Mariana Zapata

Losing people you love is hard.Aurora De La Torre knows moving back to a place that was once home isn't going to be easy. Starting your whole life over probably isn't supposed to be.But a small town in the mountains might be the perfect remedy for a broken heart.Checking out her landlord across the driveway just might cure it too.

All Rhodes Lead Here

Ms. Mint

When you lose enough, you learn to take happiness where you can find it. You don’t wait for it to be handed to you. You don’t expect it in big firework-like displays.

The people we lose take a part of us with them… but they leave a part of themselves with us too.

Ariella

“I don’t know how anybody would let you walk away, and it isn’t going to be me. Not today. Not tomorrow. Not ever. Are we clear?”

emma adkins 

Julia S

Christine

sofia 🥀

Genesis (@whisperingchapters)

The Book Confessions 

Whyyy tenía que llamarla Buddy ugh ni siquiera la explicación lo justifica yuck y después que molesto ella súper tonta cuando el mae la llamada angel tipo “that’s not my name” UGHH annoying peero cute overall 

Valeria 

big ab

god i love this author, she writes 600 pages and they barely talk to each other until page 300. and then they kiss at like page 450. the slow burn is soooo good. and as a girl whose love language is acts of service, this is exactly the type of MMC i love.

Joselly Williams 

oh to have a sexy grumpy dilf call me angel GOD I’VE SEEN WHAT YOU’VE DONE FOR OTHERS….. i hope this found family stays happy forever if they are happy then i am happy

Mariana Zapata does it again <3 I must say I’m really loving slow burn romances and there’s no way I’m stopping now honestly.

I honestly love everything, from the way the characters interacted, the scenery, the pacing. It was all so chef’s kiss. Aurora and Rhodes honestly gives me the nonchalant x OA (iykyk LOL). Amos is such a sweetheart. Clara and Yuki also has a special place in my heart. 

I think my only side comment is how we never had background entirely with Aurora’s personal stuff, like it wasn’t completely tackled (not a priority, but would’ve been nice if it was added). Also Amos’ parents situation was a bit confusing at first for me. Like who’s who? Also I’m not sure if that was an attempted love-triangle, but it definitely wasn’t it (Johnny was honestly forgettable). Spice is balanced (for me), like thank goodness we only had one-ish chapter for it, one time big time in a way.

Overall, I would definitely reread this if I want to experience a good-feel slow burn.

Mariana Zapata does it again <3 I must say I’m really loving slow burn romances and there’s no way I’m stopping now honestly.

I honestly love everything, from the way the characters interacted, the scenery, the pacing. It was all so chef’s kiss. Aurora and Rhodes honestly gives me the nonchalant x OA (iykyk LOL). Amos is such a sweetheart. Clara and Yuki also has a special place in my heart. 

I think my only side comment is how we never had background entirely with Aurora’s personal stuff, like it wasn’t completely tackled (not a priority, but would’ve been nice if it was added). Also Amos’ parents situation was a bit confusing at first for me. Like who’s who? Also I’m not sure if that was an attempted love-triangle, but it definitely wasn’t it (Johnny was honestly forgettable). Spice is balanced (for me), like thank goodness we only had one-ish chapter for it, one time big time in a way.

Overall, I would definitely reread this if I want to experience a good-feel slow burn.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️.5/5

Selin Igten

I did not enjoy reading this at all, here’s a few reasons why: 
1. The main lead says ‘Auwwie’ multiple times.
2. Instead of a cute nickname, the male lead calls the female lead ‘Buddy’ Why?? What’s romantic about that? Is she a dog? Omfg I hated it, like it actually pissed me off
3. This book had no reason to be this long it could’ve been 200 pages shorter I’m so serious 
4. And multiple other reasons but I already forgot

It was just not enjoyable ugh. I wish we got to know more about her and her mom. The scene where Rhodes tells her they found the remains actually made me cry though so yeah +1 star 
Nothing else to say this was very painful 
Why does she have to say auwwie so much.. why.. why.. please 

(I just saw official art of this book and oh my god no way that’s what he’s supposed to look like i’m actually in tears LMFAOOOOOOOOOOO)

aleksandra

5/5

Such an amazing read, this book probably will be in my top three Mariana Zapata books. Aurora and Rhodes stole my heart immediately and I love how their relationship was slowly developing during the book. I literally didn't go to school the next day because I couldn't stop reading, and had to finish this book.


  
    "I found a place where I belong, a place with love that feels like home again"

"I’m fine not being the first man she’s ever loved because I know I’m going to be the last."

Isabella 

I love this book so much!! The characters are so likable, and I loved how honest they are to each other. There was barely any beating around the bush moments, and I loved it; It was different than usual stories. The found family trope had me in tears. The moments we got with Aurora Rhodes and Am were so heartwarming. The book was so cute and I just loved it so much. Mariana Zapata really knows how to write a slow-burn.

fran

this was sooo. sweet. 

the amount of internal speeches and feelings described as “…something” couldve been scaled down by A Lot + the one or two comments thrown in about amos were very weird were they really necessary LOL

also i was super intrigued by clara’s character but she felt so one-dimensional

“I’m fine not being the first man she’s ever loved because I know I’m going to be the last.”

Renata

Rhodes is THE DILF, love him sm 

- “I love you because you're mine. Because being around you is like being around the sun. Because seeing you happy makes me happy, and seeing you sad makes me want to do anything I have to to get that look off your face.”

- "I'm fine not being the first man she's ever loved because I know I'm to be the last."

This was a return to form for me from Mariana Zapata. I’ve still not managed to finish The Best Thing and I worried I was growing out of her books (not age wise just taste wise as has happened with authors before). Thankfully that’s not the case and this was an awesome book. 

It was difficult not to like Ora. She was a firm believer in kill em with kindness and I loved that because I’m always trying to do that when I can. Hard to be rude to someone who is all smiles right? She started over fresh in the small town she used to live in and made friends along the way. I respected her willingness to learn and not let herself get down with her struggles. She fell off a ladder and got right back up again and I liked that. 

The romance was spot on as well. I know what I’m going to get with a Mariana Zapata romance and deliver she did. It was a grumpy/sunshine romance and it was the slowest of slow burns and it worked for me. It was twice as long as any normal romance book but it worked. I wouldn’t necessarily read her books every day but I do enjoy them when I’m in the right mood. 

Becky

This was a return to form for me from Mariana Zapata. I’ve still not managed to finish The Best Thing and I worried I was growing out of her books (not age wise just taste wise as has happened with authors before). Thankfully that’s not the case and this was an awesome book. 

It was difficult not to like Ora. She was a firm believer in kill em with kindness and I loved that because I’m always trying to do that when I can. Hard to be rude to someone who is all smiles right? She started over fresh in the small town she used to live in and made friends along the way. I respected her willingness to learn and not let herself get down with her struggles. She fell off a ladder and got right back up again and I liked that. 

The romance was spot on as well. I know what I’m going to get with a Mariana Zapata romance and deliver she did. It was a grumpy/sunshine romance and it was the slowest of slow burns and it worked for me. It was twice as long as any normal romance book but it worked. I wouldn’t necessarily read her books every day but I do enjoy them when I’m in the right mood. 

Michaella 

This was so heartwarming!! Another great book from Mariana

We need more men like Rhodes

"When you lose enough, you learn to take happiness where you can find it. You don’t wait for it to be handed to you. You don’t expect it in big firework-like displays. You take it in small moments, and sometimes those come shaped in a two-hundred-and-fortyish pound man going above and beyond."

And that man is Rhodes, going above and beyond for his Aurora. His light. His angel. His Buddy.

This is slow burn romance at its finest. And I just love it. So so much.

Faith Kitowski

obsessed is the understatement of the year. no words could describe how i feel about this book. so much love for it. it literally gave me goosebumps

Erin Campbell

mariana zapata is literally the queen of slow burn.

Jeanne McKnight

I really enjoyed this slow burn by MZ.
I loved how Rhodes and Aurora's friendship developed, so when they finally get together, they were both ready for it.
Rhodes is definitely in my top 3 MZ men. I loved his protectiveness. He wasn't overbearing, just very sweet.

🧸

the epilogue had me grinning like crazy 😭

I love mz's works sm honestly she can write ab aliens falling in love and I'd eat that shi up and thank her 😩😩.

bella <3

Jasmine

4.5 Stars
I read this while I had a fever and was feeling completely out of it and you know what aside from all that I had such an amazing time reading this book! MZ giving me the best slow burn grumpy sunshine romances out there and yes Rhodes and Aurora are one of the best!! I adored the build-up and the whole family dynamic that was created as the book went on. The way Rhodes slowly warmed up to Aurora and all the beautiful moments and details that made up their relationship makes me emotional just thinking about it. So natural and perfect and I enjoyed falling for their romance and these characters so much! Nearly perfect reads and an instant fav!!

Ashley

☆ 4.5 ☆

 My Favorite Quotes 

 "Nobody in their right mind would let you walk away from them. Not once and no way in hell twice, angel." 

 "Don't tell him I told you, but you make him smile a lot." 

 "Some days you pick up eagles like they're chickens, and some days you run screaming away from innocent bats. I like you both ways, angel. All ways." 

 "Grief was the final way we had to tell our loved ones that they'd impacted our lives." 

 "I'm fine not being the first man she's ever loved because I know I'm going to be the last." 

 Review 

Giving it a 4.5 rating because I didn't feel the romance going on until I was like 65% into the book and I'm just a tiny bit disappointed. Not by the book in general but by the lack of Rhodes and Ora's content, yk? I feel like there could've been more to their relationship in the book.

Overall, I really love this book (and ofc daddy Rhodes). 

Mariana Zapata, my queen already, she does not disappoint with her writing style. Though I wished the book were also in Rhodes' pov because there were so many moments I wondered "what is he thinking". 

Anyway 4.5☆ I would recommend as a really cute read.

Kasey Montagnat

I love Mariana favourite author and all her books have been one sitting reads and 5 stars I was smiling like an idiot the whole book

Vesselina

Let me start by saying that this book has been on my TBR for quite a while and I was pretty excited to read it, since I was constantly stumbling upon positive reviews about it. But I have to admit it disappointed me.


  
    People cried over endings, but sometimes you had to cry over new beginnings.
  


🆗 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐑𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐃 𝐌𝐄 𝐖𝐇𝐘 I haven't read a Zapata book since I was a teen. Everywhere you look, this book is marked as a 'slow burn' romance. Slow? People call this slow? This is beyond slow pace. At around 70% of the book I was still not seeing anything romantic happening between the characters.

✅ 𝐈 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃 𝐑𝐇𝐎𝐃𝐄𝐒 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐄 𝐄𝐍𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇, and he was a sweetheart (at times). How he became a dad was a storyline I don't remember reading about before, so that was a big plus. I found him adorable. And he's sexy as hell.


  
    “I don’t know how anybody would let you walk away, and it isn’t going to be me. Not today. Not tomorrow. Not ever. Are we clear?”
  


🆗 𝐈 𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓𝐋𝐘 𝐍𝐄𝐆𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒 about Aurora, but I think this is because of how much the book was dragging? We were mostly seeing her doing very boring things. I liked her spirit to go on hikes (as I sure as hell don't like torturing myself like that), but her decisions were really stupid and immature at times in regards of her own safety.

🆗 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐀𝐋 𝐓𝐎 𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐇𝐈𝐓 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐄𝐄𝐋𝐒 was there, but I didn't feel it at all. The main heroine was crying and grieving and I didn't feel it at all.

Overall, I enjoyed the book but sure is not a new favorite for me. Maybe I would have liked it better, had I read it in fall, as I am a seasonal reader, but who knows.

The thing about a Mariana Zapata romance novel is that you know what you’re going to get and I find a lot of comfort in that. Lots of details and relationship development and lots of slow burn. I stayed up too late and woke up too early to read/ listen. 

This is a lovely story and I think I fell a little in love with Rhodes as well. 

I listened to the audio version and I enjoyed the narration style though I enjoyed the voice of Rhodes more than Aurora. 

Megan BV

The thing about a Mariana Zapata romance novel is that you know what you’re going to get and I find a lot of comfort in that. Lots of details and relationship development and lots of slow burn. I stayed up too late and woke up too early to read/ listen. 

This is a lovely story and I think I fell a little in love with Rhodes as well. 

I listened to the audio version and I enjoyed the narration style though I enjoyed the voice of Rhodes more than Aurora. 

Probably my favourite book by this author. Beautiful 

All Rhodes Lead Here

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