Author guide

Mariana Zapata Books in Order

Mariana Zapata is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of slow-burn contemporary romance. Her novels often feature extended emotional development, humor, sports or workplace settings, and interconnected character appearances while remaining standalone stories. She lives in Colorado with her husband and their Great Danes.

romancecontemporary romanceslow-burn romancesports romanceparanormal romance

Catalog record updated August 25, 2026.

Mariana Zapata's Newest Book

The Things We Water

novel · First published 2025

Nina Popoca needs help. So, so much of it. The only place she can find that help is on a sprawling ranch in Colorado. A place hiding more than a community filled with magical creatures trying to live their lives in safety and in peace. A village that might hold the answers to questions she’s had her entire life. And if that ranch is owned by her best friend’s hunky cousin? …there are worse things in the world than having to live right by Henri Blackrock.

Not sure where to begin?

Start with one of these

The Wall of Winnipeg and Me

A representative standalone contemporary sports romance and accessible entry point to Zapata's slow-burn style.

Outside the series

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Novels (14)

Lingus
novel · 2012

Most people would describe Katherine Berger as a responsible girl with a big heart, a loyal friend who takes care of those close to her, and the possessor of a wicked sense of humor. There was something about her that most people didn't…
Under Locke
novel · 2014

But he was everything that gripped me, both the good and the bad. Worst case scenario if things turned awkward between us, I could go somewhere else. I’d gotten over epic heartbreak before, one more wouldn’t kill me. -- After moving to…
Kulti
novel · 2015

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 27-year-old Sal Casillas to wonder what she'd seen in the international soccer…
Rhythm, Chord & Malykhin
novel · 2015

Twenty-six-year-old Gaby Barreto might be a lot of things (loyal, sarcastic, one of the guys and a pain in the butt depending on which family member you ask), but dumb isn't one of them. When her twin brother invites her to go on tour as…
The Wall of Winnipeg and Me
novel · 2016

Vanessa Mazur knows she's doing the right thing. She shouldn't feel bad for quitting. Being an assistant/housekeeper/fairy godmother to the top defensive end in the National Football Organization was always supposed to be temporary. She…
Wait for It
novel · 2016

If anyone ever said being an adult was easy, they hadn't been one long enough. Diana Casillas can admit it: she doesn't know what the hell she's doing half the time. How she's made it through the last two years of her life without killing…
Dear Aaron
novel · 2017

If you loved From Lukov with Love - the sensational TikTok hit that is captivating readers all over the world - then you don't want to miss Ruby's story in Dear Aaron! No one writes slow burn like Mariana Zapata and her millions of fans…
From Lukov with Love
novel · 2018

"If someone were to ask Jasmine Santos to describe the last few years of her life with a single word, it would definitely be a four-letter one. After seventeen years--and countless broken bones and broken promises--she knows her window to…
Luna and the Lie
novel · 2018

The problem with secrets is that they're too easy to keep collecting.Luna Allen has done some things she would rather no one ever know about. She also knows that, if she could go back in time, she wouldn't change a single thing.With three…
The Best Thing
novel · 2019

Some things are easily forgiven. Other things... not so much.Lenny DeMaio made herself a promise: she was done.Done thinking about him.Done worrying about him.Done reaching out to a man who clearly didn't want to be found.Too bad no one…
Hands Down
novel · 2020

Before he was "Big Texas," he was "Zac the Snack Pack."Bianca Brannen knows time-mostly-heals all wounds. Including those your once loved ones might have unintentionally given you. (Those just take longer.)She thinks she's ready when a…
All Rhodes Lead Here
novel · 2021

Aurora De La Torre, or Ora to her friends, knows moving back to Pagosa Springs, Colorado, a place that was once home and is now full of bittersweet memories of her late mother, isn’t going to be easy. Starting your whole life over…
When Gracie Met the Grump
novel · 2022

Of all the things that could have landed in her yard… it had to be him. For most people, finding a half-naked superbeing in their yard might be a dream come true. Unfortunately for Gracie Castro, it’s the exact opposite. Especially when…
The Things We Water
novel · 2025

Nina Popoca needs help. So, so much of it. The only place she can find that help is on a sprawling ranch in Colorado. A place hiding more than a community filled with magical creatures trying to live their lives in safety and in peace. A…

Frequently asked questions about Mariana Zapata

Who is Mariana Zapata?

Mariana Zapata is a romance novelist known for slow-burn contemporary romances. She is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author and a multiple No. 1 Amazon bestselling author.

Sources: marianazapata.com (opens in a new tab)hachette.co.uk (opens in a new tab)

Where does Mariana Zapata live?

She lives in Pagosa Springs, Colorado, with her husband and their two Great Danes, Dorian and Kaiser.

Source: marianazapata.com (opens in a new tab)

What influenced Mariana Zapata to become a writer?

Zapata says she began writing love stories as a child, later wrote boy-band fan fiction, and returned to writing in her early twenties after reading Sookie Stackhouse and Twilight. Her partner eventually encouraged her to pursue original work.

Source: marianazapata.com (opens in a new tab)

What is Mariana Zapata’s writing style known for?

Her work is especially associated with slow-burn romance, extended emotional development, humor, and candid adult language. Her own biography specifically notes potty humor, bodily-function jokes, and bad words in her novels.

Sources: marianazapata.com (opens in a new tab)hachette.co.uk (opens in a new tab)

What award recognition has Mariana Zapata received?

Hachette identifies Zapata as a five-time Goodreads Choice Awards nominee in the Romance category. The same publisher biography also notes her New York Times and USA Today bestseller status.

Source: hachette.co.uk (opens in a new tab)