It must be pretty obvious that I’m not exactly a big fan of book recommendations from Instagram or Tiktok. anyone who has seen what I read will know that, especially this year’s reads so far. I can list genuine recs I’ve followed from social media on one hand. Out of all of them, a contemporary sports romance seemed to be the least likely to get a high rating but oh was I wrong.

From Lukov With Love by Mariana Zapata has such an intense authenticity to it that I’ve found lacking in a lot of the romances – whether it be a fantasy sub plot, a romanstasy or general romance. The reason is simple because the focus lies outside of the relationship – it lies, and is supported by, the love of and desire to figure skate. Not only that, but the figure skating and the underlying issues facing Jasmine surrounding figure skating at her age (26) are the driving force of the novel. We happen to get a good, green-flag romance along with it.

Jasmine’s narrative voice is so strong and hearty and true as the youngest in a lively family. There are so many elements of her character that are reinforced by how she acts and reacts to her family and it’s both heart-warming and heart-breaking to see. Not only that, but we see how she in turn reacts to the things she’s done and how that propels her to do certain things. Jasmine feels so genuine and I would gladly pin her as a strong female character for the sheer grit and determination she has. But this post isn’t really about her, and warning there will be light spoilers ahead.

Ivan. Lukov. This man This man. I had no trust in booktok when it comes to fictional boyfriends (case and point Aaron Warner, Carden Greenbriar and Rhysand but I won’t get into that today). I was seriously going into this book thinking “I don’t care about the romance – I’m here for a sports fic” and still very much supporting that notion as I read the first few chapters and interactions they had. I could respect the fact he was a top level athlete. There is a certain air of prestige one can delude themselves with when it comes to having more than someone else and I fully expected that to carry on a lot longer than it did. I’m certainly glad it didn’t because that, paired with the way in which he spoke about things that were public and private, made me understand that he was a lot more than his achievements and public perception and that it was intentional to have this veneer that would be brought down as Jasmine learnt more about him.

And what’s there not to like? Dedicated to his passions. Attentive. Lover of animals. Family-orientated. Not afraid to speak up on behalf of others. Not afraid to be vulnerable. Supportive. Perceptive. Level-headed for the most part and when he does lose it it’s because he cares deeply for Jasmine and wants her safe and healthy. Great nurse. There’s more, I just can’t list them all. Ivan Lukov truly is a loyal and worthy book boyfriend. He is deserving of all the praise and appreciation and, most importantly, he is such a great representation of a man with healthy masculinity, a man who communicates and listens, a man who protects and supports without violence, curses or otherwise foul behaviour. He’s a genuine great guy. He is the bearer of many green flag and we should all look for a guy like him instead of previously mentioned red-flaggers.

Ivan wasn’t the reason I rated this book a 4.5/5 but it doesn’t hurt that he’s a great reason why it is that high of a rating. This is the first Mariana Zapata book I’ve read and with Dear Aaron, a companion read to this one, on my tbr list I think it’s safe to say it won’t be the last.