This is the third book in the Seven Shores series and after reading the last book I really needed this book to make me fall in love with it.

I feel like this book was a bit like the series for me so far. I loved Gia and Elle and their chemistry as a couple was amazing, but I didn't particularly enjoy the storyline. I hated that their professional careers had to take a hit for their personal lives to flourish.

Elle was a really awesome character and I completely fell in love with her bubbly personality which balanced Gia out perfectly.

If I put aside my issues with the storyline and just focus on the story created around Elle and Gia then I can honestly say that I enjoyed this book and as always, Brayden's style of writing drew me in.

*3.7 stars

Gia Malone and Elle Britton are competitors for the World Championship surfing title. Gia thinks that Elle is a fake, publicity seeking poser and she is determined to knock her from her number one ranking. Elle thinks that Gia is a cold, unlikable automaton and is determined to remain World Champ at all costs. Then the two are paired for an endorsement deal and the titular sparks begin to fly.

I loved the little world that Melissa Brayden created with her Seven Shores series. I am sad to have only found it on book 3 and plan to go back and search out books one and two! The secondary characters were interesting and felt fleshed out, not serving merely as background noise or support for Gia and Elle.

The romance was slightly unbelievable in spots, but was enjoyable overall. Gia was an intriguing character and I wished I could have kept reading about here (maybe in the other books in the series!). I was a little less interested in Elle's straight-to-gay arc and she was less likable to me, but it didn't detract from the book.

Overall, I enjoyed the romance, the foreign (to me) world of surfing, and the characters. Give this light, fun, beach read a go.

Just an Ok read. Friends are faithful and dialog is clever. But nothing unusual about the storyline. The first 2 books in this series were lukewarm for me and this one followed suit.

I know a lot of people are on the lookout for quality f/f. I also know Melissa Brayden is kind of a superstar of f/f and I’m very late to the game, but please let me shine a spotlight on her newest release anyway. We’ve got some quality f/f right here!

Firstly: It’s a surfing romance, and the surfing was awesome. I’m not a surfer myself, but I grew up in a beach town with a surf-cultured family, and the competitions brought me back to those days. I realized I haven’t had so much fun reading about sports games since <i>Harry Potter’s</i> Quidditch matches (I know how basic that sounds. Still true.).

Brayden tweeted that she “immersed” herself “quite a bit in the world of surfing, but what a fascinating study that turned out to be.” I can tell she did her research. It felt really detailed, and I liked the light glazing of surf politics:

<i>The surfing world was just as sexist as any other sport out there. The women were rewarded for their appearances with ads, sponsorships, and endorsement deals. Others used their charisma to pull in the necessary cash to compete. But if you were a less-than-attractive or shy person, the going was rough, if not impossible. Didn’t matter how great a surfer you were. Your only hope was to have been born independently wealthy and bankroll your travel and tournament fees personally. It didn’t make sense.</i>

The second core part of the story is the rivals-to-lovers romance. The characters progress from distrust to love, and I was on board for every part of it. There’s an immediate “spark” there that makes all of their interactions pop out on the page.

<i>Elle raised her glass and touched Gia’s. “To taking each other down. That should be the story of our joint memoir.”</i>

Honestly, there are plenty of books that would bank of those two aspects of the story (surfing, rivals-to-lovers) being compelling enough and be done with it. Brayden adds so much more, and that’s what turned this from a light, decent read to a page-turner that I greedily read in one day. I didn’t realize this was the third book in the <i>Seven Shores</i> series before I began, but Gia is part of an established friend group, most of whom were protagonists in books one and two. Their friend group was so lovely. I’ve complained in the past about fictional characters who never stop bickering—I think argumentative dialogue sounds quick and witty to a writer, making endless banter tempting to write, but it quickly grates on my nerves and feels unrealistic. Brayden wrote a mature, loving friend group that felt like real life, supportive adults. I really loved them.

Also? There’s a pregnant lesbian in this book. This is kind of personal, but the pregnancy subplot made me cry, because I realized that the only other times I seen pregnant lesbians in fiction, they’ve been the butt of cruel, homophobic, and misogynistic jokes, like in shows such as <i>Queer as Folk</i> and <i>Friends.</i>

When Gia’s pregnant friend suffers from mood swings, worries about overeating, and experiences the anxieties I’ve known pregnant people to suffer from, Gia (and her other friends) are continuously supportive. They compliment her, boost her confidence, and Gia never has a single mean or annoyed thought in her head about it. I didn’t realize how rare that was until I saw it. We’re often really cruel to pregnant women in our fiction, especially when those women are lesbians.

Another thing I loved? Gia is out before the story begins, but Elle’s arc is one of recognizing her sexuality and then coming out. I really loved the arc with Elle’s parents. I don’t want to spoil it, so I’m going to write about it in detail at the bottom of this review. Overall, it felt touchingly real, and it was another thing that made me tear up.

Another <i>another</i> thing I loved? There’s a surfing accident in the book, and unfortunately I have been there in my life. I’ve been the person waiting in the hospital, more than once (I grew up in a beach town). That arc also felt true to life.

<i>Sparks Like Ours</i> is made up of myriad bits of truth that make for a cozy, lovely summer read. I can’t call this book enemies-to-lovers because Gia and Elle are both too kind to have enemies. This is about two people trying to make it work in the best way they can, and there’s no immature, emotionally unintelligent, forced drama getting in the way. It felt organic and refreshing, and it made the loving moments so much lovelier, and the drama so much more tense for feeling utterly real.

I can't wait to read more of Brayden's books. I think the next title might be <i>Strawberry Summer</i> because who can resist a title like that? But I also know I'll be reading the rest of the <i>Seven Shores</i> series this summer.

<b>Spoiler bit:</b>

So Elle and Gia go out to dinner with Elle’s parents right after Elle came out to them. Her mom and dad told her they were fine with her being with Gia, but it turned out they just didn’t take the relationship very seriously. The dinner goes quickly south:

<i>Elle went numb. Her mother thought this was a phase. She’d been supportive while quietly waiting for it to pass. Elle met Gia’s sad and uncomfortable eyes and sent her a reassuring smile.</i>

I loved this because I related to it. Sometimes lesbian romances either ignore homophobia or use homophobia to create forced drama. When it is used purely as a plot device, a certain psychological realism is sacrificed. That’s not what happens here, because this isn’t the central arc, and it’s definitely not forced. Here’s another part that really touched me:

<i> “Maybe [your relationship with Gia] is a whim,” her father said <b>with annoying confidence.</b> “She’s not who I imagined for you, Elle. Not even close, and <b>that has nothing to do with sexuality.</b> Are you willing to throw away your career for an exciting few months?”</i>

God, it was cathartic to read this! The annoying confidence bit, in which a prejudiced loved one thinks they understand you better than you understand yourself. And the assurance that this conversation has nothing to do with homophobia, thereby invalidating the feelings Elle is experiencing, also rings true. Later, of course, Elle’s mother tells her it was totally about Elle dating a woman, and while her parents ultimately accept her, Elle’s father still can’t speak to her until he works more on accepting it. I really just loved every aspect of this, because I think it happens so often, but I rarely see it on the page. You never realize how cathartic books can be until you read stuff like this.

In this third in installment of her ‘Seven Shore’ series Ms Bryden takes on surfer Gia Malone, a resident of Seven Shore apartments where her three best friends all live. She’s wants more than anything to reach the number one ranking in the professional surfing circuit. The only thing standing in her way is Elle Britton. Gia can’t stand Elle but then again she doesn’t really know her. That is until they are asked to appear together in some ads for a surfing magazine. I learned a lot about surfing, and that was ok but what I really enjoyed was watching Gia and Elle fall in love. Very, very nice. Can’t wait to see what Ms Bryden has in store for Hadley.
eARC via NetGalley

Sparks Like Ours is the latest installment in Melissa Brayden’s Seven Shores series. I have not read the first two, but I really enjoyed this one and don’t feel it’s absolutely essential to have the background. Elle and Gia really do have sparks, although this starts out as an enemies-to-lovers theme. More competitors than enemies, and both are world class surfers. I had zero prior knowledge of the surfing world, so I enjoyed learning about it.
The main characters are both easy to love and the cast of friends in secondary roles are as well. Melissa Brayden is known for her snappy dialogue and this book is no exception. The plot and pacing were perfectly timed (about 5 hours to read, which is the perfect length for me). The inevitable conflict that breaks up the couple and the resolution that follows is different from other standard fare and I really enjoyed the difference. To me is was more real than the “fake” conflicts borne out of misunderstandings and made the ending all the sweeter.
Even though I didn’t read the first two installments, I’m certain I won’t miss the rest of them.

"For Gia, this was a form of church. She honoured the waves with the respect they deserved"

* * *
3 / 5

Definitely my favourite of the series so far! I loved all the surfing action, a sport I know virtually nothing about but that sounds really cool, and I'm a big lover of the enemies-to-lovers trope. Like it's content, this is definitely an easy beach read.

"Wait," Isabel said, holding up a hand. "Is that number two in the surf world walking toward us?"

Gia Malone is steadily climbing the rankings of the Women's World Surfing. She's young, she's vibrant, and she's got her eyes on the number one spot. The problem? The current number one is Elle Britton, a girl who knows how to charm the crowds; she knows the names of all the media people, she interacts with her fans, and she always has a ready smile on her face. No one can really be like that, right? Certainly not Gia, who thinks that Elle is faker than fake, and Elle thinks that Gia is rude and standoffish.

But then the two women end up working on an add campaign together and Elle offers Gia a lift home when her car breaks down. The two women begin to see a different side to each other, but their developing relationship has two big mountains in the way: one, they are prime surfing rivals, and two, Elle is straighter than straight. This is the first Seven Shores book with a romance that doesn't start with two women who know that they are either a lesbian or bisexual, but it was nicely written and wasn't dragged out.

"Elle never knew such happiness was possible for her"

I loved the romantic tension and the surfing scenes! The two had great chemistry and I loved the enemies to friends to lovers progression. But because they are so great together there isn't much tension in the book - you just know that the two will end up together! I also wish there had been a bit more on the surfing action - mostly the book focuses on what happens after a surfing tournament, on how Elle and Gia feel and how their performances affect their relationship.

This was definitely my favourites of the Seven Shores series; Gia is such a babe and she and Elle are great together. Only one single friend left now!

My thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC of this book

** spoiler alert ** Wonderful dialogue and lots of inclusion of our favourite couples from the past two books, Gotta love Autumn and her wonder and joy at the impending arrivals along with her ability to eat guilt free with the athlete that is Gia. My favourite conversation involved all four Seven Shores friends and their “Sparks” debate. Too funny.

No question the rivalry between Gia and Elle quickly moves through longing to lust after they are forced to work together in an ad campaign. I was loving the sparks until the novel seemed to bog down somewhere around the halfway mark. The choices both women are forced to make might be realistic but those decisions and events that transpire pulled most of the lustre off this coupling. I loved Gia and Elle’s competitive spirits [ and missed them when love got in the way. Took the fire right out of the book. (hide spoiler)]

ARC received with thanks from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley for review.

Gia and Elle are competitive surfers. Elle is number one in the world, and Gia has always envied her. Gia is coming into her prime, and her skills are getting better and better. This could be her year. They have the opportunity to do some promotional work together, and sparks fly between the pair. Neither has been lucky in love. Elle is trying her hand at dating, but something has always been missing. Her new guy is ok but a little dull around the edges. Gia hasn't dated much, but that doesn't stop her checking Elle out. Unfortunately, Elle has only dated men. These two are focused on their career and everything else has always taken a backseat.

This is a sweet romance about competition, compromise and believing in others. It's an easy romance read with some hot surfing. Both leading ladies are interesting characters. They have a good network of friends and promising sports skills.

4 stars out of 5. This is a quick read with a cute romance.

*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

An honest review thanks to NetGalley. This series will suck you into their world, and I ended up rereading the first two books before this one to get a refresher. You do not have to read the previous two books, but I would recommend to get a better idea and feel for the different characters that are incorporated into this book. I loved Gia from the first book, so it was amazing to be able to get to know her better and see her adventure with Elle. The friends in this book create a feel for the relationships between each of the characters, making this read so much more than just a romance.

What on earth has Melissa Brayden done? Did she...write a sports-themed romance that I can call a favorite? Maybe because it's surfing, which isn't a staple sport I hear about all the time, so I loved it. Even the competition parts which, frankly, had my competitive pulse racing. Good stuff.

Okay, so how about Elle Britton? Number one in the world of surf and number one in my heart for this book, even over Hadley. She managed to charm me as well as she schmoozed the media shoving cameras in her face. There was something very easy and relaxed about her. In the Brayden universe--for those who are familiar--many characters seem in competition to make the wittiest quips or the grab the biggest reactions. Elle's character is people-pleasing without being annoying and try-hard. I appreciate that. Attractive character, relatable personality. I'd buy her calendar, for sure.

Elle and Gia, a main character of the Seven Shores books, match well and it is HOT. I hadn't paid Gia that much attention, assuming her to be a carbon copy of Hunter from the Savvy team. You know the type: hot, talented playgirl and all that. Imagine my relief when she turned out to be standoffish, even awkward around women! Much better. I love me a romance that unfolds like theirs. Elle and Gia's first kiss was perfection. I felt all the sparks there.

Sure, I had my usual quibbles with Brayden, mostly about dialogue, tone, and the overuse of certain words. But, those didn't deter me from acknowledging that she knocked it out the park for this one! Or, like, she shredded the wave thing that I...I'll stop now.

'Sparks like Ours' really exceeded my expectations and I'm too glad. Elle and Gia's relationship had all the parts of sweet, sexy, playful, hate-to-love, slow burn, toaster oven. The Seven Shores crew, I find them much more refreshing and interesting than the Soho Loft and that's coming from a New Yorker! I guess I craved this chill, sunny setting all along.

I'd like to add that the overall message resonated with me, especially with prioritizing one's career.

Now, let's get to Hadley's story because I've been anticipating it since book one in this series! Give that woman a girlfriend!

This was my favorite book in the series so far. I've been saying for a while now that Milissa Brayden needs to go back to writing some angst. This had a little but nowhere near her earlier stuff (Waiting in the Wings). "Just Three Words" in the "SoHo Loft" had similar vibes, at least in the main character. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Brayden books and sports stories.

Two pro surfers compete furiously for the number 1 spot in the world and inadvertently, fall in love. The book was smooth and read like a summer breeze and a cool cocktail. Gia and Elle are gorgeous, have fun friends, and make a very sweet couple, all which made it an enjoyable story. No real conflict at all. My favorite scene involved their first night together which was one of the tenderest moments I’ve read in a romance. If you’re looking for angst and craziness, keep looking but a wonderful beach read or a lazy, Sunday afternoon book, then yes. As for this book being part of a series, I have only read Sparks and it was fine as a stand-alone story.

This was my third Melissa Brayden title (and I have more in my TBR pile). Even after only two books, I knew Brayden would deliver a solid, enjoyable read, and she certainly did.

Sparks Like Ours is the third book in a four-book series following a group of four friends. This is Gia's book, although Isabel, Autumn, and Hadley all appear throughout the story. Gia's a pro surfer and looking to make it to the number-one spot, currently occupied by Elle Britton, surfing's golden girl. While Gia and Elle have crossed paths on the tour, there's little love between them. Until they're presented with a joint sponsorship opportunity and are forced to spend more time together and get to know one another.

Brayden's strength is in writing characters. I typically love brooding characters like Gia, but Elle won me over with her bubbliness. I thought they were a good, fun match. But what I especially love about these books is the friendship among the core four--Gia, Isabel, Hadley, and Autumn. They support each other through good times and bad, and when they're together, Brayden's gift for dialogue sparkles. It's great to see an emphasis on women being friends, I think that really makes this series stand out from others.

I do have quibbles, though. Surfing is an interesting world to set a novel in, and since I know nothing about it, I would've liked to see more of it. Sometimes, I was surprised when Brayden skipped surfing scenes I expected.

Getting to know Gia becomes an awakening for Elle, who never seems to be able to connect to the men she's dating. When her best friend, Holly, sets her up with a guy named Christopher, she loves conversing with him but isn't really interested in kissing him or doing anything more. Repeatedly, she refers to herself as "broken" because of this, and when she figures out she's attracted to Gia, she's happy because she's not broken after all. I was disappointed in this portrayal because a lack of sexual attraction doesn't mean a person is broken. Ace people exist, and "broken" is often a term used derogatorily. I thought it would've been an interesting opportunity to include an ace main character.

The last quibble is that so, so often, sports romances portray relationships as distractions from professional sports. I can see how that would be true, but it'd be nice to see one where love was shown to have a positive impact on all aspects of a character's life. So that just felt a little too predictable to me, although I thought Brayden wrapped it up in an interesting way.

I originally had skipped Hearts Like Hers, book two in the series (no offense to Autumn, but I wasn't that intrigued by her), but now I think I'll go back and read it. I'm looking forward to Hadley's book.

What can I say that already hasn't been said. This author knows how to write a story that not only keeps the pages turning but keeps you coming back for more. This is another solid read with great characters and a nice romance in a fun series. A must read.

This was such a great book! I had been looking for something that was different than my usual hockey, football, baseball themes so when I saw this was about surfers I jumped on it.

Both characters were really great and had very different personalities. They brought the best out in each other and I loved the progression of their relationship.

Elle was super sweet. She was very personable and bubbly which was a stark contrast to Gia's more reserved personality. I loved how dedicated she was to her sport and how dedicated she was to her relationship with Gia. She really threw herself into their relationship.

Gia was a great character, too. She was very focused and very driven. She loved her friends fiercely and was an incredibly loyal person.

I loved the surfing aspect. I know absolutely nothing about surfing or the specifics of it so I can't say how accurate the descriptions were, but it FELT authentic. I will say, one thing I didn't like was what happened with their surf standings. I won't get into more detail with that, but it bummed me out how that story line went.

Overall, I definitely recommend this book. It was a fun, easy read with little angst and a whole lotta heart.

I’m somewhat selective on which book to read because as emphasized by one of my favorite authors, you should never waste your time on non-quality books. Quality for me has to have at least, among others, a good story, good writing and good storytelling. With Melissa Brayden, you can never go wrong. Her stories are always fun and light. She doesn’t write heavy stories with major plot twist that will make you fall off the sofa, she writes stories that will make you stay on the sofa because you feel good. It’s her game.

Sparks like Ours is a sport-romance book that will give you a glimpse of the world of surfing. Ladies in board shorts trotting the big waves, how cool is that? I think it’s rare that this sport is given the limelight in lesfic so it’s a treat to have this one. Although not explored as much but perhaps there’s really nothing much to it so I’m okay. The main and supporting characters were very likable. Yep, simply cannot love Gia and Elle and not the others, after all this is a series. I could really care less if they seem to come from one mold by the way they speak. The sweet, sweet Hadley of course is an exception. I enjoyed their banters. Brayden has a knack for writing funny and witty dialogues. It makes you root not only for the romance but also the friendship.

This may be a good book but being a sports enthusiast with a very competitive spirit, there’s one thing I didn’t like and it’s in the last 10% of this book. Brayden, why??? Nonetheless, this is a totally recommendable book. And I recommend reading the first two installments. 5 stars.

Another solid read by Brayden though I have to say the formula is getting a little tired, but this book had less drama than most of her stories which was both refreshing and also a bit underwhelming. I personally love a good amount of angst! But it was nice to see 2 people just fall in love without poor communication muddying the waters. The character’s circumstances provided relatable real world conflict but overall this was a straightforward and enjoyable love story. Both protagonists were extremely likeable.

Easily my favourite of the series so far!!! A must read!!!

Elle and Gia are rivals on the ocean, both battling for the position of top women's surfer in the world. When they're forced to spend time together, both women are surprised to actually enjoy spending time together. The sparks fly between them, and flirtation gives way to much much more. But can they balance a relationship while still battling for 1st place?

Gia and Elle are definitely my two favourite characters we've met so far. They're so fresh and fun and passionate. I loved Elle's journey, and her confidence that went with every step she took. I loved catching up with the rest of the ladies of the Seven Shores as well - and I'm looking forward to Hadley's story soon!

The dialogue in this book was exquisite - the prefect balance of quippy and serious. I felt like with this book in particular I could really connect to the characters on a deeper level and really sink into the story and get lost for a few wonderful hours. So so fantastic. Also the descriptions of the surfing were just enough to give us an idea of what was going without being so technical that you get lost.

Lovely lovely book - I can't wait to have this whole series in paperback. Definitely a perfect summer and a perfect anytime read!

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Another fantastic novel from the pen of the formidable, Melissa Brayden.

Gia Malone has worked for years to climb the surfing championship ladder and she’s finally one win away from being number one in the world. The only person standing in her way is the current number one, Elle Britton.

When Elle and Gia are thrown together in a new marketing campaign they begin to let their competitive guards down, ultimately seeing each other in a way they never could before. But when surfing has always been number one in your life, where does love fit on the scale?

What a fantastic series, one that I am so glad isn’t ending with this book. The Seven Shores series is one of my favourites to date.

I must admit that in the last two books Gia wasn’t my favourite of the main four friends (Autumn and Hadley were), however after this book that all changed. I definitely have the major hots for Gia but I also think she’s an incredibly amazing friend and person who has an infectious and endearing personality.

Elle on the other hand I wanted to be BFF’s with. She’s happy go lucky and a genuinely good person. Gia and Elle together are a match made in heaven. They have very different traits which compliment each other perfectly. However, when it comes to the love they are incredibly similar as they’d do anything for their friends and the ones they love dearly. They also have the most amazing chemistry that is all encompassing and passionate, which I hadn’t expected to be as potent as what it was.

You have to get on the Seven Shores train but be aware you’re not going to want to get off again!

Another indisputable 5 star novel from Melissa Brayden!