Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Writing: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Characters: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Tropes: Best Friend’s Brother, Second Chance, Celebrity, Legal Guardian, Secret Billionaire, Accidental Marriage of Convenience, Boy Obsessed
3rd Act Breakup?: Yes

The Praise: I really liked how much Owen loved Maeve and that they had both pined for each other during their years apart. I also liked that Elaina was happy that Owen and Maeve got together instead of freaking out like a lot of siblings in stories with the Best Friend’s Brother trope.

The Critique: There was just SO MUCH going on. Look at that trope list! As sweet as the guardianship storyline was, Julia is barely even in the book and it seemed like she was only there to drive the big conflict (Maeve not thinking she was fit to be a mother.) I feel like the plot would’ve felt less scattered if the Julia part had been removed and they stayed married to protect Maeve’s celebrity image instead. I also felt like Maeve didn’t have much of a personality outside of being British.

Final Thoughts: Owen was super sweet, Maeve was sort of boring. I liked the book but it didn’t really stand out to me.

Holy moly, I loved this book!!! I read it in 24 hours which is fast for me.

I was so invested in Maeve & Owen. And then Julia. It was all so heartbreaking and lovely at the same time.

The way Maeve & Owen get to know each other is really sweet and believable. Video chats have really changed our lives and I love that it brought them together.

I'm bummed that it's the second book in a series so I didn't know of the first book, "Lost Love Found," until the end of the book. BUT I'm thrilled there's a third book because I felt the sparks and possibility of it.

I would recommend this book. For sure. It's emotional, and sexy, and heartfelt and romantic. Did I mention it's sexy?? VERY sexy!!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I think this story is super cute! I felt everything for Maeve and Owen and even though you can already see how the story ends, it's fun to read the book! I liked the writing style but the pacing could've been a bit faster at times. If you're into slowburn romance this is a must read!

Unfortunately I wasn’t able to connect with the characters and the story itself. I was really excited to start because i really liked the sinopses and the tropes of the book but it wasn’t for me.
I felt like the all book happened way to fast, Several times I found myself confused and lost in the story because everything was happening too quickly and without much context.

Sparks Still Fly is a romance novel by Christina Santos.
I absolutely loved this book. The story was about love, loss and heartbreak. The story was easy to follow and the chemistry between the main characters was off the charts. A beautiful novel that I highly recommend.
❤️ Thank you to netgalley and the author/ publisher for my arc ebook copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a sweet romance. I loved the setting a lot and it added to the story so much! I would highly recommend this book

I am absolutely in love with Owen and Maeve! This book was beautifully written and has a plot that even when I thought I knew the twists was wonderfully surprised. I love a story that keeps me on my toes emotionally and these two were a roller coaster!

Maeve is my hero! This woman is determined and a go getter! She loves so hard and isn’t afraid to protect those she holds dear. With a heroine so fierce it only makes sense that she needs a hero who will balance her out and love her with all he has! Owen my goodness this man proves to be more than I ever imagined!

These two had me hooked and I couldn’t put the book down and now I’m sad because I just want more! This group and world is one of a kind and I am hoping there will be more!

I received a copy of this for my honest review.

This is such a a sweet second chance romance. Our FMC meets our MMC at 19 when he comes to visit his sister who is her roommate and best friend. He's a marine, and they build a friendship over video call for the next few years as he is deployed. He flies back in for his father's funeral, and they spend the evening together but immediately try to say it's just a one time, get it out of our system, even though neither believe it. But then he stops reaching out - for years and she hates him. They reconnect because she is a Hollywood starlett and he is hired to help with security. They both go to her friend/his sisters bachelorette party in Vegas and wake up married. She doesn't want to ruin her image, and he needs a wife to help with a new situation that has fallen into his lap. Can they work through their pasts? Will the connection come back?

This book was such a gem! The cover is what first drew me to it, but once I cracked it open and started reading, I fell in love with the characters. I loved how the first part of the book we see how Owen and Maeve fell for each other month by month, and phone call by phone call. The angst was perfect, and although it was predictable, Owen and Maeve were adorable!!!

Arc review but opinions are my own 🫶🏻

Owen is a marine and when he meets his sisters best friend Maeve they end up falling for each other. But he quickly realises he doesn’t want another woman in his life sat waiting around for him.

Fast forward 7 years and a whole lot of miscommunication they end up getting married without remembering. Can they make their marriage work and move past all of the obstacles thrown at them?

Owen is a massive softie for Maeve and I absolutely adored him. I’m proud of their journey and growth.

Thank you netgalley for this ARC.

The premise of this story sucked me in as soon as I read it, so naturally I was super excited to start reading this story!

I typically don't enjoy stories broken up into two timelines, but the "Then" portion of this story was so well-executed, the transition to "Now" seemed almost seamless.

Young Maeve, our FMC, was so full of life and hopelessly in love with her best friend's older brother. She was an incredibly caring and considerate friend and selflessly loved those around her.

As for Owen, our MMC, he was the epitome of that boy in high school that everyone had a crush on. Sweet and charming, he was the total package.

Their relationship started out so sweet and innocent and developed over the span of many years into something almost tangible.

However, it was in the "Now" that I started to dislike Maeve. For someone that was so quick to give people the benefit of the doubt, she quickly wrote Owen off because of something that he'd said so many years ago. For someone who'd known him for so long, she should've known that all he'd done was try his best to protect her from an uncertain future.

Owen in the present was so incredibly swoonworthy. The sprinkle donuts and horses were enough to make him the perfect book boyfriend, but the fact that he never gave up on Maeve when she gave him so many reasons to, is what made his character so special.

However, the inclusion of "the Julia element" seemed to give the story an incredibly rushed ending, giving almost no time for Maeve and Owen to develop as a couple, that for me, unfortunately took away from all of the buildup that the author had previously masterfully executed.

3 ⭐️

This was so sweet and tender and soft and gahhh I really liked it a lot! I loved the chemistry between Owen and Maeve and watching them fall in love was a real treat.

Thank you for the ARC!!!
This book is definitely one of the cutest romances I’ve read. I thought marriage of convenience was amazing but accidental marriage trope 🥰 *chefs kiss*
🩵Friends to enemies to lovers
🩵Best Friends older brother
🩵Blondie MMC🥰
🩵Veteran Marine
🩵Body guard vibes
🩵One night stand
Also the sweet little news we get about the 1/3 of the way 💗💗💗.
✨MMC: veteran who spends most of their early “friendship” deployed. He only comes into town a couple times.
✨FMC: college student turned actress. Has no plans to marry or have babies but she absolutely FALLS 🌻head over heels🌻 for the MMC. Little did she know he was on the same boat.
Absolutely ADORED how sweet the MMC was towards the FMC and everything that was happening which she had no idea about 😭. I absolutely ate it up.

“So where do we go from here?”
“Anywhere you want maevey.”

The spice🌶️🌶️🌶️ was really good off the bat. Praise kink friends look no further 😄🥹.

🩵second book of the series and it appears to be happening simultaneously as the first but clearly can be read as a stand alone🩵
Releases March 1st!!!!

Sparks Still Fly by Christina Santos
Book 2 in the Love in LA Series

“I never, not even for one second, forgot about you fengári mou. How could I? You were in my blood, under my skin, like you embedded yourself in my DNA.”

Owen’s love for Maeve has never wavered. They met because of his little sister and started a friendship while he was deployed. Their love for each other grew until Owen suddenly left Maeve after one night together, staying apart for 7 years. Their reunion takes an unexpected turn and they have to reconcile who they once were to each other and what their future could be.

I really enjoyed this book. I can understand Owen’s reasoning for why he dropped out of Maeve’s life when he did. And seeing all the ways he made it up to her (come on, friggin’ horses?!?!) left me with warm fuzzies and heart eyes.
Maeve has been in love with Owen from day one but is hesitant to show her true feelings. Her mom is abysmal and has always self-projected her flaws onto Maeve. It was hard for Maeve to separate herself from her mother’s issues, and so much doubt in herself lead to doubt in her feelings for Owen and any future they may have. Owen’s steady and reliable love, and ultimately belief in herself, gave her the push to see what an amazing person she already was, and would continue to be for Owen all the people in their lives.

I also loved the side characters and while this was the first book of Christina’s I’ve picked up, I’m looking forward to the rest of the series.

Oh and the dedication for this book? I felt SEEN. Called out. It is me lol.

Thank you to the author, Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Everything this book makes you feel cannot be explained in words.
"Sparks Still Fly" is a romantic story filled with drama and is the second book in the "Love in LA" series.
The story follows Maeve Howard, an aspiring actress, and Owen, a Marine, in their complicated relationship.
Both must confront their past and their feelings for each other.
The author writes beautifully, she makes this relationship feel real.
With a mix of glamour, thrills and drama, this book will leave you on edge throughout.
Thanks to Netgallery, the publisher and author for giving me the opportunity to be immersed in this story that touches your heart.

"Fengári mou". This book had me giggling and kicking my feet the whole time. It was such a sweet fluffy read. I mean, he bought her horses! HORSES!!! Owen has been cemented into my top book boyfriends. 🥹