Once is chance. Twice is fate.

Sage Collins knows a thing or two about odds. A year ago, she was a data analyst until she burned it all down to pursue her dream of becoming an author. One whirlwind bestseller and a struggling second book later, and Sage isn’t sure she’ll ever write a novel again.

But then an accidental encounter with an irritating passenger on the flight to Comic Con leaves Sage in an untested position. That passenger is Theo Sharpe: a breakout actor on the cusp of fame. And, unfortunately, the paparazzi have mistaken her for his girlfriend.

Armed with signature British charm and a smile that could tame oceans, Theo wears fame like a well-fit coat…though Sage can see there’s something deeper held in his eyes. But his fans are too involved in the drama, the pressure to deliver the next bestseller is on, and Sage and Theo both must agree there’s nothing between them. They don’t have to acknowledge that saying it doesn’t make it true.

When Sage decides to flee to Scotland to clear her head and write her novel, she expects to find fresh air and the stillness to think. What she doesn’t expect is Theo Sharpe to come back into her life…and how he may be her greatest miscalculation of all.

An emotionally-charged novel in the vein of Ashley Poston and Yulin Kuang, The Odds of You is a smart and sexy first contemporary novel from bestselling romantasy author Kate Dramis.

This is a perfectly serviceable romance that does exactly what it sets out to do. My problem with it was it just doesn’t do anything particularly surprising along the way. I didn’t dislike it, but I also never felt swept up by it, and by the end, I was left wishing it had taken a few more risks.

The premise is familiar but appealing. Sage Collins is a successful author who has been living on the high of a successful book series and is now struggling to write the next book. A movie deal that was supposed to change everything falls apart, her confidence tanks, and she does what many fictional creatives do when things go sideways. She runs off to a picturesque location to sulk, reset, and hopefully rediscover her inspiration.

Enter Theo Sharpe, an up-and-coming actor on the verge of real fame. Sage meets him by chance on a flight to Comic-Con, and a paparazzi mix-up labels her as his girlfriend. From there, the book follows a very familiar romance path. Forced proximity. Fake relationship vibes. Lingering looks. Mutual denial. Eventual emotional entanglement. You can probably see where this is going, because the book doesn’t try to hide it.

And that’s really my biggest issue here. Every expected beat happens. There were no moments that genuinely surprised me, and the characters unfolded exactly as I assumed they would from their first appearances. Sage is talented but insecure, burned out by success and terrified she’s already peaked. Theo is charming, thoughtful, and far more emotionally available than his public persona suggests. They’re likable enough, but they never quite rose above their archetypes for me.

The writing itself is smooth and readable, and I had no issue moving through the story. Scotland as a setting does a lot of heavy lifting, offering atmosphere and a sense of escape that pairs nicely with Sage’s creative spiral. But even there, things felt more decorative than immersive. The setting supports the romance rather than shaping it in any meaningful way.

As a romance reader, I tend to enjoy character-driven stories that either play with expectations or bring something fresh to the emotional arc. This book sticks closely to the formula, including a third-act breakup that felt obligatory rather than organic. It didn’t add tension so much as confirm that we were hitting all the required genre checkmarks. By the time it happened, I wasn’t emotionally invested enough to feel the sting it was clearly aiming for.

That said, I can absolutely see this working for other readers. Romance lovers who come to the genre specifically for familiar setups, cozy escapism, and guaranteed emotional payoff will likely enjoy this quite a bit. There’s comfort in knowing exactly what kind of story you’re getting, and this book delivers on that promise without missteps.

For me, though, it just didn’t bring anything new to the table. I never felt challenged, surprised, or particularly moved. I finished it feeling neutral, which is sometimes worse than actively disliking something. There’s nothing wrong here, but there also isn’t much that lingers once the final page is turned.

Overall, the book is fine. It’s pleasant and predictable. If you’re in the mood for a romance that follows the rules and hits every expected beat, this will likely scratch that itch. If you’re looking for something that pushes beyond the familiar or takes emotional risks, this one may feel a little too safe.

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