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The Bet of the Monsters

Sotto Voce

Start date: January 1, 2023

Finish date: March 31, 2023

Discussion: The Read Section

Why we're reading this: BOTQ 2023 Q1
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What Members Thought

Nov 17, 2022 Terry Birdgenaw rated it it was amazing

Tommy and Leo couldn’t be more different. A young business tycoon who lost everything and a streetwise former orphan trained to fight the mob who suddenly had all he could ever want. But they had something in common—their lives were turned upside-down because of a bet. Although Tommy assumed he was just the fall guy nabbed for illegal business practices, Leo knew there was something afoul about his rags-to-riches transformation. Slowly, Leo learns about the bet and the billionaires who made it, ...more

3 likes · Like · see review

Nov 07, 2023 E.K. Frances rated it really liked it

Engaging read

Wow! This book has everything. It starts as a mystery, turns into a thriller, and then finally a romance.

The premise of the story is that two billionaires – William and Bernard - make a bet on two random individuals; Leo who is homeless ends up a millionaire, and Tommy who is very rich ends up homeless. I immediately connected with Leo and Tommy, and definitely rooted for them, as well as Gwen and Eve; Leo in particular was very endearing.

The book is very engaging, but also very dar ...more

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Jan 13, 2025 P.J. Ashton rated it it was amazing

Shelves: thriller

The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain was updated by John Landis and became the film "Trading Places," this book takes that concept and turns it on its head, pondering the question: What if the Dukes were psychopaths?

I really enjoyed The Bet of the Monsters. It was easy to follow, the POV switches between Tommy and Leo worked well and I found both characters to be individual. They both grew: Tommy changing from a man whose sole goal in life was to please his wife, so much so he became quite sh The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain was updated by John Landis and became the film "Trading Places," this book takes that concept and turns it on its head, pondering the question: What if the Dukes were psychopaths?

I really enjoyed The Bet of the Monsters. It was easy to follow, the POV switches between Tommy and Leo worked well and I found both characters to be individual. They both grew: Tommy changing from a man whose sole goal in life was to please his wife, so much so he became quite shallow, to then becoming a man who preferred the simple things in life, practically giving up materialistic goals. Leo, a man who doesn't know how to show emotion - transforming to become a person who can share his life.

Leo isn't a Mary Sue or Gary Stu kind of character. It's shown in the text that he has skills. He was a government operative before he left that life behind. He is also seriously injured, bleeding out. He gets hurt. But he's also smart and a planner.

At the start of the book, he's the pauper - but out of choice after a betrayal. He's street-smart and tough and when he's transformed into the Prince - his questioning of events rings true. Whereas Tommy starts as the prince - living his life of comfort, but knowing that it will soon come crashing down and struggling to tell his wife what's happened. Partly out of guilt, but I think it's clear, reading between the lines that it's because he knows what the result will be - she's clearly attached to materialistic things rather than him. His life as the pauper is believable - he struggles on the street.

I really liked the complexity added to the game by the Monsters. The Angel and Demon concepts to play with the characters. Eve - Tommy's Angel. Her role, to keep him from falling. I won't spoil Tommy's Demon - but the role they played worked. Gwen - Leo's Angel - but someone more complex than just supporting Leo in not blowing his cash. The reason I liked this concept is it would have been easier for the author and the Monsters to just focus on nefarious behaviour to win the bet. The fact that they're making the game harder for themselves adds complexity. It's not just about winning, It's about destroying.

I loved reading The Bet of the Monsters. In my opinion, it's Sotto's best book so far. It's far more adult in its themes than the In Ora series that I read. I enjoyed them both too. There were issues with language, some grammar errors etc, but I can't bring myself to downgrade the book for that, the story is worth far much more. ...more

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Jun 04, 2023 Rik Ty rated it really liked it

The Bet Of The Monsters

Milld Spoilers

This is a novel where the main characters seem to come in sets of two. Not because the paired characters are in lots of scenes together, its more that they share similar story functions. I mention it because it won’t be long before you notice it too and start working to keep track of who everyone is. Knowing in advance will make it much easier to get on with the story.
On the top tier are two men:

Bernard and William
They make wagers using other people’s lives. ...more

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May 08, 2023 Juliette Godot rated it really liked it

The Bet of the Monsters is a story about rich men who manipulate two ordinary men so they can sit back and watch what happens. One victim is given wealth and riches and the other has everything taken from him. The victims find out about each other and the plot thickens.

I found the book intriguing. It takes a while to get into, but then it is fast-paced. It could really use a good edit, but if you can get past that, it is a worthwhile read.

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Aug 25, 2025 Linda Sanchez rated it really liked it

This is my second book from Otto, and it pulled me in right away. The Bet of the Monsters reminded me a little of Trading Places, but with a much darker twist. Instead of lighthearted fun, Bernard and William are manipulating people’s lives for their own purposes, and Leo suddenly finds himself caught in their game.

What I liked most was how the story makes you think about morality, luck, and the unseen costs of getting exactly what you think you want. The sudden fortune feels tempting, but you c ...more

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Dec 18, 2022 Jessica Spruill rated it it was amazing

This is such a unique story! It follows two men, strangers to each other, as they struggle in the tangled web of two powerful men who control their lives through a twisted game meant to satisfy their sadistic desires. Their journey is filled with twists and turns, love found in unlikely places, and healing through their new found relationships. It had a slow start, and I struggled a little bit with the grammatical errors, but the ending made the whole story worth while! A wonderful read!

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Jul 29, 2024 Dimitry Orlov rated it liked it

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