Some things are easily forgiven. Other things… not so much.
Lenny DeMaio made herself a promise: she was done.
Done thinking about him.
Done worrying about him.
Done reaching out to a man who clearly didn’t want to be found.
Too bad no one gave Jonah Collins the memo.
*Read via Kindle Unlimited*
Lenny DeMaio made herself a promise: she was done.
Done thinking about him.
Done worrying about him.
Done reaching out to a man who clearly didn’t want to be found.
Too bad no one gave Jonah Collins the memo.
ebook
493 pages
First person, single pov.
No.
No.
However, if you've read Luna and The Lie, you'll see Luna again!
No.
Yes.
No.
No.
I make no secret of my love for Mariana Zapata's books but I seem to be in the minority with her latest, The Best Thing, for it was one I liked and enjoyed but didn't love.
It was different from her usual in that it was a second chance romance which was fun but the way it was executed was... I dunno. It lacked the usual slow burn of Zapata, for Lenny while furious with Jonah and determined to hate him, was also clearly in love with him and he with her.
It was like the beginning featured a whole load of creative mental insults with outward displays of maturity and then the reason behind the estrangement was sorted out and they were moving towards each other with the reunion absolutely inevitable with no major pitfalls or hiccups.
It resulted in the addition of random side plots (ex-friend and estranged grandmother) to create any kind of tension.
It sounds like it was all bad but it wasn't!
Lenny and her grandpa Gus made me laugh and giggle snort while reading the book in public.
Their relationship was unusual and absolutely awesome. A non-standard family filled with so much love.
Jonah was a decent guy, a rugby player, and big, strong, solid type and not just physically... He's the type you can hold onto when the storm hits. He owned his mistakes, went after his girl and stepped up to the plate - all in - when he realised just how big his mistake was.
The epilogue actually brought tears to my eyes - a first for Zapata - and really captured the whole feel of this book for me. The Best Thing isn't so much about Lenny and Jonah and them coming together as it is a book about family in all its weird and wonderful forms.
While I enjoyed it, it's not one I'm going to re-read and fangirl over.
It was different from her usual in that it was a second chance romance which was fun but the way it was executed was... I dunno. It lacked the usual slow burn of Zapata, for Lenny while furious with Jonah and determined to hate him, was also clearly in love with him and he with her.
It was like the beginning featured a whole load of creative mental insults with outward displays of maturity and then the reason behind the estrangement was sorted out and they were moving towards each other with the reunion absolutely inevitable with no major pitfalls or hiccups.
It resulted in the addition of random side plots (ex-friend and estranged grandmother) to create any kind of tension.
It sounds like it was all bad but it wasn't!
Lenny and her grandpa Gus made me laugh and giggle snort while reading the book in public.
Their relationship was unusual and absolutely awesome. A non-standard family filled with so much love.
Jonah was a decent guy, a rugby player, and big, strong, solid type and not just physically... He's the type you can hold onto when the storm hits. He owned his mistakes, went after his girl and stepped up to the plate - all in - when he realised just how big his mistake was.
The epilogue actually brought tears to my eyes - a first for Zapata - and really captured the whole feel of this book for me. The Best Thing isn't so much about Lenny and Jonah and them coming together as it is a book about family in all its weird and wonderful forms.
While I enjoyed it, it's not one I'm going to re-read and fangirl over.
“I knew it was a shitty idea to click on the link on my home screen. But I did it anyway. Because as I’d learned over the course of my life, I liked pissing myself off.”
💬
“It changes the way you see things and people when you get teased for being yourself, like you’ve got some other choice in the matter.”
💬
I have two Mariana Zapata books on my shelf and I just need to get busy and read them. Sounds like this was a good one even if the conflict was dealt with so early and easily. I do love quirky families and humor in my stories.
ReplyDeleteGreat review, Nikki!
I have two unread on mine too! Kulti and Rhythm...
DeleteI hope you enjoy when you get around to reading! :)
I've seen mixed reviews for this one, which makes me hesitant to pick it up. Same thing with Luna. I absolutely loved The Wall of Winnipeg and Me and Kulti, but the others aren't knock outs for me like those two. I will probably read this when the audio comes out. Wonderful review, Nicci! :)
ReplyDeleteFor me...
DeleteI love Wall of Winnipeg and From Lukov! They're awesome.
Under Locke, Dear Aaron and Wait For It were also really good.
Best Thing and Luna were okay but not great.
Lingus was a bit of a disaster.
I haven't read Kulti or Rhythm yet but I own them both so I will at some point. :)
I am in the minority when it comes to Zapata in general. She is writing contemporaries that clock in at almost 500 pages, and when I read Kulti, there was so much that could have been trimmed, since it didn't really contribute to the story. There were moments I enjoyed, but I have not been compelled to try another of her books.
ReplyDeleteI still haven't read Kulti! I understand what you mean about a lot that can be trimmed. There's also a lot of repetition throughout the books. I think I'm just used to her style and don't mind it so much.
DeleteNot great but it seems like it was worth the read for you. The name sounds familiar but I don't know if I've read anything by this author before.
ReplyDeleteKaren @ For What It's Worth
I like Zapata a lot but her books are either awesome or okay. This one and the last were just ok for me.
DeleteIt wouldn't be for me personally but I liked your review!
ReplyDeleteThank Chuckles. I know you're not a romance fan. :)
Delete