Twenty minutes later, while I was still busy stretching, I pulled my phone out and wasn’t surprised more messages appeared. This is the story of Jasmine Santos and her determination to prove everyone – herself included – that she is one of the best figure skaters out there. Her time has not come yet and she would definitely smash the door in its nose if it were to come by any time soon. Jasmine Santos (26) and Ivan Lukov (29) are pretty much one of my favourite characters of all time. I love them on their own and I love them together. They were so perfect for each other - they matched each other in wit, determination, and passion on and off the ice. Their development from enemies to friends, and ultimately, to lovers is definitely one of the best I’ve ever read. Their slow-burn romance had me on the edge of my seat, squealing and waiting for their first kiss. But as it is with slow burns, the ending is always worth the wait! I will. I think the encyclopedia needs an entry on Assholes and could use your picture as an example.” Books by Mariana Zapata are not for everyone. If you love one of her books, there is a high chance that you will love most of her works. If you hated her one work, the chance of loving any of her books is very rare. It might be because most of her books are slow-burn romances, including this one.

One of the many things I love about MZ’s books, is that she never fails to deliver in the family dynamic department. Family can be simultaneously the most messy and wholesome part of anybody’s life. They’re the ones who can build you up or tear you down, and most of the time, they do both. Jasmine had some incredibly touching moments with her family, as well as some incredibly heart-breaking ones. I cried for her relationship with her father because that really hit home. The feeling of inadequacy and feeling guilty in pursuing one’s own dreams was so prevalent in Jasmine’s journey and development as a character and I love that MZ is never afraid to really tap into those hard-hitting emotions. It was raw, gripping, and authentic as hell. So I can legit carry that shit around with me everywhere I go and watch the magic to my heart's content via smartphone. Mariana Zapata’s writing style is known for its strong characterization and emotional depth, and “From Lukov with Love” is no exception. Jazmine is a relatable and inspiring protagonist, and readers will root for her every step of the way. The novel is a captivating journey that will leave readers feeling uplifted and hopeful. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HE JUST HAD TO SAY HE WASN'T SHARING. PLEASE WE LOVE A POSSESSIVE MAN PLEASEEEEEE GIVEEEE MEEEE NOWW. I always value a good character development, and Jasmine's was 50/50, only if her inner long—ass monologue wouldn't have been tiring and repetitive. I understood part of her struggles, but like a 10% of it. And that's it. The rest it's just her being a whiny bitch. I wish she wasn't the most annoying bitch ever.

Since I was six years old, I’ve been a non-competitive competitive figure skater. Does that make sense? I adore figure skating with my whole heart. I love the way it makes me feel: talented and elastic. Figure skating creates some of the most powerful feelings in the world, and it pains me that some people will never know how it feels to arrive at the final twenty seconds of a three-minute program, streaking down the ice to jazz music. because i’m okay with you having ten other people be your favorite. but you’re always going to be my favorite person” Left: Me, holding up my test papers after passing my Junior Freestyle Test almost exactly a year ago with my Evita program. Right: Me again, performing my Arabian Nights program in the winter show. I love the way you smile,” he said with a dreamy, sleepy expression. “I want to tell you to do it more often, but I don’t.”

This was very much the signature slow burn Zapata is known for. I love the duet style narration, even though the book was told solely from Jasmine's POV, Ivan's lines were voiced by a male narrator. Speaking of narrators- the Callie Dalton/Teddy Hamilton pairing was EVERYTHING! I loved the characters, loved the story, and loved the audio. This was a very enjoyable and entertaining read I would highly recommend! In my opinion, physical books, e-books and audiobooks are all crucial in the reading process of an individual. Each one has its own pros and cons. I think it is absurd to compare them. Her story ends with an epilogue. I won’t spoil it, but Jasmine finds her place in the world, and it includes a career in figure skating with which she’s made her peace. More than peace. Jasmine is happy, and she’s happy because she is simply herself, and she has found her version of success. She understands that she deserves unconditional love, with no stipulations and no strings attached— from her family, from her boyfriend (a total babe), and from herself. Jasmine has a few rough, very unsuccessful years behind her. She would give everything for just one more chance to compete and prove herself on the ice.Furthermore, I felt like there was a lot of elements to this story that just dragged on or was all together unnecessary. Jasmine has to deal with this kind of harassment and unwanted attention for years and years, and she decides not to tell anyone about this situation because she doesn’t want to trouble them – because it’s not big of a deal. From Lukov with Love beautifully depicts a slow-burn romance that develops between Jasmine and Ivan. The gradual progression of their relationship adds depth and intensity to the story, making it a heartwarming and emotionally satisfying love story. As they navigate the ups and downs of their partnership, their connection deepens, bringing forth moments of vulnerability, trust, and ultimately, love. Overcoming Adversity & Pursuing Dreams Normally, I don’t fall for contemporary romance characters (I’m more of a sci-fi/fantasy whore anyway), but there was something about Vanya Lukov. I simply fell in love with him. Me and Jasmine, both of us.

Oh- and I still can't get over the fact that Jasmine's brother-in-law called her, "baby girl." I also think that's weird and nasty.However, all her books so far I listened as audiobooks. And Callie Dalton, the narrator, did an amazing job, at least for my taste. Don’t get me wrong – it took me about two chapters to get used to it and to stop noticing the difference all that much. All I’m saying is – if you have a chance to listen From Lukov with Love on audio, listen to it on audio. No hay mucho que me tienen que decir para que me den ganas de leer un libro. A veces es suficiente solo mencionar "patinaje artístico" y "slowburn" para tenerme intrigado. Y dejenme decirles, From Lukov With Love me cautivó desde la página uno. both jasmine and lukov were just really immature icl. i just didn't like either one of them much, and while there were moments i tolerated jasmine she was also... very annoying

And then when the photo shoot happened and she was going on about how she didn’t want to do it because he’d make fun of her body and he reassured her that her body was beautiful and he would NEVER make fun of it. It’s just that – I don’t think I even see this book as a romance. Apart from the very end, I just saw them as friends. And I was fine with that. I’m just not sure I’d recommend it to someone who’s looking for a romance specifically. stars ☆ THIS IS THE BEST SLOW BURN I’VE EVER READ. I love love love loveeee Ivan & Jasmine. They are definitely my comfort characters and this book would be one of my comfort reads for sure. And how the enemies to lovers trope put in here?! *chefs kiss* The slow burn was just impeccably good. Like i’m smiling ear to ear that made my cheeks hurt when they banter and ofc when they finally kissed AHHHHH I LOVE IT. In the end, Jazmine and Ivan’s hard work and dedication pay off. They find success in their skating careers and manage to qualify for the Olympics. Along the way, they have also fallen deeply in love and finally confess their feelings for each other. Their relationship adds an extra layer of joy and fulfillment to their achievements. From Lukov with Love also followed this pattern very closely. And for the first time, I felt like that bothered me a bit. With all her other books I read, I would just think – well, here’s Mariana Zapata I know and love. And now, for the first time, I was like – yeah, OK, but I’ve heard this story 5 or 6 times before.No puedo comenzar a explicar lo mucho que me encariñé con Jasmine. Su pasión, sus inseguridades y su bad-assery resaltaron durante toda la novela. Llego a entender muy bien porque la gente dice que en ocaciones llega a ser "desesperante", pero me proyecté tanto en ella que me era imposible no verme reflejado en su postura y en sus peleas con su papá e Ivan. Es un personaje sumamente fuerte y entrañable y ya es de mis protagonistas favoritas. Oh, they are so good! Very, very slow burn. Her writing is so amazing. You must try one of her books! Nothing can indeed replace the joy of reading a physical book. I am a conventional reader who prefers to read Physical books. But we can't ignore the ease of using audiobooks and their immense role in helping the newer generation to listen to books amid their busy lives. We can see that the author also loves and gives more importance to physical books, which is great. But her approach to audiobooks is a debatable topic. As with many books, I get surprised when I rate popular books with 1 or 2 stars because I wonder "there's something wrong with me? (there is, many things actually, but that's a storytime for another day)" or if i'm a coldhearted bitch? (but oh, i am, lol). But we all have our opinions and I don't blame y'all for liking/loving this book. Actually, I tried to like it, but unfortunately, I just couldn't.