Not Betting on Forever by Natasha Moore: Single mom Melanie Hayes moved back to her 
childhood home in Lakeside and opened her own salon. Her parents had been best friends with their neighbors the Campagna family until Shelby, Melanie’s sister, married and divorced Nick Campagna. Melanie thought she had gotten over her crush on Nick as an adult, but she finds herself spying on him from her favorite tree as she did as a teenager. Her competitive side has her betting on winning the Battle of the Businesses (BoB) and gaining the land between their homes.
Nick moved back to Lakeside to take over Campagna’s Gym but quickly realized the business has slowly been declining. He has his hands full with house repairs and staffing drama, but he knows competing in the BoB will promote the gym and help the staff bond with each other. He can’t help noticing that Melanie is no longer the little girl he knew, and he knows he shouldn’t act upon the attraction he has for her. Especially since every relationship he has been in has failed.
Not Betting on Forever is the second book in The Single Ladies of Lakeside series. I was excited to read this book since the main characters were older and it was set in a small town, but I was sadly disappointed. It had all the small town fell goods and the BoB contest added some fun competition between Nick and Melanie. But I felt like Nick and Melanie’s characters was very immature and shallow.
The story was focused more on the competition than on Nick and Melanie’s relationship. I would like to have seen more interactions between them because I never felt any emotional connection between them. I found the pacing to be too slow and the idea of the ex-brother-in-law was a little disturbing for me. Unfortunately, this book was not for me.
Book Info:
Publication: August 8, 2022 | Entangled Publishing, LLC (Amara) | The Single Ladies of Lakeside # 2
What’s the fun when you don’t bet to win?
Single mom Melanie Hayes should absolutely, completely, and totally not be attracted to her next door neighbor. Nick Campagna can be her friend, her secret crush, or just the arrogant —and unavoidably handsome—jerk next door, but nothing more. Because, even though it was a million years ago, he’s also her sister’s ex. And now, with Lakeside’s Battle of the Businesses in full swing, Nick’s also Melanie’s competition.
Their families have always been competitive, so it’s no surprise to anyone that Nick and Melanie are playing for more than just bragging rights. With a coveted piece of land on the line, Nick isn’t backing down. Maybe he can’t help noticing that the tomboy he knew as a kid has turned into a stunning redhead. Maybe he is attracted to Melanie. Ridiculously so. But as real as this feels, Nick knows this is one game he definitely can’t win.
They’ve known each other long enough that it’s definitely not love at first sight. But attraction can happen in an instant. And this is one wager where winning is nowhere near as fun as playing the game…
