Prepare yourself for lots of quotes and mild spoilers. I have a lot of thoughts to get out on one of my favorite books ever.
Content warning:(viewPrepare yourself for lots of quotes and mild spoilers. I have a lot of thoughts to get out on one of my favorite books ever.
Content warning:(view spoiler)[guns, mentions of overdose & suicide, murder (off-page), death of a parent, car accident (off-page), mentions of an absentee parent, pedophilia, slut shaming (hide spoiler)]
Dislikes:
I dislike nothing. This book is literary perfection and I will never get over it.
Likes:
Josh <3 I may or may not have a crush on him ...more
Blurb: 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 oBlurb: 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.
Dislikes: None! This book is a freaking masterpiece!
Likes:
Ivan Lukov. We love a confident, argumentative, persistent, hilarious, blunt and witty king. He is great with kids, which means he’s daddy material. He’s observant, especially when it comes to Jasmine. He’s a nosy mofo, but in a good way. Also, he’s an animal lover. All green flags in my book.
Jasmine Santos. I loved this moody, stubborn, tough, talented, family-oriented, hardworking and outspoken gal so much! She’s usually pissed off and curses like a truck driver, so some readers might not appreciate her character, but I do. She felt so real to me because she had relatable insecurities and flaws. For example, she feels like a failure (even though she’s anything but). All my girl wanted was to be loved and I wanted to jump into the book and hug her because I love her so much and she deserves to know it. I never thought any Mariana Zapata heroine would top Sal from Kulti, but Jasmine has managed to do it.
It was so addicting! I did not want to put the book down for a second. It was the same with Kulti. Zapata has this amazing ability where she can make anything seem interesting. I don’t know a thing about figure skating, so you’d think I’d be bored with the story, but I was so invested. Usually, I steer away from long books because they tend to drag out, but never hers! If anything, I wish they were longer because I’m always so interested in the story, characters and romance.
The side characters. Jasmine’s mommy was hilarious and would do anything for her kids. I wish she would adopt me honestly. Coach Lee was direct and intuitive. Jonathan was the annoying brother that I couldn’t help but love. Ruby, Aaron and James were all sweethearts. Karina is Jasmine’s giggly BFF with a huge heart. She reminds me of my own best friend, which is probably why I adored her.
Entertaining and frequent bickering.
“This next year isn’t going to come fast enough.” “I’m going to count down the days, Meatball. Believe me. One year, and I’ll probably pay someone to take you so I can get rid of you.” “In a year, I’ll pull my voodoo doll of you out of its box and go back to sticking needles into your black heart.” “The one I have of you is still sitting on my nightstand.” “I hope your hair falls out.” “I hope—” “What is wrong with both of you?” Coach Lee hissed from behind us.
Ivan offers her Hershey kisses whenever she’s sad or upset. Cute AF.
Lots of hugs. I love hugs, especially from tall, Russian men with gold medals, so you best believe I was living vicariously through Jasmine in all of those scenes. At one point, he hugged her for THIRTY MINUTES STRAIGHT.
He hugged me several times a week, usually for no reason at all, but always when we nailed something or just had a great workout.
Ivan and Jasmine’s talk before the naked TSN photoshoot. Jasmine told him she didn’t want to do the shoot because he constantly makes fun of her and she thought it would make her insecure about her body if he did it while she was naked. When he found out, he was distraught. He gave her multiple compliments and for them, that’s a big deal because all they did was insult each other. He opened up about his own insecurities about his body to make her feel more comfortable with him. On top of that, there was HANDHOLDING!!
“The only reason I give you so much shit is because you were a pain in the ass, and then you were the only one who dished it back to me. You know you’re beautiful.” I snickered and rolled my eyes that time, because come the fuck on. Really? Now I knew he was trying too hard. Please. God. “If you think flattering me is going to convince me to do this, you don’t know me at all, Lukov.” “Not Lukov. Ivan,” he replied easily, his tone so gentle, it made me uncomfortable, because that wasn’t what I wanted from him. Much less what I expected from him. “I’m sure you’re perfect under there.”
Ivan taking care of a sick Jasmine. A list of cute things that he did for her: stroked her hair, paid for her medical bill because she doesn’t have insurance, allowed her to nestle her head between his neck and shoulder while he carried her around bridal style because it was painful for her to move on her own, put a blanket over her, put a wet rag on her, allowed her to rest her head on his lap, used a gentle tone while nurturing her, constantly touched her to check her temperature, undressed her because she was exhausted, let her sleep on him, called her “baby,” kissed her forehead, gave her back rubs and cuddled her to sleep. The cutest thing that happened was when she rested her head on his shoulder and he rested his head on top of hers and threw an arm over her shoulder. She said it made her feel “safe.” If that isn’t the cutest motherf–ing thing, I don’t know what is.
Ivan glanced at me over his shoulder and frowned. "You all right?" I nodded, and even that seemed like it took too much energy. He must have read it on my face because he frowned. "We should have stayed home." "I'll be fine.” Ivan held out his hand, and I didn't think much of it as I slipped my hand into his and leaned into his side without thinking about it. "You're feeling that bad again?" he asked gently, taking my weight without a complaint. "Just tired." His hand squeezed mine. "Want some more water?" "I'm okay." He "hmmed" before asking, "What hurts?" "Everything." There was no hesitation as Ivan asked, "Want a hug? You liked that before." I nodded. Ivan was silent as he turned his body and wrapped those long, muscular arms around me, pulling me into his build so that my face went right for that space between his pectorals.
Ivan’s speech about Jasmine’s work ethic to her father who doesn’t see it. I always love in enemies to lovers stories when the “enemy” defends the love interest against someone else. It’ll never get old. NEVER. I have this happen countless times in romance novels, but nobody will ever top Ivan’s long speech. NOBODY. He really said, “You should be proud of her…I would be.” STOPPP MY HEART WAS IN TEARS! He has such a beautiful way with words :’) ugh I love this man. It’s the way he kept throwing in small details about her that proved he knows her better than anyone else.
The slowburn. They went from being enemies who couldn’t even say “thank you” to each other without wincing or getting through a conversation without insulting each other to reluctant friends to best friends who spend every waking moment in each other’s presence, confide in each other & constantly touch to lovers. It was very slow, but worth every moment because there was so much relationship development.
The ending. (view spoiler)[Jasmine finally accepted herself and stopped putting so much pressure on herself to secure a win. Ivan replaced Jasmine’s bracelet that read “to Jasmine from your best friend, Jasmine” with a new one that read “to meatball from your best friend, Ivan.” He is too precious for this world I swear. The readers find out that Ivan threatened to destroy Paul (his words, not mine) if he ever contacted Jasmine again because he thought she deserved better, which she did. Her dad showed up to a competition for once. Ivan gave her a massage—such a gentleman—and told her he loved her before the short program. And in typical Ivan fashion, he also told her that she sucked. After the performance, he gave her a peck on the nose—GAHH! SO CUTE! Then, he gave her one of the best declarations of love in literature. I have the entire speech saved on my phone because it was so good. He told her she’s his favorite person and Miss Tough got teary eyed over it. It was adorable. To make things even better, we find out that they won gold medals together, retired together, have children that figure skate and that he proposed to her on the ice. (hide spoiler)] It was the HEA that ended all other HEAs
Update: It’s been 2+ years since I read this and I still think about it at least three times a week AND it’s always one of the first books that pops into my head when someone asks me what my favorite is. Safe to say, it has had its impact on me :)...more
Brief summary: Eve’s parents demand that she find a job and stick with it. She manages to find a B&B that’s hiring, but unfortunately, the owner, Brief summary: Eve’s parents demand that she find a job and stick with it. She manages to find a B&B that’s hiring, but unfortunately, the owner, Jacob, isn’t too fond of her and her quirks. Luckily for her, he wasn’t impressed with any of the other applicants either. After she exits the interview, he goes out to search for her and test out her skills. Great, right? WRONG!! She accidentally hits him with her car in the process. She feels guilty, so she offers to help him manage the B&B. He’s not happy about it, but he needs her. Even though they don’t particularly enjoy each other's company in the beginning, they grow on one another as they spend more time with each other.
Triggers: ableism, neglect from parents (happened in the past)
Dislikes:
I wanted the romance to be slower. I forgot the exact amount of time that passed, but I believe (correct me if I’m wrong) that it took two weeks or so for Jacob and Eve to fall in love. I’m a slow burn kind of gal, so I wish it spanned over a longer period of time. The couple was adorable regardless though, so I’m not going to bother changing the rating over this itty bitty detail.
Likes:
My baby boy, Jacob Wayne. I LOVED HIM!! SO MUCH!! Hands down one of the best heroes written in a romance book ever. No doubts about it. Here are some words to describe the love of my life: grumpy, blunt, judgmental, stubborn, a perfectionist, unintentionally hilarious, a cuddly teddy bear in human form, adorable, awkward, unreasonable, uptight (in the best way possible), a HUGE drama queen, hardworking, passionate about his profession and closed-off. That’s just naming a few. The man is so many things, most of them great.
I also loved his magnetic and enchanting lover, Eve. A few (not really) words to describe this masterpiece of a woman: entertaining, fun(ny), relatable, charming, lovable, charitable, helpful, capable, likes to please people and make them happy. Best of all: she likes romance novels (like us!!) She was an absolute joy to read about. I loved her character development. She went from viewing herself as a failure to becoming confident in herself and her abilities. As she should.
The bickering and banter! AHH IT WAS SO ADORABLE!!! I won’t even explain why it’s so good; I’ll let you see for yourself with this:
“Why on earth did you jump in? You’re injured, you clod.” “Obviously, I came in to rescue you.” “Rescue me? It’s a pond, Jacob.” “And you’re a disaster. I’m surprised you didn’t slip under and crack your head open on a roach and drown on my property and send my insurance through the roof. Or something like that.” “Oh, insurance. That’s why you jumped in to rescue me?” “Obviously.”
The writing. Someone give this woman a Pulitzer Prize already. Her writing is so unique and engaging. It is one of the funniest books I’ve read in a long, long time.
Diversity. Eve is a black, plus-size woman whose love interest has autism. That’s something I’ve never seen in a romance book before and probably won’t again, unfortunately. And her grandmother is pansexual. We need more books that normalize these things.
Every scene where Jacob was trying not to be physically attracted to Eve. At one point, he called her “hideously pretty.” BAHAHAHA HE’S SO CUTE!! Another example for y’all:
“Eve clapped her hands and did a little jump, and Jacob thanked every god he knew that the moon was currently covered by cloud, because if he’d seen that movement in any kind of light he probably would’ve noticed something awful. Like her tits. Or her thighs, in those tiny shorts he absolutely hadn’t been looking at.”
There were times where they would get so awkward around each other and it was adorable as frick.
The side characters were all gems. Every single one of them. Tess and Alex were a riot. Mont, Chloe, Dani, Lucy, Gigi and Shivani were fantastic too.
The way they can insult each other all they want, but the second someone else does it, they get pissed and defend them. For example, when Craig referred to Jacob as “Spock,” Eve publicly embarrassed the bully. Then, this ensued:
“I said it doesn’t bloody matter!” Craig barked, his face flushed red. Jacob’s amusement drained away at that, replaced by a cold fury. “Do not,” he said quietly, “raise your voice at my employees.”
Not only were Jacob and Eve spectacular as individuals, but they were fantastic as a couple too! They complimented each other so perfectly with their grumpy-sunshine dynamic. They learned from each other and were able to grow in the short time they knew each other for. He made her more confident and got her to realize that she was indeed smart, capable and lovable — definitely not a failure, like she used to believe. She taught him how to open up to someone about his past. They even finish each other’s sentences!! How cute!! And the teasing!! UGH I LOVE THEM SO MUCH I CAN’T EVEN EXPRESS IT ADEQUATELY IN WORDS!! Also, their development was sooo good. They went from enemies to reluctant coworkers to friends to lovers. Oh, and I can’t forget to mention the nicknames. He called her “sunshine.” That’s so adorable awww.
Last but not least, the steamy scenes. They were hilarious, yet still hot. It was the perfect balance of funny and sexy. Here’s a lil excerpt for everyone:
“Spread your legs wider.” Yes sir. She spread. “Good. Now bend your knees.” Gosh, she didn’t think she was physically capable of disobeying the steel in his voice. As she exposed herself fully, she couldn’t help but mumble, “At this rate you’ll be able to see what I had for dinner.” He arched an eyebrow. “That’s not how anatomy works, Eve.” “I know—” “And actually, what I can see is every inch of your wet little cunt, begging for it.” “Oh,” she said faintly, collapsing under the weight of her enthusiasm. “Gosh. Okay.”
Brief summary: The book starts with the heroine, Sadie, trespassing on her favorite author's (Vandal Stokes) property in order to get her book signed Brief summary: The book starts with the heroine, Sadie, trespassing on her favorite author's (Vandal Stokes) property in order to get her book signed by him. When he spots her, he falsely believes she was there to steal his unpublished work. Because his work has already been stolen before, he doesn't want to take any risks, so he strikes a deal with her to ensure she can't share his book with anyone else before the publishing date. This deal requires her to disconnect almost completely from the outside world and live at his grandmother's cottage with him and his friend, Zero, who keep her under strict supervision. It doesn't take long for them to all start engaging in kinky sex together. What starts off as a fun sexual arrangement turns into more when Sadie starts developing feelings. The question is, do one or both of the boys feel the same way or will she leave the cottage with a broken heart?
Dislikes:
Sadie continuously forgot her safeword. Considering how intense most of their scenes were, this was incredibly dangerous for her and left me feeling a little uneasy. Like, girl, if you're forgetting it that often, change the word to something super simple like "red" or at the very least, communicate to your doms that you're forgetting it. Don't just go along with the scene as if everything is fine. Luckily, she was never emotionally scarred or anything like that. However, she easily could have been. Safe words are crucial when engaging in activities like this, so having Sadie forget it every other chapter was a little scary to say the least.
Likes:
The characters. Zero was sweet and sadistic at the same time. He was also unapologetically himself and didn't let anyone tear him down. Vandal was much more rude than he was, yet he was more lovable (to me). Something about a jerk who only has a soft spot for his love interest or in this case, love interests, is so endearing. Underneath the jerk façade is a big softie who just doesn't know how to express his feelings. It doesn't hurt that he's good in the sack either. The other MC is Sadie or as I like to call her, the girl living out my dreams. She's been through a lot, yet doesn't let her hardships control her. She does the best with what she has and it's admirable. She's also clever and her inner monologue is funny.
The sex scenes were some of the hottest I've ever read in my entire life. No exaggeration. Vandal and Zero were both wickedly cruel in the bedroom (and outside of it a lot of the time) and it was sexy. Yes, I'm one of those weirdos that likes when men are mean to me in bed. Sue me. If you're not into kinky sex, you probably shouldn't even bother reading the book because it takes up a huge chunk of it. There's spanking, double penetration, slapping, tying up, knifeplay and a bunch of other stuff involved.
Aftercare was included. Not everyone needs aftercare or even wants it after an intense scene, but it seemed like it was necessary for Sadie and her doms took that into account. Considering how violent some of the scenes got, it's understandable that she would need someone to cuddle with her, bathe her, simply talk with her, etc. to reassure her that the games they play are just that and nothing more. Without aftercare, the lines between reality and kinky games can start to blur. For this reason, Vandal and Zero took it seriously and made sure she was well taken care of afterwards. Especially Zero, who always made sure she felt respected and cherished when they weren’t in the middle of a scene. These parts of the story were always really sweet and I loved each and every single one.
“You okay, little monster?” Vandal asked when Zero had gone to look for a clean towel to wrap me in. He was gently cleaning the mess from between my legs.
Sadie had a humiliation kink, so the games they played involved a bit of humiliation. If you have the same kink, I can guarantee you’ll enjoy the sex scenes. If you don’t, I wouldn’t recommend this book because like I mentioned earlier, there is a lot of kinky sex and a lot of it involved humiliating the heroine.
Vandal caught me by the ponytail and tugged me toward his office, my body responding to the rough treatment even though he was joking around. "Excuse me," I complained. "I don't remember volunteering to be manhandled twenty-four seven." "Should I check your panties? I bet you liked that just fine." "Who says I'm wearing panties?" "Aren't you?" "That's none of your business!" "You're the one who brought it up. I think you want me to check. Do you like it when I humiliate you, little monster?"
Sadie wasn't the only one who liked it. I did, too. A lot.
Vandal was a good dom. He always made sure to check in with his subs during their scenes, let them select a safeword and provided aftercare. Even when he chose to use gags on them, he made sure there was another way they could communicate they wanted the scene to stop if they needed to (ex: the bell he gave Sadie). He took into account what Zero and Sadie could individually handle and administered pain and punishments based on what he observed about their pain tolerances instead of being irresponsible and giving them more than they could handle. During his second scene with Sadie, he spanked her. He started off lightly and increased the hardness of his hits as he went on to see just how much she could take. It was a great idea on his part because it avoided pushing her past what she was comfortable with. Also, remember how I said Sadie kept forgetting her safeword? Well, one of the scenes got a little too intense for her - to the point where she was too lost to safeword, even though she wanted to. Vandal was paying attention to her reactions and realized she was no longer enjoying the game, so he pulled her out of the scene and comforted her with cuddles & jokes and had a discussion with her about what went wrong to make sure it didn't happen again. If he weren't so observant when it came to his subs, things could've gotten out of hand really quickly.
The dynamic between Vandal and Sadie. I liked all their relationships with each other, but I'm highlighting theirs in particular because it was my favorite. they had the whole enemies to lovers thing going on, which I loved on it's own, but with the BDSM aspect thrown into the mix, it was even better. Their snarky banter was one of the best parts of the book and I found all their scenes incredibly entertaining. This was one of my favorite interactions between them:
Vandal moved in behind me, wrapping a strong arm around my waist and pulling me to his hard chest. He made me feel like the very smallest of spoons. "I hate you," I murmured, not meaning a word, feeling more sated than I ever had in my life. "I hate you too," he whispered back almost affectionately, hugging me to him.
Humor. The characters were all witty and had a good sense of humor, which led to a bunch of laugh out loud moments and made the book enjoyable.
The soft moments between Vandal, Zero and Sadie. The kinky and rough sex was fun (obviously), but the moments where they were tender and sweet with each other were pleasant as well.
Vandal shushed me even though I wasn't making a sound, his hands gentle on my hair, smoothing it away from my face, trailing down to wipe away my tears with his thumbs... Zero lay down behind me, spooning around me, making me feel cocooned in warmth.
The writing flowed nicely, which made it easy to read and comprehend. She wrote it in a way that was addicting and had me flipping through chapter after chapter to find out what would happen next.
The “little monster” nickname. It wasn’t cliché or overused like “babygirl” or “pumpkin.” It was unique to them, which made it special and endearing :)...more
This is the best book in existence. I love everything about it from the characters (especially Daisy, she was absolutely hilarious and I love her confThis is the best book in existence. I love everything about it from the characters (especially Daisy, she was absolutely hilarious and I love her confidence) to the banter to the writing. It's so consuming and I couldn't get enough of it. Also,, the grand gesture at the end was so cute!! My only wish is that it went on for longer. If you like good banter and enemies to lovers, read this book :)...more
Elita ₊✩ˎˊ˗
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