REVIEW: Kulti by Mariana Zapata

Kulti by Mariana Zapata

My rating: 5 out of 5

Book Description: 

“Trust me, I’ve wanted to punch you in the face a time or five.” 
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. 

Wow. So, I enjoyed the author’s previous work (Under Locke) but I didn’t expect to love this book so much! It was amazing!

I knew from the blurb that the hero was going to be a total asshole. And I’m in such a mood for that type of hero that I couldn’t resist starting it asap. I’m completely addicted to jerk heroes at the moment and this book just screamed at me.

Like I said, I enjoyed Under Locke and saw no reason that I wouldn’t enjoy this one. But from the moment I started it, I couldn’t put it down. I was hooked. I was reading in the car, while eating meals, walking up the stairs, when I should have been sleeping…it just captivated me.

Not only was this just perfection in asshole hero form, but it had me both laughing and wanting to cry. I cracked up at so many points in the book that my sides hurt. And that also contributed to me not wanting to put the book down.

I honestly can’t find the words to tell how much I love this book and how much perfection it was. Reiner Kulti aka Rey aka Kulti aka Frankfurter aka German Chocolate Cake aka Sauerkraut aka Berlin…he was imperfectly perfect. He has his issues and a past and he was the biggest asshole going but…he was perfect for me at the moment in time when I read the book and I loved every minute of him. I loved the fights that would happen between Kulti and Sal. They had me cracking up and I loved the tension and how she was willing to call him on his attitude. The book is completely from Sal’s POV so you really had to pay attention to the nuisances of Kulti to see his change toward her.

Speaking of Sal aka Salomé Casillas aka Taco she was freaking awesome! There were so many times where she reminded me of me (except for the sports thing…I can’t play a sport to save my life…not sure I’d want to either. *shudders* sweat and I don’t mix)…and I totally got her feelings about her childhood celebrity crush. She was completely relatable and I loved how she handled Kulti. She wasn’t afraid to call him out on his actions and attitude, especially when it came to her dad. That part, where her dad first met Kulti…my heart just about broke! But, even after calling him on his asshole-ness, it didn’t stop her from befriending him. Her friends were also awesome. They were always there for her ready to do damage to anyone that needed it. Plus, they were characters themselves and had me laughing.

They definitely had a lot of ups and down but it was such an enjoyable ride. This book isn’t your basic romance of they fight, they hook up, they fight, they break up, they get back together, they live HEA. This was a slow build. The author took the time to develop a friendship between the character with them falling in love after they became friends. The literally don’t get together until the very end and you only see them as an “official couple” for a short time. But I never felt cheated. There was so much togetherness and friendship/relationship between them throughout the book that it all worked.

Kulti and Sal didn’t let anything come between their friendship/relationship. Yes, there were issues they had to deal with, but they dealt with them and kept on going. They had a united front and trust between them that things would work out. And I loved that they were there for each other. That’s not to say there weren’t times when they weren’t speaking…Kulti was a jerk, he gave her the cold shoulder and she did the same to him once or twice. But there was never the feeling of “this is the end of them.”

While working on this review, I went back through my kindle to look at the highlights for parts I wanted to mention in my review and I practically have the whole book highlighted. THAT’S how good this book was! The drama in the book surrounded Kulti and Sal at work. And while I hated the stupid people they had to deal with, I also loved those moments because those were the moments that Kulti would bare another piece of his soul and drop more info for Sal to be shocked at. And every time it happened I was all “awwwwwwww!!!!!!” I loved seeing those little pieces come out and how Sal reacted.

One of my favorite parts was Sal’s relationship with her dad. He was hilarious and I loved how he would fangirl over Kulti. I definitely loved those moments!

There was one scene in the book that was incredibly awesome. It was like an easter egg/nod to the author’s book Under Locke. Kulti goes to get a tattoo and ends up getting Tattooed by Dex from Under Locke. You get to see Dex and Iris and their baby. It’s an incredibly sweet (in a totally Dex sort of way) scene.

I honestly didn’t want this book to end yet I couldn’t want to get through it to see how the story played out. I can’t wait to go back and read this all over again!