Reviews with content warning for Medical content - From Lukov with Love

I really enjoyed this read overall. I got hooked into the plot easily, and I loved the “take no shit” nature of Jasmine. The one thing that made this book not perfect for me was the amount of fatphobia and body shaming included. I get that it’s a sports romance and that figure skating is brutal to the bodies of skaters, especially women. However, I think the writer could’ve easily taken those parts out and we’d still have a complex main character and an incredible read.

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getbrekked's review

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emotional inspiring lighthearted slow-paced

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

4.25

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michellemaas's review

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emotional funny inspiring reflective tense 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

4.5

* Beware of minor spoilers

4.5 - ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

Standalone New Adult Sports Romance, featuring the "rivals-to-lovers", "hurt/comfort", and "forced proximity" tropes.

I liked it overall. The relationship was excellently developed, the banter was on point, the characters were complex, and there were high emotional and physical stakes. It was however too long, causing it to drag at times.

"But if I’d learned anything over the last year and a half, it was the reality of how tough it was to live with your mistakes. I’d learned how hard it was to face them, and how much harder it was to own them. We all did things we regretted; we all said things we regretted, and guilt was a crushing weight on a person’s soul. And I wanted to be better. For me. Not for anyone else."

At 26, Jasmine either has to get a new figure skating partner or quit doing the one thing she has dedicated her entire life to. In comes Ivan Lukov . . . This partnerless, world-winning champion is willing to join forces since neither of them has any other options. The problem? They can't stand one another. But with Ivan being her last hope at her dreams, Jasmine is willing to do anything to make this arrangement work.

"Love to me was honesty. Being real. Knowing someone’s best and worst. Love was a push that said someone believed in you when you didn’t. Love was effort and time."

My biggest criticism is that it was longer than it should have been. I had to put it down at 80% and struggled for a long time to pick it back up. Once I did get back to it I thoroughly enjoyed the end, but like with most Mariana Zapata books the reading experience could have been greatly improved if the book was 100 or so pages shorter because while the story was enjoyable overall there were a bunch of scenes that were totally unnecessary for both plot and character development and that slows down the pace of what would have been a gloriously medium to fast-paced book.

I also disliked the fact that there was so little plot. Ivan and Jasmine's relationship was so good that I surprisingly didn't mind it for the most part, but when I'm sitting here and reflecting at the end of the book I realize that it does bother me. It made it hard to pick back up when it lost my interest. That's why there needs to be a plot.

"Because I’m okay with you having ten other people be your favorite. But you’re always going to be my favorite person,” he finished. “Always. No matter what.”

On to the good stuff, I loved Jasmine's character. She was so real and moody and flawed yet loyal and she spoke to me in a way I wasn't expecting. The slowburn was also undoubtedly one of the best I've read to date. It was paced well while also being realistic and felt very natural. Finally, I really enjoyed the social commentary about not needing a degree to be considered successful in life, because sometimes it's just enough to be doing what you love.

"If I had to choose anyone to help me bury a body, eat dinner with, or watch television with, it would be you, every time for everything."

From Lukov with Love includes learning disability representation along with a heavy emphasis on both romantic and familial relationships, and the importance of pursuing your dreams while working on becoming the best version of yourself. Would recommend it if any of those themes resonate with you, or you just want to experience the brilliance that is Ivan Lukov. The book may have been too long, but Ivan Lukov was worth every page.

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