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Mariana Zapata Read-a-thon: Wait for It starting March 27th
Aiswrya wrote: "Jans wrote: "As to the things I didn't like.It is, at best, my personal musing, but there was literally a time I felt something was wrong in the duo. And this started right after the 19+ chapters..."
Aiswrya wrote: "Jans wrote: "As to the things I didn't like.
It is, at best, my personal musing, but there was literally a time I felt something was wrong in the duo. And this started right after the 19+ chapters..."
Actually, you have rightly pointed the scenes and I agree on a perspective. Maybe my wordings were quite wrong. And yes, Kulti is ready to wait for the relationship and Sal keeps assuring she didn't do any wrong. Rulebook wise they didn't do anything wrong and that was okay to convince, but actually, their relationship created a negative atmosphere.
For eg, if I am a teammate and I know someone else is having a close relationship with someone who is having power, I would keep an eye out for that person. Team members at point going to be upset about it. Although Sal keeps reminding herself that Kulti was just a 'friend', he was not just a 'friend'. She didn't tell Harlow or Jenny. Neither did she tries to make him involved in just a team level.
The relationship between them was personal. Sal convincing herself that they were just friends, is just that, just convincing herself.
Although, here, I don't think Sal should be the one to retrospect, rather Kulti, because, obviously his relationship was damaging the team spirit, and he should have known that.
I agree that people are going to gossip. But, a normal gossip should be something like the stunt they pulled in the airport, where Jenny and Sal sat together with Kulti playing cards, and no one bothered in the team.
Further along, when their relationship matured, it was bound to affect the team members. Kulti just didn't care for the team. As he said, it was all about him. And what Kulti cared about was, convincing Sal's morale by telling him he was ready to wait. It was about Sal and him, not about the team and him. In the end, the entire incident went out of control, and her passion and hard work, were all on the verge of destruction, while Kulti remained unharmed and unaffected. This is why I feel, the power-imbalance was very jagged in theirs.
Now, Sal loved Kulti back and things went well. If she hadn't or if she wanted to actually leave him, she wouldn't have been able to recover from the impact, because the damage had been already done. Thats why I still felt Sal had no choice.
Actually, all these musings could be accounted because of all the office politics I had seen, and how easy it is for a woman with less power to be easily chewed off because of a relationship with a guy who holds everything, and he just won't be affected at all. It just disturbs me, personally, because the society can be harsh on women in workplace.
I know the chemistry is there and yes, they are good people. Its just things could have been handled better in writing, liking making the POVs quite dynamic for us get more perspective.
Aiswrya wrote: "Jans wrote: "You both have listed all awesome moments and pretty much I enjoyed a certain spark in this book.I will list down my musings on an overall interesting plot.
- The interview which we ..."
I enjoyed the book. It's a four-star read for me. As you guys have covered up all the bright points, I had less to discuss.
The other one was mere discussion point, I felt while reading.
Let me know the next plan.
I was thinking From Lukov with Love starting March 1st. Does that work for everyone? I think this book is on KU
German Chocolate Cake..... sigh (used to be my favorite)
Jennifer wrote: "German Chocolate Cake..... sigh (used to be my favorite)"Haha! What’s your favorite now?
Jans I agree with you that Sal should have realised that their friendship would be misconstrued by everyone else but I also think that had she not wanted to be his friend or didn't think it was worth it, then she wouldn't have. Towards the end Kulti even says-"we love each other, that's why we always fight and make up". So I think even though they never did anything outside the bounds of friendship till the end, Sal always knew that whatever this was, was worth it. So she made a choice over there and she was free to make it. And her leaving had to do more with Cordero having it out for her than anything else. Even though she was having problems with her teammates, it never affected the game except in one match. In fact, the reason they lose the finals isn't even because their team wasn't good, just that the other team was better. From what we're told, nobody but Cordero had hand in making the decision of her trade because Gardener didn't know, her friends didn't know and Sheena didn't know either.
But I understand where you're coming from with the women have less power angle and had Kulti been the player and Sal the coach maybe things would have been different but I don't think that was Kulti's fault. Its the whole system.
These are just my thoughts on this!
Aiswrya wrote: "I was thinking From Lukov with Love starting March 1st. Does that work for everyone? I think this book is on KU"YES
Aiswrya wrote: "I was thinking From Lukov with Love starting March 1st. Does that work for everyone? I think this book is on KU"I am game. We can start on March 1.
Nikitha wrote: "Jans I agree with you that Sal should have realised that their friendship would be misconstrued by everyone else but I also think that had she not wanted to be his friend or didn't think it was wor..."Maybe it is just me, who was overwhelmed while reading those scenes. And it could be accounted totally on my personal experiences where women had to choose and leave their job while men with more power get along like nothing transpired. I was quite sad seeing Sal cry all that time, and felt very pissed off that Kulti, being 40 year-old and quite influential, did not back away sooner.
Anyways, this is a far better read than many romantic genres.
We will once again join for another book of Zapata's.
this should have come with a severe warning label CAUTION: SLOW BURN - READ AT TOUR OWN SWELTERING SLOW RISK
I need a quickie before the next one if all her books are this torturous but well written.
(view spoiler)
Jennifer wrote: "this should have come with a severe warning label CAUTION: SLOW BURN - READ AT TOUR OWN SWELTERING SLOW RISK
I need a quickie before the next one if all her books are this torturous but well wri..."
You have articulated it crisp and neat. The fan mail was over the top cheesy. I too have some pondering on Sal's hero worship being turned into love. Glad that you are joining the read. We'll do it together for the next one.
I thought we’ll just read at our pace and post as we go?
Yes I'm okay with that. We can just use spoiler tags
ugh. Chapter 1 is so cynical and annoying. MC already letting me down. too much self loathing for a Monday morning. Or maybe its reflective of my current Monday morning mood lol and I need a perk.
I haven't started it yet, but I know what you mean. She's a little annoying throughout the book. I'm reading it for Ivan ;-)
I read the first chapter only but I find Jasmine to be refreshingly honest throughout. Her bad mood doesn't put me off, I actually enjoy it but that's maybe because I've read it many times and I know what happens in the book
haha. yes. honest.I just finished a vampire stabby die die die book so probably was hoping for more refreshing but will embrace the honest.
Lol which was this? I used to be crazy about vampire books in my late teens but definitely over it now. Same plot over and over with different titles 😕
Jennifer wrote: "Lover at Last"Oh I used to be crazy about this series but gave up somewhere around book 8
Two chapters in. Jasmine is definitely getting on my nerves too. But it does get much better in a few chapters. I’m probably going to skim through most of her monologue until then. And honestly, for someone who claims to hate someone, she sure does spend a lot of time thinking about him!
Let the Lukov vs Jasmine slow burn begin? It is a little monologue like and I find myself lost in the words and re-reading and trying to embrace the thoughts and emotions.(view spoiler)
Aiswrya wrote: "Jennifer wrote: "Lover at Last"Oh I used to be crazy about this series but gave up somewhere around book 8"
I used to be crazy about it too (maybe first 5 books) and I was looking forward to this story. I squeeze it in between buddy reads now or as an I-know-what-I'm-getting after reading a book with an unexpected outcome.
Aiswrya wrote: "Jennifer wrote: "Lover at Last"Oh I used to be crazy about this series but gave up somewhere around book 8"
I finished book 1 and then stopped. Some of it was just too cheesy for me, and I wasn't feeling the couple at all. I found the baddies (I forget what they're called) so weird, too.
I was only able to get two chapters in last night. I actually think Jasmine's grumpy attitude is kind of funny. Not sure if I'll get annoyed with it if it continues too long, though*. She coming off a bit more self-absorbed than I like, but I suppose that's intentional because of her career.Edit: By chapter 4, I'm over it 🤦♀️
Jennifer wrote: "Let the Lukov vs Jasmine slow burn begin? It is a little monologue like and I find myself lost in the words and re-reading and trying to embrace the thoughts and emotions.getting the feeling this..."
Lol I love it! Exactly like yanking on each other’s pigtails 😂
i got caught up in work, yesterday and today too. I will try to atleast start today!
found myself unexpectedly laughing(view spoiler)
But also had my inner feminist ROARING for a while. Was going to post a rant but...
(view spoiler)
Also, I want to draw big fat similarity lines with Kulti.
(view spoiler)
On chapter 6 - the not-so-fun banter is getting tedious. Can someone tell me when the good parts start? I want to skip ahead. How did I forget how annoying these two were at the start of the story?!
Jennifer wrote: "found myself unexpectedly laughingthat interview.... was it supposed to be so belly rumbling funny or is it just me? "oh he's the best" elbow to ribs jab. "she is SO NICE" knee to thigh jab.
B..."
LOL can't wait to get to these parts! I love the photo shoot scene. I think that is the turning point in their relationship.
Jennifer wrote: "Also, I want to draw big fat similarity lines with Kulti..."I actually don't get the jaw tick. Is it supposed to be sexy?
(view spoiler)
Kulti though didn't irritate me the way this book does! Maybe it was the age-gap? Both the MCs were more mature?
How does one blink for three seconds?? Wouldn’t it then just closing their eyes? She has a weird obsession with blinks. There was a lot of blinks in Kulti too
I think I'm a bit behind you guys still, but I was surprised by how little actually caused this feud. Is there going to be more coming, or is it really all because of (view spoiler)? I don't know, it's all coming across a bit more childish than I was expecting. I'm finding Jasmine really hard to root for at the moment.
Hi guys, I'm extremely behind, I think still in Charter 3. I will definitely catch up soon and discuss but! Sorry you all don't seem to be enjoying it though :/I love this book, its one of my favourites
Courtney wrote: "I think I'm a bit behind you guys still, but I was surprised by how little actually caused this feud. Is there going to be more coming, or is it really all because of [spoilers removed]? I don't kn..."I don’t really remember this book very well. But I think that was it! Jasmine really is very childish. But it gets better after chapter 7,promise!
Aiswrya wrote: "I don’t really remember this book very well. But I think that was it! Jasmine really is very childish. But it gets better after chapter 7,promise!"Oh, that's good to know! I'm about a chapter away 🤣
It's just frustrating that she gets angry about everything! Like, no one can say anything to her without her getting totally peeved. Makes her seem way younger than 26. I think, too, that I just loved Van so much in The Wall of Winnipeg and Me that I may be having a harder time with her.
I vote for The Wall of Winnipeg and Me next. Lets just bang out all the sportyness out. I am highly suspicious of which themes will reappear.So I did cry a little at the end...
(view spoiler)
ok after that sweet torture slow burn I need a bottle of wine I swore I wouldn't drink until I lost holiday weight and a super smutty book with normies and I'll feel balanced.
Courtney wrote: "I think I'm a bit behind you guys still, but I was surprised by how little actually caused this feud. Is there going to be more coming, or is it really all because of [spoilers removed]? I don't kn..."I agree with the maturity level. In Kulti he was nearly 40 - so yeah, more mature. In fact he was like I don't give a F what everyone else thinks and i'm not doing anything wrong and highlighted the problem was not actually an issue. The conflict in this book did not exist. Or like a teenager end-of-the-world problem that an adult would say "I've got real problems"
Finished the book this morning and I have to say I really enjoyed the enemies to friends to lovers story. Have to agree that the feud was pretty childish and it was incredibly funny how Jojo and Jasmine's mom called her out on just how stupid it was. It was so obvious that Ivan had feelings for Jasmine for a long time but her being so clueless about it and wondering just what was up with him was fun to read. At times her immaturity was annoying but I could kind of understand where she was coming from since she didn't have the normal childhood and young adult experiences. All that being sad I do kind of wish this would have been a two part perspective book so we could have gotten some insider knowledge on Ivan. When did he start liking her? Was it from the moment she called his outfit "ugly" and followed it up with "butt ugly"? Why did he never tell her before that he wanted to be her partner? I do think maybe he called her meatball because they mentioned she was chunky and awkward when she was in her teens and has tanned skin so my thought is she probably did look like a meatball. Still it would have been nice to have some confirmation that, that was the thinking behind the nickname. I would have also liked a little more on the relationship between Jasmine and Karina, they were bestfriends but they didn't go to far into the how and whys of it other than to say that Jasmine never treated her any differently and didn't try to use her to get to Ivan and the family. Again some things were mentioned but I would have loved to know more because these two folks felt like long lost friends to me. Shout out to the Mighty Ducks fans I loved that movie as a kid just like Jasmine and just like Jasmine family members did threaten to throw out VHS if they had to sit through it again. LOL
Jennifer wrote: "I agree with the maturity level. In Kulti he was nearly 40 - so yeah, more mature. In fact he was like I don't give a F what everyone else thinks and i'm not doing anything wrong and highlighted the problem was not actually an issue. The conflict in this book did not exist. Or like a teenager end-of-the-world problem that an adult would say "I've got real problems"Yeah, that's exactly how I feel. Jasmine acts like every little thing is a huge deal, and it's just so overly dramatic. I feel like Ivan is just being sarcastic and trying to have fun with her, but she takes it all seriously, and I don't get why.
Aiswrya wrote: "How does one blink for three seconds?? Wouldn’t it then just closing their eyes? She has a weird obsession with blinks. There was a lot of blinks in Kulti too"
OMG, the blinking!!! 🤣🤣 I kind of want to do a count of the word "blink" in this book. Has got to be in the tens of thousands 🤣🤣
I finished the interview scene, and I definitely liked their banter better there. I think it's so obvious Ivan is just trying to get a rise out of her, so I'm liking him more. I really hope Jasmine chills out soon, though 🤞.
But, seriously, is everyone in this book like super, incredibly gorgeous, or what? Jasmine's mom is apparently a knock out, and her young husband is super handsome. And Jojo's husband, James, is supposed to be the most beautiful man in the world. And the brother-in-law Aaron looks like he should be on book covers. And Tali is as beautiful as the mom and gets hit on every time she leaves the house. Not to mention the perfect Greek god that is Ivan 🤣.
Annie wrote: "All that being sad I do kind of wish this would have been a two part perspective book so we could have gotten some insider knowledge on Ivan. When did he start liking her? Was it from the moment she called his outfit "ugly" and followed it up with "butt ugly"? Why did he never tell her before that he wanted to be her partner? ."Totally agree! I think that's what's missing for me. It's totally obvious that Ivan has liked her for a while, but I want to hear about it from his perspective! I think it would have worked great as a balance to Jasmine's snark.
Jasmine: “ tilted my mouth to the side to bite whatever I could reach if he decided to try and pull my hair”Okay, what the hell?!
Aww, just read the babysitting scene. How cute 🥰 it’s funny though how looking at two well behaved children, who are probably a minority in this population, makes Ivan want to have kids 😂
Courtney wrote: "Jennifer wrote: "I agree with the maturity level. In Kulti he was nearly 40 - so yeah, more mature. In fact he was like I don't give a F what everyone else thinks and i'm not doing anything wrong a..."I think it's part of the beauty standards theme I felt was present in Kulti: Brown isn't pretty. She's half Filipino. In Kulti MC was Mexican/Argentinian. And in both cases it's the those with fair skin who are the most beautiful people in the world. None of the brown parents are gorgeous. None of the brown siblings are either. Its a common view point in many Latin countries. The denial they are brown toned and the high value placed on fair complexion.
I bet everyone was just normal looking and it's her freaky fish bowl view making everyone look pretty.
Jennifer wrote: "I think it's part of the beauty standards theme I felt was present in Kulti: Brown isn't pretty. She's half Filipino. In Kulti MC was Mexican/Argentinian. And in both cases it's the those with fair skin who are the most beautiful people in the world. None of the brown parents are gorgeous. None of the brown siblings are either. Its a common view point in many Latin countries. The denial they are brown toned and the high value placed on fair complexion.I bet everyone was just normal looking and it's her freaky fish bowl view making everyone look pretty."
Ah, that's interesting. I haven't read Kulti yet, so I missed that. I hadn't considered that everyone just looks average, and Jasmine is just viewing them that way. I know it says the mom had four husbands, but until I read your comment, it didn't dawn on me that Jasmine had a different dad from everyone else 🤦♀️. Maybe ties into how she thinks everyone doesn't really love her as much as the other people in the family, when it seems pretty obvious to the reader that they all adore her.
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I will list down my musings on an overall interesting plot.
- The interview which we had only hear..."
I’m glad you enjoyed th book otherwise!