Reviews

Going All In by KATE CAMPFIELD

darkromance_with_callie's review

adventurous emotional hopeful lighthearted tense medium-paced

4.0

This is such a fun holiday read! Kept me hooked from the start and was a quick easy read.

• Dual POV
• Holiday Romance
• Enemies to Lovers
• Past Trauma
• Rom-Com
• Adult Step-Siblings
• Spice (3/5 🌶️)

Holly is a social-worker with trauma from her past, as much as she wants love she can't afford to be hurt again, so she makes a bet with the one she wants but has convinced herself she can't have.

Maddox is a professional poker player and calculates all his bets, until life throws a curve ball and he goes all in on the only girl he's had an interest in since his divorce.

I loved the banter and the growth in both characters. The ending was beautiful I will absolutely be reading the whole series:

readingbrew's review

funny lighthearted fast-paced

4.0

I adored Maddox’s character. He was thoughtful, caring, supportive, and most of all…consistent. His job as a professional poker player - such a fun part of the story! 

Holly was a little harder to take to. There was a repetitive reference to her ex. Totally get trauma/grief, but to me, it was super repetitive enough to get an eye-roll once you came across the parts that you knew would link back to “the incident.” I loved her character’s dedication to her job, though. 

Towards the end, there is a part of the story that threw me off guard because it seemed really out of character for Maddox to have kept the information from Holly. 

It’s an easy quick holiday-ish read, and the secondary characters were so fun!! 


Notes: Book 1 of Betting on Love series 

Tropes: holiday-ish, stepbrother romance (but not taboo!), he falls first, golden retriever MMC

Triggers: talk of parent loss, talk of foster care, cheating 

mv_reads's review

3.0

Diving into "Going All In" offered a quick and cute escape, although the plot unfolded in a somewhat predictable manner. The potential ick factor with the step-sibling dynamic was swiftly addressed, alleviating any concerns on that front. 

While the storyline had its moments, I found it challenging to forge a connection with the main characters, leaving me less invested in their journey. Holly's supposed closeness with her father posed a puzzling inconsistency, making it hard to believe she was in the dark about his serious relationship and upcoming marriage. 

The ending felt like a speedy wrap-up, a tad rushed and quite predictable. However, it did serve its purpose in setting the stage for the second book in the series. The plot threads neatly tied up, providing a clear segue for what's to come. 

"Going All In" may not have completely won me over, but its quick pace and hint of predictability make it a decent choice for a light read. If you're in the mood for a setup to a second book, this might be up your alley.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent

spicychaos's review

emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

4.25

Cute, fun and loveable! Holly and Maddox are characters that, from the very beginning, you just want to be together. Holly is stuck on the fact that their parents are getting married though and the way everything plays put is fantastic! A perfect rom-com, mild spice and holiday fun. 

I received an advanced reader copy and am leaving a review voluntarily 🖤

laulauc's review

5.0

Going All In covers a range of topics that are written by Kate Campfield really well. I love the story of Maddox and Holly, it gives you a bit of everything and especially how sometimes you just know you have found your person even if the other one needs a little more time to catch up. There was so many of the supporting characters that you loved too, they brought you along in the story. Everyone needs a man like Maddox and a best friend like JJ!! 

I was soo excited to see that there is another book coming, I can not wait to get the next one and carry on with what is sure to be another amazing book!!

dmfisher's review

emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

4.0

hopemays_library's review

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

5.0

 

🎄 Holiday

💕 Opposites Attract

🩵 He Falls First

This book was so good. This book has everything from sweet to spicy. The chemistry between Maddox and Holly is so palpable. The moment Holly realized that her father said Maddox was going to be her step brother I was fully invested. I loved how Maddox was so sweet, caring, and attentive.  He listened to Holly and really fell for her hard. My heart ached for Holly, but I also admire her so much. Her passion to help the children is so inspiring. 

I loved that this book broached sensitive topics that are also hard realities for many people around the holidays. Every topic was written so well and with care. That is one of the many reasons why Kate Campfield is one of my new favorite authors. 

 

kenna25's review

4.0

Holly and Maddox fall in love in an unconventional way. They had met before and planned a date for a later time. Holly was meeting her dad for dinner and had some surprise guests and one of them was Maddox who will become her step brother. Maddox did not want to give up on Holly. While Holly was looking for a date for her dad’s wedding since wanted anyone but Maddox! 

Holly’s mother died and Maddox’s father died so they were able to connect with loss. Their parents had been talking for two years but no one knew about it. So when they announced they were getting married and on Christmas Eve it hit Holly hard. Christmas was a special memory for Holly and her mother. Holly has also had bad relationships before so her walls were up even more. 

Holly did not want to pursue a relationship with Maddox. While Maddox had over plans, he got her fathers permission to go after her, which was really sweet. Holly was running out of time and dates for the wedding. During the reception and celebration there were some things that came up and Maddox knew where Holly was and knew how to support her. Holly realized that the bet did not matter anymore because she was all in with Maddox. It took her some time to realize she was in love with Maddox but he did not push her, he let her go at her own pace. 

Holly and Maddox worked really well together. Maddox was so thoughtful. Holly was so caring and she took her job (social worker) very seriously. The other characters in the story were great too. I am excited to read more of this series! 

nerdygirl0898's review

funny medium-paced

4.5

While I got this as an ARC read I have already added it to my list for my personal library!
Holly and Maddox are a comical pairing and I love them so much.
Watching holly get through her past trauma and start to open up and go for what makes her happy was fantastic.
Kate Campfield is a fantastic author whose story and characters keep you in thralled.
I also don’t think I’ll ever be able to see the word Parakeet without giggling lol

book_obsessed_secretary's review

emotional funny hopeful inspiring medium-paced

5.0

Rating: 5/5
Spice 2/4
Comedy: 3.5/5

This book is a super sweet holiday story but could also be read outside of Christmas time too. The readers gets dual point of view, romance, comedy and so many happy endings. I had a hard time putting it down once I started it and the end was just soooo good. Soooooo good. I am already anticipating the next book! I loved the characters and watching them struggle and grow but the story was my favorite. 

Kate Campfield is a new to me writer and I absolutely loved the book but also how well written it was. This girl even applied to be on her review team! I didn’t feel like any of it dragged, the book flowed, didn’t feel forced…it was just really good (did I mention that)! I also felt like this book was about so much more than romance as Kate navigated some mental health, grief, foster care, divorce and she didn’t make any of it look easy but made sure there were solutions to real world problems. It made me feel swoon, and awww, and just hopeful ♥️

I 10/10 recommend reading this, you will not regret it.