Pas de deux by EJ NoyesPas de deux by E.J. Noyes is an enemies-to-lovers romance that shows us how those pesky childhood memories may not be as clear as we thought. And if you can get through the haze, you might realize that the one you thought tormented you the most, is the one that loves you more than anything in this world.

Caitlyn Lloyd has the world bowing at her horse’s hooves. She’s about to embark on her dream to be an Olympic athlete in the Dressage Equestrian competition at the 2016 Rio Olympics and nothing is going to derail her from her goal of winning a medal. Even the reappearance of a childhood nemesis isn’t going to throw her perfect plan out of whack. Unless said childhood nemesis shows she’s a distraction worth taking.

Addie Gardner’s career as a highly valued equine veterinarian is at its peak. So accepting a last-minute position as the lead veterinarian on the US Olympic Dressage Team is a no-brainer. It gives herself and her boss positive exposure, and it doesn’t hurt that her old crush from Pony Club is on the team.

Both Caitlyn and Addie remember Pony Club, but they have very different memories of their time together. Caitlynn remembers a girl who tormented her along with the other rich kids. Addie remembers an aloof, yet talented, horse rider she couldn’t keep her eyes off of as she battled with teenage feelings she didn’t understand.

With the Olympics looming, they’ll need to set aside their history and learn to work together for the sake of the team, both two-legged and four-legged members. Can Caitlyn and Addie leave the past in the past? Or will their future be dictated by childhood memories that aren’t always accurate?

Pros And My Favourite Parts

This story is not the traditional enemies-to-lovers romance, and I love that. Noyes really puts emphasis on how skewed memories can become as you get older, and how an experience may appear different to another person who had the exact same one. Caitlyn’s memories of Addie all hinge on being a victim of pranks at the hands of the rich girls Addie hung with at Pony Club. She only remembers the bad and none of the good with Addie, so she’s understandably defensive against her when they first meet.

Addie, on the other hand, remembers Caitlyn being talented and natural with horses, as well as cute. Her teenage hormones ran rapid whenever they were together, despite Caitlyn not being overly friendly towards her. While Caitlyn remembers Addie as a mean girl, Addie remembers just trying to fit in and not appear poor, which may have caused her to go along with certain pranks that may not be so funny in hindsight.

Their chemistry smolders from the moment they’re in each other’s orbit, but it’s going to take a strong will to get them to see they belong together. They need common ground to put their pasts aside and see the possibilities standing in front of them if they’re willing to take the chance. That strong will comes in the form of a very loveable horse named Dewey.

Dewey steals this story a lot of the times. He’s witty, charming, sociable to a fault, and will do anything for a peppermint or licorice. His health and well-being are Caitlyn and Addie’s top priority. He brings them together, makes them happy, and helps them open their eyes to a future that will outshine their past.

Cons And Heads Up

I’m not totally familiar with dressage, and there were points where the terminology and descriptions escaped me and it may throw people off. Noyes does include a glossary to help, but honestly the best source she utilizes to get me interested in Dressage throughout this story is Dewey.

The Conclusion

annas favourite booksEven if you are unfamiliar with Dressage, Noyes’ writing is still spot on and delivers the same compelling, fun, and intriguing story with loveable characters of both the two-legged and four-legged kind. This love letter to a sport she obviously has a passion for is so evident and I felt honored to have her share her passion with me and every reader who picks it up. If you love horses, enemies-to-lovers, or even just Noyes’ stories in general, this one will definitely be a favorite on your list.

Excerpt from Pas de deux by E.J. Noyes

The group settled in facing us and the vet stared at me with a smile that showed a cute set of dimples, then averted her gaze when our eyes met.

The more I checked her out, the more familiar she seemed, but she was nobody I could place. Out of the blue, something unpleasant nudged at the back of my consciousness, something that made me oddly anxious. The anxiety came into sharp, uncomfortable focus when Mary spoke, gesturing to the woman.

“This is Doctor Addison Gardner, who is coming on board to replace Doctor West as our team veterinarian. Addison will be getting to know you and your horses in the coming weeks and will make sure all our equine athletes are in peak health come Rio…”

Addison Gardner. My libido got a harsh reality check.

Shit to the power of infinity. It couldn’t be, could it? I mean it wasn’t exactly a common name, but still…Maybe she was actually Addison Someone Else who’d married a Gardner. But the more I looked, the more convinced I became that it was actually the girl, uh, now woman I’d known at South River Pony Club in Arlington, Tennessee over twenty years ago and who used to go by Addie, not Addison.

The more I studied Addison, the more I wanted to slap myself for not realizing who she was. Now that I knew, it was plain as day. And considering my conflicted feelings back then of being a baby gay who definitely noticed the way girls looked, and who’d spend so much time wondering how someone as cute and funny as Addie Gardner could be so damned mean, her turning up now felt like a cruel joke from the universe.

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Bits and Bobs

ISBN number: 9781642472455

Publisher: Bella Books

E.J. Noyes Online

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