A review by talknerdybookblog
All Rhodes Lead Here by Mariana Zapata

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

5.0

Representation: Supporting Characters of Colour, Ute* Side Characters

*"Ute are the indigenous people of the Ute tribe and culture among the Indigenous peoples of the Great Basin. They have lived in the regions of present-day Utah and Colorado in the Southwestern United States for many centuries. The state of Utah is named after the Ute tribe." (taken from Wikipedia btw)

Safety Rating: Safe

• No cheating
• No OW drama
— And, for those who need to know, the Hero, Rhode’s kid is a by-product of IVF. His best friend couldn’t have kids so when him and his wife asked, Rhode’s agreed to be the donor as long as Rhode’s could be an active parent. Therefore, his son, Amos, has two dads and one mom.
— Also, no drama with Amos’s mom — she’s really nice and only in the book for a very small scene.
• Does have OM drama
— The Heroine, Aurora goes on a date which pisses Rhodes off. But, she very quickly says that there was no chemistry.
— Aurora’s ex-common-law-husband comes back in one scene but Rhodes is not intimidated.
• Does have Rhodes pushing Aurora away
• No separation


Possible Triggers: Yes

• Toxic relationship, including coercive control (monitoring birth control pills, no one allowed to know Aurora was essentially married to her ex, etc)
• Aurora’s mom has been missing and presumed dead for 20 years
— people debate throughout the book whether her mom purposely abandoned her and ran away or committed suicide
• Discussion of parents with mental illness including bipolar disorder and depression
• Abusive parental relationship


Ending:
HEA with Epilogue