Beautiful Setting, Forgettable Romance? All Rhodes Lead Here Review
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Starting over is never easyâespecially when your whole life has gone up in flames. Aurora knows moving to the small town of Pagosa Springs is a gamble, but with a broken heart and nothing but a credit card to her name, sheâs out of options. Enter Tobias Rhodes, the grumpy landlord who barely tolerates her presence. Classic Mariana Zapata, right? If you love a slow burn romance that takes its sweet time, All Rhodes Lead Here deliversâbut is it the perfect remedy for readers craving an unforgettable love story, or does it drag its feet a little too much? Letâs dive into this book and see if the burn was worth the wait.

Title:Â All Rhodes Lead Here
Author:Â Mariana Zapata
Publisher:Â Avon
Genre:Â Contemporary Romance
Release Date:Â January 30, 2024
Pages:Â 608
Star Rating: 3 stars
Spice Rating: 1
A slow-burn love story.
Going into All Rhodes Lead Here, I wasnât sure what to expect. This was my first Mariana Zapata book, and while Iâd heard plenty about her signature slow burn romance, I wasnât prepared for just how slow that burn would be. With a small-town setting, a brooding hero, and a heroine trying to rebuild after her whole life fell apart, this had all the makings of a story Iâd love. But did it actually deliver?
Short answer? No. All Rhodes Lead Here was just too slow. The kind of slow burn romance that feels less like a simmer and more like watching paint dry. It took me a week to get through this book, which is unusual for meânormally, I fly through stories like this.
We start with Aurora, standing in the wreckage of her whole life, thinking, OMG, life over. Sheâs broken, heartbroken, and landing in Pagosa Springs with nothing but memories and a vague plan to start fresh. Enter Tobias Rhodes, a walking storm cloud who barely speaks in full sentences. The setup had potential, but from the start, the pacing dragged, making it hard to stay invested.
And that brings me to the biggest problemâI couldnât care less about the characters. Aurora? Bland. Tobias Rhodes? Grumpy, sure, but not in a way that made me swoon. Their interactions lacked the spark that makes a slow burn romance worth the wait. They all felt flat and one-note.
You’re a menace to society, but I’m off the clock,” he said. “Show me what you got.”
Well, almost all of them. Amos was the only one who somewhat captured my heartâhis quiet kindness and depth stood out in a cast that otherwise felt forgettable. And then thereâs Clara, the real MVP. If anyone deserves a spin-off, itâs her. Total rockstar.
On the positive side, thereâs Mariana Zapataâs writing style. Say what you will about the pacing (and believe me, I have), but her prose is undeniably smooth. Even though the slow burn was too slow and the story dragged, the book itself wasnât innately bad. Zapata knows how to create an atmosphere, and her writing flows effortlessly.
That said, the majority of this book felt like unnecessary fodderâfluff designed to bulk up the page count rather than drive the story forward. Did we really need that many mundane details? Probably not. In fact, more than half of this could have been cut out due to repetition. But if youâre someone who enjoys sinking into an authorâs style rather than racing toward the romance, you might appreciate it more than I did.
“Listen here, child… my Betsy had no idea what she had in store for her. I’m a life project, ” Walter shot back.
Mariana’s writing style wasn’t the only positive within the story. Even if the book was lacking in certain departments, the atmosphere of Pagosa Springs was beautifully described. You could see the snow capping the mountain and the chill in the air. The setting had a cozy, lived-in feel, making it homey. It was easy to picture Aurora’s fresh start in a town she once loved.
I also mentioned earlier how much I loved Amos and Clara, who really added value to the story. The relationships Aurora builtâespecially with those twoâbrought warmth and heart to the narrative. Those moments injected life into the storyline, even when the main couple fell flat. I also loved that Aurora wasnât some 18 or 19-year-old teeny bopperâshe was a woman, and Tobias was a full-grown man, complete with gray hair and all. It added a layer of relatability and maturity that I appreciated. Auroraâs struggle to rebuild her whole life after heartbreak felt real. Not every romance starts with fireworks, and while the pace may not have been for me, I can still appreciate the realism in her personal growth.
“You’re mine. Just as much as Am is. Just as much as anybody will ever be.”
That being said, should you read All Rhodes Lead Here? Well, yes. I think reading this review was a good start, so you donât invest too much thought into what youâre getting. This way, you wonât get your hopes up and risk the book potentially letting you down. If youâre a fan of slow burns and youâre in the mood for a small-town romance with a bit of personal growth, All Rhodes Lead Here may still be worth a try. Just be prepared for a slow-paced ride and manage your expectations. If you go into it with the right mindset, it could be a cozy escape. But if youâre looking for fast-paced chemistry and an unforgettable love story, this may not be the one.
All Rhodes Lead Here is available wherever books are sold. Think about picking one up from your local indie bookstore.
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