Hands Down

3,5 stars.
I couldn't decide at first to rate this 3 or 4 stars but after considering I enjoyed the first half, I guess the book deserves 4 stars.
Reading the first half of the book, I was actually surprised I found it enjoyable since I didn't like Zapata's last two books. But then I got to “the big reveal” (which was lame) and then the book turned into the usual formulaic Zapata.

Awww so happy to read about Zac. Fell for him in the wall of Winnipeg, and I'm glad to finally getting around to his story.

He is legit the sweetest man ever. So kind and honest.

Zac and Bianca were childhood friends who lost touch, and ten years passed without contact.
Events bring them back together and they quickly go back to their old routine and become inseparable.

All his “darlin'” and twang just made me swoon.

mid.
i liked the cameos tho

I don't know what to think about this book. I'm torn between 2-3 stars. I usually love everything Mariana Zapata writes. I was thrilled when I found out she was writing a book about Zac from WoW. But I'm disappointed. I wanted more for Big Texas.

One of the things I love most about Mariana Zapata is that she introduces you to the two main characters, shows you their likes and dislikes, introduces you to their family/friends, and gives you a real understanding of who those characters are. At the same time, she builds the relationship between them in such a way that you don't even realize you're reading 500 pages because it's so enjoyable. You can feel the tension seeping off the pages. Kulti and The Wall of Winnipeg are great examples of this. Zac was such a fun character in WoW that I was THRILLED to hear that he was finally getting his own book after so long. I am sorry to say that I was really disappointed. What happened to the Queen of Slow Burns?? There was no burn in this book, just a whole lot of slow.

WoW Zac and Hands Down Zac feel like two completely different characters. WoW Zac was fun-loving and charming. Hands Down Zac was boring and flat. He and Bianca are old friends who lost touch for 10 years. When she steps back into his life, he barely recognizes her. After a few awkward interactions, their friendship picks up right where they left off and in my opinion, it should have stayed that way. There was no spark between them. Maybe it was the number of times he referred to her as “kiddo” that killed any hint of romantic tension. But really, there wasn't any to begin with. When they finally professed their love for each other, it felt forced and unsatisfying.

I'm also starting to feel like all of MZ's heroines are the same. They have the same goofy, a little bit crass, tough girl on the outside but insecure on the inside, personalities. It isn't so obvious when the story is great but it was painfully obvious here. Overall, this was not the best from Mariana Zapata and it pains me to rate one of her books so low.

3 stars

It was nice to see what happens to Zac from The Wall of Winnipeg and Me.

Main thing I had a problem with - the main character. It was super cool that she had her own version of a YouTube channel about cooking. Loved her go-getter spirit honestly, and her will to keep her independence even when she knew she had to reach out for help was admirable. She was very strong in a lot of ways.

HOWEVER, what is with her insecurity being thrown in my face every time she opens her mouth? Her passive aggressive tendency that she “didn't realize” was coming up every time she tacked on “only if you want to” (or some variation thereof) was too one-note to be believable. It was pretty much her only character flaw (I would have liked to have seen more) and it was constantly coming up. I get it, she's insecure, who isn't? Her worrying about other people not liking/loving her enough to stick around is valid, but her way of coping? That shit shouldn't just come up by making passive aggressive comments. If you've met anyone with similar issues, that's just one of many ways they cope.

I don't know. I didn't enjoy the romance because of it. It was always on her mind so it pulled me out of the story whenever I saw it because I just didn't believe it.