Reviews with content warning for Sexual harassment - S láskou, Lukov

Reviews tagging 'Sexual harassment'

S láskou, Lukov by Mariana Zapata

80 reviews

beckyyreadss's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I wanted to read this book because I’m always wanting to discover new authors, my goal this year was specific to reading a book by Mariana Zapata. The first book I had read of hers was The Wall of Winnipeg and Me and I really enjoyed it, and it made me want to read more of her work. I enjoyed this book, but it took me a while to get into and think it’s slightly overhyped on Booktok.

This book is based around Jasmine Santos, and she has had a rough couple of years within the sports she loves – figure skating. She has been figure skating for seventeen years and she’s had countless broken bones and broken promises. But once the offer of a lifetime comes from the arrogant idiot, she’s spent the last decade dreaming about pushing in front of a moving bus, Jasmine might have to reconsider everything including Ivan Lukov.

I liked the storyline of someone who felt like they haven’t achieved their dreams after practicing so damn long for it and the overthinking of should she retire and coach or fight for her dreams? I like that they both came from supportive family (besides Jasmine’s daddy issues). I liked that there wasn’t a third act breakup, but I think there couldn’t be a third act breakup considering it was the slowest burn I've ever read, and they didn’t kiss or confess their feelings until Chapter 15/16. I liked Jasmine’s family (bar her dad) and how they are all supportive and help her whether it’s ice baths, her costumes, giving her money or lifts to competitions. I wanted to hug her when she was saying what she said to her dad at the family dinner, and I related a bit too much to what she said expect that I can’t skate for shit.

This book was all over TikTok as enemies-to-lovers and that they hated each other, and it wasn’t the case at all. It was best friend’s brother and friends-to-lovers with a lot of banter. I would have loved this to have been Dual POV especially once Lukov admits that he gave some fake excuse for why he needed to skate with Jasmine. I would have killed for that POV of him just being obsessed with her because her POV is I’m questioning these feelings why would I like this guy? This book felt so long than even though it was a slow burn I was hoping for some romance in between them sleeping together and the ending but there isn’t, it goes they slept together, do a competition, epilogue 10 years later with children running around. I would have loved them being romantic and happy together considering they spent most of the book wanting to kill each other.

I enjoyed this book and the storyline but it was missing something overall. Hopefully the next book I read by Mariana Zapata will blow me away.

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kirstenpod_'s review against another edition

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emotional funny inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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meret00's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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vtorres's review against another edition

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4.25

I was sooo mad at the whole family arc. They are so unsupportive. Like sure they say they are and they say they love her but rarely stand up for her to people who are bad to her aka the dad. Like how can you let someone say that to your daughter/ sister? Bulll
And also like I get the love bullying but they took it too far spectacularly with the fat thing like seriously

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vereadsbooks's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Now, I understand why Mariana Zapata is the queen of slow burn. This book was soooo slow!!! Nothing happens until the end. I have such a great time!!!

Ivan is so cute and sweet! I don't know why Jasmine thought he hated her. The guy is SO in love with her. Jasmine is pure fire and so stubborn. Also, she is super childish. I didn't believe she was 26 years old. I found her annoying, and I didn't like her constantly cursing. But I like her complexity. She felt more rounded than Ivan.

Jasmine has an incredible family. They support her no matter what.

It was strange that she didn't tell them about the harassment she was experiencing on her social media. Also, I didn't like how the author handled Jasmine's learning disability.

I really like Jasmine and Ivan's dynamic as friends. I don't know if I was fully convincing about them being a romantic couple. Perhaps the slow burn was too slow for me. Although the sexual tension was there, it was so little that most of the time; I saw them as non-sexual partners.

Ivan chooses the most awkward time to say I love you. He could admit his feeling in another moment. That scene felt weird. Also, the last couple of pages wrap up everything so fast that I didn't have time to process it. It felt rushed.

I love ice skating! I was ready to see a savage competition and both characters killing themself training. I was expecting something like The Cutting edges or Spinning out. We got to see some of their training, and Jasmine told us the pros and cons of their ice skating. But I want more ice skating and less naked photoshoot or vomit! I mean, what was the point of the naked photoshoot?

I'd like to see them competing against another couple, losing and then back up again, winning everything.

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jlboro's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This is a great slow-burn romance, filled with all the tropes I love: enemies to friends to lovers, forced proximity, nursing the other back to health, and a HEA. And even though a lot of reviews have issues with the MCs not acting their age, I feel like when you are hyper-competitive and live in this bubble world, you’re going to be pretty immature in certain ways, so I didn’t hate it. The emotional anguish that these two go through plot-wise is top tier. There is one spicy scene and it’s fantastic. The epilogue is one of the best and most satisfying I’ve read in a romance in memory.

However, the book could have more successfully been this long if about 100 pgs of them bickering and blinking would have been spent on them falling in love and Jasmine softening. One more epic spicy scene and it would have been perfection, actually. I also caught myself losing patience with Jasmine’s repetitive and lengthy internal dialog. Because it’s so long and the character development stalls in the middle, I don’t think I would read this again, and that means it’s not a 4.0+ for my personal rating scale.

If you love contemporary romance though, it will be hard to dislike this book. Heartstrings will be plucked. Tears might be shed. But I’m not sure if the hype is quite there like the ratings would lead you to believe,l.

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