I enjoyed this book, but it was not my favorite by Mariana Zapata. All of the characters in the novel were likable and experienced growth throughout the story. Rhodes was a grumpy older guy who is a workaholic, especially with his job as a park ranger. He has this thick exterior that we get to see Aurora slowly chisel away. I loved how Aurora grew throughout the book and slowly started to feel like she was home. Amo’s was probably my favorite character. He was a unique kid who is a very unique dynamic with his parents.

The romance was a bit cheesy at times but I was excited that the romance wasn’t completely at the end of the book. I know Mariana Zapata writes long books, but this one felt like it went slower than some of her others. The conflict that happened in the woods on the hike Aurora went on felt like it should have occurred at the end of the book instead. Since it occurred earlier, it felt like the ending just kept dragging on and on.

You should definitely add this to your TBR to read at some point, but if you are new to Mariana Zapata, start with The Wall of Winnipeg and Me or From Lukov With Love.

Another masterpiece from Mariana Zapata. She is such an amazing writer and I am so exited to see her being traditionally published.

I think this is my favorite MZ!! Felt like the grumpy/sunshine was executed perfectly - where the grump wasn't actually rude or mean or anything, just quiet and tentative, and then growing from there. Loved.

I’ve been meaning to read this one for a while now, so when it popped up on NetGalley I jumped on it. Since this is a republished book (being self published prior), I am unsure on what (if anything) changed from the original.

Overall this was a super sweet romance that centered around the FMC finding herself after a twelve year relationship ended. Aurora finds herself returning to her hometown, which she left as a young child. As she arrives to the garage apartment she rented, she gets confronted by a man who thinks she’s trespassing. After some confusion between the two, it’s discovered his teenage son rented the apartment out without his father’s knowledge. Aurora is able to stay as long as she follows Rhodes’ rules. Aurora slowly begins to bring down his walls during her time there.

I was unsure about the age gap at first, especially since the FMC, Aurora, assumed Rhodes was much older than he was. Once their ages were finally revealed, it was fine for me (for anyone curious, it’s about a 9 year gap).

Read if you like…
• grumpy sunshine trope
• small towns
• a strong FMC
• found family
• grumpy man who’s a teddy bear for the woman he loves <3

This is a very, very long book a little too long. Her mother went missing at a young age her “Husband“ the money was everything. he had an emotionally abusive mother and this ex Navy. His son ends up, renting an apartment to her without his father’s permission she moved to town to be closer to her past. There are times the book does get heavy however, overall a solid three star

A nice addition to the rom-com genre that devotees will enjoy. Lots of angst, witty repartee, chemistry, and drama will keep readers turning the pages and have them wanting more after the last page. Recommended!

What a great book to get a girl out of a reading slump! This was such an incredible slow burn. I was obviously chomping at the bit for them to get together, but it didn't feel too drawn out. It was perfectly executed.

I loved all of these characters. I feel like most times the child of the single parent is a plot device more than being a fleshed out character, but I didn't feel this way about Amos at all.

DILF of the year award has gotta go to Rhodes. We love a broody overprotective dad.

I love a single dad romance. This book too slow burn to a whole new level. Sooooo slow. I'm excited to read more MZ books

🥾All Rhodes Lead Here by Mariana Zapata🥾

Jan 30 2024, Avon and Harper Voyager

Aurora De La Torre is ready for a fresh start when she returns to the small town she once lived in as a child in Colorado. Fresh off of a bad personal and professional breakup, Aurora is eager to begin again on her own terms. With the help of her late mother’s hiking journal and her reluctant landlord, Aurora is able to heal her heart and begin to live her own happily ever after.

This was a reread for me and I loved it even more the second time around. No one writes a grumpy male main character as well as Mariana Zapata does. She should teach a masterclass on it. Rhodes is my favorite MZ hero and he is even easier to fall in love with the second time around. Plus that bonus epilogue was worth the wait and full of sweetness.

If you’re unfamiliar with Mariana Zapata, the most important thing to know going in is that she writes slowwwww burns. The build up of tension is so well done in each of her books but especially shines here. The way that Aurora brings Rhodes out of his shell and gently coaxes him into a fuller life by her side is truly remarkable and beautiful to witness.

Recommended for every romance reader but especially those that enjoy: 🐢 slow burns 🦇 grumpy/sunshine 🦊 a silver fox single dad 🤭 age gap (9 years) 🥾 being seen, known and loved for who you are

Thank you to Avon Harper Voyager and Netgalley for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

I often put off MZ's books. I know they are super slow burn and they are so very long. But every time I pick one up, I am sorry that I waited so long. I loved Rhodes and Ora and Amos and basically everyone in this book (except the ex). Watching all of them grow and love each other and find their own way through this super grumpy/sunshine romance was heartwarming and page turning. I don't think I could do this slow of a burn from any other author but MZ knocks it out of the park.

This book was delightful and truly showcased Mariana Zapata's expertise in crafting slow-burn stories. The novel explores themes of romance, found family, personal growth, and grief but was truly enjoyable and fast-paced. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC!

Mariana Zapata is excellent at crafting a slow burn love story, even though for a good chunk of that slow burn, it leaves a reader screaming to pick up the pace. But the patience definitely pays off with an excellent love story that feels grounded and real.

I loved Rhodes and Aurora's story so much. Their respective struggles felt true and heart wrenching. My only wish was that we got a bit more of Rhodes to begin with because for the first chunk of the book, I was wondering if I was ever going to be won over by him. I shouldn't have worried though. He's great and I loved seeing him gradually come out of his shell as he demonstrated more and more how he shows love and affection.

I also loved every side character in the story and would be happy to read any book that chooses to follow their own adventures. I will freely admit to hoping for a Jackie and Amos love story eventually, but I'll take what I can get.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishers for this Advanced Readers Copy of All Rhodes Lead Here by Mariana Zapata!

After an unexpected and abrupt breakup with her long time famous boyfriend leaves her heartbroken and lost, Aurora travels across the country to Pagosa Springs, Colorado where she grew up. Her mother had been everything to her... her best friend, her inspiration, her hiking partner, until one day she disappeared. Now twenty years later Ora is ready to relive some of her mother's favorite hikes. But there seems to be a problem with her rental when she shows up to her garage apartment and the homeowner accuses her off trespassing. Tobias Rhodes is a gruff and grumpy game warden distrustful of strangers, even when his teenage son is the one that caused the misunderstanding. He makes her promise not to let him even know she's there but after weeks of tiptoeing around, Tobias himself seems to be the one coming to her rescue. He can't resist her sunny personality and the develop a strong friendship that develops into the love of a lifetime.
I followed the booktok hype in reading the Wall of Winnipeg the first time and fell for Mariana Zapata's slow burn style and her grumpy heroes with huge hearts and overprotective instincts. All Rhodes is now the seventh book I've read by this author and I'm just as in love with Rhodes as I was Aiden Graves! I love the beautiful new bright cover on this edition!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I decided to DNF this after nine chapters. This is the third book I've tried to read by this author and I didn't like any of them, so I think I'm giving up. I always hate the characters and the writing and dialogue.

I’m all aboard the Mariana Zapata fan train. I can see why people adore her and her books so much because she writes romance very distinctly and I’ve been craving more original stories. This book was refreshing because the characters are older and opposites but their dynamic works very well. I enjoyed the nature descriptions- it felt like I was transported directly there. And I loved the little kid- the entire cast of characters actually. I knew Mariana Zapata was the slow-burn queen but this book just proved it was for good reason- the banter, the tension, and the build-up. *chef’s kiss*

I love a good slow burn, but I feel like this book could have benefitted from some editing down. 572 pages for a romance? I think this story could have been told well in 350. I found the characters compelling, but this book was tough to get through.

I LOVE THIS BOOK. the slow burn was perfection! and the plot had me hooked from the beginning, i couldnt put this one down! grumpy sunshine and age gap perfection!

𝙰𝚁𝙲 𝚁𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠 𝚘𝚏 𝙰𝚕𝚕 𝚁𝚑𝚘𝚍𝚎𝚜 𝙻𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝙷𝚎𝚛𝚎, 𝙱𝚢: 𝙼𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚊𝚗𝚊 𝚉𝚊𝚙𝚊𝚝𝚊

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

“𝙸 𝚏𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍 𝚊 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚌𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝙸 𝚋𝚎𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚐. 𝙰 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚌𝚎 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕𝚜 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚑𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚊𝚐𝚊𝚒𝚗.”

𝚃𝚛𝚘𝚙𝚎𝚜:
🌲Slow burn
🌲Age gap
🌲Small town
🌲Grumpy x sunshine
🌲Found family
🌲Forced proximity
🌲Single dad

Romance is not my go to genre, but wow I devoured this one.

This read was engaging, beautifully written and the slow burn was so worth the wait.

Loved the non typical family dynamics, small town and nature settings. I appreciated Aurora and Rhode’s emotionally mature relationship built on clear communication. Their story was unique and heartwarming and I was all for it.

The only thing I found myself wishing for was more insight into Auroras backstory.

Overall this contemporary romance has made MZ a new auto-buy author for me and I look forward to adding more of her works to my library.

This ARC contained bonus chapters that were worth requesting for!

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing an eARC extended copy of this work in exchange for a honest review.

The grumpy sunshine vibe was strong with this one and I loved it!

It was a super slow burn, but the chemistry between the two characters was so amazing that the spice was so worth the wait!

I loved Ora’s character. She was so sweet, humble and down to earth despite how her life had been mere months before. Her soul searching journey was fun to watch and she was pretty freaking funny! The way she tried to face and overcome all her fears and learn new things was inspiring.
Rhodes was the epitome of grumpy, but when he finally let his guard down, omg was he the perfect man!

I really liked how much attention was put on Amos in the story since he was such a big part of the Ora and Rhodes relationship.

Overall such a fun read!