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Verdict: A charming, funny Olympic romance set in the world of dressage, carried by E.J. Noyes’s assured writing and a scene-stealing horse. Fans call it pure class; a few found the romance lopsided or the sport too niche to hold them.
Best for: Readers who love Olympic settings, animals and a misremembered-childhood rivalry.
Heat level: Moderate
Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.0/5 — a 4.24 Goodreads average across 1,657 ratings, 4.12 on StoryGraph from 302 reviews, and 4.5 stars across 548 Amazon ratings)
Tropes: Childhood acquaintances, enemies to lovers, Olympic dream, workplace, dual POV, animal companion.
Pas de deux is E.J. Noyes’s 2021 contemporary lesbian romance from Bella Books. Caitlyn Lloyd has the world under her horse’s hooves as the Rio Olympics approach — until Addie Gardner arrives as the US dressage team’s fill-in veterinarian.
It holds a 4.24 average across 1,657 Goodreads ratings, with 81% of them four or five stars, 4.12 on StoryGraph from 302 reviews, and 4.5 stars across 548 Amazon ratings.
What Is Pas de deux About?
Addie’s old crush from Pony Club is on the team — not a distraction at all, and maybe a chance at the friendship Caitlyn never gave her twenty years ago.
But the two have very different memories of those days, and they butt heads from the start. With the Olympics looming, they need to work together, and may discover they have more in common than they thought.
What Works in This Romance
- Dewey: Caitlyn’s goofy, cat-loving horse steals the show for many readers.
- Dressage made fascinating: Non-riders say they were drawn in; riders praise the accuracy.
- Humour: Readers laughed often, especially in the second half.
- Different memories: Several enjoyed how differently the two remember their shared past.
Book Synopsis
An Olympic dressage rider and the vet she barely remembers — or remembers very differently — are thrown together on the road to Rio.
Learning to work as a team might lead somewhere neither expected.
My Review
Noyes’s fans are devoted, and this shows why: a light, feel-good romance told in alternating first-person chapters, with a sport most readers knew nothing about brought vividly to life. Readers note the author’s own background in dressage and Pony Club.
The reservations are small. One reader never felt Caitlyn was fully invested until the very end, another found it less gripping than Noyes’s Ask, Tell books, and a few found the horse detail only just interesting enough.
My honest note: Perfect Olympics-season reading.
| Element | In Pas de deux |
|---|---|
| Central relationship | Caitlyn Lloyd, an Olympic dressage rider, & Addie Gardner, the team’s veterinarian |
| Core tropes | Childhood acquaintances, enemies to lovers, Olympic dream |
| Setting | The US dressage team on the road to the 2016 Rio Olympics |
| Heat level | Moderate |
| Length | 376 pages (Kindle listing) |
| Series | Standalone |
| Content notes | Animal death (minor), homophobia, infidelity |
How Spicy Is Pas de deux?
Moderately; readers rarely discuss heat, and it is more feel-good than steamy.
StoryGraph users have flagged minor animal death, homophobia and infidelity.
Who Should Read This Book?
You’ll likely love it if: you were a horse girl or love the Olympics. It is on our sapphic sports romance list.
You may want to skip it if: equestrian detail doesn’t appeal at all.
In short: Charming, funny and horse-mad.
What Readers Are Actually Saying (September 2026)
On Goodreads the split is 44% five stars, 37% four, 15% three, 1% two and under 1% one. On StoryGraph, 79% tagged it lighthearted and 59% funny, and 89% found the characters loveable. Audiobook listeners praise Abby Craden’s narration.
Why readers love it (according to the discourse): The writing first. Second, Dewey. Third, the humour. Fourth, the dressage.
What readers argue about and complain about: Uneven investment, above everything. Second, niche sport. Third, less intense than her best.
The comparison worth making first: E.J. Noyes’s Gold, another Olympic romance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Pas de deux about?
Dressage rider Caitlyn Lloyd is chasing medals at the 2016 Rio Olympics when Addie Gardner, a veterinarian she knew — and clashed with — at Pony Club, becomes the US team’s vet.
Do I need to know about horses or dressage?
No. Many readers knew nothing about dressage and found it easy to follow; several went looking for dressage videos afterwards.
Is it enemies to lovers?
Sort of. The two women remember their childhood very differently, and their first meeting as adults is more a butting of heads than a reunion.
Does Pas de deux have a happy ending?
Yes. Readers praise an ending with time to enjoy the couple together.
Is Pas de deux on Kindle Unlimited?
Not at the time of writing — the Kindle edition was listed at $9.99. An audiobook narrated by Abby Craden is available.
If You Loved Pas de deux, Read These Next
Try Gold and its sequel Schuss, or browse our sapphic sports romance list.
The Bottom Line
Pas de deux sets out to be a warm Olympic romance in an unusual sport, and it is a delight. What holds it back, for a few, is an unevenly matched romance. Recommended. Check Pas de deux on Amazon →
The Eikna Overall Ranking
On the Eikna scale, Pas de deux ranks as a strong sports romance — charming, assured.
The Evidence Scorecard
Overall ★★★★☆ 4/5
- ✓ 4.24 average across 1,657 Goodreads ratings
- ✓ 81% of Goodreads ratings are four or five stars
- ✓ 4.12 on StoryGraph from 302 reviews
- ✓ 4.5 stars across 548 Amazon ratings
Romance ★★★★☆ 3.8/5
- ✓ Misremembered past
- ✓ Butting heads
- ✓ Lopsided for one
- ✓ Satisfying end
Characters ★★★★☆ 4.1/5
- ✓ 89% loveable characters
- ✓ Scene-stealing horse
- ✓ Strong secondaries
- ✓ Two professionals
Writing ★★★★☆ 4.2/5
- ✓ Assured prose
- ✓ Alternating first person
- ✓ Authentic dressage
- ✓ Funny
Emotional Impact ★★★★☆ 3.7/5
- ✓ Tagged lighthearted by 79%
- ✓ Tagged funny by 59%
- ✓ Feel-good
- ✓ Less intense
Heat Level ★★★☆☆ 3/5
- ✓ Moderate
- ✓ Not the focus
- ✓ Warm
- ✓ Graphic tag from one
Ending ★★★★☆ 4.1/5
- ✓ HEA
- ✓ Time as a couple
- ✓ Olympic payoff
- ✓ Perfect for fans
Re-read Value ★★★★☆ 3.8/5
- ✓ $9.99 Kindle price
- ✓ Abby Craden audiobook
- ✓ Olympics companion
- ✓ Standalone
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