I originally read this book when it came out in 2020 and it was one of my favorites that year. When I heard it was going to be traditionally published, I was happy for Mariana Zapata. It's one of her best books and deserves more readers and recognition. I was also happy that I had the chance to reread it and read the new bonus content. Below is my original review (which still holds) and my added thoughts on the bonus content. 

All Rhodes Lead Here… Sigh. I’m in love with this book. In love, people. I just finished all 608 pages and I already want to reread it. Mariana Zapata took us on a journey with this one. It started out as a book dealing with Aurora’s past grief, moving on, and finding her place in the world. That finding her place turned into finding love, friends, and family. It was such a sweet read.

Aurora was straight up sunshine. For someone who had lost so much, she had a pleasantly positive outlook. Even when she struggled, she was able to push herself by staying positive. Rhodes, on the other hand was a storm cloud. He had this gruff exterior. I loved how Aurora chipped away at it to get to his fluffy center. Their romance was the slowest of slow burns, but it built in a way that felt natural to the characters. Aurora and Rhodes were pure magic together.

As always, Mariana Zapata included a cast of characters to help support Aurora and Rhodes that I adored. Amos, Rhodes’ son, added so much to the story. So did Aurora and Rhodes’ friends and other family. There wasn’t one person (well, maybe Kaden) who I wouldn’t want a book about. I need Zapata to keep writing book in this Colorado setting because I need Clara and everyone else to find love.

All Rhodes Lead Here is one of my favorites from Mariana Zapata. I’ve loved all of her books, but this one was a standout. There’s not much else to say about it without gushing too much, so I’ll say this again — I loved it!

As for the added bonus content... It was so much fun to get another glimpse into a special moment for Aurora and Rhodes. People, like me, who read this book as an indie release will love the extra, short chapter included in the traditionally published version. I smiled hard while reading it.

All Rhodes Lead Here: ★ ★ ★ ★ . 5

Mariana Zapata

Slow burn and grumpy/sunshine are just second-nature for Mariana Zapata and really, no one else does it like her. When Aurora moves back to her old home after a bad break-up, her older, game warden (and hot) neighbor, Tobias Rhodes, is... well, not happy, to say the very least.

I don't want to say too much about the story because there's some secrets the reader must uncover themselves, of course, but the romance? Let's talk about that.

Aurora is a really sweet, independent, relatable, and amiable character. She's generous and kind, she loves people and always has a smile on her face. She's polite to everyone, loves to learn, and is not one to turn her nose up at anyone. Trying to start fresh in her hometown, Aurora is just another girl doing her best to keep her head above water.

Rhodes is, of course, grumpy and cold at first, but even at the beginning, I could tell that this man was innately good–letting Aurora stay, helping her with her job, her car, etc. As he learns more about Aurora and puts aside his own misconceptions of women like Aurora, he opens up much more and is one of the sweetest men ever.

The tent scene? PLEASE. The standards are so goddamn high and I do not want a man who does not do this for me, period the end. AND THE B-WORD. Also, all his hugs. Ugh. He's a big teddybear, honestly.

Rhodes' son Amos is the one to thank for these two's meeting and I loved that shy, musically talented kid so much. Seeing his friendship with Aurora grow was so cute, and their relationship made me smile. The way she helped him and the way he trusted her to.

It might just be because this is my fifth Mariana Zapata book in a row, but some of the personality traits and storylines felt a little repetitive to me. Nevertheless, loved this story! So glad I read it. Don't know how Mariana Zapata does it time and time again, but I am a fan for life.

Rating: 4.5/5
Warnings: disappearance/death of parent (past), abusive bipolar parent (past), parent with depression, manipulative and toxic ex, grief

Looking for:
Grumpy/Sunshine
Single Dad
Age Gap (30s/40s)
Second Chance
Slowest of Slow Burns

I loved this book. That’s all. I genuinely cried. I might still make an aesthetic reel for it. If someone asks me for a full review it won’t come because I don’t know how to review these books but I’ll talk about it all day. Or literally all Mariana Zapata books. Probably one of my favorite…I really do love them them.

I love that Avon picked this one up, I didn't noticed many notable changes and the additional bonus material was just perfect.

Another stunning masterpiece by the queen of slow burn aka Mariana Zapata!

All Rhodes Lead Here was absolutely amazing! If it’s not clear already, I’m a huge fan of Mariana Zapata and have read her entire backlist so I’m very familiar with the way things progress in her books.

She writes these epic friends to lovers romance books that have the slowest of slow burns to exist and it just always so well with her unique writing style and this book was no exception.

Aurora was a wonderful protagonist with her own share of trauma, backstory and struggles. She is kind, loving , emotional, vulnerable and yet a very strong woman. I always love seeing how MZ makes us see the regular life of her characters before the love interest is introduced. I loved Aurora from the beginning and my heart broke with her every time she was struggling.

Tobias Rhodes was absolutely perfect love interest! He’s sweet, caring, protective, a wonderful dad (and grumpy but he complemented Aurora’s sunshine personality so well that I can never complain) I loved how slowly their relationship began and developed from dislike to mildly tolerating each other to being okay in each other’s company to liking one another to caring for another to can’t see the other in pain to loving one another to having these deep, beautiful connection with so much love, my heart was melting. And the best part is that this buildup of romance is so slow and natural that it feels inevitable that these two characters would fall for each other, that could be the only outcome. I also love how the focus of romance is always more on the emotional aspect instead of physical. It just makes it all the more believable.

I really loved Amos, he was such a good kid and his relationship was Aurora was also pretty amazing. All the side characters like Yuki, Clara, Jackie, Johnny and other were so nice as well! I love when books show the main characters having their own support system in friends and family!

The small town setting was another great aspect of the book! Though it wasn’t the main focus of the book but I still liked how Aurora started feeling right at home in this cozy town. The hiking/ adventure aspect was also pretty unique and I would’ve loved seeing even more of it because I really enjoyed those parts (despite being the laziest person on the planet)

Another thing I greatly appreciate about Mariana Zapata’s books is how little words of wisdom are sprinkled all throughout the story. I find them very relatable and the fact that they can be applied to literally anything you’re facing at that moment is just a cherry on top.
Here are some of my favourite lines:-

“Maybe you didn’t have to get over your fears completely to conquer them. Maybe if you just faced them in general that counted.”

“You could start over any day of the week, at any time of the year, at any point in your life, and it was fine.”

“Life didn’t have to be perfect for you to be happy. Because what was perfect really, anyway?”

“Love could be about money. It made things easier, that was for sure. But the best kind of love was about so much more than that. It was about giving the person you loved everything. The easy, effortless things, but also the hardest intangible stuff, the uncomfortable. It was about telling someone that you loved them by giving them everything you had and everything you didn’t because they mattered more to you than anything material ever would or could.”

If all of this doesn’t convince you to pick this book up ASAP, I don’t know what would.
Anyways, I for one, highly, HIGHLY recommend this beautiful book to every lover of romance books!

A huge thank you to Netgalley, Avon and Harper Voyager for my arc!

A grumpy single dad who lives in the mountains?? Amazing!!! I love the way Mariana Zapata writes slow burns. This book was a super slow burn and I enjoyed every minute of it. Mariana Zapata never disappoints!

Thank you NetGalley and Avon Books for the arc of this book.

I know what I'm getting with this author so I know to expect a super long book with a big old slow burn. Also, it may be a personal hangup with books by this author but the fart jokes just take me all the way out of the story. I'm a few days out from reading this and I still remember them more than the actual romance. Also that she was 33 and didn't know how a hammer worked.

I was charmed that she could talk to anyone, had a soft spot for giant hurt birds, and quiet teenagers. I liked Rhodes after he decided to start being kinder to her after the halfway point in this book which is a really long time in a Mariana Zapata book. He was quite cold to her and then he was surprised when she thought he didn't like her. I just, you can't have it both ways sir. I did like their relationship after things got settled up. Rhodes tracking her down whenever she was hiking in dangerous conditions was lovely. She's never really had anyone watching for her so it was nice to see him do it even before they were together.

The only thing I wish I saw was when Kaden gave her songwriter credit. It never came up through the book and I would have liked to have seen that conversation.

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Aurora De La Torre is on a healing journey and on this journey she decides to go back to the beginning. Aurora returns to a place where she was last happy, a small town in Colorado. With limited options available she finds a small garage apartment rental. Her landlord may be incredibly HOT but so is his temper. He is not happy to see her there in his house.

This book tackles so many relatable sentiments. This book deals with divorce, grief, unconventional families, found family and self discovery. Zapata takes us on a journey with Rhodes and Aurora. Throughout this story they are basically teaching each other how to love and find that openness again. It's downright beautiful and made my heart do a little pitter-patter.

Zapata clearly has the grump/sunshine trope down pat. Rhodes is so grumpy haha. He does not small and his only form of communication seems to be those glaring looks. While Aurora barrels in with her can-do attitude and all her positivity. For most of the book Aurora thinks Rhodes hates her. Little does she know that he's been falling for her from the start. I enjoyed the healing process Aurora went through and the impact she seemed to have on very one around her. I love how Rhodes seemed to be exactly what she needed and how well Am fit in with it all.

Zapata's writes relatable characters. Her characters are vulnerable and so human. This quote right here ?

"'Because… I’ve been watching you grow for months. I don’t want to be something you grow around. You were with someone who gave you too much shade before, right? I’d rather us take our time than me stunt where you’re going, who you’re becoming.'"

That's enough said!

5⭐️

I would give all the stars to this book. The queen of slow burn Mariana Zapata created such a wonderful grumpy sunshine love story. This is an older book that has been rereleased under the publisher, but it still is so incredible and relevant today.

The story follows a recent divorcee Aurora moving back to her home town that her mom disappeared from after a hike when she was young. She has rented a garage apartment from Craigslist however when she shows up she learns the owner of the house did not agree to this and it was his son that put it up. Tobias is very grumpy and not excited about this arrangement at all.

This is a story of Aurora finding her self after heartbreak. The relationship she builds in this small town.

Although this is a very slow burn and long book, the journey and payoff is so worth it, Rhodes is such an inedible grumpy dad Tobias character and the son Amos is the absolute sweetest. I don't typically like kids in my romance novels but Mariana handles it perfectly, There are hiking scenes and a moment with a large bird I'll never forget. Ughh I just seriously love it so much.


Compared to other books by Zapata I'd put this as my second favorite but it's very close. I recommend this book to any romance lover, don't let the slow burn/length scare away. It's seriously so worth it. ❤️❤️❤️ My only con for this book is the new cover. I loved the first cover and I am disappointed to see the cover has been changed to match any other current romance book out there right now.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Avon and Harper voyager for this advanced reader copy. My review is voluntarily my own.

I will be posting my review to my Instagram page the.floods.booknook and retail sites close or on publication.

It's hard to pick a favorite Zapata book, but I always come back to All Rhodes Lead Here. Zapata has the unique talent of writing relationships that are founded on safety and comfort. Whenever I enter a Zapata world, I never want to leave them. All Rhodes Lead Here is the ultimate comfort read.

Looooove this book. Do I own it in every format and in multiple covers? Yes, yes I do. As always, Mariana Zapata nails it every time. In this book we have Rhodes, a grumpy Game Warden and Aurora, the sunshine-y former songwriter heroine who is revisiting her roots after the end of a long relationship. I loved the slow burn of their relationship and all the side characters like Amos and Yuki (who I wouldn't mind reading about her story with her bodyguard, just sayin').

Nothing changed from the original publishing but the extra added scene was lovely to read and worth it for me. Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was, hands down, one of the slowest burns in slow burn history.

That being said, this was just one of the sweetest grumpy/sunshine books i've ever read.

After breaking up with her long term famous boyfriend, Aurora moves to the town her mom disappeared in and rents a garage apartment from her grumpy landlord Rhodes and his son Am. But over days and weeks, long hikes and fireside chats, Aurora breaks down his walls and soon an unbreakable friendship blossoms into a once-in-a-lifetime love.

I give this a 3.75 stars out of 5. While i did love the love story, the growth etc, the extreme slow burn had me edge and the fact that she just wouldn't go ahead and tell who the ex was was starting to bug me even before it all came out.

But over all, this really was the cutest.

Thanks netGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Is it repetitive to say Mariana Zapata is the queen of slow burn? Probably. Does it make it any less true? Absolutely not. Zapata is back with a swoon worthy tale that will have you freaking out over the smallest things. Aurora is the best lead; actual sunshine for the grump/sunshine trope. And Rhodes is the best grumpy hero. Together, they make up some memorable scenes that will have you laughing, crying, and giddily swinging your legs like a child. This book is the ultimate comfort read.

I don’t know how MZ does it, but obviously she is brilliant because All Rhodes Lead Here is now up there with my favourites.

I fell hard for this book. And every single character in it.

Aurora is starting fresh, going back to her roots and I absolutely loved her journey and growth. She has so many layers, but the thing I loved most about her was she didn’t ever give up and tried.

Rhodes, oh man. He was perfect. He had depth and he was definitely a cinnamon roll. Grumpy loveable perfection.

The way their relationship is slowly oh so slowly built and then phew that sexual tension on top of it almost kills you. It’s so amazing and I can’t get over how much I loved every second.

There are more characters that stole my heart too, but I’ll let you read about them 😉

This slow burn was exquisite. So much happens, so much you don’t see coming, so much of everything you ever want in a book. I give it ALL the stars.

This book right here, y'all.

This book right here!

Phenomenal, spectacular, gorgeous, immersive, engaging, basically all the positive adjectives can all sum up how this book made me feel.

Because make no mistake-- this books gives all the feels. Doesn't matter how grumpy and stoic of a co-lead Rhodes is, beneath all that gruff is bleeding, beating heart and I felt it on her every page. He was so perfect...well almost perfect. We need to chat about that Buddy nickname, haha!

And then there's our star, Aurora herself. Beautiful, vulnerable, fierce Aurora. Her soul shines as bright as the stars in the skies. Oh how I adored her perseverance and her optimism. And her endless swooning for Rhodes. I won't even lie, I wished her ill on every hike because I was foaming at the mouth with the hopes Rhodes would come to rescue each time. In all seriousness, when she too wasn't drooling over Rhodes, she was taking a journey to in remembrance of her late mother. That storyline was so beautifully done. I cried so many times for Aurora, for her heartache and her longing.

This book was near perfect, and it's one I will cherish forever.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me an arc in exchange for an honest review!

4.15..? It got better in the last half.

I just don’t think hiking romances are for me. I had similar issues with this as I did with Christina Lauren’s “Something Wilder”—though this was arguably better written and the characters had more common sense. I don’t think I like reading about people who hike in my semi local area and talk about people who have died/who almost die themselves doing so. It kind of ruins the escapism for me.

This had some great moments. I loved the camping scene, and other times when Rhodes was just being supportive.

People rave about this book on social media, but so far it’s my least favorite MZ book. Still good though.

And we actually got to see our love interests be together somewhat in this book, rather than have them finally confess their love in the last 5% of the book. But don’t let that fool you because it’s still a slow burn.

This book has my least favorite pet name to date, though. He goes back and forth between “Angel” and “Buddy”… as in Buddy the Elf. 🫣

Overall, MZ is a great author and I’ll read whatever she writes.

Mariana Zapata has been my favorite author since she released “Wait for It” and I binged her entire backlist. I’ve read all of her books and most of them I’ve read 3+ times. When she releases a book, I drop everything because I know I won’t be able to put it down. Then I always end up with a book hangover since there’s nothing out there that can compare to her and her slow burns. All Rhodes Lead Here is no exception and it is one of her best!

In All Rhodes Lead Here, Aurora De La Torre is looking for a place to call home. After leaving her long term boyfriend, she goes back to the only place that ever felt like home, Pagosa Springs, Colorado. It is the last place she lived with her mother and holds so many memories. She finds what she thinks is the perfect rental, until the grumpy landlord, Rhodes, informs her his teenage son, Amos, rented it out without his knowledge. Agreeing to let her stay, Rhodes makes it clear she is to leave him and his son alone. But Aurora finds herself spending more time with Rhodes and Amos as the weeks pass and wonders if she finally found the place where she belongs.

MZ characters always feel so real and relatable. This book is a slow burn but isn’t just about romance. It’s a story about Aurora’s journey and the friends she makes along the way. She chose this small town so she could feel closer to her mother and instead found so much more.

Amos, a shy, awkward teenager and Rhodes, a strict, quiet single father, weren’t prepared for the changes Aurora brought into their lives. She was the piece they didn’t even know was missing. I can’t even put into words everything I loved about this book. I loved the friendships she made, the closure she was finally able to get, and the love she found.
I really enjoyed the bonus content and will never say no to more Aurora, Rhodes, and Amos.

I know when I pick up a MZ book, I’m going to get a good cry. Rhodes had me sobbing one minute and then laughing through my tears the next. I would give it more than 5 stars if I could. It’s some of her best work and I could not love it more!

I have read a loved a few of this author’s books. She definitely has quirks with her writing but I was able to get past them because of the interesting relationships. This is just really bad, though. I made it to about 70% and just couldn’t finish. The main character annoying and her inner dialogue is atrocious. Most importantly, there was very little chemistry between the two main characters. I’m hoping that her next book is more in line with Kulti or Wall of Winnipeg and me.

Yes, it's as good as all the reviews indicate! I'm a fan. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. I enjoyed the updated version and bonus content. Great characters and Zapata is an awesome storyteller.

Updated 9/7/23
I had a chance to read the new Avon edition of All Rhodes Lead Here and the exclusive bonus material was so cute! I don't want to spoil anything, but there's a sweet scene between Ora and Rhodes (and Am) that takes place chronologically before the epilogue. There's also a little something extra that gives a glimpse into the future. Much like the Avon update to The Wall of Winnipeg and Me, I didn't notice any major changes to the original story. The new illustrated cover featuring Ora and silver fox daddy Rhodes is really cute though! *heart eyes*

*I voluntarily read an advance copy of this book*

***** Original review *****
4.5 stars

This was such a beautiful story of healing and growth. It's the first MZ book I've read that felt more like women's fiction than romance, since so much of the story is about Aurora (Ora) grieving and moving forward. The slow burn romance was wonderful as always, but perhaps just a bit too slow this time around. I understand that Ora's journey was the heart of this story, but it felt like it took forever for things to start shifting between her and Rhodes. Also, I usually love when the MC's have nicknames for each other, but one Rhodes chose made me cringe every time he used it. He was such a secret sweetheart though and I loved him and Amos and their unconventional family. My heart melted each time he quietly showed how much he cared. Yes, he's a grump and was a jerk a time (or ten), but I loved that once he was in, he was ALL in. Everything was a slow build up, from the friendships to the romance, but it made everything so much more meaningful. Watching Ora grow more confidant and comfortable in her own skin was really beautiful and I thought MZ did an amazing job showcasing (and ultimately celebrating) grief, heartache, and love. The epilogue made my heart so happy and couldn't have been cuter.

I both read the ebook and listened to the audiobook of All Rhodes Lead Here. I love Callie Dalton and was pleasantly surprised to find out the audiobook was duet narration with Gomez Pugh. The majority of the book is done by Callie since the story is told from Ora's POV, but it was great to have Gomez narrate all of the dialogue from Rhodes. Sometimes I found his voice a bit too gruff, but I thought they captured the grumpy + sunshine vibe perfectly.

Audiobook Review
Overall 4.5 stars
Performance 4.5 stars
Story 4.5 stars

CW: disappearance/death of parent (past), abusive bipolar parent (past), parent with depression, manipulative and toxic ex, appendicitis, grief, strained relationship with parent

5⭐️ Mariana Zapata never fails to impress me. This story is about a woman named Aurora moving to a town in Colorado where she rents a living space from Tobias Rhodes. She’s on a journey of self discovery after having gone through a lot in the recent months. I absolutely loved Aurora so much! She was this ball of energy and happiness which stuck to the people around her. Rhodes is introduced as the grumpy man who rarely smiles, although the change we see after him and Aurora become close is adorable. They are the definition of opposites attract. Also I loved Amos who is Rhodes sixteen year old son. He is a very lovable character and played an important role throughout the story. If you’re in search of a good slow bun romance book then this is for you! It had me smiling/laughing through its entirety.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for this eARC!