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A review by angelreads
Under Locke by Mariana Zapata
4.0
I think this has to be one of my favourites of the Marina Zapata that I’ve read so far. One of the things that Zapata is very good at slow-burn romances. And when I say slow I mean very slow. But it’s different and I really enjoyed that.
Under Locke follows Iris Taylor who has recently moved to Austin to be with her half brother. She is broke and just wants a fresh start. And when Sonny gets her a job at a tattoo shop owned by his friend Dex, she thinks she is finally on her way to starting again. But Dex Locke isn’t all that nice. He is hot-headed, rude, impatient and a jerk at times. But as they spend more time together Iris and Dex get to know different sides to one another and sparks start to fly.
Iris was an interesting protagonist. I didn’t love her like I normally do with a female protagonist, but as the novel went on I grew to like her. Iris just needs to help in life. She feels lost and doesn’t even know when to begin and when she lands the job at Dex’s place, she thinks she can get that start. One of my favourite things about Under Locke is that the reader gets to see Iris grow throughout the novel and not only find herself, but those around her.
Dex is great. It took me a long time to get to like him as a character. However as the novel went on and Iris got to know him better, I enjoyed him more. Dex is stubborn and impatient and at times that made me really dislike him. But like Iris, he grew throughout the novel and let go of his demons.
The romance was interesting, to say the least. It’s a very much slow burn and I liked seeing both Iris and Dex slowly fall for one another. It’s a hate to love romance for sure and it was really well done. The romance moved nicely and I liked the built-up and the tension. It was hot and sweet at the same time.
Overall, I loved reading Under Locke by Mariana Zapata. It’s got a slight MC undertone and you know that I love my MC romances. I adored the slow burn of the romance. It’s different to see it and I enjoyed the change. In saying that at times I did feel that it went a little too slow. I adored the banter between Iris and everyone at the tattoo shop, it just made the novel that much more entertaining. The romance was great and I had a fantastic time reading it. I think this is a great one to start with for sure.
Under Locke follows Iris Taylor who has recently moved to Austin to be with her half brother. She is broke and just wants a fresh start. And when Sonny gets her a job at a tattoo shop owned by his friend Dex, she thinks she is finally on her way to starting again. But Dex Locke isn’t all that nice. He is hot-headed, rude, impatient and a jerk at times. But as they spend more time together Iris and Dex get to know different sides to one another and sparks start to fly.
Iris was an interesting protagonist. I didn’t love her like I normally do with a female protagonist, but as the novel went on I grew to like her. Iris just needs to help in life. She feels lost and doesn’t even know when to begin and when she lands the job at Dex’s place, she thinks she can get that start. One of my favourite things about Under Locke is that the reader gets to see Iris grow throughout the novel and not only find herself, but those around her.
Dex is great. It took me a long time to get to like him as a character. However as the novel went on and Iris got to know him better, I enjoyed him more. Dex is stubborn and impatient and at times that made me really dislike him. But like Iris, he grew throughout the novel and let go of his demons.
The romance was interesting, to say the least. It’s a very much slow burn and I liked seeing both Iris and Dex slowly fall for one another. It’s a hate to love romance for sure and it was really well done. The romance moved nicely and I liked the built-up and the tension. It was hot and sweet at the same time.
Overall, I loved reading Under Locke by Mariana Zapata. It’s got a slight MC undertone and you know that I love my MC romances. I adored the slow burn of the romance. It’s different to see it and I enjoyed the change. In saying that at times I did feel that it went a little too slow. I adored the banter between Iris and everyone at the tattoo shop, it just made the novel that much more entertaining. The romance was great and I had a fantastic time reading it. I think this is a great one to start with for sure.