About the Book-From Lukov with Love by Mariana Zapata
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 in the way of a moving bus, Jasmine might have to reconsider everything.
Including Ivan Lukov.
“Challenges were only hard if you went into them expecting not to succeed.”
Read on for our review of From Lukov with Love by Mariana Zapata
Our Review of From Lukov with Love
This book just took my love for Mariana Zapata books to a new level. So let me just repeat myself by saying “She is THE QUEEN of slow romance and if any book can stand testament to that ( after Wall of Winnipeg) then this has to be it. The arc of both characters, the love-hate relationship and then the circumstances that sow the seeds of romance is perfect. I feel slow romance is a bit tricky because if you keep it too slow then it’s just dragging and if it becomes a tad bit faster then the naturality of the relationship doesn’t come out. Of course, if you are not a fan of slow romance then there is no point convincing you on how the book is perfect.
What I love about this book is that it doesn’t dive directly into kisses and hugs. The book makes an actual effort to introduce the two characters. This is pretty rare because most books would dedicate a couple of paragraphs about the character and maybe a chapter or two if the author feels benevolent. This is understandable because it wants to tackle the romance rather than beating around the bush as to whether the character likes tea or coffee, sunset or sunrise. This book though does an amazing job of giving you a well-rounded view of both characters, their family ( oh god !! the family is to die for… they are so on the spot and perfect plot enhancers), their general characteristics. This helps us to see and feel for them more vividly. Works great towards the immersive quality of the book.
Secondly, the book genuinely gives you the landscape of these two characters, their history, their reasons for hate and issues with each other. One of the beautiful things is that none of the characters behave differently once the romance sets in. They are as same as they were on the first page. It’s not your usual “I hate you” on page 1 and ” I may not hate you that much” on page 50 and “I hated you because I loved you so much ” 😲 by page 100. Both the characters behave, speak and act the same as they had been in the beginning except that they are much nicer and cute to each other( but without the panty drops..thank god for that)
Fair warning: It is a slow-burn romance. So naturally the book would not give you humping and grinding by chapter 2. So if that is what you are looking for, then you might want to skip this one. But if you want to see a fully constructed character and then a natural progression in a relationship, you will get it with all the extra charm in this book. But yes you might be here for a while but that’s the beauty because you feel as though you are moving along with these characters watching them grow.
The major sell point of the book for me was that it is not focused on our central characters falling for each other. But it is more focused on two characters chasing their dreams, and passion and tackling life in general. So even if you are not a romance fan, you will love the little slice-of-life nuggets. Also, this is one of those books, where secondary and tertiary characters all get their screen spaces. (Which means the best friend or sibling is just not there in the book to declare “that person is not fit for you …..or…. that girl has changed you from monster to human 🙄)
Conclusion
In conclusion, I would say that I am a huge fan of Mariana Zapata books and that is why I may be biased but the truth is that this book is one of the best slow-burn romances I have read. If you like to read a book that is character-central rather than romance-central then this is the book. It genuinely has a natural relationship arc that is charming to watch.
Squirrel Rating
