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emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Something I appreciate when it comes to Mariana's books is the way she does not sugarcoat things or try describing her FMCs as though they're flawless or p💩💩p rainbows. I also LOVE her talent for crafting the most amazing slow burns of all time! And being a sucker for that trope, I know where to go when I'm in the mood for one ❤
Rhodes breathed and exhaled grumpiness 🤣 I kid you not, his grumpiness was OFF THE CHARTS!! I've honestly never read about a character as miserable as he was 😭 what I love most about similar characters is the way they love and give endlessly when they allow themselves to actually live instead of just survive. Tobias was never really taught how to love and be loved, yet he somehow succeeded in being such a caring and protective dad 😭❤
Aurora was such a blabbermouth 🤣 I've never seen a character that talked as much as her!! But I guess that was part of what made her who she was. She couldn't stay silent for more than a second, but she also had pretty much no filter, and people like her are usually the ones you don't have to worry about because they wear their hearts on their sleeves. She was stubborn as a mule too, and when she went on those hikes in homage to her late mother, I couldn't help but think she was NUTS but I certainly admired her determination as well ❤
I love me a good slow burn with a pinch of found family, realistic depictions of human beings' complex emotions, and how they don't actually smell like roses after a long hike or a fishing trip 🤣
Rhodes breathed and exhaled grumpiness 🤣 I kid you not, his grumpiness was OFF THE CHARTS!! I've honestly never read about a character as miserable as he was 😭 what I love most about similar characters is the way they love and give endlessly when they allow themselves to actually live instead of just survive. Tobias was never really taught how to love and be loved, yet he somehow succeeded in being such a caring and protective dad 😭❤
Aurora was such a blabbermouth 🤣 I've never seen a character that talked as much as her!! But I guess that was part of what made her who she was. She couldn't stay silent for more than a second, but she also had pretty much no filter, and people like her are usually the ones you don't have to worry about because they wear their hearts on their sleeves. She was stubborn as a mule too, and when she went on those hikes in homage to her late mother, I couldn't help but think she was NUTS but I certainly admired her determination as well ❤
I love me a good slow burn with a pinch of found family, realistic depictions of human beings' complex emotions, and how they don't actually smell like roses after a long hike or a fishing trip 🤣
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
emotional
funny
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
That was such a great book! So fun. She was so funny and lighthearted. He was so grumpy and reliable and devoted to his son. Soo good. So many moments I loved! When she injured hiking and he goes to where she said she’s hiking because he worried about her. As he should be. She seems to constantly get into these situations. It was so emotional and such a slow burn. The the subtle moments were so impactful. Absolutely recommend.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Infertility, Grief
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A sloooooooow burn, it’s not really even a romance until 80% into the book. And then, bam one really spicy scene before back to basics. I found Aurora to be annoying and very cartoonish at times. Also, how often does she just start crying? And how many times did I need to be reminded that Rhodes was a big, manly man, who had grey eyes? I did like the setting and plot of grief and closure with Aurora’s mom.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent
It was a little too long. It dragged in some places. I really liked how their relationship developed though I didn't care for the nicknames situation - Buddy (the Elf) is a cringey nickname and her thinking angel was him misremembering her name was just goofy. I really liked the pacing as I felt it gave me a lot of room to get to know the characters and be invested when the slow burn paid off but I think it could've cut 10-20% of the telling herself her every thought in real time. Still a big fan and would read again. Also another small criticism While cathartic, the mic drops on the ex and ex-MIL went a little too smoothly. Like.. is this a reliable narrator? levels of smooth lol
Worth the read? Yes
Worth the read? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual content, Toxic relationship
Minor: Bullying, Chronic illness, Death, Infertility, Misogyny, Pregnancy
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Grief
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The slowest of slow burns!
I hate to say this, because I love me a slow-burn romance, but it possibly could have been a little quicker. Near the three-quarter mark, it began to feel like we'd make romantic progress and then back track again and again. But it was still believable and enjoyable. All of the characters have such a great fleshed out back story that you can tell this was a loved book by Zapata. While I don't think that I loved Aurora as much as I was supposed to, it was because she acts like a real person. She's messy and sometimes a little too selfish, but so are a lot of people. And Amos and Rhodes's family situation? Gosh, I wish I had Zapata's skill. Wonderfully created and I will be looking out for other works of hers in the future.
I hate to say this, because I love me a slow-burn romance, but it possibly could have been a little quicker. Near the three-quarter mark, it began to feel like we'd make romantic progress and then back track again and again. But it was still believable and enjoyable. All of the characters have such a great fleshed out back story that you can tell this was a loved book by Zapata. While I don't think that I loved Aurora as much as I was supposed to, it was because she acts like a real person. She's messy and sometimes a little too selfish, but so are a lot of people. And Amos and Rhodes's family situation? Gosh, I wish I had Zapata's skill. Wonderfully created and I will be looking out for other works of hers in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Grief, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death of parent, Pregnancy
Minor: Infidelity, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Medical content, Suicide attempt
emotional
inspiring
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship
Moderate: Grief, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child abuse, Medical content, Pregnancy
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent
Minor: Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This is a wholesome read about finding your people and your place in the world. I love how the book depicts grief respectfully and shows how new interpersonal relationships – with not just romantic love but all kinds of love – build over time and give you happiness. The main characters Aurora, Rhodes, and his son Amos revolve around each others lives, slowly getting more involved with each other and forming beautiful, meaningful relationships together. The beginning of the book felt s little slow to me, but once I got invested in the main characters' lives, I loved seeing their mundane life changing and intertwining with the others'.
The forming relationships show how the characters get more comfortable with each other, which results into their communication getting from easily misinterpreting the other one to expressing themselves more clearly and being able to read the others' nonverbal communication easily. The result is that the main characters have good communication throughout the rest of the book: even when there are difficulties or disruptions to this, the main characters always follow through with a conversation about the situation.
The bonus epiloque has Aurora and Rhodes discussing the love languages of the important people in their lives while on a hike with Amos, and that shows the best aspects of this book: good, open communication and love that is shown in so many ways in the whole book.
The audiobook has one narrator from the pov of the main character Aurora, but there's another reader voice for the male characters – that works really well and gives those characters added depth, making you immerse yourself into the story more.
The forming relationships show how the characters get more comfortable with each other, which results into their communication getting from easily misinterpreting the other one to expressing themselves more clearly and being able to read the others' nonverbal communication easily. The result is that the main characters have good communication throughout the rest of the book: even when there are difficulties or disruptions to this, the main characters always follow through with a conversation about the situation.
The bonus epiloque has Aurora and Rhodes discussing the love languages of the important people in their lives while on a hike with Amos, and that shows the best aspects of this book: good, open communication and love that is shown in so many ways in the whole book.
The audiobook has one narrator from the pov of the main character Aurora, but there's another reader voice for the male characters – that works really well and gives those characters added depth, making you immerse yourself into the story more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Grief
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Minor: Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Infidelity, Blood, Vomit, Stalking, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment