Rawda
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25 (4.25 Stars)
“Doing the right thing never got easier, even when you'd done it a thousand times.”
Okay. Let's talk about this book that pulled me into a wormhole of slow-burn torture, awkward monologues, and somehow still made me grin like an idiot through most of it.
Mariana Zapata really said, “You want slow burn?HERE YOU GO” and we said, “Yes, ma'am.”
Seriously, this wasn't just slow burn — it was slow simmer, slow waiting-for-water-to-boil kind of slow, slow we're-80%-in-and-they-haven't-kissed-yet-but-I'm-still-here kind of burn. And weirdly? I didn't hate it.
Gracie was an anxious little bean who overthinks literally everything, and I loved her for it. She had big “accidentally roasted myself in front of my crush and now I'll go cry in a corner” energy, and honestly... relatable. Her blabbering, sweet heart combined with The Grump made for some hilarious, awkward, and super adorable moments.
Now Alex? The man was the literal embodiment of “Do Not Perceive Me.” Silent. Broody. Emotionally constipated. I adored him. His entire vibe was: “I hate everyone. Except you. You're alright, I guess.”Insert internal squealing here.
And the way he was so grumpy but still helped Gracie with the most mundane things?? Yes, sir. Push me out of the way of a flying truck any day.
Let's not forget the superhero twist. Honestly, I was a bit wary at first. I thought we were entering Wattpad territory — but nope, MZ managed to pull it off. Superpowers, action, and forced proximity?? The dream.
Also, Team Grandma forever. If you know, you know.
My only beef with this book is that it was thicc with two Cs. Like, 600 pages thicc. Did we need every page? Not really. Did I read it all anyway? Absolutely. Some scenes felt repetitive, especially Gracie's internal monologues (babes, we get it, he's hot), but I still devoured it.
So why 4.25? Because despite the length and the agonizing wait for any romantic payoff, I adored these characters. I laughed, I swooned, and I 100% need spinoffs for Selene and Leon. Stat.
My Rating: ⭐.5 (1.5 stars)
“Y'all... I survived it. Barely.”
This was one of those books that had potential. Like, real promise in the first 10–25%. There was tension, some fun character dynamics, and a setup that made me hopeful. But after that? It all just... collapsed. Like a flopped soufflé.
Let me break it down:
⭐3 STARS⭐
I'm honestly so disappointed — you have no idea. The only reason I even pushed through to finish this book was because of Dusty (I LOVE that man). But let's be real, me not enjoying this as much as I hoped was kind of obvious... I'd been avoiding this book like the plague, and it literally took me 18 days to get through it. That says it all.
Rating: ★★★½ (⭐3.5 stars⭐)
Title: “Kiddo” is NOT a Love Language, Sir
Look. I love Mariana Zapata. I've read enough of her books to know what I'm getting into — the slow burn, the drawn-out emotional journey, the extra chapters of nothingness that somehow feel cozy — all that. And when I saw that Zac from Wall of Winnipeg was getting his own book, I was ready. I mean, man had like two scenes in that book and somehow became fan favorite? Talent.
But Hands Down? It was more of a slow burn friendship reunion...with light seasoning of romance. Like, you know those “friends to lovers” tropes where you feel the tension in the air? This wasn't really that. It was “friends to friends who maybe kiss once and say ‘I love you, kiddo' and then call it a day.”
Let's break it down:
