allthatissim's reviews
460 reviews

The Wall of Winnipeg and Me by Mariana Zapata is a wonderful slow-burn romance novel that has captured the hearts of many readers over the years. I'll be honest; the first 30% of the book was a bit of a struggle, thanks to extensive inner monologues and Aiden's initially off-putting behavior.

Aiden Graves, a top football player, was introduced as a self-absorbed and oblivious athlete who took his personal assistant, Vanessa Mazur, for granted. Vanessa finally decides to quit her job after years of being overlooked and undervalued, and that's when things got interesting.

As the narrative unfolded, I found myself immersed in a nicely crafted slow-burn romance. Aiden's character growth throughout the story was a standout element for me. His gradual realization of Vanessa's importance in his life and his efforts to become a better person were portrayed with subtlety and authenticity. It's rare to encounter such a well-developed character transformation in a romance novel.

Vanessa, too, was a character I could relate to. She was strong and assertive but also empathetic and understanding. Her character added depth and balance to the story. Witnessing her personal journey left me feeling immensely proud.

Now I understand why people hail Mariana Zapata as the queen of slow burn; that title is truly well-deserved. The journey through 460 pages was occasionally overwhelming, with moments that could have been trimmed due to repetitive inner monologues. However, the last 100 pages were pure delight and had me screaming with joy. The development of Aiden and Vanessa's relationship was executed flawlessly, and I found myself absolutely enamored with their dynamic - Aiden's grumpy exterior, coupled with his evident care for Vanessa. Their moments of vulnerability and open communication and the smallest gestures between them warmed my heart, and their witty banter had me smiling from ear to ear. It felt like I could physically witness them falling in love without the need for explicit declarations.

If you're a fan of slow-burn romances that feature well-developed characters and a realistic portrayal of love, then definitely check this book out. It's a journey that may have a slow start but ultimately leads to a deeply satisfying destination. And now, I'm eagerly anticipating exploring more of her books in the future.

I expected Much Ado About Nada to be on the lines of Sonali Dev books but it wasn't, sadly. Some aspects stopped me from giving it a higher rating. 

This is said to be a retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion. I have never read Persuasion so I can't comment on that part. Much Ado About Nada is a common Desi story about a girl stuck in her past, her family and relationships, and a lifelong dream she had. Nada is an engineer stuck in a job she doesn't love after her dream to launch her startup app failed six years ago because of a family friend's betrayal. At present, her best friend Haleema drags her to a Muslim convention in the hope of her meeting some 'eligible bachelors', after years of pestering from Haleema and her mother. But who she was avoiding all those years finally come face to face and she is forced to confront her past and to retrospect her choices. 

The Muslim representation is quite good. I don't identify as one, but I have gathered this through various reviews and my reading experience. The way the whole Muslim community was described- their food, their clothes, their traditions, and the whole Muslim convention setup - was quite impressive. The mention of familiar foods made me hungry. 

Then we have the whole Desi family setup with which we all Desis are accustomed. Nada's parent doesn't want their children to move out of their home ever. Even the siblings want to, they don't want to hurt their feelings. The parental love and its bargains and pressures, the family that sticks together- all was quite relatable. 

The first 60% of the story, however, felt like nothing much is happening. There is a back-and-forth narrative and at times it took my interest away from the story because it wasn't handled in the best way. Then there is the romance part. I couldn't love Baz the way I love most of the love interests in romance. The romance part was quite underdeveloped. I couldn't vibe with it at all. There was this whole tension going on between the leads till 90% and then it was suddenly resolved? It was too sudden. I think it would have been better if all the backstory was covered in two-three chapters instead of dragging it through the end. 

My thoughts about this book are still over the place. I enjoyed some aspects of it more than the others. Would I recommend it? Yes, for a one-time enjoyable read for sure. You might enjoy it more than me especially if you are not looking for the romance aspect that much and are more interested in the Muslim and Desi aspects of it, which actually is done pretty well.