by Elizabeth (link)
Genre het/cest, drama, romance
Pairings Isaac/Nikki, Taylor/Avery, Taylor/Natalie, Zac/Avery, Zac/OFC
Length 21 chapters and epilogue
Status Completed (with sequel)
It might not have the lengthy pairings list of Elizabeth’s other Zavery story, but Can’t Win For Losing may actually require more suspension of disbelief. Technically, none of the pairings are incestuous (in the story’s version of reality) but that may not matter to the cest-squeamish. Suffice it to say, there are still plenty of interesting familial dynamics going on here.
Once you get the family relationships sorted out (Avery and Taylor are not siblings in this world), the plot seems to be a fairly basic romance. Five years after their shotgun wedding at the insistence of Avery’s preacher father, an ex of Taylor’s comes to town and Avery begins to doubt their relationship. Soon after, she meets Zac–also not her brother–and starts an affair with him.
Sounds fairly simple, right? But there are plenty of secrets here, some more important than others. By the end of the story, some will be revealed, at least to a few characters. I usually tend to prefer Elizabeth’s first person stories, but Can’t Win For Losing would have only worked in third person, even if it does still get bogged down with too many characters’ perspectives at times. As for my favorite character out of the bunch, he turned out to be a bit of an asshole at the end. I can only hope that the sequel brings some redemption for him and some closure to a few of the dangling plot threads and unrevealed secrets.
Review by Bethany (website)