The Wall of Winnipeg and Me by Mariana Zapata Published by Tantor Audio on February 28th 2016
Narrator: Callie Dalton
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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?
In an era when insta-love tends to be the norm rather than the exception, I really appreciate romances that deliver a slow burn. Kulti—which I adored— has that in spades, and now with The Wall of Winnipeg and Me I think it’s safe to say that Mariana Zapata is the queen of slow burn.
Vanessa is a woman I can strongly identify with. She’s resilient and determined, and kind without being a pushover. The fact that Aiden is a self-absorbed a jerk is well established. I really enjoyed the dynamic between the two, but where the story could have improved is in developing their relationship more fully. The way in which Vanessa influences Aiden’s transformation seemed lacking. I wanted them to spend more time together when Aiden wasn’t being completely self-absorbed.
The developing romance borders on being too slow, and the dialog is a tad repetitive at times, but I never felt bored. The characters are completely engaging and the story is entertaining. I’m officially a fan of Mariana Zapata, and I’ll definitely be reading more of her books.
I listened to the audio book version, and Callie Dalton nails the narration just as she does with Kulti. I can’t sing her praises highly enough.
Recommended for fans of:
Sports romance
Slow burn
Reformed jerks
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.
I’ve heard such good things about this story! I’m so glad you liked it! 🙂
Thanks. I hope it’s a winner for you! 🙂
Great review my lovely. I can’t believe I started listening to this around the same time as you. I started on Saturday and I’m struggling to leave it alone. I want to listen to it straight through but I’ve got ARC’s to read and audio listening is SUPPOSED to be my work travel listening. I’m really enjoying it though. 🙂
I’ve only recently started listening to audio while driving or taking the dog for walks. It’s nice to balance that with my regular reading. I’m glad you’re enjoying it! 🙂