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

The Spark by Jules Wake was a very thoughtfully written novel! The plot had the perfect amount of family tension and drama (my favorite things in books lol) I’ve always enjoyed reading romance novels which don’t only revolve around the couple involved, which was the case for The Spark too.

Jess and Sam were such a swoon-worthy pair! Just like the title of the book suggests, I saw sparks flying between them from the very first chapter. I loved seeing them connect through their similar interests, goals and outlook towards life. As individual characters, Jess and Sam were written with multiple layers too, instead of having one-dimensional natures/attitudes. I think that made them very real to me, and I felt as if I was reading about people who I know in real life. Sam and Jess both had histories which were pivotal to the plot of The Spark – it was interesting to see how their past affected their relationship at the present. I loved how honest they were with each other, how they handled different issues that they stumbled upon with an appreciable amount of maturity, and didn’t sugar-coat different situations just to make the other person happy. Sam and Jess (at this point I just want to call them JAM haha) were very cheesy too, which kind of balanced out the struggles they faced to be together.

I also loved how The Spark’s plot showed how a story always has two sides, and how it’s never too late to know people who are a part of your family. The author also vividly explained the lives of abused/oppressed women through Jess’ job, which I think was a very bold step on the author’s part to approach in a romance novel. Sam’s job as a teacher of autistic children also added a very realistic touch to The Spark's storyline.

The Spark would have been a solid 5 star novel, but the length of the book took that away for me.  I felt as if the story was dragged and repetitive in parts where Victoria was involved. I think I’d have enjoyed the book a lot more if it was wrapped up sooner. The ending was unsatisfying too, I wanted to see how Jess and Sam’s life turned out with the life-changing events that both of them faced in the last few chapters.

‘The Spark’ is right on the main line for readers who inhale all things Anglophile. This is a very English book, so if that’s not your thing, don’t crack it open & then complain you don’t get the references. Or, get it, do a little Googling and enjoy a pretty straight-forward ride with some twisty, albeit telegraphed, turns.

I loved the references. Honestly, Jules, you had me at Douglas Adams. *tear*

For Jess and Sam, it’s all about timing when they first meet. Jess, who works at a women’s shelter, is not really looking for romance; she's just trying to enjoy life while still tip-toeing around her relationship with her mother (who hasn’t really sloughed off Jess’ dad leaving them when Jess was very young.)

And Sam? He’s kind of perfect: He teaches special needs kids and plays cricket, is gorgeous. Complete package.

Are there sparks? Did you read the title? Yes.

But, Sam has a girlfriend. That hits Jess right in the no-go area because of her history.
When Sam breaks up with his girlfriend - because he felt the sparks too, - well, it’s on. But the ex isn’t exactly willing to just step aside.

I liked how Jules laid it all out - every step was so plausible even if some of the characters were a bit “extra.” I mean just call the ex Villianella and be done with it. The side drama involving the sabotage of Sam’s cricket career was kind of wild and I would have expected a best friend (I’m looking at you, Mike) to speak up about that no matter what your girlfriend had to say.

The only thing I would like to see is a bit more of how Jess and Sam got on. I do realise we’re a bit spoiled as readers with epilogues, but after what they went through they maybe deserved a bit of an extended happily ever after.

Thank you to NetGalley and One More Chapter for providing a copy for my honest review.

I enjoyed reading this book as a weekend read, which was light and easy to read. I really enjoyed the very English language, as the novel was set in England. I also love the love at first sight feeling and the "spark" that is felt between the main characters. It was definitely a sweet read that I really enjoyed.

Jess meets Sam in her uncle and aunt's party. And the attraction between them is immediate. But he has a girlfriend.
Sam decides to break up with Victoria, his ex-girlfriend, to be with Jess. But Victoria is not going to let them be happy that easily.
I have read a lot of books about a woman or man being left by their couple. So, I loved reading the story from another perspective.
What happens if you are attracted to another person and you have a girlfriend /boyfriend? Don't you deserve to be happy?
You should do things properly, true. But in situations like this, you need to be selfish. I mean, it's your happiness we are talking about. Will you hurt another person in the process? Yes, but not deliberately.
And I absolutely adored the criticism of women's attitude. Why is always the other woman the guilty one? What about the man?
As you can see, I have enjoyed this book a lot. I liked the characters and the story is well-built. And it makes you wonder about the other side of the stories you have been told.

When Jess meets Sam they have an instant "spark" that neither one of them can deny. Only problem is that Sam has a girlfriend at the time, but a month later when he contacts her and is a single is a different story. The connection that they feel for one another continues to grow the more time they spend together. Things seem to be going well until Sam's ex starts causing them issues and takes things too far. Is a spark and deep connection with someone enough to put up with all the craziness?

So haha....looks can be deceiving when it comes to this cover. This is a story that has quite a few dark elements such as child abandonment, depression, domestic violence, and general verbal/internal abuse.
I'll be honest, if Lifetime got a hold of this book, it's something that they would do a fantastic job adapting 🤣. However, I think it was too much drama for me personally. It would have been better to just have internal conflict and not the external. Plus the ending was good but I wanted more from it. Because of these points, I have to give this a 3.5 out of 5 stars

First, I want to thank Jules Wake, One More Chapter, NetGalley and Rachel's Random Resource for providing me with this book so I can bring you this review.

Jules Wake's newest novel The Spark really showed that love at first sight really does happen. This is a book that will make you smile, have a little chuckle, it is full of drama, betrayal, secrets, revelations and forgiveness.

Jules Wake does an incredible job with her detailed descriptions of her characters.

There is a part of the book that was comical. I just had to laugh because I too felt the same way. Jess has had crushes on unattainable never in wild imagination meet film and musicians over the years. However, she never never had that instant spark with someone in real life.

Both Jules and Sam had very rewarding career paths. I admired Sam for working as a teacher with students on the Autistic Spectrum. Jules worked with Woman Refugee’s find a better way of life.

Sam impressed me that Sam was a good cook. He cooked dishes that I have never tried before like Chicken Dansak, Prawn Pathia and Lamb Mogwai.

I loved the story of Jules and Sam from how they met, to the obstacles they had to go through to be together, their chemistry, etc.

Jules' intimate scenes are written really passionately between the two love birds.

This is the first that my fave grocery store ALDI is mentioned in a book! I had to laugh at the reference.

There is an unexpected twist in this book that opened her eyes to what her mother went through. Plus, a revelation of how similar their situations were. My heart went out to them.

𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙡 𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙢𝙚𝙚𝙩, 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙝𝙞𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚.

Love at first sight 💞 Is it real?
Well for Jess and Sam, it sure is. Unfortunately Sam is involved, but he follows his heart and ends his relationship before waiting several weeks to pursue Jess. They say when you know, you know, and these two definitely 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄. Enter Victoria...Sam's ex, who very much does 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄. She behaves absolutely appallingly - slashing tires, sabotaging careers, the works. At first Jess is empathetic (which was infuriating to me, tbh) but things quickly escalate.

Pretty good base for a rom-com, right? Oh, but @juleswakeauthor's 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗸 was so much more! We delve into Jess's past, her difficult family relationships, and the trauma of her parents' separation. It's a startling portrayal of the old adage - Hurt people, hurt people.

This was a 🌴🌴🌴🌴🌴 five star read that I am absolutely recommending y'all pick up when it hits shelves 12/11/20. Thank you @netgalley for my copy - I will be adding this one to my physical shelves asap!

Not for me. I didnt really like the writing. It may be looking for a younger audience! I hope others enjoyed it.

I was drawn into this story from the very beginning. Sam and Jess are such wonderful characters and the attraction between them so real and intense. I loved how their relationship built and the 'lego piece' analogy was just brilliant.
The story cleverly involved the subplot of Jess' parents relationship too, which explained some of Jess' actions and emotions, but never took away the main reason for the story. The spark was the inevitable start of something amazing. A must for all romantics at heart.

Tried this book twice but really not for me,no initial ‘spark’, fairly boring characters and no desire to get to know them better,apologies but not for me at all

When Jess meets Sam there is an instant attraction. The only problem is that he already has a long term girlfriend, Victoria.
I'm not sure whether this fits the blurb description of an uplifting romcom, although I do find this to be the case. What it actually is, for me anyway, is an insight into relationships with the stigma of being the other woman in a relationship. As the story progresses you find out more about Jess and her fear of being the other woman, even though she strictly isn't as the relationship had broken up before she actually went out with Sam. With believable characters and a storyline that does keep you wondering what the final outcome is this is a book for someone who wants a book with a more serious undertone for a change.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.

Love is complicated! Jess meets Sam and there is an instant SPARK. The problem is Sam has a girlfriend victoria. But after Jess and Sam’s paths cross a couple more times Sam realizes he cannot get Jess out of his mind and ends his four year relationship with victoria. Jess and Sam start dating, but victoria is not having it. Can love at first sight be true? And can true love truly conquer all?

This was such a great book but I had so many mixed thoughts. Jess and Sam really were perfectly suited for one another and I love them together. At first I felt bad for victoria, I mean no one likes their heart being broken. But then the girl had no shame and was downright evil when it came to Jess. having been both the new girlfriend and ex-girlfriend this book brought back a lot of memories, good and bad. I do have to say though Sam needed to stand up for Jess more and Sam’s mom needed to stop overstepping. there were several awkward moments in this book where I felt so bad for Jess. this was a well told thought provoking Romance that really touched on how all aspects of our lives -our family our jobs are friends- lend to how we are in relationships.

this book in emojis 🍷 🏏 🪂 🏡 🎇

*** Big thank you to One More Chapter for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

I read the blurb for this book and liked the look of it. I had a rough idea of what the story would be...boy was I wrong.

Yes, this is an instant attraction, love at first sight book. However, the path to happiness is very bumpy due to Sam’s ex girlfriend. Despite the subject area being quite predictable, the author wrote with such detail and passion, that it was anything but predictable.

Characters were so well written, I had forged an opinion of each of them. I always consider this to be a sign of a great writer, encouraging such strong reactions from readers is a skill.

I won’t give spoilers but I loved the realistic ending. The author managed to tie the story up without making every storyline a ‘happy ever after’.

I really enjoyed this and once I’d got about a third of the way in, I felt invested in the story and couldn’t put it down. It was funny, sad, thought provoking and romantic throughout. It had a good spattering of sex scenes, which fit into the story nicely. I would recommend this book to others.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for my advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review 📚

I couldn't put this book down! When Jess meets Sam at her aunts house there is an instant connection. The problem, Sam is in a relationship. But Sam can't get this spark off his mind and makes him reconsider his relationship with his current girlfriend Victoria and breaks things off. After a warranted amount of time Sam and Jess reconnect and re-confirm that the spark is there and intense.

This book is so good. Both characters are likable and aren't superficial. Sure Sam is hunky and "perfect" but that didn't bother me. They're both helpers she a woman's shelter worker and him a teacher. They both have relatable issues with their family and obstacles to overcome. The biggest being Sam's ex-girlfriend Victoria who is hell bent on turning everyone against Sam, including his friends and mother, and determined to break them up no matter how far she has to go even exposing the women's facility to the public.

I loved this book 4 stars overall.

Though I had a difficult time getting through this book (I had just come off of reading a thriller, so maybe this one just didn't have quite the same level of intensity/excitement), I still enjoyed it very much! It was a very sweet romance that at times dealt with some heavier issues, such as Jess's work at the women's refuge or Jess confronting her feelings toward her dad when her own life begins to parallel his. Despite the heavier moments, there was good resolution and a happy ending!