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A Spark In The Air
When internet executive Crystal Tucker is given the opportunity to finally make it to the top in her company, she jumps at the chance. She just has to sell Pine Grove’s government on the future: Wi-Fi, high-speed internet, and streaming services. Should be easy, right? Apparently not. To succeed where others have failed, Crystal must blend into the community and understand why the small town is stuck in the past.
The internet café Cyber Shack has been in Janie Elliott’s family for decades. More than a place to access the web, it’s an integral part of Pine Grove culture. Meeting your neighbor for a coffee? Working from anywhere-but-at-home? Want in on the local gossip? Cyber Shack has it all, and almost everyone wants to keep it that way.
Crystal is sure Wi-Fi could really help the more marginalized residents, even if it means putting a small business out of business, but her instant attraction to Janie makes moving ahead with her plans complicated. As their spark combusts into an undeniable flame,Crystal has to come clean about why she’s really there, and what it might mean for Cyber Shack, for Pine Grove, and for her relationship with Janie.
The internet café Cyber Shack has been in Janie Elliott’s family for decades. More than a place to access the web, it’s an integral part of Pine Grove culture. Meeting your neighbor for a coffee? Working from anywhere-but-at-home? Want in on the local gossip? Cyber Shack has it all, and almost everyone wants to keep it that way.
Crystal is sure Wi-Fi could really help the more marginalized residents, even if it means putting a small business out of business, but her instant attraction to Janie makes moving ahead with her plans complicated. As their spark combusts into an undeniable flame,Crystal has to come clean about why she’s really there, and what it might mean for Cyber Shack, for Pine Grove, and for her relationship with Janie.
Kindle Edition
First published December 13, 2022
4 people are currently reading
135 people want to read
About the author
Dena Blake
15 books72 followersDena Blake grew up in a small town just north of San Francisco where she learned to play softball, ride motorcycles, and grow vegetables. She eventually moved with her family to the Southwest where she began creating vivid characters in her mind and bringing them to life on paper.
Dena’s first novel, Where the Light Glows, is a Rainbow Award winner for Best Lesbian Debut and A Country Girl's Heart is a Goldie Finalist.
Dena’s first novel, Where the Light Glows, is a Rainbow Award winner for Best Lesbian Debut and A Country Girl's Heart is a Goldie Finalist.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
December 9, 2022
Pine Grove Vermont wants to keep the Internet out of their community in order to retain their small town ideals. Big Brother is just not welcome. Crystal Tucker’s mission is to quietly infiltrate the community to better understand their rational and to determine what would motivate them to change their minds. The telecommunications company she works for is looking for a signed contract with Pine Grove very soon and for Crystal to make it happen. Janie Elliot owns the local cyber cafe and does not want to lose her business if the internet is brought in. If Crystal can get Janie to see the opportunities instead, half her battle is won.
A Spark in the Air is a fun romantic read set in picturesque Vermont just before Christmas. The push and pull of the main characters to open themselves to love is orchestrated beautifully by Blake. She reminds us of the simpler joys in life and all the pluses to living in a small town. There are definitely inevitables to the story but ohhh the journey is so captivating. This is a definite addition for your TBR list.
I received a free advance review copy from Bold Strokes Books through NetGalley. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
A Spark in the Air is a fun romantic read set in picturesque Vermont just before Christmas. The push and pull of the main characters to open themselves to love is orchestrated beautifully by Blake. She reminds us of the simpler joys in life and all the pluses to living in a small town. There are definitely inevitables to the story but ohhh the journey is so captivating. This is a definite addition for your TBR list.
I received a free advance review copy from Bold Strokes Books through NetGalley. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 1, 2023
A Hallmark type of Christmas-themed rom-com. If you enjoy those movies I guess you'll like this book as well.
For me personally it was quite slow, boring and predictable. For the majority of it nothing really happens, there are just pages and pages of angst and fluff. The two MC's were okay but I can't say I found anything interesting or distinguishable about either of them.
The ending was rushed and compared to the whole middle of the book where nothing really happens, the author should have put much more time and effort into making it sound believable.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
For me personally it was quite slow, boring and predictable. For the majority of it nothing really happens, there are just pages and pages of angst and fluff. The two MC's were okay but I can't say I found anything interesting or distinguishable about either of them.
The ending was rushed and compared to the whole middle of the book where nothing really happens, the author should have put much more time and effort into making it sound believable.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
December 24, 2022
Perfect Christmas read!
It’s all about the community, family, and friendships. And includes that small-town Christmas feel to it. The characters are realistic, bubbly, charming and defiantly hold that chemistry between them! It's a love story, about caring for others and pulling together at Christmas time.
A spark in the air is an absolute must-read.
I've given A spark in the air a 4 out of 5.
It’s all about the community, family, and friendships. And includes that small-town Christmas feel to it. The characters are realistic, bubbly, charming and defiantly hold that chemistry between them! It's a love story, about caring for others and pulling together at Christmas time.
A spark in the air is an absolute must-read.
I've given A spark in the air a 4 out of 5.
November 27, 2022
Crystal has the opportunity to rise to top of her company all she has to do convince small town Pine Grove that the future Wi-Fi, high-speed internet, and streaming services is were it’s at. Janie family has own Cyber Shack cafe for years and the people in town loves it because of its friendly atmosphere. When Jamie meets Crystal and there an attraction as Janie shows Crystal around she starts to see the appeal of small town and is torn between telling Janie who she is and why she there. I enjoy this read the MC characters have chemistry and I love the small town feel and how everyone there for each other..
I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.
I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.
January 29, 2023
Is it too late to read holiday books? I guess if Christmas novels can be released in August, there’s no reason to stop reading them in January.
A Spark in the Air is a light and quick novel, which I read on a dark and rainy Sunday. It’s a pretty traditional romance, safe and cute. Crystal is sent to Pine Grove, Vermont, to convince the local authorities that it’s time for the small town to get better internet, that it would bring more tourists and make life easier for the locals. Among the people she needs to persuade is Janie, who manages the town’s internet café. Crystal goes undercover, not expecting to meet the woman who will make her question her own life.
I didn’t really understand the premise, why a small town would resist wifi and high-speed internet with such force and I think maybe, not being American, I’m missing some cultural nuances. It didn’t really matter as the story focuses on the romance arc. Crystal’s lies bring tension to the story and I felt the resolution was a bit rushed, but it was all in all entertaining. 3.5⭐️
I received a copy from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
Read all my reviews on my blog (and please buy from the affiliation links!): Jude in the Stars
December 21, 2022
Loved it!
Crystal comes to Pine Grove to persuade the town if the benefits in getting broadband. When she meets Janie, someone she has been lead to believe will be a hindrance to her plans to seal the deal and win the promotion, she gets an unexpected surprise. Having spent time with Janie, Crystal’s goals have changed somewhat, but when Janie discovers who she really is will it all be for nothing.
This was so good! Filled with festive cheer but also truly heart-warming moments. All the characters, including Crystal, had so much heart and just wanted kindness to be spread far and wide for all. There was a cosy feel to this story that even though in the more dramatic moments you knew Janie finding out who Crystal was had potential to destroy it all you just had to hope she remembered how genuine and kind Crystal had been when helping her in the community and being included in all the family and town festivities.
That edge of scandal kept the story exciting and dramatic but the important message was that Crystal realised she could do more than what she originally set out to, and therefore had that moment of redemption from being the work driven woman we first met. I loved Crystal and Janie together. They were a great team and really had all the potential to make one another happy and make a difference for people who really needed it. It was also great that Janie was completely different to what we’d been lead to believe and so Crystal might have actually had the chance to tell her who she was from the very start if she hadn’t believed it all.
Just a lovely story that had me falling in love with the idea of a no broadband existence but loving it when the community worked out how it would also benefit them all. The romance was fantastic, so much build up and all resting on a big moment where choices had to be made.
Highly recommend, especially to get you in a festive and giving mood. Loved every second of it and couldn’t put it down.
Crystal comes to Pine Grove to persuade the town if the benefits in getting broadband. When she meets Janie, someone she has been lead to believe will be a hindrance to her plans to seal the deal and win the promotion, she gets an unexpected surprise. Having spent time with Janie, Crystal’s goals have changed somewhat, but when Janie discovers who she really is will it all be for nothing.
This was so good! Filled with festive cheer but also truly heart-warming moments. All the characters, including Crystal, had so much heart and just wanted kindness to be spread far and wide for all. There was a cosy feel to this story that even though in the more dramatic moments you knew Janie finding out who Crystal was had potential to destroy it all you just had to hope she remembered how genuine and kind Crystal had been when helping her in the community and being included in all the family and town festivities.
That edge of scandal kept the story exciting and dramatic but the important message was that Crystal realised she could do more than what she originally set out to, and therefore had that moment of redemption from being the work driven woman we first met. I loved Crystal and Janie together. They were a great team and really had all the potential to make one another happy and make a difference for people who really needed it. It was also great that Janie was completely different to what we’d been lead to believe and so Crystal might have actually had the chance to tell her who she was from the very start if she hadn’t believed it all.
Just a lovely story that had me falling in love with the idea of a no broadband existence but loving it when the community worked out how it would also benefit them all. The romance was fantastic, so much build up and all resting on a big moment where choices had to be made.
Highly recommend, especially to get you in a festive and giving mood. Loved every second of it and couldn’t put it down.
December 23, 2022
What a sweet, fun holiday read. It's a new addition to my wish it was a Hallmark movie list. Really can't go wrong with this small town romance.
Thank you to Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.
Thank you to Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.
December 1, 2022
3.5 Stars.The setting is an idyllic small in Vermont right before Christmas. It is time for window decorating contests, s'mores roasting and cutting Christmas trees. Crystal Tucker is sent to the town sell it on get a contract for her company to provide internet connections. The town has been a hold out. It means Crystal putting her vacation on hold but the pay off could be a sought after promotion. Arriving in town she decides to pose as the niece of a sympathetic hotel owner. In hopes of getting a feel for the town and what would sway them to her company.
She meets Janie Elliott who runs the local internet cafe called Cyber Shack. Her family has been a hold out against technology but she is on the fence. She loves her town and has connections to everyone. Sparks fly between the two women but you know eventually the truth will come out.
I enjoyed the holiday events and the romance. But Crystal has plenty of time to fess up to her real identity. I starting liking her a little less the longer the rouse lasted. Also the final conclusion of course is going to be a big happy every after but I’m not sure that it really would make sense business wise for the company to invest so much in such a small town. I’ll ignore my practical side and choose to enjoy a feel good holiday romance.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
She meets Janie Elliott who runs the local internet cafe called Cyber Shack. Her family has been a hold out against technology but she is on the fence. She loves her town and has connections to everyone. Sparks fly between the two women but you know eventually the truth will come out.
I enjoyed the holiday events and the romance. But Crystal has plenty of time to fess up to her real identity. I starting liking her a little less the longer the rouse lasted. Also the final conclusion of course is going to be a big happy every after but I’m not sure that it really would make sense business wise for the company to invest so much in such a small town. I’ll ignore my practical side and choose to enjoy a feel good holiday romance.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
December 5, 2022
I received this book via Net Galley as an ARC. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review this book.
On to the review… I liked this book, but it was just eh. For this book to be romance, there was not a lot of spicy scenes outside of kissing. I think there were a total of three sex scenes, and those were mild and not very detailed (all preference). The relationship itself was cute. I liked Crystal and Janie. I also really liked the supporting characters.
The writing style in general has a lot of fluff. This was already a novella, but there seemed to be an immense amount of fluff. The ending felt rushed. I would’ve liked to have gotten more detail about how they were doing once things blew up, but it was like BAM Janie is pissed and Crystal is leaving. BAM Crystal is talking to her mom and buys the plan ticket. BAM Janie took her back. BAM the cafe and community center. Like it might’ve spanned 11 pages. I wanted some pining and begging. I would’ve been pissed to find out the girl I’ve been hooking up with was lying the whole time. She’d have a lot to prove.
I also noticed that there is a huge duplicated convo between Dana and Crystal when they talk about going to the hockey game which just added to the more fluff.
On to the review… I liked this book, but it was just eh. For this book to be romance, there was not a lot of spicy scenes outside of kissing. I think there were a total of three sex scenes, and those were mild and not very detailed (all preference). The relationship itself was cute. I liked Crystal and Janie. I also really liked the supporting characters.
The writing style in general has a lot of fluff. This was already a novella, but there seemed to be an immense amount of fluff. The ending felt rushed. I would’ve liked to have gotten more detail about how they were doing once things blew up, but it was like BAM Janie is pissed and Crystal is leaving. BAM Crystal is talking to her mom and buys the plan ticket. BAM Janie took her back. BAM the cafe and community center. Like it might’ve spanned 11 pages. I wanted some pining and begging. I would’ve been pissed to find out the girl I’ve been hooking up with was lying the whole time. She’d have a lot to prove.
I also noticed that there is a huge duplicated convo between Dana and Crystal when they talk about going to the hockey game which just added to the more fluff.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 21, 2022
This read makes me smile. The family support. The small town. The city. The holiday season. The friendships. Janie Elliott, owner of the Cyber Shack; she is such a likeable character and I wanted her to be in a relationship. Crystal Tucker, internet executive for a company called Spark who wants very badly to add this small Vermont town to it's portfolio. There is push back and she works to navigate those in the town who think it will be a negative. Crystal is a little more difficult to like because of the deception she uses to gather information. I did enjoy the chemistry between Janie ad Crystal.
ARC provided by Bold Strokes Books, Inc. via NetGalley
ARC provided by Bold Strokes Books, Inc. via NetGalley
December 29, 2022
Dena Blake’s characters in this outing are not particularly well drawn. Crystal is supposed to be a driven careerist focused on joining the ranks of her company’s top management. However, when readers meet her, she is anything but driven, rather she’s unfocused and doesn’t seem to care whether she delivers the prize that will result in her achieving her career goals. The relationship between the two characters is rather vapid and is destined to fail because Crystal has lied to Janie over and over from the time they first met.
This book was a disappointment because Blake did not deliver a well written story with two strong main characters and a storyline that keeps her readers turning pages. This story stalls out somewhere in the middle of the book and devolves into pages and pages of angst while Blake tells us about the feelings of her characters but doesn’t show us much of anything. Overall, this is a lackluster effort on Blake’s part and not up to her usual high-quality books.
Readers who prefer their LesFic angsty will undoubtedly love this book, but the rest of the readers will think this Christmas-themed story is only ho-hum.
My thanks to Bold Strokes Books for an eARC.
This book was a disappointment because Blake did not deliver a well written story with two strong main characters and a storyline that keeps her readers turning pages. This story stalls out somewhere in the middle of the book and devolves into pages and pages of angst while Blake tells us about the feelings of her characters but doesn’t show us much of anything. Overall, this is a lackluster effort on Blake’s part and not up to her usual high-quality books.
Readers who prefer their LesFic angsty will undoubtedly love this book, but the rest of the readers will think this Christmas-themed story is only ho-hum.
My thanks to Bold Strokes Books for an eARC.
December 4, 2022
A spark in the air is a small-town romance between Crystal and Janie. Crystal works for Spark, a company that's looking to bring wifi to the small town of Pine Grove. Janie runs the local cyber cafe and is one of the town's inhabitants that is against the idea of introducing wifi and broadband to the community.
This was quite a sweet romance, I liked both Janie and Crystal and think that they worked well together. For me though, there was just something here that fell a little short. I'm not completely sure what the problem was, but I suspect part of the problem was that I just didn't 'get' it. Surely it's not possible that a town could prevent wifi and broadband from coming? I don't know and perhaps it's a cultural difference, but the idea that they would have any say over it and that there are places that don't have that now just seemed bizarre. Not only that, but I was a bit confused about what they didn't have. It seemed to be wifi one minute, then mobile signal and also broadband. I don't know, I was just confused. Although this didn't really impact on the story, it did take me out of it, which is never good.
I'm sure that plenty of people will love this and perhaps even relate to and recognise the setting, but I just couldn't.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily
This was quite a sweet romance, I liked both Janie and Crystal and think that they worked well together. For me though, there was just something here that fell a little short. I'm not completely sure what the problem was, but I suspect part of the problem was that I just didn't 'get' it. Surely it's not possible that a town could prevent wifi and broadband from coming? I don't know and perhaps it's a cultural difference, but the idea that they would have any say over it and that there are places that don't have that now just seemed bizarre. Not only that, but I was a bit confused about what they didn't have. It seemed to be wifi one minute, then mobile signal and also broadband. I don't know, I was just confused. Although this didn't really impact on the story, it did take me out of it, which is never good.
I'm sure that plenty of people will love this and perhaps even relate to and recognise the setting, but I just couldn't.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily
December 6, 2022
Thank you Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley for giving me this ARC in exchange for a review!!
#ASparkInTheAir #NetGalley
If you are looking for a small-town, Christmasy and cozy read, this book is definitely the one!!🫶
We have Janie Elliot, owner of Cyber Shack in small-town Pine Grove, in Vermont, and Crystal Tucker, internet executive at Spark, in Texas.
Crystal is promised a director position at the company if she manages to sell WiFi to the small and disconnected town of Pine Grove. And she’s set out to fulfil the challenge.
Except she soon meets Janie, beautiful, hardworking and passionate, who turns her plan upside down.
This was a very cute and cozy read! Very holiday-ish and relatively low action. The book mostly just revolves around the characters, especially Crystal getting used to Pine Grove, rather than focusing on action.
Its a sapphic romance that has dual POV, some betrayal, second chance and holiday spirit in a small town in Vermont💕
#ASparkInTheAir #NetGalley
If you are looking for a small-town, Christmasy and cozy read, this book is definitely the one!!🫶
We have Janie Elliot, owner of Cyber Shack in small-town Pine Grove, in Vermont, and Crystal Tucker, internet executive at Spark, in Texas.
Crystal is promised a director position at the company if she manages to sell WiFi to the small and disconnected town of Pine Grove. And she’s set out to fulfil the challenge.
Except she soon meets Janie, beautiful, hardworking and passionate, who turns her plan upside down.
This was a very cute and cozy read! Very holiday-ish and relatively low action. The book mostly just revolves around the characters, especially Crystal getting used to Pine Grove, rather than focusing on action.
Its a sapphic romance that has dual POV, some betrayal, second chance and holiday spirit in a small town in Vermont💕
December 8, 2022
Really good story. The relationship between Crystal and Janie was really sweet. This book had me wondering, about little towns that tend to live in the past and seem to resist all aspects of modernising or coming into the 21 century. I don't think I would live in a place that doesn't have some form of Internet. This was a fun book to read and the supporting characters were well written and made this an even better reading experience. I would definitely recommend this book to my friends and family and I look forward to what's next from this author.
December 4, 2022
A Spark in the Air is a sweet, small-town romance. The atmosphere Blake lays out makes you want to be there. Most of us don't know what it's like to live without internet and Crystal can't imagine it. Janie seems to have settled for what the community wants, which seems to be good for her cyber cafe as well. Who knew the woman who sparks her love interest would want to change that?
All in all, this was a feel-good read, and I recommend it to put you in the holiday mood.
All in all, this was a feel-good read, and I recommend it to put you in the holiday mood.
November 26, 2022
a very good story. I highly enjoyed the flow even tho the conversation between Crystal and her boss made no sense at all, because she did have feedback but I understood they needed to create an opening for the drama
highly recommended not special but you will defiantly enjoy your time.
highly recommended not special but you will defiantly enjoy your time.
November 22, 2022
A Spark in the Air is a delightful small town romance but Janie and Crystal's relationship is going to take a turn once Janie finds out Crystal has been lying since she came into town.
Janie knows everyone in town and her family owns several businesses so she's introduced Crystal to the town and that gives Crystal the information she needs to pass on to her boss. She never counted on meeting Janie and their attraction.
This is a great quick read with some holiday cheer mixed in.
Thank you #NetGalley #BoldStrokesBooks for this ARC
Janie knows everyone in town and her family owns several businesses so she's introduced Crystal to the town and that gives Crystal the information she needs to pass on to her boss. She never counted on meeting Janie and their attraction.
This is a great quick read with some holiday cheer mixed in.
Thank you #NetGalley #BoldStrokesBooks for this ARC
November 13, 2024
Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest rating and review.
This book stressed me the heck out. I was mad at Crystal the whole time for concealing her true identity (none more so than the first time she slept with Janie), while simultaneous rooting for them to make things work together. I loved the small-town setting of this book, and found myself wanting to visit Pine Grove during the winter and participate in all the fun holiday activities.
There were, however, a few things that I struggled with. If this wasn’t an ARC, I would’ve refused to believe that this book didn’t come out 15 years ago. Are there even towns in the US that still do not have cell service and Wifi?!? Also, I had a hard time believing that Dana was willing to lie and continue lying to one of her closest friends when she knew it would end with her getting hurt. This fact alone made Dana kind of unlikeable.
Overall, though, I enjoyed reading this novel!
This book stressed me the heck out. I was mad at Crystal the whole time for concealing her true identity (none more so than the first time she slept with Janie), while simultaneous rooting for them to make things work together. I loved the small-town setting of this book, and found myself wanting to visit Pine Grove during the winter and participate in all the fun holiday activities.
There were, however, a few things that I struggled with. If this wasn’t an ARC, I would’ve refused to believe that this book didn’t come out 15 years ago. Are there even towns in the US that still do not have cell service and Wifi?!? Also, I had a hard time believing that Dana was willing to lie and continue lying to one of her closest friends when she knew it would end with her getting hurt. This fact alone made Dana kind of unlikeable.
Overall, though, I enjoyed reading this novel!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 6, 2022
Make a thermos full of hot cocoa, settle into your favorite reading spot, and curl up with this book. I promise you will fall into a winter wonderland where Janie and Crystal meet and fall in love. A must-read holiday tale.
January 29, 2023
This book was just meh. Unrealistic. Boring characters. The plot was completely unbelievable. I definitely could have gone my entire life without reading it.
January 6, 2023
Big city executive comes to small town during the holidays, falls for local small business owner, learns the importance of love, family, and community – A Spark In The Air has that classic Hallmark movie structure that we all know and love.
Spark Wireless Broadband executive Crystal works too hard and puts her job and pursuit of a promotion ahead of everything, especially according to her ex who dumps her right before the holidays. When her boss sends her to a small, picturesque town in Vermont the week before Christmas to convince the city council to allow Spark to bring in WiFi and cellphone service, she finds herself caught up in the holiday magic and the pretty blue eyes of one of the town council hold outs.
Janie runs the Cyber Shack. The small business has been in her family for years and is the lone place in technology-suspicious Pine Grove where residents can access the internet or play console games while enjoying coffee and local gossip. She finds herself immediately drawn to Crystal, who she thinks is simply a visitor in town for the holiday season, and is thrilled to find the attraction is mutual.
Janie herself isn’t so much against the idea of WiFi as she is someone who goes along with what other people want – her friend, a fellow business owner and council member, is afraid of the town losing its Rockwell appeal and his children becoming addicted to their cellphones; the older generation (including her father) are against the government being able to track them through their phone and interest use. Crystal lies to Janie from the beginning, even pretending to be the niece of the local Inn keeper who goes along with it, and she just gets herself in deeper and deeper. She lets Janie introduce her to friends and family and falls into an intimate relationship with her, all the while using Janie’s insider knowledge to give her an edge in convincing the town to bring in WiFi.
I was so invested in all these people, even as I was yelling at Crystal to stop making it worse before she comes clean (spoiler: she didn’t listen to me). No worries though since this is a feel-good Christmas romance: HEA guaranteed.
Overall, I really liked A Spark In The Air. Sure it’s a little formulaic, but there’s a reason this kind of holiday romance is a classic. It’s warm and cozy, with just the right generous dash of spice and wee-bit amount of angst to keep things interesting.
*Thank you Netgalley & Bold Strokes Books for a review copy
Spark Wireless Broadband executive Crystal works too hard and puts her job and pursuit of a promotion ahead of everything, especially according to her ex who dumps her right before the holidays. When her boss sends her to a small, picturesque town in Vermont the week before Christmas to convince the city council to allow Spark to bring in WiFi and cellphone service, she finds herself caught up in the holiday magic and the pretty blue eyes of one of the town council hold outs.
Janie runs the Cyber Shack. The small business has been in her family for years and is the lone place in technology-suspicious Pine Grove where residents can access the internet or play console games while enjoying coffee and local gossip. She finds herself immediately drawn to Crystal, who she thinks is simply a visitor in town for the holiday season, and is thrilled to find the attraction is mutual.
Janie herself isn’t so much against the idea of WiFi as she is someone who goes along with what other people want – her friend, a fellow business owner and council member, is afraid of the town losing its Rockwell appeal and his children becoming addicted to their cellphones; the older generation (including her father) are against the government being able to track them through their phone and interest use. Crystal lies to Janie from the beginning, even pretending to be the niece of the local Inn keeper who goes along with it, and she just gets herself in deeper and deeper. She lets Janie introduce her to friends and family and falls into an intimate relationship with her, all the while using Janie’s insider knowledge to give her an edge in convincing the town to bring in WiFi.
I was so invested in all these people, even as I was yelling at Crystal to stop making it worse before she comes clean (spoiler: she didn’t listen to me). No worries though since this is a feel-good Christmas romance: HEA guaranteed.
Overall, I really liked A Spark In The Air. Sure it’s a little formulaic, but there’s a reason this kind of holiday romance is a classic. It’s warm and cozy, with just the right generous dash of spice and wee-bit amount of angst to keep things interesting.
*Thank you Netgalley & Bold Strokes Books for a review copy
December 27, 2022
Janie Elliott's family has owned a small business for generations, going through many changes but when Janie became manager she decided to turn the space into the internet café ‘Cyber Shack’. She was always trying to update her café to meet the needs of the Pine Grove community. Many locals were against anything that they feared would change the town's charm, including bringing the internet to the whole community. As it was, if customers wanted to play games, work or just stay in touch with the rest of the world they had to make their way to the Cyber Shack.
Crystal Tucker couldn’t imagine living without access to the internet and it was her job to convince the town her company was the one to do just that. Crystal wants to make the deal for her company because with this deal she’s got a strong chance of getting the promotion she wants. She didn’t count on Janie being someone she wanted to know, possibly date.
Ms Blake’s writing is as always a fun adventure. Great characters and a somewhat believable plot makes this a fun read. Very, very nice read.
ARC via NetGalley/Bold Stroke Books
Crystal Tucker couldn’t imagine living without access to the internet and it was her job to convince the town her company was the one to do just that. Crystal wants to make the deal for her company because with this deal she’s got a strong chance of getting the promotion she wants. She didn’t count on Janie being someone she wanted to know, possibly date.
Ms Blake’s writing is as always a fun adventure. Great characters and a somewhat believable plot makes this a fun read. Very, very nice read.
ARC via NetGalley/Bold Stroke Books
January 15, 2023
Took me longer than usual to read this book, it's a gentle romance set in a small town before Christmas. I found the decision by one of the main character's to lie, to the other, from the beginning, added some unnecessary tension that I didn't enjoy. Having said that I enjoyed the small town life as described very much, it had a lovely community feel and a network of mostly women taking care of each other. The endless arguments about the pluses and minuses of the internet were a little much, the point was made early on and didn't need repeating. Overall a light read that you'll enjoy if you can suspend some disbelief.
With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
May 6, 2023
3,5 stars
Cute Hallmark type romance in a small town during winter. The feel of the small town was a very cute touch and I enjoyed reading about Janie's community.
I missed a bit more background on Crystal to be honest. I get why she kept the lie going for so long, but it would have helped to know more about her past or maybe some deeper thoughts on her side.
Janie was an absolute gem.
There could have been more time spent on the side characters as now it felt like Dana's lie was not as severe as it could have been? Or should have been?
An ARC was provided to me via Netgalley in return of an honest review.
Cute Hallmark type romance in a small town during winter. The feel of the small town was a very cute touch and I enjoyed reading about Janie's community.
I missed a bit more background on Crystal to be honest. I get why she kept the lie going for so long, but it would have helped to know more about her past or maybe some deeper thoughts on her side.
Janie was an absolute gem.
There could have been more time spent on the side characters as now it felt like Dana's lie was not as severe as it could have been? Or should have been?
An ARC was provided to me via Netgalley in return of an honest review.
January 9, 2023
This is a beautifully written book. Crystal has the opportunity to advance to a position she always wanted in the company she works for. In order to accomplish this, she goes to Pine Grove a small town to convince them that Wi fi and high-speed internet is better for the community. The characters are lovable and has great chemistry and the small-town feel was amazing. However, Crystal is not the focused career driven person I expected her to be. Regardless, I would recommend..
January 10, 2023
I loved the world that was created with the characters. Although I found Janie and Crystal refreshing, I was anxiously awaiting for the big reveal and it was a little predictable in that sense. The book definitely gave me the small town Christmas fees and I would love to see more stories from the other characters!
January 5, 2023
I really struggled reading this book and it was so corny and read like a typical Hallmark channel movie. Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me a copy of the this book to read.
July 7, 2023
This is a great quick read with some holiday cheer mixed in. I would definitely recommend. Perfect Christmas read!
December 27, 2023
A Spark in the Air is a fun, light, holiday romance, perfect for a frosty winter weekend. This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I look forward to reading more.
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