The Bet is the first book I have read by Rachel Van Dyken, so I wasn't sure exactly what to expect. I thought that this one sounded interesting, and I knew that I really wanted to give this one a shot. For the most part I found this book to be enjoyable. I liked most of the characters, and thought that they were interesting and entertaining. I did have a few issues with this book, but not so many that it kept me from liking the story. 
 Kacey hasn't spoken to her childhood best friend in years. After they spent a night together, Jake walked out on her and has barely spoken to her. But when he calls her up asking for her to pretend to be his fiance, she agrees to his terms in order for him to help her with her student loans and also for the sake of his Grandma. Kacey has always felt a connection to his family, and his Grandma took care of her after her parents passed away. Kacey doesn't realize that in helping him out though that she will come face to face with her nemesis, his older brother Travis. Travis spent their childhood torturing her, and she has always hated him. But Travis was only trying to torture her in order to be her rescuer, even if it never ended up working out that way. As Kacey spends the weekend trying to pretend to be in love with Jake, she quickly realizes just how much both Jake and Travis have changed. Before long, she is spending more time with Travis and thinking of Jake less and less. Things quickly get confusing for her as she tries to figure out who she belongs with and if she possibly has a future with either of them. 
 I really didn't like Jake. I wanted to so badly, but every time that I thought that he was on the right track he would just say or do something completely awful and ruin it. I wasn't a fan of his from the start. To me, he just seemed extremely selfish and shallow. He was a complete womanizer, and didn't seem to care for Kacey at all. He would say that he was doing the things because he was looking out for her, but it always just seemed like he didn't truly have any feelings for her. He was also pretty awful to his brother and family. I just didn't get the appeal at all. Travis on the other hand I loved from the start. He was older, but yet more insecure and vulnerable. I felt so bad for him always being in the background and loving Kacey from afar. He wanted her to like him so badly, but he just went about it the absolute worst way possible. He was always thinking about her though and you could tell just how much he really cared about her. Kacey was one of those characters that I both liked and didn't like. She had her moments where I thought that she was great and then others where I just wanted to shake her. I felt like she acted a lot younger than her age several times, and that was frustrating. But I did think that she had great chemistry with Travis. They were hot together and there was a ton of tension and steam. 
 Overall, this was a good read. I thought that it was funny and entertaining. I laughed a lot at the witty banter and the interactions between Kacey and the Titus family. I absolutely loved Grandma and thought that she really made the story. I also really liked that we got multiple POVs and could really tell what the main characters were thinking. It really made the connection and HEA that much more real to me. I found it to be believable and in the end I was satisfied with how everything ended up. I will read more in this series, as I'm really looking forward to more of these great characters and seeing where Van Dyken takes them. I hope that Jake is able to redeem himself and turns out to be different than the way he was in this book. Also I can't wait to get more about Grandma! I would recommend giving this book a shot if you are looking for a bit of humor with your romance. This one kept me laughing and was a quick enjoyable read. 
 **ARC Provided By NetGalley**