Blame It on the Bet

Whiskey Sisters Series

L.E. Rico

September 11, 2017

Entangled Publishing

---

Blurb:

Welcome to Mayhem, Minnesota, where the cats wear sweaters, the local priest dispenses dating advice, and you can find your fortune in the bottom of a pie pan.

 

When her family’s pub is threatened with foreclosure, Hennessy O’Halloran, along with her three sisters, is determined to raise enough money to keep it out of the hands of the L.A. real-estate developer trying to raze it and replace it with a—god forbid!—multiplex theater.

 

Bryan Truitt always gets what he wants. And what he wants is the sweet corner property on Mayhem’s Main Street where O’Halloran’s Pub sits. But his “quick business” turns into more than he bargains for when he meets the feisty Hennessy. Next thing he knows, he’s betting her he can outlast Mayhem’s punishing winter in time to make the pub his—or he’ll gift it to her for free.

 

Hennessy knows better than to flirt with the enemy. But suddenly Bryan’s not sure which he wants more…the property or the woman who owns it.

BUY LINKS: This book can be pre-ordered for just $0.99!

Amazon  /  B&N  /  Kobo  /  Entangled

---

SASCHA DARLINGTON’S REVIEW

I fell in love almost immediately with Blame It on the Bet, which doesn’t often happen and because of that, I kept expecting to fall out of love, which I didn’t. Even though Bryan’s dialogue sometimes felt a bit formal and I “heard” him with an English accent, I didn’t care.

Blame It on the Bet made me happy. I loved every moment of reading it. And, yes, this is the sound of me gushing because I never expected it.

The town of Mayhem, Minnesota is quirky and magical. You have rescued cats bearing the names of famous people and wearing sweaters. Janet Lahti who runs a pie shop and tells fortunes with slices of pie. A wily good-natured priest named Father Romance. And, of course, the sisters named after different types of liquors by the pub-owning parents.

Another aspect of Blame It on the Bet I loved was it obvious sense of goodwill. Now that might sound hokey to all of the cynics out there, but L.E. Rico has penned a novel that is just what you need when all of the real world is just too much to take. To imagine that there is this town where people look out for each other and care. What a lovely respite from the current mania of reality!

Now for the romance. Hennessey and Bryan are such atypical romance main characters. Neither plays games. They are honest and charming. While they appreciate each other’s looks, neither walks around constantly thinking “oh, he’s hot” or “she’s hot.” (So, so overused, grating and tiresome.) No, Bryan seems frequently and cutely stunned by how beautiful she is in her sweatshirt and jeans. And Hennessey does some ogling of her own. But it’s not just looks for them. They fall for personality and characteristics beyond skin deep and we watch as it happens because Rico has taken the time to let them have a mental relationship before introducing a physical relationship.

Blame It on the Bet also runs the gamut of emotions. Hennessey’s nephew, Jackson, is a scene-stealer and mashed potato thrower and fervent supporter of repeating words he shouldn’t. And then there are the lump in your throat, teary moments.

I am glad to have spent a few hours in Mayhem and look forward to spending some more. Oh, which reminds me, I should mention that Blame It on the Bet is the first in the series.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

---

rating: 

5 out of 5 butterflies

---

-EXCERPT-

Hennessy O’Halloran is looking progressively more fidgety as I close the distance between us.

“I–I…I mean, considering our…you know…our arrangement…” she stammers.

“Which arrangement?” I ask innocently.

“You know…our wager…”

“Oh, that arrangement. Yes, you’d think things might be awkward between us. But they’re really not, are they?” I muse. She doesn’t reply—nor does she make a move to thwart my approach. “Quite the opposite, actually. It’s the damnedest thing, Hennessy. I just can’t seem to stop thinking about…” I let the sentence hang between us until, finally, she clearly can’t take it anymore.

“About what? What can’t you stop thinking about?” she asks quietly.

We’re only a foot apart now, and she has to look up to see my face. That means I get to look down into her perfect, milky complexion. I’m so close that I could actually count the freckles dotting the bridge of her nose. I wonder if she has them anywhere else…

Before I can stop myself, I lower my head close to hers, and for a split second, I know we both think I’m going to kiss her. But at the final moment, my mouth veers to her left ear. I’m sure she can feel the warmth of my breath as I whisper the single word.

“You.”

Except it doesn’t sound like a word. It’s an exhalation—a sigh—and it floats from my mouth to her ear and heats the space between us for the brief moment before I turn and leave her looking after me as I walk back down the hall, self-satisfied smile on my face.

Oh, God.

I am in so much trouble here.

---

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

L.E. Rico didn’t set out to be an author. In fact she’s made a name for herself as a classical music radio host—doing her best to make the music and the composers relevant by putting them into a modern context. It was just a few years ago that she discovered a passion for writing that blossomed into an entire novel. And then another. And another. And, while she still spends plenty of time on the radio, telling the stories of the great composers, she spends even more time composing her own great stories.

Website   /  Facebook  /  Instagram  /  Twitter: @RadioRico

—

Giveaway!

$20 Amazon or B/N GC 

 a Rafflecopter giveaway