Release Blitz, Review, Excerpt & Giveaway: The Bet (North Woods University #1) by J.L. Beck & C. Hallman

**Today we have the release day blitz for THE BET by J. Beck & C. Hallman! Check it out and be sure to grab your copy today!**

Title: THE BET

Author: J. Beck & C. Hallman

Genre: Contemporary Romance

“He was my best friend…” I say more to myself than her.
“Yeah, so was I but you seem to have forgotten that part of your life.”

The bet was simple.
You draw a name from the hat.
That’s the girl you have to seduce.
The girl you have to make fall head over heels in love with you.

It wasn’t hard for me to do, in fact, it was something I did all the time. I was known for breaking hearts. Sex was just that, sex. And it didn’t take me very long to get a woman on her back.

And then I drew her name: Jules Peterson.

My former best friend. My first kiss. My first love. She shattered my heart into a million pieces three years ago. She left me right when I needed her most.

And as fate who have it, she had entered my life once again, at almost the perfect time.

She was a transfer, fresh meat, and she had just put a target on her back. It was my turn to make her pay. It was my turn to break her heart.

Holding onto that hate, that anger, that f*cking heartbreak. It does something to you. It breaks you, and it broke me, it tainted me, just like I would do to Jules.

She used to be my everything, but now she was nothing but The Bet.

**The Bet is book one in the North Woods University series. It is a full length, standalone, novel. It contains adult themes, and content not suitable for all readers. It is NOT a young adult novel.**

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Disclaimer: This review DOES contain spoilers. I received an Advance Reader Copy at no cost from the publisher/author. All opinions expressed in my review are my own.

This is one entertaining, fast-paced, and emotional read. My feelings were jumping all over the place. I was really captivated by the characters' voices in this one. This isn't a pretty story, but it is one that will take you for a ride.

This was a very character-based story and the development of the two main characters was wonderful. There was so much emotion between Remmy and Jules. Their past as childhood friends that loved each other but never got a chance to have a real relationship played well into their character identities. They are both dealing with the loss of the other in different ways. Remmy goes the way of chaos and uses sex and booze to mask his wounds left by her loss in his life. He blames her for leaving and it festers into a rage. Through the story, Remmy grows to realize that hurting Jules is only hurting himself because he loves her. He has some great growth. The Remmy from the start of the story and the Remmy from the end of the story were such different people. I felt that Jules had less growth then Remmy, but I enjoyed her journey as well.

I enjoyed the romance. You could feel the emotions lingering in the air like humidity with these two. Their rich backstory of being childhood friends was evident in the chemistry that they had. It was actually one of the reasons why the sexual assault scene at the beginning of the story felt a little gray to me.

The plot felt a little loose to me. Far be it from me to put a label on someone else's feelings, but the reason behind Remmy's hatred for Jules at the beginning of the book seemed way too trivial. She moved away as a teenager and since she was a teenager she obviously had no say in the matter. That was the entire reason why the plot unfolded the way that it did but the whole idea seemed superfluous. I felt like I needed a more substantial reason for all of his anger.

I have to mention my mixed feelings regarding Remmy's bully behavior at the beginning of the book. At first, it was a little hard for me to believe that he actually cared about Jules because he sexually assaulted her. Considering his behavior later in the book, this behavior seemed out of character, even with his anger towards her in the beginning. It is true that people can change and that heightened emotions can make people do things that the wouldn't ordinarily do, but this didn't really sit well with me. Once I kept reading it bothered me less because of Remmy's character progression, but I still think that he could have expressed his anger toward Jules and asserted his dominance over her another way.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this. There were a few things that bothered me, but I honestly could not stop reading. I was invested in the characters and I desperately wanted to know how the story would end. I expect to read the next book in this series when it releases. I have to add that this book does contain triggering themes so it isn't a book that will work for everyone.

My heart is racing, and my breathing is shallow now that we're face to face. He’s still angry, nothing but hate and sadness reflecting in his eyes. It's then looking at him, seeing those emotions swirl that I realize I’m not mad at him. I don't hate him for doing this.

I couldn't, not even if I wanted to. Instead, I feel something entirely different…I feel remorse. I feel sorry that this is what he has turned into, sorry that there is no love in his life, that he's lost the light, the kindness he once had.

Feeling a need to bring back that man, I grasp onto his shirt, grabbing a handful of the fabric, pulling him even closer while lifting up my head from the mattress. I don’t think. I simply press my lips to his and kiss him. His lips are warm, and I inhale his scent, diving headfirst into the emotions he's pulling deep from inside me.

My mouth fuses to his, a hunger clawing at my belly. The sweet innocent kisses we shared before when we were kids is nothing compared to this kiss. This kiss holds a need, a possessiveness I want to grab onto.

Remington deepens the kiss and for a moment, I forget about how hurt we are, how angry we’ve been over losing each other. For a moment, we’re the same people we used to be using the strength of our kiss to say things neither of us ever could.

But the moment passes just as quickly as it started and within seconds, he's pulling away, his lips swollen, his chest heaving. I catch a flicker of confusion that mirrors my own in his eyes before he jumps off the bed, immediately turning his back to me. I can hear him fastening his pants back up. I’m shocked, my thoughts disheveled, but one thing sticks out in my mind. I don't want what we just shared to end already.

“What are you doing?” I ask, my voice weak. I don't want him to go, I don't want him to run away from me, not after I've caught a glimpse of the boy I once knew. I stare at his broad shoulders, his muscles rippling beneath his shirt, his body full of tension.

He wasn't expecting the kiss, or my reaction to him and maybe that's what he needs, to be shocked. I don't really know, but I can't let go of what happened. I'm waiting for an answer, but it never comes, and though I'm not surprised, I am hurt.

“Don’t go!” I order, but he’s already out the door, slamming it closed shut behind him, leaving me sitting on the bed naked from the waist down with nothing but the memory of his lips on mine. What did we just do? When I feel like my legs are steady enough to hold my weight, I slide off the bed and pick up my discarded clothes. Just as I’m pulling my panties up, the door flies open again.

Cally stands in the doorway her mouth gaping open, betrayal and hurt in her now cold gaze. “You knew I liked him! How could you do this to me? I thought you were my friend.”

“It's not like that, Cally.” And it’s not. She wouldn’t understand that though. No one would. No one knows of the past we share.

J.L. Beck & C. Hallman are two ladies with a love for coffee, books, and the bad boys who live inside them.

They’re a dynamic duo who love writing all genres of romance, from erotica, to suspense. To date they’ve written ten books together and don’t plan to stop any time soon.

When they aren’t writing you can find them making jokes, discussing their next book, arguing over cover photos, and of course drinking more coffee.

They’re humble, and truly blessed to have found such amazing readers.