Book Review

Review: No Small Bet by Samantha Christy

Reluctant single dad.
Arrogant villain.
Cold-hearted heir.
And the enemy of my brothers.
I should hate him… so why can’t I stop wanting him?

Hawk McQuaid is not the guy who stays.
He doesn’t do relationships.
Especially not with the virgin amputee who accidentally became his nanny during an elevator mishap.
But he’s wound himself around my heart.
And it’s the last place he should be.
He’ll hurt me. It’s not even a question of if. It’s when.

Because hearts like his don’t love… they destroy.


I had a lot of feelings about this book. Addy is fantastic so you’ll love her right away but Hawk? He’s not as loveable or even very likeable. Early on, I didn’t think he could ever redeem himself enough. He’s intolerable and there was no way this selfish prick was ever going to be good enough for sweet, funny, fierce Addison. Or so I thought, but I’m pleased to report that I was wrong. By the end I loved him just as much.

Hawk knocked up a fling and he couldn’t be more callous about it. He refuses to even entertain the possibility that the baby is his and even proof to that effect would not change his mind. The only things that matter to him are Hawk and money so there’s no room in his life for a baby. But fate forces his hand after his baby mama can’t take care of Baby Girl. And fate works through his grandpa, who happens to control the trust fund Hawk is supposed to receive in a few years. The entire McQuaid family is horrified to realize one of their own is perfectly okay with abandoning his own child, but grandpa takes action.

He makes a bet where Hawk will either double his trust fund or lose it all, but nobody can know. Not a soul. It has to be their secret. If Hawk tells anyone, he loses, not that he needs to advertise his shortcomings. The whole town already knows that he’s a heartless jerk so the last thing he needs to do is call more attention to it by sharing the stakes. But he’s undaunted and ready to make it work, even with all the conditions forcing him to be a dad.

Addy ends up as his nanny after they get stuck in an elevator together and though she’s not a fan of Hawk, it’s love at first sight with BG. She loves kids and needs a less physical job, so it’s the perfect opportunity. The amazing salary and the perks are just gravy for Addy so she has to take the job. She struggles to tolerate him at first but he’s falling for her already. Addy soon warms up to him and things quickly heat up, but he has secrets which will tear them apart.

The McQuaid-Calloway feud is well-known if you’ve read any of the Calloway Creek books, but now we’re getting the other side’s POV and it’s an eye opener. The sarcasm and snark between these two is perfect and they bring the heat. I’m looking forward to the rest of the series. I received an ARC from Grey’s Promotions in exchange for an honest review.

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