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The Wall of Winnipeg and Me

Mariana Zapata

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Mar 17, 2018 Adrienne rated it really liked it

Shelves: yes-would-read-again, type-ebook, 2018-new, 2018-re-read, lib-ku, 2019-re-read

My favorite thing so far has been, without a doubt, the amount of pining built into these slow burns by this author. I love it so much!!

2019 re-read: MARRIAGE OF CONVENIENCE. I can’t believe I didn’t note that in my initial review! That is the guiding trope and the ultimate setup for excellent pining! But anyway, I love this book for other reasons, beginning with Vanessa knowing from the get go that she deserves better, and that Aiden’s extremely unromantic, “I like you as much as I like anyone, My favorite thing so far has been, without a doubt, the amount of pining built into these slow burns by this author. I love it so much!!

2019 re-read: MARRIAGE OF CONVENIENCE. I can’t believe I didn’t note that in my initial review! That is the guiding trope and the ultimate setup for excellent pining! But anyway, I love this book for other reasons, beginning with Vanessa knowing from the get go that she deserves better, and that Aiden’s extremely unromantic, “I like you as much as I like anyone,” is hardly anything, and that she remains mad, but at the end of the day is pragmatic with her choices of agreeing to the zany arrangement (still in a funk about Luna). Anyway, considering that I re-read this book almost immediately after reading it for the first time—I loved it deeply, and it holds up. I still die every time they share a bed for the first time, and as Vanessa begins to feel her feelings with Aiden’s brand of romance. Her voice is incredibly entertaining, and Diana’s description of her in Wait for It as a girl unmistakably marked by growing up “in the hood” is a solid one. It makes for the truly perfect marriage of convenience book under extraordinary circumstances with characters who carry a lot of their own baggage.

And now I know, after seeing it so clearly in Kulti and Wait for It and in Winnipeg now, why Luna didn’t work for me: slow burn requires friendship, and while Kulti and Sal had their difficulties of making their friendship public and there were hurdles, their friendship was real and mutual, just as Diana and Dallas and Vanessa and Aiden (they’re a TEAM!) are. I never understood why Luna liked what’s-his-face, and that is why that relationship and the book, then, didn’t work for me.

Also, what 10000% works for me, always, is women who have been independent forever and have always taken care of themselves (and could continue to do so forever) meeting their partners who only want to support the women so that they know they don’t have to it all alone. It’s what I want for myself, after all, so it really works for me.

2019 re-read (2): that Aiden goes from saying he has only ever loved three people in his life to then telling Vanessa that he only cares about the opinions of four people in the world... VAN. U DUMMY. IT’S YOU. So dang good!!!!!! And man, when they finally do it? It’s so hot and so great. My god. ...more

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Feb 06, 2018 Kate H rated it it was amazing

Shelves: goodreads-fiction

Mariana Zapata is by far my favorite author when it comes to a slow burn romance and I especially like the ones that have to do with athletes. I enjoy how there is always a complete story as well as fully fleshed out characters. From the very beginning of the book I loved Vanessa and by the middle of the book I loved Aiden too.

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