Sparks review

I was sent Sparks by Sharon Horton in exchange for an honest review.

Sparks is a decent contemporary romance but there was a lot of - for my taste - unnecessary drama. If you like a very rocky road to your HEA, this book might be right up your alley.

Danny is the hero but other than being a firefighter I didn't find him to be heroic. He was a jerk most of the time and he started out misogynistic - with complaints that Callie was only hired because she was related to the mayor and as a woman wouldn't be able to do the job. He had never met her or even seen her credentials but she was a woman so she must not be capable. That started me out on the wrong foot with him and frankly he didn't recover as much as he should have.

Callie is a bit of an odd one. She says one thing but does the opposite pretty much all of the time. She also has massive foot in mouth syndrome but it was hard to believe that anyone could say so many things by mistake without doing it on purpose. That said, I really did feel for her when it seemed like no matter what, Danny wouldn't let them be together and be happy. 

Sparks was pretty fast paced - it seemed like as soon as the couple overcame one obstacle another one jumped out in front of them. The secondary characters were very strong and enjoyable to read. I particularly liked Bear because don't we all know a guy who is so big he looks scary but is really just a giant teddy bear? The rest of the firefighters were also well-written with distinct personalities that gave Sparks depth.

Synopsis

All her life, Callie O'Rourke wanted to be a firefighter. A lifelong nightmare of being in a fire has driven her to pursue a career to fight fires and save lives. She won't let being a woman stop her from achieving that goal. When her determination and training land her a job, Callie has no idea being the city's first female firefighter will gain the attention of more than just its citizens. 
 
Although haunted since childhood by the fiery death of his father, firefighting is in Danny Redmond's blood. He comes from a long line of firemen, all the way back to his great-grandfather. Callie's refreshing candor ignites Danny's interest. With her ability to fight fires, combined with the way she puts him at ease, it's not long before they become friends. Focused on being the best firefighters possible, neither is looking for romance. Yet the more they're together, the more they realize firefighting may not be their biggest challenge.