He’s uninterested in flirting shenanigans, and hitting or being hit on, and all that goes with that. And you know what? Everything about his personality is believable (because the author LETS. HIM. BE.)!!!!!!! There’s no public “bad-ass attitude”, and then soliloquies (or innuendoes of how badly he wants to get in her pants… etc etc…) that totally (for me) puts a damper on the tension and anticipation.

Their interactions were always so wholesome. Lou and Josh stole a lot of the story for me, but they didn’t steal it all. Nonetheless, they were a very cute and necessary addition to the story. Josh, being five years older than Lou, was protective of both his brother and Diana, and it was the cutest. He would eye men who talked to Diana, such as the divorced Dad at practice and make sure Diana was okay before Dallas attempted to walk up to her. He glared at anyone who hurt his family, and it was just so . . . sweet. Lou, as well, was nothing but a ball of sunshine. I wanted to just hug the little guy and give him all the gifts he wanted. God, children like him make me second-think having children sometimes. I don’t even know how to describe him, but he was the definition of sunshine. I could just imagine the little five-year-old learning so much from both Diana and Josh, as well as just agreeing to everything and going with the flow. Such a precious and innocent little human being. Claire– Again, Diana’s relationship with her nephews was nothing short of sweet, loving, and enduring. Despite her feeling of inadequacy as their caregiver, problems with her mother, and the overwhelming grief resonating at the loss of her brother, Diana managed to give the boys everything they needed. She couldn’t always get them the newest video game or tennis shoes but she provided something even better; an abundance of love and belonging the brothers so desperately needed after the deaths of their parents. I don't know if MZ has kids or if she's used to being around them, but I saw a lot of myself in Diana, especially the way she always tries to do what's best for her boys and her relationship with them, because it was impressively similar to the way I bahave with my son.josh and louie are possibly the best book kids ever written. they are so cute and had me laughing constantly. they brought so much fun, comic relief and light-hearted moments to an already beautiful story. i love how protective josh was over diana and tries to keep all men away from her and how louie thinks she is everything, he fr looks up to her like she hung the moon and stars, he is just a little ray of sunshine. 🥹❤️‍🩹

Diana Casillas, homeowner. It was about time. I had been more than ready to get out of the two-bedroom apartment the boys and I had been holed up in for the last two years. It wasn't the MZ book I loved the most, but it definitely was the one I felt closer to me and the one that gave me more emotions. Diana was a little crude, and her tough-ness or her whole personality made her seem tomboy-ish to me instead of admirable??? idk, i just would never associate the word cute and adorable with her. there was NO plot, and the bits and pieces that had potential to create DRAMA were kept tight under control and IMO ended up being... flimsy or underdeveloped. honestly, if this were some boring influencers youtube channel, it was like watching their uneventful daily vlog.That had me sitting up straight. Lou had an active imagination, but not that active. He’d spared us from having imaginary friends, but he hadn’t saved me from pretending the toilet was a birdbath and he was a parrot when he was three. Claire– Diana’s relationship with Lou and Josh was probably one of my favorite parts of the book. She was patient with them without being too overbearing, she was loving but not suffocating, and best of all, she made them laugh. It was a series of tragic events that brought the boys under her guardianship so her ability to remain positive and jovial in front of them was heartwarming. Clearly, this was not part of her plan and parenthood certainly detracted her from having a social life but she found solace in ogling one grumpy neighbor who the boys took an immediate liking toward. THE BEST BOYS THAT HAVE MY WHOLE HEART AND SOUL: JOSH AND LOU OMGGG. they might be my fav book kids ever ever. i love them so much. they CARRIED this book for me. josh the little protective 11 year old and lou our 5 year old sunshine. they hit a little close to home for me and i just want to give them both the biggest hugs. And especially if you loved the book The Wall of Winnipeg and Me because you see Van and Aiden again and its a really big moment for them that you are gonna wanna see.

BUT. While I wasn't too crazy on the plot (honestly there really wasn’t one) I did enjoy the characters. Josh and Louie were absolutely adorable. Diana and Dallas were extremely sweet once they did get together. And I am sure fans of Mariana will really enjoy this one. It’s super slow moving story line just wasn’t something I really connected with.Oh… no. I am not saying that being ignored is hot. What I’m saying is… if you’re hot or not (and Diana is DARN CUTE in all ways!!!), Dallas is not THAT player. In The Wall of Winnipeg and Me Aiden is refered as: the wall of winnipeg, the man i had married illegally, the man standing five feet away from me. They are so obnoxious and as Marie Kondo said discard what does not spark joy and those definiatly do not spark joy, out the window they go. Wait For It” is both a heartbreaking and beautiful little story of love & loss, strength & finding your way. Mariana Zapata is the author of this novel. This author is a master in bringing all of the stories together and throwing in a surprise ending. The author’s style is charismatic and entertaining, even if a bit self-indulgent. The novel masterfully builds the tension until it reaches a fever pitch as the author finally begins putting the various pieces of the puzzle into place. This is a loooong read. Mariana Zapata truly makes the reader “wait for it” in relation to several plot developments. Did you enjoy the pace or did you find yourself wishing it progressed faster? I think one of my favorite things about MZ books is that she somehow makes it that the guy basically vets the girl without her realizing it and once he decides that she’s it for him - he starts their relationship in his head and becomes completely devoted to her in every possible way… but for some reason doesn’t disclose this information to her and she just has to eventually catch on with what’s going on.