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!

I loved this book! Mariana Zapata is the queen of the slow burn and this book is no exception! It has romance, found family, personal growth, grief, and more. I'm not usually one for the single dad trope but this one definitely got me. It also made me want to move to a small mountain town?? I'm so glad that Mariana Zapata is finally getting traditionally published and I will keep reading all of her books in their 600 paged glory!

Although, I will say, I hate the new cover- it's cheesy and doesn't match the vibe of the book. Her self-published covers were much better.

I’ve send it before a 1000 times I’ll say it again. QUEEN OF SLOW BURN and age gaps! I loved everything about this book. I’ve read it before and reading it again reminded me how much fun I had reading it the first time. I love the grumpy x sunshine, plus the relationship building is believable and relatable! You just love all the characters! Read it.

I loved this story! I did feel like it was a little slow at times though.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

All Rhodes Lead Here by Mariana Zapata
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After the end of a long term relationship that was a bit complicated, Aurora moves back home to Colorado. She found an a little place to rent, but turns out the landlord didn’t really want to rent it out and is a really grouch. Aurora is determined to have a good fresh start back in her hometown and the includes slowly winning the (very handsome) grouch over.
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What I liked:
-I was immediately intrigued with Aurora’s back story! I wanted to know everything about her breakup, I wanted that man to be put in his place…….and there were two VERY satisfying scenes in the last third of the book.
-I loved all the people in the town that Aurora grows close to again or for the first time. Found family is such a great trope, love how it was done here!
-This is my second Zapata book and I find them to be slow builds, but it makes the story better the further you go. By the end of the book my heart is full.
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4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed this! I think I liked Winnipeg a little more, but this one was really good!

Mariana Zapata knows how to write a romance. This was one of my favorites of hers - the slow burn was so, so good - Aurora and Rhodes' relationship building from strangers to friends to having a strong foundation for a romantic relationship was absolute perfection.

I also loved seeing Aurora grow to be more confident in herself and how she healed from her past. Her relationship with Amos was adorable.

Overall, this book simply made me happy to read and I would recommend it again and again!

All Rhodes Lead Here is one of my favorite romances of all time, and I am so thrilled for Mariana that it is getting traditionally published in January 2024. No one is more deserving and the world needs Ora and Rhodes and Amos, Jackie, Clara, Mr. Nez, Johnny, Lady Yuki, and even Kaden and Mrs. Jones. This story of love and loss is beautiful, and I'd kill to read it again for the first time. I love it so much, when my husband agreed to read one of my romance novels, I picked Rhodes.

It was so fun to go through this book again (although I've listened to it at least three times this year) to reacquaint myself with these characters. I picked up every sweet endearment, every loaded look, all the tense faces and side comments that Mariana builds up to be this incredible slow burn between two people.

I especially love ARLH because of the other characters. Everyone who enters Ora's orbit is drawn in to her. She shows them fierce love, and her emotions ebb and flow in the most tender-hearted way. And watching Rhodes come out of his grumpy, silver fox/old man shell to see all of her emotions and to love her through them, might be the greatest example of love there is. Which brings me to the extended (new) epilogue, which speaks to their devotion to one another.

This book is Mariana at her best. Emotional. Honest. A little bit raw and a little bit protective. Deeply vulnerable and seeking peace.

Other things I love about this book:
- Ora and Amos writing songs in the garage
- Ora working with Jackie and Clara at The Outdoor Experience
- All the silly moments where Ora draws out Rhodes, especially the bat/the bat house and the Eagle
- Ora connecting with her mom through various hikes
- the jacket and the boots
- allllll the nicknames that just melt my heart every time (I call my dog Sunny "Angel Face" now, because of Rhodes)

Thank you to the author, Avon and Harper Voyager,, and NetGalley for early access to this re-release. These are my honest thoughts.

I love-hated the slow burn. It's soooooo slow, it was killing me. At some point, I wasn't sure we were going to get *any* burn! Once we did get it, it was worth it, though. I loved the depth of the characters and seeing their personalities come out in different ways, like Aurora saving a "hawk" and then Rhodes laughing about it. I enjoyed the level of spice. Sometimes that can feel overboard but this book didn't feel that way. It felt right given the slow burn.

I really liked how Mariana brought in other elements as part of the story, like the hiking and working at the store. Everything fit so well with the whole story and the way it was told.

I enjoyed (crazy, I know!) the third-act conflict. I was expecting to hate it, especially given how the conflict started but I loved how Mariana turned it around and made me question my humanity because she'd given us these characters and given us hints at how they'd react, yet I went along with Ora's brain's worst-case scenarios and was pleasantly surprised to be proven wrong.
I highly recommend this book if you enjoy a funny, extra slow-burn romance, and lovey-dovey pet names (pet names as in honey, sweetheart, etc.). If Pagosa Springs is real (I haven't and won't be looking that up), I thought making it such a big part of the story really worked and I hope Mariana did the place justice.

So why the 4 stars (4.5 on StoryGraph)? Because of the "Buddy" thing. Yes, I know that's probably a really lame answer but I CANNOT deal with that pet name. I probably could've lived with that pet name. With the other pet names too. Not my style and they were all cringey, but I could've chalked it up to the book's charm. Rhodes's charm. I really hated "Buddy," though, I'm not going to lie. And then we got the explanation of what Buddy means and I honestly lost interest in the book. I can't even articulate why Buddy bothers me so much. The only thing I can say is that if someone called me that, I'd probably punch them in the face for insulting me so deeply. Other than that, I really enjoyed the book and recommend it.

This was 4 stars for me!

I absolutely love and devour Zapata's stories. The way they write their stories and wrap the characters in is creating magic. I absolutely loved this book and cannot recommend it enough.

I will read anything Mariana Zapata writes. All Rhodes Lead Here left me sobbing happy tears. This book tugged at my heartstrings in the BEST way. I can't recommend it enough.

Aurora is starting over and finds herself returning to the town she grew up in. She hasn't been back for years, not since her mom went missing and her relatives took her in. After a small mix-up with a vacation rental listing, she ends up living next to Rhodes and his son Amos. She's supposed to keep her distance from them, but Aurora soon becomes entangled in their lives.

First, I love that the FMC and MMC are older (33 and 43 respectively). And I loved how Amos matured from a withdrawn teen into a man. Five stars for all of that. And then five stars again for all the found family moments. Aurora and Clara. Aurora and Amos and Jackie. And five stars again for the romance between Rhodes and Aurora.

-Slow Burn
-Grumpy | Sunshine
-Single Dad
-Small Town
-Found Family

"All Rhodes Lead Here" was such an enjoyable read! I loved Aurora and Rhodes story, this author definitely excels at crafting a nice SLOW burn romance. It kept invested in the story and turning pages.

I love the new cover and can't wait to add it to my collection when it releases.

Thank you Mariana Zapata, Net Galley and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing me with a copy of this book!

Hold onto your hats, folks, because this book brought the slowest slow burn to the table, and it was everything! The tension had me on the edge of my seat, and I loved every agonizingly beautiful moment. Oof, the feels!

Aurora's growth throughout the story was a journey worth savoring. What really hit the sweet spot was Rhodes' patient approach, not rushing or pushing, allowing her to unfold at her own pace. Now, I did find myself wishing for a sneak peek into Rhodes' thoughts at times – the man is a mystery I needed to unravel!

Aurora's self-discovery and triumph over past trauma were beautifully portrayed, adding depth to the narrative. Kudos to Mariana Zapata for the thoughtful epilogue set a few years in the future, a refreshing departure from the usual few months we often get in other books.

"All Rhodes Lead Here" is a slow burn masterpiece with layers of growth, self-discovery, and a touch of mystery. Mariana Zapata once again delivers a romance that lingers, leaving you with a satisfied sigh.

Despite people warning me, I was unprepared for just how slow Mariana Zapata’s slow burns are 🫨

Daddy Rhodes though 🫠🥵

Thank you Netgalley & Avon!

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC. I absolutely love this story. It is my second favorite Zapata book! I love grumpy Rhodes and his dynamic with his son. I liked how independent Aurora was and her antics had me cackling. A great slow burn love story that had good pacing. I also liked how we saw Aurora, Rhodes and Amos separately all form strong relationships. I will say that the last 2ish chapters did drag a bit, but overall, a delightful read.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this e-book.

This is everything you know and love from Mariana Zapata (VERY slow-burn, grumpy male love interest, sassy female love interest, complicated histories), but not my favorite execution of this formula. I know slow burn is what she does best but the pacing of this stopped being slow and became inert at some point. I was excited to learn Aurora was in her 30s then immediately disappointed by her immaturity.


Spice: 2/5
Spice scale:
0 Kissing - no sex implied or stated
1 Closed door (sex implied or stated but reader not present)
2 Open door - euphemistic or vague language, or a single explicit encounter
3 Open door, explicit and repeated
4 Explicit and repeated, may contain some kink or a variety of acts
5 Explicit and repeated with a variety of acts or kink

Just finished it for the third time and it was just as good. I really love Aurora as a character and seeing her find a family is just so sweet. Love Aurora and Rhodes obviously but my favorite part is Aurora and Amos. She loves that boy and just wants to encourage him. Also her being confused when Rhodes starts calling her angel is so funny. I loved the new bonus chapter about their proposal.

All Rhodes Lead Here is a stand-alone, single POV grumpy/sunshine slow burn romance

Aurora (Ora) meets Rhodes when she rents his garage apartment (listed behind his back by his teenaged son, Amos). The relationship starts off rocky but grows slowly to friendship and then to something more.

It was a re-read for me but worth it and I loved the bonus content in the ARC. Things I loved:

✔️ slow burn
✔️ friends to lovers
✔️ grumpy/sunshine
✔️ found family

Read dates: 11/20/2023- 11/24/2023
Goodreads review: 11/24/2023
Instagram review: 11/24/2023
Blog review: 01/30/2024

It was my 2nd Mariana Zapata book but it's my fav! Rhodes is a grumpy, silver fox that I couldn't get enough of! 🙌🔥 And Aurora has a heart of GOLD! This slowburn romance is one of my new favs! It's like the Simple Wild and Happiness for Beginners vibes!