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Pas de deux

Pas de deux

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  • Create Date：2021-05-21 09:51:00
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：E.J. Noyes
  • ISBN：164247245X
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Summary

Caitlyn Lloyd has the world at her feet。 Or more accurately—under her horse’s hooves。 With the 2016 Rio Olympics just around the corner， nothing is going to derail her long-held dream of winning a medal or two in Olympic dressage。 Not even the reappearance of a childhood so-not-a-friend throwing her perfectly balanced life into disarray。
Addie Gardner’s career is at its peak， and accepting a last-minute fill-in position as the veterinarian for the US Olympic Dressage Team was a no-brainer。 The fact that her old crush from Pony Club is on the team is just a bonus。 Not a distraction at all。 And it might just offer the chance to be friends with the girl who wouldn’t even give her the time of day twenty years ago。
But Caitlyn and Addie have very different memories of their time together at Pony Club and their first meeting as adults is less like a reconnection and more like a butting of heads。 With the Olympics looming， they’ll need to set aside their history and learn to work together。 And maybe Caitlyn and Addie will realize childhood memories aren’t always accurate， and that they have more in common than they would ever have thought。 Maybe。 Just maybe。

Genre: Romance
Editor: Cath Walker
Cover Designer: Judith Fellows

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Reviews

nutmeg ，

First up， I have to confess that I don’t know much about horses or dressage but that’s precisely why one reads。 Especially a book as well prepared by the author for a novice like me。 This book has a completely different feel from other books of the author’s; put it simply， it’s sweet。 The two main characters， Caitlyn and Addie knew each other from their time at a Pony Club when they were teenagers。 While their impressions and memories of the other were poles apart， they got to work together agai First up， I have to confess that I don’t know much about horses or dressage but that’s precisely why one reads。 Especially a book as well prepared by the author for a novice like me。 This book has a completely different feel from other books of the author’s; put it simply， it’s sweet。 The two main characters， Caitlyn and Addie knew each other from their time at a Pony Club when they were teenagers。 While their impressions and memories of the other were poles apart， they got to work together again while Caitlyn was one of the competitors and Addie the team vet for the Olympics。 Their collaboration started off rocky largely due to Caitlyn’s skepticism of Addie until Caitlyn mellowed and stopped putting up the resistance to her attraction towards Addie。 While working together， the pair started a thing but both had doubts about what happens after the Olympics。 4。5 stars。 It is evident from the author’s writing that she has a passion for horses and dressage。 Love emits through the pages from the interactions of Caitlyn and her horse; the stately and inquisitive Dewey。 For dressage enthusiasts， you will experience the highs and thrills through anticipation of their performances。 As for a romantic like me， Caitlyn and Addie’s love story was the icing on the cake in the world of showmanship。 I just reviewed Pas de deux by E。J。Noyes。 Thank you NetGalley and Bella Books for the ARC。 。。。more

Magutheia ，

Caitlyn Lloyd， an olympian dressage rider， puts every thought towards the olympics just around the corner。 So it is probably a bad thing to meet Addie Gardner again， last minute fill in vet for the USA team， and her decades ago crush from pony club。 As Caitlyn remembers how bad Addie treated her back then， her focus on winning is in jepordy and so is the tightly screwed lid on all her somehow matured feelings for the now successful and very charismatic woman。I probably could smash the 5 stars an Caitlyn Lloyd， an olympian dressage rider， puts every thought towards the olympics just around the corner。 So it is probably a bad thing to meet Addie Gardner again， last minute fill in vet for the USA team， and her decades ago crush from pony club。 As Caitlyn remembers how bad Addie treated her back then， her focus on winning is in jepordy and so is the tightly screwed lid on all her somehow matured feelings for the now successful and very charismatic woman。I probably could smash the 5 stars and state only EJ Noyes as headline， summary and conlusion but I will try to elaborate！I never thought I would be that immersed in a book centerd around dressage and horses， but I even looked up some of the moves and terms。 It really complements the story that there are vivid side characters and a lot going on around them with the olympics that you get a feel for the venue。 Caitlyn´s horse Dewy has more depth than some human side characters you will find in other books。 Caitlyn and Addi clash because of their decades old history soon after meeting each other again and have to believable sort through a lot of old emotional baggage before they can even think about looking differently at each other。 It is never insta love and EJ made sure （as always） to equip her characters with human flaws， insecurities and shows how that is normal for everyone （even for hot lesbian romance characters）。During the last chapter there is some time lapse and I would have loved more details but that would make this book 600 pages and you will find the end very satisfing nonetheless。And that it is loosely based on the story how Noyes and her wife first met in Pony Club makes me wanna believe even harder: our favourite wlw stories CAN happen in real life！Read if you are in the mood for: devouring page after page and yet wishing it would never end Heat level 4/5Did I mention riding breeches are hot ;-） 。。。more

Rey Hawke ，

4。5

Laura S ，

6 ⭐ - OMG！！！ SOOOO GOOD！！！I really tried not to read this too fast because I was loving every minute of it but。。 ugh so hard to stay away from。 The romance was great。 The mains where great。 The secondary characters were great。 The horse was GREAT。 The angst was believable。 The ending was perfect with just the right amount of time to get to enjoy them as couple and get to snuggle with them and their life/love。 The story was so interesting too。 I was 100% there for all the dressage and horse stuff 6 ⭐ - OMG！！！ SOOOO GOOD！！！I really tried not to read this too fast because I was loving every minute of it but。。 ugh so hard to stay away from。 The romance was great。 The mains where great。 The secondary characters were great。 The horse was GREAT。 The angst was believable。 The ending was perfect with just the right amount of time to get to enjoy them as couple and get to snuggle with them and their life/love。 The story was so interesting too。 I was 100% there for all the dressage and horse stuff。 I LOVED THIS BOOK。 Can't wait for the audiobook。 Do not hesitate on this one。 Hands down the best all around romance/story I have read so far this year。ps。 I highly recommend you watch some dressage on youtube。 it really helped me picture the horses and outfits and what the movements looked like。 。。。more

PicoLeo ，

4，5 stars。 I just had to write a review on this new book from E。Noyce。 It’d been patiently sitting on my to-read list for a little while and I was excited to finally begin reading when the date hit 13 May。 I’m a big fan of the enemies-to-lovers trope and although the pent-up anger quickly dissolved， I still loved it。 I couldn’t stop reading about Caitlyn and Addie's story until I hit 100%。The story is based around horses and professional riding competitions and I loved reading about it because I 4，5 stars。 I just had to write a review on this new book from E。Noyce。 It’d been patiently sitting on my to-read list for a little while and I was excited to finally begin reading when the date hit 13 May。 I’m a big fan of the enemies-to-lovers trope and although the pent-up anger quickly dissolved， I still loved it。 I couldn’t stop reading about Caitlyn and Addie's story until I hit 100%。The story is based around horses and professional riding competitions and I loved reading about it because I’d never read a book about the sport before。 I， myself， did horseback riding for four years when I was younger and it was funny to read about all the mean girls back in Pony Club because it’s absolutely true （girls were always so mean during those days）。 It was fun reading about the experience of horseback riding again and I can’t lie - it did make me want to ride a horse again sometimes。 Which is a good thing I think :）Both characters are very likable （mostly our sweet veterinarian） and Noyes wrote a very believable and natural love story。 At some point， it did feel a little like Addie was more into the relationship than Caitlyn， but that was mostly because of reasons I’m not going to tell （; （Not going to get too much into it to avoid spoilers）There were a few heated sex scenes and their first time was amazingly written。 They weren’t two complete sex gods who could make each other peak in about two seconds - no， it was a learning experience like a first time is supposed to be。 Usually， first point views aren’t my favorite books to read but Noyes wrote it very well and I never had any problem with the writing style。 Now， why I can’t give a full-on 5-stars: the ridiculous combo of bitterballen and stroopwafels。 As a Dutchy， I really can’t accept that。 （Nah， just kidding）The real reason why， is that full 5-stars books are the perfect books in my eyes， and - call me silly for it - a perfect book would be based in a fantasy/ sci-fi， etc。 setting in my opinion。 I can’t help but enjoy those types of genres a little more。 But that’s totally my own fault and not the writer’s， so romance-wise， I completely recommend picking this book up！ 。。。more

Cece S ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 3。50 I’m a huge fan of EJ Noyes， But for me this book was ok。

pipsqueakreviews ，

Loving the equestrian dressage world now…Noyes has a large fan base because she is a solid writer。 I've read some of her books before this and I agree with everybody else。In theory， a love story between an equestrian of the 2016 Rio Olympics US Dressage Team and the team veterinarian wouldn’t interest me because I have no interest in sports nor horses。 I never even heard of dressage before this， which I blame on the fact that it’s not a popular sport in this part of the world。 Okay， ignorant。 *s Loving the equestrian dressage world now…Noyes has a large fan base because she is a solid writer。 I've read some of her books before this and I agree with everybody else。In theory， a love story between an equestrian of the 2016 Rio Olympics US Dressage Team and the team veterinarian wouldn’t interest me because I have no interest in sports nor horses。 I never even heard of dressage before this， which I blame on the fact that it’s not a popular sport in this part of the world。 Okay， ignorant。 *shrugs* But it's Noyes， so I read it and I ended up loving it。 I didn’t even mind googling the technical words along the way。 I found myself drawn to the Olympics storyline， following Caitlyn’s professional achievements closely and enjoyed her special friendship with Dewey， her horse。The romantic storyline was pretty great too。 Addie and Caitlyn were nemesis at 14 when they were both members of the Pony Club。 But when they meet as colleagues years later and start rehashing their history， their recollections of the past turns out to be entirely different from each other's so it changes perspectives for them and they restart a friendship on a clean slate。 The attraction was pretty quick and the chemistry turned out to be really good。 And I really love how differently they communicate as adults compared to when they were immature 14 year olds。 Noyes has given us a solid book once again。 I love it。 I received an ARC from Bella Books through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

H M ，

I'd give it 4。9， it was great read。 I'd give it 4。9， it was great read。 。。。more

Sky Brown ，

Great book by Ms Noyes。 I enjoyed this book so much the romance and the dressage。 I've always been fascinated by horses and the competitions it was great reading about it。 Once again Ms Noyes writing is fantastic and both characters were lovable。 Great book by Ms Noyes。 I enjoyed this book so much the romance and the dressage。 I've always been fascinated by horses and the competitions it was great reading about it。 Once again Ms Noyes writing is fantastic and both characters were lovable。 。。。more

Doreen HOWARD ，

Noyes has done it yet again！ This a beautiful story not just love between humans but also between human and horse。 The horse Dewey is not a secondary character but is a third main。 In many respects he steals the limelight and is a born comedian of the equine world。 Noyes obviously has a great understanding of horses and of the horse world， as a reader I had no knowledge of horses but by the end of this book I could easily go to a stable with some knowledge of how to talk to these great animals。

Angie ，

And EJ Noyes is back！ Look， her foray into paranormal romance wasn't bad， but it definitely wasn't for me， so I'm happy for the return to contemporary romance， where， in this case， childhood enemies are reunited as adults who must work together to ensure their mutual success。 Yes， please！Caitlyn is hoping to make the US Dressage team headed to the 2016 Rio Olympics。 When the team vet suffers a heart attack， Addie Gardner is given the opportunity of a lifetime。 Not only will she get to care for s And EJ Noyes is back！ Look， her foray into paranormal romance wasn't bad， but it definitely wasn't for me， so I'm happy for the return to contemporary romance， where， in this case， childhood enemies are reunited as adults who must work together to ensure their mutual success。 Yes， please！Caitlyn is hoping to make the US Dressage team headed to the 2016 Rio Olympics。 When the team vet suffers a heart attack， Addie Gardner is given the opportunity of a lifetime。 Not only will she get to care for some of the world's most impressive horses， but she'll get to spend time with the girl she crushed on in Pony Club when they were both teenagers。 Only what Caitlyn remembers about that time is that Addie bullied her and made her life miserable。 So their meeting as adults doesn't exactly go well。I really liked the way Noyes handled their understanding of their past and how they get to know each other as adults。 And， as in the case with all Noyes novels， I really appreciate that any angst or insecurity in the relationship is dealt with by the characters actually communicating with each other。 There's drama aplenty， but that drama isn't miscommunication。 There's even communication during their more intimate moments that was so good。While Pas de deux is completely satisfying， I'm not sure it's quite a full 5 stars。 I think I'd give it 4。5。 I wanted more from the romance， to be honest。 But I am rounding up because I've spent the last two days rereading large portions of the novel， and it's just so good。 It may not be a super epic romance with that bring-you-to-your-knees moment， but this is still an EJ Noyes novel。 。。。more

Cheryl S ，

When I see E。 J。 Noyes name on a book， I grab it。 She writes "your not so typical" stories。 This one is introducing us to the life of a Dressage Rider/trainer and her horse。 And her struggles and hard work to get to the Olympics in Rio。 And of course there is a warm and rich romance with the Olympic teams Veterinarian。 Both mc's （Caitlyn and Addie） are interesting and complex。 I loved all the description of the relationship between Caitlyn and her horse Dew。 I was not aware a horse could be so a When I see E。 J。 Noyes name on a book， I grab it。 She writes "your not so typical" stories。 This one is introducing us to the life of a Dressage Rider/trainer and her horse。 And her struggles and hard work to get to the Olympics in Rio。 And of course there is a warm and rich romance with the Olympic teams Veterinarian。 Both mc's （Caitlyn and Addie） are interesting and complex。 I loved all the description of the relationship between Caitlyn and her horse Dew。 I was not aware a horse could be so affectionate。 I would have liked a little more description regarding the Dressage movements and step requirements in the arena so I googled it。 And now I am in awe and a big fan。 I now understand the melt down Caitlyn has during a very unexpected problem half way into the story。Another 5 star review for originality， romance and interest。 I recommend any of Noyes books。I was given this ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Ban ，

I mean。。。 we all know who wrote this book。 And I also know it’s impossible for me to not love any of the books。 Second chances and Addie and Caitlyn？ Gods， yes。 I’ve loved their story。 Addie dealing with Caitlyn being anxious about things。。。。 Dewey？ I love him。

MJ ，

It’s E。J。 Noyes so it’s a given that this book is one of the best releases in WLW fiction this year and will remain in the top tier for the rest of the year， no questions asked。 Can’t really add anything to what’s already been said by other reviewers。 Lovable characters， flawlessly constructed and fastidiously-researched setting （with HORSES！ At the！ OLYMPICS！）， engaging plot， and a love story to root for that feels real and is devoid of the usual frustrating romance formulas。 The book is long， It’s E。J。 Noyes so it’s a given that this book is one of the best releases in WLW fiction this year and will remain in the top tier for the rest of the year， no questions asked。 Can’t really add anything to what’s already been said by other reviewers。 Lovable characters， flawlessly constructed and fastidiously-researched setting （with HORSES！ At the！ OLYMPICS！）， engaging plot， and a love story to root for that feels real and is devoid of the usual frustrating romance formulas。 The book is long， giving all of this delightfulness time to breathe and stretch out into a damn well told （and well edited） story。 Absolutely enjoyable read。 Goddamn， this woman was born to write。 。。。more

Elise ，

I absolutely loved this book， which is no surprise since I have loved all of E。J。 Noyes' books。 The story is about Addie and Caitlyn， members but （seeming） rivals of the same teenage Pony Club， who reconnect as adults when Addie joins the Olympic Dressage team as the veterinarian and Caitlyn is competing。It's no surprise that Addie and Caitlyn's relationship was fun to watch unfold， that they had amazing chemistry， and that you were truly "rooting" for them。 What I didn't expect was how much I w I absolutely loved this book， which is no surprise since I have loved all of E。J。 Noyes' books。 The story is about Addie and Caitlyn， members but （seeming） rivals of the same teenage Pony Club， who reconnect as adults when Addie joins the Olympic Dressage team as the veterinarian and Caitlyn is competing。It's no surprise that Addie and Caitlyn's relationship was fun to watch unfold， that they had amazing chemistry， and that you were truly "rooting" for them。 What I didn't expect was how much I would enjoy the setting and secondary characters。 Dewey truly steals the show and （even though I have never so much as ridden on a horse） I found myself looking forward to reading more about his little quirks and personality。（Side note to the author （not that she's reading this）） - A Dewey / Rasputin reunion scene would make for a fun one shot！ It was the one thing I really wish was included。Overall this is a great， fun read and I look forward to more books from the author in the future。 。。。more

Betty ，

Pas de deux is a beautifully written novel by one of my favorite authors， E。J。 Noyes。 It is one of those books that I will want to read over and over again。 It is that good。The story is an enemies-to-lovers romance。 Caitlyn Lloyd and Addie Gardiner knew each other from their teens when they were in Pony Club。 They were not really friends then， and Caitlyn especially has some ill feelings toward Addie。 Caitlyn is not happy when she finds out Addie is the new vet for the US Olympic Dressage Team t Pas de deux is a beautifully written novel by one of my favorite authors， E。J。 Noyes。 It is one of those books that I will want to read over and over again。 It is that good。The story is an enemies-to-lovers romance。 Caitlyn Lloyd and Addie Gardiner knew each other from their teens when they were in Pony Club。 They were not really friends then， and Caitlyn especially has some ill feelings toward Addie。 Caitlyn is not happy when she finds out Addie is the new vet for the US Olympic Dressage Team that she is trying out for。 It adds a lot of tension to an already tense situation as the riders and horses work for the few spots on the 2016 Olympic team。The characters really make this story。 I already knew that Ms。 Noyes is an expert at creating realistic and memorable people that readers can connect with， but I think she has done an outstanding job with Caitlyn and Addie。 I love how they interact with each other in the story， from the first reunion when Caitlyn still harbors bad feelings for Addie to later when they are trying to resolve the tension and misunderstandings between them。 They actually talk to each other， and what is even more wonderful…listen to each other。 You don’t see that a lot in romance stories。 This is not your usual fall-in-love， fight， break-up， and make-up tale。 It is much more realistic， and I loved every minute of it。 Of course the horses， especially Caitlyn’s Dewey， make the tale even better。I had a blast reading this novel。 I’ve listed it as a favorite book， and it has my highest recommendation。I received and ARC from NetGalley and Bella Books for an honest review。 。。。more

Sam ，

I loved it。 This book was well-written and the story flowed。 I never thought I would be into a plot about dressage but this book had me googling terms， horses， etc。 it’s been awhile since I read a book where I felt invested in the plot。The romance aspect was perfect， I thought。 I enjoyed the combo of a second chance romance and a enemies to lovers trope。 Brilliant。 Also， the length of the book was just right。 I enjoy reading books that are a little longer。 It makes the plot not play out too fast I loved it。 This book was well-written and the story flowed。 I never thought I would be into a plot about dressage but this book had me googling terms， horses， etc。 it’s been awhile since I read a book where I felt invested in the plot。The romance aspect was perfect， I thought。 I enjoyed the combo of a second chance romance and a enemies to lovers trope。 Brilliant。 Also， the length of the book was just right。 I enjoy reading books that are a little longer。 It makes the plot not play out too fast and I thought that was necessary with this book。Definitely recommend reading this one。 。。。more

MZ ，

How can I give this book anything else than the five stars it deserves！ I loved it， but I have to admit I’m a little bit biased。 People that know me， know that I’m not much of a sports person， but there is one sport that still makes my heart beat just a little bit faster and that’s dressage。 This book is a perfect combination of my favorite sport and a wlw romance， what more do you need？For more than a decade I competed in dressage and while it was just at amateur level， me and my friends were n How can I give this book anything else than the five stars it deserves！ I loved it， but I have to admit I’m a little bit biased。 People that know me， know that I’m not much of a sports person， but there is one sport that still makes my heart beat just a little bit faster and that’s dressage。 This book is a perfect combination of my favorite sport and a wlw romance， what more do you need？For more than a decade I competed in dressage and while it was just at amateur level， me and my friends were no less serious about it。 Training 6 days a week， lessons 2-3 times a week and competitions in the weekends， ow and a little bit of school in between。 And where did my equestrian adventure start？ Yes， at pony club！ It did not bring me the love of my life （I was still so far tucked away in the closet that I didn’t even know it had a door）， but it did bring me my best friend， who’s until today （almost 30 years later） still my best friend。 Equestrian sports in the Netherlands equates dressage， and I was delighted to see that part of this book is actually set at a training facility in the Netherlands and everything fits， from the various locations to the people and “Poffertje” the cat。 Also， all descriptions of dressage， training and the connection between rider and horse are so well described that it’s clear that Noyes is not only very knowledgeable on the subject， she also clearly loves the sport and of course， the horses。 But Noyes would not be Noyes if there isn’t a fantastic romance as well。 Caitlin is a candidate for the American dressage team and Addie is the new USA team veterinarian。 When they first meet at a qualification competition there is obvious （one sided） hostility between the two based on events that happened at pony club， events that they both appear to remember quite differently。 I enjoyed the slow buildup and recollection of what happened at pony club and the realization that they were both teens handling their insecurities in a different manner。 But， even after this first hurdle there are more difficulties for them to overcome and what I love about this book is that it is so real。 There is excellent communication and this is not the beautified romance with perfect people and perfect lives that fit seamlessly together， or perfect sex for that matter， I had to chuckle when they lightly fumble through their first sexual encounter （which was no less sexy for it）。 Caitlin and Addy have very different personalities and I think it’s almost impossible not to like them， but if I had to pick a favorite it would be Addie with her openness and slight awkwardness。 There are not a lot of secondary characters， not with a large role anyway， but the ones that are there were fleshed out very well。 Wren is the perfect groom， but also a really good friend to Caitlin and she perfectly complements Caitlin’s introvert character。 The other secondary character has to be Dewey， Caitlin’s horse。 I know this sounds weird， but his personality is unmistakable， I really got the feeling that I know him and I just want to cuddle him and give him a treat or fun toy to play with。In this book Noyes is back to writing in first person， but with POVs from Caitlin and Addy。 I like first person， it just makes that connection a little bit more intense， but sometimes I miss the connection to the other character（s）。 This is why the two POVs work so well， it gives the best of both worlds。 One other thing to notice is that this book is very low angst。 Normally I like some angst in my books， but I found that I did not miss it in this one at all。 I can’t think of anything I did not like about this book， however， if you don’t know too much about horses or dressage， it might be a bit technical at times。 But then again， learning a thing or two while reading a great book is never a bad thing， right？If it wasn’t clear from my rambling above I highly recommend this book！I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Natalie ，

The premise of Pas de deux is very sweet and is based lightly on Noyes' own experiences。 The relationship between Caitlyn and Addie took a bit to heat up due to some childhood silliness from years before， but I really enjoyed seeing their friendship， then romance， develop。For me， the standout of this novel was our main man， Dewey。 Although he is a horse， he was the perfect secondary character that added a great deal to this story。 I will be the first to admit that I have absolutely no idea about The premise of Pas de deux is very sweet and is based lightly on Noyes' own experiences。 The relationship between Caitlyn and Addie took a bit to heat up due to some childhood silliness from years before， but I really enjoyed seeing their friendship， then romance， develop。For me， the standout of this novel was our main man， Dewey。 Although he is a horse， he was the perfect secondary character that added a great deal to this story。 I will be the first to admit that I have absolutely no idea about horses， but Dewey is this big personality in the book that made me want to get to know this world a lot more。 I never knew horses were so smart and playful！ I think my lack of knowledge about horses， dressage and the competitive world this book is set in was the reason why it took me a bit to get into the story。 However， once I was invested in the characters （including Dewey） I was hooked by this book。 E。J。 Noyes is definitely one of my favourite authors。 Her world building and characterisation is stand-out in her novels and this is again showcased within Pas de deux。 Many thanks to Netgalley and Bella Books for a copy of this novel。 ARC provided in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Gaby LezReviewBooks ，

EJ Noyes is one of my favourite lesfic authors since she stormed the lesfic world with her Ask， Tell series， and later on with Alone， on my list of best books of 2019。 Every time one of her novels is released I drop everything else to read it。 Once again， she didn’t disappoint。Caitlyn Lloyd is at the top of her career as a dressage rider with hopes to win a medal or two at the 2016 Rio Olympics。 Addie Gardner is an equestrian veterinarian filling a last-minute vacancy as the veterinarian for the EJ Noyes is one of my favourite lesfic authors since she stormed the lesfic world with her Ask， Tell series， and later on with Alone， on my list of best books of 2019。 Every time one of her novels is released I drop everything else to read it。 Once again， she didn’t disappoint。Caitlyn Lloyd is at the top of her career as a dressage rider with hopes to win a medal or two at the 2016 Rio Olympics。 Addie Gardner is an equestrian veterinarian filling a last-minute vacancy as the veterinarian for the US Olympic Dressage Team。 Both women have conflicting childhood memories when they were members of the same Pony Club and Caitlyn is far from happy to see Addie again。 As both have to work together towards a common goal they will discover that maybe they can leave the past behind and build a future together…This was an entertaining sports romance with a small part of the enemies to lovers trope。 After the author admittedly felt uncomfortable writing in third person in her previous novel， Reaping the Benefits， she’s back to her customary first person， in this case， from both main characters’ point of view in alternating chapters。 The romance is both parts sizzling and sweet， but the main stars of this story are the dressage sport and the horses。 Ms。 Noyes knows what she’s writing about， firstly as a former member of a Pony club and living her own “enemies to lovers” romance with her wife， and secondly as an experienced horse breeder。 So you will find a lot of level of detail regarding the sport and even a glossary of dressage terms at the end which isn’t essential to understand as Ms。 Noyes explains everything in detail。 I’m not a fan of that sport but found the dressage scenes very entertaining and the tension around competition at its highest level kept me turning pages。 Additionally， Caitlyn’s horse Dewey is fleshed out so well that he seems like another human character。If you’ve read Noyes’s Ask， Tell series or Alone you will see that this author is no stranger to heavy angst。 However， Pas de Deux is very low in the angst department。 I personally prefer little or no angst but some readers might miss that level of emotional roller-coaster present in the books mentioned above。 Having said that， this novel doesn’t lack in the excitement department， typical of a sports competition at Olympic level。 So if you are a sports fan and love a low angst romance， this book is definitely for you。 Pas de Deux is another winner by EJ Noyes。This novel is currently （May 2021） in the stages of production of the audiobook version， narrated by Abby Craden。 I’m sure Ms。 Craden will do a fantastic job as she normally does。 Can’t wait to listen to it。 In the meantime， the written version gets a 4。5-star rating from me。 。。。more

Sam ，

2021 is the year in which I discovered E。 J。 Noyes and what a delightful discovery it has been。As I understand from the author’s social media this story is loosely based on her own life， she has taken some artistic liberties but that’s it。 When your own love story resembles something like the story in this book it is understandable you write romance novels， you have the best example to draw inspiration from。 Caitlyn is a dressage rider for Team USA， introverted and maybe a bit socially awkward o 2021 is the year in which I discovered E。 J。 Noyes and what a delightful discovery it has been。As I understand from the author’s social media this story is loosely based on her own life， she has taken some artistic liberties but that’s it。 When your own love story resembles something like the story in this book it is understandable you write romance novels， you have the best example to draw inspiration from。 Caitlyn is a dressage rider for Team USA， introverted and maybe a bit socially awkward on top of it。 Addie is the replacement vet for the team。 The women share a Pony Club history that they remember in a different way and have processed in a different way。 The focus in this book is very much on the horses， qualifying is for the 2016 Rio Olympics and the stresses of their jobs。 The way Caitlyn and Addie find each other is just so cute， enemies to lovers comes to mind， but I think if you are enemies there has to be hostility from both sides， and there definitely isn’t。 I can’t really describe the story， but it’s good。 Lots of communication， honest conversations， fun sexy times， cute horse， it has it all。 Lesfic with horses certainly isn’t new， but the way this is done， in typical Noyes fashion， it just stands out。 I don’t really care about horses， or equine sports for that matter， I only catch some of the dressage at the Olympics。 So for me， at times some of the things were a bit hard to understand。 Plus side， I did learn many things about dressage。 What I also found rather funny was the setting in the Netherlands， my home country， fun to see some typical Dutch things。 Even the very typical Dutch behaviour by a secondary character， made me laugh。Anyway， I’m so happy I discovered Noyes this year and even when a book revolves around a subject I really have no affinity with （horses） I can really enjoy her books and be fully immersed in them。 Love it！4。5 stars 。。。more

Sian ，

Like many other readers I am a big fan of E。J Noyes， with Ask， Tell and Alone being two of my favourite books of all time。 I’ve been keen to get my hands on her most recent release （thank you NetGalley & Publisher） after reading others Arc reviews。 I did really enjoy this book， although not quite to the same level as her previous releases。 I generally don’t have an interest in horses， dressage etc， so it did take me a fair while to become familiar with certain terms and to become attached to the Like many other readers I am a big fan of E。J Noyes， with Ask， Tell and Alone being two of my favourite books of all time。 I’ve been keen to get my hands on her most recent release （thank you NetGalley & Publisher） after reading others Arc reviews。 I did really enjoy this book， although not quite to the same level as her previous releases。 I generally don’t have an interest in horses， dressage etc， so it did take me a fair while to become familiar with certain terms and to become attached to the story。 The two main characters， Addie and Caitlyn， have history stretching back to their early teen years and for me this type of background is always a plus。 The book was low angst and I enjoyed the chemistry between the two MC’s。 I have read previously that the author owns many horses and I found that the love and interest that she has for both them and equestrian sports really shines through。 Generally， I think it’s impossible for Noyes to produce a disappointing book。 I enjoyed this weekend read and look forward to her next release。 Overall a 4* for me 。。。more

Diane Wallace ，

'ARC provided by both Netgalley and The Publisher （Bella Books） in exchange for a honest review'**Few writers sometimes cannot write the stories that they really want to write but then they should write the book that they are capable of writing。。The effable is preferable to the ineffable。。'Pleasant read！It is sometimes delightful to encounter a book that， in addition to being an enjoyable read， strikes this same positive responsive chords from other readers minds。 Noyes is as single-minded to he 'ARC provided by both Netgalley and The Publisher （Bella Books） in exchange for a honest review'**Few writers sometimes cannot write the stories that they really want to write but then they should write the book that they are capable of writing。。The effable is preferable to the ineffable。。'Pleasant read！It is sometimes delightful to encounter a book that， in addition to being an enjoyable read， strikes this same positive responsive chords from other readers minds。 Noyes is as single-minded to her craft as her characters， good and otherwise are to theirs -- with this literary flair when telling a story from curious and fascinating angles。 So to this I say that E。J。 Noyes is back with what she does best in telling a charming well researched story -- with an engaging romantic filled love story。 With her signature insight and gift for storytelling， she interweave this enchanting tale from the first chapter of the intimate bond and unique relationships between a horse， it's rider， veterinarian， groomer and everyone else associated with them to the last page。 It's really all about achieving goals， getting to the Olympics， winning or medaling in the dressage/equestrian events while resolving whatever feelings there might be for a past riding teammate and assuming teen bully。 Not a horse person neither am I into horse dressage plus anything pertaining to the inner workings of veterinarians etc。。 but from the storyline progression， i have not read any other writer who has brought to life the remarkable bonding between humans and their horses like Ms。Noyes。 Her extensive groundwork in the field of horse/animal cognition while exploring the quick instincts， keen observations of any health issues and the different medical care by professional veterinarians were well written。 Overall， 'PAS DE DEUX' is filled with whimsical anecdotes， reckoning dialogues， spins a web of human emotions that range from anger to sheer joy even captures the essence of what it feels like to achieve your goals then fall in Love。 Whether exercising， laying around， being playful， eating hay or any favorite snacks in their barns， the horses in 'PAS DE DEUX' are genuinely motivating， will warm your heart and utterly memorable。 Highly recommended！ 。。。more

R ，

I always enjoyed watching the dressage competition during the Olympics。 I found those events to be powerfully entertaining and engaging。 I felt the same way while reading this author’s latest book。Caitlyn was hoping to medal at the 2016 Olympic dressage competition。 She was confident in her abilities and strongly focused on the goals she set for herself。 Nothing seemed to rattle her until she saw her tormentor from twenty years ago， Addie， who was now the team’s veterinarian。 When Addie and Cait I always enjoyed watching the dressage competition during the Olympics。 I found those events to be powerfully entertaining and engaging。 I felt the same way while reading this author’s latest book。Caitlyn was hoping to medal at the 2016 Olympic dressage competition。 She was confident in her abilities and strongly focused on the goals she set for herself。 Nothing seemed to rattle her until she saw her tormentor from twenty years ago， Addie， who was now the team’s veterinarian。 When Addie and Caitlyn were fourteen， they were members of the Pony Club。 Caitlyn remembered Addie and her friends constantly bullying her， while Addie remembered having a massive crush of Caitlyn。 Even though they remembered that time period differently， they maturely set aside the past to focus on the present， in the hope that they could establish a working relationship。 There were many aspects of this story that I enjoyed。 The characters were very well developed。 While their professional relationship was always solid， they took time to develop a more personal relationship。 Given their past history， they were a bit cautious in their personal approach to each other。 But， and this was what I found most enjoyable， they started to communicate about the past， present， and future。 They communicated with each other in a no nonsense way。 They came to an understanding about their past and developed a friendship。 They continued to communicate about their present and future: their strong feelings for each other and how they might continue a relationship since they lived in different states。 It was actually refreshing to see the characters communicate on all levels not only with words but tender touches to offer support or understanding。 I enjoyed the very descriptive and detailed account of the dressage storyline。 It was very interesting and enlightening。 And I just loved Dewy with his commanding presence and playful ways。 I also loved how the title was a meaningful part of their past- a memory they both cherished。 Those memories encouraged the women to trust each once again and gave them the encouragement to move forward with their relationship。 E。J。 Noyes is one of those select few authors that never seems to disappoint her readers。 This was another well written highly entertaining story from start to finish。 A copy was given for an honest review。 。。。more

Rosi ，

This is a story set in the equestrian world， not horse riding or racing， but dressage。 That is already a bit difficult to follow because that world has a very particular and complex language。 One of the protagonists is a rider and the other a veterinarian， so vet jargon joined dressage。 And for a totally illiterate person， in that matter， as I am， it has been a bit difficult and weird at times。Apart from the setting or the different jargons， the story develops a reunion between two women who met This is a story set in the equestrian world， not horse riding or racing， but dressage。 That is already a bit difficult to follow because that world has a very particular and complex language。 One of the protagonists is a rider and the other a veterinarian， so vet jargon joined dressage。 And for a totally illiterate person， in that matter， as I am， it has been a bit difficult and weird at times。Apart from the setting or the different jargons， the story develops a reunion between two women who met as teenagers and who meet again in adulthood。 When they were young， they met at the Pony Club and they were not exactly best friends。 However， it is curious how they discover， with the perspective of the years， why their behavior then and how different are their memories of that past together。 Different to the point that an event that occurred in that Pony Club is remembered in detail by one of them， almost mythified as an exhilarating fact of her adolescence， and erased from her memory by the other woman， who nevertheless continues to remember humiliating moments that the other even now does not realize she caused。Now in adulthood， in their late thirties， Caitlyn is an elite rider and Addie is a top veterinarian， they coincide in the world of dressage competition and if all goes well they should share the adventure of participating in the Olympics。 Abbie is the one who is most excited about the coincidence， her first crush and now even more beautiful and tempting， but Caitlyn is a bit cautious because she doesn't know what could be coming from the woman who put her through so bad back then。The story has ups and downs。 The ups mostly starred by Abbie， much more likeable and charming with her flaws and quirks。 Caitlyn， perhaps due to her professional deformation， always seems more distant and cold in her dealings with humans， not so much with her horses。 And there are some really silly moments， a little forced to cause uncertainty， but not very realistic or too credible。 The end has not been the most remarkable either。I recognize and appreciate the style of this author， already characteristic after several books， all of them recommended by the way， her way of relating situations， the fresh and funny dialogues， how she makes her characters overcome their fears and be sincere despite their insecurities， no-nonsense characters。 Although in this case， the horsing part takes up too much space maybe。 Publisher Bella Books was kind enough to provide me with an advanced reading copy via Netgalley for my honest review 。。。more

Heath ，

I love EJ Noyes and was very excited to read this。 Both of the main characters are likeable people and have some fantastic chemistry。 I think my favorite aspect of this book is that they communicated with each other。 From their interactions back at camp to their current situation before and at the olympics。 Nothing bugs me more than lack of communication。 It was also nice that they weren’t pitted as rival riders。 I don’t know anything about horses but their dynamic as rider and vet seemed realis I love EJ Noyes and was very excited to read this。 Both of the main characters are likeable people and have some fantastic chemistry。 I think my favorite aspect of this book is that they communicated with each other。 From their interactions back at camp to their current situation before and at the olympics。 Nothing bugs me more than lack of communication。 It was also nice that they weren’t pitted as rival riders。 I don’t know anything about horses but their dynamic as rider and vet seemed realistic。 Because I’m a slow burn fan I do wish that it took them a little longer to become friendly。 However， that didn’t take anything away from the story。 This is a solid book that’s definitely worth a read。 （Thanks to the Bella and netgalley for the copy） 。。。more

khi s ，

I absolutely enjoyed this book。 In this book we follow Caitlyn and Addison。 Addison a veterinarian and Caitlyn is a dressage player on the road to the Olympics。 The two meet when Addison is hired for the Olympic dressage team but this isn’t their first time meeting as the two were childhood friends。。。 maybe not to Caitlyn though。 The childhood that she remembers is nothing like the one Addison does and this kicks off an underlining enemies to lovers story。 Caitlyn thought Addison hated her when I absolutely enjoyed this book。 In this book we follow Caitlyn and Addison。 Addison a veterinarian and Caitlyn is a dressage player on the road to the Olympics。 The two meet when Addison is hired for the Olympic dressage team but this isn’t their first time meeting as the two were childhood friends。。。 maybe not to Caitlyn though。 The childhood that she remembers is nothing like the one Addison does and this kicks off an underlining enemies to lovers story。 Caitlyn thought Addison hated her when in reality Addison just had the biggest crush。Their relationship is absolutely cute， I’m not the biggest fan of dressage or horses as I may or may not have a small。。。。 huge fear of animals taller than me， but I still loved this book。 I expect nothing less from EJ Noyes though！ I do wish there was more romantic scenes between the two and maybe a more epic realization from Caitlyn that she was in love。Highly recommend， very easy， casual， funny read！Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an honest review！ 。。。more

Jude in the Stars ，

4。5⭐️ – Each new book by E。J。 Noyes is cause for celebration。 You know you’re going to get fantastic writing， relatable characters， and a great story。 Even with her more traditional romances （Turbulence， Gold or this new one）， there’s always something more。In Pas de Deux， Caitlyn Lloyd is on the verge of qualifying for the 2016 Rio Olympics as part of the US dressage team。 All her hard work， all her sacrifices are about to pay。 No way is she going to let her confusion over the new team vet dera 4。5⭐️ – Each new book by E。J。 Noyes is cause for celebration。 You know you’re going to get fantastic writing， relatable characters， and a great story。 Even with her more traditional romances （Turbulence， Gold or this new one）， there’s always something more。In Pas de Deux， Caitlyn Lloyd is on the verge of qualifying for the 2016 Rio Olympics as part of the US dressage team。 All her hard work， all her sacrifices are about to pay。 No way is she going to let her confusion over the new team vet derail her plans。 Addie Gardner was Caitlyn’s nemesis at Pony Club， or so Caitlyn remembers it。 On Addie’s side， things are a bit different: Caitlyn was her first – and everlasting – crush。 Now an accomplished vet， Addie’s ambition is to do her job as well as possible。 And if with that job comes a new friendship （or more）， she won’t complain。I don’t know much about horses。 Like with most sports， I know more than I would had I not met my wife （she once received an award for her articles on equestrian competitions）， and I understood most of the words without using the glossary at the end of the book， but I mostly look from afar， awed by both the beauty and the height of horses。 They make me feel very small， clumsy and fragile。 E。J。 Noyes， on the other hand， is an expert， and the love she has for horses is in every word of this book。 I think it’s that love that made it possible for me to care about every detail， all the minutiae about the care of horses。 The level of description could have felt excessive but Noyes makes it engaging and captivating。The readers who felt lost when Noyes tried her hand at third person narrative will be happy to know that she’s back to first person （from both MCs’ POV， in alternate chapters） and hasn’t mislaid any of her talent during her foray into foreign territory。 I， for one， believe her third person is just as good as her first and that she spooked herself with Reaping the Benefits。 When you’re as talented as E。J。 Noyes is， you can write anything you put your mind to。 The only question is whether you’re enjoying writing it。 And it certainly feels as if the author took pleasure in writing this story。One of the many things I loved in this book is the way the MCs deal with problems。 They do this very adult and very rare-in-lesfic thing: they talk to each other。 This book is proof that miscommunication isn’t required for drama。 Neither is a breakup。 Well-fleshed characters with very human hang-ups bring all the angst and drama necessary。 It’s all the more interesting here as Pas de Deux is part enemies-to-lovers romance， part second chance， depending on whose point of view is playing。 Addie has had a crush on Caitlyn since they were fourteen， unbeknownst to Caitlyn who thought Addie was a pest。All the confused feelings they had as teenagers wake up in a much more adult manner when they meet again。 The chemistry between them is sweet and hot at the same time， with Addie trying not to get her hopes up too quickly and Caitlyn’s efforts to reconcile the girl she hated with the adorable woman she’s attracted to。 Once they act on their attraction， the sex scenes are both steamy and realistic。 Not everything is picture-perfect the first time and it only makes it better。While I loved both MCs （especially Addie） and the secondary characters， from Caitlyn’s groom Wren to Addie’s friend Teresa and， of course， Dewey the horse， this book didn’t touch me as deeply as Noyes’s books usually do。 It could be because， before I got to it， I read a couple of other books that brought out a lot of emotions for me and I was， maybe， a little dried out。 If that’s the reason， I’m pretty sure I’ll experience the minuscule part I missed when I listen to the audiobook。 I love E。J。 Noyes’s books but what I love even more is Abby Craden narrating them。 I don’t even care if she mangles the French （as long as she’s not voicing a French character）。 I can’t wait to hear the voices she gives Caitlyn and Addie。I received a copy from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving a review。 。。。more

Aleana Harris ，

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review。Caitlyn is a rider she raise her horse Dewey who is character all in itself she is determined to win a medal in US Olympic dressage and nothing is going to distract her from her gold。 Addie is vet who in last minute is working US Olympic Dressage Team。 She loves her job and actually happy she get a chance to see her old crush that wouldn’t give her second glance。 Caitlyn and Addie clash but it I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review。Caitlyn is a rider she raise her horse Dewey who is character all in itself she is determined to win a medal in US Olympic dressage and nothing is going to distract her from her gold。 Addie is vet who in last minute is working US Olympic Dressage Team。 She loves her job and actually happy she get a chance to see her old crush that wouldn’t give her second glance。 Caitlyn and Addie clash but it doesn’t stop the sparks coming from the both of them when old hurts comes to the surface will they be able to put the past behind them and start anew。 I like both characters they were both driven the chemistry was there I like that what you think you remember maybe false and what your being told maybe the truth。 。。。more

Jamie ，

It's E。J。 Noyes。 There is a reason she is at the top of the field when it comes to WLW fiction。 I was so excited to receive an ARC of this book， and after I got it， I thought about rushing through this， but decided to savor the book instead， and it was so worth it。 This book was so great。 It follows both Caitlyn Lloyd and Addison （Addie） Gardener as they navigate Olympic qualifiers together then eventually the Olympics- Caitlyn as a rider and Addie as the team Vet。 They have a contentious past t It's E。J。 Noyes。 There is a reason she is at the top of the field when it comes to WLW fiction。 I was so excited to receive an ARC of this book， and after I got it， I thought about rushing through this， but decided to savor the book instead， and it was so worth it。 This book was so great。 It follows both Caitlyn Lloyd and Addison （Addie） Gardener as they navigate Olympic qualifiers together then eventually the Olympics- Caitlyn as a rider and Addie as the team Vet。 They have a contentious past together they can't agree on， but have to put that aside to be successful， and yet there is something growing between them。 I loved this。 Every part of it。 I'm a certified fan of enemies to lovers， and while this isn't the most heated of rivalries I've read about- it was still fun to see Caitlyn's initial animosity towards Addie and Addie's feelings totally foiled in respect for Caitlyn。 I honestly don't know anything about horses and competitive horse riding， I grew up in a city and have been on one like twice。 So I had to look up some things- like what dressage is， and the movements described in the book， but it didn't at all interfere with my enjoyment of this book。 I could see it all happening really well- Noyes describes what is going on very effectively that you don't need a background in horsemanship to follow the actions。 I do enjoy sports and competitions though so I liked this element in the book quite a bit。 This book is told through dual narrators in first person- and that usually isn't my favorite point of view but I think it does really work here so we can get in both characters' heads and see their perspective- especially on the different perspectives of their adolescence together， but also when events happen in this book that put them at odds。 I do think it worked really well。 Both Caitlyn and Addie are so lovable。 Seeing them butt heads yet be drawn together was really fun。 I especially loved Caitlyn， with how introverted she is and how she struggles conveying her emotions and putting herself out there to get what she really wants- especially when she wants Addie。 She was wonderful。 And Addie was so fun！ I loved how they interacted with each other， both the conflict in the beginning， and watching them fall for each other。 They had great compatibility together。 Also I want to mention the sex scenes。 I don't usually talk about sex scenes in my book reviews as I don't think they're usually as important to the plot and characters- and that's why I read these books。 Don't get me wrong though， I do enjoy them。 But I just really loved how Noyes made it a point to show that sex isn't this immaculate thing- and just because people are very attracted to each other sex doesn't always just happen smoothly to everyone having multiple easy orgasms。 I mean， I've been with my partner for three years and this still happens sometimes。 This to me felt very real and added another element to making this book both fun to read and something more。 Noyes is one of the best in the lesfic business for a reason。 This book was great。 The characters were wonderful， and I'm not a horse person but this book had me super interested in horses。 5/5 Thank you to Bella Books and NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Pas de deux

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Pas de deux&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Pas de deux&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0