My Rating of The Wall Of Winnipeg And Me:
Summary of The Wall Of Winnipeg And Me:
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?
Length:
673 Pages
Reading Speed:
8 Hours and 10 Minutes
My Opinion of The Wall of Winnipeg And Me:
The Wall of Winnipeg and Me by Mariana Zapata was recommended by a dear friend. I’ve seen it on TikTok several times, but it never stood out as something special. I was right.
Disclaimer: The only spoilers that I will mention in this review are what happens in the first 50 pages or so.
Trope:
So she has worked for him for 2 years. 2 YEARS. She’s seen him about 5 to six days a week. Can I just emphasize how long 2 years are? I know the point is that he only started seeing her once she wasn’t working for him, but 2 YEARS? Too long. Way too long. It’s not even that he wasn’t interested in her, he didn’t even say hello or goodbye. I know she wanted to make him broody and uncaring, but I think Mariana Zapata might have overdone it with this one.
The way he convinces her to come back is by proposing a fake marriage deal. He pays her, she marries him so he can get a green card, a win-win situation. I know you don’t know me personally, but the fake marriage trope? Golden.
People telling her to be nicer to him because he is a celebrity. Her being able to answer that’s my husband. Gold.
Character A calling character B a nickname and them blushing while brushing it off as acting? Gold.
Not knowing if character A is acting lovely-dovey for real or just for show? Gold.
Her heart fluttering every time he says: my girl, my wife, or mine. GOLD.
Writing style:
I love a good slow burn. I really do. But this one was too damn slow. It felt like the first 200 pages were just one really long epilogue. I had to drag my feet to read the first 200 pages and even then, I only did it because of two reasons. My friend, and I had added it to my website already. I was committed.
The last 50 pages felt rushed. It was like the author realized that she had started too many points and needed to start wrapping up.
I enjoyed the fact that the romance build-up was both at the front and the back. It was definitely there, but our main’s lives didn’t stop and finish with the romance. They both had career ambitions, friends, other people they cared about, hobbies… It made our characters more realistic and therefore easier to relate to.
Vanessa Mazur Character Review:
I’ve got mixed feelings about this. Here we have a strong female character that had been through a lot. She is motivated enough to start her own company and run a marathon. Smart enough to take a one-in-a-lifetime deal to help someone she didn’t particularly like at the time. Friendly enough to make friends, yet not naïve to allow people to stomp all over her.
My only problem with her was how much she worked for her own company. It was written as an afterthought during the book. At first, it seemed to be the most important thing in the world for her. As a person trying to become their own boss, I understand. However, after she got fake married, it was barely mentioned. It was only mentioned when Aiden was busy, so she had time to work.
Vanessa preparing for and running a marathon was epic throughout the epic. Truly well done.
Aiden Graves Character Review:
I’ve eaten mashed potatoes with more personality than him.
I’ll be fair here. He was GREAT in the last 50 pages. And I mean, truly husband material. I could see him and Vanessa lasting forever, which is not something I would say about many couples.
BUT OMG, I know he is meant to be seen as uncaring. I know he is meant to be silent and broody and all that. Over-the-top-nonchalant. It was too much. It would have been nice to see a little bit of a personality throughout the Wall of Winnipeg and Me and not just the end.
Yes, I know him playing puzzles, being vegan, his job, and wearing the same hoodie forever are technically personality traits, but I need more.
Aiden at the start of the book and at the end are two completely different people. I love that. I love how you can clearly see when he started to care for her and when he started to pursue her. I love that his hard work for his job, translated into him putting in effort for this relationship. A+.
Recommendation for The Wall Of Winnipeg and Me:
To my romance girlies looking for a large gentle husband, not a walking red flag. The Wall of Winnipeg and Me is great for people who like to relate to their characters.