This book was super cute!! I liked the slow burn romance and character development a lot, but if I’m being picky the end to the romance fell flat for me. It felt like there was all this beautiful emotional build up but a lack of sexual tension, so when they finally slept together it was out of nowhere and threw me off guard. But other than that minor thing I thought the storyline was lovely and I appreciated all the side characters a lot!

🌈Queer rep: none

I wanted to like this book but just didn't. The characters had no chemistry whatsoever. The age gap was 10 years but felt more like 30. It wasn't good.

This was good time. I enjoyed the slow burn between the two leads. There was something missing in the middle but overall I enjoyed this read. What I enjoyed most was the setting in this story, it really enhanced the book. I definitely recommend.

A heartwarming slow burn romance. I loved the grumpy/sunshine element and the witty banter. I will be seeking more of this author’s work.
Many thanks to Avon and Harper Voyager and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Admittedly, this is the book that started it all: my Mariana Zapata obsession. I could write a love letter over her entire library. Seriously, though--this book was charming. And, yes, you have to be okay with slow-burn to enjoy this author. But she just does it so well. 

I loved the two main characters Ora and Rhodes. Ora was quirky and not afraid of much. Rhodes--well, Rhodes was great at a withering stare. But sometimes that's all you need.

I’m serious when I say this but I NEED him, so bad. please please please. The perfect slow burn, and it just was good reading the progression of their relationship. It was an easy read I was worried it was going to drag because of how long it is but the story went by fast.

also…ANGEL?!!!? I was punching the air fr. This is going in my favorites shelf.

Than you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!!

This is the first book I've ever read by Mariana Zapata and I definitely think I will be reading more as soon as I can! I enjoyed the funny banter, and the humor, the description of the characters, and the hard aspects of life that were being dealt with from divorce, manipulation, and loss of a mother through adoption, and moving on with life. I think she captured the aspect of small town life well and that she did a great job of easing into all aspects of their relationships. I truly loved the step-child relationship she formed with Amos and I could see aspects of the relationship I have with my stepdaughter also which was nice to have represented. I also enjoyed them having kids later in life. I'm on track to be having my first child in my 30s and at times it's a terrifying thought, but seeing others do it is kind of beautiful also. I enjoyed the book from start to finish, even though I was slightly intimidated by the amount of pages!

3.75 stars

Pros:
This was an easy read. The main character, Aurora, is quirky and fun and loveable. Rhodes is surly and quiet. Amos is a delightful side character. The small town setting is always a win. The storyline is interesting and unique enough. The found family themes are heartwarming.

Cons:
Every SINGLE time Aurora comes in contact with Rhodes, we have to hear her inner dialog about how manly and handsome he is. Every. Time. That always takes me out of the story because it feels heavy handed and repetitive, and borderlines on objectifying. We get it. The man is handsome. Let’s move along.

Some of the dialog didn’t work for me and felt a bit forced or inauthentic. This is especially true of the first (and almost only?) explicit scene of the book. The tone did not match the characters, in my opinion, considering the story is largely sugary sweet and this was decidedly not. It was gratuitous and off-putting. And lastly, this book is just TOO long, which is common with Zapata’s stories. The last 40% drug on for me.

Huge thank you to Avon/ Harper Voyager, Netgalley and the author for including me in this wonderful rerelease of #AllRhodesLeadHere.
It was a huge honor . as to me no one writes a slow burn like Mariana Zapata. I also listened to this in audio ; when I saw that Sebastian York was the narrator with Amanda Ronconi ; SebYo like we call him on Bookstagram is in my auto listen list! Harper Audio.. you picked perfection with Sebastian York; he is the only one who does Age Gap like nobody else! HE WAS Tobias Rhodes!

With this book you get:
tropes:
slowwwwwwwwww burn MZ style.
age gap
single dad: teen son that idolizes her
grumpy x sunshine
small town romance
found family
lots and lots of hiking ; if you dont want to go hiking at the end of this book in the wilds of anywhere.. who really are you?

Grief was the final way we had to tell our loved ones that they’d impacted our lives. That we missed them so, so much... I had to live, but I could also remember along the way. The people we lose take a part of us with them… but they leave a part of themselves with us too.”

Ora went back to this town after a 14 year relationship with her boyfriend Kaden ended. She explains it as her person was her mom, and when she lost her , no one could fill that hole in her. She stayed with Kaden ,with him stealing her music, her talent and not giving her anything in return. I was estatic when his mother showed up unannounced wanting her to come back and she stood up for herself.
There was a lot of this book her learning about herself., and knowing she deserves to be happy. I loved her interaction with Rhodes son, how she gave of herself ; and interest in his musical development.

But the highlight of the book to me was midway. When she went hiking ; that long hike up the mountain in her mother's journal ; Ora really thought if she hiked everywhere her mother did maybe she might find her . There was a sudden storm she gets caught in, and the struggle she had to get back to her car in the dark lost soaking wet and freezing I felt. I was scared for her; But she perseveres and Tobias met her halfway home. He came looking for her. He finally admitted to himself that losing her was not something he could accept., and it was more than he was a Forrest ranger, he knew he loved her ... finally.

"The hand on the back of my head swept down my spine, palming the small of my back, and there was no way I was imagining the fact he hugged me tight. “Don’t ever do that again, Aurora. Do you hear me? I know you can do this all by yourself, but don’t.”

”i’m fine not being the first person she’s ever loved because i know i’m going to be the last.”

“I don’t know how anybody would let you walk away, and it isn’t going to be me. Not today. Not tomorrow. Not ever. Are we clear?”

This is going down in a list I call slow burn classics, but it is also one I will feature over and over again with Single Dad trope..
Because Single dads are my kryptonite.

I love her books, her writing and the slow character development. This one did not disappoint. I loved the relationship between the main characters and the young man. This author knows how to move the reader from enemies to lovers and grumpy & sunshine and I love it.

Thank you for the advance copy.

This is the definition of when a slow burn WORKS. The FMC and MMC are adults with real adult problems and they take their time truly getting to know one another. The book is the FMC's--it's her journey, her story--but that doesn't mean that the MMC is underdeveloped. I loved them both and will read this author again in the future.

Aurora returns after a long time away from home hoping to start new. When she gets to her rental, she's in for a rude awakening when the hot and grumpy landlord actually doesn't know she's staying there. Turns out his son was the one who booked it and she begs her way into staying there until she can find steady footing. As she hikes trails her mom used to and rebuilding the community she left behind, her small but growing relationship with her hot neighbor/landlord is something special.

this book was better than any other mariana zapata book i have read but much too long. it should not have been that long. a 3.5 star overall.

*2.5 stars rounded up*
I was excited for this one, because I loved "From Lukov With Love." However, habits of Zapata's that didn't bother me in that book bothered me here. The introduction to the FMC just seemed to drag on forever without being particularly compelling, and even after the introduction of the MMC, nothing about the book seemed to grab me. Nothing about the book was particularly objectionable, but nothing caused any anticipation either. I'm sure it would appeal to others, but it just didn't hit for me.

I was really excited to read Mariana Zapata. But this just wasn’t for me. Something about the style of writing maybe. I tried to push through, hoping it would click. But I got about 20% in and I still didn’t feel like anything was happening to pull me in to the story. I’ve heard so many good things about the author, it just wasn’t for me

Aurora is headed to her home town of Pagosa Springs, Colorado for a fresh start after the end of her 14 year relationship. She rents an apartment over someone’s garage. When she gets there she meets Tobias Rhodes, the owner of the home who discovers that his son, Amos, had rented out the garage apartment against his wishes. He reluctantly lets Aurora stay. As Aurora gets accustomed to her new life and the trials she forces herself into to reconnect with her past, she begins to break through Rhodes’ grumpy demeanor and becomes an integral part of the Rhodes family.
There was a lot going on in this story, with the life lessons, the found family, the terrible ex and traumatic history. But it all came together to build such a lovely story. I of course loved the grumpy/sunshine dynamics between Rhodes and Aurora and their snarky sarcasm. The friend characters like, Yuki, Clara and Amos had great personalities and really added to the story and specifically to Aurora’s character development. The portions that dealt with grief had a fantastic message and I liked the way that was written into the plot. There was a lot of sexual tension and build up in the story and it was worth the wait. The epilogue was everything I want in an epilogue and answered questions I didn’t even know I needed answers to. Plus the bonus chapter was an extra special look into Rhodes and Aurora’s love story. I would definitely recommend this book.

𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐑𝐡𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐬 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰

“I’m going to love you today, tomorrow, and the rest of my life.”

All Rhodes Lead Here by Mariana Zapata
Rating: ⭑ ⭑ ⭑ ⭑
Tropes:
- GrumpyXSunshine
- Roommates to Lovers
- Single Dad

Review:

All Rhodes Lead Here is a story about Aurora De La Torre, a woman who’s just broken up with her famous musician boyfriend and moved back to her hometown Pagosa Springs, Colorado. After renting a garage apartment from Tobias Rhodes, Aurora starts her new adventure on seeking out a restart to her life.

I loved the contrast of Aurora and Tobias. I’m a sucker for the grumpyxsunshine trope. The use of the nickname “Angel” almost from the start was just so perfect! Mariana did so well with their relationship. I also loved how Tobias’ son Amos was not just a plot device, but actually really involved in the story. He added humor and a side to Tobias that we wouldn’t have seen otherwise. The bonus material of the special moment between Ora and Rhodes was so sweet, and I urge everyone to read it!

Throughout the book we have very important storylines. This story has to do with the loss of a parent and finding strength in yourself. Aurora is such a strong protagonist, she struggles through the story but she still tries her best at every twist and turn. You can’t help but root for her.

This was the first Mariana Zapata book that I’ve read and I was not disappointed! This really was a slow-burn romance and I was rooting for them the whole time. I love how Tobias kept his moodiness throughout the story, but you could sense the love he had for Amos and Aurora. If you’re a fan of slow-burn romance, single dads and deep storylines, this is definitely for you.

“Love wasn’t always enough to get you through everything, but devotion—true devotion—was. It was everything.”

Thank you NetGalley and author Mariana Zapata for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I adore Mariana Zapata, she has quickly become an auto buy author for me. All Rhodes Lead Here makes the fifth novel of hers that I've read and I loved it.

We have another incredible slow burn romance from the queen and she nailed it, yet again. She has a formula, it works so she sticks to it. Rhodes is your grumpy caretaker and Aurora is the sunshiney heroine whose nursing a breakup. Put them in the beautiful outdoor setting and this is a homerun for me.

Grumpy Sunshine + Slow Burn = Happy Me

Thank you to Avon Books, Harper Voyager US, and NetGalley for the arc.

When I first read this book in 2021 I thoroughly enjoyed it. Now that it has been rereleased, I decided to read it again and I found that I loved this story just as much the second time around. Mariana Zapata knows how to paint a picture and make the story come alive.

All Rhodes Lead Here is a slow burn, emotional story with realistic character development. The two main characters Rhodes and Aurora, are confident, successful people, but they also have insecurities in some areas of their lives.

Aurora is recovering from a breakup that left her devastated. She had no power or control in her last relationship and is now on a mission to achieve some goals she has set for herself to regain her self esteem. Aurora is slowly learning to believe in herself again, face her fears and regain her confidence that her last relationship destroyed. She has nowhere to go and nothing to show for the years she wasted on her past relationship so she decides to move to Pagosa Springs, Colorado. She meets Rhodes when she rents an apartment from him.

Rhodes is the strong silent type and he keeps his emotions hidden behind his stoic demeanor. He is perfect for Aurora because he is protective, has a big heart and he is willing to wait to give Aurora the time she needs before starting another relationship.

I enjoyed reading Rhodes and Aurora’s story, they have loads of chemistry and I loved all of their interactions. These two cautious people are perfect for each other. This beautiful story is filled with emotion and yearning and it immediately drew me in. I cared about the characters and I couldn’t stop reading until they found their happily ever after. I loved this endearing story and I think you will too.

i always love books that involve grief and my god Rhodes was the perfect mc I always love a grumpy man but not to the point where he comes of as a douche. I also want to talk about how this was my first MZ book and I LUVVVV her writing I wasn't reading just a romance it had a hint of women's fiction!!

Mariana Zapata can do no wrong. This is by far a top three favorite. Rhodes and Aurora have the most incredible slow burn romance. I cannot stop re-reading passages of this book and obsessing over them