A Spark of Magic

by Tari Riley

Life can change in an instant.

Isaac had it place on the swimming team, popularity amongst his peers, and acceptance to a prestigious university. Until he didn't. Now, he grows a tail whenever water is involved. He is running out of time and ideas.

Danger looms around every corner.

Alice has only wanted one to get her magic back. After having her life turned upside down, reconnecting with her powers is the only way to prove her worth as a witch, and hopefully leave her small town for good.

Help is worth risking everything.

Isaac knows Alice might be his only chance at getting his life back, but her help doesn't come without sacrifices. Differences must be put aside to find a solution, even when everything feels like it is trying to drive them apart. Luckily they seem to agree on one this should be their secret.

Secrets are hard to keep. The answers are even harder to find. 

Trust can be earned, but at what cost?

278 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 29, 2024

About the author

Tari Riley is a fantasy and romance author, although she occasionally dabbles in other genres since inspiration knows no bounds.

When she's not writing, you'll probably find her listening to music, solving jigsaw puzzles, watching shows (she loves a good K-Drama) or creating mood boards or playlists for her stories. That's right; everything is an excuse for Tari to daydream about her stories.

Reviews

[AshleysReadingRoom · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book wasn't quite the right fit for me. I fear I am too much of an overthinker, and when things said throughout the story didn't line up to what happened, my brain wasn't having as fun of a time as I hoped. I was and still am very intrigued by Issac and the merfolk situation. However, not enough to carry on with the series.

Reasons I struggled with this:

The random "attraction" moments after both internally thinking they wouldn't be hanging out unless it was necessary. I could see a friendship growing in the story and not a romance. Like a solid friendship arc 🥺

Or Alice saying time and time again she can not summon that she's no threat to the hunters. She has no magic, but she's casting and learning. She can summon: she's just not proficient at it.

The age of the characters was often confusing, not that it wasn't established. What I mean is their behavior sometimes felt like I was reading a book about middle school or tuning into a disney channel show someone watches after school but then on the otherhand they would be very "adult". Cue in the Alice being the lawyer bit.

These are some of the reasons I couldn't personally connect with this book. I am certain so many people will love this story, and I wanted to love it, too. I simply came out more frustrated than I would have liked.

[J. Carr · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute and cozy YA fantasy with an intriguing magic-system and likable characters.

This book gave me strong Sabrina the Teenage Witch (the 90s tv show) vibes and I loved the inclusion of merfolk lore, which I feel like I don't see enough of when it comes to the fantasy genre. Alice and Isaac were cute together; I liked their banter (though some of the dialogue felt a little too formal, considering their age). However, Xavier quickly became my favorite.

All in all, a fun read! It ends on a pretty big cliffhanger and I’m looking forward to what happens next.

Special thanks to the author for the ARC of this book.

[Chelsea Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received “A Spark of Magic” as an ARC and am leaving this review voluntarily. I really appreciated the opportunity to read this, and I enjoyed it so much!!

I loved the dual POV, and the depth in which the characters lives were shared, especially as told from a dual POV. Everything was incredibly descriptive!! The storyline itself was incredibly unique and had me entranced from the beginning!

I definitely can’t wait for the second part to be released! I’m upset I have to wait so long!!!

I highly recommend this book !

[Teddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the pleasure of receiving an ARC for 'A Spark of Magic'.

I thoroughly enjoyed the characters and watching them develop as individuals as the story progressed, as well as how this impacted their relationships together. The world-building was creative, something that future instalments can explore, and the lore that has been introduced in this book.
The plot was enticing and I am excited to see how it connected with the rest of the series!

[Belinda Campbell]

Thank you to the author for letting me read an e-ARC of this book!

This was such a lovely, magical and wholesome book to read! I loved both Isaac and Alice, and I thought the dual POV story was done really well. The story was fast-paced, but there were slower moments that worked really well and were definitely needed. I feel like each character was fleshed out really well, and at no point did they feel unrealistic or stiff. I had so much fun reading this story!

[The Atlas of Stars · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fine. I felt like it was trying to be the Disney Channel original movie, The Thirteenth Year. The set up for the sequel was well done and there were some engaging scenes but the “romance” felt forced and unnatural. Not a bad read. Definitely not for me.

[celine⸆⸉ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am in NEED of the second book.