Wait for It

Will Mariana Zapata ever stop making me feel things? I doubt it.

For once, I liked the heroine more than the hero. Might've been because I could relate to Diana or maybe who I'd want to be. She was so kind– sometimes a little too kind– but she always stood up for the people she loved. I also liked that she cried a lot. I do that too!

Dallas was just a soft boy who just wanted to be loved and love in return. I think he chose the best person to do that with.

My only gripe, although it's a small one, is that I didn't feel the connection between Diana and Dallas the way I did with Aiden & Val (Wall of Winnipeg and Me) or Rey & Sal (Kulti). Don't get me wrong, they were really cute together but there was just something there that lacked a little.

Anyway, Louie and Josh were adorable and I absolutely loved them. Louie, especially, had me laughing out loud throughout the entire book. I think they were the highlight of the book for me. I also really liked seeing how Diana raised and interacted with them.

Every scene that cameoed our favourites from Kulti and The Wall of Winnipeg and Me made me so happy. I just read both books but I'm already thinking about when I'm going to revisit them.

There were a few moments that made me cry a lot. But there was also a good amount of humour to compensate afterwards.

cw: lost of a loved one, suicide, abuse

rating-3.5/5

I loved the book but didn't really see any connection between Dallas and Diana until about the 45-50% mark. I just saw an overly helpful neighbour and a very, in-her-head woman trying to raise her nephews; both living their individual lives for the first half of the book. It did start to get better once you could see that he did really like her through the little things he did. (I know, I know. I've to get used to MZ's slowburns still, clearlyy).
But I did think that both the character's feelings were pretty hard to decipher in Diana's pov because of how the boys's and their upbringing was her primary focus. Parenting as a single parent, living with grief, divorce, family dynamics and multiple other things were also given a lot of focus throughout the story; which wasn't necessarily a bad thing, because I'm pretty sure I'd be bored reading a 600 page book, otherwise.
I do wish there was better resolution to multiple things like Dallas's brother, tension with Diana's mother, Nana pearl's comments etcetc; but I loved the book otherwise. Josh and Lou have my entire heart <3

I read this before ‘The Wall of Winnipeg and me' T_T and thus couldn't appreciate the cameos more, but that's on my priority tbr now. (as soon as i am in the mood for a slowburn, i promise.)

Diana Casillas's life revolves around two of the sweetest boys in the universe and their antics. Becoming the legal guardian of her nephews may be a lot, but she's got it down pat. And through all the tragedy that has struck their lives, they're happy in their little bubble. Until Dallas comes along.

Dallas Walker is a rough and tumble guy with a past, he's “married” and totally off limits, as Diana told herself. She's not interested in her nephew's new baseball coach/neighbor. He's kind of an asshole as it is, I mean she definitely WAS NOT flirting with him. And her and the boys are happy on their own.

But what's a little neighborly favor? Of combing out lice, helping with a fence, or shooing off unwanted guests. Through Dallas's acts of kindness, Diana realizes that he isn't as bad as she thought, he's loving and so sweet to her and the boys, despite his hard exterior. Will she finally let him into her family?

This book was amazing. It was a SLOW, SLOW burn. And that bugged me at first, however, I pushed through it and I was SO GLAD I did. They are adorable, Dallas is the sweetest gentleman to Diana and so unbelievably in love with her and the boys. The relationship that he has with both of them is beautiful. Their friendship developing first was adorable and so lovely to read.

I appreciated the issues of grief, alcoholism, broken marriages, and the diversity of the cast. A Latina main character, woop woop! Zapata's humor was great, it had me giggling more times than not. I highly reccomend!

This book was so sweet. I liked how we were in the world of other MZ books, so they are kind of connected. Took me a couple references to figure it out but we got there.

The boys are so god damn cute I can't handle it.

Happy I have Diana's story; and so happy she got a happy ending.

Dallas is hot AF baseball coach, and so so loyal.

Friends at first, and slowly but surely they tangled into something more. He loves he quietly but loudly all the same. It's the little ways he shows that he is there for her and that she can trust him.

Diana is so fiercely protective over the boys and will stop at nothing to make sure they have a good life.

Definitely a comfort read of mine.