From Lukov with Love

I did not plan to read this book as fast or as soon as I did :) I got it as soon as it came out, because I own all other Mariana's books... although so far I read only one... well, with this one that number have gone up to two ;) anyway... ;) I love her writing style, so buying her other novels wasn't even a question... :) so I bought this one, but had a whole other plan of reading... but then... this one... it's about figure skaters you guys... :) I loved that sport when I was younger... I watched it in the middle of the night if there was a live transmission of world championships and such... but I've never read a book with main characters who do it :) by the way, if you have any other recommendations like this, definitely let me know :) but back to this book :) *sighs* my brain is all over the place today ;) so even though I was suppose to read something else... my mind kept coming back to this one... and it took me like one day to decide to dive into it... I figured that I can just check it out, read a few chapters and just see if it's something I will enjoy at that moment... yeah... I devoured this book practically in one day... and it's quite long :) I just couldn't put it down :) so let me tell you more about the overall plot of the story and our main character and then I will get into all the reasons why I adored it so much :) The main character of the story is Jasmine... I mean, yes, we also have Ivan and their hate-to-love-with-a-weird-friendship-inbetween sort of romance ;) but in my opinion this is a story about Jasmine... about her accepting who she really is, what she's ready to sacrifice to accomplish her dreams, coming to terms with her past choices and just growing as a person... so let me tell you more about her :) Jasmine is a figure skater... she trained basically her whole life, first as a solo performer, and then in pairs... she had success as a junior, but never quite accomplished her dreams as a senior... or once she switched to pairs... I understand why some people may have problems with her... why in some reviews I read you could see people describing her as obnoxious, annoying... but I would use adjectives like stubborn, strong-willed, determined... she's not a kind of person who will stand down from a fight... I loved her for all of that... :) she's a survivor... every time life knocks her down, she gets right back up... now, about a year after her last partner left her, she's working part time and still training on her own... that is until she gets a most unexpected proposition... Ivan Lukov, a guy she hates, her friends brother... an owner of many gold trophies... a guy she hates... he and his coach want her to be his new partner for one year... yeah... that's quite a shocker for her... but it is a chance for her to achieve her dreams... maybe her last one... so after consideration and establishing some rules she decides to agree... the whole book takes place over the span of that year, with an absolutely wonderful epilogue at the very end with the most amazing glimpse into the future :) so now that we have some basic informations out of the way, let me tell you about all the reasons why I loved this story so much :) and the main one is... Jasmine :) again, I understand why some people might not like her, but I really connected with her... and not because we are very similar, although there were times when I definitely could relate to her and the way she was acting... ;) not always the best thing ;) don't get me wrong, she wasn't perfect... far from it, but... she really struck a chord deep within my heart and I was a goner ;) even though she definitely did some super irritating things a few times within the pages of this novel... but each of her flaws and mistakes made her more real, more human in my eyes... I can't count all the times when I wanted to shake some sense into her and the next moment I just wanted to hug her :) like I mentioned before, for me this is a story about Jasmine... about how she changes and grows as a person within that year... how she learns new things about herself... *sighs happily* I loved her character development... and of course we can't forget about Ivan... he was... a big mystery at the beginning of the story... mainly because he speaks very little, and since the whole story is told from the perspective of Jasmine, we have to wait to get to know more about him... but it's definitely worth it :) because we discover, along with Jasmine, that the person he shows to the world... the champion figure skater, is just a small part of him... I adored discovering every little new thing about him... showing us how much more complex he is than what I originally thought... not to mention his relationship with Jasmine... since they have a history of fights between them, it's hard to imagine how them skating together can be sucessful... but they are both goal oriented and determined to make it work... over time and once they slowly start to get to know each other more, they turn into unexpected friends... very peculiar friends I have to add, but friends nonetheless :) and since Mariana can be called Queen of Slow Burn Romances for very good reasons, it's not until very late within the story when their relationship turns romantic :) I was more than ok with that, because it gave us the opportunity to be a part of their whole journey... :) *sighs dreamily* and I loved every part of it :) another absoltely fantastic and complex part of this story was Jasmine's family... apparently one of her sisters was the heroine of Mariana's other book, but I haven't read it yet :) all her stories can be read as total standalones so don't worry if you haven't read any of her other novels :) they are a very... interesting bunch :) I think my personal favourite was her mom... for many reasons :) but I don't really want to get into too many details, so you can make up your own opinions while reading the story :) the writing style was once more phenomenal... even though the book is not short, it felt like I was flying through it... reading chapter after chapter, because I could not put it down... Mariana made me fell completely in love with Jasmine, even though she wasn't an easy character... this whole book made my laugh, tear up, sigh in frustration, made all sorts of aaaawwww noises because of some totally adorable scenes... it was a perfect mix of everything I love in books, and I highly recommend you guys to give it a try :)

There is no one who does slow burn better than Mariana Zapata. At this point I'm just stating facts, honestly. I loved this book soooo much I feel like I can't even put into words how happy this book made me feel. Right now I have the biggest grin on my face and my heart feels full, like when you finish the best love story and you just know that they're going to be happy together for the rest of their lives. It's how I feel about Jasmine and Ivan. Because if there were ever two people who were meant to be, it's those two. I love that this was a enemies to friends to lovers romance but I loved even more was how they pretty much weren't enemies at all but it was all foreplay to what everyone could see but Jasmine. I won't even say Ivan because it feels clear to me that from the very beginning, Ivan has been interested in Jasmine and she was the only one clueless to his affections towards her. And that fact that he's been waiting around for her for freaking YEARS makes me love him so much but also makes their romance feel that much more soulmate worthy. I loved pretty much everything about this book but I especially loved Jasmine. I love how perfectly imperfect she is. I love how she is so unapologetically herself and how many would call her an unlikable heroine and she wouldn't give a hoot about it. She is who she is and she never apologizes for it and I loved that about her sooo much. She has worked so freaking hard for her dream, it honestly hurt me that she she kept failing while everyone else around her was succeeding. But what is so great about Jasmine is that she NEVER gives up, not on herself and not on the things that really matter. This book was very much centered on Jasmine's journey as a ice skater and as a person; I would even go as far as saying it was about her journey first, and the romance second. Though as a side note, that one sex scene we got was SO. FREAKING. HOT. Like seriously, hot. Their chemistry was off the charts and that one scene alone made me wish on all the stars in the sky that Mariana would have more sexy times in her books because hot DAMN. So if I loved this book so freaking much, why only 4 stars? Well there were a few things that bothered me: 1. I felt like the writing at certain points was a bit awkward and confusing. For example, many times throughout the book she would say things like "the woman standing next to me said," or "my mom's fourth husband said" and it was just so...weird? We know their names, she literally said them one line before so why did she have to keep referring to them through this characterization quirk? (I don't even know if that is a thing or if it makes sense but I'm going with it for now). It became annoying after a while because I just wanted to shout, "JUST CALL THEM BY THEIR DAMN NAME ALREADY" and at one point in the beginning when she'd done it with their Coach Lee I was genuinely confused when she'd refer to her as "the other woman standing next to me" because I thought maybe I'd missed something and there was more than one coach in the room and I had to keep rereading the paragraph or page over. 2. I feel like I complain about this all the time but while I love how she's so amazing at the slow burn, I feel like she forget that she needs to actually show us them as a couple. Don't get me wrong, I felt their connection and could feel that they'd be perfect together as a couple and they'd last for the long haul but once more it took until 95% for them to actually get together and that didn't really leave much room to show us them together as a couple. And I don't know if it's just a me thing, but while I want the slow burn, I also want the satisfaction of seeing them date and be a couple too. I feel like it gets tricky in this book because technically even though they weren't together and Jasmine was acting oblivious to what was in front of her, they were pretty much acting like a couple for the last quarter-ish of the book. I knew that Ivan was in love with her well before he admitted it and I knew that she had feelings for him too even if she hadn't realized it yet, but I wanted to see them be together longer than half a chapter. I'm not trying to be harsh or mean but it's clear that the author has a formula that has worked very well for her in the past. Hell, her next five books could follow the same formula of: slow burn to the max and then last five precent showing them finally admit their feelings and I'd still buy every single one of them. But at the same time, it's going to get old. And just because something has worked for you before doesn't mean you shouldn't grow as a writer and try new things. I'm not saying she needs to stop doing what she's doing because I love her for it so much but I'm saying maybe tweak it or throw in a curveball or two to keep us readers on our toes every once in a while. 3. And my final complaint would be that I felt like the writing was drawn out. It's not that I didn't love it and I wasn't completely hooked from beginning to end, because I was. But when I was reading, she would take three pages to say one thing and I got the distinct feeling she was just being wordy to be wordy. For example, I didn't need 3-4 pages of inner dialogue about how she was sad that her mom was sad, especially when it felt like it was in a constant loop of the same thing being said four different ways. This kind of ties into my point two where you could've used those extra words/pages or whatever to show us them as a couple instead of feeling like you needed to draw things out for the simple fact that it's kind of what you're known for. Again I don't mean this in a catty or nasty way because I genuinely love this author and her writing so freaking much it's not even funny. But it was just the impression I got a few times while reading. But besides those three things, I absolutely loved this book and felt like I went through the best freaking journey with these characters. Mariana Zapata is easily one of my favorite authors and I love that I can count on her to make me fall so in love with her books, no matter what. I also want to point out that I love her immensely for always having diversity in her books; she is one of the few romance authors that I can say that has multiple books with WOC heroines and I love that she consistently gives it to us. Not only that but she gives diversity in so many other aspects to, like in the topics covered in her books. Her characters are not one dimensional and they very much feel like real people, people who I could know and be friends with. Overall, if you are a fan of this author's previous books you will 100% love this book so hardcore. And if you haven't read anything by her yet you need to jump on the Zapata train and pick up this book asap.

I keep coming back and reading this book. The writing is excellent. The chemistry and humour is so incredible. This is my favourite book from this author and that’s a hard feat as she’s written some other gems as well.

Dare I say best slow burn book? Because I ate this up !!! It's one of my favourite books for sure and I defently recommend it.

This author! She amazes me every time I read one of her books. They are always slow-burn romances featuring real people with real-life issues. They are beautifully unhurried and a great study of human nature in all its forms. "There wasn't anything wrong with me. I stood up for myself. I stood up for other people." Jasmine Santos has dedicated her whole life to her sport. She's missed out on education, a social life, friendships beyond her close-knit family and the figure-skating world, and romantic relationships. Once a promising, rising star, something has been holding her back. Now, at 26, people seem to have already written her off, and her reputation is not quite stellar. "The brother to one of my only friends. The man who had not once said a kind word to me in over ten years. That's how I knew him." Ivan Lukov is figure skating personified. He can do no wrong. He's the golden boy of the ice. He's also a major thorn in Jasmine's side. One comment to him, when she was a teen, set the course of their acquaintance. Everybody knows that they can't stand one another. Then her number one frenemy and his coach approach her with an unthinkable opportunity that will give her a shot at winning a coveted gold medal, and revive her flagging career. This book was EVERYTHING! "You. Matter. To. Me. You." Like so many of this author's female characters, Jasmine is a strong, determined, no-nonsense woman. She doesn't sugarcoat anything. She might be blunt, but I loved her integrity and her work ethic. Like any elite athlete, she had her fair share of doubts, especially about all the things she's sacrificed in the name of her sport. I loved how she soldiered on with her first love in the face of disappointment and bad press; her refusal to justify her actions to anybody. Underneath her tough facade, she was a loving person who thought the world of those closest to her, and she had a propensity to stand up for the underdog. "Regardless of what happens, you will always be the best partner I've ever had. You'll always be the hardest working person I've ever known. There will only ever be you." I like to think of Ivan as a typical MZ hero. As her books are usually told from the female POV, we have to pick up clues to how the hero really feels, and what he thinks about the heroine and certain situations. Ivan was a match made in heaven for Jasmine. He was talented, commanding, and stubborn. He gave as good as he got and I loved that he enjoyed her snark- revelled in it, even. He was so fawned over as superstar that I'm sure he loved that she spoke to him so irreverently! LOL. I loved that he knew just how to treat her in any given situation. It was so clear how well he knew her and that he really cared about her and respected her as a person, as well as an athlete. He was pretty darn swoony! This book was humorous because Jasmine is such a snarky person, who doesn't mince her words. However, it also really tugged at my heartstrings - from quite early on, in fact. I was constantly wiping my eyes because I empathised with her struggles. She's such a tough cookie on the outside but, underneath, she had a big forgiving heart, and was just as vulnerable as the next person, with her doubts, her insecurities, and her anxieties. This was a fantastic, compelling read, with ice-hot chemistry between the two main characters. I loved EVERY. SINGLE. WORD. #TopRead2018

1 or 2 pages got ink spot but overall it's good.

¿POR DÓNDE EMPIEZO? 🤧😭✨ De Lukov with Love es un libro romántico de enemigos a amantes, de combustión lenta, sobre dos patinadores artísticos, Jasmine e Ivan, que deben emparejarse después de que ambos se encuentren en circunstancias difíciles, dejando de lado sus diferencias y su aversión mutua por el otro. Adoré a Jasmine y su personalidad desde el primer capítulo. Ella es la definición de una mujer fuerte (tanto física como emocionalmente), valiente, decidida y ruda. Ella es intensa y ruidosa la mayor parte del tiempo, pero de la mejor manera, y me encantó leer sobre todo lo que dijo, hizo, o la forma en que reaccionó a las cosas que la rodeaban. Los lazos entre ella y los miembros de su familia eran tan buenos, y sus relaciones eran tan dulces de leer. Tenemos a Ivan Luvok. Si bien Jasmine lo presenta en primer lugar como un pinchazo, arrogante e irritante, pronto podemos empezar a vislumbrar rasgos de su verdadero carácter: dulce, considerado y justo alguien por quien me enamoré perdidamente. Me encantó su discusión con Jasmine y cómo trataron de molestarse el uno al otro en cualquier oportunidad que pudiera presentar. Pero también cómo lentamente vemos que se cuidan unos a otros, se sienten cómodos y a gusto cuando el otro está cerca, y los pequeños actos y gestos con los que comienzan a tratarse a medida que avanza la historia. El romance fue TAN. MALDITO. BUENO. Increíble Maravilloso Cada pequeña cosa, una mirada, un gesto, una palabra entre Ivan y Jasmine era mágica, y estaba tan bien escrita que no me cansaba de ellas. Eran absolutamente adorables tanto individualmente como en su conjunto, y el tropo de la combustión lenta y de enemigos a amantes era fenomenal. He visto a todo el mundo hablar de lo maravillosas que son las lentas quemaduras de Mariana Zaapta, y estoy aquí para confirmar y elogiar tales afirmaciones. La forma en que pasaron de ser enemigos, a compañeros, a mejores amigos, a amantes fue increíble y una transición tan lenta y dulce que no se sintió apresurada ni provocada en ningún momento. En conclusión, este libro bien podría ser mi nuevo romance independiente favorito absoluto. Todos los libros de Mariana Zapata están ahora en mi tbr y puedes esperar que venga gritando a tus dms sobre lo bueno que es este libro. Ivan y Jasmine me han robado completamente el corazón y no lo voy a aceptar de vuelta.