I promised myself to pick up more books by Mariana Zapata after reading "Under Locke", and it's safe to say that once again, I am not disappointed.
The thrill of continuously reading a slow burn romance by a particular author gradually burns out when an author doesn't know how to keep the readers invested from book to book, which is why it is absolutely safe to say that Mariana, has hacked the mind of her readers.
Adulthood has never been easy.
Taking care of two boys too, an herculean task.
Diana Casilas is going through that phase.
Battling the challenges of adulthood, and taking of her nephews who she inherited in the most painful way possible is not an easy task.
How Diana manages to go through life alone, is nothing short of a great miracle.
Don't get me wrong, navigating adulthood is a whole different ball game.
It's not even about the bills you have to pay. Nobody talks about how much mental, emotional, and psychological turmoil the different challenges of adulthood makes you pass through.
If you add a kid or kids on the mix, then trust me, you deserve a special treat of your favorite ice cream every weekend.
Diana has just moved neighborhoods after searching for so long.
She's barely presented with an opportunity to get to know her neighbors, when she's awoken in the middle of the night by her five-year-old nephew who has heard screaming outside of their home.
Diana, who like me, is afraid of getting involved in other people's drama, or even any drama at all, has to be the adult and investigate what the noise is about.
Armed with a baseball bat, she dashes outside to settle whatever was causing the screaming.
However, it turns out her new neighbor is being beaten mercilessly, and she has to summon up courage to scare away his assailants.
I expect a thank you, Diana expects a thank you, but turns out the stranger she has just saved is not only rude and not going to at least say thank you, but he is the brother to her grumpy, aloof and handsome neighbor.
As always, we begin the excruciatingly slow but suspenseful and interesting ride on a slow burn romance between Diana, and Dallas, her handsome neighbor.
Honestly, like most romance tropes where children are involved, I was kind of expecting Diana's nephews to come in between their romance, but it was far from that.
At first, Dallas tries his best to stay away. I would too. I mean, not to sound discriminatory against single mothers, I was raised by one.
But if a stunning new neighbor packed in with children, there would definitely be a lot of assumptions going through my mind.
Interestingly, a part of the book also shows how much Dallas and Diana try not to get together, but love always wins in the end doesn't it?.
One thing I absolutely enjoyed about this novel, was how much a lot of issues were addressed.
We really see Diana stepping up in this novel, which is one thing I look forward to in a female heroine.
She had every right to put them in foster homes, but she not only doesn't do that, she becomes a fierce, protective, loving guardian to her nephews.
Alongside the development of the love story, was the female lead's character development.
Then there's also the fact that she's able to balance her love life, and her seemingly budding relationship with Dallas and taking care of her nephews.
I also loved Dallas. Sure, he seemed quite aloof and unwelcoming at first, but when he starts to bond with Diana's nephews, we get to see that the man not only has a fine face, but that he also has a large heart.
Mariana has a way of making sure her readers are immersed in every single detail and every single page.
I caught myself missing out on some moments in this novel, and I had to go right back, so I didn't miss any detail or any memory.
This novels drives you emotionally crazy, and it's hard not to fall in love with the characters, especially Diana and her cute little nephews.
If you're looking for a quick read, forget this book.
But if you want an amazing story that convinces you that everyone has their own person, and that everyone is definitely lovable, then you've come to the right place.
I wouldn't say Mariana Zapata is my favorite author, because I still have an obvious bias for Dan Brown.
However, she is one of those authors I would never cross out of my reading list.
This novel comes highly recommended, and I assure you that it is worth every single minute you spend on it.