Series Review: Friendship, Texas by Magan Vernon

Series Review: Is this series worth your time? Does it get better as the novels progress? Or does it get worse? Find out below:

Friendship, Texas Series

Synopsis for Edge of Glory (from Goodreads):

“Welcome to Conti’s. I’m Lia and I’ll nguhhhhhhhhhhhhh”.

I froze. Directly facing me was Olympic swimmer, Jay Morningstar… and I just made an idiot of myself.

The rest of the table looked up to see me standing there with my mouth practically gaping. His coach, who I recognized from TV interviews, and even two other swimmers from the Olympic team… they didn’t say anything, they didn’t even blink.

“Uh… I mean…”

I couldn’t even put together my words and Jay Morningstar was just staring at me with that Wheaties box smile and those icy blue eyes.

What was I supposed to say? Sorry I just made a weird noise, it’s just that I have a poster of you on my wall where you are wearing nothing more than your gold medals, a smile, and a pair of man panties?

Series: Friendship, Texas
Author: Magan Vernon
# of Books: 7 (Full Reading Order)
Book Order: Connected
Complete?: Yes
Genre: New Adult, Romance, Contemporary
Heat Rating: warm
Point of View: First Person, Single
Publication Date: July 2016 – ongoing
Source & Format: Kindle Unlimited–eBook; Narrator–Audiobook (Rumor)

**This post was originally published as a Fresh Friday review of the first book of the series. It has now been updated to include the newest publications in the series.**

Why I Picked it Up / My Expectations:

I first saw this on Netgalley but I didn’t have the time to request it. I was excited by the prospect of reading about an Olympic swimmer–a sports athlete I hadn’t come across in any other sports romance. Plus, I love when famous people fall for everyday people.

So I was super excited when I saw this as a title for Kindle Unlimited and moved it to the top of my list. Add to that, the Summer Olympics in Rio had just ended and I was in a bit of an Olympic withdrawal. (I live on my couch for 2 weeks watching everything).

What I Liked:

–Jay–

Jay was super adorable and said all the right things. He’s exactly what you want when you think about your favourite celebrity when he falls in love with you: a total sweetheart. But I also liked that he had his flaws and that he was trying his best to work on them.

–Lia’s Lack of Self-Confidence–

Lia had a lot of growing to do in this novel and I think she does a great job with that. I like that she is able to see her self-worth because of their relationship, but doesn’t define herself through the relationship. Meaning, she doesn’t become this girl who can’t live without her boyfriend.

–Lia’s Family & The Town–

Lia’s family was hilarious, especially her brother. While they felt a little cliche, I definitely enjoyed their scenes.

The same goes for the rest of the town and the other characters. There are a lot of potential stories here and I’m really curious to learn more about these characters.

What I Didn’t Like:

–It Felt like Lia was 16, Not 20–

At times, this story read like a Young Adult novel. The restrictions Lia seemed to think her parents placed on her were frustrating to read about. For goodness’ sake: she’s 20! I think she can go out on a date without her parent’s permission… I know everyone’s family is different but it just bothered me. It was definitely something for her to work on (it goes hand in hand with her self-confidence issues)

But it gave this story a younger vibe that I never really recovered from.

–The Perception I Should Know Everyone–

I knew that this series takes place in the same town as another series, Forever Sweet which I had never read. I really don’t think that intersects much but I felt like I was on the outside looking in. Like I was supposed to know all these people in this world already–like Jay’s famous sister. It’s not a huge deal but it did rub me the wrong way.

My Expectations for the Rest of the Series:

I really like that Magan Vernon is letting fans vote for who the next lead(s) should be. There are so many potential stories out of this little town so I’m curious to see what happens next.

–October 6, 2018– Book #2: Rumor Has It

Ever since we were briefly introduced to these two in the first book in the series, I’ve been curious about their story.

Second chance romances can be hard to write but I think Magan succeeds in delivering for the most part. We get plenty of flashbacks to the past so it helped define the relationship these two have and why they’ve always been drawn to each other. It was also great to get half of the story told from Brooke’s POV and then from Eddie’s. I personally would have liked to have seen more “present” day romantic interactions between the two–I felt like we focus a little to much on their individual developments–so I wasn’t entirely sold on why they work as a couple now.

I think I’m in the minority as well when it comes to character likeability. I really didn’t like Brooke as a character at all. She came across as vain, somewhat shallow and shameless. I hated how she treated her current boyfriend, Drake, and how she seemed to lack any remorse about her feelings and actions towards him. To me, there was nothing redeemable about her and I felt like she didn’t grow either by the end of the book (ie she didn’t learn any lessons).

I liked Eddie though. He seemed a little more level headed. And of the two, I think he showed a little more growth by the end of the novel.

As for the audio production, I thought it was FABULOUS! Kassiopia DeVora was a great narrator–I was truly impressed by her narration. The accents were spot on; each character had a unique voice; and she did a great job singing as Eddie when the occasion called.