Dr. Elaine Watson has worked her way to being the best physician in Tall Pines. She is all about winning, always at the top, and never taking second place in anything she attempts. Fond memories of her childhood at the Bluebird Bed and Breakfast in Tall Pines while vacationing with her parents, has made choosing her home there an easy one along with satisfying the terms of the scholarship that got her through medical school debt free. Her parents are now divorced and her mother marries one man after the other. Elaine is always looking out for Catherine Stillman, picking up the pieces after each divorce.

Her patient, Robert Collins, is considering giving up Bluebird B&B since his wife passed and his son is away as a photojournalist recording the tragedies of the world. All interest is lost and the inn is deteriorating. Elaine has made an offer to purchase and restore the facility to its original beautiful state and purpose. Dean Collins is back, trying to outrun his bad memories and nightmares of the horrors he has witnessed. The lingering sadness at the loss of his mother is still there, but this is the only place on earth he can come home to and attempt his healing. Intending to open the Tall Pines Fish Camp, his father proposes a different and more equitable solution for the two people wanting his property. A Bluebird bet will entail each of them to stay at the inn for 30 days while working out their individual proposals and appointing two judges to decide which will fit best for the welfare of their community. As they each work toward winning the bet, their sharing space ultimately finds them falling for each other and questioning who needs this the most. Can there be a third proposition?

This book in the Welcome to Tall Pines miniseries is an excellent read. Grab the Kleenex one minute and laugh the next. There's a little of everything in this read; emotion, love, the sadness of life and a heartwarming town full of witty and wacky residents always ready to put in their two cents. I have not had the pleasure of reading any of the previous stories in this series but plan to do so soon as well as the new one just out. For a short tale I found THE BLUEBIRD BET as completely fulfilling and satisfying a read as any other story. There's a lot of wit and humor and just plain good common sense and kindness. I definitely recommend THE BLUEBIRD BET for a satisfying and beautiful experience.