Hands Down by Mariana ZapataMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I heard this book on Audible and hearing a book rather than reading it can make a difference to the experience of a novel. Bear that in mind with this review.
Mariana Zapata is the queen of the slow burn romance. She also writes incredibly good sports romances in a way that doesn’t glamourise the lives of elite athletes but reveals the sheer hard work that it takes to perform at the highest levels, including the support networks required when you live life travelling to games (in this case) and live contract to contract, praying you don’t get an injury.
We first met Zac ‘Big Texas’ Travis in The Wall of Winnipeg and Me. Though this is a standalone book, there are references to various characters from other books written by this author. The main characters from The Wall of Winnipeg and Me make a guest appearance in this book.
I’ve always loved this character and giving him his own book made me very happy. Zac has a heart of gold. He is funny, gentle and kind, unerringly polite and charming though sometimes a little prone to being overwhelmed when things go wrong. It takes him time to dig himself out of the doldrums and other people’s opinions sometimes matter a little bit too much. At age 34 he is no longer the young newcomer we met in The Wall of Winnipeg and Me, he’s a seasoned QB, though he’s had little success with the teams he’s played for. He’s currently in Houston where he’s training in the offseason, living at Trevor, his manager’s house with another of Trevor’s football player clients, CJ. Unsure of where he will be playing next season, life is unsettled and he’s trying to distract himself with a party when a blast from his past walks in.
Bianca ‘Little Texas’ Brannen, knew Zac The Snack Pack when he was a scrawny kid. It was her that named him Big Texas after he took to calling her Little Texas. They met when she was just 3 years old. Zac, though 7 years older was always kind to Bianca. He was best friends with her favourite cousin, who is more like her brother and her grandmother used to watch out for Zac when his mother was working. Up until she was 17, she was close to Zac, visiting him at college with her cousin and going to see his matches. Despite the age difference, they were good friends. Then when she was 17 Zac dropped out of her life. He carried on his friendship with her cousin but he stopped answering her calls and texts. Her heart was broken that the man she adored with all her heart was done with her.
When Zac’s grandfather becomes ill, and no one can reach him, her cousin asks Bianca to go to where he is staying to tell him what is going on, because she lives in Houston too. Hating the idea of having to face the man she crushed hard on as a teenager, she knows that she has to tell him about his grandfather. When they come face to face, 10 years after their last meeting, Zac doesn’t even recognise Bianca, but when he knows who it is he is delighted until she tells him why she’s there. But once Zac has Bianca back in his life he doesn’t seem to want to let her disappear back out of it and Bianca can’t understand it.
I liked Bianca, she has trust issues (cheating ex-boyfriend), abandonment issues (absentee parents) and self-esteem issues (see previous). However, she is determined and ambitious. She is funny, loyal, honest and loving. Her family are tremendously important to her and she is really close to her cousin and sister. Despite losing touch with Zac, she still follows him on social media and the news because she only wants what is best for him, even if he really hurt her.
In some way, most people can appreciate what it’s like to have a crush on someone older when you are a teenager, especially if they are around a lot and are friendly. Most people also know what it’s like to be hurt when rejected by your first love as a teenager. It’s devasting at the time, but you get over it. This story is at some level almost familiar and believable. Lots of people in the days of social media get back in touch with people from their past and resume friendships/relationships that ended years ago. We all know someone who has done that or have even done it ourselves. Having someone from the past who shared so much from his childhood is what Zac needs at a difficult time in his life. He knows that Bianca cared about him before he was successful and rich. He can trust her motives, whereas it’s hard to do the same with other people. This basic trust and history allows them to quickly drop back into a friendship that they both need.
I really enjoyed the slow journey these two people take towards falling in love. Each step along the path to the HEA is believable. The banter between friends and family is funny and the stories of their shared childhood are amusing as such stories normally are. Both Zac and Bianca are very loveable characters and seeing them get together is rewarding and satisfying, because the good guys should always get their HEA in a romance. Despite some mistakes, these two characters are really good guys. They deserve their happiness.
The narrators are good. Callie Dalton has narrated all (I think) of Mariana Zapata’s audiobooks. Chris Brinkley reads the parts that Zac speaks and Callie reads the rest of the book. I like this technique and the most recent books from this author are done the same. It gives conversations between the MMC and MFC much more clarity. The back and forth of dialogue doesn’t become confused like it can if it’s all done with one narrator. Both narrators bring warmth and humour to the book.
Mariana Zapata may not write ‘great works of fiction’ but she does write warm, interesting and funny books that present intriguing and believable characters that take us on a journey towards a HEA. This book is a great example of her work.
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