Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Synopsis:
“His best friend is his only vice.
For seven years, Jasmine Allen’s closest friend has been the strong, sexy and deliciously stern Rahul Khan. He’s gorgeous, noble, and 100% off-limits—because party animal Jasmine doesn’t dorelationships. She can’t. Not when everything she touches turns to dust.
Rahul’s a man of principle, which is how he’s survived being in love with Jas for so long. The rebellious beauty is his only sinful desire, and he crushes his urges with an iron fist—until disaster drives Jas into his spare bedroom for a month. The woman he wants above all others has never been so close…
When Rahul realises that Jasmine might just want him too, all bets are off. She may be reckless and reluctant to love, but she’s also his. And in this game of lust, Rahul’s playing to win.
Wanna Bet? is a steamy, standalone, BWAM romance. Warning: this book is 75,000 words of extreme pleasure, with NO cliffhangers, NO cheating, and a guaranteed HEA. Enjoy responsibly! Please be aware: this story contains themes of parental neglect and abandonment, parental death, and alcohol dependence that could trigger certain audiences.” -TheStoryGraph
Review:
I know I hype up the Browns sisters books by Talia Hibbert but this book deserves hype, too! Jasmine and Rahul have realistic backstories connecting to their present day habits and issues. Hibbert usually does a great job with building complex characters for her romances, but this book was deeper than the others I’ve read, this far. Jasmine’s father is there for her and their relationship is beautiful. I love how involved he is and feel relieved that he isn’t the reason for his daughter’s issues, thus, avoiding the classic stereotype of broken Black women with absent fathers. In fact, Hibbert doesn't seem to use any of the stereotypes that I’m familiar with.
The smut in this book (and the bonus epilogue) are *chef’s kiss* delicious! If you’re shy, you’re gonna wanna put on some headphone, my friend. Rahul and Jasmine’s chemistry is undeniable. The fact that they had this attraction from their first meeting makes their friends with benefits situation all the more satisfying. I‘m probably gonna buy a paperback just to reread this book in the future.