The definition of a slow burn, but with really well rounded characters that keeps your attention. REALLY long drawn out conflict that stems mostly form miscommunication, which usually isn't my favorite but the characters manage to keep me engaged.

I just love this book so much! It was my first Mariana Zapata book and I've loved her ever since! I am all about an enemies to lovers slow burn, especially when you throw in fake dating/marriage of convenience! Mariana is the queen of slow burns and this one def takes the slow burn cake! You keep thinking, ok, now is when they get together...ok, now...ok for real this time and it never happens until it does! lol. I think Kulti is my favorite Zapata MMC but Aiden is a close second. I am all for a grumpy broody but sweet inside man. And I just love Vanessa, she's so spunky and just the best. and I def need to go read Zac's book next because I can't wait for his story.

And the bonus chapter! It is so sweet. Love getting a glimpse of Vanessa and Aiden a decade later and that's all I'll say so I don't spoil anything :)

Slow burn gem! Mariana Zapata works her magic with Aiden and Vanessa. The progression of their friendship was so believable, and the romance that followed was well worth the wait. This book is a must!

4.5⭐️ AH! Fake dating and forced proximity are two of my all-time favorite tropes. Mix that with a sports romance book, especially football, and I was hooked. Vanessa was such a quirky, entertaining and lovable main character who showed such resiliency and growth despite her traumatic past and family drama. Aiden, on the flip side, had a tough exterior and came across as closed-off and inattentive, especially when Vanessa was his employee. However, we learn that while focused on his career, Aiden is driven, supportive and loyal to the core. As this story was only told from Vanessa's POV, I loved trying to guess what mysterious Aiden was thinking and seeing his character change from Vanessa's perspective. I do want to mention that this romance was very low steam and there wasn't even a kiss between the characters until the very end. Even though it was the slowest of slow burns, it did not frustrate me in the slightest. The pacing worked perfectly for the characters, and I loved seeing Van and Aiden's relationship evolve from employer/employee to "I can tolerate you" to real friends and then to lovers. Since the relationship moved slowly, I really felt as though I was living my life with them and feeling the same emotions as Vanessa felt every step of the way. AND the ending!! It was SO satisfying!!! Nothing better than some extra bonus content.

Read if you're interested in:
🏈Forced proximity
🏈SLOW burns
🏈Fake marriage
🏈Hate to love trope
🏈Football
🏈Amazing chemistry

This is being republished by Avon on July 4th, and I am full on obsessed with the cover.

Such a cute classic - but SLOW BURN is basically the motto.

Loved it!!! But I want more - thanks!


Received a bonus content copy from NetGalley, all opinions are
My own.

After re-reading The Wall of Winnipeg and Me, I can confidently say that it is one of my all-time favorite romance books!

Mariana Zapata is the absolute master of slow-burns. She has perfected the formula. It is such a comfort to pick up one of her books and know what I am in for. Her books have a hold on me. They are addicting, and make me want to do nothing but read all day. She is truly the only author that makes me excited to read a 450+ page book.

After reading most of MZ's books, The Wall of Winnipeg and Me is still my favorite. There were so many great small moments between Aiden and Vanessa. I live for the small, mundane moments between characters, and this book is full of them. I thought the progression of enemies to friends to lovers felt natural and not forced.

Thank you Netgalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for the ARC. I can't wait to buy a physical copy with the new cover when it is released!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book! Below is my honest review.

Man, Mariana Zapata setting up my standards for men really high.

Contrary to some people's options, I actually like that Mariana Zapata's books are on the longer side. At least for me, with a book that's over 500 pages, you can see the relationship grow and notice all the little things that make the two characters fall in love with each other. Not only that, you get to see the main characters' personalities with other people.

The one scene that I really appreciated was when Aiden and Vanessa had an argument after Aiden cancelled on Vanessa last minute. In this case, the two people had very valid feelings and yet both approached the situation differently. Aiden wanted to talk it out right there and then. Vanessa wanted to sit on her feelings for a bit so that she didn't say something she would regret later. Later on, they go on to talk about how they would better communicate with each other. This kind of situation doesn't occur very often (at least with the books that I've read). I liked that Mariana put this in here because it reflects what a healthy relationship should be like.

And if you’ve already read this book before and want to know what the extra content is, it happens in the future, so that means you get to see where Aiden and Vanessa end up. And it’s super cute, so you don’t want to miss it.
Would I recommend this book? Yes!!!!

"That's my girl."
His girl? "I am?"
"The only one," he said it like there was no other choice in the world.

I have oh so many thoughts on Winnipeg. 4.5 stars I'm rounding up to 5 because Aiden Graves.

This was my first Zapata book and I cannot WAIT to read more of her work. Believe what everyone says - she is the queen of slow burn. With slow burn being my favorite trope, this was a match made in heaven. I think Zapata is a fantastic writer - I love how storylines came full circle, history repeated itself in nuanced ways, and there was genuine growth with both characters.

For Vanessa, I thought it took a lot of courage on Zapata's end to write a character who struggles with anger issues. I don't think I've read a main character who admitted to struggling with anger as significantly as she does. Van works on this daily and we see her opening up and being vulnerable when she feels safe. So so heartwarming. My one critique of her character is she suffers from the classic "he can't POSSIBLY like me!!1!" syndrome that a lot of romance protagonists have, which annoyed me.

And Aiden. Having two brothers who are serious athletes, I really could relate to Aiden's sheer determination and tunnel vision on focusing on his passion. And his growth in learning to care for others and express his thoughts was expertly done. Like, I think his character development is some of the best I've ever read. Idk I just feel like I got him almost right away and watching him evolve and learn to care for Vanessa was probably the most swoon-worthy thing I've ever read.

Talk about a relationship that felt earned. Love love love. Will be reading Kulti soonish.

Vanessa Mazur has been the personal assistant of Aiden Graves, aka The Wall of Winnipeg, for a few years and knows exactly what he needs before he thinks of it. Problem is, he doesn't even say thank you. So, when she finally gets up the nerve to quit and pursue her dreams full time, guess who shows up at her door and asks her to come back to work for him? And then asks again. And again. And then asks if she'll marry him.... what? Turns out Aiden is more than a dedicated pro football player - he's the strong silent type who just might be exactly what Vanessa needs.
A fun romance where people who think they know, find out there's more to discover. Loved and wanted more.

Mariana Zapata is one of my favorite authors and she can do no wrong with books. She loves her slow burn and this book is the definition of slow burn. It really is one of those books that will have you kicking your feet in the air, twirling your hair and blushing.

This story seriously took my by surprise! It’s a big one and I enjoyed every word of it!

Aiden is a very broody man. You’re lucky if you even get a grunt out of him but after two years Vanessa is used to him and his ways. The thing though she’s ready for more from life. After over hearing a very heart wrenching convo (let me tell you I wanted to cry for her) Vanessa decides she’s done! After a month of silence Aiden turns up asking her not only to return but to take on a role she never thought possible!

Vanessa is my hero! This woman my gosh she has had a life but I loved how she found a way to fight her way in life and knew when to walk away. She didn’t take crap just to take it. If she didn’t agree she made herself heard! She may be smaller than Aiden but she is mighty and the Wall of a man couldn’t help but hear!

I really enjoyed seeing their love grow. The way their relationship bloomed was so natural. No rushing nothing outrageous just two people getting to truly know one another. Nothing sums up love better than when Van told him, “Home is where you are. I would go anywhere for you if you wanted me to be there.”

If you haven’t read this book you definitely should because it’s packed with some great characters!

official blurb:
Vanessa Mazur knows she's doing the right thing. She shouldn't feel bad for quitting. Being an assistant/housekeeper/fairy godmother to the top defensive end in the National Football Organization was always supposed to be temporary. She has plans and none of them include washing extra-large underwear longer than necessary. But when Aiden Graves shows up at her door wanting her to come back, she's beyond shocked. For two years, the man known as The Wall of Winnipeg couldn't find it in him to tell her good morning or congratulate her on her birthday. Now? He's asking for the unthinkable. What do you say to the man who is used to getting everything he wants?

🔥🔥🔥 out of 5 steam level
⭐⭐⭐⭐/ 5 stars
Wow I cannot believe how long it took me to get into this book and also how much I ended up loving it for how long it took me to get into it!

There are a LOT of trigger warnings in this hefty book. That's right... It's hefty. Her books are SO long and this one was 673 pages! Alcoholism, physical abuse, drug addiction (side character), foster care. There is also some verbiage that could be triggering regarding suicide [ex: “he wasn’t the suicidal type, but…” There were maybe more than that if I really broke it all down but those were the majors.

It was my first Zapata book and she was described to me as the master of a slow burn. Totally agree after reading and I am here for it! But let me tell you, I was well over 100 pages into this book... maybe 175-ish and I was so close to DNFing this book. The only reason I didn't is because I've had so many friends rave about it. I totally get the hype now.
As I've been away from this book I almost upped my rating to 5 stars because I've thought about this book so frequently, but it is (in my opinion) too long. Like, way too long. But dang, was it good!!

There was one sex scene in the book. It was probably around a three steam level- and this scene could easily be skipped. There's also cursing in it, in case that bothers you!

Aiden gave me major Joshua Templeman vibes from The Hating Game and I loved that! I do wish some of the chapters were written in his perspective.

I also stalled out a LITTLE bit in the end. I usually love an epilogue but this book was so long that I honestly didn't enjoy the epilogue much at all. After finally getting into this book though, I cruised through the middle/end of it! So a solid four stars for me!

update!
EDIT : 3/2021
I did a reread of this book! I’m so glad I did, because it was still amazing and I could catch a lot of things I missed the first time around. Having read it again- I can say that I don’t think you need to start reading this book on page one. It is too long! Instead you should start on page 58. That’s right- a full 10% into the book. You won’t have missed anything that won’t just be repeated later on in the book. In rereading this book, I can firmly say that I think it’s MZ’s best book! I could not wait to read this book, even in a reread. Every time I put it down, I was just killing time before I could pick it back up again! This says a lot to me as an avid re-reader! Also, let it be noted that I always refer to this book as “The Wall of Winnipeg” but only realized this time that the book is actually called “The wall of Winnipeg and me.” So yes, after reviewing this book so long ago- I made a change to the title in this blog post haha. Lastly, this time around I kept hearing songs that just gave me major WOW(and me) vibes! So I created a small Spotify playlist that you should listen to while you read!

EDIT: 6/2/23

I got a new copy of this book because in exciting news, this book was picked up by a publisher! It was republished and exclusive content was added (a fancy term for saying there’s a bonus scene at the end). I was feeling up for a reread so I did reread the whole thing! I was wondering if there would be a lot of new edits in the book. It wasn’t noticeable to me if there was. This still ranked about a 4 star for me. There were some things that can get annoying while reading this book, like its repetitive nature, the ily moment (wasn’t cute enough for me), and the reading the word ‘sure’ over and over again. (Example: Sure, I’d like it if I didn’t need a loan but that’s not the world we live in [I made up this line. it’s not a quote from the book but you get the idea]). Overall, there’s just something about Aiden and about the way he shows up for Vanessa (also, her nickname being Van, never does it for me). So Aiden, yet again, sweeps me off of my feet and earns this book it’s rightful 4 stars.

while reading you should…..
Watch: Love on the Sidelines
Eat: a vegan meal
Do: go for a run
Listen to: This Spotify playlist

If you like this book you should read Homecoming King by Penny Reid

This was already one of my favorite books of all time (I have read it upwards of ten times) and the bonus content was just the cherry on top of an already perfect cake

4.5 stars. Aiden is an insufferable professional football player and Vanessa is his personal assistant until she quits and he decides that he doesn’t really want her to. I read this entire book (600 pages!!) in one day with a grin on my face the entire time. That’s all I really need to say about it. As far as contemporary romance books go, this may be one of my new favorites.

I received an Advanced Digital Copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

This romance was everything. Yes it super slow burn romance but that just makes you so much more invested in it. I loved watching Vanessa's and Aiden's relationship progress and have a realistic relationship. They went from boss and worker to married for a green card to friends and then to love. Gah what an amazing read.

So there is a lot of hype around The Wall of Winnipeg and Me, and it’s completely deserved. This was worth all 600+ pages! I found myself anxious to get home to read after work, reading while riding my stationary bike, reading while doing everything. If you love a grumpy/sunshine and a marriage of convenience - this is for you.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc ebook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Wall of Winnipeg and Me! ⁠aka the book everyone needs to become obsessed with!! This and Kulti are the slow burns that people talk about when they mention that trope. As they should!!
⁠
This book is one of my absolute favorite romance books. I've read it countless times just for comfort and I can't wait to get a new copy to add to my shelves!! I think about this book at least once a week and am not kidding.

*ARC REVIEW*

Mariana Zapata is becoming one of my favorite authors!!! The Wall of Winnipeg and Me was awesome. Such great character growth and a wonderful love story. All of the characters were so engaging (even if when they were grumpy or stoic), and the plot line was really lovely.

Truly an excellent sports slow burn rom com. Worth the read.

Reviewed for NetGalley:

I had the pleasure of getting a copy of the re-release of the Wall of Winnipeg and Me.

I loved this book the first time around, and forgot how much I enjoyed rereading.

Vanessa, long time assistant to football player, Aiden, takes the plunge and quits her gig after two years. She is surprised and confused, after Aiden
mumbling a few words over the last couple years that he tracks her down and begs her to come back.

No one does a slow burn like Zapata.

I think this book is 250 pages to long. There's no real movement to the story despite the length and it ultimately makes the getting together unsatisfying.