From Lukov with Love Paperback – 1 Feb. 2018

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️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.

I waited a long time to read this and I'm glad I finally did . It's probably the longest slow burn I have ever read but I loved the characters so much !

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

Ah, Mariana Zapata does it again! The queen of slow burn romance indeed. I absolutely adored both Jasmine and Ivan, together and as individual characters; Jasmine actually being one of the emotionally strongest female characters, with a resolution to never give up, no matter what. And Ivan, as one of the sweetest partners to grace the romance genre; a protective, EMOTIONALLY SAVVY, supportive and sexy counterpart. I love these two so much, and it made me tear up at times. The genuine anguish of some sections were so real that it was impossible not to feel for Jasmine, and firmly placed this as my favourite sports reads of all time (up to this point; I spy Mariana’s list of books and notice more sport romances, so you’ll find me there when I need a heartwarming slow burn).

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.

FINAL DECISION: A true slow burn, this book was exactly what I needed to read right now. A substantive relationship with characters that have depth and interest. New author to me, but I look forward to reading more.THE STORY: Jasmine Santos is a talented but struggling figure skater whose career has hit a rough patch. She is dealing with the pressures of her sport, financial difficulties, a bad last partner, and trying to reconnect with her family. She has been floating since separating from her last partner but keeps skating even as people begin to see that her career is over and she should consider teaching. Enter Ivan Lukov, the brother of one of Jasmine's friends. Ivan is a skilled, successful skater who has been pushing Jasmine's anger buttons for years. Despite their history of clashes and differences in personalities, Jasmine and Ivan agree to become skating partners out of necessity -- but only for one year. Along the way, the relationship between the two changes as they develop a complex and evolving relationship that goes beyond the ice rink.OPINION: This is the first book by this author that I have read, but it won't be the last. It eschews the overdramatic and grounds itself so deep in reality that I felt that I could meet these two characters at the local ice skating rink. Jasmine is such a complex character: prickly, caring, a perfectionist, a bit of an emotional mess. At first, I wasn't sure about her, but the book does such a great job of bringing the reader into her life that I quickly began to love her quirks.Ivan -- oh, simply adorable. The way the book is structured, readers don't know his thoughts in the book. Therefore, we only get to know him through his actions and words and how Jasmine views him which changes as the book progresses.The relationship between Jasmine and Ivan builds slowly and felt so real. The book really builds from the characters and doesn't rely on cheap dramatic tricks to draw the characters together. Instead, it is the small things -- helping after a car won't start, babysitting that builds the relationship. The best part of this book? By the time the book ends, there is no question that these two are perfect for one another.The family dynamics were amazing here as well. Jasmine has a lot to learn about her family. This book serves as her catalyst for finding what her role is in her family. By the way, I loved Jasmine's mom and her siblings. They are devoted to Jasmine but also funny characters. It really felt like a great family.I just loved this whole universe of characters, and I thoroughly enjoyed this book.WORTH MENTIONING: Great for fans of ice skating.CONNECTED BOOKS: FROM LUKOV WITH LOVE is a standalone.STAR RATING: I give this book 5 stars.

This slow burn, enemies to lovers is a masterpiece. I’m actually sad there aren’t more romance books surrounding figure skating. I’d eat them all up!! If you haven’t read this one yet, what are you waiting for! Easy 5/5 stars!

5/5llegó en 4 días en excelentes condiciones. el lomo del libro no viene flojo, cuesta abrir las paginas porque sino se rompe o se hacen como unas grietas en el lomo.me encantó todo del libro, los personajes, la manera en la que bromean, el desarrollo y participación de todos los que mencionan.

Fiquei presa na história do início ao fim. Li tudo em uma noite, por não conseguir largar o livro. É bom demais!!! O slow burn que eu estava esperando não foi arrastado nem forçado, foi natural e divertido, o que me impressionou. Queria saber mais sobre a visão do Ivan quando ele inicialmente convida a Jas pra ser sua parceira, de acordo com o que ele fala no fim do livro... E senti falta daqueles dois-quase-três meses que são pulados na história, acho que é bem irreal pensar que a dinâmica dos dois estancou e se manteve naquele mesmo patamar nesse período. Mas de qualquer forma amei muito o livro, e estou sonhando acordada com esses dois.

Ha llegado en perfecto estado.Slow burn muy bonito aunque siento que no llegó a desarrollarse del todo. Muy fácil para leer en inglés, se lee rápido.