Hands Down

I ADORE Mariana's writing. I didn't even KNOW I love slow burn so much until I started reading her books. But I do! and in this one you have to WAIT and wait and wait and it's SO worth it because besides LOVING the slow burn it's also my favorite trope of (best) friends to lovers. It took me long enough but I DID finally realized why Zac was familiar.. He has already appeared in a previous novel by Mariana - "The Wall of Winnipeg and Me" - being firstly Aiden's roommate and second a close friend to Vanessa. These two actually make an appearance in this one which was much appreciated and also made me want to read it all over again.Like all of Mariana's books this one is also solely told from our heroine - Bianca Maria Brannen. While she didn't have the easiest life she has managed to make it her own and even make a successful business as a cook on social media. She is still working at the front desk of "Maio House" (the business Elena's family from "The Best Thing" has founded) but until her close friend Deepa who also works there finds another job she is staying to be there for her and secure herself a bit more before counting on her rather new found business to support her.She has a big extended family, but her close one is rather small with parents working far away they entrusted both her and her her big sister Connie to the loving hands of her Mama Lupe who cared for both girls as well as 2 certain boys until her last days. The two boys are Boogie - Bianca's cousin who is like a real brother to her, and Zachary "Zac" Travis his best friend who also lives close by. All of Bianca's childhood and teens are filled with endless memories of them spending time together and though Boogie and Zac are 7 years older than her, it never truly affected their friendship spending time together, playing and laughing. But things changed when Zac left their small town to college and became a known quarterback. They might call him "Big Texas" now, but he used to be her much smaller "Snack Pack" best friend. Back when he remembered who she was..When Boogie calls Bianca asking for a favor the answer is obvious even if she wishes he hasn't but it's Boogie, and it's also important so she takes a big breath and accepts. All she has to do is drive to a very big and expensive looking house not that far from her own home and deliver a message to the guy she has fallen in love with so many years ago. A guy she hasn't seen (outside of on TV) for the past 10 years (even if he did stay close to Boogie). When she finally stands before him trying to relate Boogie's message that his grandfather "Paw Paw" was in the hospital, he legit doesn't recognize her. This couldn't be more humiliating. But when he finally realizes who she - his long lost Peewee - he hugs her closely and asks she takes him to the hospital. She accepts, as he used to be her best friend and though it was a LONG time ago, her heart wouldn't allow her any other option.From there on, Zac does his absolute best to turn back the clock and keep Bianca at his side, the best friend he has lost so many years ago. It's obvious he regrets not having her close by, though it's not obvious WHY and maybe how it actually happened. I had a sort of suspicion about what could have happened and though I was close it wasn't exactly what I thought. Bianca is mostly confused about Zac's behavior. Though she LOVES having him around, so much like they used to be, her heart isn't sure what to do with her love for him (and his obvious love for her in return). It's what she wanted and yet it's not really because in her heart of hearts she wishes for more. With every hug, every innocent kiss, and mostly with every sweet and considerate action she falls for him and it gets harder to be on his side as his friend when she knows it's only an illusion until a "real" woman attracts his interest.There are ups and downs, mostly Bianca being unsure about her new found yet old friendship but also a lot of questions about her future, her business, what to do with her current job which isn't as it used to be. Things are looking up, she can FEEL it. It's also looking up for Zac with all her encouragement and her belief in him. She is finding new friends with two of his team mates CJ Daniel and Amary and even a connection with his - not so easy to get along with - agent Trevor. I guess it was hard not to warm up to Bianca when he saw the effect she had on Zac..This book is a journey and though we only get Bianca's POV it's a journey both of them go through, to reconnect with one another, but also to remember in a way who they are and what they are capable of, even if life hasn't been easy lately. It was also a discovery of love, of the kind of love I think we all wish for, the kind you know what each "face" means and can see right through them to what they are feeling. It's the kind of love that lasts forever and it sure helps when it "starts" with a 15 years of true friendship.This book was simply a JOY to read. I read is basically in two days and though it's long, and though there is no "real romance" until the very end, the progression of this book, of their friendship and love, was EVERYTHING. I think there is no other option for me but to start getting all of Mariana's books on Audible. I don't have the time for a re-read but I miss her Bianca and Zac already..One last note I feel like I HAVE to make.. Before even starting this book I chocked up on the dedication. I can totally understand Mariana's love as well as the inconsolable grief for losing her Dorian. There is very little to none I can do but I hope it warms Mariana's heart a little knowing that I, as so many of her readers, carry his memory with us.More @ Ultra Meital Reviews.

If you've read the Wall of Winnipeg and Me (TWOWAM), you'll be familiar with the character Zac who's the quarterback roommate from this book. Hands Down picks up his story after he was dropped by the 300s and has just been made a free agent from Oklahoma, five years or so down the track. The only other book I've read by this author is the Wall of Winnipeg, hence me grabbing this book, and it had several of the elements I loved from its predecessor: a decent slow burn romance of a decent length that took the time to build up a solid reflection of both main characters, a strong, likable female and a too good to be true male lead. There was a good dash of humour that leant to the more sarcastic side throughout the book, as well as great banter and dialogue between the couple and not too much over the top angst and drama while still remaining entertaining.The premise of the story is built around Zac and Bianca growing up together and being best friends along with her cousin, Boogie. When he leaves for college (I think?), Bianca tries messaging Zac for two years, only to receive no reply. As she was in love with him, she's devastated but moves on, trying to make the most out of life. After Zac's Paw Paw is taken to hospital and the family can't get in touch with him, Bianca, also living in Houston, is asked to drop by his house and get him to answer his phone, reconnecting them.It's a bit of a second chance romance, but without them being involved in the first place, if that makes sense. Bianca and Zac were in each other's pockets growing up so it seemed a bit of a strange plot point for them to share a best friend (Boogie) but fall out of contact with each other and one saying nothing to the other after 2 years of no contact. Zac had apparently tried to contact her as well but just given up, but if you can get past this, their rekindling should flow along nicely for you. I loved Zac in TWOWAM and nothing changed here. He was a great mix of Southern charm, good looks and elite athlete. The author also did a great job of making Bianca sensitive and caring, but motivated and positive (similar to Vanessa from TWOWAM). Both had issues with their parents with Bianca also have issues with her boss and an ex, the latter not actually featuring in the book, thankfully.The build up in Bianca and Zac's relationship from friends to possibly something more was solid. Their chemistry and strong friendship was portrayed well throughout the story, making their connection believable and realistic. It does take a while for their issues to come to the forefront and finally be discussed, but it didn't take away from their relationship, mainly because Bianca was determined to push on and start their friendship anew.I took a star off because I found the first quarter of the book extremely repetitive. It pretty much could have been summed up in a sentence or two: I was very close to Zac and when he didn't reply to my attempts to contact him I was very upset but I've tried to move on and not let it get to me and here are some excuses for his behaviour. The end. Bianca's inner monologue (it's told from her point of view) went over the same issues again and again to the point that I genuinely thought I was going to struggle getting through the book. There was a stack of her making excuses for him (and others), saying she hadn't seen him for ten years as well as her reflecting on their past and how great he'd been and how much she'd loved him. Then there was the constant mentioning of how good looking he was and how blue his eyes were. If I was taking a shot for every time it was brought up, I would be dead from alcohol poisoning. Seriously, it was done to death and I was constantly rolling my eyes and thinking 'move on'. Thankfully that stopped after 28% or so in for the most part and I ended up really enjoying the story.Zac is 34 and Bianca is 27 or so so there's a small age gap, but nothing major. She calls him old man and he calls her kiddo which I did find a bit weird, particularly the latter. There were also a couple of strange language choices, like Bianca calling Zac likeable but dumb. Also, Bianca stayed on at a job she hated because she was waiting for her friend there to move on as well. This was also strange to me. On a positive note, the secondary characters were great, especially Bianca's relationship with Connie, her sister. I loved the dynamic between the two as it came across as very natural.Elements of the plot were pretty predictable and most issues aren't resolved until towards the end, hence there being quite a bit of repetition until they finally were as Bianca was constantly bringing up past grievances. Also, just as a side note - I mentioned this in my review of TWOWAM - the author seems to go out of her way to mention specific details, like colour, of anatomy. Not a big issue, but it really stands out to me as bizarre. Vanessa, Aiden and Trevor from TWOWAM make a brief appearance - as a big fan of this book, I was sad there wasn't more of Vanessa and Aiden as their visit was brief and pretty superficial, but better that than nothing, I suppose.True to form, this book is a slooooooow burn with things not getting truly tied up until right at the end, so if this isn't your jam, you might want to give this book a miss. I loved that the author took the time to have the characters reconnect as friends and it was done well through them spending time together and sharing some fantastic banter. The background of the characters tying in with their quirks and particular personality traits was done wonderfully, making them relatable and providing a personal connection for the reader. It was a feel-good story with a cute epilogue. I'd recommend it, but be forewarned about the repetition - it's worth pushing through.

Diferente dos demais livros da autora esse não tem a mesma pegada e química, a excessiva falta de autoestima da personagem incomoda, os motivos pelos quais o Zac hesita em demonstrar interesse não são fortes o suficiente, não há um conflito real que gere a expectativa a qual estamos acostumados com os livros da autora, o fim igualmente morno e previsível... Um romance normal com final feliz normal, nada comparado aos demais a exemplo de The Wall of Winnipeg que é muito superior

I love most of Mariana Zapata’s books, and I loved this one as well. I’ve had it in my to-read list for a while and I didn’t want to read it because then I’d have to wait a long time for the next :( I love her writing, it can be read as a stand-alone but it’s fun to read about characters and places from other books, it took me a while to remember who Zac was on “The wall of Winnipeg”. Now I just have to impatiently wait for her next book

One of my top three from Mariana Zapata. I loved the humor and the characters. It's so great to know the story of Zac Attack. I would recommand to read the Wall of Winnipeg and The Best thing but it's probably beacause I like reading un order.I was smiling the whole story, it's the story of a friendship and a romance. Mariana Zapata really writes the best slow burn romance.

With some writers, if you read one book, you've read them all. But not with Mariana Zapata. Her books get better with practice. You can clearly see the difference in the newer books. They show an author who's maturing. And I love that about her. This book is about Zac and Bianca, and I've been curious about both characters since they first appeared in other books. And it was very nice to read their story.

This title expresses everything in this book !! I love it & also it made me cry remembering my first love