From Lukov with Love

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

The only reason I’m giving it 4 and not 5 is because I had to skim through the first 100 pages. Jas is so much in her head, overthinking and over-analyzing everything that a simple conversation takes pages after pages to unfold, and it lowkey drove me nuts. 100 pages and nothing of substance had happened apart from her partnering up with Ivan. However, once we got over it, it was a really good read. I like how there was no horrible miscommunication trope, and no drama just before the end because they didn’t need it. The spice was okay, not the steamiest but because the slow burn was more emotional rather than physical, it didn’t bother me at all. Some descriptions were a bit cringy for me, but eh, who cares what I think 😜 All in all a nice romance that I enjoyed a lot and I’ll be sure to check out other books from this author 🤗

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Tropes: Enemies to lovers / Friends to lovers / Sports romance / Slow burn / Figure skating Wow. This has shot straight to the top of my contemporary romance favourites list. I’d never read anything by Mariana before but after a rec on booktok I thought I’d give it a go and boy, it did not disappoint👏🏻. This has the slowest of slow burns I’ve ever read. It goes from enemies to friends to lovers with such ease and it feels so natural and unforced and realistic! I felt that if I was Jasmine, the FMC, that I’d 200% follow the same journey as her with Ivan, the MMC. Speaking of Ivan, I officially have a number two book boyfriend on my list. Xaden is still first 🤭. He is so gorgeous and as a reader, you can’t help but fall in love with him and his character development throughout the book. The figure skating storyline was exciting and different and it was refreshing to read something other than a hockey sports romance. I’m in a true book slump after this one as I whizzed through it in 24hrs.

yay so happy i got this book so quickly!! this book is probably my favourite reread i had to get the paperback after reading it on my phone lol

This book was all over my social media and when I saw it was on KU, I snapped it up onto my TBR. I'd been told that was a slow burn, enemies to lovers romance, which I could get behind as I prefer romance where character and plot are balanced with spice. I love a slow burn. I enjoyed Jas and Ivan's move from enemies to friendship and seeing the world of skating through their eyes. Even though each are already grown ups when the book starts, this is in many ways also a coming of age story where Jas faces old scars and allows herself to be vulnerable with her new partner and finally free herself to reach her potential on the ice. As much as I enjoyed the friendship, I wish that more time had been given to the romance element of the book. Ultimately, the burn was so slow that I honestly thought I'd misunderstood and that it wasn't going to be a romance in the end but enemies to besties. It just felt like the romance was tacked on at the end as nothing really happened until 87% of the way in, and even then nothing really kicks off until 92% in. So we don't really get to spend time with them as a couple until the epilogue. *spoilers ahead* Even in a scene where Ivan kisses Jas, she completely brushes it off as friends and doesn't really kiss him back or mention it again. She does decide she's in love with him and it seems to come out of nowhere. She's so far in her head or potentially oblivious that it's hard to get any sense of romantic tension or flow. I wish we had more than the epilogue to hear about their successes and love for each other, but I'm glad I got that.

I do like Mariana Zapata novels and this was no exception. The characters were great and I liked that, if you looked closely, you could see how Lukov cared by what he did, the expressions on his face so that you already knew he loved before he actually said the words. I raced through it and will be going back to te-read it more slowly just because I enjoyed it so much. Recommend.

Ivan Lukov, though? Vanya 💝 I just can't. I think this is the first Mariana Zapata book where I didn't feel at least a tiny bit short-changed by the story being single POV. He just said all the right things, and Jasmine was a perfect fmc. “Because I’m okay with you having ten other people be your favourite. But you’re always going to be my favourite person,” he finished. “Always. No matter what.” That whole plot sequence going into their first competition was everything! The confrontation with Paul, their moment on the ice... AHHHH... I’m obsessed. I can't lie, the first 20ish per cent of this book took me a minute to get through. It was a bit too petty for me at times - but after that, I couldn't put it down. The fact that MZ didn't need to include an act four break-up and there was no miscommunication - PERFECTION! Just a great blend of enemies-to-friends-to-lovers 💝 Ivan and Jasmine have a place in my heart. MZ is the slow-burn queen

From Lukov with Love it’s another great slow burn read from this author! It’s long but while reading it you don’t realise when suddenly end is behind the corner and you don’t want it to end! You need time and patience as it takes time for the story to grow, the first half of the book is mostly constant bickering between our couple. Sometimes I forgot they were past middle twenties as they were arguing as teenagers but even if it went for long time you still enjoy every bit of it. I absolutely adored Lukov! He was that guy that you love more with each page. His “not so little secret” or rather “many secrets” made me see him in totally different light and totally and utterly one of my favourite characters! Give this book your time. While reading the first book of this Author a few years ago at first I was restless as it was never ending and such a slow burn it nearly killed me. In the end it became one of my favourite books that I often read when I need to relax. After reading more of her books I know to be patient and honesty they really don’t seem long anymore just precious with the best bit to come at the end which is always good and worth it all!

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.

I LOVE LOVE LOVED IT. Make way, The Wall of Winnipeg and Me and Kulti, From Lukov with Love is joining you in my 're-read all over and over and over again' pile. This book had Mariana Zapata's signature slow burn that I can't get enough, characters I can't help but absolutely love, and fantastic banter that made me laugh out loud, all the while set in a sport world I don't usually encounter in romance novels (If you know more figure skating/pair skating romances, please recommend them to me!). Plus, Ivan and Jasmine are my favorite MZ hero and heroine. Jasmine Santos has been in the figure and pair skating world for as long as she can remember, but at twenty-six and without a partner after he left her in the dust, she might have to hang up her skates. Talented as she is, she hasn't won a gold medal since her junior years, and with people she has attitude problems, it isn't exactly easy to find a new partner. But when world champion and darling of the skating world Ivan Lukov and his coach asks her to become his partner, Jasmine knows this is an opportunity of a lifetime. Only thing is she can't stand Ivan, and the feeling is mutual. Despite Jasmine being Ivan's sister's best friend, the two have been at each other's throats since they were teenagers, and the animosity stayed with them even as they grew up. If they want to make their partnership work, they'll have to try to get along, or at least not try to kill each other while they're training. Outside the rink is fair game. But a partnership like theirs needs a strong foundation of trust in each other, and they don't trust each other at all. I laughed so much at Ivan and Jasmine's antics. These two did not hold back at all. They can't spend time together without throwing insults at each other that the people around them don't know whether to be frustrated or entertained. There were times my chest ached and I wanted to kick Ivan where it hurts because some of the things he said were pretty sore points for Jasmine, and honestly for me, too. Jasmine's not innocent either. But all in all, it's pretty innocent; it's become a routine for them to do it that their words do not have as much heat as it sounds. Okay, let me start with my dear Vanya. I'm pretty sure Ivan Lukov is my favorite MZ hero. He's different than the rest of the author's heroes. He's cocky but not to the point of being conceited, charming, and more outgoing than the previous heroes. He's affectionate and teasing, and has more to him than meets the eye. He's a celebrated athlete, but you can't begrudge him for his fame and success because you know well he worked hard for it. That's what makes him perfect for Jasmine. He understands her pains and struggles as an athlete, and knows better than anyone of the sacrifices they have to give to be where they are. And he's funny as heck! Jasmine, unlike her shy and reticent older sister Ruby (heroine of Dear Aaron), is outspoken and does not hold back to tell others what she's thinking. She's confident in who she is as a person and will never pretend to be something she's not just to please others, and you know what, that's what I admired about her the most. Because of that, people often mistake it for being mean and unapproachable. I have a similar outlook on life as Jasmine, and it hit me in the feels when I learned more about her. She's 100% focused on her career, and because of that, she's lost time she should have been spending with her family and everyone she loves. She seems emotionally detached, but truly she's kind-hearted. If you've read DA, Jas was a teenager then and honestly, to me, she seemed selfish or conceited. She's grown since then after finally realizing how much her family has sacrificed for her to reach her dreams, and she's making a conscious effort to make it up to them. But as I've said, Jasmine isn't a touchy-feely person, and she's still trying to figure out how to make it up to her family all the while trying to understand her real goal in her career and her frustrations. It's one of her biggest struggles here, and we get to see how she overcomes that. I loved watching this part of her, the growth Jasmine has to go through in From Lukov with Love. I loved the Santos family dynamic! Jasmine and her mom, Jas and her brothers and sisters (plus their significant others and children), it was such a treat to read about them! You can see it in her family why Jasmine is the way she is. They're not outwardly affectionate towards each other in a conventional sense, but the strong love is obvious. They tease and hurl insults at each other but will threaten bodily harm on people who they think would hurt their brood. Special mention to James who's the best! It was so funny when he and Jas bickered. The family dynamic felt authentic, even her strained relationship with her father. And as a Filipino, I have to confirm that some of the parents (luckily not mine) tend to think the same as Jasmine's father who believes that a college degree and a nine-to-five office job is better than anything else. While this book is full of funny antics, it has its fair share of angst, too. But other than that, there are a lot of feels! When the two decides to become friends, it's obvious how compatible they were, and then when they started caring for each other??? AHHHH. Feels! I love it when guys are affectionate and sweet and thoughtful and ahhh. I can't. From Lukov with Love is a standalone so people don't need to read Dear Aaron to appreciate it, but I still recommend reading DA first since it was set a few years prior to Lukov. But if you've read Dear Aaron already and loved them, you'll see a little bit more of #Ruron here! Fans of Kulti and enemies to lovers romance will love From Lukov with Love! It will make you laugh, tear up, and fall in love, not just with Ivan and Jasmine, but with figure and pair skating, as well. Tropes: Enemies to Lovers, Best Friend's Brother, Sports—Pair Skating POV: First Person, Female POV Standalone: Yes

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.

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.