Easy Book Summary of Betting on You by Lynn Painter
Check out the summary for this cute romantic comedy, Betting on You, by Lynn Painter. Remind yourself of the main plot points before you read my full book review. If you like opposites attract, witty banter, or the fake dating trope, check out this book, but I highly recommend reading the whole book if you haven’t already.
Chapters 1-3 Three years ago
While Bailey is trying to get through the security line at the airport, she has to tell a couple her age to stop making out so she can pass. At her gate, the guy from the kissing couple, Charlie, tries to cut the line by standing next to her, but Bailey doesn’t let him. Then, on the plane, they end up sitting next to each other, and Charlie teases Bailey that she’s a ‘good girl’ who follows the rules so strictly.
They both discover they’re flying because of their parents’ divorce and happen to be flying from Alaska to Nebraska to be with the other parent as the school year starts. Charlie continues to annoy Bailey, especially when he admits he has no intention on continuing to date the girl he was kissing because long distance never works but hasn’t told her that. Bailey thinks Charlie’s cynicism is too much and tries to ignore him for the long flight because they’re polar opposites.
Chapters 4-5 One year ago
Bailey sees Charlie do a promposal for his girlfriend at her local movie theater while she’s with her boyfriend Zack. When she goes to get popcorn during the movie, Charlie is behind her and teases her a little bit again. Baileys annoyed to see him, but Charlie thinks it’s refreshing to talk to someone that is easy to read and doesn’t play mind games.
Chapters 6-8 Present Day
Seventeen-year-old Bailey and her best friend Nekesa got to training for a new job at Planet Funnn, a hotel waterpark/ indoor amusement park/ trampoline park, and Charlie is also there for training. After Charlie spots her, Bailey has a nice conversation with him, and notices how attractive and manly he looks now being more grown up. And even though Charlie gets annoyed that Baileys so uptight, he feels relaxed and comfortable around her.
Chapters 9-10
Nekesa runs into an old acquaintance, Theo, and leaves Bailey to have lunch with Charlie. They bond over how bad their parents’ divorces have been for their lives, and how much they don’t like their moms’ new boyfriends. Because they’re actually getting along, Charlie feels the need to clarify that he’s not hitting on Bailey, and Bailey assures him that she could never be interested in dating him.
When Charlie sees Nekesa and Theo nearby, Charlie says that Nekesa is definitely going to hook up with Theo even though she has a boyfriend, Aaron, but Bailey disagrees with his cynical view. Charlie firmly believes that members of the opposite sex can’t be just friends, especially teenage boys. He puts in his phone number to Bailey’s phone to make a bet about it later as Nekesa and Theo walk up.
When Charlie texts her later in the midst of family drama, Bailey vents to him about her mom’s new boyfriend, Scott, and finds Charlie very easy to talk to. When Bailey makes the bet Charlie wagers on week that the loser has to be at the beck and call of the winner.
Chapters 11-13
Bailey’s upset that Scott has slept over the first time and walks into their kitchen unannounced trying to exchange annoying pleasantries when she’s in her kind of revealing pajamas. She’s even more upset that her mom scolds her for not wearing pants when other people are here even though she didn’t know. At the same time, Charlie’s ex Becca calls him to tell him not to tell anyone else that she still texts him sometimes because they’re just friends.
At work that day, Nekesa, Theo and Charlie convince Bailey to try to annoy Scott into leaving after finding out he’s the dad of a popular girl at school that hates Bailey. Bailey doesn’t think she can do any of it because she hates confrontation so much, so Charlie agrees to come up with a plan over pizza. At the pizza place, Bailey convinces Charlie to come with her to her house so Charlie can be mean and irritating to Scott since it’s so easy for him.
Chapters 14-16
Bailey and Charlie come home to introduce Charlie who makes a few back handed comments to Scott, but Baileys mom seems to love him. Over the next few weeks, whenever Charlie would come home with Bailey, Scott wouldn’t come over. In return, Charlie asks Bailey to go to a party with him and pretend to be into him because his ex and her new boy will be there to which Bailey reluctantly agrees.
Chapters 17-20
At the party, everyone is happy to see Charlie out again, and Bailey gets along with all his friends. She’s surprised how many people love hanging out with Charlie because of his sarcasm and cynicism. They play trivia together and act closer than they really are when Charlie’s ex comes by.
One of Charlie’s best friends wants to ask Bailey out, and Charlie realizes he doesn’t like that idea. On the ride home, Bailey admits to Charlie that she’s not really over Zack.
Chapters 21-23
Bailey and Charlie are a little late getting home, so, while her mom says not to do it again, Scott is upset that there’s no punishment. He also seems upset that Charlie is even there, and they get into a fight about it. At work the next day, Bailey realizes that Charlie is flirting with her during his funny but endless commentary about the waterpark guests, and, more alarming, she seems to be flirting back.
When Bailey gets home later, her mom tells her that Scott got them a trip to Breckinridge, but after so back and forth, Bailey yells that she doesn’t want to go. When her mom comes to talk, Bailey admits to her she’s been struggling with Scott being such a big part of their lives. Her mom understands and says Nekesa can come with them.
Chapters 24-26
At the last minute, Nekesa gets grounded, and together with Theo, Charlie, and Bailey, the four scheme for Charlie to go unannounced to Colorado with Bailey and pretend to date her. Bailey is excited to go with Charlie as they do always have fun together, and Charlie always makes her laugh. They make up little games to play together, and, when they start talking about Zack, Charlie convinces Bailey to text him if she’s still hung up on him.
With help from Charlie, Bailey does text him to get him thinking about her.
Chapters 27-30
When they get to the condo in Colorado, her mother is furious but convinces Scott it’ll be fine. Charlie volunteers the two of them to make dinner, and Bailey is impressed with his cooking and him being nice to her. They text after going to their respective rooms, and Charlie admits that he teases her to get her to smile.
Bailey admits that she likes his voice and when he softens around the edges. In the middle of the night, a goose flies through Baileys bedroom window, and Scott has to scare it back out the window. Then, Bailey has to sleep on the couch while Charlie is on the floor.
Chapters 31-33
The next morning after Charlie makes breakfast, Charlie and Bailey let her mom and Scott see them kiss in the kitchen a handful of times. Charlie seems shocked that Bailey is such a good kisser, and Bailey is surprisingly blown away by kissing Charlie making her heart race. They both secretly want to do it again, so later when only Scott is watching, they do.
Bailey realizes she really enjoys kissing Charlie, and Charlie just wants to kiss her again. Bailey thinks all these growing feelings are because it’s something new that will wear off, and to her Charlie seems unaffected.
Chapters 34-35
That night while trying to go to sleep in the living room, Charlie and Bailey talk about how they rarely see or hear from their dads. Charlie comes onto the pullout couch to hold Bailey because he can tell she’s upset. They end up kissing which Bailey is sure is real until they hear Scott coming down the stairs for some water.
Chapters 36-37
On their last day, Charlie and Bailey go to the ski lodge to appease Bailey’s mother even though neither wants to ski. They read Bailey’s romance book out loud together over coffee, and then decide on a hike nearby. On the hike, Charlie rescues a little kitten from a tree and decides to take it home.
During the road trip, they decide that the bed kiss was no big deal because things just happen. Bailey realizes she has some kind of feelings for Charlie, but that they will change like most other relationships do. They decide to go on a double date, Bailey with Eli and Charlie with Bailey’s friend Dana.
Chapters 38-40
Before the double date, Charlie realizes that he’s very into Bailey, but still thinks all relationships are doomed so doesn’t want to do anything about it. The four of them go bowling, and it’s very obvious that Eli and Dana are very into each other instead of Bailey and Charlie. After the date, Dana finds an excuse to go with Eli, so Charlie says he’ll drive Bailey.
In the car, Charlie asks Bailey if she wants to go the high school dance together since the dates didn’t work out. Bailey agrees, then she gets another text from Zack.
Chapters 41-43
When Bailey tells Charlie about the text, he realizes he’s jealous that Bailey is happy about it and wants her to stop talking to Zack. A week later, Scott surprises Bailey’s mom with a proposal, and Bailey leaves right after crying. Bailey calls Charlie for a ride who cancels a party at his house to come get her.
Back at Charlies, he gets Bailey ice cream and builds a blanket fort to watch movies in. Late into the night, Bailey starts crying, so Charlie holds her to feel better. They start making out, but Charlie stops them because Bailey had such an emotional day.
Chapters 44-46
After Bailey falls asleep, Charlie is worrying that admitting his feelings will ruin what they have because he still thinks relationships never work out. The next morning, Bailey finds that Charlie is gone with a note to let herself out, and he doesn’t reply to her text. For the next few days he doesn’t reply to any texts or calls, and he moves his shift so he doesn’t have to work with Bailey.
Charlie realizes he’s being a huge jerk to Bailey, but he’s convinced he needs the space to figure out the best way not to ruin everything because of his romantic feelings. Bailey is heartbroken that Charlie doesn’t seem to care about her feelings, and upset that her mom and her are moving in with Scott.
Chapters 47-48
Nekesa calls to tell Bailey that Aaron broke up with her because Theo kissed her after work. Then, Nekesa and Bailey agree to go to a party for Eli and Dana, but when they get there, Charlie and Theo are there. Bailey tries to ignore Charlie when he tries to pretend that nothing happened, and Bailey finally walks out.
Charlie follows her out, and they argue about what happened. Then, Nekesa overhears them say something about their bet, and Nekesa is pissed that Bailey would make a bet like that about her. In retaliation, Theo tells Bailey that Charlie made a bet with him on the first day of training that he could get with Bailey. Bailey storms out as Charlie explains it was just a joke to get Theo off his back before any of them were friends.
Chapters 49-52
Scott tells Bailey about how bad his parent’s divorce was for him, and after talking more, Bailey decides to stop hating him. After weeks of Nekesa ignoring her and her ignoring Charlie, Bailey runs into Nekesa at work, and Nekesa forgives her. They decide to go to the school dance together, but, while there, Aaron apologizes and gets back together with Nekesa. As Baileys leaving the dance early, she runs into Charlie who’s trying to get in to talk to her.
Charlie explains to Bailey that the bet really meant nothing, and that he first fell for her when they first got pizza together after work. He admits that he wants a relationship with her whether it works out or not because he wants to be with her so bad. Bailey also finds out that he cancelled his party to pick her up when she needed him, and decides to forgive him and date him.
Read the Full Book Review
Now that you’re reminded of what happens in the book, check out my full book review with all my favorite thing about the book and more recommendations of YA romcoms if you liked this one. Or reread the entire book if you want to get the full effect of the slow burn, contemporary romance. And read about more of Lynn painter’s books that are just as good.
