I truly believe this is one of the most beautiful stories I have ever read.

Our story opens up on our FMC moving for a fresh start. When a slight mixup happens with the garage apartment she is renting, she is introduced to the Silver Fox himself, Tobias Rhodes. Grumpy meets sunshine and I loved every second of it.

Aurora’s story goes to show that it is never too late to start over. She is the type of character who makes you strive to be kinder and to show people you love them. This is a masterpiece.

This was VERY, VERY slow. The slowest of slow-burn romances, too. The overall book was just slow, however. It was sweet and written fairly well, but I don't think this author is for me.

This is one of my favorite Mariana Zapata books! Second only to Kulti for me! I love Ora’s journey and I adore Rhodes and his son so much!
Ora and Amos’s friendship is just the sweetest.
I adored the slow burn romance, I mean MZ is just truly the master of the slow burn.

Thank you very much for the opportunity to read this book early! I really enjoyed it. I thought the writing was very well done, and the story kept me interested. I believe my students/patrons would also love this book and will be acquiring it for the library!

“All Rhodes Lead Here” is a novel by Mariana Zapata, a New York Times bestselling author. The book tells the story of Aurora De La Torre, who moves back to Pagosa Springs, Colorado, after breaking up with her longtime musician boyfriend. She is looking for a fresh start and a place to heal her broken heart. Aurora meets her landlord, Tobias Rhodes, who is initially gruff and distrusting of strangers. Over time, they develop an unbreakable friendship that blossoms into a once-in-a-lifetime love.

"All Rhodes Lead Here" by Mariana Zapata is a heartwarming slow-burn romance that explores the themes of healing, friendship, and love when least expected.

The story follows Aurora De La Torre, known as Ora, who returns to Pagosa Springs, Colorado, a place filled with memories of her late mother. After ending her long-term relationship with a famous musician, Ora is seeking a fresh start and healing for her broken heart. Her new home, rented by Amos Rhodes, the teenage son of Tobias Rhodes, becomes her refuge.

Tobias, a protective and gruff man, initially keeps his distance from Ora, wary of strangers. However, as Ora and Amos forge a friendship, she slowly but surely breaks down the walls around Tobias's heart. What begins as an unlikely friendship soon blossoms into a deep and unexpected love.

Mariana Zapata, known for her slow-burn romances, once again excels in crafting a story that allows the characters to develop a genuine connection over time. Readers will appreciate the realistic and gradual nature of the romance, as it builds from friendship to something more profound.

The setting of Pagosa Springs, with its picturesque mountains and small-town charm, adds depth to the story and provides a backdrop for the characters' growth and emotional healing. The secondary characters, especially Amos, play crucial roles in the narrative, enhancing its depth and authenticity.

Zapata's writing is engaging and relatable, drawing readers into the lives and emotions of the characters. The story is a beautiful exploration of grief, resilience, and the transformative power of love. It reminds us that sometimes, when we least expect it, love can mend even the most broken hearts.

"All Rhodes Lead Here" is a delightful romance novel that will resonate with fans of slow-burn love stories. It's a tale of healing, hope, and the unexpected places where love can be found, making it a highly recommended read for anyone seeking a heartwarming and satisfying romance.

I absolutely love this book!! This is actually a re-read for me as I had previously read this book when it first came out a few years back. I was so happy to revisit this story.

When Aurora moves back to the small town she was raised in after a serious heartbreak, she finds herself renting an apartment from a grumpy local who might just be misunderstood . Single father Tobias Rhodes is quiet and protective of his son Amos, and as they both get to know her, Aurora buries her way into both of their lives.

I love love LOVE this book, the growth the Aurora develops in this time after her breakup is shown so beautifully and it is even more beautiful to see that Rhodes is captivated by her and allows her this space to deal with her heartbreak and also her deep rooted grief.

This is also a favorite small town book of mine with just enough of a twist. The story plays out her past storyline into the small town vibes in such a fun way.

I am a big fan of Zapata and the way her characters' relationships develop so slowly but solidly. SLOW BURN FOREVER. I also was so happy to read the bonus content, I LOVE aurora and Rhodes, I could read 500 books about them.

This is one of those books that I will always recommend to just about everyone,

Thank you Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC of the new republished book.

NOT THE SINGLE DAD TROPE, GRUMPY/SUNSHINE, AGE GAP AND SMALL TOWN TROPES ALL MIXED IN ONE AHHHHHHHHHH

MY FAVORITE

Tobias is the DILF of all DILFS. That grumpy/sunshine trait he has makes me swoon.

Aurora was sweet, the absolute sunshine to his grumpy. She is compassionate and freaking hilarious. She's honestly perfection.

Also this book made me want to go camping and hiking which made me question my sanity.

Mariana Zapata did it again with this one. I don’t love this book quite as much as I loved Kulti and Wall of Winnipeg but it was a good read and a classic slow burn that we expect from her.

So so so excited for this republication of this story. It was wonderful and I am so glad I got to read it as an ebook. The storyline and slow slow slow burn were so worth the 400+ pages. I love this author and she rocked it with this storyline. I also agree that the cover update will help in selling this remake.

This was such a lovely romance book. It was adorable and sweet and also had that emotional connection. It’s a slow burn romance that at times could be a bit too slow but overall I ended up loving it. I’ll definitely be reading more of her books. This was my first book by this author. Four stars

This book made me ugly cry. The romance, the grief, the found family. Everything was so perfect.

This book is about two broken people whose jagged edges fit. Aurora and Rhodes are an amazing example of the fact that people develop different coping mechanisms to make up for the same insecurities. While they both went through life believing that no one would ever want them, Aurora coped with this by becoming whatever she thought people needed. She allowed a man she loved to leech her creativity, passion, and joy for 14 years because she didn’t think she was worth anything more. Rhodes coped by becoming hard and abrasive, accepting that he will never be loved and living his life as an island, with the exception of his unwavering love for his son, Amos. When Aurora appears she carves a space for herself not just in Rhodes’s life, but in Amos’s as well. She fits into their little family, just as they fit into her broken and grief stricken heart. Their love for each other is slow, patient, and kind and it’s everything I could’ve wanted.

ALSO OMG THE BONUS CHAPTER IN THIS EDITION IS EVERYTHING

Thanks so much to Harper Collins for giving me this arc in exchange for my honest review!

if you like mariana zapata’s books, you’ll like this one. it has the same slow-burn formula with a grumpy man that slowly becomes obsessed with the fmc that her other books have. that being said, i did like it. this one has the added flavor of the mmc being a dilf, which i didn’t know i liked, and the midwestern small town vibes were fantastic. the bonus chapter that comes with this publication is also tooth-achingly sweet. a thumbs up.

A book that’s good for the soul!

There are so many things to love about this book - outstanding writing, fabulous characters, slow burn goodness. From the first page, I was drawn in to this journey of loss and love and discovery. You’ll feel this book long after you turn the last page. And for those fans that read the first edition, the bonus content add just the right touch and the perfect ending to a great book!

This was my second book by Mariana Zapata and I love her style! Yes it’s a big book and yes it’s a slow burn - but it’s worth it! This story had such a graceful way of expressing challenging experiences like grief and having to start over and find your identity after loss and a relationship ending. I loved how the relationship between Aurora and Rhodes and his son Amos was established slowly and the quiet moments shared. It gave me a chance to really connect with the characters and enjoy the ride! It’s a story that will stick with me. Thank you to Avon Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the ARC.

Absolutely stunning. I LOVE Mariana's work and am SO EXCTITED she is republishing. The bonus chapter with the proposal was EVERYTHING. I love the trio in this book. They are the cutest family.

Highly recommend!

3.5 stars. So to set the context, I am a HUGE MZ fan. Wall of Winnipeg is one of my all time favorite books. I love her slow burns and her characters. Kulti and Lukov are way up there too. This one just did not do it for me quite as much. It took me until 50% to even start to care, which was not the case at all in the other books. I felt the spark between the others from the beginning even though it wasn't love yet. I felt nothing for these two.

A lot of it had to do with Aurora. Her inner monologue was so monotonous and immature. I felt like I was reading a 16 year old with two brain cells rather than a 33 year old who had been through some things. It got super repetitive. I was also bored with all of the hiking. This could have easily, easily been at least 100-150 pages shorter, and I never say that about her other books that are just as long.

I did love Tobias and Amos, and the supporting characters like Yuki. Once they get started being friends first, which was lovely, Tobias and Aurora have a really great relationship. I love the way her relationship with Amos develops too. Again though, this felt like such a cut and paste of her other books that isn't really executed as well as the others. Many, many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and Avon for this early copy in exchange for an honest review!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️,🌶️🌶️

small town
Single dad
Grumpy x sunshine
Found family

WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG TO READ THIS!!! I loved this book so much!!

Aurora was the most amazing fmc, the sunshine of this book! Truly an incredible friend, supportive, & so funny! I couldn’t get enough of her character and laughed out loud so many time while reading this book at the random things that she would say. As Rhodes said you think you know what she might say and the exact opposite happens! I loved the friendships she built but I love most how she was with Amos! Their relationship was so amazing to watch grow and I love the confidence she slowly helped him build!

Rhodes was the most grumpy dad ever! No one can quite do grumpy sunshine like Mariana and I love it every single time! I loved the pacing of this story and how you really got to see the progress Rhodes made as a character, he grew so much emotionally & was really able to connect with his son & Aurora in a way I wasn’t expecting!! The ending of the book and the seen with the ex will live RENT FREE in my mind!!

it was a thicker book but every page was worth it, not only did I love the characters so much but I really enjoyed the storyline and the much needed closure these characters got!! The ending of this book was so beautiful!!!

Edit: I was approved by NetGalley to review an ARC with bonus content in exchange for an honest review. My original complaint about this book is that it's too sweet for my taste and the bonus content, which takes place between the final chapter and the Epilogue, was even more sugary sweet than the rest of the story.

Actual Rating = 3.5

To start, I would like to say that I love Mariana Zapata. She is without a doubt my favorite romance author and, in my opinion, one of the most skilled writers on Kindle Unlimited. This novel, like all her novels, was insanely well written. That said, it wasn't my favorite of her works.

Let's break it down.

"All Rhodes Lead Here" follows MC Aurora who is returning to her hometown after a very long-term relationship ends. Aurora lost her mother when she lived in this town and returns there as something of a memorial. She rents an above-the-garage apartment from a game warden named Rhodes and his teenage son Amos.

Pros:
- AMOS OWNS MY HEART. Cutest 15-year-old boy ever and I loved the relationship between him and Aurora.
- The musical subplot was really interesting. Without spoilers, Aurora has a really strong background in music that very few people know about. This subplot almost reminded me of an inverse of Zapata's novel "Rhythm, Chord, and Mhalykin." I won't say anything else 'cause spoilers but...you'll get it.
- As always, every character in this book is well-developed and believable. I think one of Zapata's great strengths is writing characters that feel like people you might run into on the street, and that holds true here.
- This is one of Zapata's few novels that doesn't take place in Texas, being set in rural Colorado. It was really interesting to see her explore a very different setting, and I thought it was well done.

Cons:
- This novel was a bit longer than it needed to be. Zapata is the queen of the slow burn, so her novels are always on the longer side for romance. That said, I think 50ish pages of this could've been cut without really losing anything from the story. The extra length messed with the pacing for me, and I was ready for the story to be over maybe 2 full chapters before it actually ended.
- The following comment is 1000% personal preference, so take it how you will. This book is a little too sweet/sappy for my taste. One of the things that makes Zapata a must-read author for me is that all of her novels feel different - you never feel like you're reading the same story over and over. This makes it inevitable that she'll have a few stories that don't work for every reader. That's the case for me here. Aurora and Rhodes have a very sweet, gentle relationship that will appeal to a lot of readers but just wasn't overly interesting to me. For reference, my favorite Zapata novels are "The Wall of Winnipeg and Me" and "From Lukov With Love."

All Rhodes Lead Here was kind of painful for me to read. I know that Mariana Zapata is the queen of the slow burn but this plot just wasn’t it for me. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc ebook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.