All Rhodes Lead Here by Mariana Zapata Review

After falling in love with The Wall of Winnipeg and Me, I started reading every Mariana Zapata book I could find. One thing I quickly discovered is Mariana Zapata is known for her slow burn. All Rhodes Lead Here was perfectly on brand for her.

Mariana Zapata Books

Summary

After a relationship that drained her, Aurora De La Torre moves back to a small town in Colorado where she spent time as a child. She has no idea what she is going to do, but she knows that she is going to figure it out along the way. She has reserved a place to stay for the month, but once she arrives she finds out that a teenager, Amos, set up the reservation. That teenager's father, Tobias Rhodes, is very unhappy about the whole situation. Tobias Rhodes is not about to have a stranger living above his garage, especially with him working such long hours and his son is home alone. After much convincing and Aurora offering to triple the rent, Rhodes agrees to allow Aurora to stay a month.

Aurora gets a job working at the local supply store selling tents, tactical gear and everything she knows nothing about. Her boss is a friend from childhood and could use any help she can get. When Aurora is not working, she is hiking solo through the mountains of Colorado. On more than one occasion Rhodes has had to help her out when she finds herself lost or broken down. Over time, Aurora wears down Rhodes' rocky exterior and is allowed to rent out the above garage apartment longer than a month.

Aurora starts to feel like part of the Rhodes family and small town community. But when her past starts to find her… will Aurora be able to hide from it?

Review

I enjoyed this book, but it was not my favorite by Mariana Zapata. All of the characters in the novel were likable and experienced growth throughout the story. Rhodes was a grumpy older guy who is a workaholic, especially with his job as a park ranger. He has this thick exterior that we get to see Aurora slowly chisel away. I loved how Aurora grew throughout the book and slowly started to feel like she was home. Amo’s was probably my favorite character. He was a unique kid who is a very unique dynamic with his parents.

The romance was a bit cheesy at times but I was excited that the romance wasn’t completely at the end of the book. I know Mariana Zapata writes long books, but this one felt like it went slower than some of her others. The conflict that happened in the woods on the hike Aurora went on felt like it should have occurred at the end of the book instead. Since it occurred earlier, it felt like the ending just kept dragging on and on.

You should definitely add this to your TBR to read at some point, but if you are new to Mariana Zapata, start with The Wall of Winnipeg and Me or From Lukov With Love.

Title: All Rhodes Lead Here

Author: Mariana Zapata

Genre📖: Contemporary Romance

Star Rating: ⭐ ⭐⭐/5

Read if you enjoy: Lauren Asher, Devney Perry, K.A. Tucker

Good Reads Rating: 4.33

Tropes: Grumpy Sunshine, Age Gap, Slow Burn, Small Town