Title: Wait for It
Author: Mariana Zapata
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published: December 7, 2016
Format: eBook
Pages: 418
Reread: 4 times
Wait for It Book Review
If I had to make a list of books that make me want to be a part of the story and the characters’ lives really bad, Wait for It by Mariana Zapata would definitely be in it.
I’ve read this book several times now, and it always hooks me in, making me cry, smile, cheer on the heroine and her nephews, and push the hero to fall in love with the heroine faster.
Wait for It by Mariana Zapata is a Single Mom (the h is an aunt) Slow Burn Romance, loosely connected with Kulti and The Wall of Winnipeg and Me. If you loved the latter books, the main characters make an appearance in this one!
Anyway, this review will probably fall short of what I feel about the book. It’s something that grabs you right from the get-go, it’s realistic, and Mariana’s phenomenal writing style lets you immerse yourself in this life and never let go of the feelings it whips up.
You didn’t know what love was until someone was willing to give up what they loved the most for you. But it was also never letting them make that choice, either.
Diana is in her late twenties and she’s recently moved into a new home with her two nephews. She is facing a lot of challenges in her life, having lost both her brother and sister-in-law, and now taking care of their children, Josh and Louie.
Diana is a strong and realistic character who treats her nephews as her kids. She struggles to balance out what she wants to do and what she should do. Her desires now come second to her, having to live her life for the kids who need her support more than ever.
She’s feisty and doesn’t fight back down from a fight unless she has to, to show the better way and be a good role model for her kids. Along with that, she has to mold herself to a different set of expectations from people.
Her thoughts, maturity, and struggles are inspiring, and in her way, she’s taught me some life lessons. I loved her.
“I always thought you looked like mine, but you sure do fucking feel like you’re mine, too.”
Dallas…
Well, one thing about him is he is this mysterious character that you may not understand in the beginning. It took me a long time to warm up to him, but once I did, he surely and quickly shot up to the top part of my preferred book boyfriends list.
Like all other MZ males, he is grumpy and the least friendly person at first, questioning their motives.
But when he falls in love, he does so with his whole heart.
“I need you more than you need me, and that’s okay,”
It takes a really long time for the romance to bloom. About after 80%, I think.
Diana, who is quite pushy, tries her best to befriend Dallas. They start off as friends and gradually develop romantic feelings for each other.
Dallas is older than Diana, has been in a serious relationship, and faced challenges of his own. He is stable and mature, which is what attracts Diana.
Their conversations are playful and enjoyable, I found myself laughing at their awkwardness. Even though Dallas is grumpy towards her, she persistently tries to befriend him.
Dallas loves her kids (which is very apparent right from the start) and what I respect about him is he never tries to take the father’s place. He just lets them know he is there for them.
When he realizes he’s in love with Diana, he subtly and silently pursues her. Diana is oblivious to it, which makes their romance all the more fun.
“While Louie might be the sun, Josh was the moon and the stars. He was my gravity, my tide, my ride or die. He was more like my little brother than my nephew, and in some ways, we had grown up together. I had loved him from the moment I laid eyes on him. Loved him from the moment I knew he was a spark of life, and I was going to love him every day of my life.”
The highlight of the story is the relationship between Louie, Josh, and, Diana. I love how the little family made the best of everything.
The kids never felt like a plot device, their larger-than-life personalities reflected on the pages and I loved every bit of their interactions. The kids had a healthy relationship with her and I loved seeing it.
Mariana’s developed them so well, they feel real and you want to be a part of their family.
“Just like I tell the boys, we don’t play for one single run, we play to win the whole game. And I’m in it to win it.”
Wait for It by Mariana Zapata may fall over the too-slow burn romance, but the journey of Diana and Dallas falling in love, the familial support that Diana gets, and all the emotional pieces that glue them together, is all too worth it.
I highly recommend this one, especially if you’re looking for something that warms your heart (we really need these moments living in this cold cruel world lol)
Wait for It Blurb:
If anyone ever said being an adult was easy, they hadn’t been one long enough.
Diana Casillas can admit it: she doesn’t know what the hell she’s doing half the time. How she’s made it through the last two years of her life without killing anyone is nothing short of a miracle. Being a grown-up wasn’t supposed to be so hard.
With a new house, two little boys she inherited the most painful possible way, a giant dog, a job she usually loves, more than enough family, and friends, she has almost everything she could ever ask for.
Except for a boyfriend.
Or a husband.
But who needs either one of those?
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About Mariana Zapata:
Mariana Zapata began writing love stories soon after she learned how to spell. She probably shouldn’t admit that she started sneaking romance novels from her aunt’s bookshelves way before she was old enough to even understand what it meant when a man flipped up a woman’s skirt. (Don’t tell her mom.)
Mariana is a native Texan living in a small town in Colorado with her husband and two beloved (and emotionally manipulative) Great Danes, Dorian and Kaiser. When she’s not pretending to write, she’s reading. You can usually find her burning somewhat edible experiments in the kitchen or cracking jokes at the expense of her family members.
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