The Wall of Winnipeg by Mariana Zapata

 

Summary (from the publisher): 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?

Review: Vanessa Mazur has been a personal assistant to the top defensive end in the National Football Organization, one Aiden Graves, for several years. Despite waiting on the man hand and foot, he is mostly rude and monosyllabic to her. Until she finally quits, and Aiden shows up at her door, begging her to come back. Not only is he deigning to speak to her, but he is asking her to marry him so he can keep his visa to continue living in the states. 

This was a cute marriage of convenience trope romance. Vanessa and Aiden have a sweet love story, and their connection slowly builds over time through spending quality time together. I liked the fact that he was a football player and everywhere they went, he was recognized and had other girls interested in him, but he remains stubbornly uninterested. Vanessa had an interesting and troubling childhood backstory that added interest and dimension to the story. 

However, this book was a very slow build. It was much longer than was necessary. It felt like a stream of consciousness from Vanessa's perspective where she just ad nauseum told the reader literally every thought that came into her head for endless pages on end. While I liked that their connection was not based on physical attraction or intimacy but rather on getting to know one another, the author sure made her readers wait until the very finale of the book to see them come together. I also was unsure how I felt about how poorly Aiden treated Vanessa while she was employed by him. I understand that is guarded and just not great with people, but it just didn't excuse his poor manners for me. I also did not buy that a huge football player who has girls throwing themselves at him constantly would remain so unattached and celibate for literal years. Not buying it.  

A cute sports romance that I enjoyed but didn't love as much as I had hoped. 

Stars: 3.5