Kulti
Author: Mariana Zapata
Trope: Slow Burn, Enemies to Lovers, Sports Romance, Grumpy/Sunshine
Point of view: Single, First person
Relationship: MF
Type of series: Standalone
In a nutshell: When the man you worshipped as a kid becomes your coach, it’s supposed to be the greatest thing in the world. Keywords: supposed to. It didn’t take a week for twenty-seven-year-old Sal Casillas to wonder what she’d seen in the international soccer icon - why she’d ever had his posters on her wall, or ever envisioned marrying him and having super-playing soccer babies.
Sal had long ago gotten over the worst non-break-up in the history of imaginary relationships with a man that hadn’t known she’d existed. So she isn’t prepared for this version of Reiner Kulti who shows up to her team’s season: a quiet, reclusive shadow of the explosive, passionate man he’d once been.
Nothing could have prepared her for the man she got to know. Or the murderous urges he brought out in her. This was going to be the longest season of her life.
What I thought: This is one of my top three Mariana Zapata aka ‘Queen of the Slow Burn’ faves. This story is the ultimate in enemies to friends to lovers and with no unnecessary angst (which I hate) this story is a beautiful tale of friendship and love. The story centres around Sal Casillas a professional soccer player and her coach Reiner Kulti an ex-professional soccer player (at superstar level). Reading how our absolute heart of gold Sal unintentionally slowly breaks down Reiner’s walls was a joy, and has warranted multiple re-reads since! Beautifully written, once again Mariana has delivered the ultimate love story.
BONUS: Epilogue scene here on Mariana’s website!
