They're fucking right. It's definitely a slow burn. I think I just had a headache while reading this (but not in a bad way). I finished this in less than 24 hours, that's why. Imagine a 15 hr. audiobook in a day, my goodness!

At first, I thought the story would be super boring and stretched but that wasn't the total case. Sure, some moments were too long, but some parts were actually worth reading. I didn't love it so much, I didn't hate it to my core. Just the right flame in the middle.

WHAT I LIKED:
-Jasmine's personality - she's so passionate, determined, head-strong, but also insecure of her own capabilities—which makes her a relatable person.
-The family of Jasmine - so adorable! Big family so quirky, funny, and supportive of her.
-The audiobook version has an actor doing lines for Ivan, even though he doesn't have his own POV. A fresh take on execution, I must say.
-Mariana Zapata's writing was easy to follow, very up-to-date, and raw. Jasmine's personality exudes from the way the sentences were written and organized.
-The enemies to lover progression was satisfying (my gosh, with all these length, if their romance was not truly developed, i would protest!). First, it was obvious that they hated each other, then slowly they were forced to act like they're friends for the sake of publicity, then they became 'friends' (which was too long haha), then eventually lovers. I really liked this! Again, this is my jam for enemies to lovers. It must be a super fucking slow burn because hate should be overcome before you become friends then become lovers. Isn't that so fucking fulfilling??

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
-Also with the writing style. It's too trendy without having much depth. I prefer some of my prose with strong metaphor or word choice and arrangements that would WOW me. But it's fine, I didn't expected this book to give me that.
-Some scenes were too stretched and boring, Jasmine being too introspective to the point that I found myself saying, "Okay, I do understand you. Move on with the story already." There were also moments where I found the dialogue dry and vanilla, written just for the sake of filling out the page count.
-IVAN LUKOV. Don't get me wrong. He's not a total douchebag, and I saw some of his layers and development BUT at the end, I felt like I still have a lot to learn from him. Maybe I needed more from him, more from his perspective. If this novel had dual POV, I would've been attached more to our hero.
-This factor was influenced by my preceding observation. I didn't feel the strong chemistry between them. Sure, there were a lot of sexual tensions, bickering and witty banters, and heartwarming moments BUT nothing made me swoon, to put it simply. It's there, definitely the chemistry was there—just a little bit lacking for my taste.
-I also understand that sometimes Jasmine could be a more subtle version of I'm Not Like Other Girls, but it's fine.
-Really tropey

1.) Jasmine gets sick, Ivan takes care of her. 2.) The fake 'friendship' thing then there's an interview. Interviewer asked questions to gauge their knowledge of each other. Ivan knew almost everything about Jasmine, etc. 3.) Ivan being this alpha male all of a sudden when he found out that Jasmine had stalkers before, and she didn't tell him. It was then revealed that Ivan was somehow 'pining' for her all these years, cared for her because she's his sister's bestfriend. That he didn't really hate her, that he wanted her to be his partner from the start—YES, I'VE SEEN ALL OF THESE BEFORE.

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All in all, a satisfactory read. I will definitely check more of Zapata's books in the future.