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The Wall of Winnipeg and Me
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Romance (2016)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?
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?
475 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 28, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 28,439 reviews
April 12, 2022
***ONE OF MY TOP FAVORITE BOOKS OF ALL TIME***
So many re-reads, it's not even funny...
REVIEW:
5 "I Would Lick the Sweat Off Aiden's B@lls All Day, Every Day" Stars
After reading 2014's Under Locke and 2015's Kulti, I knew I enjoyed Mariana Zapata's shit.
But after reading this one I am officially so fucking #TeamZapata #TeamAiden #TeamMuscledHunkofSexyManMeat #RidiculousInstagram-likeParagraphofIdioticHastags that I'm going to make up my own nationally organized sport league (cause you know NFL...NFO...who even cares) activity I shall hereafter refer to as...
...drum roll please...
STEALTH CHASE
Or perhaps...
But we don't let felonies get us down here at the Stealth Chase Organization.
And at least in prison we could have unlimited Zapata reading time.
Anyprisonrape, if you aren't familiar with Zapata's work, bear this in mind:
***Pay attentions smut scalers***
Zapata's books are very slow burn. In fact, some might consider them plain slow moving as a whole, especially considering the smexy times are always a looooong time coming (haha! pun!).
Now this is usually a HUGE problem for me.
I have no shame in my game, so I will plainly state:
1) As I get older, I seem to have the attention span of a fruit fly.
I swear I'm like Benjamin Fucking Button, maturity-wise. I get more childish the older I get. Life's too short. So slower reads are not usually my bag.
2) I get blue balls in my girls parts like a priest at a Playboy party if I don't get any smexy times by the 50% mark.
Which makes me, well, cue tantrum.
But with Zapata - especially in this one - the trade-off is SO worth it.
The richness of this story is so hard to explain and the time she takes to build the relationship between Aiden and Vanessa makes it so beautiful.
Also, even though the pace of the story is slow, it doesn't feel slow. Something about the way Zapata writes makes it seem like really big stuff is happeneing during really small moments - because it is.
I remember reading a scene where Aiden is holding Vanessa in his lap and the way Zapata wrote about how his arms hung over her thighs and his hands wrapped around her knees had me fucking enthralled. Honestly, I found that scene (and other scenes in this book) more sensual than 90% of the sex scenes I've read. And you know I've read a-fucking-LOT of those.
Something I also love about Zapata's writing style (which others might not) is that she only gives the h's POV. We never get Aiden's POV.
And I dig it.
It made him so enigmatic and interesting that it made this story even richer for me in much the same way that the details and the pacing does. You have to read to get to know the characters. You have to read to get to the love story. It's not handed to you within 50 pages, there is no insta-ANYTHING.
It's almost like you have to earn it in Zapata's books. And, like anything in life, the things you earn are the things you appreciate the most. And you seriously appreciate this love story by the time you get to end.
I adored this book and I adore Zapata's writing style. Everything is shown to you. Not told. And to me that's the sign of a truly talented author. She has easily become one of my top authors and I will forever hereafter be the front runner in the Stealth Chase games to stalk her whenever she releases anything new.
So many re-reads, it's not even funny...
REVIEW:
5 "I Would Lick the Sweat Off Aiden's B@lls All Day, Every Day" Stars
After reading 2014's Under Locke and 2015's Kulti, I knew I enjoyed Mariana Zapata's shit.
But after reading this one I am officially so fucking #TeamZapata #TeamAiden #TeamMuscledHunkofSexyManMeat #RidiculousInstagram-likeParagraphofIdioticHastags that I'm going to make up my own nationally organized sport league (cause you know NFL...NFO...who even cares) activity I shall hereafter refer to as...
...drum roll please...
STEALTH CHASE
Or perhaps...
But we don't let felonies get us down here at the Stealth Chase Organization.
And at least in prison we could have unlimited Zapata reading time.
Anyprisonrape, if you aren't familiar with Zapata's work, bear this in mind:
***Pay attentions smut scalers***
Zapata's books are very slow burn. In fact, some might consider them plain slow moving as a whole, especially considering the smexy times are always a looooong time coming (haha! pun!).
Now this is usually a HUGE problem for me.
I have no shame in my game, so I will plainly state:
1) As I get older, I seem to have the attention span of a fruit fly.
I swear I'm like Benjamin Fucking Button, maturity-wise. I get more childish the older I get. Life's too short. So slower reads are not usually my bag.
2) I get blue balls in my girls parts like a priest at a Playboy party if I don't get any smexy times by the 50% mark.
Which makes me, well, cue tantrum.
But with Zapata - especially in this one - the trade-off is SO worth it.
The richness of this story is so hard to explain and the time she takes to build the relationship between Aiden and Vanessa makes it so beautiful.
Also, even though the pace of the story is slow, it doesn't feel slow. Something about the way Zapata writes makes it seem like really big stuff is happeneing during really small moments - because it is.
I remember reading a scene where Aiden is holding Vanessa in his lap and the way Zapata wrote about how his arms hung over her thighs and his hands wrapped around her knees had me fucking enthralled. Honestly, I found that scene (and other scenes in this book) more sensual than 90% of the sex scenes I've read. And you know I've read a-fucking-LOT of those.
Something I also love about Zapata's writing style (which others might not) is that she only gives the h's POV. We never get Aiden's POV.
And I dig it.
It made him so enigmatic and interesting that it made this story even richer for me in much the same way that the details and the pacing does. You have to read to get to know the characters. You have to read to get to the love story. It's not handed to you within 50 pages, there is no insta-ANYTHING.
It's almost like you have to earn it in Zapata's books. And, like anything in life, the things you earn are the things you appreciate the most. And you seriously appreciate this love story by the time you get to end.
I adored this book and I adore Zapata's writing style. Everything is shown to you. Not told. And to me that's the sign of a truly talented author. She has easily become one of my top authors and I will forever hereafter be the front runner in the Stealth Chase games to stalk her whenever she releases anything new.
September 11, 2023
5 'Team Graves' Stars!
The Wall of Winnipeg and Me was a seriously addictive slow burn romance. Once I started the audio, I couldn’t stop listening. It was over 16 hours long, but I finished it within 48 hours. There was nothing about this book I didn’t love!
Vanessa Mazur has worked for pro football player, Aiden Graves for 2 years. Aides is quiet, curt, and drives Vanessa crazy. She’s his assistant, but she wants more than that. So, she decides to quit and follow her real passion. Aides is a bit lost without Vanessa. When he shows up at her door weeks after she quit, Vanessa is in shock. But that shock becomes even more shocking when she finds out the favor he needs. Vanessa is torn. Help Aiden, or not… He didn’t treat her the best when they worked together, but the stakes are high for her here….
As I said before, the story is a slow burn romance, but the pace is fast. The story between Aiden and Vanessa had such a great and natural flow. I loved watching them turn into friends, trusted confidants, and so much more. This book was seriously perfect. Aiden is the strong and silent type. He’s not close to anyone, really, but he slowly lets Vanessa in.
There were a few moments between them that left the biggest smile on my face. When Aiden showed up at a certain convention to support Vanessa, I had a perma-grin and happy tears! Both of these characters were completely fantastic. I can’t even tell you who I loved more.
I feel so gushy about this book right now! I read Kulti over a year ago and adored it as well. It’s apparent to me that Zapata is not a one-hit wonder. I’ll definitely be auto-buying every book of hers from here on out! A for sure favorite of mine this year, The Wall of Winnipeg and Me is one you don’t want to miss out on!
The Wall of Winnipeg and Me was a seriously addictive slow burn romance. Once I started the audio, I couldn’t stop listening. It was over 16 hours long, but I finished it within 48 hours. There was nothing about this book I didn’t love!
Vanessa Mazur has worked for pro football player, Aiden Graves for 2 years. Aides is quiet, curt, and drives Vanessa crazy. She’s his assistant, but she wants more than that. So, she decides to quit and follow her real passion. Aides is a bit lost without Vanessa. When he shows up at her door weeks after she quit, Vanessa is in shock. But that shock becomes even more shocking when she finds out the favor he needs. Vanessa is torn. Help Aiden, or not… He didn’t treat her the best when they worked together, but the stakes are high for her here….
“I would have done just about anything for you back then, even when you got on my nerves. I might have just waited until the last minute to push you out of oncoming traffic, but I’d still push you out of the way.”
As I said before, the story is a slow burn romance, but the pace is fast. The story between Aiden and Vanessa had such a great and natural flow. I loved watching them turn into friends, trusted confidants, and so much more. This book was seriously perfect. Aiden is the strong and silent type. He’s not close to anyone, really, but he slowly lets Vanessa in.
There were a few moments between them that left the biggest smile on my face. When Aiden showed up at a certain convention to support Vanessa, I had a perma-grin and happy tears! Both of these characters were completely fantastic. I can’t even tell you who I loved more.
I feel so gushy about this book right now! I read Kulti over a year ago and adored it as well. It’s apparent to me that Zapata is not a one-hit wonder. I’ll definitely be auto-buying every book of hers from here on out! A for sure favorite of mine this year, The Wall of Winnipeg and Me is one you don’t want to miss out on!
June 2, 2023
No thoughts just
"Touch my wife again, and I’ll break every bone in your goddamn body.”
"Touch my wife again, and I’ll break every bone in your goddamn body.”
November 9, 2019
Since I’ve started reading more romance, I find it’s harder to rate than other genres. 2 stars for other genres would mean I didn’t enjoy this book. Which isn’t true. I was okay reading it - I just saw a lot of flaws and felt it could do with some serious editing.
This book could have been shorter. So much is filler. I get it - it’s slow burn romance. But I would have been so much more engaged had there been more interactions between the characters. Even a hint at romance didn’t start until 60% in!
Also, although I liked Aiden by the end, he literally was a wall for most of the book. Zero emotion. ZERO. I prefer my slow burn with more banter. Also he tells her to shut up a lot which bugged me. The amount of times I had to hear how big he was as a person as well.. little much.
Some of the backstory too with both characters’ various traumas didn’t ring true to me. That part of the story felt very two dimensional and not well written.
Did I hate this book? No. Is it a new favorite? No. It felt like turning a Hallmark movie into a miniseries. Fine to watch in the moment but way too long and shallow to enjoy over and over - for me.
I do plan on reading more of this author just to have some pleasant enjoyable filler around when my brain needs a break.
This book could have been shorter. So much is filler. I get it - it’s slow burn romance. But I would have been so much more engaged had there been more interactions between the characters. Even a hint at romance didn’t start until 60% in!
Also, although I liked Aiden by the end, he literally was a wall for most of the book. Zero emotion. ZERO. I prefer my slow burn with more banter. Also he tells her to shut up a lot which bugged me. The amount of times I had to hear how big he was as a person as well.. little much.
Some of the backstory too with both characters’ various traumas didn’t ring true to me. That part of the story felt very two dimensional and not well written.
Did I hate this book? No. Is it a new favorite? No. It felt like turning a Hallmark movie into a miniseries. Fine to watch in the moment but way too long and shallow to enjoy over and over - for me.
I do plan on reading more of this author just to have some pleasant enjoyable filler around when my brain needs a break.
August 9, 2020
Reread: July 13, 2020
Shit.
Just finished this two hours ago.
And you know what I've been doing since then?
Eating crow.
Well not for real, obviously.
Yuck.
You know, eating crow. As in admitting I erred. Trying to be humble because I made a mistake. Screwed up. Put my foot in my mouth.
[By the way, the said phrase with that godawful bird is disgusting. No offence, my English speaking friends, but the equivalent phrase in my native language does sound slightly better (literal translation: dust oneself with ashes)].
Anyhow, I took this book for granted. You see, this was my first MZ book, and thinking back, I think I was intimidated by its size. Too many pages, too much internal ramblings. I didn't give this book a real chance. So I just skim-skipped the 'boring' parts. Stupid. There are no boring parts in this book. In my defense, I was used to different kind of writing, the one that is more story-driven instead of character-driven.
The first indication that I may have been wrong was the fact that everybody loved this book. Even my book soulmates. Still, I continued living mypitiful reader's life completely clueless and unaware of the awesomeness that is Maria Zapata. Stupid me.
Because Aiden. OH. MY. GOD.
He's Archer, Remy, Sebastian Stark, Diaz, Erik “Ripper” Jacobs, Gabe Bonner, Cal Bonner, Ian North, Levi (call sign Ace), Theo, Ghost Teague, Ronan, Grayson, Axel Carillo, Paul Langdon, Jimmy, Nate Sawyer, Ben, Hector, Tanner, Lee Nightingale and Joe Callahan - all wrapped up in one big, hot YUM.
And because Van. I have a girl crush. No, seriously. I love her. LOVE.
I feel like I've fallen in love. For real. I'm not just using this phrase. I really feel like I'm in love. With no one in particular. I just feel it.
I am so happy I was bored to death with Hands Down. Otherwise I wouldn't have read all of those reviews, you know trying to confirm my thoughts and my unpopular opinion. I wouldn't have seen how everyone was gushing how much better, how epic The Wall of Winnipeg was. I wouldn't have made myself reread it.
And you know where The Wall of Winnipeg ended up? On my Utter Perfection shelf. Only six books reside there. Only 6. Out of 1589. That's how much I adore this book.
So let us forget my original review and rating, shall we? Consider it a lapse of judgement. After all, we all have bad days...
And yes. I am sure I don't like Hands Down, Dear Aron and Luna and the Lie. I'm not too fond of the heroines. And the stories are boring and repetitive.
*********************
Original review (when I was dumb and clueless): March 6, 2016
3.5 Stars
Okay, I have some good news and some bad news. Let's start with the good news, shall we?
The theme. This is my first book by this author and I hope it won't be my last. I'm a sucker for romances where the couple starts out as friends or enemies. Combine that with a sports theme and I'm a goner.
The characters. I really liked both the hero and the heroine. The character build up was fantastic.
VANESSA. I think she’s awesome and I like her despite her constant insecurities about everything. She has a funny personality. Funny heroines usually tend to be annoying but Vanessa is lovable and compelling. She's smart, strong and independent.
AIDEN. Gotta love assholes. You see, I have a thing for the big jerks who redeem themselves by the end of the book, especially if they are the brooding, grumpy and uncommunicative types. Aiden is a perfect combination of all of the above.
The story. I really liked the storyline. I learned from other reviews that this would be a slow burn romance so I went into this book completely prepared.
Honestly, I'm sick and tired of insta-love. I believe that a slow build-up is what usually makes a romance good. It makes it somehow more believable and realistic.
So if you like love-at-first-sight books or books where the heroine jumps into bed with the hero seconds after meeting him, then this book is not for you.
Now... about the bad news.
The writing. Don't get me wrong, this book is very well written and there were many funny parts which had me cracking up BUT there was too much repetition and internal monologue for my liking. I started off really enjoying this book but as it went on I started to lose interest and I found myself struggling.
Overall, this book was a pretty good read. It just didn't wow me like I had hoped it would. So I'm giving it a solid 3 stars.
Overall rating: 3 stars
Writing style: 3 stars
Story: 4 stars
Flow of the story: 3 stars
Character development: 5 stars
Hero: 4 stars
Heroine: 5 stars
Secondary characters: 4 stars
Tone of the book: 4 stars
Emotion evoking: 3 stars
Originality: 4 stars
Enjoyment: 3 stars
Effect on me: 3 stars
Shit.
Just finished this two hours ago.
And you know what I've been doing since then?
Eating crow.
Well not for real, obviously.
Yuck.
You know, eating crow. As in admitting I erred. Trying to be humble because I made a mistake. Screwed up. Put my foot in my mouth.
[By the way, the said phrase with that godawful bird is disgusting. No offence, my English speaking friends, but the equivalent phrase in my native language does sound slightly better (literal translation: dust oneself with ashes)].
Anyhow, I took this book for granted. You see, this was my first MZ book, and thinking back, I think I was intimidated by its size. Too many pages, too much internal ramblings. I didn't give this book a real chance. So I just skim-skipped the 'boring' parts. Stupid. There are no boring parts in this book. In my defense, I was used to different kind of writing, the one that is more story-driven instead of character-driven.
The first indication that I may have been wrong was the fact that everybody loved this book. Even my book soulmates. Still, I continued living my
Because Aiden. OH. MY. GOD.
He's Archer, Remy, Sebastian Stark, Diaz, Erik “Ripper” Jacobs, Gabe Bonner, Cal Bonner, Ian North, Levi (call sign Ace), Theo, Ghost Teague, Ronan, Grayson, Axel Carillo, Paul Langdon, Jimmy, Nate Sawyer, Ben, Hector, Tanner, Lee Nightingale and Joe Callahan - all wrapped up in one big, hot YUM.
And because Van. I have a girl crush. No, seriously. I love her. LOVE.
I feel like I've fallen in love. For real. I'm not just using this phrase. I really feel like I'm in love. With no one in particular. I just feel it.
I am so happy I was bored to death with Hands Down. Otherwise I wouldn't have read all of those reviews, you know trying to confirm my thoughts and my unpopular opinion. I wouldn't have seen how everyone was gushing how much better, how epic The Wall of Winnipeg was. I wouldn't have made myself reread it.
And you know where The Wall of Winnipeg ended up? On my Utter Perfection shelf. Only six books reside there. Only 6. Out of 1589. That's how much I adore this book.
So let us forget my original review and rating, shall we? Consider it a lapse of judgement. After all, we all have bad days...
And yes. I am sure I don't like Hands Down, Dear Aron and Luna and the Lie. I'm not too fond of the heroines. And the stories are boring and repetitive.
*********************
Original review (when I was dumb and clueless): March 6, 2016
3.5 Stars
Okay, I have some good news and some bad news. Let's start with the good news, shall we?
The theme. This is my first book by this author and I hope it won't be my last. I'm a sucker for romances where the couple starts out as friends or enemies. Combine that with a sports theme and I'm a goner.
The characters. I really liked both the hero and the heroine. The character build up was fantastic.
VANESSA. I think she’s awesome and I like her despite her constant insecurities about everything. She has a funny personality. Funny heroines usually tend to be annoying but Vanessa is lovable and compelling. She's smart, strong and independent.
AIDEN. Gotta love assholes. You see, I have a thing for the big jerks who redeem themselves by the end of the book, especially if they are the brooding, grumpy and uncommunicative types. Aiden is a perfect combination of all of the above.
The story. I really liked the storyline. I learned from other reviews that this would be a slow burn romance so I went into this book completely prepared.
Honestly, I'm sick and tired of insta-love. I believe that a slow build-up is what usually makes a romance good. It makes it somehow more believable and realistic.
So if you like love-at-first-sight books or books where the heroine jumps into bed with the hero seconds after meeting him, then this book is not for you.
Now... about the bad news.
The writing. Don't get me wrong, this book is very well written and there were many funny parts which had me cracking up BUT there was too much repetition and internal monologue for my liking. I started off really enjoying this book but as it went on I started to lose interest and I found myself struggling.
Overall, this book was a pretty good read. It just didn't wow me like I had hoped it would. So I'm giving it a solid 3 stars.
Overall rating: 3 stars
Writing style: 3 stars
Story: 4 stars
Flow of the story: 3 stars
Character development: 5 stars
Hero: 4 stars
Heroine: 5 stars
Secondary characters: 4 stars
Tone of the book: 4 stars
Emotion evoking: 3 stars
Originality: 4 stars
Enjoyment: 3 stars
Effect on me: 3 stars
January 9, 2024
2nd time reading: SLAY but I think I actually like wait for it more lolll
1st time reading: Mariana always does this to me I start reading and I’m like ehh idk but to intrigued to stop reading and then it turns into another one of my favorite books
1st time reading: Mariana always does this to me I start reading and I’m like ehh idk but to intrigued to stop reading and then it turns into another one of my favorite books
December 7, 2023
➸ 3.5 stars
aiden graves if you want another dog, i can bark.
this book reminded me just how much i love slow burns. it was that slow that i was internally screaming whenever there was a slight physical touch between them. this is just what i needed to get me out of my slump!!
— i deducted one star off just bc of the repetitive writing style. the fmc’s endless inner monologue got so repetitive and annoying, i felt like i was reading the same thing every chapter. she also repeatedly kept describing how big he is—like okay girl we got it the first 5 times you said it.
also mariana babes, i’m BEGGING you to pls stop using “mushroomed tip” — i can’t take the sex scene in this book serious, some of the descriptive terminology was v cringe, like ”the long pipe under his clothes” SMUT ISNT SUPPOSED TO MAKE ME LAUGH UNCOMFORTABLY FFS 😭😭
“touch my wife again and i’ll break every bone in your goddamn body”
aiden graves if you want another dog, i can bark.
this book reminded me just how much i love slow burns. it was that slow that i was internally screaming whenever there was a slight physical touch between them. this is just what i needed to get me out of my slump!!
— i deducted one star off just bc of the repetitive writing style. the fmc’s endless inner monologue got so repetitive and annoying, i felt like i was reading the same thing every chapter. she also repeatedly kept describing how big he is—like okay girl we got it the first 5 times you said it.
”that's my girl. that's my fucking girl."
also mariana babes, i’m BEGGING you to pls stop using “mushroomed tip” — i can’t take the sex scene in this book serious, some of the descriptive terminology was v cringe, like ”the long pipe under his clothes” SMUT ISNT SUPPOSED TO MAKE ME LAUGH UNCOMFORTABLY FFS 😭😭
January 1, 2022
RE-READ: April 5, 2020: Me re-reading this like:
--------------------------------------
Now this, this is the slow-burn romance I crave.
After two years, Vanessa has had enough of Aiden “The Wall of Winnipeg” Graves. For a while now, she’s thought about quitting her job. She knows it isn’t the best idea. After all, she knows how many people would give to have her job - being an assistant/housekeeper for the best defensive in the NFO isn’t an easy job to find. But as much as this job is helping her, she can’t continue putting her dreams of graphic design and starting her own business behind. So when she tells her boss, Aiden, that she is quitting, she at least expected him to feel bad, to ask why or give some sort of feeling, but after seeing nothing, Vanessa knows she’s making the right decision.
And so she leaves.
After a couple of weeks pass by, Vanessa feels relieved, but then Aiden unexpectedly shows up at her apartment door asking for her to come back. As much as he asks (more or so, demands), Vanessa continues rejecting. That is until Aiden gives an offer: if she marries him, he’ll pay off her student loans and buy her a house.
The reason for why Aiden is asking Vanessa to marry him is because Aiden is Canadian and his visa is set to expire the year after. The thing is, Aiden doesn’t want to go back to Canada, and in order to become a resident in time, he needs to marry a U.S. Citizen, and Vanessa seems to be the best option.
It’s an offer Vanessa knows she can’t reject. Her student loans are putting so much weight on her shoulders, and paying them off by being in fake marriage with one of the current best football stars wouldn’t be that bad, would it?
If you had told 15 and 16 year-old me that I would finally read a Mariana Zapata book in 2020, I honestly wouldn't have believed you. Her books always intimidated me, simply because they're contemporary adult romance that are more than 500 pages. Honestly speaking, I dread books longer than 400 pages. But here I am now, and I couldn't have been happier.
Let's start with Aiden. When Vanessa Mazur said that Aiden wanted a dog before a family, I knew I was sold. Aiden Graves is described as cocky, arrogant, stubborn, and overall, rude, and while he is all that, I couldn’t help but love him. As a matter of fact, I didn't mind the cockiness, arrogance, stubbornness, or even the rudeness. I think the biggest reason for this was because he was actually never directly mean to Vanessa, per se. While he never told her a thank you, please, or even wished her a happy birthday, there was never that toxicity that is common in adult romance reads, and that’s the stuff I live for. I never found Aiden, surprisingly, being mean for no particular reason. Say, he never called Vanessa rude names, or never brought up unnecessary past to make her feel bad, or, was generally, a bully.
Aiden was clearly lonely. He had no friends. He didn’t know what it was like to have a friend, not until Vanessa became more than just his assistant. He was emotionless, expressionless, cold and serious, showing no sign of pity or remorse, which was why many, including Vanessa, found him to be arrogant and rude. But the way he tries to become Vanessa’s friend after realizing he messed up warmed my heart and actually, not even kidding, had me squealing.
He was so adorably awkward with Vanessa, even if it wasn't directly stated. Even though the entire book is told through Vanessa in first person, I'm sure it's easy to imagine how difficult it might have felt for Aiden to become friendlier, more social, and happier around Vanessa. His slow development took a while for him to get used to, but little by little, he started doing and noticing the smallest things in order to become that friend he said he would try to be with Vanessa, and it was nothing but adorable. He was, truly, a softie.
Yeah sex may be great, but when Aiden and Vanessa were in Las Vegas and Vanessa decided to walk around Las Vegas at night, alone, Aiden decided to wake up from his nap and walk with her because he was worried, even if he didn’t admit it?
Or when he decided to run with her as she trains for her marathon because he was worried, again, since it was getting dark soon, even though he was breaking some of the rules he put on himself?
Or when he didn't hesitate to think about beating Ricky up after seeing her bruised wrists?
Or when they both got stuck in an elevator and he held her on his lap as he tries his best to comfort her and learns about her phobia of the dark, comforting her so she doesn’t panic as she did before?
Or when the lights of the house went out so Aiden immediately went to go check up on Vanessa and decided to sleep with her in order for him to, again, comfort her?
Or when Aiden started naming off the things he knew about Vanessa, the small details he’s noticed of her, such as her favorite things or what she does when she’s annoyed?
Or when he beat up Christian and realized that he, in fact, really cared about her?
Or when he gave her a proper wedding ring for Christmas with her birthstone?
Or when he flew four hours to go to Canada just to see her at the book convention she was at and read a romance novel?
Or when he immediately texted her updates after he arrived in Colorado?
Or when he surprised her at her marathon?
Now that is sexy.
I don’t know man, but small things like that have me screaming by how wholesome it is. My heart is just wrapped in a heart shaped warm blanket during those moments.
The Wall of Winnipeg and Me delivered more than I could ask for. While the relationship is slow burn, the story itself is not slow whatsoever. Zapata managed to make her 500+ page book a page turner, simply because there was always something happening, whether it was related to the football games, Van and Aiden, their friends, Van’s family, or generally, anything else, and for the majority of the time, it was a ride I’d want to experience again. I somehow managed to read 100 pages in one sitting, and before I knew it, I was halfway done.
While I fell in love with Aiden, I also really adored Vanessa’s character. I appreciated the history Mariana added about both characters, and explaining it as the two were getting to know each other really made the experience better. I found Vanessa to be strong and patient, but also vulnerable and sad. While she annoyed me at times, such as how she tried having a relationship with her mother, I still accepted her bravery for walking away and not letting herself go through her trauma again. Vanessa had also gone through a lot, and I couldn't do anything but sympathize with her, especially as she explained what she went through with her sisters.
I am a fan of romance developing in a mediocre pace, not too slow and not too fast, but the time between Vanessa and Aiden was perfect. Their banter had me wanting to highlight it all. Full of humor and sarcasm, the two took a while to like each other, but as the reader, it's easy to feel the tension between the two and how their marriage of convenience slowly becomes something much more real, much more emotional. And when Aiden kissed her for the first time? Yeah, I couldn't have asked for better timing.
The first non-YA romance I read was Listen to Me in June 2016, when I was 15, and Mariana Zapata was one of the first authors I heard about after, but I never got around reading her books. While I am not the biggest fan of smut and steamy reads, I do read it once in a while, but I can't complain that this had none of that smutty action. It's all towards the end, barely even there, and I couldn't be upset about it. I wanted nothing but that yearning between the two characters. Their chemistry was stronger when they were falling for each other. Don't get me wrong, the sex was still there just like any NA book, but even if it wasn't there, I would have loved this regardless. Give me that sexual tension that you can cut with a knife, physical touch, and care shown through actions and words instead of sex and we'll be good.
In conclusion, The Wall of Winnipeg and Me delivered more than I wanted, and it's gotten my standards of slow-burn and enemies-to-lovers high.
So yeah, if you like very slow-burn romance, sexual tension, (almost) no sex, relationships between the boss and the assistant, tough on the outside but soft on the inside heroes, confident heroines, and golden retriever puppies, then you will (hopefully) like The Wall of Winnipeg and Me.
--------------------------------------
I wasn’t about to waste my life away, upset, because I was raised by people who couldn’t commit to anything in their lives. All they did was show me the kind of person I didn’t want to be.
Now this, this is the slow-burn romance I crave.
After two years, Vanessa has had enough of Aiden “The Wall of Winnipeg” Graves. For a while now, she’s thought about quitting her job. She knows it isn’t the best idea. After all, she knows how many people would give to have her job - being an assistant/housekeeper for the best defensive in the NFO isn’t an easy job to find. But as much as this job is helping her, she can’t continue putting her dreams of graphic design and starting her own business behind. So when she tells her boss, Aiden, that she is quitting, she at least expected him to feel bad, to ask why or give some sort of feeling, but after seeing nothing, Vanessa knows she’s making the right decision.
And so she leaves.
After a couple of weeks pass by, Vanessa feels relieved, but then Aiden unexpectedly shows up at her apartment door asking for her to come back. As much as he asks (more or so, demands), Vanessa continues rejecting. That is until Aiden gives an offer: if she marries him, he’ll pay off her student loans and buy her a house.
The reason for why Aiden is asking Vanessa to marry him is because Aiden is Canadian and his visa is set to expire the year after. The thing is, Aiden doesn’t want to go back to Canada, and in order to become a resident in time, he needs to marry a U.S. Citizen, and Vanessa seems to be the best option.
It’s an offer Vanessa knows she can’t reject. Her student loans are putting so much weight on her shoulders, and paying them off by being in fake marriage with one of the current best football stars wouldn’t be that bad, would it?
If you had told 15 and 16 year-old me that I would finally read a Mariana Zapata book in 2020, I honestly wouldn't have believed you. Her books always intimidated me, simply because they're contemporary adult romance that are more than 500 pages. Honestly speaking, I dread books longer than 400 pages. But here I am now, and I couldn't have been happier.
Let's start with Aiden. When Vanessa Mazur said that Aiden wanted a dog before a family, I knew I was sold. Aiden Graves is described as cocky, arrogant, stubborn, and overall, rude, and while he is all that, I couldn’t help but love him. As a matter of fact, I didn't mind the cockiness, arrogance, stubbornness, or even the rudeness. I think the biggest reason for this was because he was actually never directly mean to Vanessa, per se. While he never told her a thank you, please, or even wished her a happy birthday, there was never that toxicity that is common in adult romance reads, and that’s the stuff I live for. I never found Aiden, surprisingly, being mean for no particular reason. Say, he never called Vanessa rude names, or never brought up unnecessary past to make her feel bad, or, was generally, a bully.
Aiden was clearly lonely. He had no friends. He didn’t know what it was like to have a friend, not until Vanessa became more than just his assistant. He was emotionless, expressionless, cold and serious, showing no sign of pity or remorse, which was why many, including Vanessa, found him to be arrogant and rude. But the way he tries to become Vanessa’s friend after realizing he messed up warmed my heart and actually, not even kidding, had me squealing.
“I know you think I wouldn’t care,” he said in that whisper voice that bled solemnness, “but I would. I do. We’re in this together.”
He was so adorably awkward with Vanessa, even if it wasn't directly stated. Even though the entire book is told through Vanessa in first person, I'm sure it's easy to imagine how difficult it might have felt for Aiden to become friendlier, more social, and happier around Vanessa. His slow development took a while for him to get used to, but little by little, he started doing and noticing the smallest things in order to become that friend he said he would try to be with Vanessa, and it was nothing but adorable. He was, truly, a softie.
“I can be your friend. I can try,” he said in a low, earnest voice. “Friends take a lot of time and effort, but…” Aiden looked up at me again with a sigh, “I can do it. If that’s what you want.”
Yeah sex may be great, but when Aiden and Vanessa were in Las Vegas and Vanessa decided to walk around Las Vegas at night, alone, Aiden decided to wake up from his nap and walk with her because he was worried, even if he didn’t admit it?
“Maybe you’re used to doing things by yourself, but don’t be an idiot.” He started off calmly, totally in control. “I didn’t know where you were. There’s crime here—don’t give me that face. I know there’s crime everywhere. We might not be doing this for the reasons most people do, but I made a vow, Van. And I promised you we would try to be friends. Friends don’t let friends wander around alone.” He pinned me with a glare. “You aren’t the only one who takes their promises seriously.”
Or when he decided to run with her as she trains for her marathon because he was worried, again, since it was getting dark soon, even though he was breaking some of the rules he put on himself?
Or when he didn't hesitate to think about beating Ricky up after seeing her bruised wrists?
Or when they both got stuck in an elevator and he held her on his lap as he tries his best to comfort her and learns about her phobia of the dark, comforting her so she doesn’t panic as she did before?
I was in Aiden’s lap. He was cross-legged on either side of me, each of his muscular thighs cocooning my hips, his chin just behind my ear. I shivered.
Behind me, Aiden straightened; under my butt, his thighs tightened and strained. It was then that I felt embarrassed. “I’m sorry,” I apologized, already lifting up to lunge off him.
“Shut up,” he said as his hands landed on my bare knees, shoving me back down onto him; my back hit the solid wall of his chest and it was right then I realized his shirt was soggy from the rain. I didn’t care. Under me, his legs relaxed, my bottom settling on top of his feet.
[...]
The big guy hummed into the shell of my ear, his breath warm and way too comforting. “You want to tell me what that was about?” he asked in a whisper.
Or when the lights of the house went out so Aiden immediately went to go check up on Vanessa and decided to sleep with her in order for him to, again, comfort her?
“Aiden?” I whispered.
“Hmm?” he murmured.
“Thank you for coming in here with me.”
“Uh-huh.” That big body adjusted itself just slightly before he let out a long, deep exhale.
Or when Aiden started naming off the things he knew about Vanessa, the small details he’s noticed of her, such as her favorite things or what she does when she’s annoyed?
Or when he beat up Christian and realized that he, in fact, really cared about her?
“I’ve let you down too many times. I won’t do it again.”
Or when he gave her a proper wedding ring for Christmas with her birthstone?
Or when he flew four hours to go to Canada just to see her at the book convention she was at and read a romance novel?
Or when he immediately texted her updates after he arrived in Colorado?
Or when he surprised her at her marathon?
“I missed you.”
“You what?”
His arms tightened around me. “I missed you very much.”
Now that is sexy.
I don’t know man, but small things like that have me screaming by how wholesome it is. My heart is just wrapped in a heart shaped warm blanket during those moments.
The Wall of Winnipeg and Me delivered more than I could ask for. While the relationship is slow burn, the story itself is not slow whatsoever. Zapata managed to make her 500+ page book a page turner, simply because there was always something happening, whether it was related to the football games, Van and Aiden, their friends, Van’s family, or generally, anything else, and for the majority of the time, it was a ride I’d want to experience again. I somehow managed to read 100 pages in one sitting, and before I knew it, I was halfway done.
While I fell in love with Aiden, I also really adored Vanessa’s character. I appreciated the history Mariana added about both characters, and explaining it as the two were getting to know each other really made the experience better. I found Vanessa to be strong and patient, but also vulnerable and sad. While she annoyed me at times, such as how she tried having a relationship with her mother, I still accepted her bravery for walking away and not letting herself go through her trauma again. Vanessa had also gone through a lot, and I couldn't do anything but sympathize with her, especially as she explained what she went through with her sisters.
The Vanessa who was fifteen and older had felt a different emotion for so long: anger. Anger at my mom’s selfishness. Anger at her for not being able to clean her act up until years after we’d been taken away from her. Anger for being let down for so long, time and time again.
I am a fan of romance developing in a mediocre pace, not too slow and not too fast, but the time between Vanessa and Aiden was perfect. Their banter had me wanting to highlight it all. Full of humor and sarcasm, the two took a while to like each other, but as the reader, it's easy to feel the tension between the two and how their marriage of convenience slowly becomes something much more real, much more emotional. And when Aiden kissed her for the first time? Yeah, I couldn't have asked for better timing.
The Wall of Winnipeg stared down at the much smaller man, and in a voice that was as close to a cool, unattached statement as possible, he said, “Touch my wife again, and I’ll break every bone in your goddamn body.”
The first non-YA romance I read was Listen to Me in June 2016, when I was 15, and Mariana Zapata was one of the first authors I heard about after, but I never got around reading her books. While I am not the biggest fan of smut and steamy reads, I do read it once in a while, but I can't complain that this had none of that smutty action. It's all towards the end, barely even there, and I couldn't be upset about it. I wanted nothing but that yearning between the two characters. Their chemistry was stronger when they were falling for each other. Don't get me wrong, the sex was still there just like any NA book, but even if it wasn't there, I would have loved this regardless. Give me that sexual tension that you can cut with a knife, physical touch, and care shown through actions and words instead of sex and we'll be good.
“It’s a long story.”
“I have time for you.”
It’s a really long story,” I insisted.
“Okay.”
In conclusion, The Wall of Winnipeg and Me delivered more than I wanted, and it's gotten my standards of slow-burn and enemies-to-lovers high.
So yeah, if you like very slow-burn romance, sexual tension, (almost) no sex, relationships between the boss and the assistant, tough on the outside but soft on the inside heroes, confident heroines, and golden retriever puppies, then you will (hopefully) like The Wall of Winnipeg and Me.
Maybe that was the thing about love I never understood before Aiden. Like football and art, like anything that anyone in the world has ever wanted, love was a dream. And just like a dream, there were no assurances behind it. It didn’t grow on its own. It didn’t blossom without food to feed it.
March 21, 2023
edit 2023: mmmmmmmm. definitely not as good as kulti, i stand by that. feels more like a 3 star this go-round
also why are we calling our sex sound wet and sloppy? it's giving janitorial wet floor sign needed. bleck.
2017 review:
"That's my girl"
"I am?"
"The only one."
the good
So this was my second book by this author and damn it was just as good as the first. This book focuses on a socially isolated/stunted/cold pro football player and his (slow fuggin burn) relationship with his personal assistant. I know I wrote it above but this isn't for the faint of heart, these books are SLOW. BURN.
Mariana Zapata seems to really succeed at making you feel for her characters. I read this right after finishing Kulti and for the first few chapters of this I really felt like I wouldn't like Aiden. He seemed too cold, too rude etc. But of course I kept reading and was basically swooning once he got his act together. And the way that the author writes her female characters is excellent as well, they also have complicated backgrounds and interests and are just genuinely likable.
Also, using the mundanity of everyday life is really effective with these books because you grow to appreciate all the small little nuances of the characters. Note: if you like plot driven romances you will probably hate this. Melodrama is not something to be found here. But I appreciate it so much, and it makes the story so believable.
the bad
I haven't written a review for Kulti yet but my complaint will be the same with that one too. I LOVE the slow burn in MZ's books, but with books this long it might be nice to have a little more *ahem* action before like the last couple of chapters. I'm not asking for these to be purely smut but like one sex scene at the very end is just not all that satisfying to me. And they tend to be written a little weird. I kind of overlooked it in Kulti because I was just so excited for the MCs to get together but uh... smut is the one place I don't want to hear the word penis when referring to that particular organ. Personal preference thing I guess. But read more like a biology textbook than steamy sex.
also why are we calling our sex sound wet and sloppy? it's giving janitorial wet floor sign needed. bleck.
2017 review:
"That's my girl"
"I am?"
"The only one."
the good
So this was my second book by this author and damn it was just as good as the first. This book focuses on a socially isolated/stunted/cold pro football player and his (slow fuggin burn) relationship with his personal assistant. I know I wrote it above but this isn't for the faint of heart, these books are SLOW. BURN.
Mariana Zapata seems to really succeed at making you feel for her characters. I read this right after finishing Kulti and for the first few chapters of this I really felt like I wouldn't like Aiden. He seemed too cold, too rude etc. But of course I kept reading and was basically swooning once he got his act together. And the way that the author writes her female characters is excellent as well, they also have complicated backgrounds and interests and are just genuinely likable.
Also, using the mundanity of everyday life is really effective with these books because you grow to appreciate all the small little nuances of the characters. Note: if you like plot driven romances you will probably hate this. Melodrama is not something to be found here. But I appreciate it so much, and it makes the story so believable.
the bad
I haven't written a review for Kulti yet but my complaint will be the same with that one too. I LOVE the slow burn in MZ's books, but with books this long it might be nice to have a little more *ahem* action before like the last couple of chapters. I'm not asking for these to be purely smut but like one sex scene at the very end is just not all that satisfying to me. And they tend to be written a little weird. I kind of overlooked it in Kulti because I was just so excited for the MCs to get together but uh... smut is the one place I don't want to hear the word penis when referring to that particular organ. Personal preference thing I guess. But read more like a biology textbook than steamy sex.
July 21, 2023
— 3.75 stars ✰
"do you need something?"
"you"
the first 10% were a pain in the ass. you guys weren’t playing around when you said the inner monologue is torturous. aiden isn’t really the most.. talkative guy. but after that??? it got really good. seeing aiden pine after she quit felt like a reward. the way he showed up at her apartment multiple times and literally begged for her to come back???
"i don't want someone new. i want you" 💗💕💞💕
they were both so understanding towards each other, he got her nightlights because she's scared of the dark and SHE GOT HIM A PUPPY 🥹 and can we talk about how oblivious this man is, or at least he pretends to be, i loved how women flirted with him right in front of vanessa and he just goes "she's my wife" 👏🏼
ah... how the turns have tabled.. one day she was the one asking him if anything was wrong, the next day he is complaining why she stopped calling him nicknames
"you're being weird with me.
you haven't called me big guy or given me hell"
i liked how their relationship evolved, it was the slowest slowburn but i didn’t really mind it to be honest. i don’t know how mariana zapata did it, but i knew exactly what aiden thought the entire time without needing his pov. he was supportive and so protective oh my god i need aiden graves in my life 😮💨😮💨😮💨
"touch my wife again, and i'll break
every bone in your goddamn body"
i loved vanessa‘s relationship with zac and diana, the whole book in general just was so realistic & relatable 🤌🏼
— to explain my rating, i did enjoy the book.. but will i remember it in a couple of months? probably not. BUT the writing is really good and, again, i don't know how mz did it, but it never felt boring to read aiden's and vanessa's story
also her name is vanessa & her birthday is march third.
is she me???
"do you need something?"
"you"
the first 10% were a pain in the ass. you guys weren’t playing around when you said the inner monologue is torturous. aiden isn’t really the most.. talkative guy. but after that??? it got really good. seeing aiden pine after she quit felt like a reward. the way he showed up at her apartment multiple times and literally begged for her to come back???
"i don't want someone new. i want you" 💗💕💞💕
they were both so understanding towards each other, he got her nightlights because she's scared of the dark and SHE GOT HIM A PUPPY 🥹 and can we talk about how oblivious this man is, or at least he pretends to be, i loved how women flirted with him right in front of vanessa and he just goes "she's my wife" 👏🏼
ah... how the turns have tabled.. one day she was the one asking him if anything was wrong, the next day he is complaining why she stopped calling him nicknames
"you're being weird with me.
you haven't called me big guy or given me hell"
i liked how their relationship evolved, it was the slowest slowburn but i didn’t really mind it to be honest. i don’t know how mariana zapata did it, but i knew exactly what aiden thought the entire time without needing his pov. he was supportive and so protective oh my god i need aiden graves in my life 😮💨😮💨😮💨
"touch my wife again, and i'll break
every bone in your goddamn body"
i loved vanessa‘s relationship with zac and diana, the whole book in general just was so realistic & relatable 🤌🏼
— to explain my rating, i did enjoy the book.. but will i remember it in a couple of months? probably not. BUT the writing is really good and, again, i don't know how mz did it, but it never felt boring to read aiden's and vanessa's story
also her name is vanessa & her birthday is march third.
is she me???
October 16, 2017
I listened to the audiobook version of 'The Wall of Winnipeg and Me' and it was fantastic! Talk about a terrific, slow-burn romance! I was completely sucked in to this story, little by little.
Aiden Graves is the formidable top defensive player in the National Football Organization. His single-minded focus on the sport has made him the best. He eats, lives and breathes football, paying little mind to anything or anyone else.
Accordingly, he is kind of oblivious to the goings on around him that don't directly impact his game. His personal assistant, Vanessa Mazur, is one such person. Aiden relies on her heavily for everything from his meals to updating his social media accounts, yet he hardly pays her any attention. He takes her completely for granted, not even giving her the most basic forms of acknowledgment like a "hello" in the morning. To say the least, he's very curt and kind of an ass.
After working for Aiden for two years, Vanessa has finally saved enough money to quit her job and pursue her real passion in web design. Of course, this comes as a complete surprise to Aiden who had never bothered to get to know Vanessa. He was even unaware that she had designed websites for some of his teammates, focused entirely on himself and his own career.
When Vanessa quits her job, Aiden gets a huge wake up call. He needs her back and is willing to do just about anything to have her. After the way he treated her, this will require some groveling and humbling on his part. Let me just say that there is nothing that I love more than some good old-fashioned groveling! I live for it in my stories.
This time around, Aiden wants to up the ante. He faces deportation if he doesn't renew his contract soon, something that he doesn't plan to let happen. All he needs to secure his citizenship is a wife -- and we all know who he has in mind.
What starts out as a tenuous work contract between Aiden and Vanessa soon morphs into more. For his part, Aiden was pretty clueless of how cold and indifferent he had been. Once Vanessa brings it to his attention, he really works at being a better person and treating her well. Even his lack of social graces was endearing. I fell in love with Aiden right along with Vanessa. He was just impossible to resist.
As a heroine, Vanessa was also very personable. She was easy to relate to and I connected with her right away. She was a strong heroine, while not coming across as aggressive or heartless. Her character was perfectly balanced and really rounded out Aiden's personality.
This is a story that will grab your attention early-on and hold it for the long haul. You won't find any insta-love here. This is a very slow-burn with a well-developed storyline and characters. Nothing feels rushed or implausible. It was simply beautiful! If you haven't read this one yet, I highly recommend it!
Aiden Graves is the formidable top defensive player in the National Football Organization. His single-minded focus on the sport has made him the best. He eats, lives and breathes football, paying little mind to anything or anyone else.
Accordingly, he is kind of oblivious to the goings on around him that don't directly impact his game. His personal assistant, Vanessa Mazur, is one such person. Aiden relies on her heavily for everything from his meals to updating his social media accounts, yet he hardly pays her any attention. He takes her completely for granted, not even giving her the most basic forms of acknowledgment like a "hello" in the morning. To say the least, he's very curt and kind of an ass.
After working for Aiden for two years, Vanessa has finally saved enough money to quit her job and pursue her real passion in web design. Of course, this comes as a complete surprise to Aiden who had never bothered to get to know Vanessa. He was even unaware that she had designed websites for some of his teammates, focused entirely on himself and his own career.
When Vanessa quits her job, Aiden gets a huge wake up call. He needs her back and is willing to do just about anything to have her. After the way he treated her, this will require some groveling and humbling on his part. Let me just say that there is nothing that I love more than some good old-fashioned groveling! I live for it in my stories.
This time around, Aiden wants to up the ante. He faces deportation if he doesn't renew his contract soon, something that he doesn't plan to let happen. All he needs to secure his citizenship is a wife -- and we all know who he has in mind.
What starts out as a tenuous work contract between Aiden and Vanessa soon morphs into more. For his part, Aiden was pretty clueless of how cold and indifferent he had been. Once Vanessa brings it to his attention, he really works at being a better person and treating her well. Even his lack of social graces was endearing. I fell in love with Aiden right along with Vanessa. He was just impossible to resist.
As a heroine, Vanessa was also very personable. She was easy to relate to and I connected with her right away. She was a strong heroine, while not coming across as aggressive or heartless. Her character was perfectly balanced and really rounded out Aiden's personality.
This is a story that will grab your attention early-on and hold it for the long haul. You won't find any insta-love here. This is a very slow-burn with a well-developed storyline and characters. Nothing feels rushed or implausible. It was simply beautiful! If you haven't read this one yet, I highly recommend it!
June 28, 2016
This one just really hit the spot for me. Great characters, slow burn romance, funny interactions, and when the heat finally hits, it's delicious. I read straight through the night and have thought about Aidan all day.
November 4, 2023
update bonus scene: im typing this with literally tears running down my cheeks because oh man, the bonus content was so beautiful.
and not the mention of diana and the boys plus, van&aiden’s kids. i dont think i’ll ever recover from how fiona told vanessa that she would marry lou one day😭 now idc, i NEED their book if they ever end up together. since i read that aiden and venessa adopted fiona in 'Hands Down' i thought she would eventually end up with josh.. but i love this alternative, too.🤭
anyway, i don’t understand or know how is it possible to love and obsess this much over fictional characters and a couple but i do. i guess it’s time to reread WoW for 7th time and 'Wait For It' in the process for the 5th time🫠
~•~•~•~•~
I woke up and wanted to write a love letter to this
book.
There’s always a book that you’ll unapologetically love, and this is it for me. I remember when i first read it i was exiting my "teenager literature era" that was mainly orbiting around the dark side of Wattpad. My notion of "the prefect fictional relationships" was mingled, too, with my cinematographic obsession with romance/drama. I was taught at a very young age that to hook a reader or spectator into a romance—make it memorable—it needs to have either a tragic ending or a course of events rhythm-ed with drama and quite a lot of action. Well, MZ took my hand and explained to me slowly that no, you can make a read impactful, a romance beautifully written even if it’s lacking jealousy, manipulation or a melodramatic epilogue. I knew then that love is about the little attentions about the friendship and most importantly that if someone ever wanted to be with you or know you, the dite person would make compromises to make it possible not because you asked for it but because they simply wanted to. Everyone deserves a pur love like theirs. I will keep manifesting it with each reread.
❛"I love you, big man."
"I love you too, Muffin."❜
and not the mention of diana and the boys plus, van&aiden’s kids. i dont think i’ll ever recover from how fiona told vanessa that she would marry lou one day😭 now idc, i NEED their book if they ever end up together. since i read that aiden and venessa adopted fiona in 'Hands Down' i thought she would eventually end up with josh.. but i love this alternative, too.🤭
anyway, i don’t understand or know how is it possible to love and obsess this much over fictional characters and a couple but i do. i guess it’s time to reread WoW for 7th time and 'Wait For It' in the process for the 5th time🫠
~•~•~•~•~
I woke up and wanted to write a love letter to this
book.
There’s always a book that you’ll unapologetically love, and this is it for me. I remember when i first read it i was exiting my "teenager literature era" that was mainly orbiting around the dark side of Wattpad. My notion of "the prefect fictional relationships" was mingled, too, with my cinematographic obsession with romance/drama. I was taught at a very young age that to hook a reader or spectator into a romance—make it memorable—it needs to have either a tragic ending or a course of events rhythm-ed with drama and quite a lot of action. Well, MZ took my hand and explained to me slowly that no, you can make a read impactful, a romance beautifully written even if it’s lacking jealousy, manipulation or a melodramatic epilogue. I knew then that love is about the little attentions about the friendship and most importantly that if someone ever wanted to be with you or know you, the dite person would make compromises to make it possible not because you asked for it but because they simply wanted to. Everyone deserves a pur love like theirs. I will keep manifesting it with each reread.
November 13, 2021
5 "TEAM GRAVES" STARS
In the same vein as her hit book Kulti, Mariana Zapata delivers a SLOW BURN story of a personal assistant, Vanessa Mazur who has finally saved enough over the two years of working for the NFO’s best defenseman, Aiden “The Wall of Winnipeg” Graves to quit.
Throughout her two years of working for Aiden, he doesn’t even return a hello or appreciate her in slightest. To her surprise, when this man of few words shows at her doorstep asking for her to return working for him and then further presents a deal to pay off her overwhelming about school loans to pose in the eyes of the law as his wife, she more than taken back. Still, the arrangement is too good to pass up especially nixing the aspect of being his personal assistant and letting her focus on her own career. Vanessa's feelings of hurt over their non relationship are sad to face.
”I wished you had respected me enough to appreciate me back when it would have meant something. I liked you. I admired you, and in the course of a few days, you killed that.”
Aiden isn’t what readers are used to encountering and he's not a man whore at all. In fact, he actually hasn’t bother with women (messy) since his high school years. He’s been one hundred percent focused on his career and ignores woman fans and really lives up to the comparison of a wall. Marrying Vanessa to him makes the most sense and this is how he woos her.
” I like you as much as I like anyone.”
Moving into his home for the next five years while she builds her career from her computer has these two characters falling for one another, slow but believable. I loved both of their characters, Leo the puppy, Halloween, Christmas, the elevator scene and I adored the fierce way Aiden protects Vanessa and how they become a team. Vanessa’s family aspect of the storyline was well done and quite frankly she was a terrific main character that friends will surely love. Aiden’s a man of few words but just like with the book Kulti, the story comes together in the end!!
”Like football and art, like anything that anyone in the world has ever wanted, love was a dream. And just like a dream, there were no assurances behind it. It didn’t grow on its own. It didn’t blossom without food to feed it. It was the greatest in its subtleties. It was the strongest in its selflessness. And it could be forever with someone who wasn’t afraid to never give up on the possibilities it presents.”
In the same vein as her hit book Kulti, Mariana Zapata delivers a SLOW BURN story of a personal assistant, Vanessa Mazur who has finally saved enough over the two years of working for the NFO’s best defenseman, Aiden “The Wall of Winnipeg” Graves to quit.
Throughout her two years of working for Aiden, he doesn’t even return a hello or appreciate her in slightest. To her surprise, when this man of few words shows at her doorstep asking for her to return working for him and then further presents a deal to pay off her overwhelming about school loans to pose in the eyes of the law as his wife, she more than taken back. Still, the arrangement is too good to pass up especially nixing the aspect of being his personal assistant and letting her focus on her own career. Vanessa's feelings of hurt over their non relationship are sad to face.
”I wished you had respected me enough to appreciate me back when it would have meant something. I liked you. I admired you, and in the course of a few days, you killed that.”
Aiden isn’t what readers are used to encountering and he's not a man whore at all. In fact, he actually hasn’t bother with women (messy) since his high school years. He’s been one hundred percent focused on his career and ignores woman fans and really lives up to the comparison of a wall. Marrying Vanessa to him makes the most sense and this is how he woos her.
” I like you as much as I like anyone.”
Moving into his home for the next five years while she builds her career from her computer has these two characters falling for one another, slow but believable. I loved both of their characters, Leo the puppy, Halloween, Christmas, the elevator scene and I adored the fierce way Aiden protects Vanessa and how they become a team. Vanessa’s family aspect of the storyline was well done and quite frankly she was a terrific main character that friends will surely love. Aiden’s a man of few words but just like with the book Kulti, the story comes together in the end!!
”Like football and art, like anything that anyone in the world has ever wanted, love was a dream. And just like a dream, there were no assurances behind it. It didn’t grow on its own. It didn’t blossom without food to feed it. It was the greatest in its subtleties. It was the strongest in its selflessness. And it could be forever with someone who wasn’t afraid to never give up on the possibilities it presents.”
April 14, 2021
3. Stars
Overall Opinion: This was ok. I know I'm the minority here, but I didn't find their connection all that moving. I honestly felt like it was one sided through the whole story and I just didn't get the swooning feeling that I think I was supposed to feel when he finally confessed his love at the end. I didn't find him all that likeable either. I wouldn't say that she was a doormat (thank goodness), but she definitely needs to be nominated for sainthood with all the crap she dealt with. With all of that and the fact that it was super slow, I would call this a "just ok" 3 stars.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Vanessa and Aiden's story. Vanessa has been working as Aiden's PA/cook/housekeeper for 2 years and is finally fed up with the way he's been so cold with her and quits. Aiden follows after her a month later and begs her back, but he has a new proposition for her -- he needs a wife for 5 years to get US citizenship. She agrees in exchange for her high student loans being paid off and him buying her a house when they get divorced. They form a friendship of sorts that eventually turns into more...and they get their HEA ending.
POV: This was told in Vanessa's POV.
Overall Pace of Story: Slow. So slow. I skimmed at the beginning because I wanted something to happen. There was way too much inner dialogue and not enough actually going on IMO. They don't even kiss until 83% (unless you count the chaste peck at their wedding. For pictures -- which I don't), and they don't become intimate until 97%!!! It's not until around 95% that we finally get some confirmation as to how the H even feels, because up until that point the feelings could have been completely one sided.
Instalove: No, but the h had feelings (a self-admitted crush) for the H at the beginning of the story.
H rating: 3 stars. Aiden. He was a cold jerk at times, and others he was sweet. I felt he was tolerable at the end -- definitely not one of my favorite Hs.
h rating: 4 stars. Vanessa. She was a tough cookie that rolled with the punches. I liked her, especially when she was sticking up for herself.
Sadness level: Low/moderate. It has an unrequited love feel, so I did get a little teary at times for that -- but no tissues needed.
Heat level: Low. They don't become intimate until 97%.
Descriptive sex: Yes
Safe sex: No. No condoms used, and no std status or birth control talk.
OW/OM drama: No
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: No
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This had ok closure. I would (reluctantly) say that they had a HEA ending, but I would've really liked a jump ahead epilogue to see into their future.
How I got it: I paid the $3.99 on Amazon.
Safety: Safe
Overall Opinion: This was ok. I know I'm the minority here, but I didn't find their connection all that moving. I honestly felt like it was one sided through the whole story and I just didn't get the swooning feeling that I think I was supposed to feel when he finally confessed his love at the end. I didn't find him all that likeable either. I wouldn't say that she was a doormat (thank goodness), but she definitely needs to be nominated for sainthood with all the crap she dealt with. With all of that and the fact that it was super slow, I would call this a "just ok" 3 stars.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Vanessa and Aiden's story. Vanessa has been working as Aiden's PA/cook/housekeeper for 2 years and is finally fed up with the way he's been so cold with her and quits. Aiden follows after her a month later and begs her back, but he has a new proposition for her -- he needs a wife for 5 years to get US citizenship. She agrees in exchange for her high student loans being paid off and him buying her a house when they get divorced. They form a friendship of sorts that eventually turns into more...and they get their HEA ending.
POV: This was told in Vanessa's POV.
Overall Pace of Story: Slow. So slow. I skimmed at the beginning because I wanted something to happen. There was way too much inner dialogue and not enough actually going on IMO. They don't even kiss until 83% (unless you count the chaste peck at their wedding. For pictures -- which I don't), and they don't become intimate until 97%!!! It's not until around 95% that we finally get some confirmation as to how the H even feels, because up until that point the feelings could have been completely one sided.
Instalove: No, but the h had feelings (a self-admitted crush) for the H at the beginning of the story.
H rating: 3 stars. Aiden. He was a cold jerk at times, and others he was sweet. I felt he was tolerable at the end -- definitely not one of my favorite Hs.
h rating: 4 stars. Vanessa. She was a tough cookie that rolled with the punches. I liked her, especially when she was sticking up for herself.
Sadness level: Low/moderate. It has an unrequited love feel, so I did get a little teary at times for that -- but no tissues needed.
Heat level: Low. They don't become intimate until 97%.
Descriptive sex: Yes
Safe sex: No. No condoms used, and no std status or birth control talk.
OW/OM drama: No
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: No
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This had ok closure. I would (reluctantly) say that they had a HEA ending, but I would've really liked a jump ahead epilogue to see into their future.
How I got it: I paid the $3.99 on Amazon.
Safety: Safe
November 21, 2022
I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH! My first Mariana Zapata. I wasn't sure how I'd feel about the slow burn but I loved it. Taking so long for the characters made it so much more meaningful because I knew they really really cared about each other by the time they got together.
April 25, 2017
I can't do it!
I read 200 pages and 90% of them could have been cut because they were all her endless inner-monologue about how utterly spineless she was and how ~dreamy~ and muscular her boss was.
Who edited this book?!
I read 200 pages and 90% of them could have been cut because they were all her endless inner-monologue about how utterly spineless she was and how ~dreamy~ and muscular her boss was.
Who edited this book?!
July 31, 2021
reread (july 2020) — 5 stars
vanessa admiring aiden's ass while there's me wanting to visit paris to go to the eiffel tower because of aiden and zac..
i said what i said
vanessa admiring aiden's ass while there's me wanting to visit paris to go to the eiffel tower because of aiden and zac..
i said what i said
December 23, 2019
*10TH RE-READ* - 19th December 2019. I LOVE THIS BOOK!
It's 3:39am and I've just finished one of the best books I've EVER read.
Seriously, I'm laying in bed bawling my fucking eyes out because I'm so fucking happy and so fucking sad at the same time cause it's all over.
Since October I never thought I would feel this way about a book again.
I don't even have the right words to express my feelings because my words just won't do this beautiful story justice.
Van & Aiden are EVERYTHING.
Oh fucking hell I can't fucking stop!!!
And seriously what twat fucking cries during a sex scene -----> THIS dick head!
I want to say all the disgusting things I want to do to Aiden's body but I'm far too emotional but note I would ride that fuckers face reverse cowgirl style into next week.
GOOD LORD!
Vanessa, by far one of the BEST heroine I've ever met in my fucking life!!
She is up there with Ruthie! I love her so hard!
Fuck, there is so much I want to fucking say but I can't find the bloody words!!
I normally have verbal diarrhoea when it comes to my reviews but this fucker has left me speechless.
This story not only consumed my whole life from start to finish but also made it into my all-time favourite books list and let me tell you that's a tough list to get on.
I laughed. I cried. I laughed some more. I cried even harder. I swooned and cried some more.
I will miss it more than you'll ever know and I will never forget Aiden & Van and their amazing and beautiful love story for aslong as life.
This author has giving me back my love for reading and I couldn't thank her enough.
The Wall of Winnipeg and Me <3
Here come the water works...AGAIN.
It's 3:39am and I've just finished one of the best books I've EVER read.
Seriously, I'm laying in bed bawling my fucking eyes out because I'm so fucking happy and so fucking sad at the same time cause it's all over.
Since October I never thought I would feel this way about a book again.
I don't even have the right words to express my feelings because my words just won't do this beautiful story justice.
Van & Aiden are EVERYTHING.
Oh fucking hell I can't fucking stop!!!
And seriously what twat fucking cries during a sex scene -----> THIS dick head!
I want to say all the disgusting things I want to do to Aiden's body but I'm far too emotional but note I would ride that fuckers face reverse cowgirl style into next week.
GOOD LORD!
Vanessa, by far one of the BEST heroine I've ever met in my fucking life!!
She is up there with Ruthie! I love her so hard!
Fuck, there is so much I want to fucking say but I can't find the bloody words!!
I normally have verbal diarrhoea when it comes to my reviews but this fucker has left me speechless.
This story not only consumed my whole life from start to finish but also made it into my all-time favourite books list and let me tell you that's a tough list to get on.
I laughed. I cried. I laughed some more. I cried even harder. I swooned and cried some more.
I will miss it more than you'll ever know and I will never forget Aiden & Van and their amazing and beautiful love story for aslong as life.
This author has giving me back my love for reading and I couldn't thank her enough.
The Wall of Winnipeg and Me <3
Here come the water works...AGAIN.
May 13, 2023
2nd read, September 2021
4.5 stars
i forgot this book is utter perfection. i mean, i know Aiden Graves is THE man, but like - the way the relationship between him and Vanessa evolved in this book should be THE blueprint that romance novels adhere to. you feel me?
(read as an audiobook)
🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈
1st read, June 2019
4 stars
it is because of a man like you Aiden Graves that i still have faith in the male generation. 🤪
4.5 stars
i forgot this book is utter perfection. i mean, i know Aiden Graves is THE man, but like - the way the relationship between him and Vanessa evolved in this book should be THE blueprint that romance novels adhere to. you feel me?
(read as an audiobook)
🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈
1st read, June 2019
4 stars
it is because of a man like you Aiden Graves that i still have faith in the male generation. 🤪
March 9, 2017
Five words can sum up this book for me…
“Ovaries. Where are my ovaries?” – Vanessa
Usually, when a book is recommended to me and a lot of people seem to love it, 95% of the time I’m like the black sheep of the group, the one who doesn’t understand the hype. So I was a little reluctant to try this one out. But I am so freaking happy to say I loved this and completely get why it has been all over my Instagram and Goodreads feed and recommended multiple times.
I’m usually not a fan of slow burning books. Mainly because I find the ‘in between’ just full of fluff and nonsense. But not this book! As my friend/buddy-reader Cynthia said, this book is sweet torture. Sweet, delicious, slow burning, torture. So slow that I thought I was going to have a damn stroke by the time these two actually kissed. But it worked. It worked because everything is SHOWN to the reader, not told. (And even though there was some repetition and a lot of inner monologue that would usually annoy me, this book sucked me in so much that I just didn’t mind at all.) It worked SO WELL that even the smallest gesture or simplest line from Aiden had me weeping like a child.
I don’t want to say a word on the plot. Mainly because the “twist” in here drives the plot and I loved where it took the story and was glad I didn’t know beforehand.
Vanessa was a hysterical spitfire, and Aiden was like this huge, sometimes (ok – always) grumpy teddy bear you just want to hug. And hump. The character development and the build of the relationship between these two were done perfectly.
It was all just beautiful. Intense and passionate and sensual and hysterical and beautiful.
READ IT!!!!!!!!
The Wall of Winnipeg and Me is out now! | http://amzn.to/1McqOs2
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March 9, 2016
I really enjoyed this slow burn romance. And it was a SLOW burn, but the payoff was perfect - I constantly had a cheesy grin on my face. The characters, the story, it was all simply wonderful.
February 15, 2019
Scratch four, this deserve five stars. Third reading and nothing has changed. Magic is intact and if possible I am in love with this story more than ever.
"Yeah, my throat and tongue thought they were the Sahara. My eyes on the other hand wanted to be the Amazon. I didn't even realized I needed to sniffle until I did it. As much as I'd been telling myself over the last two days that I'd imagined being a wee bit in love with him, my heart held on to the truth. I hated it, but I was. I recognized it, sensing that stir in my chest. I was falling, if not more than a little, in love with Aiden."
My feelings exactly after reading the last sentence of this book. Just replace that little with completely in above lines.
"Yeah, my throat and tongue thought they were the Sahara. My eyes on the other hand wanted to be the Amazon. I didn't even realized I needed to sniffle until I did it. As much as I'd been telling myself over the last two days that I'd imagined being a wee bit in love with him, my heart held on to the truth. I hated it, but I was. I recognized it, sensing that stir in my chest. I was falling, if not more than a little, in love with Aiden."
My feelings exactly after reading the last sentence of this book. Just replace that little with completely in above lines.
January 31, 2024
I know some of you may be making faces and be wondering what the hell is wrong with this girl? But hear me out: I enjoyed the book. I laughed, I cried, I get mad and I've come to love Vanessa as well as Aiden.
However, I don't think I could put it past me on the book's length. I had no idea that when they said the book is a slow burn, it's literally the slowest slow burn I've come across. It was painfully slow and unnecessary long which is why I couldn't find myself loving it as much as I wanted to.
I devoured every scene but I think it wouldn't jeopardize the plot if some scenes were taken out. I wished the author would try to simplify it more. Although with long chapters, the characters and the romance are undeniably written in a full-fledged; which I should credit the author for. I've come to love both of their flaws and strengths as well as how the romance develop between the two.
Regardless so, I was hoping we would get Aiden's POV. I really wanna know when was the time he started to fall for Vanessa and the fact that his character is super stoic most of the time is why the long chapter didn't work out for me. They were adorable and too sweet but at the same time, I wanted to get more from Aiden. I've come to acknowlege why he is the way he is, but this is where his POV would come to aid. Even though they weren't much reactions from his part, at least I get to know what was going on in that thick head of his as most of his actions earlier did not justified and I still find him a bit asshole-ish.
For all I know, I like the book; just not enough for me to rate this higher. I don't see myself rereading it too. But hey! I am better thoughtful and composed when I give it a few days, so we'll see how this book will end up standing.
Update:
After giving it a few thought, I will stick with my rating. I still think the book put 'slow burn' as its centrepiece but at the end, lack a main plot (or the slow burn is not enough to carry the whole plot). And when you've read romance in a stretch, this is not something new you'll encounter. It was good but to an extent, lackluster.
However, I don't think I could put it past me on the book's length. I had no idea that when they said the book is a slow burn, it's literally the slowest slow burn I've come across. It was painfully slow and unnecessary long which is why I couldn't find myself loving it as much as I wanted to.
I devoured every scene but I think it wouldn't jeopardize the plot if some scenes were taken out. I wished the author would try to simplify it more. Although with long chapters, the characters and the romance are undeniably written in a full-fledged; which I should credit the author for. I've come to love both of their flaws and strengths as well as how the romance develop between the two.
Regardless so, I was hoping we would get Aiden's POV. I really wanna know when was the time he started to fall for Vanessa and the fact that his character is super stoic most of the time is why the long chapter didn't work out for me. They were adorable and too sweet but at the same time, I wanted to get more from Aiden. I've come to acknowlege why he is the way he is, but this is where his POV would come to aid. Even though they weren't much reactions from his part, at least I get to know what was going on in that thick head of his as most of his actions earlier did not justified and I still find him a bit asshole-ish.
For all I know, I like the book; just not enough for me to rate this higher. I don't see myself rereading it too. But hey! I am better thoughtful and composed when I give it a few days, so we'll see how this book will end up standing.
Update:
After giving it a few thought, I will stick with my rating. I still think the book put 'slow burn' as its centrepiece but at the end, lack a main plot (or the slow burn is not enough to carry the whole plot). And when you've read romance in a stretch, this is not something new you'll encounter. It was good but to an extent, lackluster.
October 19, 2023
3 stars
I tried to love it, I swear I did, BUT this book was so painfully slow and it was a pure torture reading it! I gave it equal time as I give to other books, but IT TOOK ME approx 3 DAYS TO FINISH IT 💀and I think I'm in a slump! This book had the ability to piss me off so much and yet at the end, I couldn't care less about the cute scenes! 🙂
This book is the perfect example of how people can be contented with the bare minimum! It was a marriage of convenience that I didn't see coming at all! Even 'Marriage for One' did justice to this trope, but this book didn't! This book lacks emotional development, and I'm gonna COMPLAIN!
╰┈➤ Vanessa Mazur & Aiden Graves:
Vanessa — her inner monologue was torture! I tried to love her, but she was so whiny, and despite her saying again and again that she's being 'MaTuRe,' she wasn't! DAMN IT, SHE WAS SO IMMATURE. Her coping with her anger and striving to be the best version of herself were great, and most of the time, I actually appreciated how she dealt with the situations. But maybe I was tired of constantly being in her mind only! TORTURE, LIKE I SAID.
• The storyline actually started with Vanessa quitting her job to finally start her own business and take time for herself because she spent her 2 years on a job SHE DIDN'T LIKE, and also she didn't like her boss — Aiden! Now, after she has left, Aiden came proposing to her to marry him so that he can get his permanent residency in America.
❝You’re a good employee. I told you that. I needed an assistant, Vanessa; I didn’t want a friend.❞
NOW, THIS PISSED ME OFF SO MUCH I CAN'T EVEN EXPRESS! She was so petty and immature for hating on her boss because he didn't appreciate her efforts, and he didn't say anything to defend her when his manager talked badly about her! I KNOW THAT IT DOESN'T HURT TO BE POLITE, but why would she expect someone to go out of their way to be FRIENDLY and share FEELINGS when they don't want to! He didn't love to interact, so why was she actively bashing on him for his behavior and for not appreciating her efforts when she got a hefty paycheck for PUTTING SAID EFFORTS? She gets whiny that he doesn't know anything about her, BUT SHE KNOWS EVERYTHING... well, because you're his damn assistant, and it's your FREAKING job!
❝I’m sorry. I know. I’m a loner. I’ve always been a loner. I can’t remember the last time I had a friend who didn’t play football, and even then, it usually never lasted.❞
He shouldn't have apologized for not interacting when it was not his personality! He can be however he wanted, and no one told her to put A LOT of extra effort for him! Her flipping him off again and again was so UNPROFESSIONAL, but no one's gonna talk about that! AIDEN WAS SO RIGHT TO SAY THIS, THAT HE NEEDED AN ASSISTANT, NOT A FRIEND! No one can force friendships 🙂
❝I didn’t do anything for you to be mad over.❞
Getting stood up at the LAST minute is NOT FINE, and if I were in Vanessa's place, I would've cursed the fuck out, but even though she handled the situation perfectly while dealing with other emotions, Aiden was kinda right and wrong for this! I have mixed feelings on this scene! On one hand, I know he had his priorities straight, and his Coach meant to him more than Vanessa at the moment, and he didn't really do wrong to stay and be with him, but on the other hand, it was stupid to not accept your mistake and say this! I'm glad he apologized to her, but it would've been great if we had his POV!
❝My parents didn’t want to deal with me anymore.❞
Aiden — Damn, he was just so lonely, and I still think it's a crime to not get his POV because he had so much potential! His backstory and the way his past made him into what he is today was so prominent here! The little details about him and the meanings behind his words! Even till the end, I don't even know what to say about him because his feelings were so bottled up inside of him, and he retreated to himself immediately!
❝You have no idea how terrible you make me feel sometimes.❞
You know what was super terrible? Vanessa kept thanking him for doing this, doing that (things which were literally the bare minimum), and in reality, any person would think about their behavior patterns and realize that they're ACTUALLY getting thanked for doing the bare minimum, which would make them feel terrible about themselves! Vanessa didn't mean harm or anything, but he kept telling her to shut up every instance because it would make him feel terrible about himself! HE KNOWS HE IS SELFISH AND SELF-CENTERED, BUT AS LONG AS HE'S MINDING HIS OWN BUSINESS, why do others care so much
❝My dad used to beat the shit out of me because he could, once a week at least until I hit puberty. I’ve gotten into enough fights in my life; I’ll fight somebody if there’s a good reason, but not for a game.❞
His parents left him alone, and then his grandparents died, and he retreated into himself even more! He stopped interacting might've convinced himself that what's the point of even trying to put effort into something when everything's going to end? His character is not emotionally explored in this book at all!
╰┈➤ Their Relationship:
It went from:
❝You’re right. I don’t pay you for your opinion.❞
to:
❝You really think I would tell you no?❞
❝If it makes you happy, it wouldn’t bother me.❞
❝I’m starting to understand that you can always make time for the things that matter.❞
THESE WERE SUPER CUTE! This book had cute scenes, and I liked them, but to be honest, all of them kinda fell flat for me because Vanessa would just say THANKS x1000, which would ruin all the vibes for me! Aiden hated that too! She's appreciating him, that's fine, BUT FOR THE BARE MINIMUM?
Maybe you've never had someone care about you like this before or doing something for you, but what If you don't respect that the other person doesn't like that?! Idk It pissed me a little!
The emotional development in this book was seriously NOT IT! They barely had interactions, and most of the time it was her asking if he's okay or if he wants food and all every time! They'd apologize or talk about things, and everything went back to the way it was! Aiden started caring about her, but even she acknowledged it in each chapter how he had started doing it AFTER THE MARRIAGE!
And Vanessa saying she's in love with him after he defended her was idk super quick? or like OUT OF NOWHERE because all she did was talk about random things or his GIANT BIG BOY body and nothing much!
❝Touch my wife again, and I’ll break every bone in your goddamn body.❞
I swear, this dialogue was so good but I didn't like the scene at all! 😭 Like, that scene was so boring???
This book would've been 200 pages shorter if it didn't have all the body descriptions of how Aiden was like a mountain, how his thighs were the size of tree logs, how his fingers covered her whole face, how he had deltoids, biceps, triceps, and his chest was so big that it would cover a whole ROOM or he was SUPER SUPER TALL GIANT and HE EATS A LOT! Like a whole serving for 5 or 6 people LIKE AAAA LOTTT! HE'S HUNGRY EVERY TIME!
^ this was it! I WAS DONE WITH IT THAT SHE KEPT ON TALKING ABOUT HIS BODY IN EACH CHAPTER! So what If he eats a serving for 4 people? It's his money, his food!
I don't think I'll read more books by MZ because I seriously hate single POVs in books unless they are fantasy books! MZ's books are in single POVs, so I'm not sure I'll read them anytime soon! The spice level in this book was 0.5, if I can say so!
I tried to love it, I swear I did, BUT this book was so painfully slow and it was a pure torture reading it! I gave it equal time as I give to other books, but IT TOOK ME approx 3 DAYS TO FINISH IT 💀and I think I'm in a slump! This book had the ability to piss me off so much and yet at the end, I couldn't care less about the cute scenes! 🙂
This book is the perfect example of how people can be contented with the bare minimum! It was a marriage of convenience that I didn't see coming at all! Even 'Marriage for One' did justice to this trope, but this book didn't! This book lacks emotional development, and I'm gonna COMPLAIN!
╰┈➤ Vanessa Mazur & Aiden Graves:
Vanessa — her inner monologue was torture! I tried to love her, but she was so whiny, and despite her saying again and again that she's being 'MaTuRe,' she wasn't! DAMN IT, SHE WAS SO IMMATURE. Her coping with her anger and striving to be the best version of herself were great, and most of the time, I actually appreciated how she dealt with the situations. But maybe I was tired of constantly being in her mind only! TORTURE, LIKE I SAID.
• The storyline actually started with Vanessa quitting her job to finally start her own business and take time for herself because she spent her 2 years on a job SHE DIDN'T LIKE, and also she didn't like her boss — Aiden! Now, after she has left, Aiden came proposing to her to marry him so that he can get his permanent residency in America.
❝You’re a good employee. I told you that. I needed an assistant, Vanessa; I didn’t want a friend.❞
NOW, THIS PISSED ME OFF SO MUCH I CAN'T EVEN EXPRESS! She was so petty and immature for hating on her boss because he didn't appreciate her efforts, and he didn't say anything to defend her when his manager talked badly about her! I KNOW THAT IT DOESN'T HURT TO BE POLITE, but why would she expect someone to go out of their way to be FRIENDLY and share FEELINGS when they don't want to! He didn't love to interact, so why was she actively bashing on him for his behavior and for not appreciating her efforts when she got a hefty paycheck for PUTTING SAID EFFORTS? She gets whiny that he doesn't know anything about her, BUT SHE KNOWS EVERYTHING... well, because you're his damn assistant, and it's your FREAKING job!
❝I’m sorry. I know. I’m a loner. I’ve always been a loner. I can’t remember the last time I had a friend who didn’t play football, and even then, it usually never lasted.❞
He shouldn't have apologized for not interacting when it was not his personality! He can be however he wanted, and no one told her to put A LOT of extra effort for him! Her flipping him off again and again was so UNPROFESSIONAL, but no one's gonna talk about that! AIDEN WAS SO RIGHT TO SAY THIS, THAT HE NEEDED AN ASSISTANT, NOT A FRIEND! No one can force friendships 🙂
❝I didn’t do anything for you to be mad over.❞
Getting stood up at the LAST minute is NOT FINE, and if I were in Vanessa's place, I would've cursed the fuck out, but even though she handled the situation perfectly while dealing with other emotions, Aiden was kinda right and wrong for this! I have mixed feelings on this scene! On one hand, I know he had his priorities straight, and his Coach meant to him more than Vanessa at the moment, and he didn't really do wrong to stay and be with him, but on the other hand, it was stupid to not accept your mistake and say this! I'm glad he apologized to her, but it would've been great if we had his POV!
❝My parents didn’t want to deal with me anymore.❞
Aiden — Damn, he was just so lonely, and I still think it's a crime to not get his POV because he had so much potential! His backstory and the way his past made him into what he is today was so prominent here! The little details about him and the meanings behind his words! Even till the end, I don't even know what to say about him because his feelings were so bottled up inside of him, and he retreated to himself immediately!
❝You have no idea how terrible you make me feel sometimes.❞
You know what was super terrible? Vanessa kept thanking him for doing this, doing that (things which were literally the bare minimum), and in reality, any person would think about their behavior patterns and realize that they're ACTUALLY getting thanked for doing the bare minimum, which would make them feel terrible about themselves! Vanessa didn't mean harm or anything, but he kept telling her to shut up every instance because it would make him feel terrible about himself! HE KNOWS HE IS SELFISH AND SELF-CENTERED, BUT AS LONG AS HE'S MINDING HIS OWN BUSINESS, why do others care so much
❝My dad used to beat the shit out of me because he could, once a week at least until I hit puberty. I’ve gotten into enough fights in my life; I’ll fight somebody if there’s a good reason, but not for a game.❞
His parents left him alone, and then his grandparents died, and he retreated into himself even more! He stopped interacting might've convinced himself that what's the point of even trying to put effort into something when everything's going to end? His character is not emotionally explored in this book at all!
╰┈➤ Their Relationship:
It went from:
❝You’re right. I don’t pay you for your opinion.❞
to:
❝You really think I would tell you no?❞
❝If it makes you happy, it wouldn’t bother me.❞
❝I’m starting to understand that you can always make time for the things that matter.❞
THESE WERE SUPER CUTE! This book had cute scenes, and I liked them, but to be honest, all of them kinda fell flat for me because Vanessa would just say THANKS x1000, which would ruin all the vibes for me! Aiden hated that too! She's appreciating him, that's fine, BUT FOR THE BARE MINIMUM?
Maybe you've never had someone care about you like this before or doing something for you, but what If you don't respect that the other person doesn't like that?! Idk It pissed me a little!
The emotional development in this book was seriously NOT IT! They barely had interactions, and most of the time it was her asking if he's okay or if he wants food and all every time! They'd apologize or talk about things, and everything went back to the way it was! Aiden started caring about her, but even she acknowledged it in each chapter how he had started doing it AFTER THE MARRIAGE!
And Vanessa saying she's in love with him after he defended her was idk super quick? or like OUT OF NOWHERE because all she did was talk about random things or his GIANT BIG BOY body and nothing much!
❝Touch my wife again, and I’ll break every bone in your goddamn body.❞
I swear, this dialogue was so good but I didn't like the scene at all! 😭 Like, that scene was so boring???
This book would've been 200 pages shorter if it didn't have all the body descriptions of how Aiden was like a mountain, how his thighs were the size of tree logs, how his fingers covered her whole face, how he had deltoids, biceps, triceps, and his chest was so big that it would cover a whole ROOM or he was SUPER SUPER TALL GIANT and HE EATS A LOT! Like a whole serving for 5 or 6 people LIKE AAAA LOTTT! HE'S HUNGRY EVERY TIME!
^ this was it! I WAS DONE WITH IT THAT SHE KEPT ON TALKING ABOUT HIS BODY IN EACH CHAPTER! So what If he eats a serving for 4 people? It's his money, his food!
I don't think I'll read more books by MZ because I seriously hate single POVs in books unless they are fantasy books! MZ's books are in single POVs, so I'm not sure I'll read them anytime soon! The spice level in this book was 0.5, if I can say so!
April 10, 2024
1 ★ for ✨️big✨️ grump coming out of his shell for Vanessa + 3 ★★★ for MZ for not running out of synonyms for ✨️big✨️
***
I'm hoping MZ changes my mind about sports romance and marriage of convenience trope 🤨😮💨😮💨... so no pressure 💖💖
***
I'm hoping MZ changes my mind about sports romance and marriage of convenience trope 🤨😮💨😮💨... so no pressure 💖💖
July 1, 2020
Re-read #2 (6/29/2020) I’ve been wanting to re-read this book for a while and now that we are going to have Zac’s book I finally have the perfect excuse to do that! This time I tried the audiobook and it was just so good. let me tell you that a sixteen hours long audiobook is nothing and nearly not enough if you’re enjoying your time. This is still hands down my favorite Mariana Zapata’s book. Zac is such an interesting charismatic character, I’m glad that he’s getting his own book!
5 ‘Team Graves’ stars
This book was slower than me when I tried to run a marathon once!!
But Waw! This is definitely my favorite Mariana Zapata book ever!!! It’s so adorable!
I’m a sucker for these type of books. A perfect marriage of convenience with a slow burn romance and I mean really SLOW, but there wasn’t a single detail that was unnecessary, and not a single moment did I feel bored! I loved how you were not told the story, it was showed to you instead. You feel it and experience it, like you’re living it with them. My only complain, is that I WANTED MORE! I enjoyed this book a lot! But I really wanted/needed to see more of them together!!
This book was so adorable. I was smiling like an idiot from the beginning to the end and as much as I would like to say that I’m not an overemotional girl and can’t be flattered easily, I was feeling like Awwww throughout the whole book! This book might not be for everyone due to the slow burn which I really don’t mind in books like that, and if you don’t mind as well, you definitely need to give it a try! This book -even though it was really HUGE- got me so hooked. I couldn’t put it down.
Song recommendation:
The middle by Maren Morris, ft Zedd
Hanging by a moment by lifehouse
5 ‘Team Graves’ stars
This book was slower than me when I tried to run a marathon once!!
But Waw! This is definitely my favorite Mariana Zapata book ever!!! It’s so adorable!
I’m a sucker for these type of books. A perfect marriage of convenience with a slow burn romance and I mean really SLOW, but there wasn’t a single detail that was unnecessary, and not a single moment did I feel bored! I loved how you were not told the story, it was showed to you instead. You feel it and experience it, like you’re living it with them. My only complain, is that I WANTED MORE! I enjoyed this book a lot! But I really wanted/needed to see more of them together!!
This book was so adorable. I was smiling like an idiot from the beginning to the end and as much as I would like to say that I’m not an overemotional girl and can’t be flattered easily, I was feeling like Awwww throughout the whole book! This book might not be for everyone due to the slow burn which I really don’t mind in books like that, and if you don’t mind as well, you definitely need to give it a try! This book -even though it was really HUGE- got me so hooked. I couldn’t put it down.
Song recommendation:
The middle by Maren Morris, ft Zedd
Hanging by a moment by lifehouse
May 7, 2022
well that was kind of disappointing
March 1, 2024
“Touch my wife again and I’ll break every bone in your goddam body.” (This man 😍)
This book was so great! This was such a heart-warming and cute romance about courage, hard work, persistence and finding your true love. The Wall of Winnipeg and Me is about Vanessa, the assistant of the top defensive football player, Adien Graves. She is planning on quitting and running her own design business. Then Aiden begs her to come back to be his assistant which is shocking since he never lets his wall down. Vanessa finds out that Adien has a proposition that will change their relationship forever.
"I've waited my entire life to love you, and I'll do whatever I have to, to make this work."
I enjoyed this heartwarming story with great characters from the first page. The pacing was great, and the plot was engaging throughout the book. The writing was easy to follow and descriptive. There were so many great tropes including touch-her and I'll kill you, slow-burn, fake marriage, and sports romance. The characters are relatable and have faced many difficult situations. I love Vanessa, she is hardworking, kind, tenacious, resilient, strong, creative and loyal. I'm very inspired by Vanessa, she has dealt with many difficult situations in her past and has become stronger and more resilient because of it. I relate to Vanessa because I am very hardworking and persistent, once I want to do something I won't give up. I love Vanessa's friendship with Zac, it's so heartwarming and sweet. I'm in love with Aiden, he is persistent, strong, hardworking, grumpy, protective and so sweet to Vanessa. I loved that he is such a teddy bear to Vanessa once she was able to get past the walls he puts up. Aiden's character development is excellent, in the beginning he didn't show much emotion and was selfish, but throughout the book he showed his emotions and became more caring to others. Aiden did many sweet and caring things for Vanessa which made me swoon and blush so much. I also really like Zac, he is funny, sweet, bubbly, and charming. I loved Vanessa and Adien's relationship, they understood each other and were able to relate to each other in many ways. The slow-burn romance was amazing, I loved that their relationship developed over time. The chemistry between Vanessa and Aiden was awesome! There were several romantic scenes that made me smile and blush. The ending was so sweet, I'm so glad it ended on a happy note.
"Home is where you are. I would go anywhere for you if you wanted me to be there."
I recommend this book to anyone who loves sport romance, great characters, amazing slow-burn romance and great chemistry between the main characters.
This book was so great! This was such a heart-warming and cute romance about courage, hard work, persistence and finding your true love. The Wall of Winnipeg and Me is about Vanessa, the assistant of the top defensive football player, Adien Graves. She is planning on quitting and running her own design business. Then Aiden begs her to come back to be his assistant which is shocking since he never lets his wall down. Vanessa finds out that Adien has a proposition that will change their relationship forever.
"I've waited my entire life to love you, and I'll do whatever I have to, to make this work."
I enjoyed this heartwarming story with great characters from the first page. The pacing was great, and the plot was engaging throughout the book. The writing was easy to follow and descriptive. There were so many great tropes including touch-her and I'll kill you, slow-burn, fake marriage, and sports romance. The characters are relatable and have faced many difficult situations. I love Vanessa, she is hardworking, kind, tenacious, resilient, strong, creative and loyal. I'm very inspired by Vanessa, she has dealt with many difficult situations in her past and has become stronger and more resilient because of it. I relate to Vanessa because I am very hardworking and persistent, once I want to do something I won't give up. I love Vanessa's friendship with Zac, it's so heartwarming and sweet. I'm in love with Aiden, he is persistent, strong, hardworking, grumpy, protective and so sweet to Vanessa. I loved that he is such a teddy bear to Vanessa once she was able to get past the walls he puts up. Aiden's character development is excellent, in the beginning he didn't show much emotion and was selfish, but throughout the book he showed his emotions and became more caring to others. Aiden did many sweet and caring things for Vanessa which made me swoon and blush so much. I also really like Zac, he is funny, sweet, bubbly, and charming. I loved Vanessa and Adien's relationship, they understood each other and were able to relate to each other in many ways. The slow-burn romance was amazing, I loved that their relationship developed over time. The chemistry between Vanessa and Aiden was awesome! There were several romantic scenes that made me smile and blush. The ending was so sweet, I'm so glad it ended on a happy note.
"Home is where you are. I would go anywhere for you if you wanted me to be there."
I recommend this book to anyone who loves sport romance, great characters, amazing slow-burn romance and great chemistry between the main characters.
February 1, 2018
A.W.E.S.O.M.E
I didn't sleep much last night, but it was worth it...
Aiden Graves the so-called:
The Wall of
W…willful
I… impressive
N… not-open
N… noteworthy
I… irresistible
P… plant-eater
E… enormous
G… grumpy
The “You say it best when you say nothing at all” kind of guy. I loved him!
Vanessa Mazur, the girl who makes most of the noise when she is thinking and overanalyzing things. I felt for her. I really did.
It was not easy to be assistant/housekeeper/fairy godmother/ mother/ vegan cook/errandgirl/ photographer/social media keeper to the top defensive end in the National Football Organization.
Especially when he never says “Thank you”. Never. Not even when you put chocolate on his clean pillow. Or you delay your dreams only to be his servant.
So…
And just like that Aiden has stopped being a part of Vanny’s life. And Vanny can finally wake up late, breath freely, starts training for the marathon, does her dream job without interruptions, starts dating etc.
And all these last for about a month, until Aiden bulldozes himself back to Vanny’s life and demands that she becomes again his assistant/housekeeper/fairy godmother/ mother/ vegan cook/errandgirl/ photographer/social media keeper.
Of course Vanni is not very agreeable to coming back.
Thus, Aiden tries a different approach to get her back.
As expected, he has an excuse for this proposal. Aiden is Canadian and he needs an American citizen to marry him in order to get his permanent residency.
This is a really funny romantic story. Mostly in the story Vanni talks too much and thinks too hard and Aiden growls. When he will lose Vanni, he will start talking. But he will still be the silent guy with only a few friends. The guy who is absolutely focused to his football games and nothing more.
Vanni will manage to crack open his hardened heart, but not without some punishment first (There were times that I honestly begging her to cook something for him. He was literally starving when he lost her).
The secondary characters and stories are also interesting and entertaining.
This is a slow burn romance. Thus, don’t expect much admission of feelings and acting on them by the main characters until the very end.
Nevertheless, the book was glued in my hands until I finished it during the early morning hours without getting much sleep the previous night.
I didn't sleep much last night, but it was worth it...
Aiden Graves the so-called:
The Wall of
W…willful
I… impressive
N… not-open
N… noteworthy
I… irresistible
P… plant-eater
E… enormous
G… grumpy
The “You say it best when you say nothing at all” kind of guy. I loved him!
Vanessa Mazur, the girl who makes most of the noise when she is thinking and overanalyzing things. I felt for her. I really did.
It was not easy to be assistant/housekeeper/fairy godmother/ mother/ vegan cook/errandgirl/ photographer/social media keeper to the top defensive end in the National Football Organization.
Especially when he never says “Thank you”. Never. Not even when you put chocolate on his clean pillow. Or you delay your dreams only to be his servant.
So…
“I want to thank you for everything you’ve done for me” —in hindsight, that had been pretty suck-up of me to say; he hadn’t actually done anything besides pay me, but oh well— “but I’d like for you to find someone to replace me.”
And just like that Aiden has stopped being a part of Vanny’s life. And Vanny can finally wake up late, breath freely, starts training for the marathon, does her dream job without interruptions, starts dating etc.
And all these last for about a month, until Aiden bulldozes himself back to Vanny’s life and demands that she becomes again his assistant/housekeeper/fairy godmother/ mother/ vegan cook/errandgirl/ photographer/social media keeper.
“I want you to come back.”
Of course Vanni is not very agreeable to coming back.
“Are you… are you on drugs right now?”
Thus, Aiden tries a different approach to get her back.
“Marry me.”
“What?” It came out of my mouth as surprised and rude as I imagined it did, I was positive of it.
He was on drugs. He was seriously on fucking drugs.
“Marry me,” he repeated himself, like I hadn’t heard him the first time.
As expected, he has an excuse for this proposal. Aiden is Canadian and he needs an American citizen to marry him in order to get his permanent residency.
This is a really funny romantic story. Mostly in the story Vanni talks too much and thinks too hard and Aiden growls. When he will lose Vanni, he will start talking. But he will still be the silent guy with only a few friends. The guy who is absolutely focused to his football games and nothing more.
Vanni will manage to crack open his hardened heart, but not without some punishment first (There were times that I honestly begging her to cook something for him. He was literally starving when he lost her).
The secondary characters and stories are also interesting and entertaining.
This is a slow burn romance. Thus, don’t expect much admission of feelings and acting on them by the main characters until the very end.
Nevertheless, the book was glued in my hands until I finished it during the early morning hours without getting much sleep the previous night.
And the smile that came over the love of my life’s face made me grin like an idiot. The honesty, openness and genuine joy in Aiden’s expression still reached this part of me that hadn’t existed before him.
It was my smile. Our smile. The one he saved up for moments when it was only our little team together. And it didn’t hold a trace of anything football related in it.
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