Dani and Luca have my heart. I loved their love and their story and their journey to the end. I’ve never read an Annie McDonald book before, but I think I’m going to be digging into her backlist and finding more to read after this one.

When Sparks Fly has so much packed into it and I love everything about this book. Sure, it took me a while to get really invested in the characters or truly understand them, but once I was in, I was hooked!

Dani is an accomplished doctor who once worked with Doctors Without Borders and is now the physician for a hockey team. The same hockey team that Luca once played for. Luca, on the other hand, is a bit of a jack of all trades. She’s a welder and as a former hockey player, she’s great at helping others perfect their skills. Their first meeting was a hazy one for Luca, but a scary and memorable one for Dani. And their second meeting is kinda perfect given their story and their history.

While it is a love story that follows these two women, it’s also about so much more. It’s about First Nation families and their culture, but also how incredible of a community Luca and Dani are a part of in Winnipeg. The first half of the book is a lot of information about the two characters and at time, it felt a little exhaustive. Yes, it is certainly crucial and important to understand these two characters to their very bones, there was a lot that maybe could have been skipped over and tackled through the course of the relationship. But that’s a personal preference. Because seeing Luca and Dani’s stories and understanding what brought them to where they are is beautiful.

Oh god, the slow burn. The number of times I yelled KISS at my Kindle would be too many to count. I’m a huge fan of slow burns and this one delivered it and then some. Luca and Dani have the most incredible chemistry and the sex is also just so hot. *fans self* The slow burn really shows you their love too and accepting each other for who they are. They’re not your typical heroines, but they’re still so perfect and so great together. Dani and Luca have their demons, they have lots to deal with and while they could just get over it over the course of their budding relationship, it’s so nice to see them talk about it, discuss it and sort it out together. I know this contradicts what I said earlier, but I loved them talking about their pasts and histories as opposed to just being told about it.

This is a well written book. It has everything - likable main characters, nice development, complex issues, well described surroundings... I would recommend this book to anyone who appreciates good writers and well developed romance. 4 stars from me.

Luca McAffrey is a welder, hockey coach and former star ice hockey player who has some demons from her past. Dr Danielle Waverny, has been working with Doctors Abroad in remote Guyana and has been forced to return with an undiagnosed virus which could potentially impact her life. Their paths crossed fleetingly on the ice rink many years ago in traumatic circumstances which changed the course of both their lives, can they both overcome their challenges to pursue their dreams.
I really enjoyed the characters in this book, they were strong yet had their flaws. Being a sports nut but not being familiar with ice hockey I loved learning about some of the technicalities of the sport and loved the having ice hockey incorporated into the story.  I did feel the story lag a bit in the middle and was a little frustrated with the miscommunication between Luca and Danielle but overall I enjoyed this book.

I loved this book from start to finish. Unusually, I loved both main characters and wanted happiness for both of them!

I really enjoyed the setting of the book and how this impacted events throughout the story. Despite knowing nothing about ice hockey I enjoyed this storyline too

I will definitely be looking for more books from this author

Small-town Canada, coming home, doctor-retired hockey player romance with some interesting First Nations rep. I really enjoyed McDonald's first novel, and this one was similarly enjoyable. Fairly quick and engrossing read. Good amounts of tension. Well done side characters and supporting cast.

Both women have past demons they are still struggling with, but they cannot resist each other when sparks fly.

✨When Sparks Fly✨

Thank you to Netgalley, Annie McDonald and the publisher for sending me an E-Arc
✨
Description: Dr Dani returns home to from her trip to Guyana where she picked up a mysterious virus. That leaves her with her guard up and a deep rooted fear.
Luca has some baggage of her own, a welder and a hockey coach has also closed herself off from the world.
A horrific incident caused their first meeting and now they’re reunited, the chemistry is off the charts. Can the pair let their guards down enough to let the other in?
✨
Rating:
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
Romance:❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥

Review:
This isn’t my typical read but my god, I LOVED it. It was one of those that once you start it’s hard to put down. The story had me intrigued from the very first page. The characters were relatable and interesting, it was easy to become engrossed in their story. I enjoyed the sporting aspect too.

I loved the diversity and inclusion of sensitive issues and how they were handled. This was a beautiful story from start to finish.

This is a really well written and poetic novel set in the winter in Manitoba. The best part of the book was the description of the community, and insight Into the diverse culture of the area. The two main characters fall in love in a mist of a story line that is truly Canadian. It’s a unique and inspiring read that is hopeful throughout.

Really nice story. I actually could not believe how hard it was to put this book down.
Luca's character reminds me of the younger me. The will for her to help everyone first and thinking of herself as last.
Moving story. The connection between main characters is amazing.

Daniella and Luca are the main characters in this book. Daniella is a doctor that has returned to her hometown after doing Doctors without Borders in Guyana. She is battling a virus that she contracted there and returned home to begin treatment and find out how bad it is. While she is recuperating , she runs into Luca., whom she helped many years ago when her hockey career ended.
Danielle and Luca are drawn together from their past experiences and become increasingly aware that there is more there than the past.
Will Daniella's health be a detriment to the relationship? Is Luca willing to take a chance?
This book had a slow beginning, but it did speed up somewhat half way through. If you like hockey and/or are Canadian, this will be your book!
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

My first read by Ms. Anne McDonald. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and thought it was well written. The story touches on Family, Racism, addiction, and homophobia to name a few. I loved how clear the level of communication was between the MC Daniella and Luca. It was a beautiful story and I would recommend this book, 4.5 stars. I look forward to more books from Annie McDonald.
I was provided an ARC copy for my honest opinion.

Thank you NetGalley, Bold Strokes Books Publishers and Annie McDonald

This has been a somewhat difficult story to enter, at first it was too slow and convoluted, it was hard for me to follow the things that had happened to the two protagonists. So, but very little by little, I have been getting an idea of those past events, but in the middle of the story new themes have appeared that, in fact, have not helped much to my global understanding. I think the author has tried to introduce some aspects of Canadian culture that I have not been able to catch and that has not been very positive for my overall assessment of the story.

Regarding the romantic relationship between the two protagonists, among all the other things that happen in the story, it has been a bit synthesized. Yes, there is the development of an attraction, Luca and Danielle have known each other since adolescence and although they separated their paths for a long time, the spark between them is rekindled the moment they meet again. But their interactions are brief and shallow until they decide to take the plunge, which is quite advanced in the story, and from here on their relationship becomes quite physical, I am not complaining about that, but it has been too abrupt a change, from zero to one hundred too fast maybe.

I think it has been a too dense story for me, I am interested in romances that are simpler. It is a matter of taste, not quality

Lovely romance set in Canada. It has a plethora of diverse characters from varying backgrounds. You will be pulled in by the author's story telling and the characters themselves. This could be the beginning of a series if the author wanted to go that route. Love, pain, addiction, survival and family are the core themes.

I'm not really interested in ice hockey but that absolutely doesn't matter with this book! I really enjoyed the story that developed between the two MCs. They both have issues and especially Dani's is really unique but they find to each other nonetheless. I really liked that there is not that much angst or micomunnication in the story because it really wasn't needed! And the end was just too sweet! Absolutely would recommend!

Dani was nineteen when she volunteered as trainer for the local girls hockey team. A serious mid-ice collision left teenaged Luca with a serious concussion, ending her hockey career. Much has happened in both their lives since that event fifteen years before. Dani left the small Manitoba town of Warren to pursue her medical career eventually finding herself working for a medical mission in Guyana. She returns home to her parents carrying an unknown virus and an uncertain future. Luca has gone on to be a welder and iron sculptor. Her reputation as a skilled hockey coach and trainer has the national women’s hockey team eager to have her join their team but Luca is reluctant to leave her father and her life in Warren behind. When Dani accidentally slips into Luca’s arms at the local arena their worlds collide once again.

This is one of those books you pick up and can’t put down. McDonald gives us a story set in one of the coldest places in Canada, a small town north of Winnipeg. Luca showcases the spirit of community by sharing her home with a teenage hockey player from a more northern community. Through Ziigwan( Ziggy) we see the harsh reality of coping with mean girls on sports teams. Kudos to the author for not shying away from issues faced by First Nations and Métis people. Racism and opiate addictions in small remote communities are common and can't be ignored. Homophobia is touched on as well but I was happy to see representation and acceptance of Ziggy and her friend Nodon who is two-spirited.

This slow burn romance lets readers slip into this frozen world and understand the dynamics of the community while watching Luca and Dani find their way back to each other. Attraction is there from the start. Dani remembers Luca from their one encounter in the past: "She looked into unforgettable eyes that reminded her of the rock-strewn bottom of a crystal blue lake on a hot summer day." I loved the body positive Dani who accepted her Guyanese roots along with her curves. Luca is attracted to Dani but worries events in her past will always be a barricade and like many sexy butches, Luca struggles to admit her fears to Dani. Both women have reasons to hold back their feelings for one another and this lack of communication gets as frustrating for the reader as it does for these women in love. It’s my only knock against this love story.

4.5 stars

ARC received with thanks from Bold Stokes Books via NetGalley for review.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author, and I liked it. I didn’t read the blurb too closely (the cover won me over) so I didn’t know what to expect. Based on the cover, I certainly didn’t expect so much page-time dedicated to hockey. I enjoyed learning what a suicide pass was, but some of the minute details overwhelmed the story...at least for me.

Readers who enjoy slow burn romances are in for a treat. This is one of the slowest I’ve read; an observation, not a criticism.

One thing that kept coming to mind while reading was, ‘wow, what am ambitious story.’

On that note, I’ll leave a lineup of what topics this book addresses…hockey, racism, homophobia, addiction and recovery, concussion and long-term effects, lost teen/found teen, hockey, a doctor, a coach, a virus (not COVID, thank goodness), oh, and a romance.

Copy provided by the publisher, Bold Strokes Books, via NetGalley.

I think I loved this book by Chapter Six.

There was so much to love, but this passage...
'It had slowly undressed the winter-bound soil, teased out the cold and invited the bravest greens to unravel...' How could someone not be captivated by that?
Add to that the smattering of Ojibwe language, and in particular a specific phrase I had learned that very day. The imagery of the land, the description of snow, and the Northern Lights, and the explanation of Wawatay all spoke to me and by the time I was done, I adored this book.
It was as if Ms. McDonald knew exactly the type of story my heart was aching for, and sat down and wrote it just for me.

Add into the mix the slow romance, the secret and heartbreak that Dani carries, and the shame that weighs Luca down and you have the tale of two complex people that doesn't let go. But the characters that surround them are just as interesting, and I found myself frequently cheering for a couple of them as well.

I really enjoyed Ms. McDonald's first book, and this one proves her skill at reaching into our hearts and plucking just the right heartstrings to compose a masterpiece.

I can't wait to see what she writes next!

After reading the blurb of this book I was expecting a different type of story, more secretive, weird disease, and those sorts of things. But there wasn't a lot of that.

Dani came back to northern Canada after a Doctors Abroad posting in Guyana has left her ill. She returns to her hometown and the hockey team to be the team doctor. On her first day back she meets Luca, or actually is reintroduced to her. Years ago Dani was the first to treat Luca when she had a career-ending scuffle on the ice. They are attracted to each other but find objections in their own minds that stop them from acting on it. When their secrets do come spilling out, nothing is holding them back.

I did enjoy this book but it's just such a flimsy story, for me, it certainly lacked depth. The secrets aren't big/ dramatic enough for me to really feel the angst and the drama, it just made me do an eye roll and almost say oh come onnnn out loud. The hard to identify virus that Dani suffers from was pretty predictable knowing where she has spent the last few months/ years. But what can I say sometimes you just want an easy read and that is what this book was for me.

Dr. Daniella has been working in Guyana as doctor without borders. While there she had a relationship with a woman Yvette who had to come get custody of her niece when her sister died. They became a family but when the people of Guyana got wind of their relationship which they thought they were being discreet began to get threatening Yvette and her niece Tiana left without a goodbye but Dani understood even though she was heartbroken because she loved being a mom to the little girl. Dani stayed even when they still gave her cold shoulder but one day she woke up to mosquitoes bites and she knows they ruin her traps to keep them at bay. She became so ill to the point that she couldn’t move. While coming home to wait for the result of which virus she has she begin to work as doctor for the hockey team in her hometown.

Luca was a great hockey player but a injury ruin her chances of becoming pro but it did give her a wake up call because she could have avoided the attack if she wasn’t high and she got help for her addiction and met her best friend Mighty who was also battling a addiction they both became each other champion.

Dani and Luca meet again when Dani falls into her arms and sparks fly. Luca is a amazing sculptured who is working with Dani mother Prudence on a project. As they get to know each other both are hesitant to start something Dani who doesn’t know what she carries might destroy her dreams at a life and Luca who although overcame her addiction is afraid she doesn’t deserve to have happiness.

This was a heartbreaking read not knowing and I love all the supporting characters. Mighty my favorite because she tells Luca she deserves everything that she already a winner and doesn’t have to continue to prove herself. Love that Luca calls Dani her whole name how she was bold to let her feelings known.

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.