What do you think?
Rate this book
Sparks Fly
Not yet published
Expected 28 Aug 26361 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication August 28, 2026
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
Sparks Fly, Masks Fall, Hearts Open
Sparks Fly had such an effortless quality to it that I found myself settling right in immediately. The story felt believable in a way that made it incredibly easy to get invested, with characters who were messy, flawed, kind, and human. The obstacles felt grounded in real life, and even when the answers weren’t neat or easy, they still felt authentic. It made the whole story feel less like characters overcoming manufactured conflicts and more like watching people slowly figure out how to actually live the lives they want.
Addison and Sawyer were both such wonderfully layered characters. Addison polished and composed, meticulously scheduled, and so accustomed to being the version of herself everyone expects that she barely knows what exists underneath it. Sawyer, meanwhile, is a laid-back breath of fresh air who brings a calming ease into everyone's world without ever trying. Her own struggles with letting people in show that being seen as a carefree person doesn’t mean you’re carrying any less beneath the surface. At the same time, there’s something about Sawyer that makes Addison feel safe enough to take off her carefully practiced mask and finally see what happens when she just lets herself be herself.
Their relationship starts with that spark of intrigue and possibility before becoming something much more raw and real. As they get to know each other, there’s this gradual shift where Addison starts letting go of the rehearsed version of herself she’s spent so long maintaining, while Sawyer begins allowing herself to be open and vulnerable and realizing she doesn’t have to carry everything alone. Despite the comparatively short timeline of their relationship, Steele makes it feel like Addison and Sawyer have known each other for far longer (which, honestly, is such a quintessential sapphic relationship experience). Neither ever tries to “fix” the other. Instead, being together gives them a place where they can finally be honest, seen, and choose paths for themselves all in their own time.
The journey toward being fully seen and loved and accepted as yourself is woven naturally through the story. A huge part of that comes the groups of friends we meet (especially Benji) who were all the epitome of "found family." They’re there when you fall apart, offer compassion instead of judgment, and their love never feels conditional. A heartwarming reminder that finding where you belong isn’t about fitting yourself into the right place—it can be about finding the people who make you realize you never needed to pretend in the first place.
This story carries such a powerful message for anyone who has ever felt like being loved or accepted meant hiding parts of who they are. There’s something incredibly comforting about a story that can leave you feeling both emotionally wrung out and genuinely hopeful about choosing yourself. I was laughing, crying, raging, and swooning the whole way—and finished feeling like maybe finding where you belong has less to do with fitting in and more to do with finding where you finally don’t have to.
Thank you to the author for the chance to read this ARC!!!
Favorite Quotes:
"For once, what I wanted had nothing to do with appearances or expectations. It was simple and real, and I let myself want it."
"I had no idea where any of this was going and wanting it anyway, messy and complicated and real."
"I realized I wasn’t balancing between two worlds or pretending to be someone else. I was simply exactly where I was supposed to be."
"I want to feel you. I want to see you. I want to stay right here and not pretend this isn’t happening."
"Too polished. Too practiced. Too shaped by a world that rewarded conformity... I wanted to belong there. I just didn’t know if I knew how yet."
"[A] strange lightness spread through my chest. It felt like I had been carrying something heavy for so long that I had forgotten what it was like to stand up straight."
"For the first time in my life, being seen didn’t feel like danger. It just felt like breathing."
"It wasn’t fear exactly. It was more like standing at the edge of something huge and knowing there was no version of the future where you walked away from it."
Sparks Fly had such an effortless quality to it that I found myself settling right in immediately. The story felt believable in a way that made it incredibly easy to get invested, with characters who were messy, flawed, kind, and human. The obstacles felt grounded in real life, and even when the answers weren’t neat or easy, they still felt authentic. It made the whole story feel less like characters overcoming manufactured conflicts and more like watching people slowly figure out how to actually live the lives they want.
Addison and Sawyer were both such wonderfully layered characters. Addison polished and composed, meticulously scheduled, and so accustomed to being the version of herself everyone expects that she barely knows what exists underneath it. Sawyer, meanwhile, is a laid-back breath of fresh air who brings a calming ease into everyone's world without ever trying. Her own struggles with letting people in show that being seen as a carefree person doesn’t mean you’re carrying any less beneath the surface. At the same time, there’s something about Sawyer that makes Addison feel safe enough to take off her carefully practiced mask and finally see what happens when she just lets herself be herself.
Their relationship starts with that spark of intrigue and possibility before becoming something much more raw and real. As they get to know each other, there’s this gradual shift where Addison starts letting go of the rehearsed version of herself she’s spent so long maintaining, while Sawyer begins allowing herself to be open and vulnerable and realizing she doesn’t have to carry everything alone. Despite the comparatively short timeline of their relationship, Steele makes it feel like Addison and Sawyer have known each other for far longer (which, honestly, is such a quintessential sapphic relationship experience). Neither ever tries to “fix” the other. Instead, being together gives them a place where they can finally be honest, seen, and choose paths for themselves all in their own time.
The journey toward being fully seen and loved and accepted as yourself is woven naturally through the story. A huge part of that comes the groups of friends we meet (especially Benji) who were all the epitome of "found family." They’re there when you fall apart, offer compassion instead of judgment, and their love never feels conditional. A heartwarming reminder that finding where you belong isn’t about fitting yourself into the right place—it can be about finding the people who make you realize you never needed to pretend in the first place.
This story carries such a powerful message for anyone who has ever felt like being loved or accepted meant hiding parts of who they are. There’s something incredibly comforting about a story that can leave you feeling both emotionally wrung out and genuinely hopeful about choosing yourself. I was laughing, crying, raging, and swooning the whole way—and finished feeling like maybe finding where you belong has less to do with fitting in and more to do with finding where you finally don’t have to.
Thank you to the author for the chance to read this ARC!!!
Favorite Quotes:
"For once, what I wanted had nothing to do with appearances or expectations. It was simple and real, and I let myself want it."
"I had no idea where any of this was going and wanting it anyway, messy and complicated and real."
"I realized I wasn’t balancing between two worlds or pretending to be someone else. I was simply exactly where I was supposed to be."
"I want to feel you. I want to see you. I want to stay right here and not pretend this isn’t happening."
"Too polished. Too practiced. Too shaped by a world that rewarded conformity... I wanted to belong there. I just didn’t know if I knew how yet."
"[A] strange lightness spread through my chest. It felt like I had been carrying something heavy for so long that I had forgotten what it was like to stand up straight."
"For the first time in my life, being seen didn’t feel like danger. It just felt like breathing."
"It wasn’t fear exactly. It was more like standing at the edge of something huge and knowing there was no version of the future where you walked away from it."
Review of advance copy received from Author
RTF
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews