Review: Bet in the Dark by Rachel Higginson

Title: Bet in the Dark
By: Rachel Higginson
My Copy: Ebook from Netgalley for Review
BookWhisperer Rating:

All Ellie Harris wanted was a life of her own.

In a shortsighted decision, she follows her high school boyfriend to college, only to get cheated on and then dumped. And to add insult to injury her overprotective family is suddenly clinging to her again, fighting to control every part of her life.

Bad luck follows her hasty decision and when her roommate steals her identity and leaves town, Ellie is left to clean up a gigantic mess.

Fin Hunter insists Ellie owes him seven thousand dollars from an online poker game and he is determined to get it from her. Determined to keep her family out of her life, Ellie agrees to work for Fin in his illegal online poker operation. He’s given her six weeks to pay off the debt.

Soon sparks are flying between them and the only thing keeping her from falling for him is the debt she still owes and the money she doesn’t have.

At the end either Ellie will have to pay the mistaken debt or bet in the dark that her feelings for Fin will be worth more than the money.

Ok, this is quite the diamond in the ruff. What I anticipated to be a book of mystery and intensity was actually a very sweet and magnificent love story. Fin Hunter is not dark and deadly, and Ellie is not your innocent by standard. Now I don't mean that she actually owes this money, but this girl has enough spice and sass to light a forest fire. I love both of these characters, and actually I loved all of the remaining cast as well. That is with the exception of her last boyfriend. Even though Ellie family is overprotective and nos, but  I can't help but love them for it. It is easy to feel the camaraderie and love pouring out of this family. While it is frustrating and overwhelming for her it is easy to see that she is diamond, and put on a pedestal as such should be. These brothers will walk through hell's fires before they let anything happen to her, but her pride is also reassuring. It is nice to see that she does not take advantage of this position. It would have been easy to fall on the promise of love and money to save her from this precarious situation, but she is a fighter and proves it. Overall, I just really love this story it was  a laugh out loud story, and it was impossible to turn away from the onslaught of emotion and romance pouring from these pages. Rachel Higginson has caught my eye, and I will be looking for more.