From Lukov with Love by Mariana Zapata Published by Self-Published on February 1, 2018
Pages: 524
Format: Audiobook
Narrator: Callie Dalton, Teddy Hamilton
Length: 14 hrs and 55 mins
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Sports Romance
Amazon Audible
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.
Mariana Zapata slays it again with an utterly entertaining enemies-to-lovers story set within the world of professional figure skating. I listened to the audiobook of From Lukov with Love which is 15 hours long (524 pages), and I can honestly say that I didn’t want it to end.
Jasmine Santos! I was taken aback by her potty mouth and abrasiveness initially. It didn’t take long, though, for me to recognize that those traits are woven into the DNA of her character and—oddly enough—are a huge part of her appeal. She might have a bad reputation, but I could not have loved her more. Having spent more than two decades pursuing a career as a figure skater with little success to show for it, she refuses to give up. I admired her determination in the face of overwhelming obstacles. She’s tough as nails, independent, and confident.
Jasmine’s archenemy is decorated pairs figure skater Ivan Lukov. He seems to be everything Jasmine is not: a physically perfect specimen, wealthy, accomplished, and adored by all – everyone except Jasmine, that is. She is massively stubborn. Couple that with Lukov’s unyielding nature, and these two are a match made in hell. They dish out endless servings of smack talk, and I ate it all up. Their insults and interactions are so funny I was cackling out loud like a crazy person.
The audiobook is produced in a very unique way. The story is told strictly from Jasmine’s perspective so I wondered how two narrators would be incorporated. I have been impressed with Callie Dalton’s work in the past so it didn’t surprise me that her narration perfectly conveys Jasmine’s sarcasm, wit, and passion. Whenever there is dialog, Ivan’s lines are seamlessly delivered by Teddy Hamilton. He successfully exudes strength, humor, and combativeness.
I was completely absorbed by all aspects of this character-driven story: Jasmine and Ivan’s on-ice partnership and off-ice animosity; the slowly evolving nature of their relationship; Jasmine’s training routine and willpower; and the dynamics of her large family. From Lukov with Love is chock full of heart, and if it’s true that laughter is the best medicine, this is a dose I would gladly take again and again.
Recommended for fans of:
Figure skating
Enemies-to-lovers stories
Slow burn romance
Banter
I read From Lukov with Love for December 2018’s #UltimateReadingChallenge: Read a book longer than 400 pages.
About Mariana Zapata
Mariana Zapata began writing love stories soon after she learned how to spell. She probably shouldn’t admit that she started sneaking romance novels from her aunt’s bookshelves way before she was old enough to even understand what it meant when a man flipped up a woman’s skirt… don’t tell her mom. Luckily, she stuck to stories about princesses and princes for a while.
In her teens, she wrote boy band fanfiction (there’s still a website up somewhere on the internet with those masterpieces), and in her early twenties, she picked it back up again with Sookie Stackhouse and Twilight. Eventually, her significant other finally told her to do what she wanted to do and she began working on her original work. Her novels tend to include potty humor, bodily functions, and bad words.
Mariana lives in a small town called Pagosa Springs, Colorado with her husband/best friend, Chris Letchford, and their two well-beloved (and emotionally manipulative) Great Dane children, Dorian and Kaiser. When she’s not pretending to write, she’s reading sci-fi, fantasy, steampunk or historical romance novels. You can usually find her harassing her dogs, being a hermit at home or cracking jokes at the expense of her family members.
Yay! I’m happy you loved this one! I did, too. Have you read Dear Aaron? It’s about Jasmine’s sister. I loved that one, too.
I haven’t yet. It’s on my list of books I want to read in January though. 🙂