If someone were to ask Jasmine Santos to describe the last few years of her life with a single word, it would definitely be a four-letter one.After seventeen years—and countless broken bones and broken promises—she knows her window to compete in figure skating is coming to a close.But when the offer of a lifetime comes in from an arrogant idiot she’s spent the last decade dreaming about pushing … dreaming about pushing in the way of a moving bus, Jasmine might have to reconsider everything.
Including Ivan Lukov.
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One of my favorite Mariana Zapata books yet!
When Jasmine Santos first stepped on the ice she felt like she had somewhere she belonged. When she finds out her skating partner dumped her for another her life falls into a tailspin. Trying to gain back her confidence she keeps up her training schedule of early hours on the ice, and afternoons waiting tables. When she is approached by Gold Medalist Ivan Lukov and his coach to be his new partner, she is floored. She has known Ivan for years, and while he is adored by fans, there is no love lost between them. He is her best friend’s brother and has been in her life for years, but they are frenemies at best. Can they make this partnership work? She is determined to take this last chance at a career she loves and agrees to put their hate aside… on the ice.
From Lukov With Love was told entirely from Jasmine’s perspective and at first she made it really hard to care for her. She was very prickly! The more I learned about her history the easier it was to see through that wall she put up and start rooting for her. Since we were reading this story through Jasmine’s eyes, we were never given any insight into Ivan’s actions, only Jasmine’s interpretation which was not always correct. To give her credit, Ivan did seem to be a bit of a snobby jerk, but as the novel went on actions spoke louder than words and that snobby jerk turned into Jasmine’s white knight making not only Jasmine fall in love, but also the reader.
This was a classic enemies to friends Zapata romance novel. The majority of the novel builds their friendship before turning that friendship into romance. Sometimes in that trope, the man or woman already loves their partner, but in this one I got the feeling that although Jasmine misinterpreted Ivan’s actions throughout the years, their love story really started as they got to know each other better by learning to trust their partnership. That slow build up created a perfect climactic moment when they revealed their feelings to each other. It was perfect.
This story takes place after dear Arron and features Ruby’s little sister jasmine… you know jasmine… the one she was making ice skating costumes for!
All jasmine has ever wanted to do is skate. After going to an ice skating party as a little girl, all she wants is to be on the ice. Sacrifice and hard work has driven her to work hard and following the break up with her ice skating partner..she realises how limited a life she has… focusing on oh her job, her family. making up for the neglect she feels she needs to do better, be better… a better version of herself… not the fiesty, spunky, no nonsense person, neglectful person… so she is left with out a skating partner working a dead end waitressing job, skating but skating alone.. practicing for what? She doesn’t know… she is at a cross road… to retire or coach…until her friends older brother Ivan lukov asks her to skate with him for a year… the same Ivan lukov who has tormented and teased and hated her for the past 14 years…
All her sacrifices would be worth something because with Ivan she would win… she just has to get over making a deal with the devil because Ivan lukov is basically ‘satan’!
Such a brilliant book from start to finish. I adored that this book was about ice skating…I’ve always been a fan of the sport since being a little kid and I this book did not disappoint, form the technicals side of things to the slowwwwww Burn wizardry that Marian brings to all her books.
Filled with breathtaking ‘moments’ and funny moments… I adored how the banter between jasmine and Ivan developed slowly from hate? No not hate but dislike to loving.
And that epilogue finished me off wonderfully!
Love the Winter Olympics? Always watch the pairs skating? Then don’t miss this intensely human, and deeply romantic dive behind the scenes with Mariana Zapata.
Jas and Ivan have this great bickering relationship — that really shows how they couldn’t have ended up with anyone else. No one else would could have taken their years of verbal jabs, and found them endearing. But that is what is fun about Jas and Ivan, somethimes they go too far and hit on real insecurities, but teasing is how they can most accuarately express themselves…through their laughter at slights, and the actions that show their loyalty and care, we get to witness enemies become best friends, and best friends fall in love.
What I also found impressive is that Zapata is also able to really express the different expereince these two premier athletes have because of their gender, money, and ethnicity. These characters are very much shaped by how pepole have perceived them over the years because of their exterior, and the facades that few people have cared to look beneath. Over the course of the book, as Jas and Ivan learn to trust each other, the reader is gifted with a slow upwrapping of two deliciously complex characters — who are connected because no one else in their lives can appreciate what it means to be a professional athlete, and among other atheltes no one else has been safe enough for either Ivan or Jas to be vulnerable with.
This story takes place around 10 years after Dear Aaron, but it isn’t necessary to read the first book to enjoy all the characters in From Lukov. It is fascinating to get to know Jasmine Santos better.
Another amazing story from Mariana Zapata and i have to say, what a perfect timing with the Olympics and all.. couldn’t be better..
Jasmine is a professional figure and pair ice skater who is running out of time, as the clock is ticking and she is not getting any younger.. desperate to find someone who will pair with her on the next competitions.. she found the offer of her life, the offer that will maybe make her win this time,
the gold medal. but not all opportunities come that easy.. she isn’t sure if she should take this offer. but life and circumstances will help her take that decision..
She thinks she is not enough, she thinks nobody appreciates her and loves her like the rest of her siblings.. she doesn’t have an easy relationship with her family, specially with her father, who constantly makes her feel less, affecting her emotions and feelings, undermining her success on the ice ring..
Ivan a very famous professional ice skater.. who doesn’t have a pair partner anymore, he is seeking for someone good who will help him win on the next competitions .. no matter if the one who is available can’t stand him.. no matter if the only girl, who can help him win, is the one who hate his guts the most.. Ivan wont stop until he gets what he wants.. he is quiet and very determine and should i say a clean freak too and handsome and hot why not? he wont stop until he gets her..
What a beautiful story, i love how Jasmine didn’t take any s… from anybody.. she was a very strong heroine and very determine one too, yes she had a few lows but she needed to have them.. she needed to realize how strong she was and how hard she’ve been working all these years.. that no matter if the entire universe thought, she wasn’t enough.. she was more than worth it.. Ivan, plays a very important part on Jasmine change because in someway their connection helps her to see herself more deeply …
If everything and everybody around you makes you feel like you’re not worth it!! leave it to Ivan to make you feel the most worth it person in the world…. he was also caring and soft, a true gentleman.. but only time will show that side of him..
Get ready for a beautiful slow burn story that is going to make you laugh, laugh and laugh and cry.. yes you’re going to laugh your a.. off with all the crazy bantered between these two.. Name calling and all lol .. but believe me you’re going to fall in love with their story, their families and their amazing pair routin.. They’re the best!!
And while you watch the olympics, remember Jasmine and Ivan. in every ice skater, in every performance..in every perfect pirouette, Pamchenko Twist and Triple Lutz because thats how magical they are..
This book takes place in the world of competitive figure skating, and focuses on Jasmine and Ivan. Jasmine is an amazing skater, but has had zero luck with partners. Ivan is a fellow skater, but also the brother of her best friend. There is a long history of back and forth, hard feelings, and banter between the two. When Ivan’s coach comes to Jasmine with a proposition, she has to think long and hard about it.
I love the banter between Ivan and Jasmine. They are hilarious! I loved how this book focused not only on the feelings between the two, but on how hard they had to work, to accomplish their goals. Jasmine is an amazingly strong character, has a fantastic work ethic, and is a strong role model for the girls that train at arena.
Right from the beginning, I had a feeling that Ivan was hiding something, that he was hiding behind the barbs he traded back and forth with Jasmine. I love the way everything unfolded. Through sickness, injury, and crazy family members Ivan and Jasmine proved just how committed they were to attaining their goals.
This book is an amazing story of love, perseverance, dedication, and support. I’d totally put this on my re-read list, and would recommend it to anyone!
From the first book that I read from this writer, I fell in love with her writing style. The way that Mariana Zapata writes a very, very slow burn romance story, I just adore it!
And her latest release ‘From Lukov with love’ is again one of those slow burn stories. I must confess that after reading ‘Dear Aaron’ (and not really feeling it for that story) , I was a little bit hesitant to start this story. But when I heard from my friend that she loved it, I know I would love it too and I was right! I enjoyed this story very much.
We already met Jasmine Santos in ‘Dear Aaron’ (she is Ruby’s younger sister). I was really happy that the writer decided to write Jasmine’ story. Because that doesn’t only mean that we got a story about a figure skating couple but it also means that we got to see the Santos family again. A crazy, funny and loyal family. The story is told from Jasmine’s POV. I really liked her, on first sight you might think that she’s very stubborn, egoistical and even a bit ‘cold’ but that’s just the mask that she shows the world. Inside she’s passionate, loyal and yes also very stubborn but she’s also a very hardworking woman. I found this story very emotional, I really felt Jasmine hopes, her pain, her frustrations and fear in this story and also her fear of disappointing the people she loves and even herself.
And then you have Ivan…. Ivan was fantastic. He was really the partner that Jasmine needed, on and off the ice. He really knew how to push her buttons. I just loved it.
I started this story during the week and that was a really bad idea, because it meant that I lost a few hours of sleep because I just couldn’t stop reading.
So if you love insta love stories or want a lot of sex in your books then I wouldn’t recommend this book (or her other books) to you. But if you are looking for a story where ‘enemies’ have to work together and only after a long time become friends and only at the end become lovers then you have to read this book. Mariana Zapata is really one of my favorite slow burn writers!
I’m already looking forward to the next book of this writer.