The Bet by Orna LandauMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
A well-written contemporary romance that’s insightful, witty and relatable...
Author Orna Landau weaves a very engaging contemporary romance. With intriguing twists and turns, it will easily captivate the reader’s attention from the beginning. The author paints a mesmerising story addressing issues of a middle aged couple in a very vivid and convincing way. In addition, the characters are drawn with great credibility and conviction. It’s a novel that will keep you engaged from the first page to the last.
The book description gives an intriguing preview: ‘It's Sarah's 45th birthday, and her husband, Ben, jokingly says that she is stuck with him, because the chance of a woman her age finding a new man, is smaller than being attacked by a terrorist.
Sarah, who finds this statement both insulting and depressing, proposes a bet: they will separate for three months. During those three months, they will both be free to explore other sexual partners and prove to each other that they are still attractive to others. Together they set down the rules: they will tell no one, they will not date any of their mutual friends, and they most definitely will not fall in love. Thus begins “The Bet".
The happy couple begin their exploration of love and commitment, sure they will succeed. But very soon, they discover that rules are made to be broken and a Pandora box once opened, cannot be closed.’
Now, if that’s not enough to get your curiosity juices flowing, I don’t know what will. But if you want to find out what happens, you’ll just have to turn the pages for yourself! However, I will say it was well worth the read. It’s my first time reading this author and I must say I was very impressed.
This was a captivating read that had me engrossed from the beginning. The story flowed from scene to scene with ease, and the author shows exceptional ability when it comes to storytelling. There’s an ample supply of attention-grabbing and thought-provoking moments in this page turner that will take the reader on a compelling and fascinating journey.
It’s one of those books that come along occasionally that makes you want to read it non-stop until you get to the end. I’m giving nothing further away here. And this, I hope, will only add to the mystery and enjoyment for the reader.
If this book is anything to go by, I’ll certainly be looking forward to reading more from Orna Landau in the future. A well-written contemporary romance that’s insightful, witty and relatable. I would recommend this book to all fans of contemporary romance and would add that it has a has a distinctly cinematic feel to it. A well-deserved five stars from me.
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