Bet on It: A Novel

Bet on It: A Novel by Jodie Slaughter is a tender gem of a romance about acceptance, friendship, and finding love in all the wrong places. The story centers on Aja, a young Washington D.C. transplant who moves to the small southern town of Greenbelt to get a better hold on her anxiety disorder and bring some semblance of peace and order to her life. It was working relatively well; she had her weekly bingo game with the elderly Ms. May…and not much else. That is until Ms. May breaks both her arms and her grandson Walker temporarily moves into town to take care of her. After he helps Aja through a late-night panic attack at the Piggly Wiggly, she knows her heart is in trouble, and it’s not from the anxiety. Walker has issues of his own and returning to the town that gave him his PTSD is the least of his worries when just being in Aja’s presence makes his heart rate skyrocket. Slaughter writes about sensitive issues with an easy grace that seamlessly blends into the story in a way that enriches the plot and increases the tension in all the right ways.