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Bet Me  By  cover art

Bet Me

By: Jennifer Crusie
Narrated by: Deanna Hurst
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Publisher's summary

Min Dobbs knows that happily-ever-after is a fairy tale, especially with a man who asked her to dinner to win a bet. Cal Morrisey knows commitment is impossible, especially with a woman as cranky as Min Dobbs. When they say good-bye at the end of their evening, they cut their losses and agree never to see each other again.

But Fate has other plans, and it's not long before Min and Cal are dealing with a jealous ex-boyfriend, Krispy Kremes, a determined psychologist, chaos theory, a mutant cat, Chicken Marsala, and more risky propositions than either of them ever dreamed of, including the biggest gamble of all: real love.

©2004 Jennifer Crusie (P)2004 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Hurst's voice contains an energy and exuberance that leaves little doubt that she's the perfect narrator for Crusie's heartfelt comedy of errors....[A] zesty, vibrantly told tale." ( Publishers Weekly)

What listeners say about Bet Me

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
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    1,454
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  • 3 Stars
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  • 2 Stars
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Performance
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  • 2 Stars
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    37
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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  • 4 Stars
    571
  • 3 Stars
    263
  • 2 Stars
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  • 1 Stars
    63

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

My favorite Crusie book. Wonderfully witty lines.

Guaranteed to make you feel good. I did not want to stop reading.

The book starts with a well done mis-communication - the bet. David bets Cal that he can’t get Min to bed in a month. Cal refuses but says he’s willing to bet ten dollars that he can walk out the door with her. Min overheard part of the bet but not all of it, and she thinks it’s a bet to have sex with her. She is angry, but she leaves with Cal because she wants to be rude to him. Their paths keep crossing, and each time she insults him. But at the same time they are kind of falling for each other, but they don’t want to. It’s a fun set up with clever dialogue.

One of the best things about Bet Me were the character definitions. The good guys had flaws and weaknesses.

Min is caring and smart and works as an actuary. She has a round shape and will never be thin. Her mother has bullied Min her entire life about dieting and losing weight. Min tries to diet to please her mother but it doesn’t work. Cal encourages her to eat forbidden foods: bread, butter, doughnuts. He enjoys watching her sensual love of food. And he likes her looks.

Cal was dyslexic which had limitations for him, yet he was smart about people and did well in business because of that. He too was bullied by his mother who was rich, thin, unaccepting of other people, and uncaring about other people.

Cynthie was a psychologist studying dating and mating habits. She was writing a book. She was so sure she was right about Cal and Min - spouting things like they are in this stage or that stage and here’s what’s going on. Yet she was sooooo wrong - almost stupidly wrong.

Bonnie was sweet, innocent, and naive appearing. Yet she was the most successful at finding and knowing a guy was right for her from the moment they met. She was smart in that way - so opposite from Cynthie who thought she knew it all, but was all wrong.

A great scene is when Min has dinner with Cal’s family. I read this book several years ago and that dinner scene stayed vivid in my mind ever since.

AUDIOBOOK NARRATOR:
Deanna Hurst did an excellent job.

DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Story length: 391 pages. Swearing language: strong, including religious swear words but not often used. Sexual language: none. Number of sex scenes: one. Setting: current day southern Ohio. Copyright: 2004. Genre: humorous contemporary romance, plus size heroine.

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20 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Not bad, but I have read better.

I enjoyed this audiobook, however the writing is definitely nothing compared to Nora Roberts or Susan Elizabeth Philips novels. When those novels are read aloud, the words seem to take on a life of their own. While the characters were great and storyline upbeat and fun, the writing (as it is read by the narrator) is distracting. The author uses the word "said" waaaaaaay too much to describe conversations between characters. It's used so much that at one point, that's all I really heard when the narrator was reading a conversation between characters. I like the storyline, characters and overall mission of the book...but it just isn't as fun to listen to. If you want a great romance author that is upbeat and fun and will get your heart racing and feeling giddy, then I suggest reading/listening to Susan Elizabeth Philips novels.

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18 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Another win!

I love this and all of J. Crusie's books - ALL of them. This is definitely a favorite. The really steamy stuff is saved for the end, but there are moments when the iPod will fog up a little throughout. The story is fun, relate-able and very well told. My only complaint is that no one in my life is as witty as ANY of her characters, so real life seems a little duller when I finish off one of her books. That PhD was worth every minute she worked to get it - her books all capture an amazing part of being a "modern" woman. This is a great addition to the J. Crusie collection.

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16 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Great story, very poor performance

The story is fantastic, I was caught up in the story despite the terrible narration. I mean the narrator didnt even try to perform. Cal and Min sound exactly the same. The story is great 5* but the narration is really a disappointment.

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15 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • E
  • 10-31-08

Great Story - narration wasn't that bad

I enjoyed the story very much. It's my favorite Jennifer Crusie - it's funny, and sexy and the growing relationship between the characters is enjoyable. I genuinely liked the main characters in this story - they were nice people - I wanted them to be happy. And I loved that Min was a normal sized woman and Cal appreciated that. Some of the minor characters were a bit over the top, but it's a romance - you expect that and it makes it fun to read.

I didn't think the voices were terribly distinct, but it didn't matter- the reader has a lively voice, she does female characters well, and unlike many readers who over do the male characters - she doesn't try to make us believe she's a guy. Also, Crusie has so many tags (he said, she said), that it honestly doesn't matter.

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14 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Taking a Gamble on Love

On the night that Min's boyfriend, David, dumps her (in a bar!), he also bets handsome and successful businessman, Cal Morrisey, that he can't get her to sleep with him in a month. Cal is loath to make the bet, and decides to counter David's bet with a less offensive one...that he could get her to have dinner with him that night. Unfortunately Min, who was about to approach him at the behest of her friends, overhears (and misunderstands) part of the conversation. As Min & Cal get to know each other, often trying to avoid their mounting attraction and feelings toward each other, that first night's events continue to haunt them. All of this is compounded by and ex-boyfriend an ex-girlfriend who can't seem to let go, and continually interfere in hopes of getting their exes back.

Jennifer Cruise has included a wonderful cast of characters whose witty conversations are matched by their deep friendship. There are also multiple sub-plots in the book which helps keep every minute fun & exciting. What's really interesting is that Cruise has managed to depict a great attraction between Cal & Min with almost no sex scenes. Deanna Hurst does a good job as narrator. I thought her child's voice was especially adorable.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Favorite Crusie book so far.

I've listened to 4 Crusie books. This was my first listen a few years ago. Listened to it again this week and it was just as cute the second time around. Pure chick lit and I mean that in a great way. Enjoyed Deanna Hurst's narration.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Great story but...

the main thing wrong with this audible book is the constant.."min said, "cal said, "?said. It is ridiculously used thousands of times and in most cases is not needed. it was distracting and made the recording less interesting.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Too much repetive writing.

The writer uses the prases, "Said Min." and "Said Cal" so often during long conversations that it became an annoying reptitive sound and I couldn't finish the book.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

she said - he said - she said

I actually had to stop listening to this book because the author seems to think the listener is not smart enough to figure out who is speaking, even if there are only 2 people in the room. Following nearly every statement is "he said" or "she said", I found myself saying this along with the reader and it started to drive me nuts! I finally had to move on to another book and just figured this credit was wasted.

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6 people found this helpful