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The Rules #4

Safe Bet

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Sydney Walker’s new job is perfect. As the live-in nanny to the most famous quarterback in the NFL and his beautiful wife, she couldn’t have it any better. Their kids are adorable. Her bosses are more than generous. Plus, there are hot football players at the house all the time. Life can’t get much better than this.

Until her life turns into an absolute nightmare. The media is abuzz with rumors that she and her boss Drew Callahan are having a torrid affair. Everyone knows the truth—except the public. So Drew’s wife Fable comes up with the perfect idea.

She creates a fake relationship between Sydney and one of the rookie players on Drew’s team. Wade Knox is forever indebted to Drew and Fable and readily agrees to the set up. Pretending to be in a romantic relationship with the hot nanny for a week—how hard can it be?

Crazy how it only takes one week for two people to fall head over heels in love…

This mash-up new adult romance features characters from both the One Week Girlfriend series and The Rules series.

205 pages, ebook

First published January 10, 2017

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About the author

Monica Murphy

96 books16.2k followers
New York Times, USA Today and international bestselling author. A believer in kissing. A believer of love.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 288 reviews
Profile Image for Karen Mc .
993 reviews773 followers
February 6, 2017
The best love story is when you fall in love with the most unexpected person at the most unexpected time.

Love found me in the sweet, sexy, and spellbinding sports romance, Safe Bet, by Monica Murphy. I lost myself in this Safe Bet, a romantic tale that hit my heart like a fast-thrown pass and made my soul swoon like a sappy smile. Safe Bet caught me like a football and claimed like a touchdown. The tender and touching tale grabbed me from the start, wrapping itself around my heart, where I did not want to surface for air until the very end.

Beautiful, blonde, blue-eyed, and curvy Sydney Walker can’t afford to compromise her first job ever, nanny for the family of San Francisco Forty-Niners famous quarterback, Drew Callihan. Even if his friend, Wade, is easy on the eyes and easy to talk to…easy to like…but hard not to lust after with that body of a sculpted god.

I fell in insta-love with Wade Knox, Wide Receiver for the San Francisco Forty-Niners, with his dark hair, dark eyes, tall and muscular body, dirty mouth, and charming personality. Oh was he the perfect catch. ALL ALPHA. PURE PERFECTION!

Sydney’s new life is perfect, she is finally making something of herself as she’s a good nanny to two adorable children, loves the family, and the hordes of football player hotness that parade through the house like a pageant of players. Then the media mistakes her for having an affair with her boss, Drew. Sydney and the Callihans need a quick distraction…a fake boyfriend. What better man to fake Sydney’s week-long date than the Callihan’s family friend, Wade, and hot player she’s been eye stalking for weeks?

“The man has such a perfect body he probably makes angels weep with joy.”

Wade is up for the challenge. Pretending to be the boyfriend of the Callihan’s hot nanny is cake; there is no pretending the attraction he has for the hot blonde. No problem at all.

“She has pretty blue eyes and a full mouth that’s made for kissing.”

One week to fake it until they make it or convince the media that what Sydney and Wade have is real.

"Can we really pull this off? Can we really convince the media—the world—that we’re madly in love and only have eyes for each other?"

The chemistry is electric so no faking that part. A week of pretend, and then back to normal.

"I silence her. With my lips. And holy hell, this girl tastes like absolute heaven, just like I knew she would."

There is nothing fake about Sydney and Wade’s chemistry that is electric like the buzz in the air during a sold-out football game. A slow burn sizzled through the story as the build-up brought on butterflies that fluttered with feels, my heart fluttering too. Wade and Sydney’s passion pounded from the pages straight to me. Oh did I FEEL THAT RUSH!

"His smile is big and aimed right at me…that smile rivals a thousand bright suns and makes me weak."

Oh. My. SWOON. The sweetness oozed off the pages straight to my heart.

“She’s imprinted herself all over me.”

This story, Safe Bet, imprinted itself all over me…stamping itself into my soul and hurling itself into my heart.

“I matter to him.”

Lines are blurred. Feelings are forming. What begins as a game starts to become and feel real.

"We’re in a fake relationship. This is all…bogus. So why doesn’t it feel bogus?"

Safe Bet is sugar and spice, and everything nice. I SWOONED HARD, my soul soared high, and my heart was hit like a football over this sweet and smoldering story. I LOVED this raw, romantic, and refreshingly real read! Monica Murphy dropped a tender and terrific touchdown of a romance with Safe Bet, a blissful book that I tackled hard like a football. It’s a safe bet that readers will fall in love with this romance.

★★★★ tender terrific touchdown stars

Profile Image for Nissa | Of Pens and Pages Book Blog.
337 reviews1,021 followers
January 24, 2017
3 stars!

Review at Of Pens and Pages.



This book has familiar characters from the One Week Girlfriend series and The Rules series but can be read as a standalone. In this dual POV story, Sydney Walker is the new nanny for Drew and Fable Callahan’s family. Life has been great until rumors started spreading about an alleged affair between the Drew and Sydney.

To avoid more scandals, Sydney and Drew’s teammate, Wade Know, are going to pretend to be in a relationship. And pretty much like Drew and Fable, they soon realize that the connection they have has gone beyond the pretense.

It was an okay read for me but it wasn’t a favorite since I found the story too short and too fast to show Sydney and Wade’s budding relationship. I feel like they didn’t have enough interaction to fully show the spark they obviously have.

I did love both Wade and Sydney as characters. Sydney made mistakes in the past but is finally taking an initiative to fix her life. She grew up as this privileged girl who was handed everything in a silver platter and so didn’t think of the possible precautions of her actions.

Wade is a hardworking, focused guy who wants to prove himself to his team. He wants to support his mother and has no choice but to clean up and avoid distractions. It’s one of the main reasons why he didn’t pursue Sydney, save the fact that she’s Drew’s nineteen year old nanny.

I also like the interactions between the two, albeit brief and infrequent until they started the fake relationship.

Overall, I still enjoyed this book, obviously since it’s a fake relationship story (my favorite trope!). It has little angst, a lot of guest appearances from beloved characters in the One Week Girlfriend and The Rules series, and a happily ever after.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review

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Profile Image for Sabrina.
3,628 reviews2,291 followers
February 9, 2017
NOW LIVE!
*Amazon*iBooks*B&N*


Safe Bet is the fourth installment of The Rules series and follows Sydney Walker and Wade Knox as they try to find their way through a fake relationship. Sydney is the new nanny for Drew Callahan and his wife Fable, but when rumors start to surface that she's having an affair with Drew they all need to come up with a plan to stop the false accusations. And what better way to stop cheating rumors than to show that Sydney is in a loving relationship with someone else.

I enjoyed this story but I can't say it was my favorite. I actually had to think on this for a long time once I finished reading because I just didn't know how I truly felt about it. While I liked these characters and the overall story, I felt like it ended way too soon and that the relationship between Sydney and Wade wasn't shown enough. So much of the beginning centered around Sydney starting her new job, then when she and Wade actually started their shame of a relationship the story seemed to move in double speed and before I knew it the book was over. I actually got confused when I got to "The End" because it didn't seem like a good place for the book to end to me.

Overall, I did enjoy reading about these characters and I liked both Sydney and Wade. I wish I had more time to get to know them and see them together, but it didn't completely ruin the story for me. I would still recommend this book for anyone that enjoys a story about a fake relationship turning to more.

ARC kindly provided in exchagne for an honest review.
Profile Image for Eliza.
661 reviews847 followers
January 10, 2017



3.5 STARS

Being that this involves my favourite couple of Monica’s, and my recent addiction to her Friends series, it was an easy decision to make in picking up Safe Bet. The introduction of a new couple mixed with an old favourite made for familiar yet fresh reading.

With Drew and the top of his game, and Fable the media’s sweetheart, the couple are under the spotlight more than ever. Being recently employed by the couple is a world away from what Sydney Walker is used too. After recent events, she’s lucky to have secured such a generous position, but with the highs come the shocking lows as she is soon about to discover.

Wade Knox is a rookie on the cusp of achieving his dreams. Life is good. He has great friends in Drew and Fable, and feels indebted to them in more ways than they realise. When they turn in him in their time of need, no matter how ridiculous he thinks the idea may be, saying no to them is never an option. He’s intrigued by their new nanny, and if spending time with her to kill the malicious rumours of an affair is what he needs to do, he’s more than game.

Though Sydney struggles with the unwanted attention, she’s surprised by how attentive and compassionate Wade is. The last thing she needs is to further complicate her life, but with Wade becoming the only thing that’s dependable, the lines between fake and reality quickly become blurred. What began as a huge favour becomes a hotbed of sexual tension and tentative emotions. As they open up to each other, the secrecy of their media relationship takes a backseat to the new that binds connection them.

Safe Bet was enjoyable reading and captured the essence of what I loved so much about One Week Girlfriend. I would have loved to experience more of them as a couple and I think that’s where my enjoyment slightly fell short. There’s room for development with this couple and I would love to see more, if Monica were to revisit them.




Profile Image for Claire.
2,316 reviews725 followers
January 10, 2017
4 - "Forget the expiration date." Stars!

Monica Murphy returns with the fourth book in The Rules series, this is Wade Knox’s story, this pleased me alot as I remember him well from the Drew & Fable days as Owen Maguire’s Best friend.



Most people would be insulted if you used the term nice about something, but that is exactly how I would sum up Safe Bet and I really don’t mean it as an insult. Monica gave me a sweet book, with an easy-going low drama, minimal angst story-line, some great characters, and the highlight for me was getting to spend a little more time with Drew and Fable. This is the couple that I discovered this authors writing through and the One Week Girlfriend series is one I remember with great fondness.

Wade Knox is a distraction I absolutely do not need.

There are a huge number of film franchises out there that are having a reboot at the moment, so why not have it happen in the book world as well. Safe Bet is essentially a reboot of One Week Girlfriend granted the story is different in that Wade and Sydney’s fake relationship is for publicity purposes, but the bones of what happens between them while they are faking it are pretty much the same, however it’s a lot lighter on the drama content to what Drew and Fable went through (no complaint on that front from me!).

This girl has come out of nowhere and rocked my world with a few choice words, a handful of touches and a kiss that’s making me re-evaluate every other kiss I’ve ever experienced…

It doesn’t take long for both of them to realize that they want more than week pretending to be together, and I loved that Fable really got involved with the match-making between them both.

"Don’t say our relationship is phony. Not right now. This, what we’re sharing right now, it’s real… You can’t deny it. I won’t deny it either."

Loved this book, it was a little different to the authors previous books in the fact it was a lot lighter in its themes, but it was just great to catch up with everyone from the other series, and get a little easy-going romance thrown in for good measure along the way.

ARC generously provided by the author via SocialButterfly PR, in exchange for the above honest review.
Profile Image for Dee Montoya.
942 reviews598 followers
January 7, 2017
3.5 STARS***

(ARC kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review)

Sweet and sassy story. Safe Bet reunites all of our favorite characters from previous books, creating a love fest that all of us fans of this series will highly enjoy.

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Wade Knox's life long dream of playing professional football for the 49ers has become a reality as he was recently drafted by this team. He is completely focus on working hard to cement his place on the team.

Sydney Walker is a rich girl who's recently been cut off by her parents, after getting caught in a big lie. Her brother in an effort to help her, has recommended her to Drew and Fable Callahan for the position of nanny that they currently holding. After a nerve-racking interview, Sydney landed the job. Wade is close to the Callahan's because his best friend is Fable's brother, and now Drew is his team mate so he is always hanging out at their house, and that is how he meets Sydney.

The media has made up a story that Sydney is a Naughty Nanny having an affair with her boss, Drew. To help a situation that is quickly spinning out of control, Fable came up with the idea of Wade and Sydney to start pretend dating, so the media will switch the focus on them, instead of the lies that are going around.

What starts as a fake relationship will become something much more deeper, but are Sydney and Wade ready to accept love in their lives?

Read this story and find out if fake can become real for a second time again in the lives of our beloved characters...

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Profile Image for Beverly.
1,005 reviews792 followers
January 9, 2017
To all the fans of the One Week Girlfriend who were dying for a Wade Knox story, it’s here! This books actually brings two worlds together because Sydney is from The Rules series.

Sydney and Wade meet when she is hired to be Drew and Fable’s nanny. Wade is now playing professional football with Drew and is still close to the family.

There is an immediate attraction between Sydney and Wade, but Sydney has some secrets and issues that keep her from moving forward with her interest in Wade. Wade isn’t looking for any distractions either since his career is currently on the line and he needs to be 100% focused. However, when the tabloids manipulate a relationship between Drew and Sydney’s they decide a distraction is needed. The perfect diversion, to create a fake relationship between Wade and Sydney.

If you read the One Week Girlfriend series you know this plot line sounds familiar, but it just worked between these two especially with it falling into the same series. I thought this was such a fun and cute story. I especially loved how we got to see more of Drew and Fable, it was so nice to jump back into one of my first fav couples. If you love this series I think you will love it! It is definitely more like the OWG series versus the Rules, but worth reading if you are looking for something cute!


ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.


Profile Image for Sarah.
1,751 reviews1,323 followers
January 13, 2017
***AVAILABLE NOW - FULL REVIEW***

4 SWEET CROWNS

Monica Murphy has crafted a sweet and romantic story that is sure to please lovers of The One Week Girlfriend series and The Rules series.

Wade and Sydney have such a fun and genuine romance. There is really no other way to define it. Thrown into a relationship together to benefit the people they care about, they cannot resist falling for each other, and even though it is fast, it comes across as authentic as they spend time getting to know one another. Part of the reason their relationship is enjoyable is because of the characters. Wade, who is from The One Week Girlfriend series, is compassionate and kind, fiercely protective of the people he loves. He is also willing to put himself on the line and confess his feelings without playing games. Sydney, who readers will have already met in The Rules series, has lost her way a little but, but she is 19, so that is to be expected. What I did love about her is that for a 19 year old, she has determination to survive on her own and to stand on her own two feet. Although shy at times, Syd does not hesitate to share her feelings with Wade when he opens up to her. These two completely complement each other, and watching them fall in love was a delightful.

The story mainly centers around The One Week Girlfriend crew. Sydney has gone to work for Drew and Fable, and the hero of the story, Wade is also from the series. There are cameos from The Rules series, but they are less involved in the story. Whether you have read these series or not, Monica Murphy provides the reader with enough information to understand this story on its own. That being said, Safe Bet takes readers on a journey of taking a chance on love, on taking advantage of doors that are open to you, and of working hard and valuing what you earn from it. Their fast paced romance will warm your heart, while adding a tiny bit of spice.

I love when authors bring two worlds together, because not only do I get to see characters I love, but I also get to meet new characters as well. With Safe Bet, Monica Murphy has created a fantastic mashup, and readers will eat up this sweet romance.
--------------
ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

For more reviews and other book news, check out Musings of the Modern Belle at www.modernbellebooks.com
Profile Image for Zita.
115 reviews46 followers
June 26, 2021
Okay, If I am being completely honest here I should admit I am still madly in love with Drew&Fable, also Owen and Chelsea, thus we can say I would read anything where they get involved. I really liked Wade from the beginning - even when he was only 13, then, even more, when he grew up so I was shocked when I realized HE GOT HIS OWN BOOK. Years ago, and never even crossed my mind to make a search.
All I can say, this book is a great read - but only if you are in a nostalgic mood, and don't mind if there is no real plot or drama. Only the characters you already love and miss constantly, and two likable people with wonderful chemistry.
At least yesterday I melt away not only from the temperature but from these two too.

Profile Image for Michelle.
2,102 reviews1,335 followers
February 7, 2017
ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review

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San Francisco 49ers, a sexy and sweet hero, a playful nanny and a fake relationship turned real!!!!! Ummm...do I need to say more? Yes, it is clearly safe to say that Safe Bet was a fun and sweet read!! Toss in the fact that it was written by Monica Murphy then you know I will be all over this book.

 photo b8520f4d3e0b9e79b39a0227f9d2bd_zpst9kuawu4.gif “I like her attitude, her personality , how easy she is to talk to, her sparkling blue eyes and her pretty smile. I like how feisty she can be, how honest she’s been, how worried she is that I might think less of her because of a couple stupid decisions she’s made. ”

Safe Bet is the fourth installment of The Rules Series that was a mashup of characters from the One Week Girlfriend Series and can be read as a standalone but if you are a Drew and Fable fan then you better get excited because they play a prominent role in this book.

#SafeBet

Sydney Walker is nineteen years old and is in desperate need of a job. So when she gets the offer to be a nanny to San Francisco’s 49ers quarterback, Drew Callahan, Sydney immediately takes the job. She will be the family’s live in nanny and also Fable’s assistant. Sydney just wants to take control of her life and get on the right path but when a photo was taken of Drew and Sydney, rumors begins to grow rampant that they are having an affair. Soon Sydney finds herself being referred to as the Naughty Nanny.

Wade Knox is a family friend of Fable Callahan and the newest member of the San Francisco 49ers and so when Fable asked Wade to pretend to be the girlfriend of Sydney in order to get the press off Drew and Sydney, he soon finds himself realizing that this fake relationship might turn out real. So will this rising football star discover that there is no pretending when it comes to his attraction to Sydney?

 photo b8520f4d3e0b9e79b39a0227f9d2bd_zpst9kuawu4.gif “Sex has never felt so right before. Or so perfect. This man is somehow becoming everything to me. And while that’s a pretty serious thought, for once, I’m not afraid.”

If you are a fan of sweet and light romance, Safe Bet is definitely a safe read for you. Monica Murphy did a great job incorporating a playful aspect with a hint of sexual appeal to entice sports romance fans like myself. Though the book was light on angst, it was big with lots of love and football. So if you are looking for a fun, fresh, and adorably sweet read then I suggest you better meet Wade Knox and place your bets on how long will it take for you to fall in love with him… here’s a hint, it doesn’t take long.

 photo MICHELLE1_zps3515xymk.jpg Monica Murphy

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Profile Image for Katharina | katharia.
138 reviews328 followers
August 4, 2018
Monica Murphy schafft es immer wieder! Kurz, aber einfach wundervoll. Was für tolle Charaktere - und Wade, love you 💓
Profile Image for Natalie  ~ The Biblioholic.
2,623 reviews1,361 followers
January 13, 2017
Woo hoo did I love getting to see Drew and Fable again!! Thank you for that so much, Monica Murphy. Until I read this, I didn't realize how much I had missed them. I really loved their story and it was great to get them in this one. While I know that this story was about Wade (whom I seriously adored in previous books as well) and Sydney, I was more truly absorbed by Drew and Fable's story. I'm so sorry and I know that that's unfair, but that's just how I feel. I was happy to get a sweet glimpse into the HEA of Drew and Fable and I wouldn't mind getting another!

Release Date: January 10, 2017
Genre: Contemporary Romance
POV: Dual - 1st person
Steam: 1 out of 5
Series or Standalone: Standalone
Profile Image for Book-Bosomed  blog.
516 reviews247 followers
February 7, 2017
4.75 Stars

Sydney Walker, 19, has managed to get herself disinherited. She needs a job and even with no nanny experience, jumps at the chance to be a live-in babysitter and personal assistant to a famous football player’s wife. And then things turn really crazy when a hectic night lands Sydney in the tabloids as a celebrity mistress.

Wade Knox, 22, is one of the newest members on his pro football team. He wants to make the right decisions and is taking his career seriously. Lucky for him, his best friend’s brother-in-law is the star of the team and has taken Wade under his wing. A former player when it comes to women, Wade’s never had a girlfriend before and he’s not looking for any woman right now. That doesn’t mean the new nanny hasn’t caught his eye, and once scandal breaks out, she has his full attention.

“This girl came out of nowhere and rocked my world with a few choice words, a handful of touches and a kiss that’s making me reevaluate every other kiss I’ve ever experienced.”

This was a fast read. Not sure if it’s a shorter novel or it just pulled me in so easily that the time flew by. I’ve never read any of the other books in these series and while many of the supporting characters in this one were the main characters in other books, Safe Bet can easily be read as a standalone.

Sydney and Wade were both great characters and they certainly had chemistry together. Neither had led perfect lives in the past, but they seemed to have learned from those experiences and we’re trying to do the right things now.

“It’s like we’re bonding over our mutual distaste for love and relationships. While we sit here pretending we’re in love and in a relationship.”

I liked that Sydney and Wade were attracted to each other and started to connect even before they got roped into a fake romance. It made the premise feel more like a catalyst for the relationship to develop rather than making it feel contrived.

“Her fingers slowly slide beneath the fabric, pausing before they go farther, and I hold my breath, waiting for that moment when she makes her discover.”

This is one of those stories of how two people meet, get to know each other, and fall in love. As a reader, you see it and feel it. There’s no unnecessary angst, no OW/OM drama; just a sweet and sexy tale where things like honesty and not keeping secrets are stressed. I simply adore romantic journeys like this because there’s enough drama alongside so many bad relationships in the real world. Maybe if we had more stories like this people would have better examples to follow.

“‘You want me?’
I nod.
‘Then you have me.’”

A final comment in response to the author’s note at the end: Did Drew and Fable take over the story? Maybe in some places their life being inserted in the tale felt a little heavy handed, but mostly I didn’t have a problem with it (even though I’ve never read their story) except with the bonus scene from Fable. That’s where ending the story with the final scene highlighting Drew and Fable seemed to overshadow Wade and Syd. It was a missed opportunity to cement their HEA instead of a HFN. Is it okay that Wade and Syd’s story isn’t angsty and heartbreaking? Absolutely! Swoonworthy love stories don’t need all that crap. You can tell a feel-good romance without dragging it down with drama. This one is a great example.

Safety Highlights:


*I volunteered to review this ARC. All reviews written by Book-Bosomed Book Blog are honest opinions. In the interest of providing unbiased book reviews and to avoid misleading other readers, it is the blog’s policy not to withhold or delay any reviews no matter the star rating. To the best of my knowledge, this title was presented to the blog without any conditions or stipulations.
Profile Image for ♡Julalicious Book Paradise♡.
1,028 reviews69 followers
February 8, 2017
Original review on Julalicious Book Paradise

Maybe I ought to have read the first three books of the Rules series and maybe I ought to have read the other series One Week Girlfriend before I read this one but I didn't feel like I missed much to follow this book.

I really liked Sydney Walker. Even if she described herself before as a spoiled girl who just got everything she ever wanted before her dad cut her off, it's hard to see that when you read this book. She is trying to prove herself throughout the book while taking on a job that she has no qualification for. Being a nanny might not have been what she dreamed of, but she made the best of it and. She is determined to make it everything right and prove to her parents she can actually do something right.

Wade Knox is a nice guy. End of the story. I loved him from the beginning. He doesn't go for drama, he doesn't act like a manwhore and he is just really dedicated to his football career. It was a nice change to read about a guy like him. He loves his mother more than anything and everything he does, he does for her even if they don't see each other often, you can tell how much she means to him.

I liked that their relationship wasn’t suddenly spontaneous. Yes, there were chemistry between them, but they didn’t dive in right away; I felt like they took their time; got to know each other. With the fake relationship created by Fable to try to take some heat off of the rumoured affair, the two of them spent a few days together and spent most of it just getting to know one another. If neither of them is looking for a relationship as they both deal with other priorities, neither can deny there is something between them.

Overall, this was a quick read that I enjoyed very much. I’m looking forward to read the beginning of both series and get to know more in depth the story of the other characters.

I was giving an advanced copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.
Profile Image for Heroesinbooks.
1,087 reviews316 followers
February 1, 2017
4 Sydney and Wade Stars


Awww! I loved this story and I thoroughly enjoyed catching up with Drew and Fable. This book is about Wade Knox (Fable' s brother, Owen's best friend) and Sydney, (Gabe from The Rules series' little sister). So basically, two really fabulous series come together to create an absolutely gorgeous book.

Sydney is the new Nanny for Drew and Fable's children and although things start well, one nasty paparazzi incident makes an innocent situation look anything but that. Fable solves the dilemma by putting Sydney and Wade together, thinking a fake relationship will make the unwelcome heat die down. (That plot line made me smile- if you've read the One Week Girlfriend series you'll get me! )

Sydney is likeable and watching her adjust to her new life was entertaining. Wade is a sweetie and really endearing. Plus he's incredibly hot!

Sweet, sexy, fun read. Low angst- but hey, sometimes you need a breather from the heavy and intense books out there.

Why not 5 stars? I wanted to see a bit more into the future with them once they were properly together. It ended in a lovely way but it felt a bit abrupt.

I hope there is more to come......
Profile Image for Elizarey.
346 reviews63 followers
February 6, 2017
Really nice read. Sydney was a sweetheart
who lost her way a bit. she needed some guidence and a push in the right direction.

Wade was so cute...I loved him. He had his own insscurities that he learned to handle! the srconadary charcters were great too.

Im definetly going to read One Week Girlfriend! I really want to know about Drew and Fable.
Profile Image for Rejane.
1,345 reviews63 followers
Shelved as 'do-not-finished'
February 1, 2017
I already have this book but I'm already thinking "should I?" 3.8 average is not good. I saw a couple of DNF. It says the couple from the 1st book Drew and Fable is going to play a big part. That's what compelled me to read it. But I already DNF a new release about a couple from a book I read a few years back and I don't want to be disappointed again. And I have a strong feeling I will.
Profile Image for NinaReader.
550 reviews83 followers
February 3, 2022
This story merged the world of One Week Girlfriend<\i> with this series.
Wade was always the friend that we heard about throughout the OWG series and he finally got his story. And Sydney is Gabe's sister (2nd book in this series) who we met a few books back.
When Sydney takes a job being Drew and Fable's nanny and meets Wade, this is when we get the merging of both the worlds.

Well Drew and Fable always takes center stage and I LOVED seeing into their lives. Their love still leaps off the pages. Thank you MM for all the little Drew and Fable stories.

But back to Sydney and Wade. Their story was cute and not angsty and this story seems to wrap up both series nicely.
Profile Image for Nadine Bookaholic.
3,633 reviews450 followers
February 10, 2017
If you have read the One Week Girlfriend Series and/or The Rules Series you will be in for a treat with this story. We finally Get WADE KNOX's story!!!!

Safe Bet (The Rules, #4) by Monica Murphy

Wade has been best friends with Owen for years, now that college is over and they both have been drafted things seem to be going great Wade, he has landed himself a position on the 49ers playing along with Drew Callahan, Owens brother-in-law, someone he has personally known for years. Drew and Fable (you'll remember them from the One Week Girlfriend Series) are happily married raising two children but Fable needs a little help so she hires Sydney to be a nanny to their two children as well as a pseudo assistant to help keep her organized.

You can read the rest of my review here: http://nadineisobsessedwithbooks.blog...

**I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book given to me by the author, this is a completely honest and non-incentivized review** I have also won a copy of this iBook
Profile Image for bookmarkbelles.
324 reviews57 followers
January 15, 2017
Im a huge fan of The Rules series and couldn't wait for this fourth instalment to come out. I've never read the One Week Girlfriend series so I was curious to see if I would enjoy this book as much as the others since it is a crossover.
Even though I haven't read OWG series I feel like the plot to this story was unoriginal and just plain recycled from OWG. I just wished she had did something different with the plot than to give us yet again a fake one week relationship.
I understand that this book was for the fans but I was left disappointed. I feel like Monica wasn't really invested in writing this book. Not to say it was a horrible book, I enjoyed it for the most part but I didn't love it and maybe it had to do with some of the unrealistic aspects to the storyline. I also had a hard time connecting with the characters in this book except for two. One positive thing about this story was that I was drawn to Fable and Drew and have now added OWG to my TBR pile. Im hoping i'll enjoy it more than Safe Bet which I'm sure I will since it is the original "fake one week relationship" and I feel like there is some more dept to their story.
Profile Image for Bella.
599 reviews119 followers
February 7, 2017
One Week Girlfriend took my breath away. I LOVED the story of Drew and Fable. It had such a unique twist and I will never think about the word marshmallow the same way again. These characters are deep inside my heart.

I was so excited to learn that Monica Murphy was combining the One Week Girlfriend Series with The Rules series - more Drew and Fable - sign me up!

I liked Sydney and Wade - so glad Wade finally got his own HEA.

Things I liked about this book:
~ Getting to see Drew and Fable and their kids.
~ Another "pretend week" turning into a hea.

However, where One Week Girlfriend was emotional and deep, this book felt a bit more...on the surface. There was not deep dark twisted secret. There was no torment and angst. I was hoping for a deeper connection.

Maybe you don't want any of those things.


If you're looking for a sweet, light, romantic read, this book is for you.

If you haven't read OWG - what are you waiting for?
Profile Image for Booknerdingout.
492 reviews41 followers
February 7, 2017
CUTE READ!

Safe Bet didn't have a dramatic storyline. Nor was it an intense read. Still, it was a very enjoyable book. Sydney and Wade were super cute together. I adored how much they loved their friends, Drew and Fable. Speaking of Drew...Holy hell! He was so swoony! He left me wanting so much more. I can't wait to read OWG which is actually his and Fable's story.
Profile Image for book bruin.
1,279 reviews337 followers
January 5, 2017
Safe Bet is a sweet romance featuring characters from The One Week Girlfriend and The Rules series. It is told from the points of views of both main characters, Wade and Sydney. Although readers will enjoy this story more if they've read the previous books/series, Safe Bet can be read as a stand alone.

I really liked both Sydney and Wade. They each have made mistakes in the past, but are working towards becoming better versions of themselves. They didn't make excuses for their past behavior, but rather owned up to it, accepted it, and had/were moving on. Yes, there was a bit of instalove between them, but it was more plausible since the attraction was already there prior to the fake relationship plan. They also had great chemistry throughout the book.

I did find Sydney a little too whiny, immature, and needy at times, but that shows what a great job the author did in writing her. When we first meet Sydney, her posh and pampered life has been turned upside down and she's struggling to figure out how to survive. She's 19 and facing the world on her own for the first time. Wade is on the opposite life experiences spectrum, having struggled more financially growing up and essentially being raised by his mother and best friend's older sister, Fable. I'm not usually a fan of the man whore hero, but it's clear that Wade, now 22, has grown up and matured a lot. His relationship with his mother and acknowledgement of the huge role she played in making him the man he has become didn't hurt either. ;)

I appreciated that there was no unnecessary drama or angst between Wade and Sydney and that the questions they had and struggled with were valid concerns considering how their relationship began. I wanted to see more about their relationship though and wish the epilogue had given us a further glimpse into the future. I also really enjoyed getting an update on Drew and Fable, as well as many of the other characters introduced throughout the series. If you're looking for a sweet and easy romance, Safe Bet is the perfect choice!

*I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this book*
Profile Image for Kari Hansen.
10.2k reviews87 followers
August 12, 2020
Sydney was raised in an affluent lifestyle but rather than appreciating it she took it for granted until it wasn’t there anymore. With the help of her brother she is now working as a nanny for Drew and Fable and she can’t afford to jeopardize her position as not only does she need the money but her employers have become her friends as well.

Wade plays on the same team as Drew and he appreciates his friendship and the way he has helped his transition to playing professionally as this is his first year. When Drew and Fable ask him to pretend to be in a relationship with Sydney for one week to avoid media scrutiny he is more than willing to help but neither he nor Sydney expected it to feel so real.

Both Sydney and Wade were attracted to each other before their pretend relationship started but I enjoyed seeing their relationship evolve and see them support each other through the obstacles that life throws at you. I listened to an audio copy of the book and thought the narrators did a great job with all the characters.
February 7, 2017
I always loved Drew and Fable - their story was unique and I read it back when I first started loving to read again so I recall all the feels and the wonder. I have read most of these two series that got the mash up and I enjoy when that happens. It is fun to see where others are and to see how their lives connect. This is Sydney and Wade's story - Sydney is Gabe's sister and Wade is the bestie of Fable's brother !!

Sydney is trying to make it on her own after her very wealthy parents cut her off for lying about college. Sydney has always played the spoiled rich girl card and now she has to grow up real fast and prove her parents wrong !! Her brother helps her get an interview with the amazing Drew and Fable as their live in nanny and her is where the fun begins !! Not only does she easily land the job but now she gets to be besties with Fable while ogling hot football players and taking care of super cute kids. Not to mention the whole live in part - I am sure that can't be too bad !! With Sydney always around and being spotted with Drew and/or Fable you can only imagine the fun the reporters have with the whole naughty nanny story !! Taking a page from their own book fable and Drew come up with a plan and enlist the help of Wade - who Sydney already has the hots for !! Feeling totally mutual so pretending to be a couple isn't that much of a hardship. From here it is pretty simple. They have chemistry , a quick connection and fun. The sexual tension doesn't take long to boil over and honestly they make a great couple. Are they fake or not ?? Is it possible for another week of fake to become something real and amazing ??
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