amazing iconic slay as always i love daddy rhodes and obvi i love aurora im so happy for mariana zapata getting republished like this and loving all the bonus content!

BOOK REVIEW: All Rhodes Lead Here by @Mariana Zapata

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Im obsessed this was such a great read I really enjoyed it so much!!!

An excellent slow burn romance! Aurora was a wonderful heroine to follow - the heartache of her story just highlighted her strength of character, and I found myself rooting for her from the very beginning! Rhodes was the perfect DILF hero. I loved the found family vibes, the country music aspect, and especially the setting. Mostly, I loved the banter and how Zapata makes every scene so charged, you're practically buzzing by the time the couple gets together. Definitely recommend!

"It's never too late to find a new road." I first read All Rhodes Lead Here by Mariana Zapata two years ago on a long car-ride. Not only was it one of my first single dad romances (omg) but it was also one of my first silver fox/age gap romances. I honestly loved everything about this book. Zero critiques. Only glowing praise.

Ora returns home to her small hometown of Pagosa Springs after a very public breakup with her long-time famous musician boyfriend. While the town holds bittersweet memories since the death of her mother, she decides it's the perfect place to regroup and heal, out of the spotlight. She rents a small garage apartment, but unfortunately, the owner, Tobias, didn't approve the rental. His son, Amos, rented it out behind his father's back. Needless to say, they get off to a rocky start.

Zapata really focuses on developing the relationships between her characters, taking her time, building the tension. She writes real, relatable romances, and I honestly can't get enough. Honestly, this book is all about relationships. The relationship between Tobias and Amos. The relationship between Amos and Ora. The relationship between Ora and Tobias. Parents. Friends. Lovers. All the different kinds of love are all real and important.

From the first time we were introduced to grumpy Tobias, I knew I was a goner. He's just so fiercely protective of his small little family, and he's so gruff and grumpy. Gruff, grumpy men are my kryptonite. Especially single dads. Especially if they have gray hair. Bottom line: I'm a total simp for him.

If you love slow burn romances, single dad romances, small town romances, age gap romances, or any combination of those, you're going to LOVE All Rhodes Lead Here. I'm so glad it's getting a traditional pub re-release. The new cover is adorable, and it's honestly just the best book. I can't wait for more people to read it.

I absolutely loved this book. Rhodes is by fart one of the best love interest I've ever read, and their relationship is so sweet, slow-burning, and still hot. He is so protective, so so protective. And everyone knows that is my undoing.
They also make such a good team and friendship which makes their love story so much better.
I will also say this is for sure the healthiest relationship Mariana Zapata has written and one of the healthiest I've ever read.
All the characters were well done, the pace felt pretty good, and the writing was very immersive.
I cannot recommend this book enough.
The bonus scene was also pretty sweet and exciting.

I really loved some elements of this book. I think the main character was sunshine-y in a way that was realistic and relatable- I usually get irritated with sunshine characters in the grumpy/sunshine trope, but that definitely wasn’t the case here. She was quirky, interesting, and complicated. However, I could not completely get over the fact that she referred to the male MC as Mr. Rhodes for like 200 pages. It is less offensive when it’s revealed that there’s a thing about his first name, but it distracted me for almost half of the book. Also, calling women “angel” and “buddy” was not my favorite either. Otherwise, I liked “Mr. Rhodes” and I loved the friendship that developed between Ora and Amos. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc.

Raise your hand if you love slow burns!
If your hand is raised, then you must already know about the Queen herself, Mariana Zapata. This book is my favorite of hers, hands down and this new cover is just lovely. I could talk about this book all day, but here's the short version:

If you're ready for some wholesome journeys of self-love, healing, and growth then this is the one for you.

Let's start with of FMC, Aurora. This lady goes on a journey to self discovery, and I was inspired by her every step of the way. She almost made me want to start going on 5-10 hour hikes...almost. But seriously, the emotional growth for Aurora in this story is perfection. She's a badass who finally realizes the love she deserves hasn't been the love she's received.

Now our hero, Rhodes...well...give me all the grumpy single dads, thank you very much. Rhodes occasionally felt more like a side character because, again, this book was about Aurora but when he showed up, HE SHOWED UP. The romance in this one was the slowest of slow burns, but it was so worth it. Aurora and Rhodes are it. period.

So if you're a fan of any of the things I talked about, plus a cute kiddo, then this is the book for you.

Did this book just make me enjoy an age gap + single dad trope???? I normally do not like these, but this book did a really good job with both of these tropes!

I love a slow burn and every Mariana Zapata book I've ever had has had the slowest of burns and this one was no different. I loved everything involved in the development and growth of the characters and of all the relationships in this book BUT I do think this book could've been a lot of shorter. A lot of the inner monologuing started to feel really repetitive and every detail did not have to be explained to the detail that it was explained.

Overall, super enjoyable book but I do wish it hadn't been 600 pages.

A grumpy/sunshine slow-burn romance is my catnip. Add in a found family and I was hooked from the beginning. My only complaint was that the slow burn was a little too slow and the resolution seemed to come a little too fast.

OMG😭😭😭, bonus content was wholesome, i cant get over it!!

Rhodes is the ultimate MMC
I loved there character development
I loved her interaction with his son
their tension is 😩

“𝑊𝑒 𝑑𝑜𝑛'𝑡 𝑔𝑒𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑐ℎ𝑜𝑜𝑠𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑒𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑤𝑒 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑟 𝑎𝑟𝑒, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑑𝑜 𝑔𝑒𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑝𝑖𝑐𝑘 𝑖𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑘 𝑎𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑.”

“𝑆𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑠, 𝑚𝑎𝑦𝑏𝑒 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑜𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑠, 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓𝑓 𝑎𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑒. 𝑆𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑠 𝑦𝑜𝑢 ℎ𝑎𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑛 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑜𝑤𝑛 𝑏𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑓𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑑. 𝑇𝑜 𝑝𝑢𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑓 𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡.”

This will always be my favorite book ever.
♾️⭐️

4.5 stars!

After breaking up with her boyfriend of 14 years, Aurora moved back to her small hometown to reconnect with herself and try to find answers about her mom's passing.
What she didn't expect was to meet her handsome landlord Rhodes and that changed everything.

I really enjoyed this book and the chemistry between Aurora and Rhodes was amazing. Aurora's connection with Rhodes' son Amos was super sweet and I loved seeing their interactions. I do wish the chapters were slightly shorter, as 20 minute chapters are very overwhelming. I also found the story line a bit hard to follow at times and I found myself rereading a few parts over and over. Other than that the story was great and I will continue to read anything and everything Mariana releases.

loved this romance between this couple. loved that it happened slowly and she was able to help Rhodes and Amos. loved her friend. would love a yuki romance. Loved that she was able to find her mom and do some of the same things that she did.

This was amazing! That’s all I can really say. If you’ve read MZ before this book gave me Winnipeg and Kulti vibes for sure. Aurora was simply awesome, I think she’s the oldest heroine MZ has written and her character shows that. this book made me smile, laugh, tear up and I know I’ll be rereading it a lot in the future. And that bonus scene was so cute! This is definitely a top fave by MZ!

Aurora move away from her ex to Colorado she leaves everything behind to come back home where her mom disappear when she was a child to find answer and to live her life the way she wanted and not what it was expected from her or her image especially because her ex was a famous singer and was only using her for her song writing so she book a room only to find out it was a teenager who authorized and never told his father and nowhere to go she beg the owner of the house to let her stay. So he let her but gave her rules not to go near his son and stay away from them.
Until one night changed things for them because Aurora took Amos to the hospital because he was having pain and had to have surgery. So they start to hang out especially because Aurora was putting her life at risk because she was planning to go hiking and she wasn't experience and every time she will go out she was getting hurt and Tobias Rhodes was rescuing her. Until one hiker found body remains and it was Aurora mom and she was relief because now she knows her mom never left her behind.

5 stars!!

Mariana Zapata does it again! All Rhodes Lead Here is the perfect slow burn, grumpy-sunshine romance book. It follows Aurora, who is looking for a fresh start, and Rhodes, her new landlord. Mariana Zapata books always bring a sort of comfort to me and this one was no different, it is a little longer than a regular romance book, but it reads so well, that you don't even notice it. MZ writes her characters with such realistic qualities and her books don't have weird time gap between the chapters, so it builds a connection with the characters.
I feel like I could talk about this book for hours and I've already had a few request for this book.

All Mariana’s books lead to the best HEA.
Mariana is the slow burn ninja master. This book captures you and won’t let you go till the end with all the feels, all the love, all the giggles, all the heartaches wrapped in one book from beginning to end. From the dialogue to the connection with multiple characters to the dynamic family and friends. Her words make you feel for these characters. Her heroines are someone you aspire to be and she writes the best book boyfriends. You never know what you get with a Mariana Zapata book but you can always guarantee that it will be one of your favorites. Another great sunshine/grumpy story with an emotional overload. Definitely recommend this book. I received this book for my honest review.

This was my first time reading All Rhodes Lead Here, and I don't even know how I could've handled not knowing the end of Aurora & Tobias's story! That bonus content was absolutely worth it. I'm a sucker for a long-term happy ever after, and this was spectacular! **Insert crying face emoji**

THOUGHTS:
- I don't know what I thought this book was about - but if you told me that this was Zapata's most-read book - I'd totally believe you. Of her other books, I've read Kulti and The Wall of Winnepeg, which are both sports romances and have similar vibes. While All Rhodes Lead Here also had a slow-burn plot, it was so different. Without that sports element, you really hone in on the character's emotions and what they're trying to make of their lives.

- A mature woman's romance! Our heroine is in her early 30s, and I can't explain how much I loved that. I loved her confidence after everything she'd been through, and I loved how she handled herself romantically after heartbreak. When you're at that point in your life - you don't really run straight into emotional danger the way you once did, and All Rhodes Lead Here perfectly showcases that level of self-respect.

- I cannot wait for everyone to read the new version of All Rhodes Lead Here!! That ending is worth it if you haven't already read it - the new copy coming out in 2024 is perfection!

MY FAVORITE QUOTE:
'Kaden would have a roll of bills in his wallet and part with a hundred, easily. And Rhodes would give me $5 if it was all he had.' - Not only is this a perfect explanation of what real love is... I think we all can clearly identify those people in our lives.

NOTES:
- 🌶️🌶️/5 - The steam that built up was amazing. I loved reading basically every moment I could to figure out when the spice part of the relationship was going to start since the respect and camaraderie part of the relationship was forming all along.
- An interesting part of the story centers around non-traditional family styles because that's something near and dear to me!

**Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager, & NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. I received this book for free, but all thoughts are my own. – SLR 🖤

Oh, how I fell for Tobers 🫠

I love a great grumpy sunshine story and when it also includes some self discovery? Sign me up.

Aurora is coming back to her birthplace after a long relationship that didn't work out. She ends up renting the grumpy Rhodes' garage apartment until she can figure out if she is staying or not. Rhodes had no idea he should be expecting a visitor, since his son was trying to make some money by not telling him he rented out the apartment. 😆

I loved how Rhodes showed her he cared without stopping her from her journey of discovering herself after being in a crappy relationship for 14 years. He was so freaking sweet! 🥰

Mariana makes you feel all the feels everytime you read one of her stories. She really makes you feel like a bystander in their world.

All Rhodes Lead Here
Mariana Zapata

Genre: Romance
Rating: 5/5 ⭐️
Recommended: Yes!

Mariana Zapata writes the absolute best slow burn books. While this book isn't my number 1 MZ book (Luna and the Lie!), it's still a 5 star read which shows how good her books are. The tension between the two main characters is strong in this one, and I love the small town setting!

Read if you like…
🤍 Enemies to lovers
🤍 Grumpy x sunshine
🤍 Slow burn
🤍 Single dad
🤍 Age gap

I think it is safe to say that I am addicted to Zapata slow burns. “All Rhodes Lead Here” is the third book that I have read by Mariana Zapata and I LOVED it so much!!

I really enjoyed exploring the wilderness through Aurora’s perspective. The hikes that she took through Pagosa Springs were so descriptive and the beautiful imagery made me feel as though I was venturing through the forest with her. I totally understand why Rhodes chose to be a fish and game warden in that area, which is a pretty cool job occupation if I might add.

Another aspect I loved about the book was the relationship development between Aurora and Rhodes. The two start out as strangers, Aurora being Rhodes’ tenant, and become friends over time. When the pair begin to feel attraction for one another near the end of the novel, Rhodes does not rush anything. I think that this is so important considering Aurora experiences a lot of trauma stemming from her previous relationship. Rhodes gave Aurora the space she needed to figure out what she wanted. At the same time, he was only a call away she ever needed a bear hug, emphasizing the importance of strong support systems.

Rhodes, as a character, is just a big sweetheart. I love how protective he is of Aurora. When Aurora got lost on one of the trails, he abandoned his post to search for her, later taking care of her injuries when they returned home.

Rhodes’ love for his son is unmatched. He did not have to be present in Amos’ life (Rhodes served as a sperm donor for his best friend and his wife) but CHOSE to be involved anyway. He CHOSE not to re-enlist, even though he found joy in serving his country, so that he did not have to miss out on any of his son’s “first times.” Amos’ family may be unconventional (with three parents and all), but he is loved nonetheless. The representation of nontraditional families in literature is so important and I appreciate Zapata making that a highlight of this book.