Bet the Farm
by Staci Hart
Released – 23 January 2021
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Blurb
Olivia Brent has one summer to save the dairy farm she just inherited.
But there’s one problem, and it’s not her lactose intolerance.
Jake Milovic.
The brooding farmhand has inherited exactly fifty percent of Brent Farm, and he’s so convinced the city girl can’t work the land, he bets she can’t save it in a summer.
Determined to prove him wrong, Olivia accepts what might be the dumbest wager of her life.
His strategy to win seems simple: follow her around, shirtlessly distracting her between bouts of relentless taunting. And it’s effective—if his dark eyes and rare smiles aren’t enough to sidetrack her, the sweaty, rolling topography of the manbeast’s body would do the trick.
What they don’t know: they’ll have to weather more than each other.
Mysterious circumstances throw the farm into disarray, and with the dairy farm in danger, Olivia and Jake have to work together. But when they do, there’s more to fear than either of them imagined.
Because now their hearts are on the line, and the farm won’t be the only casualty if they fail.
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Review
5 stars!
Bet the Farm is a small town, enemies-to-lovers romance that took me on an entertaining ride, and I was hooked from the first page! It has heat, humor, and heart, and I couldn’t help but love everything about Olivia and Jake when they are thrown together to run a farm.
Olivia is smart, funny, and endearing. I loved her sass and her drive. She is true to herself and goes after what she wants. I felt her regret and sadness when it comes to the past and it really made me love her more. She’s not perfect but she’s trying her best and I love that she believes in herself. Jake works so hard and my heart went out to him with all he lost. He didn’t want to let Frank down and I loved how hard he fought for the farm. He cares so much and puts his all into running it.
When Olivia shows up, Jake’s world is turned upside down. Having been given half the farm, he gets a say in how the farm is run but he isn’t expecting Olivia to want to stay. There is history between them and I knew it played a part in why these two didn’t get along when Olivia comes back to the farm. I also knew it was possible for that past to ruin any future that these two could have together.
Olivia and Jake start off on the wrong foot when she moves back to town. I loved the banter between them and think it really increased the sexual tension. There was no denying that there was a spark between these two from the moment they are thrown together and I couldn’t wait for it to ignite. And when it does, these two combust! I felt the passion and heat but I felt their growing love even more so.
I thought the character development was well done. I really loved them individually and I thought they complemented each other so well. I loved that Jake was out of his element when it came to Olivia. He was annoyed but can’t deny she was helping the farm. She just goes about it in a totally different way. I love that she took a fresh approach when it came to the farm.
There are definitely growing pains but in the end they are after the same thing. There are discussions and confrontations and there is forgiveness and acceptance. I loved how they learned to trust and really showed each other what the farm means to them.
I appreciate that though there is some drama, it isn’t over the top. I totally understand why Jake felt the way he did but I also understand Olivia completely. It just takes some eye opening moments to make them realize how they fit into each other’s lives and what to do when it comes to the farm.
“I don’t think it’s just me or you..I think it’s us. I don’t know where it came from. All I know is I don’t want to lose it.”
I really enjoyed how the book is written. The plot was well thought out and everything flowed nicely. The romance felt real and was rooting hard for Olivia and Jake. I also loved that there’s a little bit of suspense added in that didn’t take away from the love story.
*ARC generously provided by the author*
About the Author
Staci has been a lot of things up to this point in her life — a graphic designer, an entrepreneur, a seamstress, a clothing and handbag designer, a waitress. Can’t forget that. She’s also been a mom, with three little girls who are sure to grow up to break a number of hearts. She’s been a wife, though she’s certainly not the cleanest, or the best cook. She’s also super, duper fun at a party, especially if she’s been drinking whiskey. When she’s not writing, she’s reading, sleeping, gaming, or designing graphics.
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