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ozettegirl 's review for:
Hands Down
by Mariana Zapata
I had a really hard time with this book. I love MZ books- her rich character voice, the slow burn, the connection between characters... but this book wasn’t one of those.
1) first of all, just like in The Best Thing... I don’t buy it. How can these two be so close, their friends and family all see it, and then they lose touch for ten years? It just didn’t work for me- just like in The Best Thing when he didn’t get any of her messages. It’s a weak plot device - and ex messed with their phones? Really? And neither of them EVER checked the number? And then she confessed at some party? First all shaky in the bathroom and hen hostile and then her date- no husband - no ex, makes her confess?
2) Bianca’s voice was not unique. She really melded with old characters for me, especially Val. Football heroes, own business, ‘I’m a good person’, been mistreated by family (parents in Bianca’s case, sisters in Val’s), ‘he just seems me as a friend, no wait he loves me—but not that way... (gasp) could it be’ “plot”... also echoes of Luna
3) nicknames. This was one of the worst aspects of this book- Bibi, little texas, snack pack, sweetheart, honey, etc but the very worst was ‘kiddo’- I hated that he even called her that as an adult. It made it really hard to see them romantically ... which leads me to -
4) all slow, no burn. Them finally being together was really jarring to me because at no point did I think there was tension between them. Even knowing that Bianca was in love, which she said over and over ... there was no chemistry between them. He looked at her. He stared at times. Things ‘crossed his expression and disappeared’ but it wasn’t believable. Bianca was mostly convinced it was all one sided and so was I .
5) the end.... so ... Her cousin was the whole problem? What, did he have some ‘you can’t love my cousin rule’? This was so weird for me. That Zac comes and drags her to go see him and they have this conversation in front of her (and Bianca is clueless, are you kidding?) ... it was just too weird and contrived. He had all the ‘I know you love me’ of Ivan Lukov but it fell flat. He still came off as weirdo older brotherish. It got creepy.
Wow, now that I think about it, I’m not sure this was even three stars for me. I miss the MZ of Under Locke and Wall of Winnipeg, and From Lukov. I’d rather not have a spin-off book about a minor character if this is the result.
1) first of all, just like in The Best Thing... I don’t buy it. How can these two be so close, their friends and family all see it, and then they lose touch for ten years? It just didn’t work for me- just like in The Best Thing when he didn’t get any of her messages. It’s a weak plot device - and ex messed with their phones? Really? And neither of them EVER checked the number? And then she confessed at some party? First all shaky in the bathroom and hen hostile and then her date- no husband - no ex, makes her confess?
2) Bianca’s voice was not unique. She really melded with old characters for me, especially Val. Football heroes, own business, ‘I’m a good person’, been mistreated by family (parents in Bianca’s case, sisters in Val’s), ‘he just seems me as a friend, no wait he loves me—but not that way... (gasp) could it be’ “plot”... also echoes of Luna
3) nicknames. This was one of the worst aspects of this book- Bibi, little texas, snack pack, sweetheart, honey, etc but the very worst was ‘kiddo’- I hated that he even called her that as an adult. It made it really hard to see them romantically ... which leads me to -
4) all slow, no burn. Them finally being together was really jarring to me because at no point did I think there was tension between them. Even knowing that Bianca was in love, which she said over and over ... there was no chemistry between them. He looked at her. He stared at times. Things ‘crossed his expression and disappeared’ but it wasn’t believable. Bianca was mostly convinced it was all one sided and so was I .
5) the end.... so ... Her cousin was the whole problem? What, did he have some ‘you can’t love my cousin rule’? This was so weird for me. That Zac comes and drags her to go see him and they have this conversation in front of her (and Bianca is clueless, are you kidding?) ... it was just too weird and contrived. He had all the ‘I know you love me’ of Ivan Lukov but it fell flat. He still came off as weirdo older brotherish. It got creepy.
Wow, now that I think about it, I’m not sure this was even three stars for me. I miss the MZ of Under Locke and Wall of Winnipeg, and From Lukov. I’d rather not have a spin-off book about a minor character if this is the result.