Dear Aaron by Mariana Zapata
Standalone
Contemporary Romance
June 10, 2017

Okay, so I knew this was going to happen eventually. There was going to have to be a Mariana Zapata book I felt underwhelmed about.

It was inevitable.

I want to say I wasn’t underwhelmed the whole time, but truth is, even for a slow burn, there was very little progression. Normally I adore romance’s that evolve through emails and/or texts, but that trope just didn’t work for me this time.

It seems to be Mariana Zapata’s pattern to keep the romance very slow. She loves to write hints and foreshadowing that is so obvious to us as the reader, while simultaneously making us believe the heroine doesn’t see. That’s part the book’s beauty. There’s a different kind of anticipation, and then the fireworks at the end are that much more sweet. All because we watch the wooing, with an enormous reward.

Which brings me back to Dear Aaron. All the hallmark’s of a great romance were there, but her normal level of subtlety didn’t translate well over texts and emails. Reading it felt like only friendship for three quarters of the book. Then, the last quarter finally seemed to show promise. I couldn’t figure out how she would cram so much goodness into the last quarter of the book, but I was ready for it. Then, everything just fizzled out. I didn’t get my favorite part of the romance, the part where they admit their feelings and we get to see them navigate it.

In Dear Aaron, it felt like everything after just quickly came to an end. I didn’t even get the epilogue we all kind of love, but also kind of hate.

I feel so underwhelmed.

And I also feel sad.

Oh well! I’m sure From Lukov, With Love will bring it all back home!