The Best Thing by Mariana ZapataMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
This standalone book has ties to other books by Mariana Zapata, but you’ll only notice if you’ve read them. Perfect all by itself, it has no cliffhanger.
I listened to this book on Audible and this colours my experience of the book and is included in this review. Sometimes the experience of listening to a book rather than reading it can affect how you engage with it, so bear that in mind whilst reading this review.
Lenny DeMaio is a world champion, a national champion and a pan-American champion Judoka. She never actually got as far as the opening ceremony for the Olympics because of injuries, but she’s beaten everyone that won that’s still fighting. But she gave it all up in a heartbeat for the love of her daughter, Mo. Now managing her family’s martial arts gym, whilst her grandfather, the man who raised her, looks after Mo, she’s finally on an even keel again after 8 months of being a single mother.
The last thing she expects is the father of her daughter to turn up after dropping all contact for 17 months. Jonah Collins is huge, not to mention gorgeous. He’s a world-famous rugby player from New Zealand, who turns heads wherever he goes. He and Lenny met in Paris where he was playing rugby and Lenny was teaching judo after an injury. They bonded over a museum tour and soon became inseparable. Then Jonah was injured and disappeared. Now he’s back and Lenny has no idea what he wants.
This, like all Marian Zapata books, is a wonderful romance story. The characters are rich, deep and complex. The plot is straightforward and compelling but above all, it’s the storytelling that wraps itself around you. Lenny is a great character. She’s blunt, forceful and determined. She’s honest and sarcastic and loyal above all else. She adores her grandfather with everything in her and they are partners in crime, along with Peter, the other man who helped raise her. She and her grandfather Gus are two peas in a pod and I love how she refers to him as a vampire. In some ways, this is a love letter to Gus. He’s almost as important as the two main characters. He’s funny, sarcastic, loyal and loving. He’s a world champion boxer who owns a martial arts gym, who raised a son and then a granddaughter on his own. He plays pick up games of basketball and poker with his friends. He makes puréed baby food for his great-granddaughter and reads romance novels. He’s a man’s man, with a soft buttery centre and I adored him. Without Grandpa Gus there would be so much less heart to this story, not to mention less wit.
Jonah is a really sweet and flawed hero. He made some massive mistakes but as we get to know him through the story we can begin to understand why he made the mistakes because of who is. He also owns up to those mistakes and vows never to repeat them. He’s shy and funny in an understated way and falls head over heels in love with his daughter. He’s calm and accepting, but he’s not a pushover when it comes to the people he cares about.
This author is fantastic at creating backstories for her characters. They have complex histories that are mentioned in passing that have an impact on who they are today. They don’t necessarily dwell on the past but they are fully developed and I think this is one of the reasons why this author’s characters are so complex and feel so real. There are so many layers to who they are before we reach the end of the first chapter.
The two narrators do a wonderful job of conveying the characters. I really like that Calum Gittins read all of Jonah’s speech. Actually from New Zealand, he was convincing in the role and his light and musical voice was perfect for the part of Jonah. All narration and other characters were read by Callie Dalton. Callie Dalton’s effort at the New Zealand accent wasn’t great when she read the parts of Jonah’s mother and sister and I’m really glad they decided that Jonah should be read by someone with the right accent. There is nothing more distracting than a narrator reading a main character’s speech poorly. Other than her New Zealand accents, Callie Dalton did a great job with the narration and was convincing as Lenny. Between them, these two narrators sucked me in and the book disappeared in no time at all.
This book made me laugh, smile with heart warming moments and sob out loud. It’s a fantastic book about a really difficult situation where two great people work their way through it with the help of good friends and wonderful family. I love this author and I’ve yet to be disappointed by her. I can’t wait to see what comes from her next.
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