Tobias Rhodes is a grumpy game warden in Colorado. His son Amos rents out an apartment above their garage without his permission in the quest for extra money to fund his hobbies. Aurora De La Torre is moving to Colorado in an attempt to reconnect with her late mother who went missing in the area. Aurora rents the apartment from Amos, and when Tobias finds out, he tries to kick her out. Aurora manages to change Tobias’s mind, and once Tobias realizes she’s not out to scam his son, he relents and allows her to stay. Aurora’s sunshine-y personality slowly breaks down the dark walls Tobias has built around himself and the two develop a tentative friendship that eventually develops into romantic feelings.

I am a sucker for a surly grump, and Tobias Rhodes fulfills all my fantasies. He’s reserved, devoted to his son, a hard-worker, and a salt-n-pepper zaddy. Aurora is also a great lead. She is a genuinely good person with a sad backstory just searching for her place in the world. I also appreciate the fact that Tobias’ son Amos is depicted as a regular teenager. He is temperamental and stubborn; he’s not overly precocious like so many “children” you read about in novels. This is truly a slow burn romance, so it might not be for everyone. Aurora and Tobias’s relationship develops from wary landlord/tenant into friends, and finally into life partners (I wouldn’t even describe it as lovers because their relationship seems so much deeper.) I’m a big fan of Mariana Zapata’s slow burns and have read every single one of her novels and can’t wait until the next one comes out!

YOOOOOOOO, this one guys is a must-read. I absolutely enjoyed this and it got me reading this up until 2AM and I could not fall asleep cause of how giddy it made me feel HAHAHAHHAHA

This book was slow. I felt like not much happened in it. I didn't really love the slow burn because it didn't feel like they had that many interactions. I wanted to love it but it just never fully came for me.

I rewind the tape but all it does is pause on the very moment all was lost 🥾

All Rhodes Lead Here by Mariana Zapata
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Taylor song: evermore

All Rhodes Leads Here is the story of Aurora, who is returning back to her childhood home of Pagosa Springs, Colorado, after ending a long relationship and still grappling with the loss of her mother almost two decades prior. Through unusual circumstances, she meets Rhodes, her unwitting new landlord, and his son, Amos.

Mariana Zapata truly has a way of writing the slowest burn possible and making me eat up every single second of it. The way she writes tension is absolutely delicious, and this one of very few books that had me staying up past midnight because I simply did not want to put it down (what can I say, I’m a grandma at heart)!!

Rhodes is the sweetest grumpy hero and I would protect him with my life. I feel like Aurora’s sunshine-y (but not too over the top) personality compliments him perfectly! I loved her relationship with Amos and the unique relationship between Amos and his parents as well. 10/10 found family all around!

Also, the caretaking trope in this one… CHEF’S KISS!

Overall, this book turned out to be one of my absolute favorite books, and I will forever be looking forward to my next MZ!

Tobias Rhodes is my new favorite MMC. The way he’s so gentle but has this gruff exterior is so sweet and I ate it up. For my first Mariana Zapata book I was so pleasantly surprised by the writing and the way this cutesy little romance book pulled every emotion out of me. I was legit blushing in public, to kicking my feet and giggling, to crying with these characters over their hardships and suffering. Every single emotion was so real and raw and I loved every second of this book. I couldn’t put it down. I need to read Mariana’s entire backlist now because this is some of the best romance slow burn writing i’ve ever read. I cannot wait to read more and I will forever think about Rhodes, Amos & Aurora!

This was truly such an amazing slow burn. Tobias Rhodes, the man you are! This book was such a beautiful story that just slowly builds and it creates something so tender and sweet you won't be able to resist loving these characters. Aurora was inspiring and her story with her mom truly got to me. The way the three of them slowly became a family was perfect and the ending was everything.

This one was my first by Mariana Zapata and I will be reading others! However, it took me a while to get into it, which kept me from recommending it straight up to others. But it did give me good topic of conversation, so I think overall it was a win. Just not a favorite.

All Rhodes Lead Here follows Aurora as she attempts to rebuild her life in the small town of Pagosa Springs after heartbreak. With nothing but a credit card and a fragile sense of hope, she rents a garage apartment from Tobias Rhodes—a grumpy, closed-off landlord who barely tolerates her presence. Classic Mariana Zapata, right?

But while the setup had promise, the story’s slow pacing dragged it down. The romance lacked spark, and the characters—especially Aurora and Tobias—felt flat. The saving grace? The beautifully described setting and the warmth of secondary characters like Amos and Clara, who brought life to the narrative.

Zapata’s writing is undeniably smooth, but the book often felt bloated with unnecessary details. If you enjoy a slow burn that takes its time, you may appreciate the atmospheric storytelling. But if you're looking for a romance that sizzles, this one might leave you waiting too long for the spark.

I have never read Mariana Zapata before, but this was a phenomenal introduction.

If you have been hesitating on reading this, I need you to drop everything and meet Tobias Rhodes, the silver fox handyman who will fix your pipes and your life (and yes, I do mean that as the double entendre you think). 33 year old Aurora moves to a small town in Montana for a fresh start, but doesn't expect her grumpy landlord to be six feet of perfection (minus hating dad jokes). She's fumbling through life like all the rest of us millennials, and yet Rhodes is busy being the most supportively stern smoke show we could all hope for.

The slowburn in this is no exaggeration. I am used to 600+ page fantasy slowburn where nothing happens until 75% in and it's pretty close to that. That slowness doesn't feel it, though, as we get genuine heartwarming character growth and adorable small town family vibes. The grumpy-sunshine vibes are immaculate, and I devoured this so quickly so I can start reading more of her works.

This book just wasn’t for me. I felt like the pacing was a little too slow and I never found myself eager to pick the book back up. It wasn’t the writing that I didn’t care for but the development of the story.

Mariana Zapata is the queen of slow-burn romances and All Rhodes Lead Here is a reminder of why that is. Not my favorite by her but I still enjoyed it!

Like all Zapata's books this is a long slow burn and I like all the characters she builds, but it takes a while for her to get you to thinking they actually are together or have chemistry

Mariana Zapata is the queen of slow-burn and "All Rhodes Lead Here" was no exception. It was an incredible story and certainly did not disappoint.

Hot grumpy mountain man meets bubbly city girl. This book was so good! Aurora returns to the town she grew up in to find herself and to try to get closer to her mom who never got to leave. She rents an apartment from Rhodes except he doesn’t know he’s rented her the apartment because his teenage son listed it behind his back and when he finds out he is not happy about it but allows her to stay. From there we get to see their relationship develop as Aurora works to find herself. She was one strong lady whose positive attitude even when faced with adversity didn’t waiver. I loved every second of this book and regret that I had put it off for so long because of the page count.

Still recovering from the abrupt end of her long-term relationship with a superstar musician, Aurora De La Torre returns to the last place she felt uncomplicated happiness: her childhood hometown. There, she rents an apartment from an extremely reluctant Tobias Rhodes, who dislikes her on sight and wants her to stay far away from him and his teenage son. Aurora is determined to find a community and build a life where she is valued for who she is, rather than anything superficial. Rhodes’s primary goals are to be a great father and build a life outside of the navy. It takes him a while to see Aurora for who she is, rather than who he imagines her to be. Both halves of this grumpy/sunshine couple have been neglected and treated with carelessness by those who should have loved them; Rhodes’s experiences make him protective of himself and his son in a way that Aurora respects, while she keeps her heart open to possibilities.
VERDICT This new edition of a previously self-published novel, which features Zapata’s (The Wall of Winnipeg and Me) trademark humor and slow-burn pacing, includes a bonus scene after the original epilogue and is sure to be popular.

All Rhodes Lead Here by Mariana Zapata didn't disappoint. I loved everything about it. Thank to you NetGalley for the ARC!

The slow-burn romance between the two main characters, Rafael and Emilia, is both tender and passionate. Zapata's writing style is both lyrical and realistic, and she has a talent for creating characters that feel like real people I know. The book explores themes of love, loss, and the power of human connection, and it's a beautiful and poignant read.

First and foremost, that slow burn was 🔥🔥🔥. I couldn’t stop inhaling this book because I just had to know what happened, when they finally became lovers, and how.
The relationships and all the personalities interacting was flawless. Mariana knows how to write real people and make them interesting.
This was my first Mariana Zapata book but it won’t be my last. This made me a lifelong Mariana fan and I can’t wait to read more!

I loved Kulti by this author so I had high hopes for this book and unfortunately it didn't quite hit the mark -- while I enjoyed getting to know our main character, I think that "slow burn" was taken to an entirely new level (which can be some people's cup of tea, but not mine) and by the time any actual romance started I wasn't as invested as I had been before. Still, the writing was good and the overall plot was decent :)

This book took wayyyy too long for anything to start happening. I would have liked a bit more to happen in the beginning and for momentum to keep building through the book.