This book was hard work.
That's the review summary.
Now, to expound.

As an American reading Brit Lit you get to know a lot of the British slang. You acquire awareness of the terms "proper chuffed", "early days", and "CV" instead of resume. But, holy hell, THIS book went balls-to-the-wall with Brit-isms. I have never encountered more British slang, pop culture references, and vocab in a book. It feels excessive, but maybe I'm just unaware that people really talk almost exclusively in Brit-speak...?

This book has a good foundational story. Two strangers meet at an outdoor party and they have an instant spark. Where do they go from there?

But, along the way in this seemingly simple plot line you get parental abandonment, psychiatric break-downs, family secrets, battered women, bitter divorces, online bullying, mean girls, stalking, vandalism, and on and on and on.

I also found myself increasingly pissed off at these characters. If you are a fan of healthy boundaries then this is NOT the book for you. Everyone just repeatedly lets horrid and sometimes dangerous behavior continue in the name of pleasing their family members/not hurting anyone's feelings.

The love story in this book is SO SWEET! And I truly loved that the main characters worked through a gazillion problems to stay together. But this book is very slowly paced and was a bit frustrating for me.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was the best book. One that you can't put it down.until you finish the last sentence. Jess meets the cutest guy at her aunt and uncles party one day. They chat and sit. She feels sparks but when he is honest about having a girlfriend, she thanks him for meeting him and says goodbye. She later finds out that Sam has broken up from his four year relationship with Victoria. Same a Jess begin to see each other but the ex and his parents are still stuck on his life with Victoria. Jess begins to see things messing up, at her work, the way Sams oldest friend and mother thinks and acts. While all this is going on, Jess is also working through her childhood to see how things really are. Will the be together in the end? Will Jess figure out what happened as a child?

This book is utterly adorable! I absolutely loved it, it’s fun, a glorious rom-com and definitely the kind of book you can just lose yourself into. The characters were so relatable which makes it more enjoyable.

Before I tell you how much I like this book and why, I’m going to have an enraged little rant about the TERRIBLE strategy British publishers are following at the moment of labelling all contemporary romance or even women’s fiction as ‘rom-coms’. Just STOP IT. This is a great story, but you’re absolutely doing it a disservice by selling it as ‘funny rom-com’. Readers are going to be disappointed because the book isn’t going to live up to the promise. Not every book has to be Bridget Jones or Shopaholic in order to sell to a modern British audience.

The Spark is realistic, charming, poignant, at times a little painful. It isn’t in any way a comedy, not even at the wedding of Jess’s charmingly bonkers aunt. It’s about how sometimes relationships end just because they’re not working any more. About how new ones can be derailed by exes who don’t want to let go and family who had set their hearts on a particular outcome.

Jess and Sam meet at a casual party at Jess’s aunt’s house, and there’s a spark between them right away. Sam, obviously trying to do the right thing, immediately admits he’s in a relationship and Jess, horrified at the idea of being the ‘other woman’, backs off. Just meeting Jess causes Sam to rethink where his relationship is going, though, and he realises fairly quickly that his girlfriend Victoria isn’t making him happy. Breaking up isn’t simple, however, because Victoria had their future all nicely mapped out and has no intention of going quietly. Even though Sam leaves it a month before even reaching out to Jess, Victoria is determined to do her best to sabotage them.

Jess and Sam are both deeply compassionate people with a lot in common. Sam’s a special-needs teacher, Jess works at a womens’ shelter. From the start, they just ‘click’ together - there’s a cute analogy with some LEGO bricks - and really, the only conflict in their relationship comes from outside forces. Jess spends a lot of time doing conflict-avoidance, but there’s one terrific scene near the end where she has finally Had Enough of Victoria’s nonsense and steps up to speak her mind. I’d wondered why Sam hadn’t put his foot down earlier, but realistically, he was in an impossible situation. With his own family and friends preferring to take Victoria’s side over his, and Victoria a supremely entitled little madam with apparently no sense of boundaries whatsoever, his hands were tied.

There’s an interesting moral here about not judging people without knowing the full situation. From the outside, Jess could look like the ‘other woman’ who ruined a good relationship, but we are ‘in’ the situation with Sam and Jess, we can see that’s not what happened, despite Victoria’s best efforts to sell it that way and paint herself as the wronged woman. Sometimes relationships just don’t work out. Sometimes they haven’t actually officially ended when one of the parties falls for someone else. That doesn’t make it all the newcomer’s fault when things finally end.

This is a great read, with truly likeable and realistic characters and situations… but it’s not a blasted rom-com, and I very much would like British publishing to stop trying to shove everything into the rom-com pigeonhole, thank you. I’ll rate the book five stars for the enjoyment I actually got out of it, but if I’d picked this up craving a laugh-out-loud rom-com I’d be sorely disappointed… and that would be entirely the fault of the marketing department who are selling it as such. Take note. Readers don’t like being misled by the advertising.

Jess is falling for Sam.

Sam is falling for Jess.

But it seems life will do whatever it takes to make them fall apart.

When Jess and Sam lock eyes at a party, a spark ignites. The spark. But love at first sight isn’t like the movies, especially when Sam’s ex, Victoria, is determined to make their honeymoon period a living hell.

Is love at first sight enough?

This book was well written. However the plot did not sit well with me.
Sam was in a relationship when he met Jess and while nothing physical happened between the pair until after Sam was single. There was still talking on social media and a few texts, this is what I did not like it makes the beginning of there story murky and a tiny bit dishonest.

Even though I was not a huge fan of this book I will definitely read this Author again.

There are two sides to every story and sometimes the villain isn't who you think. I absolutely loved Jess and Sam. They were so sweet together and did what they thought was right. It was so hard to see so many people be against them and label her as the other woman when they did nothing wrong. Jess's family was amazing and I want to be adopted by Gladys.

I count Jules Wake as one of my favourite authors, and with every new book release that she makes I find that the new book immediately becomes my favourite of her books. This was absolutely no exception. This book had a very different feel to her previous books, I’m not completely sure I would pigeon-hole this book as a rom-com, although there were undoubtedly some funny moments; I absolutely adored the wedding of Great Aunt Gladys, and Gladys herself was a scream!

The story centres around Jess and Sam who upon first meeting, feel a spark between them.

I adored both Jess and Sam from the start, and I found it refreshing that Sam immediately told Jess he couldn’t take things beyond their initial conversation because he had a girlfriend, and Jess immediately took a step back because she would never intentionally break a couple up for her own gain. When Sam does end his relationship with his girlfriend Victoria, he waits a month before contacting Jess. Inadvertently Jess finds herself painted as the ‘other woman’, and finds that people instantly judge her for it, without finding out the whole story from both sides.

This was very much a story of families and friendships, and how people are often quick to judge a situation based entirely on one side of the story. The parallels between Jess and Sam’s beginnings, with Jess’s parents ending are strong, and the parallels consider events from opposite sides of a similar situation. I initially found myself feeling empathetic towards Victoria, Sam’s ex-girlfriend, but my empathy did wane a little when Victoria took matters too far, although I loved that Jess showed so much compassion for the situation Victoria found herself in.

The ending was everything I hoped it would be, and I was left feeling happy, a little tearful (but in a good way!), and desperately not wanting it to end. This book gave me a warm and fuzzy feeling, and having read the acknowledgements at the back of the book, it was clear how much Jules Wake loved her main characters, that love shone from every page and made me love them too.

Jess and Sam meet at a party and immediately start to fall for each other and there is an immediate spark. There is however a problem, Sam already has a girlfriend. This is an exploration of love at first sight, and finding the right person for you.

This was a light hearted romantic fiction read which I enjoyed. It was very easy reading and I flew through it. Jess and Sam are believable characters and I really warmed to Jess. I cringed along with the behaviour of Victoria, and wished Sam would stand up for himself a bit more! It was a little bit predictable in parts but that didn’t stop me enjoying it and I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a bit of light hearted easy reading.

This book was so god damn good and I found it impossible to put down. When I wasn't reading it I couldn't stop thinking about Jess, Sam and what Victoria was going to do in order to ruin their happiness.

Going into this book you know how it's going to end but that doesn't stop you from fully consuming this book and going on this journey with Jess and Sam. I laughed, I felt warm and I also cried.

Jess is an amazing character who I honestly loved and admired. She works in a hidden shelter for women and children who have left home with nothing in order to escape from the abuse they face at home. Not only that but she struggles with her mother, who hasn't been the same since Jess's father left them when she was 8 years old. She feels guilty for how close and at home she feels with her Aunt and Uncle but her mother doesn't make it easy for her. Jess was also a very easy-going and understanding character who was so calm in situations where I would have been pulling my own hair out.

I liked Sam and loved the banter he had with Jess. He was such a great character and I would have loved to have read parts of this story from his perspective. I also respect him for how he dealt with the beginning of the relationship but at times I wanted him to fight harder against Victoria and stand up for Jess more.

I liked the fact that this book wasn't just a romance novel, it dealt with mental health and focused heavily on the people left behind when relationships end and how they cope with it. This book shows you two completely different reactions, from a complete mental breakdown to enacting revenge because you think that person still belongs to you. It was hard watching these characters become unable to move on. I also love that Wake explored the other side of it and how hard it could be for the person who takes their place.

Honestly this was such a brilliant book. It wasn't cheesy (like I thought it might have been) and it wasn't completely focused on the whirlwind relationship Jess and Sam found themselves in. It shows that it isn't always rainbows and butterflies, but there are struggles and bumps in the road that they had to navigate around. I cannot wait to pick up more of her books!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I received an arc from HarperCollins UK via Netgalley. I am very grateful for this opportunity. All thoughts & opinions are my own.

Even though it is insta love story, I've felt like the relationship between Jess and Sam progressed too quickly. I would have appreciated it if they took more time to build their relationship. Nevertheless, I was convinced that they genuinely love each other by the end of the book.

I really liked the main character Jess and her devotion to her job. I also enjoyed reading about the development of her relationship with her parents. I was glad that Jess reunited with her father at the end of the book.

Jess and Sam meet and immediately feel a connection that neither of them can shake. While navigating a new relationship, plagued with disappointed parents and friends, their own passions and an ex who won’t leave them alone, they’ll need to decide if true love really does exist and if it actually can conquer all.

This was a cute, lighthearted romcom that I really enjoyed! The writing was fast paced and entertaining, so it was a quick read. Both Sam and Jess were such likeable (and at times relatable) characters, always trying to navigate situations the best they could, given what they were dealing with. I also enjoyed the subplot that dealt with Jess’s family dynamic - it gave you a look into her past that helped to explain her responses to certain situations in her relationship with Sam.

Pick this one up if you want something quick, heartwarming and funny.

I adored The Spark from the very first page!

Jess and Sam meet at a party and there is instant, almost tangible attraction between them. Yes, there was indeed The Spark of the title. Unfortunately, there is the teeny tiny problem that Sam is already attached. He is in a four year relationship with beautiful Victoria who is an influential Instagrammer and vlogger with half a million followers. How can Jess possibly compete? They cannot deny the strong attraction between them though and it seems as though ‘boy meets girl’ will end with ‘happily ever after’. Well, it does until it becomes clear that Victoria is not prepared to give up on her man easily.

Within the first few pages of this book, much like Jess, I think I was in love with Sam myself! He sounded totally gorgeous with his blond curls, blue eyes and toned body, much like a Greek God. Add to the mix his ability to endear himself to almost everyone he meets and his dedication to his job as a teacher at a school for children with special needs and he is pretty much the perfect man. Jess is also dedicated to her job working at a refuge for women and children escaping abusive relationships. The attraction between them was so beautifully described by Jules Wake and made clear through their tender touches and glances and seeming ability to know just what the other was thinking.

This relationship was far from all hearts and flowers though as Victoria mounted a rather vicious campaign to split the two up, convinced that Sam would see sense and return to her. Although initially you might feel a bit sorry for her, her vindictiveness soon puts paid to that, particularly when the full extent of her campaign to get Sam back becomes clear. To be honest, I was wondering why he was with her in the first place. It was interesting to see how the situation with Victoria made Jess reconsider her separated parents’ relationship, which she knew very little about, and see their break-up in a different light. There were also parallels with Victoria’s behaviour and the behaviour of the partners of the women at the refuge. The nasty side of social media comes to the fore several times during the course of the novel.

Most of the book, however, focuses on the romance between Jess and Sam, and how lovely that was to read. There were some seriously passionate scenes between the two which may leave you a little flushed and thinking of cold showers! This is a book which will make you believe in crazy, head-over-heels, love-at-first-sight. And it will make you think that Lego is a perfect symbol of love. It’s a gorgeously romantic read, just perfect and it was a joy to meet these characters. The Spark will definitely be added to my favourite reads of 2020.

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for the arc.

The Spark sounded like a fun rom-com, but it missed the mark for me. I really wanted to DNF 30% into it, but I stuck it out to the end. They only entertaining parts were Victoria, the ex-girlfriend. I was so annoyed by the main couple that I enjoyed seeing her get under their skin.

I couldn’t relate to any of the characters situations, but maybe if you experienced rejection or a parent walking out, you will appreciate it more.

Just want to say this isn’t a light book. There are some heavy themes and confrontational scenes.

*As per my review policy, I don’t share reviews socially if it is under 3 stars unless a publisher asks me to.*

What happens if you feel a spark with someone that is already in a relationship? Is it fair to try to know if there’s more than a spark, knowing that you’ll break a relation?
I always said that in a relationship there’s always a third person on it, it depends on how you are with your partner to be aware of it or not. And I think this is the case in the triangle love/hate story between Jess, Sam and Victoria. Sam and Victoria had been together for the last 3 years, but when Sam meets Jess he can’t continue the relationship she had with Victoria and wants to know more about Jess. Has Jess really broken their relationship or it was not as good and strong as they thought it was?
This had been an addictive read, it was easy to fall in love with the story and understand their points of view, even if Victoria acts like a crazy woman, she feels betrayed and doesn’t know how to act in this new situation. Are they Sam’s friends or hers? Which is the difference between obsession and stalking? How dangerous is jealousy? It’s the other “woman”, the one that broke the relationship or was it broken before? The situation is not easy and it will affect everyone surrounding them, but in the end what will really matter is: is it worth the try? Is the spark they feel worth everything?
Of course you’ll have to read the book if you want to know all the answers, believe me, it will be impossible to put it down!
Ready to discover “The Spark”?

Today is publication day for Jules Wake’s latest novel The Spark and today is my stop on the blog tour. Thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources, Jules and One More Chapter for the opportunity to take part.

I discovered Jules earlier this year when I read The Saturday Morning Park Run, and I was looking forward to reading her next novel and this one didn’t disappoint.

The Spark is a love story and one that made me smile from the off. You could feel the spark between the leading characters, Jess and Sam, coming through the pages.

When Jess and Sam meet Sam is in a relationship with Victoria, but he can’t get Jess off his mind. Same ends his relationship with Victoria and after a while Sam and Jess start dating. Victoria isn’t willing to let their relationship go and throws many obstacles in Jess and Sam’s way.

I really like Jess and Sam as individual characters and their stories that have lead them to this point. And you can see that they are meant to be together from the start. I really liked Jess’s extended family, her aunt, uncle and cousin, and whilst her mum didn’t always treat Jess that well, their relationship was a vital part of Jess’s story and how she would be able to face Sam’s ex, Victoria. At the start I was sympathetic towards Victoria, nobody likes to have their heartbroken, but her behavior throughout the story made me lose this sympathy.

I really enjoyed this book, I smiled from start to finish and can’t wait to read what Jules brings out next.

In the acknowledgements that end this lovely book, the author tells us how she completely fell in love with Jess and Sam, her two main characters, and hopes that her readers will too. Well, I can’t speak for all her readers, but my goodness, I most certainly did – and I thought this book, while perhaps not quite (and certainly not always) the funny romantic comedy you might be expecting, was simply wonderful.

In terms of story, it’s a relatively simple one – Jess and Sam meet at a party, and the attraction is instant and powerful. Although they both feel the same, nothing can come of it – Sam is in a four-year relationship with Victoria, and after seeing the devastating effect on her mother of her father’s departure eighteen years ago when he fell in love with another, there’s no way she wants to be the one who breaks up a relationship and inflicts that pain on someone else.

But – through social media, which is really cleverly used throughout the book – she discovers Sam has ended his relationship, and their way is clear. And so begins a relationship so full of love and passion that it fills your heart with joy – until it becomes very clear that Victoria has no intention of walking away, instead doing all she can (with a rather disturbing edge of obsession) to win Sam back.

The romance in this book is just stunning – entirely believable, all-consuming, love of a depth and intensity incredibly well described. The small details are wonderful – like many others I loved the use of the Lego image (you need to read the book…), and small details like the shared smiles and touches entirely melted my heart.

The book is told through Jess’ voice – it makes it very easy to identify with her, to experience the intensity of her emotions, to share her fears and doubts…. and it certainly makes it easy to love her, and feel the depth of love that she’s been so fortunate to find.

The supporting cast is wonderful too – Jess’s close relationship with her aunt and uncle, her very difficult one with her bitter and twisted mother (with those awkward mother-daughter dance steps), her supportive friends (who also add much of the humour so well laced through the book). And then there’s Victoria – and I really did like the way that despite her extreme reactions and her atrocious behaviour it’s often difficult not to feel some sympathy for her (well, for a while at least – until she goes a little too far).

The back story of Jess’s upbringing and the events that shaped her are well played in too, with some clever mirroring when her attempts to build some bridges and put that hurt to rest are played into the story. The work she does too provides an extra dimension, and a very well handled one – and I really enjoyed the family Cornish wedding, a nice bit of lighter relief from the emotional turmoil. I’ll say no more, this book is one you need to experience for yourself – but I will just say that its ending is one of those wonderful moments you will never forget, heartbreaking, joyous, tear-filled and quite gloriously uplifting.

Yes, I loved the characters very much indeed – and this was such a special book, an emotional love story that moved me really deeply, broke my heart and then made it sing. Quite superb – and very highly recommended to all.

(Review copied to Amazon UK, but link not yet available.)

I...have a lot of feelings.

First off, the book is decently written - but its the storyline I have a major problem with. It's pretty common for Romance Novels to be populated with beautiful people, but the constant mention of Jess's beauty, Sam's Beauty and how thin and perfect (gag) Jess is was irritating.

Second, this plot is messy, dramatic and a whole big pile of grey area. Sam and Jess meet at a BBQ and fall instantly (and I mean instantly) in love. Except, Sam has a girlfriend. Which, I mean - he's upfront about right away but they're still texting each other and connecting over social media. Nothing inappropriate but it's definitely toeing the line and doesn't sit well with me. Especially since I'm supposed to be rooting for them, it's just a sketchy lead up.

Sam dumps his beautiful Instagram influencer girlfriend of 4 years because he's magically fallen in love at first sight with Jess. Cue more mess. A rightfully heartbroken ex who's now painted as the villain and crazy. She shows up at their dates, she vandalizes the protagonists car, she follows her home etc.

I hated all of it. I really truly felt for Victoria (the ex) and hated the "we're just two innocent people in love, how dare she ruin this for us" nonsense from Sam and Jess.

All in all it made me feel icky, and I couldn't get into the storyline at all. Which is too bad because Jess has some interesting family backstory that was promising but ultimately overshadowed by all the annoying and petty drama.

Have you ever had the ‘spark’ – you know that feeling when you meet someone and just have that instant connection? Well, Jess experiences that instant connection with Sam, a total stranger, at a family barbecue. By the end of the afternoon, they are both chatting away and getting on like they have known each other forever. With both feeling Jess and Sam feeling that instant connection, they know they are meant to be together. Except for one problem. Sam already has a girlfriend and he and Victoria have been together for 4 years.

They do their very best to avoid each other and their feelings for each other, as Jess would never want to be the cause of another woman’s pain and upset. Her own father left when she was young, to move in with someone else, and Jess saw how it destroyed her mother. Sam ends his relationship with Victoria as he just can’t get Jess out of his head. The pair begin dating and both Jess and Sam are deliriously happy. This is where we think they get their happily ever after. But, sadly this isn’t the case. Sam’s ex, Victoria is doing everything in her power to break them up and keep them apart.

The Spark is an honest story of how not everything in love and life goes to plan. The story does tackle sensitive and emotional subjects, like the very fragile and broken relationship between Jess and her Mum. It is packed full of emotion, romance, love, and I completely loved it! Having already read (and loved) The Saturday Morning Park Run by Jules, I was hoping that I was going to love The Spark just as much – and I did!

Oh My Goodness!
This author just gets better and better!
I have piles of jobs to do, but I just needed to know how Sam and Jess's story went.
I loved it.
Loved the camaraderie between the couple, their family background, and most of all Jess and Sam.
I cried with laughter throughout, Jules Wake knows how to lift your spirits.
What a fantastic book.

Well that's it my heart has melted. Just a joy to read. Sam and Jess are my new favourite fictional couple. I fell in love with them both, so much chemistry.

Sam and Jess meet, an instant spark. Like lego they fit together. However Sam has a girlfriend, Victoria of 4 years. What happens when you realise you no longer love your long term partner and have fallen in love with someone else? We navigate their struggles with friends, family and the ex girlfriend. Heartbreaking and heartwarming. A love story with a difference. Just perfect.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK and One More Chapter for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Published 11th December 2020