I don't know where to start right now friends, because this past week has been a whirlwind of delicious reading time, I've been utterly swept away, lost in a Mariana Zapata abyss, and to be totally honest, I don't know if I'm ready to emerge yet.
Back in August 2016, at the second Sydney Author Event I was lucky enough to meet and chat with Mariana Zapata, it seemed at the time her books had taken the Romance Reading world by storm, the titles on everyone's lips were Kulti, Winnipeg, Lingus. When my follow SAE organisers were RAVING about the new Queen of Slow Burn I'd been ignorant to her books. I was so enamoured by our meeting though that I ordered a collection of her paperbacks to read at a later time. And yet in the blink of an eye, almost two years passed, while those pretty (and heavy) paperbacks collected dust on my bookshelf. When I started a new job at the end of April I knew that the extra long commute would give me ample time to get back into reading, or more aptly, back into audio. I started listening to book after book during those long drives, slowly reaffirming my love of the romance genre.
“I was an only child; I didn't know how to share, and I wasn't willing to learn. What was I going to do if I started developing feelings for a porn star?” - Lingus
When Lingus popped up on my kindle, I figured why not, it had been one of the titles I'd been meaning to read after all. I started and those long commutes starting feeling way too short, instead of turning of my kindle when I got home I found myself reaching for it not long after walking in the door. I found myself using any excuse to grab my phone, desperate to sneak in even one more chapter. For those who know me, you know I love a long book, once I've connected with an authors words I crave more and more, I love the banter and slow burn, the delicious feeling that rumbles through your body when your head and your heart play the will they won't they game. Throw in a porn star hero and I was all but assured to be in my book nirvana. The storyline had me giddy and I loved the quirkiness of real life meeting...well porn life, I loved that the portrayal of the adult industry wasn't seedy and underground. I adored how Zapata explored the themes while crafting an engaging and hilarious story about two people who just happened to meet at a Porn Convention.
“I was going to murder his ass. One day. One day long after I quit, so no one would suspect me.” - The Wall of Winnipeg and Me.
After Lingus I moved on to The Wall of Winnipeg and Me, and you know I'm a sucker for Sports Romance. Throw in a frienemies / my boss is a complete and utter jerk storyline and holy moly was I on the fast track to worshipping at the Zapata alter. The chemistry between Vanessa and Aiden...the banter that had me so invested that sleep no longer seemed important, the snap, crackle and pop of their developing relationship made me want to weep for joy. I adored these characters, and despite the long length I still found myself bereft as I turned the last page, I wasn't ready to say goodbye to Aiden Graves and Vanny but more than that, I certainly wasn't ready to move onto another author when there were still more books in Zapata's back catalogue to explore.
"It was the worst non-break-up ever in the history of imaginary relationships with a man who didn't even know I existed." - Kulti.
From Winnipeg, I moved on to fan favourite Kulti... the man, the myth, the Legend. Another sports romance? YES PLEASE. This time I met Salome (Sal), twenty seven year soccer star, head strong, determined and filled with talent, has dedicated her life to her profession. As a child she fell in love with German Soccer legend Reiner The King Kulti, as an adult she's just learnt he's accepted a role as her new assistant coach. Kulti, known for his talent and temper in equal measure makes waves, but it's the unlikely bond these two develop that shocks them both. In true Zapata style, Kulti is slow burn all the way, despite the length, the story never feels disjointed or tedious. The push pull of growing fondness for one another left me giddy. The sizzling chemistry, the will they won't they left me desperate, I wanted... no I needed more of these two characters. Not since discovering the Rock Chick series by Kristen Ashley have I been this voracious of a reader. With a thirst that couldn't be quenched, moments after turning the last page I downloaded every title in print, both ebook and audio to continue my love affair with Zapata's words.
“Right then, in that moment, Dex The Dick grinned. Grinned. And sweet mother of God, it was devastating. So completely catastrophic I just stood there and absorbed the nuclear bomb going off in front of me, defenceless.” - Under Locke.
From Soccer stars I dove into Motor Cycle Clubs and Tattoo parlours. Under Locke introduced me to Iris and Dex. Down on her luck and needing a job in a new city, Iris uses the connections of her half brother to secure employment at a tattoo parlour. Her first day doesn't go as planned and her new boss is a jerk. While Iris is used to looking after herself, there's something about the jackass boss that gets under her skin more then she would like. As their connection deepens, and their proximity to one another causes all kinds of close calls, Iris finds herself seeing Dex in a different light. More fast paced then her other titles, Under Locke had me smiling and giggling and down right swooning as this heroine showed time and time again that she didn't need saving.
"Real love was gritty. The real kind of love never quit. Someone who loved you would do what’s best for you; they’d stand up for you and sacrifice. Someone who loved you would face any inconvenience willingly.” - Wait For It.
Four books in as many days and I found myself opening Wait For It. To my surprise I found myself face to face with Vanessa's (The Wall of Winnipeg and Me) bestie and Sal's (Kulti) cousin Diana. In the years since Winnipeg and Kulti ended, Diana has had a rough go of it. A relationship that ended badly, and inheriting two young nephews in the worst possible way, she's just managed to keep her head above water. Moving to a new home is all the upheaval she can handle. Until she meets her new neighbour and coach of the Select baseball team Dallas. Oh boy did Wait For It do a number on my heart. Ya'll I cried real tears (something that doesn't happen that often anymore) I felt every second of Diana's struggle while she navigated her own grief, as well as the pressure to be the best parent to her nephews. This book hit me in the feels and refused to release it's choke hold on my heart. I smiled so damn big as I turned the last page, not ready to say goodbye.
“Because if I remember correctly, your text message said, ‘I just kicked the hottest guy I’ve probably ever seen in the ass.’ And I asked you what he looked like and you texted me back, ‘Like a double bacon cheeseburger I’d take a bite out of.” - Rhythm, Chord and Malykhin.
From single aunts raising a young family to rockstars seemed like the logical next step. In Rhythm, Chord and Malykhin in which we meet Gabby, freshly dumped and with no job prospects knocking down her door after finishing college, the idea of going on tour with her brother and his two knuckle headed best mates doesn't sound so bad. When the four of them join together again hilarious pranks
and sometimes good natured ribbing is sure to happen while touring around the States, Australia and Europe. What begins with a untraditional first meeting between Sacha, lead singer of The Cloud Collision and Gabby soon blossoms into something far more. Rhythm had me laughing out loud literally, I could not wipe the smile off my face from the first page until the very last. This book was ridiculous in the best possible way, the bonds Gabby shared with her twin and her extra brothers from other mothers had me giggling throughout, the connection between Gabby and Sacha gave me the kind of butterflies every romance reader dreams of. Rhythm was fun, sweet and one hell of a hilarious adventure.
“Mostly though, Rubes, I want to go back in time and beat every single person’s ass who’s ever made you doubt yourself, because the girl who makes me smile ‘til my face hurts even on a shit day needs to see that in herself. I feel like I owe it to you.” - Dear Aaron.
As I picked up Dear Aaron, it felt like the beginning of the end. From musicians I swiftly moved into pen pals. Ruby lives a quiet unassuming life, she's in her early twenties and lives at home, a seamstress by day and er night, and regularly takes part in a program writing letters and emails to an assigned soldier serving overseas. After a couple of pairings she's assigned Aaron, after a slow start and no reply she's ready to bid farewell to her newest match. When Aaron finally replies the two embark on an ongoing conversation of sorts. The more they exchange emails the more they find themselves turning to each other as more than just a pen pal. Aaron is weary of relationships after a bitter breakup, and well Ruby is just weary in general. Both desperately trying to guard their hearts and yet slowly finding more and more reasons not to around each other. While all of Zapata's books have had me captivated, Dear Aaron was a like a punch to the gut, because boy did I feel all of Ruby's insecurities and fears. I felt every moment of her hurt and doubt and I felt it in spades. I wanted to hold her in my arms and whisper all kinds of tributes to the incredible woman she is. The slow burn and build of their relationship was so deliciously satisfying that I felt bereft as I turned the last page.
“Everyone, Jasmine, everyone that’s an athlete—that’s successful—has had to give up a lot. Some of us more than others. You’re not the first person, and you’re not the last person that sees that and feels bad about it,” he started to say, his voice steady and even. “You don’t get to become good at anything without sacrificing something to make time.”
I pressed my lips together and closed my eyes and tried again. “Successful people, Ivan. It’s worth it if you’re successful, not if you’re not.” - From Lukov With Love.
What did I say about the beginning of the end... from pen pals to figure skaters, and to the last book on my list. Remember Ruby from Dear Aaron, it was my pleasant surprise that the figure skater I was about to read about was none other then Jasmine, Ruby's younger sister. OMGGG can you sense my smile from there?? Page one and I was HOOKED! From Lukov With Love is Jasmine's story, in the years that have passed since the end of Dear Aaron, Jasmine hasn't had the best run, her professional career has had set back after set back, and she's never gotten back to the level of success she enjoyed years before. Skating singles or in pairs hasn't seen her rise to the top of the pack, and even at her tender age she knows her time competing on the ice might be coming to an end. When her arch nemesis Ivan makes an offer she can't refuse she might have found the golden ticket to her dreams of success. The snarky banter, the constant bickering, the way these two move around each other captivated and thrilled me. I was floating on cloud nine so utterly with this story that I could of dropped dead with a smile on my face. When Jasmine faced a set back I wanted to lift her up, and when she excelled I was cheering her on.
Despite my love of all things slow burn, and let's be clear, Mariana Zapata is, without a doubt, the undisputed Queen of Slow Burn, what I adored was the depth of technical knowledge that went into each story, from NFL to Soccer to Musicians to Armed Forces Letter Campaigns to Figure Skating, to ahem Porn Stars to Baseball to Tattoo Parlours and MC clubs Zapata gives the reader enough to be well informed without overloading the technical background. Her storytelling seamlessly giving the reader characters to love and cherish, and a story that fills them with hope, heartbreak and joy in equal measure. Stories that are filled with heroines that are strong and sassy, flawed and sometimes vulnerable, women who are above all else real, the connection from character to reader often tangible. Mariana Zapata has cemented herself as a MUST READ author for me, her books skyrocketing to my all time favourites list for so many different reasons. I feel so many things as I sit here pouring out my jumbled thoughts onto paper, oh so bereft that I've finished, but so very grateful for the journey.
Purchase Links and GPI's suggested reading order:
Lingus:
US: https://amzn.to/2HpVvbM
AU: https://amzn.to/2sCxMk3
UK: https://amzn.to/2JjdjHd
The Wall of Winnipeg and Me:
US: https://amzn.to/2Jw7w4G
AU: https://amzn.to/2szqqhe
UK: https://amzn.to/2kU7lCi
Kulti:
US: https://amzn.to/2LoO4nK
AU: https://amzn.to/2JfJtYf
UK: https://amzn.to/2HoMgbL
Under Locke:
US: https://amzn.to/2sK9XG9
AU: https://amzn.to/2sAWQI1
UK: https://amzn.to/2sA1aaK
Wait For It:
US: https://amzn.to/2xMRrTp
AU: https://amzn.to/2syGqQK
UK: https://amzn.to/2kT2f92
Rhythm, Chord and Malykhin:
US: https://amzn.to/2xMCyjT
AU: https://amzn.to/2JeSOzy
UK: https://amzn.to/2kSNZgT
Dear Aaron:
US: https://amzn.to/2Jw95Q6
AU: https://amzn.to/2JhaU3S
UK: https://amzn.to/2JiUbct
From Lukov With Love:
US: https://amzn.to/2JoOeuN
AU: https://amzn.to/2sC0ktO
UK: https://amzn.to/2Jdmugk
About Mariana Zapata:
Mariana Zapata began writing love stories soon after she learned how to spell. She probably shouldn’t admit that she started sneaking romance novels from her aunt’s bookshelves way before she was old enough to even understand what it meant when a man flipped up a woman’s skirt… don’t tell her mom. Luckily, she stuck to stories about princesses and princes for a while.
In her teens, she wrote boy band fanfiction (there’s still a website up somewhere on the internet with those masterpieces), and in her early twenties, she picked it back up again with Sookie Stackhouse and Twilight. Eventually, her significant other finally told her to do what she wanted to do and she began working on her original work. Her novels tend to include potty humor, bodily functions, and bad words.
Mariana lives in a small town called Pagosa Springs, Colorado with her husband/best friend, Chris Letchford, and their two well-beloved (and emotionally manipulative) Great Dane children, Dorian and Kaiser. When she’s not pretending to write, she’s reading sci-fi, fantasy, steampunk or historical romance novels. You can usually find her harassing her dogs, being a hermit at home or cracking jokes at the expense of her family members.
Connect with Mariana on Facebook
In her teens, she wrote boy band fanfiction (there’s still a website up somewhere on the internet with those masterpieces), and in her early twenties, she picked it back up again with Sookie Stackhouse and Twilight. Eventually, her significant other finally told her to do what she wanted to do and she began working on her original work. Her novels tend to include potty humor, bodily functions, and bad words.
Mariana lives in a small town called Pagosa Springs, Colorado with her husband/best friend, Chris Letchford, and their two well-beloved (and emotionally manipulative) Great Dane children, Dorian and Kaiser. When she’s not pretending to write, she’s reading sci-fi, fantasy, steampunk or historical romance novels. You can usually find her harassing her dogs, being a hermit at home or cracking jokes at the expense of her family members.
Connect with Mariana on Facebook
