Tugged At My Heartstrings. Loved It.
5 out of 5 stars
There were a couple times when I was reading When Sparks Fly when I thought “there’s no way”. But I went into it pretty blind having seen/heard a lot of buzz around this title and Zimmer’s other title (which I quickly added to my wishlist after finishing this one).
When Sparks Fly is one of those books that’s able to make me cry from happiness and for other reasons as well. Most books can make me cry, especially if there are saccharine sweet moments in them, but not every one of them can make me care for the characters enough to feel sad when they’re sad. There were moments with both main characters that I cried from sadness for and with them.
I’d honestly never heard of Kristen Zimmer before picking this book up and now I’m kicking myself. As I said earlier, I’m quickly adding her other book, The Gravity Between Us to my TBR pile. Her writing style and ability to make me connect with the characters stand out to me. I really enjoyed the stories of both Britton and Avery. I liked the love triangle that was there but not there – that subtle hint of “it could happen at any time” that was weaved throughout. And honestly, just the way that everything sort of built up. I enjoyed it all.
The life that Britton had being a foster kid is one that breaks me. I was adopted, but I was one of the very lucky ones who was adopted very early. I had a foster mom for apparently a few weeks but she kept meticulous notes and just was a bang-up person. I’ve heard so many horror stories and I think that Zimmer did a great job covering and dealing with that. The few abuse scenes she talked about (Britton thinking about them) are just… so sad, but I know that things like that happen. Add in the trauma that Avery had to deal with – I think the way that Zimmer dealt with that was great, too. A few times Avery would do or say something that felt so off until you found out what actually happened. The grief aspect of that was spot on and it really added to her character and to my overall enjoyment of the book.
Add in great narration by Lynn Norris and you have a book that I loved from cover to cover. I can’t talk much more about the book because there are some spoilers that I want to talk about but won’t. Just know that you’re in for a book that really tugged at my heartstrings and left me smiling from ear to ear at the end.
I have to add, I don’t normally read other reviews before writing mine, but I happened to stumble across Beauty In Ruin’s post on Goodreads and I think they absolutely nailed their review. You should check theirs out as well. Read it here.
Book Description:
The room is dark, except for the streetlights coming through the blinds. I can barely see her, but I feel her. She pushes me up against the wall, and we kiss harder than we ever have before. I’ve been waiting so long for it to happen, and finally, it’s going to. Then the bedroom door flies open, and someone screams her name…
Britton Walsh has never had a home. After a lifetime in the care system, she doesn’t expect she’ll ever find one. But beginning her senior year with new foster parents, in a new city, means starting over – yet again. Tom and Cate Cahill seem okay. The hitch? Their daughter, Avery.
Beautiful, popular, and cool, Avery is everything Britton is not. She’s all Britton could ever ask for in a sister, or even a friend – but having survived without either for so long, Britton knows the way her heart races whenever Avery enters the room can only mean one thing….
But Avery has a secret. Something that is eating away at her and stopping her from letting anyone in, least of all Britton. Will Avery’s insistence on punishing herself for a mistake in her past make Britton’s last year of high school, and finding a place to call home, impossible? Can two people so different ever find common ground, friendship, or maybe even something more?
An unforgettable new adult lesbian romance for fans of Keeping You a Secret by Julie Anne Peters, Her Name in the Sky by Kelly Quindlen, or Nancy Garden’s classic young adult coming-out novel, Annie on My Mind.
When Sparks Fly by Kristen Zimmer
Narrator: Lynn Norris
Length: 7 hrs and 47 mins
Published by Hachette Audio on April 28th 2021
Genres: Romance
Format: Audiobook
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