Jules Wake writes the sort of books I always want to read. Emotional, insightful, with broken families, moral dilemmas and questions aplenty, while there are also very real, nice people and a genuine warmth at their heart. This book kept me enthralled. Was Jess right to fall in love with a man who had, for the past four years, belonged o someone else? Could she cope with the guilt of watching Sam's ex fall apart under the weight of the same heartbreak that had ruined her own mother's life so many years ago? You can't choose who you fall for and, once that spark had been ignited, I was rooting for Jess to stand up for herself and fight to keep Sam, no matter what his vindictive ex threw at them. A very real look at the aftermath of a breakup, where not only the spurned girlfriend but their whole network of close friends and family find it so hard to accept that things have changed. True love will always survive, and I loved every page!

3.5*

Was this supposed to be a thriller or a romance? This seriously had me going through a series of emotions reading this. This love at first sight book started out very problematic. First off the main guy in here in taken when our couple meet for the first time not only that but it was a long term relationship of 4 years. Thats a lot of history to just dump for a spark. So of course its understandable that the ex girlfriend would be upset however she is written as a complete psychopath who ends up stalking the couple and making trouble for them at every turn going so far as vandalizing property, putting innocents in danger, and using her entitlement to try and ruin both of the individuals careers. Jess always worried about her image worrying that she was an interloper and how this relationship cant work because her parents split. Sam has some anger issues for sure so I didnt think super highly of him but he was trying his best. Another problematic incident arose when Jess's mom had a conversation saying she didn't want to bring a woman as her date to a wedding because she didn't want people thinking she had a "special friend' and that read a bit homophobic to me and that was in the first couple chapters. So this one didnt start out great for me but after a little bit it did get better. I liked that Jess had some closure with her dad at the end as it really helped for that happy ending. Despite the not so great beginning, the writing was done well and plot progression followed a really nice pace.

A romantic novel with a bit of 'bite'. I've recently read a lot of 'deep and serious' books and this was just the antidote I needed! The passion/lust/romance/connection/spark between Sam and Jess is palpable; I was fully invested in their journey and was rooting for them to ignore the crazy ex girlfriend. I really enjoyed the 'will they - won't they' make it element and will look forward to more books from this author! A refreshing plot with characters I cared about and reminiscent of one of my favourite authors, Lindsey Kelk.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

DNF at 16%
(I don't rate DNFs, but it's required on this site so I'll give it the benefit of the doubt and give it a two-star rating)

I wish I could happily continue on reading this, but I physically can't bring myself to. I was staring at it unable to read and then skimmed until the end of the chapter. I just can't read it. Jess is whiny, Sam is annoying, and I just can't bear reading it. I hope someone ends up loving this book, but I just can't make myself read it.

Jess meets Sam at her aunt and uncle’s barbecue. When they first see one another there is an instant mutual attraction but Sam is very upfront and tells Jess they cannot act on their attraction as he has a girlfriend of four years, Victoria. They part company and Jess tried to forget him.

Some time later Sam contacts her and tells her he has broken up with Victoria and wants to take her out. Their relationship quickly progresses but Sam’s ex, Victoria, is a woman scorned and tries everything in her power to ruin their relationship.

The love story of Jess and Sam, the easy relationship that Jess has with her aunt, uncle and cousin and the contrasting more difficult, almost painful, relationship between Jess and her mother - all contribute to make this a fantastic read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced read copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

4☆ Heartwarming, Very Entertaining and A Sweet Contemporary Romance

Jess meets Sam at her Aunt and Uncles family bbq.
They originally bond over the fact they are the youngest people at the bbq.
But as they get lost in conversation their instant Spark only intensifies!

Sam is everything she wants in a Man. He's Fun, Kind, Warm, has the same interests, Charismatic, Funny and Incredibly Handsome....but there's just one thing wrong.... He's taken!

Sam has fallen for Jess and he knows it's wrong but he just can't help being drawn to her.
Is it so wrong to want to be friends?..... he has never strayed or even looked at another Woman before Jess... so what makes her so special?


Maybe they are soul mates?... maybe they are just meant to be?

One thing's for certain no one can deny they have a massive SPARK!

I loved both Jess and Sam. They are both pretty special people!
Jess is such an inspiration she works hard to protect and help vulnerable women and their children. Sam works as a Special Educational Teacher. I was desperately willing them both together, despite all the obstacles!
Oh and Sam's Ex Victoria.... wow she's a woman out for revenge!.... as they say never mess with a woman scorned 🙈

The Spark is a Heartwarming, very entertaining and sweet romance.
All of the characters were brilliantly written and sparked a variety of emotions towards them.
This is a story about finding love, overcoming obstacles, self discovery, friendship, family dramas, moving on and taking risks.
If you enjoy Contemporary Romances then you will love The Spark by Jules Wake


Thank you to Rachel Random Resources for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Boy meets girl, boy and girl both feel the spark but boy already has a girlfriend. With so much up against them is love enough for Sam and Jess to weather the storm. Can Jess face her own history and learn from it at the same time or will it all prove to be too much.
This is not your usual romance, it started off all sweetness and light but actually had a lot of substance to it. There was one quite explicit sexual scene which was strange, usually when a book will throw these in there will be plenty of them throughout but it was all very tasteful bar the one time. There was a real vulnerability to Jess and there was clearly a lot of research that went into sculpting her job and how that would look and shape her. There was a lot of depth to the story. The characters were all really well written. I would definitely pick up more by this author.

I received an e-copy of this book on netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’m always hesitant with contemporary books because I feel like they can be very same-y and it’s not a genre I tend to focus on. However with the world as it is & between reading my normal magical/fantasy books, I thought this would be a nice break.

This book follows Jess who meets Sam at her aunts party and instantly falls in love (bleurgh in my personal opinion but nothing against the book). When they meet Sam is in a happy relationship with Victoria but Sam can’t get Jess out of his head and ends his relationship with controlling Victoria. What should then be a happy start of a new relationship is challenged by Victoria who is determined to get ‘her man’ back no matter what that takes. Will Sam and Jess’ relationship last or will Victoria get her wishes?

The book not only shows the controlling/true colours of Victoria and how unhealthy that is, but also shows Jess learning that her parents split wasn’t quite how it seemed: her father never abandoned her, her mom told them both lies, and her moms mental health has become damaging (that sounds bad but I don’t know how else to word it) on everyone.

I felt at times that this was a very ‘typical’ contemporary where boy meets girl, they fall instantly in love, jealous ex but the couple still get their happy ending. However the family problems underlining this for Jess was very interesting.

Overall I enjoyed this and would recommend to those who enjoy love at first sight stories with a challenging side character.

There is a little give and take on this book. This book was a little difficult to get through in the beginning, you read the typical romance of them starting to fall in love and getting to know one another. Instant love at first sight between Jess and Sam. What set this romance apart is dealing with Sam's heartbroken and jealous ex. I know this book is described as a romantic comedy but this wasn't a lighthearted book in my opinion. What made it remotely lighthearted was her cousin Shelly who was fun and the eccentric aunt wedding that they attended.
These main characters go through major set back in their relationship and their family which made this not what I would think a romantic comedy is described. You see their faults that caused more of the issues in their lives and their relationship. And having a bitter Ex to make life more difficult not in a "funny" way. What I don't love about this book is a lot of unresolved issues in the book. The ending happened way too quick. Right when you are really invested in the characters, they are back together for a split second after their problems that threatened them apart and then the story is over. Makes you wonder how Jess and Sam are deciding to move forward with all the unresolved issues and what happened to other characters that was developed in the book. This book left me wanting more. But overall, this a was a great read and certainly not your cheesy romantic story.

A flirty and fun romance with plenty of heart. I love the author's chatty, gossipy voice, and the lingering descriptions of the budding relationship. Cute as. x

I loved this book! Really didn’t want to put it down.

Jess & Sam are such wonderful characters who learn so much about one another and themselves in such a short time.

I’ll definitely add Jules Wake to my must read authors list.

I have very mixed feelings on this one. It all just moved a little too fast for me? I think the overall story was good, and I liked the focus on how getting both sides of a story is important and sometimes it takes putting yourself in another person's shoes to fully appreciate what they've been through. Jess' work with the women's refuge was also well written and a job I don't think I've ever seen mentioned in a book before. However the romance was just a little too far fetched for me. I know love at first sight is a thing, but they'd known each other for barely 5 weeks and were moving in together & wanting to get married. I'm all for doing what you want, but they didn't even really seem to know each other that well? I don't know it just didn't feel real and I couldn't fully invest myself in the story. I think it's a book with a lot of potential but just not for me I don't think!

A solid romance with genuine conflict throughout and many obstacles to overcome. Well written and kept your attention throughout

When Sam and Jess met at a garden party the attraction was instant..... but Sam has been going out with Victoria for four years! After Sam had ended his relationship with Victoria he started seeing Jess but Victoria started bad mouthing Jess to everyone and branding her the other woman...... will the spark be strong enough to overcome all of the pressure on them?

Another lovely book by this author I really liked the characters of Jess and Sam and although Victoria wasn't likeable you could have some sympathy as she was obviously hurting. A good light read to brighten up these dismal times

Thank you Netgalley for this copy of THE SPARK. I loved this story! What a fun romcom. I really enjoyed the authors spin on perspective from the mother to the ex. Great writing. Would definitely recommend.

It is very hard to continue reading this book. You may argue that Sam did not cheat on Vic but emotional cheating is also cheating. Sam was thinking about kissing Jess when he was still in a relationship with Vic. Jess is in a very conflicted situation. She witnessed how devastated her mum was when her dad left. One minute she hates being the other woman and the next minute she still continues seeing Sam. What?! I know its real life and this does happen but sorry, this is not my cup of tea. I am not related to the character and can't bother for them to have their happy ending.

"Girl meets boy. Boy meets girl." Sounds simple enough, right? However, love is nothing if not complicated. If you were a fan of One Day in December, you'll be a fan of this book, because the concept is incredibly similar. That, honestly, was where I struggled a bit. It felt a little too familiar in parts. However, this book really touches on the ethical internal struggle of dating someone who was with someone else when you met them. Of course, Sam breaks up with his ex before he begins dating Jess. However, Jess still struggles with the idea of being the other woman, and there is a lot of exploration of how truly complicated love can be. I also think the trope of psycho jealous ex-girlfriend is aging out, and something we're moving past.

I am in the minority with my rating of this book, however it just wasn't for me. Many thanks to the publisher for an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was an average read for me. I really liked that there was no cheating. Sam broke up with his ex, Victoria before he started anything with Jess. Sam turned out to be the guy Jess thought he was. But that didn’t feel true to her character that she would just move in with a guy very soon after that started dating each other

I also like the description of the “spark” they had and the love at first sight trope was done well. However, I didn’t really see the two main characters, Sam and Jess together after that. I feel there was not very much chemistry between the two characters after the started dating., which is really early in the book.


I just reviewed The Spark by Jules Wake. #NetGalley

Jules has done it again! (Like I was in any doubt.)
A lot of romances feature a couple meeting, falling in love and having a happy ending all loved up – and I love that. In The Spark Jules has take a bit of a different, and more realistic perspective on navigating a new relationship.
I loved Sam and Jess from the very first chapters. Jess is a down to earth, funny and such a lovely lady. Sam is honest and gentle and from the very first meet The Spark is definitely there. After a rocky start and a whirlwind romance, a gorgeous love story begins but it’s not all plain sailing. Navigating parents, exes, and past baggage are just some of the hurdles the smitten couple have to face.
The romance and characters just suck you in. I felt like part of the extended ‘cast’ of characters and wanted to clear the bumpy path for this wonderful couple. The back stories and other characters give extra depth to the story, really bringing everything to life. Woven throughout are snippets of humour and amusing situations too which balance out some of the more emotional drama and plot threads.
Wonderful characters and a realistic perspective of a new romance makes this the perfect novel to curl up with this weekend.

This was absolutely wonderful. I loved the characters, the plot and especially how it made me feel. Would highly recommend it for sure.