I kept this book for a couple of days before reading it because I was worried. I loved Zimmers previous book and was worried this might not be as good. A few pages in my worries had been firmly put to rest. This book zinged. I got to the twist. Wow. Now that is not wow out of left field as little clues were left so it made sense but this was a fresh plot with fresh issues.
Towards the end of the book I felt it wavered slightly. On one hand I had my eye out for the "goes horribly wrong" arc of the plot, but equally I didn't want it to. I felt a bit of tension within myself because I didn't want it to go wrong, but that means I was slightly pulled out the book, worrying about it going wrong as the end gets closer. Previously I had been swept along totally in the book. This was the only bumpy bit in the ride. Avery’s parents are unbelievably perfect. I want them to adopt me! I am not fluent in young person speak and some of the words used or the context used were new to me, but I love the way Zimmer writes authentically but not in a lazy way -like “like” used every third word to indicate young speak. I say authenticity - as someone not in that age group it was believable and not irritating young speak. Only young people can say if it is authentic! I can say I enjoyed this book, 3.5 as there was a dip for me but rounded up as did enjoy all the rest and an upbeat book despite alluded to bad treatment from previous adults.

I-- where do I even start with this book?? The first thing I noticed about this book was, how do I phrase this?, I guess we'll call it the slang? Phrases like: legit shocking' 'suh?' 'bet' 'def like her' 'If we ain’t gon’ talk, skurt.' MADE ME WANT TO RIP MY EYEBALLS OUT. I'm sorry, that's a bit harsh. But they definitely made me cringe more than 1000 nails on a chalkboard. I'm not sure if this was to try and convey the age (17/18) of the characters and is how the author perceives that age group to talk? But coming from someone who IS that age, it made me die a little inside. Anyway, other than that. I found the relationship to be very, lacking? Like it crept up out of nowhere and I struggled to see any chemistry at all? The one thing I enjoyed about this book was how the coming out to the parents went! They handled it so well and it was very heartwarming to see, even if I didn't love the rest of the book.

This is a young-adult themed book placed on the kind side where such stories can be. There's little to none drama nor gratuitous cruelty, quite the opposite. Everything is acceptance and positivism even though there are several controversial sub-themes. But they are treated with a lot of affection and delicacy.

The story is told in the first person by its main protagonist, Britton, a girl who has just turned eighteen and has been in foster care all her life. Her personal drama has not made her unapproachable or bitter, although she does not want to trust too much for fear of her disappointment. Evidently. By joining the Cahill family, she seems to achieve a stability and confidence that allow her to plan for her future.

But the Cahill family also has its personal drama. And their daughter Avery has a great inner pain that Britton detects as soon as she meets her, even though they couldn't be more different: Avery is the cheerleader captain and Britton just wants to go unnoticed.

I have to say that although this topic is not usually my favorite, since I really liked the previous book by this author, when I saw this new book of hers, it immediately captured my interest. And it has been quite enjoyable and interesting for me. It is a story on the sweet and pleasant side, which makes you look forward to the future with a certain optimism.

I liked this book more than I was expecting to, so much so that I ended up reading it all in one sitting.
I loved the characters as individuals, and would have to make my favourite Tom (the father), his (& Cate's) relationship with Avery and Britton was something really beautiful, and I appreciated the found family elements to the novel.
I must admit it took me a while to get into the writing style of 'When Sparks Fly', in general, it was good, but I did find myself getting thrown off by the "colloquialisms". I'm British, so it may be an American thing, but some of the teen-talk was so far from anything I've ever heard any real teenager say. Beyond cringing slightly at those, though, the writing itself was great.
Also worth mentioning before going on to the spoiler stuff is the overall 'vibe' of the book. It was your classic corny romance film in queer book form, which is everything I had hoped it would be and more.

For the spoiler stuff:
I loved the dynamic of the love triangle. Disregarding their backstories for a moment, I liked the tension build-up of the two different relationships, and especially the ending of Britton and Spence's. It felt like a realistic ending to me, and cute in it's own way. The book didn't force an overextended love triangle as many do, this one felt natural.
Reese's story is what pulled this from a corny romance to something more powerful. The effects it had on each character led to great explorations of grief and guilt from multiple perspectives.

There is more to say, but in conclusion, once I had gotten used to the writing style, I thought this book was great. A corny yet somehow also deep wlw romance novel, what more could we ask for?

Solid Lesbian High School Romance. This one has the metric shit-ton of angst one would expect from teenage girls - you've got the foster kid trying to fit in. You've got the spoiled rich kid hating herself over something the foster kid knows nothing about (but finds out about eventually) who leads one group of friends. You've got the spoiled rich kid's ex-girlfriend who shared in the tragedy and the guilt... and who leads the other group of friends. You've got the foster kid trying to fit in with both sets. And along the way, you get all kinds of will-they/ won't-they teasing between the three... which *also* leads to quite a bit of angst. :D But yes, somewhere along the way it becomes a bit like Sky High's *awesome* final line, and you do in fact get an actual romance as it does so. Zimmer also did an excellent job of making this a shared universe with her first book, but while making it effectively a standalone book rather than a true "series" book. So if you're into high school and/ or LGBT/lesbian romances, give this one a try. Even if you're not, this one is a good book to experiment with. As is typical of many high school based romances, there is less sex than many/ most older adult romances and more kissing. Though there is an eventual rounding of the bases. Or several. It just primarily happens "off screen". Not for the "clean"/ "sweet" romance crowd, though I've seen little evidence of that crowd looking to the LGBT romance arena anyway. Very much recommended.

Honestly I was a bit hesitant about this book, usually I like my YA books to be more dystopian than with all the feels. And this one has all the feels, but it is so good, surprisingly so actually, at least to me.

The story is told from Britton’s POV. At just 18 she is in her senior year of high school and can’t wait to age out of foster care. She has been recently place with the Cahill’s, Tom and Cate and their daughter Avery. Avery is the uncontested leader of her clique of cheerleaders and seems to be this bubbly well liked person, she intimidates Britton but also piques her interest. Britton is scarred from her life in the system and with her unique outlook on the world and amazing people reading skills she soon discovers not all is as bright as it seems with Avery. They become friends who slowly let down their walls and let each other see the darker sides of their lives. Britton makes other friends as well, super easy going Spence, captain of the soccer team for instance. For some reason she and Avery can’t be in the same room, Britton wonders why that is.
A story of self discovery, working through issues and remembering what is important in life. And this all for your adults, it’s insane how well this translates to adult life as well. Minus the high school stuff of course.

First person POV doesn’t always work for me, but in this case it works marvellously because Britton is so attuned to her surroundings and comments on it. The characters are realistic and very likeable, you really feel for them. The “parental unit” is wonderful, extremely supportive and so nice, can they please adopt me? I know I am a grown woman but that’s besides the point... Spence is such a wonderful character as well and she deserves her own book, maybe when she is a little older, that’d be a fun read. Actually all the supporting characters add something good to the story. The author really has done a wonderful job on this one.
The only thing that bothers me a little is just how easy going everyone is, no hate/ bad blood between different high school cliques, parents who are so supportive and easy going it’s unreal, everyone being extremely accepting of sexual orientation (to the point of it being a non issue, as I prefer it to be, but isn’t exactly real life, anywhere). And the amount of money that is just so easily spend by Avery, her parents have plenty, but it just annoys me a little.
Anyway, great YA read with all the feels, 4.5 stars.

This was a very good read and a long wait from Kristen Zimmer to realese another book. The gravity between us was one of the first lesfic books I read and I was looking forward to read from this author again.

Young adult romances are never my first choice but when they're nicely done it is a genre I enjoy very much.

You could tell that When Sparks Fly is written in this time and era. I was amazed by how mature both characters dealt with their attraction and relationship despite all their past and the situation they were putting in. It is great to see that sometimes when the opportunity to be happy arrives you simply have to grab it and I believe this is what happened here with Britton and Avery.

I was impressed with the groups dinamcis and how their friendship evolved. It was a good change that despite being different they didn't hate each other. Spence is a gem, not sure how someone can be so genuinely good.

The book is told from Britton's point of view and that works really well.

Definitely a great read.

Though I am not a fan of LGBTQ, I have decided to read more books based on LGBTQ to get a change from the usual genres I normally read.

Britton is in foster care system and was adopted by Cate and Tom Cahill. And the catch? Cate and Tom have a daughter named Avery. The two are polar opposites of each other--Avery is a popular cheerleader in the high school. Britton is interested in photography. But Avery has a secret and Britton is having feelings towards her...

To be honest, compared to the other LGBTQ books I have read, this book is to my surprise really good! The story is completely told from Britton's perspectives but nonetheless the story felt realistic. The writing was really good and it was engaging as well. I do like the bond between Avery and Britton with Avery going through her sister's death and their support for each other during their senior year in high school. Truly enjoyed reading about their romantic relationship.

Worth four stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. This review is based on my honest opinion.

This was a really sweet story. The story was an easy read and although it was somewhat predictable, it didn’t make the story any less interesting. I loved Britton, Avery and while their relationship was a slow burn one, it just made me smile. I even loved Spence and I wouldn’t have been mad if there was a plot twist with her. I also absolutely loved Avery’s family. I wish all families were so supportive of hers.

A friend and I were talking last year about LGBTQ+ representation in books and asked me what my favorites were, and for a moment I was really stumped because I didn’t have more than 2 books to recommend. From that point on I made it a mission to add more LGBT books to my TBR. When a friend recommended When Sparks Fly by Kristen Zimmer, I jumped at the request from Netgalley.

Britton is a foster kid who just turned 18 and is in her senior year of high school. Her foster sister Avery, just shy of 18 herself, shows her the ropes of the neighborhood and the two girls start to become close. As their connection grows and starts to become something more, family secrets start to spill out from the closet, and Brit and Avery are forced to make some tough decisions. Do they (and their secrets) remain in the closet, or do they step out into the light?

Why is it the secret lesbian romances that always suck me in??? Maybe it’s the parts of my past that I identify with, or maybe it’s the soap opera-like qualities of high school that get me. This was a cute story. I found myself really devouring the first 50% of this story, hooked on the tension. I wanted it to build and build and drag me under. If I’m being honest I wish it would have held out a LITTLE longer so that the climax of the book was a little more dramatic, but I really enjoyed this story overall. I rounded up to 4 stars because of how quickly I read this book and how much I found myself flying through the pages. Thank you!

Britton has been in foster care since her birth and seen her share of foster parents, now in her last year of high school she ends up with the Cahill family. Tom, Cate and their daughter Avery who is the same age.
The story unfolds from Britton's POV but you get a good sense of the other characters as well and Zimmer manages to give them depth even though you are not in their head.
It is a new adult novel dealing with friends, parents and coming out. The book never gets too serious but stays on the sweet side with Britton and Avery turning from friends to lovers, meanwhile healing some past traumas.
It was an enjoyable read, written very well and it's good book to lie on the couch with on a lazy afternoon. Don't expect a lot of drama, just a nice story. Now it might seem boring, but I can assure you, it's not. This is one of those books that excels in in keeping you invested even though you can't really say why that is.
I liked Britton and Avery together, their groups of friends, especially Spence, are a nice addition as side characters as are Tom and Cate in their role as parents.

If I had to say something it's that everything is going too smoothly, not something you're necessarily used to in a romance but it was a refreshing change of pace. The ending felt a bit rushed though...there was this big build up to them becoming an item and there were still issues when they decided to go for it but those were resolved in very fast pace where everybody reacted as if it were a perfect world. Only point of critique though, I enjoyed myself immensely otherwise and while I get this might not be everyone's cup of tea due to the lack of drama and angst, I still think it's worth your time if you want some feelgood reading.

*** An ARC was provided by Netgalley in exchange for a honest review. ***

I’m not usually a fan of YA books but I enjoyed this one. The issues that Kristen dealt with were deep but not too deep that I felt triggered. I loved that Britton’s and Avery’s relationship built slowly and that they weren’t instant friends then lovers. I am a new fan of Kristen Zimmer and I’ll be reading more. My only issue would be the intimate scene, which was mire in depth than I thought that it should be for a YA book, but that’s just my opinion. 4 stars.

The two main characters are starting their senior year of high school. Told from the POV of Britton who has been in the foster care system her whole life. She is happy to be in a home that feels safe but she never feels secure as she knows things can change in an instant. Her new family's daughter is her age and tries to welcome her and help her adjust to her new school. Avery is everything the Britton isn't. She is a cheerleader, popular, confident and queen bee of the school and her social group.

Avery seems like she has it all but there is sadness in her and buried anger. As they get to know each other they open up to about past insecurities and traumas. Britton is openly gay, Avery is Bi but has not come out to her friends or parents. I appreciate that there isn't a villain but instead real friends for each of the girls. Avery's parents are wonderful too in their unconditional love of Avery and in welcoming Britton.

I liked both the main characters and Zimmer keeps their personalities real and not stereotypical. I didn't love the teen slang especially in the beginning but I got use to it. I think this would be a great read for older YAs and new adults. I will definitely look for other books by Zimmer in the future and although I got some closure on Spencer I would love to read her story. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This book wasn’t anything I would read.. got bored... 2/5 it feel short from the get go the characters lacked something I just can’t put my hands on... just all in all not my cup of tea

Britton Walsh has never had a home. After a lifetime in the care system, she doesn't expect she’ll ever find one. But beginning her senior year with new foster parents in a new city, means starting over yet again. Tom and Cate Cahill seem okay. The hitch? Their daughter, Avery.

First off, I have been out of high school for a long, long time and I was not sure how well I would relate to today’s New Adults/Young Adults in this novel. Well, I should not have worried. It all came rushing back: the angst, the passions, and the pressures that seem all-consuming.

When Sparks Fly’s two main characters are high-school seniors Avery Cahill and Britton Walsh. Britton is gay, has just turned eighteen, and has lived her entire life within the foster-care system. She struggles with all that entails. She is starting her life over once again in the Cahill home. Avery is a Queen Bee cheerleader who is beautiful, popular, and cool as all get out. The kind of girl every boy wants to date, and every girl wants to be.

The entire story is told from Britton’s POV, so we get to know her thoughts and feelings right upfront. She wants to keep her head down, graduate, and get on with her life. She is as happy as she ever living with the Cahills. She has the heretofore unheard-of private bedroom, a little money in her pocket, and foster parents who seem to care for her. The last thing she wants to do is mess up a good thing. But trying to ignore her attraction to Avery is getting harder by the second.

Avery has been carrying the proverbial weight of the world on her shoulders for a while. She rules her clique of fellow cheerleaders, gets good grades, and is the apple of her parents’ eyes. But she has a sadness simmering just below the surface and spends most of her time tapping down her feelings of guilt and shame. No one sees the real her until Britton spies her at a park through the lens of a camera.

The two girls slowly show themselves to each other without the filters and begin to tentatively grow closer together. But each knows that they are taking risks. They both have a lot to lose. Is a relationship even possible? And if so, is it worth it?

The rest of their world is populated by wonderful supporting characters. Avery’s ‘parental units’ Cate, a lawyer, and Tom, a game designer are genuinely kind, caring, and supportive. They count Britton as one of the family. While their school friends travel in different circles everyone seems to get along. And then there is Spencer, the soccer team captain, an out lesbian, and Britton’s new best friend. She and Avery can barely stand to be in the same room together. What’s up with that? Britton wonders.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to be reminded of what it was like to feel everything so much- the highs are higher, the lows are lower, and no one really understands. I enjoyed this story more than I originally thought I would. Things have changed so very much since I was in high school, both for better and for worse. Being gay does not seem to be as big a deal these days and that is reflected in this novel. Sex and alcohol seem much more prevalent, but maybe that is just my history. I did sign up for the author’s newsletter, so I won’t miss it if Spencer gets her sequel!

Brief plot description: Britton Walsh is starting senior year in a new high school with a new foster family. She likes her new foster family especially foster sister Avery. A relationship with Avery would be too complicated on so many levels but as she and Avery grow closer Britton can't deny their connection.

I liked this book, it kept me engaged and I liked that the chapters were short. I enjoyed the plot and characters especially Cate and Tom, the foster parents, they were really nice characters and great parents.

There was a lot of slang used throughout the book and while it helped emphasise that the characters were teens in high school, I feel like it dated the book. Phrases like 'it's lit', 'sick burn sis' and 'jelly' won't be popular for long so the characters could feel out of touch with real teens quite quickly.

This is my 2nd Kristen Zimmer book. The first was great but this was better. Britton Walsh has been tossed from one foster home to another until she's finally placed with the Cahill's, she feels very much the misfit especially against the very cool and very popular Avery Cahill. Avery is holding onto something that Britton can't quite figure out...as they spend more time together the attraction grows Britton feels more comfortable and Avery starts to let her defences down.
Despite the fact that this story is about two teenagers and I'm way beyond that in age, this book was a 'could not put it down'. There was a bit of teenage jargon that was beyond my comprehension but it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book. The angst was there almost to the end, even after the girls first got together and I love a good angsty storyline. A great second book. Would I read it again. Definitely. 5 stars.

This was a really lovely read. Britton grew up in the care system and is less than a year away from an adulthood of freedom once she graduates high school. Her (hopefully) final foster placement is the Cahills. The only hiccup is her foster syster Avery. She's used to being placed with families that hate her, abuse her and treat her like the family babysitter, but she's not used to being so insanely attracted to them. Things get even more complicated when it seems those feelings are mutual.

If I'm honest, this was a pretty simple a+b=c book, but do you know what. I was fine with that. I absolutely fell in love with Britton and genuinely wanted her to be ok. Both Avery and Britton are damaged by their past and you are willing everything to work out for them.

My one criticism of When Sparks Fly is that it doesn't quite seem to know who its target audience is. At times it feels very YA with its tone, pace and content. However, with a sex scene that is 18+, it seems to jar a little with the tone of the rest of the book. Don't get me wrong, I love a little heat in a novel, but it didn't seem to fit with the rest of the book.

That being said I loved Britton as a character and enjoyed getting to know the different layers of Avery.

I rated this book 4 1/2 stars
This YA romance book has a lovely pace and is one that will get you in the feels.

I found the main characters had a nice maturity about them. Which nearly in a lot of the young adult books there is always an over dramatic immature dialogue , that as a ready makes you cringe. Lucky for you Zimmer does not to that.

Both of the mains Britton and Avery are easy to love. Each from different walks of life and both with heart breaking back story's.

The reason I rated the the book 4 1/2 is because I would of likes a little more flirty banter and seduction. I know its a young adult book so I don't expect it to be two full on for two girls only just turned 18. However I believe Kristen Zimmer could easily put this tastefully into her books.

SPOILER * KING OF *
I just want to warn readers there is a little element in the book that touches base on psychological abuse and bully. It isn't discussed in depth but if you are someone highly in touch with your emotions you might feel sad and angry all at once.

This is my second book of Kristen Zimmers and if you haven't already i recommend to read this book and her other book 'The Gravity Between Us'. You can read my review for that book which I rated 5 stars.

I'm already looking forward to what Zimmer will write next