accent she adopts may confuse some listeners since the story is set in a generic Midwestern city, and the audio can bog down in dialogue-heavy scenes. But listeners will hardly notice as they savor this zesty, vibrantly told tale. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.