I loved Auggie, Pepper, and Juno. ( )

4.5 stars

I am a huge fan of this author. She is my number one automatic one-click author. The moment that I see a book come up for preorder, I order it even without a blurb. Therefore, I was very excited about this book because after reading the previous 3.5 books in the Dream Team, starting with Lottie's novella, I was the most invested in Auggie and Pepper's story since they had been pivotal characters since the beginning.

The first couple of chapters had me on the fence with this book because as much as I love how this author reintroduces previous characters, especially the Rock Chicks, at times it can be too much. I felt that at the beginning and wondered if it was just going to be cameos and no real substance. I need not have worried because once the story really got going and the focus was on Auggie, Pepper, and Juno I was 1000% invested. I knew that Pepper was going to have a story to tell, and I was right in that assumption. Her backstory and her family were crazy. The twists were insane and not at all what I was expecting. I loved Juno and her special connection with someone that I have come to LOVE in this series. There were some pretty pivotal moments in this story with this little girl that made my heart soar. That was largely, because of the amazing mother that she had. I LOVED Pepper as a mother. The world could be a better place if everyone had someone like her as a mom. Auggie's backstory was sad. I hated that he felt the way that he did because of his upbringing had been. I think because of that, it made me love Pepper and Juno with him that much more. They truly balanced each other out. He wasn't as "Alpha J/P" as this author normally depicts but he was still all KA man if that makes sense. The steam when it happened, was so good, and if I wasn't in love with Auggie before that happened, it really happened then.

There was a lot of drama going on in this book, but not so much that I couldn't make sense of it. There is an interconnected story that has been playing in the background through this entire series so, in my opinion, this story is not done even though the original matchmaking by Lottie is complete with these three girls, there is still more story to tell. The way that it is done, reminds me a bit of how the Chaos series was done, where the answers to these mysteries won't be finished until the series is concluded. I am all in for that.

There were possible new characters that could have stories, one of which, I hope is Billy. I, also, hoped to all that is right and just in this world that Mr. Cisco gets a story because GOOD LORD do I love this man. He has become one of the strongest and most amazing of secondary characters that this author has EVER written. He is just magic. Every time, I think he cannot get any better, he does.

Even though this story didn't jump out at me, like this author's books normally do, I am still very happy with this book. I am glad that I didn't let the beginning deter me from enjoying it to the fullest. ( )