Mariana Zapata is the queen of slow burn romances. This is a super slow burn marriage of convenience story between a professional football player and his form assistant. I've read this book before, but was really excited to read it again with the new bonus content. The bonus epilogue is super sweet and gives you more insight into Vanessa and Aiden after the story ends. I am so happy with how their lives turn out and really appreciate knowing all the extra details. Sometimes rereading a book can get boring, but I enjoyed the story just as much the second time.

I love a good slow burn romance and this one is the best one yet! I absolutely adored Vanessa and her drive to succeed. She had dreams and did her best to make them reality. Aiden is just yummy from his grumpiness all the way to his dedication to his career. The angst between these two was off the charts and I am here for it! This was an emotional read but it was also funny and very enjoyable. Even though this is a thick book it honestly didn’t feel like it. It grabbed my attention from the beginning and I couldn’t put it down. I am learning that Mariana is the queen of slow burn and I can’t wait to read more by her!

LOVED IT!! I so needed a book with a slow build after so many books lately rush everything. Aidan and Vanessa went from enemies, to friends to lovers and their journey was beautiful!

This was my first book by this author but I can't wait to read more!!

DNF @37%

This isn't a slow-burn romance, it's just slow. There's a lot of drawn out inner monologue and descriptions and it's repetitive. It feels like the author is just trying to drag things out for a bigger word count. The romance can be a slow-burn in a shorter book. I didn't like either of the main characters. The woman was a.whiney pushover and the man acted like a bratty child that couldn't take care of himself.

Ok, I really liked Aiden, and while I understand why we wouldn’t have gotten a dual POV, I wanted in his head from page one. I appreciated that Aiden hadn’t been pining for Vanessa from the moment he hired her, and he didn’t have many friends. It was nice to be able to see them grow and start to understand each other more.

I did feel like this book had a few too many “villains”/conflicts going on. The agent was painted as a villain most of the time, and then all of Vanessa’s family, and Aiden’s teammate, and then the conflict with V’s best friend. It was a lot, and I think a lot could be condensed or cut, because most of it didn’t really get resolved, other than Aiden stepping in and standing up for her as evidence that he cared.

And on the subject of the teammate (was his name Christian?) - he tried to grope Vanessa and she thought he was a total creep, but also thinks it’s SO hilarious when fans get grabby with Aiden without his consent? I’m not sure what that was supposed to illustrate, that she can laugh at him even though he’s her boss? That she’s not jealous? It felt very icky to me.

Also I know that everyone deals with tough stuff differently but the number of times Vanessa withheld information or downplayed her trauma and told the guys it’s “not a big deal” was a lot for someone who expects transparency from her BFFs.

I’ve read this book before so the additional little bonus chapter was so nice! It felt like a good little wrap up, seeing their kids in all. I like there cameos in other books so it’s good to get like a life update on them.

When I first read this book in 2018, it was the end of the year and the NFL regular season was coming to a close. I was reading it while watching some games over the holidays and when I saw J.J. Watt, the defensive end for the Texans, I was like, he has to be the physical model for Aiden Graves. Definitely not the emotional model because, at least from social media and sports reports, Watt seems like a very lovely, caring gentleman (and if you don’t follow him on Insta you should because his baby and dogs are the cutest things).

They are reissuing The Wall of Winnipeg and Me next month with the most adorable cover and I signed up to get a NetGalley copy so I could reread it. It was such a joy, I had forgotten how much I loved Vanessa: she has spirit, she has spunk, she works so hard, and she just tries to do right by the people in her life. After two years of working for Aiden, barely being acknowledged by him, she has saved enough and is going to strike out and be her own boss.

Aiden, on the other hand, is not very lovable at the beginning of the book, in fact, I kind of hate him. This is true for a lot of Zapata heros. Aiden isn’t exactly Vanessa’s enemy, but he isn’t her friend, and the reader isn’t sure why she likes him really, aside from his fabulous trapezius muscles. But Zapata's Strength as a writer is how she makes the hero grow and change. Not because they are forced to, but because they want to. They begin to see the world through the other person’s eyes and they want that person to like them. And a lot of the conflict that happens in this book I think will be familiar to a lot of people in relationships, any relationship. In the end, not really a spoiler since this is a romance, the hero reveals all to the heroine and they ride off into the sunset.

Zapata manages to mix the high fantasy of romance, hello falling in love with a football player who needs a marriage of convenience, with almost an everyday story of marriage. I feel like I am seeing a lot more of that in the books I am reading and I don’t know if that is the way the romance world is going or if that is just what I am searching out. Regardless, I love it. We want fantasy, but we also want there to be something we can identify with in these books.

If you have read any other books by Zapata you will know that they are not fast and they are not super heavy on dialogue. A lot of what happens is internal to Vanessa; these are single POV books. And they are also very slooooow burn. Your patience is rewarded, but if you are looking for hot and heavy right away, Zapata is not the author for you. Ever.

In terms of Zapata’s books, Winnipeg is probably my 2nd favorite. I am a bit of an outliner I think, but Luna and the Lie is my favorite (hello Charlie Hunnam clone) and then Kulti after Winnipeg. So if you are looking to dip your toe in the Zapata water, I suggest you start with this book or Kulti. After that, put this book, Luna, and Under Locke on your list.

I have always wanted to read this story, & was so happy to see I could read on here! I absolutely loved this story! Vanessa is such a sweetheart, strong-willed, loving person. I loved her right from the start as she stands up for herself & quits her job that has been less than appreciative of her over the years. It took me a little while to warm-up to Aiden-- because he really comes off as a jerk at first-- but when I did, boy did I love him! He turned out to actually be a big ole sweetheart who has dealt with the wild nuances of sports fame in the only (albeit unhealthy) way he knew how. But he really showed his love for Vanessa in his own sweet, loyal, endless way. This was for sure a slow, slow, slow burn romance, but I loved that because I felt there needed to be a redemption story from Aiden's side to see how they could have their HEA...and I was not at all disappointed! From start to finish, I absolutely loved this story!
Thank you for the ARC!!!

The Wall of Winnipeg and Me was a slow burn breath of fresh air. This romance stands out from so many others I've read. This is simply the story of two adults figuring out their lives and supporting each other throughout. As an avid romance reader, I was afraid I'd be bored but I caught myself spending hours caring about what happened to our main characters.
If you are looking for a spicy adult romance book, then this wouldn't be for you. However, for those looking for a wholesome grumpy football player then this is perfect. Mariana Zapata knocked it out of the park with this one. I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in the romance genre but doesn't know where to start. With limited on page spice and all the slow burn feels anyone will love.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange of an honest review.

Aiden Graves, the grumpiest of grumps to Vanessa's (angry) sunshine. This book is perfect in all the ways it counts.

Just finished reading an ARC of this, as my sixth read-through of this book in the last 2 years (not including all of the times I've listened to it on audio, including twice already this year) for HarperCollins, releasing July 4th, 2023. I'm so excited for Winnie to be out in the world for all the people to fall in love.

Reading it through this time knowing that even more people will become obsessed with this book, I gobbled up allllll the nuggets (and I truly mean *ALLLLL THE NUGGETS*) where this slow burn shows you in small incremental moments that Vanessa and Aiden are meant to be. These two show their love in VERY different ways, which is a beautiful reminder that because someone doesn't speak YOUR language of love doesn't mean they aren't loving you to the best of their ability.

I'm obsessed with these two (and all the side characters who build up a universe that I truly love, including Zac, Diana, a "tattoo artist in Austin," "a friend of mine's boyfriend's band," etc.). Mariana Zapata has this way of making standalone books that are all part of this universe full of characters I really love (and that extended epilogue featuring LOUIE just about killed me). I just know other people are going to fall in love with Aiden and Vanessa, Mariana, this universe, and romance because of this thick book, and I can't wait to watch it happen.

READ THIS BOOK, but especially if you love: grumpy/sunshine, football player, famous/normal person, found family, golden retriever puppies, professional sports athlete who is a vegan, holidays, men who call their women Muffin, hilarious roommates, best friends, enemies-to-friends-to-lovers, SLOW BURN.

All the freaking stars. And the bonus content at the end is... worth it :) I love getting a peek at Aiden and Van after the HEA!

I’m late to the Wall of Winnepeg train but I can honestly say I was pleasantly surprised. I thought this book was going to be smut from start to finish which I am normally apprehensive about. But this classic slow burn was filled with feeling and fire. I felt like Vanessa was my kindred spirit toeing the line between firey on the inside and retrained on the outside. I can’t wait to read more from Zapata!

I’ve heard so many good things about Mariana Zapata so I was excited to finally pick this up!

I wouldn’t exactly call it enemies to lovers, but it’s certainly folks-not-on-good-terms to lovers. That angle gave the early storyline a bit of a slow start as the characters warmed up to each other. I would say it took about 20% of the book to get into it but still - as the big guy started showing signs of affection, I was hooked. I loved how Vanessa could read Aiden so well and seeing the ways they learned to take care of each other. I read a lot of romances with really effusive male main characters - and we love an emotionally intelligent, communicative hero. But it was really great to see a different kind of MMC who showed his affection quietly and whose affection was no less than other more effusive heroes.

On top of the romance, I enjoyed the found family, positive representation of foster parents, and Vanessa’s marathon training. I loved that both characters had full lives outside of each other and that those lives were represented on page.

i’m a big fan of Mariana Zapata and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read this book. I appreciated the edits that this book went through to be traditionally published. Can’t wait to read more of her work!

“Home is where you are. I would go anywhere for you if you wanted me there.”

Vanessa finally gets the nerve to quit her job as personal assistant to Star Football Player Aiden Graves. She's ready to move on to what she loves to do and working for Aiden was always temporary. He makes it easier to leave by being a giant (literally) pain in the ass. Aiden starts showing up at her apartment begging her to come back, and then one day has a different offer for her that could set her up with more financial security than she has ever known, and she can't bring herself to tell the man no.

This is literally the slowest burn of all, but somehow seemed to be done right. I've really been a sucker for the "Marriage of Convenience" trope, so this worked out for me. This felt different than Lukov also, where that was more of a friendship build in my opinion, this one felt like he was a little in love with her from the beginning and just didn't realize it, but the signs were there. The bonus content in this re-release is also really sweet and I loved that added bit.

This is my first book by this author, and I enjoyed it. I loved the whole fake marriage concept of this one. The reason I gave this one 4 instead of 5 stars was the fact that I felt like when it comes to some of the conflict in this book, it was too repetitive. We could have edited out one or two of those repetitive instances, and it would have been a lovely read. It's plenty long for the story being told, and I didn't mind the length. I just wish we would have had a different conflict than the one the kept repeating. We could have had several other things causing the conflicts with this couple.
The family dynamics for these characters were a nice way to help explain certain behaviors between our 2 main characters. That's how real life works, so I liked seeing it that way.
Will definitely be trying more from this author.

I've only heard amazing thing about The Wall of Winnipeg and Me, so I was excited to receive an ARC. Imagine my surprise when I DNF'ed at 7%. Here's why:

1. The writing was incredibly tedious/unnecessarily wordy. The amount of backstory, random inner dialogue, and commentary the FMC has with herself while she’s supposed to be talking to a person in real life is unbearable. I get if this happened once or twice, but it was all the time. And it wasn't just a paragraph of inner dialogue but pages before we cut back to the in real life conversation, and I’m supposed to remember what they were originally talking about? No. This is a classic case of telling vs showing. And someone just told me there’s even a section where she has 18 pages of inner dialogue during a conversation?!! What?! That’s insanity. So yeah, after 2 chapters, I knew Mariana Zapata's writing wasn't for me.

2. The amount of times the FMC brings up and describes the appearance of the MMC was irritating. I don't need to keep being reminded that he's huge, massive, bulging, beautiful, etc. Also, her comments are said in such an objectifying way that made me feel the ick and made me hate her character.


Overall, this is a pass for me, but it appears I'm in the minority here.

This is my favorite book ever and I am so happy that I got a copy of this arc! Mariana Zapata solidifies why she is the queen of slow-burn with "The Wall of Winnipeg and Me". Some books go from 0-100, but Zapata makes sure she hits every single number. I cannot express how much I love Zapata's writing, she is definitely my favorite author. She grounds each scene flawlessly, it's as if you're there. She has long books, but she makes you wish they were longer. Zapata writes the most well rounded characters, and perfects the realism of fiction.

Vanessa and Aiden are my favorite romance couple. Their love is so beautiful it makes me want to cry. They both had my favorite character and relationship development. I loved that we get to see their full selves. The integration of their careers, their personal time, and special trips were never brushed aside. Zapata understands that there is equal importance in showing readers both big and small moments. My favorite thing in slow-burn romances is the subtleties that the author plays with. Zapata really makes you read between the lines, especially with Aiden, and I LOVE it!

There was not a single boring moment in this book. Again, my favorite book that I will be recommending forever.

Mariana Zapata - the absolute QUEEN of slow burns. I don't think anyone else could keep me this invested.

I loved Vanessa. She was a badass, strong female lead. She gave Aiden a run for his money too. quite literally. My favorite part about a MZ book is the growth between the 2 leads; that includes both individual and relationship growth. it was great seeing Aiden come out of his shell and seeing Vanessa become more herself throughout the book. However, the best part of The Wall of Winnipeg and Me, (and arguably the best part of any MZ book) is the friendship/relationship growth between Vanessa and Aiden. these two end up being the best of friends and it's so beautiful.

read if you like:
- Marriage of convenience
- grumpy x sunshine
- workplace romance
- forced proximity
- Slow burn

Thank you to Avon & NetGalley for an ARC!

grumpy x sunshine
workplace romance
Marriage of convenience
Slow burn

loved Van + Aiden so much!

Aidens moments when he would crack a joke at the most unexpected times I LOVED!

No one can make a grumpy MMC the way she can and I live for a grumpy MMC who becomes a softie for that special someone!

Really enjoyed the storyline, the characters & MOST of the side characters! Loved the connection Van + Aiden formed & the SLOW BURN was so worth it! I was not ready for this to end & the epilogue was perfect!!

4 Stars

I have read every single book by Mariana Zapata and they don’t call her the queen of slow burn for nothing! The Wall of Winnipeg and Me wasn’t a new book to me but one I had read previously in 2009 and loved. I was interested in reading it again because I wanted to see what had changed in this new published version and revisit one of my past favorite books.

My 2023 review is that I really enjoyed this book once again. Mariana Zapata knows how to build character relationships in a really genuine way that takes time on the reader’s part, so I can understand why her books aren’t for everybody. If you’re willing to stick it out with a big focus on friendship and some character development versus romance (like until literally 90% in) then I think you will enjoy Winnipeg & it is one of her best.
—
Side Note on Spice:
I will say, Zapata’s spicy scenes (normally just one per book) are usually not my favorite— I find them kind of awkward and her verbiage a turn-off, but I think this one wasn’t horrible.

Thank you to Avon & NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.