Bet Me

This is New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Crusie's novel about long shots, risk management, true love, and great shoes. . . .

Minerva Dobbs knows how to work the odds.
Calvin Morrisey always plays to win.

But when they face off, neither one is prepared.
Because when real life meets true love, all bets are off. . . .

Minerva Dobbs knows that happily-ever-after is a fairy tale, especially with a man who asked her to dinner to win a bet, even if he is gorgeous and successful Calvin Morrisey. Cal knows commitment is impossible, especially with a woman as cranky as Min Dobbs, even if she does wear great shoes and keep him on his toes. When they say good-bye at the end of their evening, they cut their losses and agree never to see each other again.

But fate has other plans, and it's not long before Min and Cal meet again. Soon they're dealing with a jealous ex-boyfriend, Krispy Kreme doughnuts, a determined psychologist, chaos theory, a freakishly intelligent cat, Chicken Marsala, and more risky propositions than either of them ever dreamed of. Including the biggest gamble of all---true love.

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I think that it is a crime to have the Spotlight Review rating this only 2 stars!! It is one of the BEST books that I have read all year. I guess that everyone is different, but I can't believe that we were reading the same book.

Jennifer Crusie's books ALL have great dialogue, but sometimes her previous books seemed just a little too "dysfunctional" in a witty kind of way. Even though "Bet Me" has its strange moments, it is a captivating book.

The dialogue completely submerged me into the characters. The entire time I was reading it, I thought, "My God - that is exactly what people would say." It wasn't canned or stilted- it was funny, but more believable than any dialogue I think that I have ever read.

I hope that Jennifer Crusie will write more books like this. What is truly a shame though is that the first reviewer's views are far from the majority opinion of this book. Sadly, that is what too many people will look at. This really is a book worth buying. I loved the characters and especially liked the addition of the last chapter.

Excellent, excellent book.

32 of 32 found the following review helpful:

Bet Me is a good bet!Aug 19, 2004
By L. Tite "www.silverberry.org"
I just read Jennifer Crusie's new book, Bet Me, in one sitting. I discovered her last year and have read almost every book she's written -- and have been delighted with each and every one. She writes romantic comedies ... really good, funny, heart-warming, witty, intelligient romantic comedies.

This one is about a normal girl ... I say normal because she isn't a size two with gorgeous blond hair that catches the light just so & has the perfect job and is the envy of all around her. That's the typical romantic comedy heroine. Not in this book. In Bet Me, we have Minerva Dobbs: a slightly overweight, under-confident, intelligient, hilarious, witty heroine. I laughed throughout this book ... Crusie has a writing style that I haven't seen before. All of her books are romantic comedys, they all have unlikely heroines, and they all have animals. Usually its dogs - but in this one it's a mangy looking cat. Her books have lovable characters -- REAL characters. People you can see yourself actually knowing .... People you can see YOURSELF in. This book struck a chord with me in many ways .... but I loved a scene towards the very end. Minerva is standing in front of a mirror after putting on a dress that our hero has chosen for her and he's trying to make her see what he sees ... a beautiful and sexy woman.

If you're looking for a light, warm-hearted read .... Bet Me is a good bet!

20 of 21 found the following review helpful:

Charming!Feb 12, 2004
By Lani Schwalbe
Jennifer Crusie goes for it and tells a love story the way it should be told - with total, reckless abandon. In this modern-age fairy tale, actuary Min Dobbs knows handsome Cal Morrissey is a bad risk. He's a habitual lover-and-leaver, and too charming to be up to any good. Cal Morrissey knows that love's a long shot and the best you can hope for is a good time in the mean time - and uptight Min doesn't even look like a good time in the first place. But when Fate steps in to put them together, everyone knows resistance is futile.

From delightful main characters to an engaging supporting cast, Crusie hits another one out of the park with "Bet Me." Crusie's signature tight storytelling and graceful humor are as present here as ever, but she's added a layer of mythology without apology which creates a thoroughly charming set of characters in a lovely world where fairy tales can come true. It's a good bet that you won't find a better warm fuzzy this year; "Bet Me" is worth every penny of the hardcover price.

11 of 12 found the following review helpful:

A Sure BetMar 28, 2005
By Tracy Vest
Minn lacks self esteem to go with her curvy body. Her favorite feature is her odd taste in footwear, and the belief that a girl can never have too many shoes. She just broke up with her boyfriend David (though never making the plunge and sleeping with him). The only thing that depresses her about her breakup with David is that she won't have a date to his sisters wedding.

While at a bar, her friends goad her into walking up to a cute guy - Cal Morrissey, a serial dater afraid of commitment who just broke up with his therapist girlfriend. As she makes her way to Cal, she inadvertently overhears David making a bet with him that he cannot bed the girl in the grey suit within a month. Being the gal in the grey suit, she's shocked at first, but decides two can play that game, and sets out to make Cal's life miserable for that month (and heck, he'll make a cute date for the wedding). What she doesn't realize is that he didn't take the bet, but rather just bet that he could leave with her (for $10). Though their dinner date is a bust, circumstances keep throwing the two together, and Cal and Minn slowly start to develop feelings for each other - but Minn is still hurt because of the bet. Cal is mystified that his regular charm doesn't work on her - she seems immune. The big question is whether the two can weather the storm and discover their true feelings.

With dialogue so witty and fresh that you can really imagine the conversations actually taking place, it'll have you craving chicken Marsala and Krispy Kremes. Despite their flaws, there is great chemistry between Minn and Cal. "Bet Me" was the first book I read by Jennifer Crusie. After this one, I was hooked on her writing style and sought out the rest of her books. Her writing is so fresh, her characters so quirky and believable, and her novels just cannot be beat.

12 of 14 found the following review helpful:

cheesy romance done rightFeb 16, 2004
By Cloudy Cherry
I couldn't put this book down - after I read it I had to go right back to some good parts. It's standing up excellently to re-reading: it was just as funny the third time as it was the first two.

Jenny herself described this as a "cheesy romance". There is no suspense element, and the plot is not only straightforward, but extensively foreshadowed. These are not flaws, because the writing is wonderful, the dialogue is hilarious, and the characters are interesting, as usual. I particularly liked how true everything was; there are at least six different theories of love and relationships among the various characters, all of which turn out to apply to the protagonists. In recent books by Ms. Crusie there is usually some element a bit over the top; in "Bet Me" it's the fairy tale themes. How many actuaries get to play Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, Cinderella, Snow White, a girl who cries wolf, and the Beast in the course of a single story?

Crusie writes contemporary romances in much the way Dorothy L. Sayers wrote mysteries, or Lois McMaster Bujold writes science fiction, or Georgette Heyer wrote Regencies. Which is to say excellently well, but with no two books quite alike. In particular, they don't tend to repeat themes. If you like the writers voice, and enjoy watching her grow and change, this is wonderful. It does lead to different readers having different favorite books. This week my own favorite Crusie is probably "Faking It", but tastes vary. Fortunately it doesn't matter much; they're all very good.

If you insist on suspense with your romance, try Jayne Ann Krentz or Nora Roberts instead. If you want a story more focused on a serial heartbreaker hero, try Catherine Asaro's SF novel "The Last Hawk". If you want a recent fairy tale romance as fantasy rather than as a contemporary, try "The Fairy Godmother" by Mercedes Lackey. If you love "Bet Me" and want more straight contemporary romance, try Susan Elizabeth Phillips. If you really need the same theme over and over, stick to authors like Stephanie Laurens instead.

Jenny went on to suggest "... the world needs more cheese". I'm from Wisconsin, where we heartily agree with that sentiment. Especially when it produces books as wonderful as "Bet Me".

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