Dear Aaron

This is the second MZ book in the last couple of months that I’ve completely fallen in love with. The way this book has me giggling and smiling was actually a bit embarrassing.I’m a big fan of emails/messages in books and the first like 45% of this book is purely emails and IMs so it makes it SO easy to get into!I have a very love/hate relationship with MZ and I think it’s because her books are so character focused so if you don’t like the characters that much, you’re not going to like the book. When I’m not sold on the characters, I notice all the things that annoy me so much: the repetition, the constant use of identifying descriptions instead of names, the endless poop references etcI had the complete opposite experience with this because right off the bat, I fell in love with Ruby. She is by far my favourite MZ female and I related to her so much, like I was crying from the first page because of the way she spoke and viewed herself.I’m also madly in love with Aaron, and he’s blond… MZ does grumpy men so well and it was nice to to see the opposite of that because I love a non-grump so much. Aaron is just perfect. I can’t believe Aiden Graves is now down to three on my list and Aaron and Rhodes are both fighting for that top spot (I’ll probs have a different fave depending on my mood 🤣)Watching Ruby and Aaron’s relationship grow from him not replying to the long emails to the messages to the phone call to them meeting, I just, god it was so good. I didn’t even mind the constant poop discussions in this book because it just showed how comfortable they grew with each other.

I read a review that was derogatory about the fact the first 40% was emails or texts — but that’s the best for me!You get to learn both POV’s which isn’t usual for MZ and this brings another element to the book.I just love the romance, the slow, achingly slow burn of it all, but the organic real love that blooms that makes you KNOW that despite the short epilogue, this couple are IT for life!Read this book!

Oh wow. I laughed, I squealed, and I cried. The cuteness of these two is unbelievable! The banter is top tier and the fluff is just the best! Definitely recommend.

Mariana Zapata can literally do no wrong!! I have loved every one of her books that I have read, fallen head over heels in love with them, been left with book hangovers that can’t be cured and I am here for it each and every one of them.Can I also add that not only have I read this book, I listened to it on audiobook ( Callie Dalton and Teddy Hamilton are the BEST narrators ) I’ve done the same for a few of her books and Callie Dalton never fails.Okay so this is a slow burn, totally filled with banter, cute moments, almost all of the book is letters or emails between them and I totally loveeee that!Our two leads are Aaron (obviously) and Ruby, they just get each other, perfectly made for each other and no matter how far part they are the chemistry can be felt!Aaron is in the army, has been for 11 years he didn’t know what he wanted to do with his life he just knew he wanted to be more than the family business. He is down right handsome, so funny, filled with banter and wit. Protective and cute, I couldn’t get enough of him. He doesn’t realise how much he needs Ruby’s letters until they start coming. She makes him smile and laugh more than he ever has. He’s just gotten out of a bad relationship so at first he is unsure if he wants the connection but Ruby can not be denied, she doesn’t quit.Can he trust enough to open up his heart again?He thinks he’s done with relationships but will Ruby totally blow that thought away?Ruby is totally adorable and awkward in the best way! I love her personality so much and to add to that she is beautiful even if she doesn’t believe it (when she thinks her mum and sister are the stunners of the family) she’s ‘Just Ruby’. She is matched with Aaron in the program that sends letters or emails to soldiers over seas. She continues to write even when he isn’t replying, determined not to give up and give him some light from home.She has had her heart broken by the person she’s been in love with her whole life, everyone knows she loves him but no one knows what happened between them. The classic big brothers best friend..Her heart was not ready for Aaron.. she is determined not to make the same mistake again, falling in love with someone who can’t love her back.I swooned, I laughed and I loved!

OMG OMG OMG I think I died and came back to live :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

The first 50% had me, the second 50% did not.I've seen many people say that the first half bored them because it was just emails and IM's but that was actually my favourite part. I felt super connected to the relationship and MZ still managed to make it exciting.However the last 50% was just kind of baffling. The problems or tensions between them felt like they were created out of thin air and didn’t make a whole lot of sense. The miscommunication was infuriating and the MMC clearly had some sort of depression after his deployment and it was just never mentioned or dealt with. Also the epilogue was super weird and not the resolution I wanted.Lukov is my favourite book of all time, and Ruby is the sister of the MC in FLWL, so I was SO excited to read this one.What MZ does do immaculately is she wrote Ruby and Jasmine’s narrator voices in such a similar style, I could tell they were related. It was surreal. That’s talent!! They’re totally different girls but you could distinctly tell they are sisters.This should’ve been 150 pages shorter imo but overall was a pretty okay experience.

Another good read from this author although not a five star for me because I really didnt like the email back and forth format for quite a lot of the book. I did enjoy the slow build as happens in all her books and still cant wait to read another one.