Sparks Like Ours (Seven Shores Romance)

To be perfectly honest with you, I have high expectations when it comes to Melissa Brayden books as I love them all. With this one, no 3 in the Seven Shores Romance series, my expectations were really high. REALLY HIGH. Way up there. And I tell you why. I had a tiny little crush on Gia as of book 1 of the series, and I had high hopes that Melissa would find just the girl for her. And what can I say – she did. Loved from start to finish.Gia knows Elle for some time now. As a matter of fact, you wouldn’t think they’d make a great paring, seeing that they are both competing for the No 1 position in surfing. So no, it won’t be easy to make both of them see sense and accept that they are perfect for each other.I loved that there is a mention of Malory and Hunter (my crush from the Soho Loft series). The writing is funny, and the characters we learnt to love in book 1 & 2 of the series are still there to entertain us. If you liked book 1 & 2, you’ll love this one. Go buy it. Now.

I picked this up when it was at a reduced price and it was definitely worth it for the price I paid (had I paid almost £9, as it's usually priced, I might feel differently!). As ever the characters were likeable and Elle's realisation of her feelings nicely handled. The story was (to my mind anyway) a bit predictable but this was an enjoyable read nevertheless...

Am a fan of Brayden's work. Love the buildup and the dynamics between the two protagonists, though I think the energy of the buildup somewhat fizzled out towards the end or maybe I'm just not satisfied with how the story unfold, perhaps because I've been really look forward to reading this?

Loved all the surf stuff, as always humour abounds, and I loved the characters. Only one more in the series , cmon Hadley.

Sparks Like Ours is the third in the Brayden's Seven Shores series which follows the lives of a group of friends living in an apartment complex in Venice Beach. This third installation follows Gia Malone, world-class surfer, and her main rival, Elle Britton, as they work through their mutual antagonism to realise their attraction to each other. Both main characters are well-drawn and realistic, and their path to romance is dealt with in a mature and satisfying way. And Brayden doesn't overdo the 'competitors to lovers' element of the story, as can sometimes be the case with stories like this - Elle and Gia are competitive and dedicated to their sport, but they also respect each other and their fellow competitors, and know that ultimately, they want to be the best for themselves, not just to beat others.The rest of the Seven Shores gang make plenty of appearances as well, rounding out Gia's life away from the sport and providing advice when she needs it, and it's lovely to see a group of friends playing such an integral part in a romance novel. Elle has her own interesting secondary storyline, involving a guy her friend sets her up on a date with - I totally didn't see where that plot line was going, but I enjoyed it and appreciated that, again, Elle is shown as already having her own friends and her own life. And on top of all that, there's surfing! Brayden doesn't overdo the sporting scenes or the technical elements, so even someone who, like me, knows nothing about surfing, can enjoy that aspect of the book without feeling confused.This is a great romance novel, and definitely worth a read!

"For Gia, this was a form of church. She honoured the waves with the respect they deserved"* * *3 / 5Definitely my favourite of the series so far! I loved all the surfing action, a sport I know virtually nothing about but that sounds really cool, and I'm a big lover of the enemies-to-lovers trope. Like it's content, this is definitely an easy beach read."Wait," Isabel said, holding up a hand. "Is that number two in the surf world walking toward us?"Gia Malone is steadily climbing the rankings of the Women's World Surfing. She's young, she's vibrant, and she's got her eyes on the number one spot. The problem? The current number one is Elle Britton, a girl who knows how to charm the crowds; she knows the names of all the media people, she interacts with her fans, and she always has a ready smile on her face. No one can really be like that, right? Certainly not Gia, who thinks that Elle is faker than fake, and Elle thinks that Gia is rude and standoffish.But then the two women end up working on an add campaign together and Elle offers Gia a lift home when her car breaks down. The two women begin to see a different side to each other, but their developing relationship has two big mountains in the way: one, they are prime surfing rivals, and two, Elle is straighter than straight. This is the first Seven Shores book with a romance that doesn't start with two women who know that they are either a lesbian or bisexual, but it was nicely written and wasn't dragged out."Elle never knew such happiness was possible for her"I loved the romantic tension and the surfing scenes! The two had great chemistry and I loved the enemies to friends to lovers progression. But because they are so great together there isn't much tension in the book - you just know that the two will end up together! I also wish there had been a bit more on the surfing action - mostly the book focuses on what happens after a surfing tournament, on how Elle and Gia feel and how their performances affect their relationship.This was definitely my favourites of the Seven Shores series; Gia is such a babe and she and Elle are great together. Only one single friend left now!