Absolute single dad slow burn forced proximity perfection. Mariana Zapata just does me in with these slow burn romances, I can’t get enough of them. Everything about this was perfect. I loved the characters, the premise, the execution. One of my favorite MZ romances!

I read All Rhodes Lead Here by Mariana Zapata and absolutely loved it. It is now my top favorite Mariana Zapata book. Aurora is looking for a fresh start after having her heart broken. She decides to go back home, where she lived with her mom. What she never expected was her new landlord. Thinking she was all set; she was surprised to find out the owner did not know anything about her. Now she is walking on eggshells and trying to find her new normal.

I loved Aurora so much. She was strong, determined, vulnerable and getting over a broken heart. I truly enjoyed seeing her grow and find her own way. Rhodes was absolutely amazing. He was a grump, who was protective, caring, and loyal to those he loved. His son, Amos, who he loves very much, is very important to him. I loved their relationship. Letting people in was not easy for Rhodes. At all. Slowly, very slowly, they get to know each other and I loved every second of it. Seeing their friendship blossom was everything.

All Rhodes Leads Here by Mariana Zapata was an absolutely amazing read. I loved all the characters so much. I loved the people who surrounded and supported her Aurora. She had suffered loss and been hurt and yet she was positive and caring. The little things meant so much to her. This was a five-stars read for me and one I highly recommend.

Happy reading!

I have been a fan of Mariana Zapata for more than a couple of years and to see her books getting the praise and adoration that she deserve is amazing. This book is a favorite of mine and I love the new cover. It always great to see a woman who had the ground rip out from under her come back and reclaim what is hers. Mariana always has amazing male characters and Tobias is just.... I have no words that could describe his amazingness. Thank you to Mariana and Avon for allowing me to read this gem again.

And as always Happy Reading!!!

If you enjoy:
Age gap
Single dad
Small town love stories
Musicians

You will enjoy this book. Aurora is stopping though this small town, full of memories, trying to find herself again after a really tough breakup. She has lost her voice (songwriter) and is trying to figure out what life has in store for her. First, the “airbnb” reservation gone wrong. Then, she is stuck with the grumpiest father and his teenaged son. Determined not to rock the boat after she convinces him to let her stay, she can’t help but fall into their lives. This is a nice love story about learning to love yourself, and be confident in who you are. But, it is also about learning to let others in because you don’t always have to do things alone.

Mariana Zapata does it again. I have been a fan for so many years when I picked up a copy of From Lukov with Love, and All Rhodes Lead Here is now at the top of my list of her favorites.

All Rhodes Lead Here is a masterpiece of chemistry, friendship, and quiet moments that lead to a great love story. Zapata really is the Queen of Slow-Burn romance, every page I turned I was scouring for any crumb that she would give. She creates characters that have emotional depth and feel real to the reader.

I would recommend this book to all of my friends and strangers alike. I would recommend it to anyone who loves a grumpy-sunshine trope, or a slow-burn. I would also recommend it to someone who likes stories of self-discovery and stories of starting over.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Pros-
*Sloooooooooooooooooooooooow burn
*In spite of Aurora's intense childish inner voice and sunshiny naivete, I liked her character
*Got me on my treadmill for longer - I love my treadmill and gladly get a few miles in mostly every day - this book inspired me to get even more miles in. I appreciate that quality in a novel.

Cons-
*How Aurora was supposed to come across as 33 was beyond me - this came across like a tween's concept of what adulting is.
*MFC has never used a hammer. Again, MFC is 33 years old
*MMC is a jerk to MFC throughout most of his interactions with her and is then surprised to learn that she thought he didn't like her. Shocker /s. Gave me some Mr. Rochester vibes, another d**k in classic novel form.
*A lot of repetition - MMC’s “pretty gray eyes”, etc, etc.
*"buddy" - f*cking why???


This was the first novel I've read by the author; and though I didn't love this one (I’m quite the outlier with my opinion on this one as most readers love it), I will check out her other titles.



Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the DRC

Mariana Zapata's books just have a way of bringing you into the books. Normally I'm really not into single parent books, but honestly I'm really glad I read this. Generally I wouldn't like:

- single parent trope
- super immature lead

but from the first chapter, I really liked Aurora, and it was really easy to watch their relationship built and developed. Also, Aurora is immature, but hilarious. So many of the interactions made me laugh, Her interactions with Amos were super sweet.

Overall while at a surface level it might have tropes or areas you may not prefer, it's written in a way where it's a sweet and quiet romance with good character growth + relationships. I loved it.

All Rhodes Lead Here has been on my “to be read” list for years. I was so excited to see it come up as an advanced copy for NetGalley and requested it right away.

I’m so disappointed to say that this book has been officially shelved to my “Did Not Finish” shelf. I tried and tried to see it through, but at some point, I just have to give up and raise the white flag.

I feel like Mariana Zapata was telling a decent story, but the characters were just so unlikable and the story was about 200 pages too long! It went on and on about things I didn’t care about. It was also weird that the FMC kept talking about peeing. I didn’t get the need for that at all. And I’m all for a grumpy MMC but this guy just felt toxic to me. No thanks. Maybe that shift by the end, but why is this woman even seeking the approval of a man that is so unkind to her. Just not my book.

NetGalley has been extremely generous in allowing me to read this fantastic e-ARC. I cannot express how much I love this author's writing style and storytelling ability. This book in particular has left me spellbound since the very first page. The plot is truly captivating, and the characters are so well-developed that I found myself completely invested in their lives. I would definitely give this book a well-deserved 4-star rating

Wow, I'm feeling A LOT of emotions right now and I was not ready.

To be completely honest, I didn't expect much of this book. I was interested because I love Mariana Zapata and I wanted to read her newest release but I didn't expect much from this book. By that I mean the synopsis didn't really have me EXCITED, if that makes sense? Not in a bad way, but if I was choosing a new MZ to read, this probably wouldn't be first choice. Am I making sense? Definitely not.

But anyway, this book was just such a breath of fresh air. It was heartwarming and funny and endearing. And I thoroughly enjoyed it.

From all of Zapata's books I've read so far, this one is most different to her usual formula. It's still amazing slow-burn, but the development happens a bit faster than the rest. That is not a complaint in any way, because I actually think it worked for this story. This book is not only a romance, but it's about starting a new life, finding your place and your people and overcoming grief. And Ms Mariana Zapata handled that so beautifully, I loved it. I really just loved that inclusion so so so much and I appreciated this slightly different message from her other books.

I truly don't know how she does it but the relationships always feel so tangible. Obviously loved Aurora and Rhodes, as well as Amos. Especially loved watching Aurora and Amos connect and literally become besties, love to see it. Auror also had some stunning female friendships. Double love to see it.

THIS BOOK OMG!!!!!!! *cries*

Apart from that, this book has quite a lot to offer *wink wink*. We've got single parent (kinda, you'll see), age-gap, stunning friendships and lots of outdoorsy adventures. It's a great time. If you love Mariana Zapata's magical touch just as much as I do, then you definitely need to read this one. If not for that, read for a delight of a slow-burn romance complete with finding your path, along with the people who will love you most <3<3<3

The team was looking forward to receiving All Rhodes Lead Here after it gained a strong following online. It did not disappoint!

4.5 stars ⭐️

No one does a slow burn like Mariana Zapata and I absolutely fell in love with these characters. I also want to go on a hike like asap lol

A big thank you to Netgalley + Avon for the review copy!

Aurora has broken up with her long term boyfriend and goes back to the small Colorado town where she grew up and where her mother disappeared while hiking. She wants to go on the hikes her mother loved.
Aurora finds a room but it turns out the owner’s son Amos rented it out without the knowledge of his father, Tobias. He’s a sexy ranger who doesn’t want Aurora there, at least at first. As they spend time together recreating her mom’s hikes, they get close and start a relationship.

What no one knows is that Aurora’s ex is a famous country singer, and that she’s been writing all of his Grammy winning songs. Amos is an aspiring songwriter and singer, and it’s not easy for Aurora to keep her secret, especially now that her ex (and his domineering mother), want her to forgive and forget. Aurora knows he wants her back because his latest albums are terrible!

This is an entertaining book that I didn’t want to put down. It’s got an outstanding plot, quirky characters and a wonderful love story.
4.5 stars.

Thanks to Avon and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed as in this review are completely my own.

I am not a person who stays away from - or is afraid of - long books. But good golly Miss Molly this one was WAY TOO LONG.

I also must not be a very patient reader because the start of this book made me cranky. There’s nothing that turns me off a book faster than when the author alludes to some big, terrible event in a character’s past and draaaagggggsssss out the reveal forever. Which is exactly what we get here, times two. We know something went horribly wrong early in the heroine’s life, but we don’t know what. We know something more recently went wrong with her life. We know something went wrong with her long-time relationship. We don’t know what her career was. We just don’t know much. Just that she’s running from her old life and thinks going to a place she once lived while she was growing up is a good place to start figuring out the rest of her life. And because the whole book is told from Aurora’s point of view, there’s even more unanswered questions about everyone in her new life until she screws up the courage to ask.

And it just goes on and on and on. With so many words describing so many inane, repetitive details. The humor felt contrived, and the requisite third-act conflict an unnecessary, overreacted result of noncommunication. My overwhelming feeling reading this book was frustration instead of pleasure.

The only good part about the book was Amos, the hero’s teenage son. And finally finishing it (which took me two weeks).

I think this author’s slow-burn, glacially slow paced, extra long books may be better suited to my audiobook tastes. But then again, I didn’t much enjoy being in this heroine’s head. So maybe it wouldn’t have helped here. All I know is I’m not inclined to read the author again if it’s going to take me two weeks to finish her book…

* thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review

The plot was cute, but this book was entirely too long. This did not need to be as long as it was. I started to lose interest before it was halfway through. The backstories to the characters were great, but it needed to be edited down quite a bit.

This story started out really strong and I found myself very interested and invested in the characters and storyline. I was definitely entertained by this book and enjoyed a good bit of it.
I do feel like it was way too much book for the story that we followed. I think this book could easily have been split in half and we would have still gotten the same feelings and story that we did. I think there was a good bit of fluff in here I would have preferred not to have.
Other than that, I really enjoyed Aurora’s back story and everything about her mother. I think the author did a good job of tying that all together and giving us a resolution at the end.
I enjoyed that Aurora and Rhodes didn’t instantly go from enemies to lovers and there was a lot of meat to their relationship. I liked seeing them become friends and how she always referred to Amos as her friend.
Overall I am happy I read this book and would recommend if you want a very long love story, with a bit of drama.
Thank you NetGalley for my advanced copy, I am leaving this review on my own.

I LOVE ME SOME MARIANA ZAPATA and this book DID NOT disappoint. I love the slow burn, sweet, wholesome vibes of this book. Tobias Rhodes is the ultimate book boyfriend. It was an emotional rollercoaster and I will FOREVER be re-reading this book. Thank you MZ for yet another fantastic read! It was sweet, it was emotional and made my heart flutter. I could not put this book down and neither will you!

Where are all my slow burn romance fans at? This book is for you. I loved this one. There is so much I adored about this book. First, you have a small town in Colorado. The outdoor setting really captured me. Aurora moves back to this small town when her relationship of over a decade ends. Her memories of living in Colorado with her mom have always stayed with her. She ends up working in an outdoor gear store and going on tons of hikes. As a fan of all things nature, this was great! Then, you have the biggest grump that ever was. I fell for single-dad Tobias from first grunt. He is grouchy yet kind. He has a great teenage kid. He is a good person. There was so much to like. Finally, you have a finding your way aspect to this. While our main characters are not in their 20s, they both begin to imagine new lives for themselves and decide to go for it. It was refreshing to see two people stop accepting their circumstances and decide to reach for what they want at an age where so many seem to think you should have it all figured out.

Aurora and Tobias have this slow friendship that builds in such a believable way. It was a delight to watch. I highly recommend this book and cannot wait to read more from this author.

All Rhodes Lead Here is my first Mariana Zapata and it will not be the last. I adored our main character, Aurora, and rooted for her the whole way. There was so much going on in her life than just the romance and Zapata interconnects our love interest, Mr Rhodes, with Aurora's struggles without it feeling like he's just shoved into her life to magically fix it. He helps her deal with things but in a supportive and loving way. You can feel how much he adores her.

The slow burn of it all was glorious. Watching them build a deep friendship and enjoying her growing bond with teenage Amos was so lovely. It made Rhodes and Aurora's first kiss at over 70% in that much better. I even had a moment of worry that they were going to kiss earlier in the book and was so relieved when they didn't. The stars were not fully aligned yet!

The side characters were fleshed out and felt real. I loved Aurora's relationship with all of them and was so happy with how at home she felt. Her relationship with Amos felt natural and real. His quiet way of showing affection was realistic, which I'm sure anyone who knows a teenager will attest to. Also, shout to out the supportive BFFS, Yuki and Clara. I haaate when MCs don't have any friends or family in romance books. I just loved the relationships in this.

One of my issues was that it is a long book that takes a while to get going. Once it does though it doesn't drag at all. My other nitpick was only that tears were being shed by Aurora just once or twice too many for me. Though I do get that it could be that she's been repressing a lot of feelings for over a decade and is finally letting them out. Finally, I did not mind the "Buddy" nickname, I just wish it had been explained earlier cause it was head scratching for most of the book.

I really need a Mr Rhodes.

Thank you to Avon & NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 Stars

This was such an excellent slow burn romance and had all the hallmarks of what I love in a story.

We have a grumpy but loyal hero and a sunshiny heroine that has truly made lemonade out of the lemons life has thrown her way. We have the great outdoors and camping/hiking. Forced proximity. Found family. A missing person mystery subplot. I absolutely enjoyed it.

I will say, even for a proper and well done slow burn, I felt like the story was a bit longer than it needed to be and was sometimes repetitive, but overall I enjoyed it and found myself thinking about the story and characters when I wasn’t reading.

The audiobook narration was great and was super unique in that it was two narrators doing one POV. Anytime the hero’s dialogue happened, we had the male narrator delivering his lines. Super different from most audiobooks, but I liked it!