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So. Dang. Cute!

This story is totally my kind of quirky, funny, swoony jam! I love this story so much, I can't even say what my favorite chapter is. The one with the "girls" is surely a strong contender for that title (I am a horse geek, so there's that), but the one with Gertrude is just... perfect. le sigh
So, SO many happy sighs!

By the final chapter, I was grinning like a fool - and solidly in love with Candace and Pete myself. (Don't tell my FC!)

I love that neither Pete nor Candace are perfect, but they are perfect for each other - baby hyena, laminated lists, and all... And their friends and family make for a fun and entertaining supporting cast - I can't wait to read Maddie's story (which is hopefully next)!

Solid mystery with the usual nods to the heroes and tropes of film noir. Reed gets himself into and out of all sorts of trouble, with the help of Willie, his best friend Cal, and - last but not least - the Goofball Brothers.
This story probably doesn't work as well as a standalone as others in the series, there isn't much "extra" characterization, the reader is already supposed to know the cast well enough.

Holy cannoli, this story was an emotional roller coaster...

It made me smile, it made me swoon, and it made me cry - in no particular order.

I found Cally to be a likeable and relatable heroine, and Blake has the troubled-yet-swoon-worthy YA hero down pat. Bonus points for an amazing cast of supporting characters - or should I rather say "supportive", since I loved the portrayal of strong friendships both old and new.

Looking forward to reading the other books in the series!

5/5 heart-melting stars

I already fell in love with Wei-wei and Gao in The Liar's Dice, and I was overjoyed to finally see them get their HEA. Their story gave me ALL THE FEELS! I laughed, I cried, I swooned (don't get me started on the swoons... gah!), and I loved every single page of this book - even the ones that broke my heart.

I absolutely adore "obediently wild" Wei-wei, who is fierce, and loyal, and lovely, and smart, and funny... le sigh And Gao - rational, street-smart, dangerous, all-around unsuitable - who is her perfect counterpart and has his hands full trying to keep her safe in this tale of murder, mystery, and marriage proposals.

"Neither of us went into this thing looking for the other. But somehow we found each other."

While I've never read the original Pride and Prejudice (gasp!) nor watched a single episode of The Bachelor (double-gasp!), this lovely, delightful, and funny story has everything I'm looking for in a rom-com: main characters I can root for (Emma and Sebastian are simply adorable), lots of witty banter between the "Lizzies" and Sebatian, and swoon-worthy kisses.
Plus, my geeky little heart was extraordinarily happy at the mention of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies AND "life, the universe, everything."

42/5 highly entertaining stars

I am a sucker for friends-to-more stories, and this one turned out exactly how I had hoped it would be! It was super cute and fun, and I adored both Kate and Cooper and how they slowly realized that they were falling for each other.

Cute and fun second-chance sports romance with just a little drama. Looking forward to reading more in the series!

This first-in-series really makes me want to read more! It drew me right in from page one, and now I'm fully invested in the fates of Chloe and her friends. Looking forward to finding out more about Beck and whoever else is going to join the team - can't wait to see how the tale continues!

“I love derby,” I reply, slipping on my shoe. “It’s probably the only thing that loves me back.”
***
Ah, Mari... It took me a little to warm up to this prickly and unconventional heroine, though my heart was breaking for her (and her Mom).
Seeing Evan slowly work his way behind those walls Mari has built up to protect herself was equally excrutiatig, endearing, and - at times - quite hilarious. Though, to be honest, Evan's grand-gesture speech made me tear up.
Kudos for Albie, who had the BFF part down pat and always had Mari's back, no matter what.

ALL. THE. FEELS.
I came for the space puns (and the romance, duh!), and stayed for the beautiful writing, the quirky and loveable cast of characters (Sage and Neb are too adorkable - seriously, I love these two!), and ALL the smiles, the laughs, the heartbreak, the sighs, and the swoons (don't get me started... <3).
More please? Pretty please with s'mores and Baily's beads on top?

I loved pretty much everything about this story, but above all, I loved the cast of quirky and likeable characters - first and foremost Kyra, who is one awesome leading lady (and whom I was rooting for from the get-go), and Declan, who is the best merwrangler Kyra could wish for.

This is the first book I've read by Tracie Banister, but it sure won't be the last. There is a whole bunch of delightful titles on her backlist I plan on reading!