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My Review:Title: Dear Aaron
Author: Mariana Zapata
Published by: Indie
Release Date: June 10, 2017
Format: Kindle Book
Pages: 485
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Reading Challenges: Lenoreo's 2018 #LetsReadIndie Challenge, Lenoreo's 2018 Beat the Backlist Challenge, Lenoreo's 2018 New Adult Challenge
Find it: Goodreads ✩ Amazon ✩ B&N ✩ IndieBound
My rating:
Blurb:Ruby Santos knew exactly what she was getting herself into when she signed up to write a soldier overseas.
The guidelines were simple: one letter or email a week for the length of his or her deployment. Care packages were optional.
Been there, done that. She thought she knew what to expect.
What she didn’t count on was falling in love with the guy.
4 stars — Dudes, we have another torn opinion!!! It seems like that’s all I can do lately. This one might have been exacerbated by interrupted vacation reading though….
I LOVE LOVE LOVED the first half of this book. Like 5 mega stars loved it. I know it won’t be for everyone, and at first I was like “really?” But you know what? I’m kind of a snoop. So it was like I was getting to see this private glimpse into Aaron and Ruby’s lives by reading all their interactions and *just* that. It was tantalizing. And it moved quickly, I loved the pace of it.
But then a few things happened. The second half changed to normal book style, and I still find Ms. Zapata to be quite verbose, so I had a hard time not having my mind wander. I also went on vacation, and so had to split up my reading, and so it was more stuttered, I wasn’t able to stay as absorbed. I was still enjoying Aaron and Ruby, and I had all the feels, but it wasn’t quite the same. Part of the other problem is that Ruby’s self-esteem was HORRIBLE, and while I actually usually am attracted to that, even *I* got tired of her after awhile. Even *I* was like, COME ON RUBY! She was just a bit *too* much for me, which is a bummer.
And while I’m cool with slow burn, Ms. Zapata also takes that to the absolute extreme. But I wasn’t even minding *too* much, b/c hoo boy when we got to the steamy scene, it was HOT! But then the book ended. Very abruptly. I have so many questions, and am feeling very unsatisfied. Even the epilogue gave me hints, but like nothing much. I invested a lot of time and love into these characters, and I got basically no HEA feels. I’m not sure this author is for me in the end, you know? Just a style thing.
And yet, RURON FOREVER! I really did love them together. *sigh* So torn. Hence why it’s a 4 star. A 5 star start, and a 3-3.5 star end.
And this was a shorter review for me. Huh. Oh well. Or yay?
I get what you’re saying about her insecurities. That bothered me a bit, but I still loved this one. Have you read From Lukov with Love yet? It’s Ruby’s sister!
I have to do a beta read first, but it will probably be next! Either that or I might try a Max Monroe since you’ve convinced me to buy so many and I still haven’t read a single one.
THE HORROR! I think it’s hilarious that I’ve convinced you to buy them and you haven’t read them. You really must. They’re SO much fun.
And being 100% honest? It wasn’t even the insecurities that were the worst. It was that at the end I wanted to know how they made it work! What they decided! How their relationship progressed! I’m GREEDY!!!! 😉
THEN YOU MUST READ FROM LUKOV WITH LOVE because they make a cameo or two…
Dude, you did like four paragraphs! Like me! 🙂