TEST
One of my favorite things about the Top 100 Romances reader poll is all of the suggestions that come in. When I first started reading romance it was my go-to place to find the most beloved books in the genre, and I continue to look forward to it as a chance to hear from our many readers about current reads they love. This year one author in particular stood out as new to AAR reviewers: Mariana Zapata. She has two books on the top 100 list, neither of which I’d read. So, I decided to take our readers up on their recommendation and take a copy of The Wall of Winnipeg and Me on vacation, to see what the fuss was about.
All I can say is that I’m glad I was reading it on the plane ride home and not during a day of activities, because I don’t know that I could have put it down long enough to participate! This book is one long, slow burn, and it totally sucked me in.
The premise is fairly simple, and one of my favorites. Vanessa (Van) Mazur has been the personal assistant to football player Aiden Graves for two years and is ready to move on, while Aiden isn’t interested in letting her go. To keep her from leaving his life, and to conveniently solve one of his own problems, Aiden convinces Vanessa to marry him. Per their agreement, she’s stuck with him for the next 5 years , and Canadian Aiden gets to keep his green card by marrying an American citizen.
Based on that short description, you may be imagining there’s all sorts of alpha-male posturing and jealousy in the book. Certainly, I expected that Van would passionately hate Aiden, her ‘terrible’ boss, and make him grovel to get her back. I expected sexual tension to crackle off the page as the two fought with each other. That generally seems to come with the falling-for-my-boss storyline.
But not here. Everything is slow to build in this book. When Vanessa quits her job, it’s not because she’s been lusting after Aiden or hates him with the fire of a thousand suns. It’s because she feels underappreciated and is ready to go full-time into her career as a graphic designer. When Aiden initially tries to convince her to come back after she’s left, she turns him down because her quitting was well thought-out, not impetuous.  Even after she agrees to marry him, they don’t immediately jump into bed together. Instead they just live their lives side-by-side, and ever so slowly they become integrated and dependent on each other. This hooked me as thoroughly as any witty repartee ever did.
Of course, a big part of that draw was my liking for the characters themselves. The story is told in first-person narrative by Van, who is clearly wonderful from the start. She is strong and respects herself enough to know she deserves to be treated well by others, including Aiden. When she makes decisions, she stands by them. But even starting from this solid foundation, Van still manages to grow a lot over the course of the book. In the beginning, she’s overworked and exhausted doing a job she doesn’t really like. Once she decides it’s time to make changes, Van starts running more, relaxing more, and takes her life back. You can see her become more confident in herself with time, quietly supported by Aiden.
In fact, everything about Aiden Graves is quiet. He’s an enigma, and not being able to see into his head made him feel as unfamiliar to me as he was to Van. Although she’s worked for him for two years and knows the ins and outs of his daily life, Aiden has never shared much at all with Van. He doesn’t have many friends, doesn’t go out much, and mainly just lets his life revolve around football. Yet he is quietly honorable, and what glimpses he does allow into his thoughts show him to be a good man. Although I generally prefer third-person writing, the forced slow introduction to Aiden through Van’s first-person point of view is what kept this slow-burn book interesting. Like Van, I was eager to know him better, so they didn’t need to jump into bed immediately to keep things exciting. When he finally does open up, it feels worth the wait.
Overall, I’d say our readers knew what they were about when they recommended The Wall of Winnipeg and Me. Ms. Zapata managed to take a familiar premise and make it feel completely new. I’m glad to have taken a chance on this and will definitely be seeking out more of her work in the future.
Buy it at: Amazon
Grade: A-
Book Type: Contemporary Romance
Sensuality: Subtle
Review Date: 12/08/18
Publication Date: 02/2016
Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.
College student by day. Book enthusiast around the clock. With any luck I'll eventually be able to afford food AND books. But I've got my priorities straight.
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I’m currently reading it, but I love it and the author’s voice. I love that Vanessa, the female main character, is able to draw boundaries for herself and tell Adrian what is acceptable and unacceptable about the way he treats her. At first I wondered if I had stumbled into a Susan Elizabeth Phillips sports book, but it’s clear early that Vanessa is not a doormat and her sense of right and wrong defines her. Also, each stage of Vanessa and Adrian’s relationship is shown rather than told and I love seeing all of the small ways they make sense as a couple. Each stage is very believable to me. I hope the second half is as strong as the first.
I also have to say on the issue of the page count that I think it helped me to know that the book is long, as I was able to adjust myself to the book rather than assuming a book has to adjust to my expectations. I don’t mind reading really short or really long stories as long as the writing itself works for me. So far so good.
This is just not an author that appeals to me. I read one of her books a few years back and really didn’t end up caring for it. I’m super picky about my contemporaries though, and I agree with Robin that I do better if there’s more than just the romance going on. I love romantic suspense for this reason. I get the contemporary feel, but I’m not bogged down in it.
I read the book based on the AAR recommendation and I truly enjoyed it…..I stopped whatever I was doing to read it all in a day. The first person didn’t detract me from the story and as I have Kindle Unlimited, felt it was worth my time.
Oh, thanks, everyone for chiming in. Nice to know I’m not the only one with a similar reaction.
(I was shocked at the time to see two books by the same author show up in AAR’s Top 100 list so “out of the blue”, and my expectations were commensurate. I made a point to read them several months ago and clearly was disappointed. I think I’d still have the same issues with the author’s choices had I found the recommendations elsewhere, but my expectations would have been lower to start with.)
I also read this book and Kulti based on the Top 100 placement. I enjoyed and have reread Kulti more than Winnipeg. Maybe because I like soccer more and I found it fun to read about the protagonists as professional soccer players rather than a football player/assistant combo. (My favorite in that category goes to Nothing But Trouble by Rachel Gibson). I am not sure about page count, but Kulti moved faster than Winnipeg for me. So, for those of you who aren’t sure which to try first, I vote Kulti. I will say, though, that all her romances are slow burns. I would like to see her try something new.
I enjoyed reading this book in the end, I suppose, but I was annoyed by two of the things nblibgirl talked about. First, I felt somewhat frustrated about AIden being an enigma for almost the entire book. And I surely got tired of hearing how big he was as his dominant character trait. First POV can be done well without this long of a mystery about another character, IMO. Second, this book seriously needs a strong editor’s hands–not just for typos and general publishing type stuff, but because much of the narrative is repetitive and overwritten. For example, the three things I can tell you about Aiden: he plays FOOTBALL, we learn at the end he is NICE, and all throughout the book we KNOW he is ever-so BIG. My own third point: we waited for so long, the ending seemed really rushed and short shrifted to me.
While I did like the book,the slow burn and much of the writer’s voice, in the end I walked away remembering how much editing it needed, and doubting if I’d put myself through reading another book by this author (unless I hear she gets a stronger editor). Generally I stay away from authors who are not with traditional publishers for this very reason. Both Nora Roberts and Eloisa James have talked about writing “everything” down in the first pass, and then the hard work of going back to cut, cut, cut, because it makes a book, smoother, polished and stronger. This book seems a good example of what they were talking about–without the cuts, of course. JMO..
After reading Kulti, I’ve changed my mind about Zapata and am going on to read more of her books. Perhaps I wasn’t prepared for that slow of a slow burn book.
This was my first Zapata book and I loved it. I don’t mind a slow burn, or even a slow book as long as it keeps my interest. The first person POV wasn’t a problem for me, either. I loved being inside Vanessa’s head and hearing her thoughts. She was funny and vulnerable. And the reader is in the same position as Van in regards to Aiden. We know what he thinks and feels when she does. I enjoyed finding out along with her.
I loved the slow burn. It may be a reaction to too many CR books that rush things. I relished the slowly building feelings, the realization that they were falling in love. When they finally express their love (after the extensive page count) it was like fireworks going off in my brain. The build up to the beautiful show.
I will say that the long page count does keep me from re-reading the book very often.
I am another in the minority that did not like this book. I stuck through it until the end, but doubt I’ll ever read anything else by this author. It was too long and too slow for me! I’ve learned to be more careful with positive reviews on amazon. I tend to look at the negative reviews and then weigh how I’ll spend my time and money.
I did not like this book but it is always interesting to see how certain authors seem to be either love ‘em or hate ‘em.
Great review! I know I’m in the minority that just does not get the appeal of Zapata’s books. I’m not opposed to first person POV and I enjoy a good slow burn but I tried to get through this book several times and in the end decided life is too short and my TBR list too long to waste reading something that bored me witless. It was like watching paint dry.
I’ve read a number of first person POV romances and have enjoyed them…. Trying to think of one off the top of my head and the one that immediately comes to mind, because it was not only first person but was totally told from the hero’s point of view, is Emma Chase’s Tangled. That was a fun book with a real hound-dog hero who finally falls in love.
I think, in general, I’m just not into contemporary romances. When I read in this review that Aiden and Van married so that Aiden could keep his Green Card, my first thought was: “Dude, you’re a football player. You have lots of money and a venerated organization behind you. You don’t need to marry to solve your immigration problems.”
I think, too, that I do better with books that have something else going along with the romance – like paranormal happenings, or a mystery, or…
So…awesome review, but I think I’m giving this one a pass. :)
I tried this and Kulti and hated the writing style. I quit both after 50 pages. I’m not oppossed to 1st person (though I confess to rarely liking 1st person combined with present tense as used in a lot of new adult books).
I actually have loved quite a few 1st person narratives. Examples of authors that used it in ways that worked for me: Sheila Simonson, Mary Stewart, Susanna Kearsley, Deborah Smith, Daphne du Maurier, Simone St. James, Ilona Andrews (Kate Daniels e.g.) and most recently Maria Vale.
I think the voice has a lot to do with how we respond to 1st person narratives.
I am trying to think of any books I love that have first person single POV and… can’t. I don’t mind first person but I like to have more than one person’s perspective.
I believe that Julianna Keyes NA Undecided is all 1st POV from the heroine’s side – and I loved that one. (Em can correct me if I’m wrong). But for the most part, I also prefer dual POV when the book is in first person POV.
The Hating Game?
I read Kulti after our readers demonstrated so much love for, and it did not work for me. At all. Some of it was the length (I swore the book was reproducing asexually as I was reading), some of it was the single POV, and some of it was the sloooooooooooowwwwwwwwww burn. I’ve heard that Winnipeg has stronger construction than Kulti, but that page count and POV are still putting me off.
Alex – thanks for the great review, and I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Oh, Alexandra, thank you for the review! I am still not able to post (create) discussion board topics, so have been waiting for someone to post a review about this author’s work. I, too, was surprised to see this author in the Top 100 list. Have since read two of her titles, Winnipeg being one and Kulti the other. I generally prefer third person vs first person as a narrator, although I’ve read some 1st person narrators I’ve liked. But IMHO, I don’t think it works in either of these books.
Everything Alexandra says about the narrator and plot is true (strong MC – meaning Van – and realistic scenario/plot, etc. etc.) and I really wanted to like this book. But it isn’t clear until almost the very end of the book what is up with Aiden – which (I don’t think this is a spoiler, given this is a romance) is that he fell in love. But I don’t get to enjoy his twisting in the wind as it were, because I have no idea why Van is the only one who will suffice until she is convinced that he loves her. And that is unfortunate because there was a lot of potential here – interesting characters, situation, etc.
Both Winnipeg and Kulti are constructed in this same first-person way. In both cases, we are really only get to know the MC. The mc (Aiden/the character we just get to observe) is a very blank spot for most of the books. Logical questions/conversations that might help me as a reader figure out why the mc might be behaving the way they are don’t take place (with neither the MC or anyone else in story), My own notes at the time that I read both of these titles are that it is like reading half a romance. In addition, the books could stand a good editing. Worth reading but definitely not A reads for me. Am curious to hear from others here at AAR what they think of this author’s work. Clearly Alexandra and Amazon readers are charmed.
Can you try now and see if you can start a topic in the forums?
Interesting thoughts nblibgirl. I love slow burn romances and have been disappointed more than once by books that are described this way but are definitely not, in my opinion. So I’ve often been tempted by reviews of Zapata’s books (and they are all free with kindle unlimited) but then I see the page count and remind myself they’re not free at all, since I value my time. Does any contemporary romance novel really have to be that long? Always makes me wonder about the quality of the editing.
I don’t read a great deal of CR, but I know many who love Zapata’s books and I’m tempted by this review. But I also admit to hesitation because of the single PoV issue (and the length of the books – I know they’re slow-burn, but there’s slow and then there’s s-l-o-o-o-o-w, and I’m given to understand these are the latter variety!) – when I read older books for things like the TBR challenge, I’m often struck by the fact that they are so often solely in the heroine’s PoV so the hero remains a rather distant figure – and I admit that I much prefer getting into both protagonists’ heads so I know what’s making them both tick. Historical mysteries and WF are often written from a single PoV, and I don’t mind it so much there, but in romances I really need to know what’s happening on both sides. A really skilled author can do much to show the reader what the other person is thinking and feeling, but it’s not generally quite enough for my taste. Even so, I’m still considering picking this up – if I can ever find the time to squeeze in a book that’s twice the length of most of the other books I read! I freely admit that is probably the one thing that’s holding me back at the moment – I really like the sound of this, despite the limited PoV, and the plus side of the length has to be that there’s plenty of character and romantic development – but the page count is putting me off!
I usually feel the same way about novels that are written in first-person from a single perspective. For some reason first-person narrative puts me-off and like you I really like to be in the heroes head as well. However, I absolutely loved The Hating Game by Sally Thorne, which was also written in first-person.
After reading that book, I was looking for something similar and I saw this one on the Top 100 poll and decided to give it a try. I really enjoyed this book. In fact, I liked it so much that I went back and read all but one of Zapata’s novels. I will say that I skipped ahead in some of them because they can be very long, but I usually went back and read those parts later. On some of her books it helped to have the audiobook and ebook to switch back and forth. I’ve listened to the audiobooks of both Winnipeg and Kulti more than once (they are available through Hoopla). My favorite of her books is From Lukov with Love.
I agree about the need for editing in this book. It is something that was noticeable in all of her books. However, I enjoyed the stories so much it didn’t really bother me.
Great review. I’m planning to read this book next and it will be my first Zapata novel.