The Best Thing by Mariana Zapata

Category: Contemporary Romance
Publication date: 08/07/2019
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Cliffhanger: No

OK, all you Mariana Zapata super fans can come at me on this one. I get it. But I’m sorry...this one wasn’t my cuppa.  

Plot overview: Gym owner and former Judo Olympic-caliber athlete Lenny (Elena) is surprised when her baby daddy, Jonah, a rugby player, shows up out of nowhere after abandoning her and not returning her calls/messages for 17 months.

Look, I get it. Mariana Zapata is an amazing writer. Case in point...

These books are all the stuff of literary genius. She’s the queen of the slow burn. I love her, OK? But this book just wasn’t the same. 

It wasn’t all bad, though. Here’s the good stuff:

1. Lenny is a great heroine. She’s smart and tough and funny, and she’s definitely a good person who always puts her daughter's interest ahead of her own. She can also kick-ass, which is always something I love in my romance heroines.
2. Jonah is a sweet, sexy, shy, cinnamon roll hero. He’s a unique character in Romancelandia and I appreciated the hell out of him. 
3. Grandpa Gus. I think I loved you most of all, Grandpa Gus. 
4. As always, the book is beautifully written and the characters all have a very “real” feel to them. 

But…

via GIPHY

I love a good slow burn romance, but WOW was this book slow moving. It’s a super-long book, and it moves glacially slow. I have limited patience for THAT slow of a burn, I’m afraid. 

There’s also more inner monologue than dialogue in this one, and that got old pretty quick for me. I also noticed mention of Jonah’s “honey-colored” eyes at least 14 times. That seemed excessive. 

The ending of the book definitely picked up the pace, but by that time, I’d been skimming for about a hundred pages and found it hard to care too much anymore. That’s NEVER happened to me with a Mariana Zapata book, by the way.  

The poop humor needs to stop, too. And that’s all I’m saying about that. 

Finally, the epilogue, while beautifully written, was depressing AF. I could’ve done without it, frankly. It kind of ruined my day. 

So, long-story-short, if you’re a super fan of Mariana Zapata, I’m sure you’ve already read the book, adored it, and are giving me the finger right now. That’s fine. I get it. But if you aren’t a super fan and you’re looking for a Mariana Zapata starter book...I can’t recommend this one. Go for one of the others mentioned above. You’ll thank me later.   
 
Does this book contribute to or help crush the romance stigma?
No stigma. No rehab needed.

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