From Lukov with Love

DNF at 61%. I couldn't get over the fact that he called her Meatball. Also I have heard the author is known for her slow burn romance but the book felt slow overall. The scenes seemed drawn out

First Mariana Zapata book and ya'll weren't lying about the slow burn.

This was cute ig

Enemies to friends to lovers. Sick bed scene. Disappointing dad. Hero getting SO angry when the heroine puts herself at risk. I stayed up until 3am reading this. Someone on Twitter described Mariana Zapata’s books as minutiae porn, that it can be weirdly relaxing to read someone’s day-to-day routine, and it is when its elite sports athletes.

I liked this so much. The way Ivan slowly wore Jasmine down after weeks and months of training together. Like all Zapata’s books is a slow slow burn, but beautiful.

12/11/21 update: I was only up until 1:30am this time before making myself stop and go to sleep. I’m probably going on another MZ bender now.

The best thing about this book was Jasmine's personality and Ivan's love for her

i’ll only be answering to erica lukov from now on. hope you can all understand.

DNF 11%

4 or 5 stars I’m not sure.

I love the slow and gradual romance and the hero pining over the heroine (which I can totes understand cause Jasmine is an amazing girl).

I have only read 2 of Zapata’s books and observed she has this formula I really enjoy how she writes slow-burn romances where there isn’t a grand gesture of love or confession, only small and sweet ones. There would be an understanding between the two and required no words. In fact in this one, Jas only said “love you” once the entire book and it wasnt even the whole thing. Its not cheesy and I appreciate that.

Ivan’s short “I love you”s were always followed by a smile and a tease. I think its very cute. Ivan and Jasmine were great characters and I love the mini zoo they had at home huhu there were pigs.

I can also understand Jasmine’s father and why he wants her to succeed in a more traditional and stable way. Education is important after all and coming from an Asian background (Jasmine mentioned she was part Filipino), it is very much part of our cultural mindset. Its not the best mindset, I acknowledge, because the arts are important, but I understand his side as well. He eventually came around to the idea of skating and supported her at the end with a sign telling her never to give up