The Spark by Jules Wake was the perfectly sweet read that I was needing!

Jess runs into a guy, Sam, at her aunt's BBQ and is instantly smitten with him, but the catch is that he already has a girlfriend. Sam's girlfriend Victoria isn't going to go quietly and is determined to make their first few months an absolute living hell.

This was the perfect end of summer read and I'm excited to see how Wake ties up some of the loose ends (maybe in a sequel?)

Thank you to Net Galley and Harper Collins UK and One More Chapter for the Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

4/5 - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Jess turns up at a BBQ at her aunt’s house and is confronted by a stranger who changes her whole world. The trouble is that Sam already has a girlfriend and she isn’t about to go quietly - absolutely not! Definitely a fluffy chic lit to enjoy by a pool or the sea. A perfect story for anyone who wants to read about love at first sight or just in the mood for something lightweight. I quite liked it and found it passed the time nicely. There were plenty of mentions of a certain drink, fluttering hearts and jelly like legs which quickly became monotonous. There were several loose ends so could there be a sequel on the way?

This book was really good. It had your emotions running hot and it talked about all aspects of our lives. It was an entertaining read which had me turning the pages.

Hi everyone!
This is a beautiful story, I loved every part of it and I’m eager to read what the author will come up with next.
I loved the pace and in fact I read it in just a few days.

A really interesting read on what it’s like to be the ‘other woman’ in a relationship. It was interesting to read from all perspectives. The author did a great job in not taking sides. Happy with the ending and would definitely read another book by this author.

This book was a light-hearted romance. I enjoyed the storyline and really liked the characters. They were fun to read about, even the ex-girlfriend! I would recommend this book.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was super cute. I loved every page and didn’t want it to end. Gave me lots to think about too. I love Jess and Sam’s story

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Spark was an interesting book. In it, you will meet Jess and Sam. Right from the moment, there was something instantaneous between them. Call it a spark or whatever. It just doesn't end well due to Sam being in a relationship with Victoria. After running into one another a couple of times, Sam decides to break up with Victoria to date Jess.

Honestly, this whole situation was kind of messed up. I mean if one believes in love at first sight.. than yeah - go for it. As for me? Nope, I really don't see that happening. So when Victoria realizes what is happening she is not a huge fan. I mean.. she really didn't like them dating one another. In some ways, I can see why she acted the way she did but I feel like she went a bit too far at times too.

If Jess and Sam were truly in love, then I think Victoria would just have to accept that and move on. She would eventually find someone who felt the same way with her and be happy. I also feel like Sam needed a stronger backbone too. He definitely needed to stand up for his decision and Jess when it came to certain situations. As well as standing up to his mom. It definitely got frustrating when he didn't do a damn thing.

In the end, this was filled with awkward and tense moments but the romance was pretty cute. I'm glad that I got the opportunity to jump into this.

This checked off everything I look for in a book. Was not disappointed. Really enjoyed this book. I will read more from this author.

I'm not a huge instalove fan, so these serendipituous moments from the earky stages of the book weren't my favourite.

Victoria was very intriguing reading, and while I didn't always love her choices I did understand why she felt so scorned.

I thought this book was really well written and engaging.

This book was really tough for me to get into; I had a difficult time connecting to the characters. Largely, as I felt that's not how people generally speak - it just didn't feel realistic to me.

I liked this book - a situation no doubt a lot of us have been in to a greater or lesser degree - and how to navigate that situation.

If you love the instant-love trope, have a got the book recommendation for you! With a name like “The Spark” I should have known going into this that there would be some element of instant love, but Sam and Jess fall hard and fast. Like immediately.

After meeting at Jess’ family BBQ, they can’t stop thinking about each other. The only problem is – Sam has a girlfriend. Yikes! While they don’t *technically* do anything wrong, they still manage to be just on the border of making an inappropriate move towards each other. When Sam decides that he cannot be with his girlfriend any longer because he’s just so in love Jess, Victoria becomes a messy, dramatic problem. This book is full of swoony romance, beautiful people (aren’t they always?), and drama – both from Victoria and from Jess’ family history.

Sam and Jess are both likeable characters. It’s fun to watch their attraction and relationship grow. There are plenty of swoon-worthy moments between the two of them, but for me, they weren’t the main event of this story. I was heavily invested in finding out about Jess’ family history. Her dad abandoned her when she was little and her mother always made it seem as though he had no interest in being a part of her life. But when Jess goes to find her dad, nothing is as it seems. I wish there had been even more of this story line to grab on to.

And let’s not forget about Victoria – the psycho ex. I mean honestly, I kind of get where she’s coming from. The love of her life dumps her for a girl he fell instantly head over heels with and she’s left to figure out how to proceed. She’s already so heavily engrained in his family’s lives, so it makes sense that it’s not an easy split. I definitely don’t condone her actions, and she seemingly gets worse as the story progresses. None of the things she does are okay, but I do understand feeling hurt and broken.

Overall, this was a fun and quick read - perfect for picking up as a beach read!

Loved this! So good, so exciting, so gripping and great story. Can't wait to read more by this author - absolutely brilliant.

Cute romance that became a bit repetitive at times of similar tropes we see in that genre.
What I usually look for in romance books that are lighthearted and feel good like this one is great characters and this one sadly did not deliver as much as I had hopped but I did enjoy it for what it was.

LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT FOR THE WIN

What I didn't like about this book that just left me sour? Sam already has a girlfriend when sparks fly with Jess.

Do we let love go when we feel it? That's the question. I also can't really see Victoria being the "bad guy". Sam emotionally cheats on her and she feels vulnerable in this knowledge. While a good story, I just couldn't get through that sour feeling.

A great quick fun contemporary romance about Jess and Sam and the spark they share when they met. A well written book that kept me captivated from beginning to end.

Thank you Netgalley for the arc!

4.5 / 5 stars

Ok, what an amazing novel.

One conversation and that was it. It clicked. Like a missing puzzle piece being put in its place, Jess and Sam have finally found their other half. But, what happens when you're other half is already taken?

I must admit, I was hesitant to read this at first. I was worried that this book was going to be about two people who were trying to justify cheating and I'm really not about that. However, I was totally wrong.
This book made me wrestle with lots of heavy questions and ideas. I had never thought about a situation where it would be right to be with "The Other Woman". It's not a common narrative and that's what made this book so interesting. I found myself constantly thinking about how I would react and what my stance would be if I were in their shoes.

Never have I read a book with such a strong main character like Jess. She is so caring and genuinely nice, it isn't an act. She doesn't act childish or insecure; she never is the petty woman who makes little digs and instigates drama. She's an independent woman who knows that people aren't perfect and it was heartbreaking to watch her sacrifice her own happiness for the good of others.

Sam was a great guy but I wished he had a bit more of a backbone. He could've stood up for Jess more and I got irritated every time something would go wrong and his only reaction would be to get angry and apologize to Jess for how messed up everything was. He definitely stood his ground but I felt like he let other people walk all over Jess for too long.

Victoria was an interesting character. As much as I didn't like her personally, she was so well written and Jules Wake did an excellent job showing the emotional complexity of her character. I found myself constantly going back and forth from pitying her to thinking "what a crazy b*tch I hate her". On the other hand, I really didn't like Sam's mom or Jess's mom. Sam's was way too nosy and didn't acknowledge her own son's feelings. She was so dismissive of what he was saying and it infuriated me. Jess's mom was just plain rude. I admire Jess being able to put up with her for so long because I would not have lasted 5 seconds with her. I can't stand it when people allow past experiences to make them bitter and cynical. She couldn't even be happy for her daughter because she was so hung up on her own heartbreak that happened 18 years ago.

I liked how Jess's family was a subplot. Not only did her backstory give you insight into the way Jess might view certain issues, but it also didn't make this story only about Jess and Sam. A romance novel doesn't only need to focus on romance and I appreciated how well-rounded this story was. There was a little bit of everything and made it really easy to enjoy.

I loved how things weren't black and white. This book really forces you to see how in every situation, there are two sides to the story and what you believe might not be the truth. Overall, it was a beautifully written book that I did not expect to like but ended up loving.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I like it, it's a light romance and I like it how the story develops and how the main characters deal with the beginning of their romance

This book was ok, but at times I kind of wondered what the point was. I get having the evil ex girlfriend trying to break them up, but it did seem like that was a strong enough plot point to base an entire book on. It was ok, but nothing groundbreaking.