Kristie J’s review of The Wall of Winnipeg and Me by Mariana Zapata
Contemporary Romance published by Amazon Digital Services 28 Feb 16
This book kept coming up as a recommended read if I read such and such a book. It seemed to come up with just about every book I purchased, so I’d finally heard enough of its yelling and got me a copy. It had received excellent reviews elsewhere, so I thought why not?
Alas, I think I must have jumped on a different train than many other readers.
Before I start with why the different train, I have to say I love Vanessa Mazur, the heroine. I think she is wonderful. She’s an out-of-the-box thinker; she’s intelligent; she’s ambitious. Not coming from the best of childhoods, she’s risen above it and she has a plan.
Part of that plan is working for football extraordinaire Aidan Graves. I was completely fooled by his character. Aidan is a Very Demanding Boss, very demanding. Vanessa does just about everything for him from maintaining his web page to cooking his special vegan diet to canceling appointments he decides he doesn’t want to attend. Vanessa wouldn’t mind so much, but Aiden pretty much ignores her to the point he doesn’t even greet her when she starts her day. He neither thanks nor even acknowledges all she does for him and that really hurts her, as she goes way above and beyond what a regular employee would do to make his life comfortable. She has been planning on quitting for a while to start her own business in web design and that kind of thing, but the pay is good where she is. But when she overhears Aidan’s agent talking smack about her and Aidan does nothing to defend her, well, that’s the straw and she walks out.
It doesn’t take too long for Aidan to come looking for her, wanting her back in his life, in fact as a wife! She refuses just about all he offers, but when he offers to buy her a house and pay off her student debts, she can’t turn down that offer. And so begins the romance part of the book. And here is where I got punked. At first I didn’t like Aidan. At all! But then because he’s so closed off and uncommunicative to the point he can’t even look Vann in the eye, he has some form of Asperger’s. I’ve read and very much enjoyed several books where the hero has this. So I was willing to give him a pass.
But – I never did warm up to him in the slightest. His personality is horrid. Plus, the author goes on interminably about how big he is, how big his muscles are and so on and so on, until all I could think of was green Hulk – not a look I like my heroes to have.
So, while I can see why so many like this book, Vann is great and there is some very witty dialogue that had me smiling and chuckling a few times, overall it just didn’t work as well for me, unfortunately.
Grade: C
Summary:
Vanessa Mazur knows she’s doing the right thing. She shouldn’t feel bad for quitting. Being an assistant/housekeeper/fairy godmother to the top defensive end in the National Football Organization was always supposed to be temporary. She has plans and none of them include washing extra-large underwear longer than necessary.
But when Aiden Graves shows up at her door wanting her to come back, she’s beyond shocked.
For two years, the man known as The Wall of Winnipeg couldn’t find it in him to tell her good morning or congratulate her on her birthday. Now? He’s asking for the unthinkable.
What do you say to the man who is used to getting everything he wants?
No excerpt available.
