Hedging Your Bets: A Novel

by Jayne Denker

Overview

Opposites attract in this enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy of feuding neighbors and dueling hearts from Jayne Denker, the author of The Rom-Com Agenda.

When small-town neighbors go head-to-head, better start Hedging Your Bets.

Gillian has been happily divorced for several years and, after trying a few dating apps, prefers to stay that way. Navigating her way through dates with fat shamers and lackluster men has left her with no desire to do anything other than work in her garden in her spare time. Who needs rude comments and awkward first-date conversation when soft roses and vibrant tulips are so much better?

Noah West has just moved to Willow Cove. After a rough breakup that leaves him looking to get far away, he relocates to the same small town he spent summers in as a teen—and moves right next door to Gillian. A big believer in minimalist design and that the best kind of plants are non-flowering, he knows as soon as he meets his neighbor that they are going to clash on just about everything. Now if only he could keep his eyes off her too. That might be helpful.

When a gardening contest brings out the competition in Gillian and Noah, dueling plant arrangements and fiery banter ensues. But is it possible that beneath all their differences, they might just be perfect for each other?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250821508
Publisher:	St. Martin's Publishing Group
Publication date:	01/09/2024
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	388,509
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Jayne Denker is the author of romantic comedies, including The Rom-Com Agenda and the Welcome to Marsden series. When she's not hard at work on another novel (or, rather, when she should be hard at work on another novel), she can usually be found frittering away stupid amounts of time on social media.

Editorial Reviews

11/06/2023

Contentious neighbors find unexpected romance in this fun enemies-to-lovers contemporary from Denker (The Rom-Com Agenda). Gillian Pritchard has enjoyed “years of blessed solitude” since her divorce, loving her life in the comfortable and cozy town of Willow Cove, Ontario, where she cultivates a flourishing flower garden. Her few attempts at dating have gone poorly, however, bringing up insecurities about her weight and desirability exacerbated by her fat-shaming ex-husband. On the bright side, she feels this will be her year to place first in the annual community gardening competition—until Noah West moves in next door and starts pulling up the hedge separating their properties. Sexy Noah has returned to his family’s summer vacation town for a fresh start after a failed relationship. He and Gillian are immediately attracted to each other, but awkward encounters and misunderstandings leave them on the wrong foot. When Noah enters the gardening competition, Gillian fumes. As the competition heats up, however, these two realize they have more in common than either would like to think. The small-town drama is juicy and the couple’s chemistry is palpable throughout. These two are great together. Agent: Jordy Albert, Booker Albert Agency. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

"Contentious neighbors find unexpected romance in this fun enemies-to-lovers contemporary from Denker.. These two are great together." - Publishers Weekly

"Denker’s cast of lovable characters as well Noah’s adorable bumbling around curvy Gillian will delight fans of gardening and small-town romances." - Booklist

From the Publisher

10/01/2023

Noah West has fled to Willow Cove, NY, taking a risk to jump-start his life after everything he loved disappeared. His ill-considered choices, however, have made him vulnerable to an extortion scheme by a tax collector and head of the gardening club: make a garden that can defeat his annoying neighbor, Gillian Pritchard, in the annual gardening contest, or face financial ruin. Since Noah and Gillian didn't get off to the best of starts, it seems like his best, and only, solution. Gillian has perfected every bed, trimmed every tree, and artfully arranged every decoration and is also determined to take the top prize. She starts to second-guess her thoughts about her neighbor, though, after he rescues her from multiple bad dates. When Noah comes clean about the situation he's in, they both have to put their heads, hearts, and gardening gloves together to beat the gardening-club chair at her own game. VERDICT Denker returns to cozy Willow Cove (after The Rom-Com Agenda) with a fun take on small-town enemies-to-lovers romance.—Kellie Tilton

Library Journal

In this delightful romantic comedy, Katelyn Levering and Nick Mondelli team up to narrate the story of Gillian and Noah. Gillian, the town pharmacist, finds solace in gardening, much to the chagrin of her nosy elderly neighbors, who believe she should focus on dating. Noah is a recent transplant who moves across the country after a tough breakup and buys the home next to Gillian, sight unseen. When he begins renovating by removing the hedges, Gillian is furious. Levering skillfully conveys Gillian's outrage and confidence with perfectly timed intonation, while Mondelli portrays Noah's trepidation and animosity with subtle pacing and tonal variations. As their relationship develops, both narrators add nuances to their tones, enhancing the story. S.K.G. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine

APRIL 2024 - AudioFile