Mariana Zapata Read-a-thon: Wait for It starting March 27th

[Courtney]

Aiswrya wrote: "Aww, just read the babysitting scene. How cute 🥰 it’s funny though how looking at two well behaved children, who are probably a minority in this population, makes Ivan want to have kids 😂"

Yeah, that was cute. He can come over and babysit my three year old and see what it's really like 🤣🤣🤣! Jasmine talking about not being anyone's favorite, though 😭

Have you gotten to chapter 15 yet? I'm totally in love with Ivan! (view spoiler)[ When he gets in the minivan and tells his dog "Not now Lacey. We talked about this", I just died! (hide spoiler)]

Edit:(view spoiler)[OMG, Lacey is in a time out for giving him sass 🤣🤣🤣. I can't handle it. Way tooo cute 😍 (hide spoiler)]

[Courtney]

Ok Chapter 15 is officially my favorite! 🥰

[Aiswrya]

I just finished chapter 15 too! Ivan is adorable with his animals 🥰

And I love it when he calls Jas baby! Even though I haven’t warmed up to her yet.

[Aiswrya]

Also, not sure if you noticed, but Ruby and Aaron are from Dear Aaron!

[Courtney]

Aiswrya wrote: "Also, not sure if you noticed, but Ruby and Aaron are from Dear Aaron!"

OMG! I had no idea! Now I really have to read it 🤣🤣

[Courtney]

Aiswrya wrote: "I just finished chapter 15 too! Ivan is adorable with his animals 🥰

And I love it when he calls Jas baby! Even though I haven’t warmed up to her yet."

I know! And whenhe confesses that he had expected to talk her into being his partner when she first switched to pairs and was angry with her all that time because she never talked to him about it...



I'm definitely warming up to Jasmine, but it may be because I just like Ivan so much.

[Aiswrya]

Finished chapter 17. Her dad is a real piece of work!

(view spoiler)[
But that kiss on the chin turned my heart into a puddle of goo ❤️
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[Aiswrya]

Chapter 22
(view spoiler)[
Omg! Ivan threatened Paul even before they paired up! Just how perfect is this guy?? **dreamy sigh**
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[Nikitha]

Ok I'm officially the worst buddy reader, I'm just reading the babysitting scene. I have so many thoughts but I'm just not getting the time to post it. Hopefully today is the day

[Aiswrya]

Nikitha wrote: "Ok I'm officially the worst buddy reader, I'm just reading the babysitting scene. I have so many thoughts but I'm just not getting the time to post it. Hopefully today is the day"

Lol I just want to finish this book and take a break from slow burns. I would even read instalove that’s how fed up I am!

Niki said she’d like to read Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake next. It’s a pretty sweet read. Any other takers?

[Nikitha]

So I think the consensus is that Jasmine is immature and childish and while I don't agree with it too much I can definitely see where you guys are coming from. I think she's got a jaded view of everyone and everything and sometimes she's very aggressive about it (Eg: In in the interview scene, before the reporter gets there, she tells Ivan that everything she has ever said has been misconstrued but she did actually say that the competition was rigged because she couldn't handle being a loser) which can get annoying but I prefer to think of this book as her growing out of that and trying to be better.

Their rivalry is very childish but they were teenagers when it began so I guess things just escalated from there. But yes definitely, Ivan is more relaxed about it than Jasmine or maybe we just think that because we only see her POV.

I love love Jasmine's family, they're so fun and supportive of her and I grew up with a lot of sisters too so I can really relate to the belongingness she feels with them!

[Nikitha]

Aiswrya wrote: "How does one blink for three seconds?? Wouldn’t it then just closing their eyes? She has a weird obsession with blinks. There was a lot of blinks in Kulti too"

Blinking is her thing!! Its there in every book- I guess its a slow burn element lol

[Nikitha]

Courtney wrote: "Jennifer wrote: "I think it's part of the beauty standards theme I felt was present in Kulti: Brown isn't pretty. She's half Filipino. In Kulti MC was Mexican/Argentinian. And in both cases it's th..."

I don't think they all have different dads! I think the mom married 3 other people after the dad. At least that's what I think- I've read the book many times and there is never a specific mention of them not sharing both parents. They all call him dad and they have a group chat with him and everything!
I hope I haven't misunderstood it 🙈

[Nikitha]

Aiswrya wrote: "Also, not sure if you noticed, but Ruby and Aaron are from Dear Aaron!"

This is the only MZ book I haven't read but I just can't get myself to read it somehow. The precis just doesn't sound too appealing to me

[Nikitha]

Aiswrya wrote: "Nikitha wrote: "Ok I'm officially the worst buddy reader, I'm just reading the babysitting scene. I have so many thoughts but I'm just not getting the time to post it. Hopefully today is the day"

..."
Yes, I'd like to take a break too so I can enjoy Winnipeg to the maximum! Nine ways is really cute, you guys should definitely read

[Nikitha]

Also, it's quite obvious to me that Ivan has liked Jasmine for quite some time. In the scene in which her car breaks down for the second time, right before the babysitting scene- she says she's not going home and he asks her if she has a hot date and when she says no his face immediately changes!
Also, in th anatomy issue photo shoot scene, Ivan was most definitely turned on by Jasmine!

[Aiswrya]

I think Ivan has always liked Jas. She’s just been too obsessed with everyone hating her that she couldn’t see beyond his teasing her

[Courtney]

Nikitha wrote: "I don't think they all have different dads! I think the mom married 3 other people after the dad. At least that's what I think- I've read the book many times and there is never a specific mention of them not sharing both parents. They all call him dad and they have a group chat with him and everything!
I hope I haven't misunderstood it 🙈."

No, you're right! I just finished the chapter where she has dinner with the family, and definitely all the same dad! Definitely a lot of issues with her and the dad, though. I felt so bad for her after that scene. I still feel like she was a little too immature in the beginning, but I definitely get why she takes things so personally now.

[Courtney]

Nikitha wrote: "Also, it's quite obvious to me that Ivan has liked Jasmine for quite some time. In the scene in which her car breaks down for the second time, right before the babysitting scene- she says she's not..."

Yes, definitely! And he seemed so happy to join that first family dinner 🥰. I think he was angry with her about skating with Paul, and the good-natured ribbing started going to far, but Jasmine didn't know he was mad at her for that so assumed he was a jerk for no reason.

[Jennifer]

They all have the same dad. Her issues is they way genetics played out. Some siblings took after their mom's looks and she didn't.

[Jennifer]

Aiswrya wrote: "Nikitha wrote: "Ok I'm officially the worst buddy reader, I'm just reading the babysitting scene. I have so many thoughts but I'm just not getting the time to post it. Hopefully today is the day"

..."

Let's do it! I want to read this.

I ABSOLUTELY take breaks after the slow burn. I just read Credence and in the middle of Filthy. I really need to offset the slow burn. It hurts good to read but leaves me wanting more.

[Aiswrya]

Jennifer wrote: "Aiswrya wrote: "Nikitha wrote: "Ok I'm officially the worst buddy reader, I'm just reading the babysitting scene. I have so many thoughts but I'm just not getting the time to post it. Hopefully tod..."

What did you think of Credence?

[Aiswrya]

I’ve finished reading From Lukov with Love - 3 stars

When I read it originally, I don’t think Jasmine annoyed me to the extent she did this time. The last few chapters are hands down my favorite in my book but overall, it was a 3 star read for me.

[Courtney]

Just finished, and agree, it was a 3-star read for me, too.

I definitely enjoyed it starting from that babysitting chapter on, but I never really felt the love between the characters. I think it was a great enemies-to-friends story, but when they finally got together in the end, I just wasn't buying it.

I think my big problem is that Ivan was a much more interesting overall character. He had so much going on. Jasmine seemed to be held together mostly by her reactions to things. There just wasn't much to her. I could understand respecting her because her work ethic was out-of-this-world, but I didn't see how she was inspiring these feelings of love in Ivan.

[Nikitha]

I'm just reading chapter 16- Ivan's mom saying "No babies?" was soo cute

[Courtney]

Nikitha wrote: "I'm just reading chapter 16- Ivan's mom saying "No babies?" was soo cute"

Yes, loved that! Anything with the pets just hit me in the feels 😍

[Courtney]

Jennifer wrote: "They all have the same dad. Her issues is they way genetics played out. Some siblings took after their mom's looks and she didn't."

Yeah, I noticed after that dinner she kept saying she was the one that took after her father.

[Nikitha]

Finally finished the book! I definitely didn't enjoy it as much as the first time- I had to take so many breaks, I guess I wasn't in the right mood. But I still love it so I'm going to give it 4 stars

[Courtney]

Nikitha wrote: "Finally finished the book! I definitely didn't enjoy it as much as the first time- I had to take so many breaks, I guess I wasn't in the right mood. But I still love it so I'm going to give it 4 stars"

This one was harder for me than the other Zapata I've read. There was definitely a big hump to get over until things started coming together, I think, so it took me longer to get through, too.

[Jennifer]

Aiswrya wrote: "Jennifer wrote: "Aiswrya wrote: "Nikitha wrote: "Ok I'm officially the worst buddy reader, I'm just reading the babysitting scene. I have so many thoughts but I'm just not getting the time to post ..."

Credence definitely had me cringing. Seems to be the author's SOP - toe the taboo line. Will they, won't they. Please don't, please do. I still feel that way which is interesting. So I've added her other standalones TBR.

[Aiswrya]

My biggest problem with this book though was that she sleeps with father and both sons. It’s so gross! And that dude flushes her birth control pills down the toilet without even asking her first. The spitting on the face, throwing breakfast on people and general immaturity and douchebagness made me hate this book! I rarely ever rate books 1 star but this book definitely made that cut.

[Jennifer]

hmmmm.... your reaction remind me of when I read This Man. I hated that book series so much. insta-angry thinking about it. at least in Credence the birth control was sort of communicated in a mute and not writing things out sort of way. in This Man he just stole them behind her back to purposely impregnate and I'm so FURIOUS and the audacity to call it love. at least dude in Credence had mental issues that made sense to me. Not ok but explainable. I will never read anything from the author of This Man.

[Aiswrya]

Jennifer wrote: "I will never read anything from the author of This Man."

Haha same! I'll never read anything by Penelope Douglas again!

[Aiswrya]

Are we okay to start Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake on March 13th? It's a Saturday. Same thing as before. Read at our pace and post our thoughts?

[Jennifer]

Please give me a little more time. I'm in the RH BR for All Hail and I didn't know there is a 4 book series leading up to it. I'm only 2 out of 5 books completed!

[Aiswrya]

Yeah no problem! Let us know when you’re ready :)

[Nikitha]

I'm okay to start whenever!

[Jennifer]

Monday?

[Aiswrya]

Works for me :)

[Aiswrya]

It’s on Hoopla, if someone needs to borrow a copy

[Nikitha]

Hello!
Are we starting today?

[Aiswrya]

Yes I’m all set!

[Nikitha]

Me too! I'll post thoughts as I read

[Nikitha]

I'm up to Ch 7!
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Callie is a great MC, I love her character and her willingness to pursue an adventure however "late" in life it is for her. Her thought process and her actions are very natural, it does not seem like that she woke up one day and decided to have the courage to pursue her list. She's practical yet she wants to live for the first time in her life and that's great for her.

I don't feel very close to Ralston as yet, we only tidbits of his life and his thoughts but what we do know seems fun and scandalous. I'm looking forward to more depth.

I like this quote especially in Ch 7- "Perhaps I am the first one to recognize brown wool for what it really is. Freedom"

What do you guys think till now?

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[Aiswrya]

Just read the prologue. It’s so adorable and a little sad, how she develops a crush on the first man to notice her. Calpurnia, the Empress of Rome 💕 so sweet!

[Courtney]

I'm not sure if I'll be able to catch up for this one. I was hoping the first Amazing Race call would match up. I look forward to see what you guys think, though. It's been on my TBR forever!

[Nikitha]

Oh damn okay :(
Join us for the next one!

[Jennifer]

Just finished chapter 7. It's cute book - chick lit with humor. I like how there is "action" sooner than MZ's super slow burns.

(view spoiler)[
I like Callie and the explanation of her descent to wall flower. Is she just too voluptuous for society at the time? What is wrong with men her age not appreciating her "charms"? It cannot all be blamed on the first season's dress.
Though I'm a little confused on Ralston's surprise about her passion. As a ladies man he should know better. If I were him I'd be more surprised she's letting him get away with all the physical contact.
(hide spoiler)]

[Jennifer]

chapter 9 (view spoiler)[ please do celebrate the women's shape (hide spoiler)]

[Aiswrya]

Chapter 3: (view spoiler)[oh that kiss! I’m quite enjoying the chemistry and banter. I love these two! And yes, so glad for the change of pace after an MZ! (hide spoiler)]