From Lukov with Love

Every time I see a new release coming from Ms Zapata I get excited and start counting down the days. Every book I read I have loved and re-read over and over until I could probably write it out myself word for word just off memory alone. BUT... This book, just smacked me right in the feels - I literally wanted nothing to do with the real world for the day and a half it took me to read. From Lukov is just stunning and makes you want to dig into that part of you that where you buried your dreams years ago when reality and bills and life got in the way, and look at the world a little more like Jasmine, and go for it, whatever that dream, that feeling or rightfulness and home may be. And if your lucky maybe find a Ivan to be there to drag you kicking and screaming when needed and always, always get back up after a fall. XXXXX

Amazing book as always by Mariana Zapata! Absolutely loved every word and as always Mariana sucks us in for the long slow burn while her characters tease.. flirt and learn to know all there is about each other. This book tells us the story of figure skater Jasmine who we met briefly in Dear Aaron as she is the sister of Ruby. Jasmine has always had skating in her life.. its her passion so when her partner of a few years sends her back to being a single skater Jasmine thinks her career is over until she gets a chance to train and compete with World champion Ivan Lukov. This brings us sarcastic comments by the bucket load.. fun laughter and even some tears while these pair learn how to skate together but as always the story takes a turn making us love these guys even more. I will forever read everything Mariana writes she is amazing and every one of her books show just what talent she has!!

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! Th...

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 read ‘Dear Aaron’ by the same author and loved the characters and the story almost instantly. Jasmine is introduced in that book so I was excited to start ‘From Lukov with love’ … but by 1/4 of the way through I didn’t like either of the main characters, they just didn’t make sense. I found the characters mean and judgmental with no explanation as to why or how. I’m glad I stuck with it as the second half of the book just kept getting better and better as the background to these characters was revealed and I finally fell in love with them! Read Dear Aaron first, then stick with this one, it’s worth it!