Name: When Sparks Fly
ISBN: 9781635557831

Annie McDonald

Dr. Daniella Waveny is back from a medical posting in Guyana carrying more than just her suitcase. The difficult to diagnose virus that forced her return to her northern Canadian hometown could threaten much more than her livelihood. It could shatter her dreams. Luca McAffery has her own baggage. The iron sculptor and hockey coach carries the world on her shoulders, but when she runs into Daniella, her arms are—fortunately for them both—wide-open. So is her heart. A devastating hit at center ice first brought them together years ago. Will the consequences now tear them apart or will the spark of their passion be hot enough to thaw the secrets that stand between them?

When Sparks Fly

Will the devastating incident that first brought Dr. Daniella Waveny and hockey coach Luca McC affrey together on frozen ice now force them apart, or will their secrets and fears thaw enough for them to create sparks?

KADY BURNS

Oh boy such a Canadian book and I really enjoyed it. Didn't vibe with the spicy scenes and felt like the dad or brother part could have been cut, but overall I had a hard time putting this one down.

Megan Cooper

This was a miss for me. It may be because I'm not much of a hockey fan (don't tell, or I'll have to renounce my Canadian citizenship). I did like reading a book set in Winnipeg - its a refreshing change of scenery and there's definitely a different groove and culture than the books set in NY, LA, etc. It's always nice to see a different setting and the story and storytelling definitely gave an authentic local feel. 

There were a number of intersecting storylines, with the primary being the budding romance between Dani, a doctor returning home to recover after contracting a virus while working overseas, and Luca, a former hockey phenom who has a busy life spent coaching, taking care of her father, working as a welder and working on her art. The characters feel real and the atmosphere, descriptions of life in and around Winnipeg are well done. This is a slow burn as both characters have their own issues and baggage to overcome/come to grips with - and the pacing of their relationship (no instalove) worked. This is a slow burn, slower paced story - not a lot of action or outside obstacles. 

My key issue was the amount of exposition and explanation - in creating a realistic setting/situations, the author references things specific to hockey, Winnipeg, etc but then stops to frame in explanations. This impacted the pacing and flow - I wish that some of it was mentioned and allow the readers to google or understand the references from the context that they were made in.

When Sparks Fly

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