Series Review: Pretty Smart Girls by Shae Ross

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

Synopsis for Lace Up (from Goodreads):

Team Ryan
Ryan Rose and her fellow Spartans are finalists in a high-profile entrepreneurial competition. They’re competing for life-changing money and for their futures. They have a solid plan to win. All they need to do is trounce the competition: rich frat boys from an archrival university. Easy, right?

Team Jett
Jett Trebuchet’s first mistake was not realizing that Ryan and her friends were the competition. His second was expressing his unabashed confidence in his team’s ability to win. After all, everyone knows the only thing MSU does better than U of M is produce beautiful, easy women…oh, and he almost forgot to say “dumb.” And boy, does his team pay for that one.

Game On
As each side tries to game the other, something else seems to be getting in the way—attraction. Now Ryan and Jett must keep their teams from getting distracted by the opposite sex…and each other. All is not fair in love and war when it comes to winning this game.

Series: Pretty Smart Girls

There is a standalone spin-off: Rush

Author: Shae Ross
# of Books: 2 (Lace Up, Fearless)
Book Order: Connected
Complete?: Yes? I’m not sure if there will be a book 3
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Drama, Humour
Heat Rating: Toasty
Point of View: First Person, Alternating
Publication Dates: January 2015 – August 2015
Source & Format: Author–eBook (Read It Review It); Own–Kobo (Fearless)

disclaimer — I only received a review copy of Book #1 Lace Up

Why I Picked it Up / My Expectations:

Shae Ross offered my New Adult Group on Goodreads the opportunity to read her debut novel Lace Up around Christmas time in 2015. Way after I finished the book, I remembered seeing its sequel Fearless on NetGalley…boy, do I regret not grabbing that one when I had the chance!

The Concept:

The premise of Lace Up is what really grabbed my attention. I loved the idea that these these two teams would be competing against each other and the sparks would be flying in more than one way. And it definitely lived up to that.

I thought their attempts to sabotage were a lot of fun and funny. It made the book light-hearted yet it didn’t shy away from the more serious aspects of the characters and their lives. It was a great balance and made the book very enjoyable to read.

Fearless has a completed different vibe to it (though the playful tension between the two groups is still there). It’s more of your typical New Adult romance read though it does bring up some new themes often shied away from.

The Plot:

I thought the plot balanced very well between the competition in Lace Up (#1), the romance and the character development. It was serious when it needed to be yet it had its fun moments. I liked that there were multiple things happening. Of course you have the competition but there are other dramatic elements at play. From past relationships to family drama to current relationships: there are a lot of things to keep you interested.

Fearless was very different. It’s more of your coming of age story with a romance between two people who have an undeniable connection but can’t seem to make it work because life gets in the way. I loved some of the challenges the couple faces but I feel like they weren’t as developed as I wanted them to be and they often got overshadowed by dramatic antics that dampened the realistic, genuine vibes the story was otherwise broadcasting.

The Characters:

Everyone has great development throughout the story but Ryan and Jett especially in Lace Up. I liked how Ryan presented herself and didn’t hold back. She didn’t need a man to complete her and while I suppose she was a little “man-hating” at the start, I think given the circumstances I can cut her some slack. Jett had even better character growth I think and I really enjoyed that. While Lace Up mostly focuses on Ryan and Jett, you get enough of the other characters to make you eager to read the sequel book.

All the characters are layered here and that’s even more true in the sequel.

The Romance:

The romance happens fast in Lace Up given that the competition takes place in a week. However, I thought Jett and Ryan were a great match. They complimented each other beautifully; as do the other characters. It makes the romance all the more sweeter.