Mariana Zapata

Some days, all you need is a message from a stranger. Ruby Santos knew exactly what she was getting herself into when she signed up to write a soldier overseas. The guidelines were simple: one letter or email a week for the length of his or her deployment. Care packages were optional. Been there, done that. She thought she knew what to expect. What she didn't count on was falling in love with the guy.

Dear Aaron

Christina

Julia S

Avery

Just as Ruby Santos is about to give up on her pairing with Aaron Hall, the man assigned to her by the Help a Soldier Foundation, he finally writes back to her.  They continue communicating and getting to know one another for months before Aaron comes home on leave.  Aaron invites her to spend time with him and his friends in Florida, but she is not sure about meeting a man who is essentially a stranger in a strange place but decides that she needs to take the chance.

The first half of Dear Aaron is structured as emails, letters, and messages between the protagonists.  The last half is when they meet face to face.  As well as these two characters work as friends, they just don't have any romantic chemistry.  The conflicts are minimal and the plot is low angst.  Aaron's perspective in never included in the book, so we really don't know what he is thinking or feeling unless he says something to someone else.  Not much really ever happens in the story, making it move very slowly.  Since this is by Mariana Zapata, I expected it to be slow burn, but actually, it is no burn.  Overall, Dear Aaron is a cute story that feels like it goes nowhere. 

Lynn Braden

Just as Ruby Santos is about to give up on her pairing with Aaron Hall, the man assigned to her by the Help a Soldier Foundation, he finally writes back to her.  They continue communicating and getting to know one another for months before Aaron comes home on leave.  Aaron invites her to spend time with him and his friends in Florida, but she is not sure about meeting a man who is essentially a stranger in a strange place but decides that she needs to take the chance.

The first half of Dear Aaron is structured as emails, letters, and messages between the protagonists.  The last half is when they meet face to face.  As well as these two characters work as friends, they just don't have any romantic chemistry.  The conflicts are minimal and the plot is low angst.  Aaron's perspective in never included in the book, so we really don't know what he is thinking or feeling unless he says something to someone else.  Not much really ever happens in the story, making it move very slowly.  Since this is by Mariana Zapata, I expected it to be slow burn, but actually, it is no burn.  Overall, Dear Aaron is a cute story that feels like it goes nowhere. 

Now I get the Mariana Zapata hype. Omg i have never enjoyed a slow burn this much. It really hit and i went skeptical about because honestly romance with a military person is a turn off somehow. But nope the focus wasn't on it and the MCs share so many things together it was so nice and so cute to see their friendship flourish.  And i just got obsessed and was rooting for them so hard. So well done.

The way the MCs felt and every little subjects felt so relatable as well. It's been in a while since i felt the need to annotate in a romance book.

Also, the love story was so beautiful it just reminded me how single I am lmao but ok. There was no way my standards could go any higher but here we are lol.

Guys this is why i mostly read dark romances at least when i read those i won't wish something similar will happen to me 😂

Here two of my favourite quotes, you're welcome:

“The way he hugged me the hell out of me would be something that sickness and death could never take away.”

"There was nothing worse than comparing yourself to another woman because there was always going to be something that they had that you didn’t."

And honorable mention because I could never: 

“You’re gorgeous,” I said to him almost painfully, prying the words out. “Like… the army should put you on thei recruitment ads or put you as the face of their website. I feel like I can’t look you in the eye or I’ll turn into stone, and they’ll need to add my statues to a garden of other women who have made eye contact with you before and lost their lives.”

Amira BEN

Now I get the Mariana Zapata hype. Omg i have never enjoyed a slow burn this much. It really hit and i went skeptical about because honestly romance with a military person is a turn off somehow. But nope the focus wasn't on it and the MCs share so many things together it was so nice and so cute to see their friendship flourish.  And i just got obsessed and was rooting for them so hard. So well done.
The way the MCs felt and every little subjects felt so relatable as well. It's been in a while since i felt the need to annotate in a romance book.
Also, the love story was so beautiful it just reminded me how single I am lmao but ok. There was no way my standards could go any higher but here we are lol.
Guys this is why i mostly read dark romances at least when i read those i won't wish something similar will happen to me 😂
Here two of my favourite quotes, you're welcome:

“The way he hugged me the hell out of me would be something that sickness and death could never take away.”

"There was nothing worse than comparing yourself to another woman because there was always going to be something that they had that you didn’t."

And honorable mention because I could never: 
“You’re gorgeous,” I said to him almost painfully, prying the words out. “Like… the army should put you on thei recruitment ads or put you as the face of their website. I feel like I can’t look you in the eye or I’ll turn into stone, and they’ll need to add my statues to a garden of other women who have made eye contact with you before and lost their lives.”

aleksandra

2/5

Sadly my least favorite Mariana Zapata book. I dnfed it two times, then decide to finish it, and yeah it was not the best decision as I pretty much hated it.

The quotes are cute though. 


  
    "The smile that came over his face at my last word was worth… everything. Everything in my kingdom for that smile. I’d never felt more powerful in my life than I did in that moment."

"You’re so damn beautiful, Ru,” “I can’t think when I’m looking at you like this." 

“You are so goddamn special, Ruby. I’ll tell you every day if I have to."

Isabella 

This book gave me serotonin boost. This is such a cute and easy read!! It was just too much of the emails/text which I understand why it was written that way given their circumstance, but I wished we got to see more of the characters. I got bored at some point because of the amount of emails/text, and I wasn't a fan of the epilogue because I wanted to see more of them; I didn't think it was enough of a conclusion. The fluff was everything!! I love reading fluff stories, so I'm all here for that. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed it. I liked it, but I would say it isn't really my favorite MZ book.

Stacey Nicole

Reread

I love Mariana Zapatas books even more the second or tenth time I read them. This book always brings a smile to my face and has me laughing out loud multiple times

Ms. Mint

4.8 Ruron ⭐

Ruron forever!!!

Some readers might not be too crazy about this book due to its partial epistolary form, but me? I LOVE LOVE LOVE this book. There's just something so utterly romantic about a slow-paced love story between a sweet, shy, insecure girl and a gallant soldier that started off as penpals. I stayed up all night to finish it simply because I couldn't put it down. 

I've read Winnniepeg before this, and I loved that one. But after this book, MZ has definitely carved her place in my heart as one of my favorite romance authors.

I took off 0.2 stars from the rating simply because I'm craving for more Ruron in that epilogue! It's simply not enough! I know we'll be reunited with Ruron through Jaz's story in FLWL, but since that book will, of course and righteously so, focus on Jaz, we'll only be getting glimpses of Ruron. And as their shipper, I'm just that greedy and wish to have more...

 is a slow-burn romance that takes its time to build up, sometimes a little too much. It's definitely sweet and has its moments, but I can't help but feel it could have been a bit shorter.

The story revolves around Ruby who becomes pen pals with Aaron through the help a soldier system. They start off as friends and gradually develop deeper feelings for each other. The author really emphasizes the slow burn here, and while I appreciate a good buildup, I found myself itching for some more action and quicker progression.

The writing style is engaging, and Miss Zapata does a decent job of capturing the emotions and longing between the characters. The letters exchanged between Ruby and Aaron are cute and heartfelt, allowing us to witness the development of their relationship over time. I enjoyed the genuine connection that eventually forms between them.

However, the book suffers from some pacing issues. It drags on for quite a while, with a lot of focus on day-to-day activities and internal musings. While I understand that it's meant to show the gradual growth of the characters and their connection, it could have been condensed without losing the essence of the story. I found myself skimming through some parts, hoping for a bit more excitement or a faster pace.

The characters themselves are likable, but I wish there was more depth and development to them. Ruby's personality shines through, but Aaron felt a bit flat at times. I would have loved to see more exploration of their backgrounds and personal growth to make their connection feel even more meaningful.

Overall, Dear Aaron is a sweet and heartfelt slow-burn romance, but it falls short in terms of pacing and character development. It's an enjoyable read if you have the patience for a lengthy build-up, but it might not satisfy those looking for a quicker-paced romance. If you're a fan of Mariana Zapata's writing style and don't mind a slower progression, give it a shot. Just be prepared for a longer journey to the happily ever after.

Souhaila

Dear Aaron is a slow-burn romance that takes its time to build up, sometimes a little too much. It's definitely sweet and has its moments, but I can't help but feel it could have been a bit shorter.

The story revolves around Ruby who becomes pen pals with Aaron through the help a soldier system. They start off as friends and gradually develop deeper feelings for each other. The author really emphasizes the slow burn here, and while I appreciate a good buildup, I found myself itching for some more action and quicker progression.

The writing style is engaging, and Miss Zapata does a decent job of capturing the emotions and longing between the characters. The letters exchanged between Ruby and Aaron are cute and heartfelt, allowing us to witness the development of their relationship over time. I enjoyed the genuine connection that eventually forms between them.

However, the book suffers from some pacing issues. It drags on for quite a while, with a lot of focus on day-to-day activities and internal musings. While I understand that it's meant to show the gradual growth of the characters and their connection, it could have been condensed without losing the essence of the story. I found myself skimming through some parts, hoping for a bit more excitement or a faster pace.

The characters themselves are likable, but I wish there was more depth and development to them. Ruby's personality shines through, but Aaron felt a bit flat at times. I would have loved to see more exploration of their backgrounds and personal growth to make their connection feel even more meaningful.

Overall, Dear Aaron is a sweet and heartfelt slow-burn romance, but it falls short in terms of pacing and character development. It's an enjoyable read if you have the patience for a lengthy build-up, but it might not satisfy those looking for a quicker-paced romance. If you're a fan of Mariana Zapata's writing style and don't mind a slower progression, give it a shot. Just be prepared for a longer journey to the happily ever after.

Faith Kitowski

4.5/5. BAGUDHQFUDV i wasn’t sure if i’d like this book BUT I’M SO GLAD I READ IT

I have to be clear here that this book is loved by a lot of other readers and even though It’s good The letters trope and email thing is really not for me because I didn’t think any of it was real I don’t think someone might be able to fall in love over texting or Emailing each other. Yeah sharing and being there for each other is very good way to start but I thought It would be different. Aaron and Ruby didn’t meet til the middle of the book and I didn’t see a relationship growing it was mostly flirting and taking a really good vacation together. Anyone would thing they were in love. Most Mariana’s books are very good for they show how a relationship gets stronger passing by hardships. This one wasn’t the same. But it was okay.

Samaa

🧸

the ending????? helloooo????? tf??

that was the shortest epilogue I've ever read :// 

this is the first mz book where I hated the fl sm I wanted her to get lost somewhere and disappear.. she really ruined the story. Aaron is literally perfect and has been treating her well since the start but she's always assuming he doesn't like her or he's babysitting her or some shit like stfu!!!!!!!

I see why no one dated her or like why hunter dumped her 🙄 (yeah not sorry) she's so unlikable and I don't think an existing human being thinks the way she does.

anyways Aaron 😍💞💕💓💖💝💌💋

also I feel like mz just wanted to end this quickly cuz she fell sick or smtn... I'm so mad ugh.

Marcie Allen

Catarina Vieira

So, so, so cute!!!!

Adorei o facto de metade do livro ser apenas emails e mensagens sem qualquer ponto de vista de ambos, isso faz com que o leitor mergulhe na relação dos protagonistas da mesma forma que ambos fazem e apenas nos faz querer ainda mais que eles falem dos sentimentos que possivelmente estão a desenvolver uns com os outros. Senti que acabava por interpretar as mensagens dos dois como os próprios estariam a pensar “o que é ela quererá dizer com isto?” “Sera que ele está com ciúmes” e isso foi o que tornou o livro tão diferente dos outros da Mariana, para mim.
Apesar disso, quando finalmente temos os pensamentos da protagonista vale muito a pena e a história ainda melhor.
Super querido e fácil de ler.
Mal posso esperar por From Lukov With Love para saber mais sobre a Jasmine e pelos cameos da Ruby e do Aaron.

Demi

3.5/5

This was definitely a very VERY slow burn romance. I would say 3/4 of this book is just about Aaron and Ruby’s friendship they had been building through email and text, but things definitely started to speed up once the two main characters had finally met. 

This definitely wasn’t my favorite Mariana Zapata book but I still really enjoyed it. I did really like the relationship between Aaron and Ruby, and I did like that they opened up to each other about things they felt they couldn’t tell anyone else. There wasn’t really to much of a plot, as in my opinion, the book was mainly building up to Ruby and Aaron eventually meeting but I didn’t mind it to much.

Overall, I did enjoy my time reading this book but I did feel like I was reading they same thing over and over again at times.

Turtle lover

** spoiler alert **
           pues creo que me siento ligeramente decepcionada tras terminar este libro.

a ver, al principio me estaba encantado, o sea… literalmente el 45% de esta historia está redactado en forma de mensaje/correo electrónico. y me mal acostumbré a eso, porque cada vez que la historia pasaba a primera persona y MZ se lanzaba esos tremendos párrafos de monólogo interno, como que desconectaba de todo.

luego me puse a pensar, bueno esto parece más un insta love que cualquier otra cosa, porque aunque hayan estado que si nueve meses hablando por internet, estos dos no se habían visto ni tenían idea de cómo lucian. Y solo tardaron un par de días en Florida para poner las cosas en orden, y decirse mutuamente que se amaban. O sea… estoy MUY mal acostumbrada al forced proximity de la Mariana Zapata y acá aunque lo hubo un poco, como que no me gustó o sencillamente no lo sentí natural (dios qué exigente salí pero las cosas como son)

si hablamos de Aaron, por alguna razón me dio vibes tanto de Zac (hands down) como de Ripley (Luna and the Lie). Creo que a Zac porque como que ambos tienen esa vibra carismática y juguetona que los vuelve juveniles; pero a su vez Ripley por esa faceta estoica que a veces parecía tener, y como hablaba de manera encriptada, o tenia esos cambios de ánimos confusos o volátiles. De igual manera fue un MC encantador, pero no lo amé y siento que no conocimos mucho de Aaron realmente 🤷🏻‍♀️ (y si fue así, como que no fue suficiente para mí jeje)

con ruby si sentí una gran afinidad, literalmente es mi personaje fav de MZ (junto con Luna) porque me he identificado con ella de una forma sin igual y creo que nunca podría haber explicado algunas cosas de mi ansiedad, o cómo se siente, o lo rápido que va mi cabeza en ciertos momentos, o sencillamente aquella incomodidad de ciertas situaciones, y con ruby estaba todo el rato en plan “oh sis, te súper entiendo. aguanta un poco más. no dejes que la ansiedad te gane”. Además, un fun fact es que ruby fue operada del corazón de niña… al igual que yo; y aunque eso sea intrascendente y no hayan sido por el mismo diagnóstico, eso me hizo sentir un gran amor por el personaje en sí, más que nada a nivel de compresión. No lo sé, mejor ignoren eso último, pero siento que esa gente hater de Ruby está super desubicada y me provoca hacerles un crimen de odio. 

¿Por qué el final fue tan atropellado? Yo que pensaba que no había nada peor que el primer epílogo de kulti, pero esto ???? una falta de respeto, en qué pensaba MZ ??? sinceramente me dejó descolocada y es por eso que este libro no tiene cinco estrellas para mí (entre otras cosas)

en fin, algo que me derritió de amor fue todo el asunto de «Ruron» 🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻

shar

Inês Filipa

i adored this. however, I felt like I needed more in the end, a more elaborate epilogue, an explanation of how they managed to make it work, what are their jobs, etc etc. 

i feel like something is missing and for that reason it’s a 4-4,5 star read 

4-4,5-ruron-stars ✨

sydney

i absolutely loved that the first half of the book is told in email/messaging format. i feel like that let me get into both of their heads

nory

honestly not my favorite book by mariana zapata and it felt kind of underwhelming but aaron and ruby are so adorable i still enjoyed it. can’t wait to reread from lukov with love and appreciate all the ruron crumbs this time

meha 

5 stars!! 

mariana zapata, BEST AUTHOR!!! i finally got around to finishing this and im so glad i did!! ruby and aaron were nothing but the cutest things ever from the text messages to them meeting person… I LOVED IT!! them calling each other their ship name, come on isnt that just so cute?? love this so much, highly recommend!

lalitha

such a slowburn mariana zapata is an icon

catia

“I love you, Rubes, and I know you love me too,” he whispered. “You’re the one who told me a few thousand miles wouldn’t really matter in the grand scheme of life, remember?”


This was such a beautiful freaking story that I need a minute to process!! Ruby and Aaron mean the world to me omg, I knew I was going to love them but damn I really really am obsessed! So damn beautiful I can't even express how much this book means to me! Mariana Zapata did it again like always just so perfect. Go read this book now please go and fell in love with Ruby and Aaron, they deserve more love!!


  “Maybe this is the wrong time, but I don’t care. I love you, stalker.”

anessa lawrence 

“I was a goner from the first time you gave me hell. Maybe even before then” 

Aaron is… everything.

Dear Aaron

Reviews

Highlights