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Sparks Fly
Nic Gerrard is this year's brightest young entrepreneur, charming and charismatic, with time for everyone. Aidan West is his cleverest programmer, fiercely committed to his work and with little time for friendship or socializing. Together they created the successful dating agency, Sparks, with a new and refreshing approach to matching people.
A year later, their lives are very different � Nic has all the trappings of success and as much company as he wants; Aidan is solitary and disapproving of such a lifestyle. When Nic decides to update the agency's unique matching program, he and Aidan must work together again. Getting along gets harder as they deal with a malicious hacker and face a crisis at the agency. It will take both of them to make the agency work, and somehow they have to find a way to put their differences aside. Nic and Aidan have secrets to keep, and whether they'll admit it or not, they each need something � or someone � to help Sparks fly.
A year later, their lives are very different � Nic has all the trappings of success and as much company as he wants; Aidan is solitary and disapproving of such a lifestyle. When Nic decides to update the agency's unique matching program, he and Aidan must work together again. Getting along gets harder as they deal with a malicious hacker and face a crisis at the agency. It will take both of them to make the agency work, and somehow they have to find a way to put their differences aside. Nic and Aidan have secrets to keep, and whether they'll admit it or not, they each need something � or someone � to help Sparks fly.
208 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2008
5 people are currently reading
136 people want to read
About the author
Clare London
146Ìýbooks428ÌýfollowersClare took the pen name London from the city where she lives, loves, and writes. A lone, brave female in a frenetic, testosterone-fuelled family home, she juggles her writing with her other day job as an accountant. She’s written in many genres and across many settings, with award-winning novels and short stories published both online and in print. She says she likes variety in her writing while friends say she’s just fickle, but as long as both theories spawn good fiction, she’s happy. Most of her work features male/male romance and drama with a healthy serving of physical passion, as she enjoys both reading and writing about strong, sympathetic and sexy characters.
Clare currently has several novels sulking at that tricky chapter 3 stage and plenty of other projects in mind . . . she just has to find out where she left them in that frenetic, testosterone-fuelled family home.
All the details and free fiction are available at her website. Visit her today and say hello!
Clare also writes as Stella Shaw and launched a new series of rent boy romances in 2021.
Clare currently has several novels sulking at that tricky chapter 3 stage and plenty of other projects in mind . . . she just has to find out where she left them in that frenetic, testosterone-fuelled family home.
All the details and free fiction are available at her website. Visit her today and say hello!
Clare also writes as Stella Shaw and launched a new series of rent boy romances in 2021.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
February 26, 2009
Right through, from start to finish, I couldn't get what was so wrong about Nic that made Aidan accuse him of being arrogant and self-centered, etc, etc, etc. Not just Aidan but that Badham woman. I thought Nic was pretty normal. He's attractive, attracted to both sexes, wildly successful and enjoying both work and play. It was other people (as he says, in the end) that were bent on telling him what he was, wasn't and should be and do.
Aidan came across like some serial-killer in the making - a geek, stuck in his apartment alone with just his computer, no friends. His whole life revolves around his programs and staying angry with Nic. He's like that from the first chapter right up to the last and exhausted me with his hang-ups over Nic.
So why 4 stars? Because in spite of my being put off by Aidan's treatment of, and reaction to Nic, there was more depth to the characterization in this story than most of its kind that I've read. The author (never heard of her till now) spent more time building the relationship between the two men against the backdrop of computer/internet technology. Though the plot did require the inclusion of some programming jargon, it never overwhelmed at any point. Just sufficient to give me the idea Aidan knew what he was doing.
4 stars because it still engaged me emotionally and frustrated as I was with these two men, I wanted an HEA for them. I was also creeped-out by Charles - I'm not exactly sure what he is but he acted like Nic's valet more than anything else - and was curious to see how he ends up (I was happy with it).
My complaint, though, is that I still needed a few more chapters showing me the results of Aidan's decision to take that risk of letting go and loving Nic. There had been so much angst, their relationship so volatile and Aidan constantly going off like a fire cracker self-combusting that after my own hectic week in real life, I needed a more substantial HEA. At the end of the book, Nic and Aidan will be taking off on a vacation and I know they're going to be fighting every step of the way.
I'm not sure if I want to spend more $$$ just to get what ought to have been this book's epilogue.
Aidan came across like some serial-killer in the making - a geek, stuck in his apartment alone with just his computer, no friends. His whole life revolves around his programs and staying angry with Nic. He's like that from the first chapter right up to the last and exhausted me with his hang-ups over Nic.
So why 4 stars? Because in spite of my being put off by Aidan's treatment of, and reaction to Nic, there was more depth to the characterization in this story than most of its kind that I've read. The author (never heard of her till now) spent more time building the relationship between the two men against the backdrop of computer/internet technology. Though the plot did require the inclusion of some programming jargon, it never overwhelmed at any point. Just sufficient to give me the idea Aidan knew what he was doing.
4 stars because it still engaged me emotionally and frustrated as I was with these two men, I wanted an HEA for them. I was also creeped-out by Charles - I'm not exactly sure what he is but he acted like Nic's valet more than anything else - and was curious to see how he ends up (I was happy with it).
My complaint, though, is that I still needed a few more chapters showing me the results of Aidan's decision to take that risk of letting go and loving Nic. There had been so much angst, their relationship so volatile and Aidan constantly going off like a fire cracker self-combusting that after my own hectic week in real life, I needed a more substantial HEA. At the end of the book, Nic and Aidan will be taking off on a vacation and I know they're going to be fighting every step of the way.
I'm not sure if I want to spend more $$$ just to get what ought to have been this book's epilogue.
October 24, 2011
A fluffy, happy contemporary urban m/m romance. There is a plot and a baddie whose efforts they must thwart, but all-in-all, an enjoyable read. I probably like Ms. London's True Colors better, as I read it first, but I'd still recommend this book for a light afternoon read, snuggled under a blanket when it's raining outside. I adore B/B when they don't realize how hot they are for each other, and this story delivers on that theme.
May 16, 2012
Pretty good m/m romance about a successful entrepreneur who gets around, but finds himself thinking about the prickly programmer who helped launch his first venture, an online dating service. This suffers from an excess of exclamation points and... I know Clare's a much more polished writer now than she was when this was written. :)
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April 13, 2010Once in a time the cover of the book perfectly decipts the main characters. Infact you see two young men, one slightly younger and handsome than the other. Nic Gerrard is a 23 years old financial guru. Two years before, barely out of college, he launched a dating company based on a matching program he developed with the help of another young programmer, Aidan West. Fame and fortune smile to Nic, and now he is the man of the day, the most sought bachelor. And in the past he was happy to oblige all the fans around him, dispensing sexual favors like a king waves to his people. Actually Nic is not a bad guy, he simple seems unable to say no. Employees, former fiancees (both male than female), friends... if they ask for a night of sex, Nic is willing to give it to them. Probably it was a preservation instinct, having lost his mother very soon, and never known his father, Nic learned not to develop deep feeling for people, since they can easily go away. Something he experimented also with one of his lover, an older man who helped him at first when he was alone, but that then, without much worries, chose to leave for newer shores.
Even his first working relationship with Aidan was taken on in the same way; they worked well together, maybe they could have something more, but when the work was done, Nic practically filed Aidan in a hidden portion of his brain, like a good memory. Not that Aidan was not around, simply Nic moved on toward another goal.
On the other hand, Aidan is not at ease with relationships and similar stuff. He had a very bad experience with a former lover, and he no more trust himself to be a good judge around feeling. So probably he was glad that Nic didn't try to deepen their relationship beyond work. But now Nic seems to have changed his mind, and he is till more present in Aidan's life. He doesn't accept a "no" as answer, and Aidan is ever more in trouble to maintain his control around the handsome man.
Trying to solve an hacker attach to their matching program and also develop a new feature, Nic and Aidan spend a lot of time together. Nic has the chance to see that he is no more interested in the no string attach encounters as before and Aidan can see a new side of the man, a side that makes him believe, and hope, that he will not be only another conquest, a new toy to play and put aside soon after.
The undercurrent hacker mystery is also a good one: I hadn't found the culprit, I had two suspects, and no one was the right!
Even his first working relationship with Aidan was taken on in the same way; they worked well together, maybe they could have something more, but when the work was done, Nic practically filed Aidan in a hidden portion of his brain, like a good memory. Not that Aidan was not around, simply Nic moved on toward another goal.
On the other hand, Aidan is not at ease with relationships and similar stuff. He had a very bad experience with a former lover, and he no more trust himself to be a good judge around feeling. So probably he was glad that Nic didn't try to deepen their relationship beyond work. But now Nic seems to have changed his mind, and he is till more present in Aidan's life. He doesn't accept a "no" as answer, and Aidan is ever more in trouble to maintain his control around the handsome man.
Trying to solve an hacker attach to their matching program and also develop a new feature, Nic and Aidan spend a lot of time together. Nic has the chance to see that he is no more interested in the no string attach encounters as before and Aidan can see a new side of the man, a side that makes him believe, and hope, that he will not be only another conquest, a new toy to play and put aside soon after.
The undercurrent hacker mystery is also a good one: I hadn't found the culprit, I had two suspects, and no one was the right!
June 15, 2009
I love Clare London’s characters. They’re always so vivid and leap off of the page. You find yourself cheering them on, just waiting for the happy ending that you know is lurking out there for them. This story is no exception.
First, we have Nic, a bright, young, entrepreneur who has, along with his lead programmer, Aidan, created a dating agency which is just about to go public. The site is quite successful, but Nic has an idea that is really going to revolutionize the online match-making world. He wants to remove the gender matching questions to match people up with their true soul-mates. After all, if you’re closing yourself off to half the population, you may be missing something really special. Aidan is just the man to get this programing right. He and Nic worked well together when they were getting the site off the ground.
This all sounds good, but add in the fact that Nic is starting to crack under the pressure of living in the spotlight, the danger of a hacker trying to take down their system and then throw in Nic’s attraction to Aidan. Now, Aidan is not the best when it comes to interpersonal relations. He’s much better with computers than he is with people. Especially with people like Nic, who he’s attracted to, even though he’s fighting the attraction with all that he’s got. Sparks are definitely going to fly when these two clash and get together. Friction creates sparks and there’s plenty of friction between these two.
I really enjoyed this story, mainly because the characters were not perfect. Give me flawed characters any day. Nic is far too stubborn and Aidan’s anti-social tendencies made them that much more real to me. London has created a true jewel with this release. Anyone who enjoys male/male erotic novels is going to find a lot to like with this one!
First, we have Nic, a bright, young, entrepreneur who has, along with his lead programmer, Aidan, created a dating agency which is just about to go public. The site is quite successful, but Nic has an idea that is really going to revolutionize the online match-making world. He wants to remove the gender matching questions to match people up with their true soul-mates. After all, if you’re closing yourself off to half the population, you may be missing something really special. Aidan is just the man to get this programing right. He and Nic worked well together when they were getting the site off the ground.
This all sounds good, but add in the fact that Nic is starting to crack under the pressure of living in the spotlight, the danger of a hacker trying to take down their system and then throw in Nic’s attraction to Aidan. Now, Aidan is not the best when it comes to interpersonal relations. He’s much better with computers than he is with people. Especially with people like Nic, who he’s attracted to, even though he’s fighting the attraction with all that he’s got. Sparks are definitely going to fly when these two clash and get together. Friction creates sparks and there’s plenty of friction between these two.
I really enjoyed this story, mainly because the characters were not perfect. Give me flawed characters any day. Nic is far too stubborn and Aidan’s anti-social tendencies made them that much more real to me. London has created a true jewel with this release. Anyone who enjoys male/male erotic novels is going to find a lot to like with this one!
April 11, 2010
The Tasting:
Why I bought it:
This is testing my memory... I think I bought it because the story sounded different to others I’d read at the time. It, together with Caught Running, was also one of the first books I’d read from Dreamspinner Press and made me a fan of this small m/m romance epublisher.
Dislike/like (ending on a high note):
Dislike~ Neither Nic nor Aidan are particularly likeable at first, especially Aidan. The great thing about good character development... you get to learn why they are the way they are. :)
Like~ How often do you read a story that perfectly reflects the title?? 'Sparks' not only reflects the name of the matchmaking company and program, but the fireworks that happen between Nic and Aidan; intellectually, emotionally and physically. (*whispers* I would give it 3.75 bars of dynamite. *g*)
Dislike~ This will seem ridiculous with all the YA I read, but as I get older the more trouble I have with young characters in contemporary romance. Both Nic and Aidan are very young (in their early 20s), highly successful and falling deeply in love. I KNOW this happens in real life, but still... I'm sure this never bothered me that much when I read it last year... I'm turning into a grumpy old lady!
Like~ The story has a bit of a mystery plot threaded through it, which I really enjoyed. I also liked the role the secondary characters � goodies and badies - had in progressing the plot.
So, what I think:
Sparks Fly is in my keeper collection. It’s a really great story about opposites attracting.
==================================================
‘Tasting� is my version of a mini-review where I talk a (very) little about what I liked and disliked about a book as well as who I think the story will appeal to. Oh, and I’ve added a bit about why I picked up the book in the first place � sometimes this can be interesting to know.
Why I bought it:
This is testing my memory... I think I bought it because the story sounded different to others I’d read at the time. It, together with Caught Running, was also one of the first books I’d read from Dreamspinner Press and made me a fan of this small m/m romance epublisher.
Dislike/like (ending on a high note):
Dislike~ Neither Nic nor Aidan are particularly likeable at first, especially Aidan. The great thing about good character development... you get to learn why they are the way they are. :)
Like~ How often do you read a story that perfectly reflects the title?? 'Sparks' not only reflects the name of the matchmaking company and program, but the fireworks that happen between Nic and Aidan; intellectually, emotionally and physically. (*whispers* I would give it 3.75 bars of dynamite. *g*)
Dislike~ This will seem ridiculous with all the YA I read, but as I get older the more trouble I have with young characters in contemporary romance. Both Nic and Aidan are very young (in their early 20s), highly successful and falling deeply in love. I KNOW this happens in real life, but still... I'm sure this never bothered me that much when I read it last year... I'm turning into a grumpy old lady!
Like~ The story has a bit of a mystery plot threaded through it, which I really enjoyed. I also liked the role the secondary characters � goodies and badies - had in progressing the plot.
So, what I think:
Sparks Fly is in my keeper collection. It’s a really great story about opposites attracting.
==================================================
‘Tasting� is my version of a mini-review where I talk a (very) little about what I liked and disliked about a book as well as who I think the story will appeal to. Oh, and I’ve added a bit about why I picked up the book in the first place � sometimes this can be interesting to know.
May 25, 2009
Nic and Aidan are very likable characters in an engaging story. Nic, the successful entrepreneur, whose first company was Sparks (a dating agency), is finding that fame and fortune are not living up to his expectations and Aidan, the introverted chief programmer for Sparks' partner matching programme. They come together again after a year apart when Nic wants to make a few changes to the matching programme, and they both find themselves attracted to one another, something they both try hard to ignore. However, some fiery encounters combined with a hacker threatening both Nic and Sparks' reputations bring them together... if only it were that simple, for they both have some major issues to work through!
You know, there were several points during this novel that made me wonder if this story started out as a GW 1x2 fic?
August 2, 2011
Very enjoyable character driven romance with a side mystery plot.
The main characters Nic, the extrovert, sucessful entrepreneur, and Aidan, the introvert, computer programmer, are the classic example of opposites attract.
They spend most of the book arguing and denying which struck me as very male, even when I wanted to smack both of them around the head. For every moment of understanding and progress there were at least two moments of misunderstanding and running away.
The characters develop and why they act like they do is explained beautifully and they do reach their HFN, but I did have to walk away from the story a few times to get my own frustration under control hence the 4 stars rather than 5.
The main characters Nic, the extrovert, sucessful entrepreneur, and Aidan, the introvert, computer programmer, are the classic example of opposites attract.
They spend most of the book arguing and denying which struck me as very male, even when I wanted to smack both of them around the head. For every moment of understanding and progress there were at least two moments of misunderstanding and running away.
The characters develop and why they act like they do is explained beautifully and they do reach their HFN, but I did have to walk away from the story a few times to get my own frustration under control hence the 4 stars rather than 5.
March 21, 2010
M/M story with relationship driven plot. Characters were a bit stereotypical - one hero is a driven entrepreneur with too much charisma and the other is a brilliant but socially challenged geek. Too much angst for my taste - but that's just me.
February 15, 2011
I got a little confused trying to understand the dynamic between these two, but liked the overall storyline.
July 4, 2017
I like a lot of Clare London's work but not this one. Way more than half the book is sex and the rest of it is weak. I also couldn't connect with the characters at all.
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April 18, 2020DNF
November 1, 2012
Too many sparks for me
Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.
Rating: 5/10
PROS:
- Aiden intrigued me almost as soon as he entered the story (in Nic’s recollections, not even in person). His silence, his privacy, and the fact that the unbearably dashing Nic has been unable to get to know him all combine to give him Aiden air of quiet mystery. I couldn’t wait to see the unveiling of his character. (See cons below also)
- The development of details pertaining to the men’s job is well done. London obviously knows quite a bit about programming or did a lot of research.
- The sex scenes are rough and passionate and intense. These two men don’t do anything halfway, whether it’s working or arguing or tumbling in the hay.
CONS:
- The two main characters are constantly fighting. Even when they have the occasional tender moment, it’s almost always ruined shortly thereafter by an exchange of insults or (what seemed to me like) contrived accusations. Even during the final makeup scene, they’re arguing as they seduce each other. Aiden, especially, irritated me: he’s angry 70 percent of the time. The other 30 he’s just being sullen.
- The POV here is third person omniscient, which means that you get a look at the thoughts of multiple people within each scene. Yes, this is a valid point of view for storytelling. I just don’t like it. It makes it difficult to discern whether what you’re reading is Character A’s thought or Character B’s *perception* of Character A.
- I don’t like reading sex scenes that involve one of the main characters with someone who’s not the other main character. That happens twice here. I’m not suggesting that the scenes don’t serve a purpose; I just didn’t understand why those scenes couldn’t have been simply mentioned in passing rather than described in a fair amount of detail.
Overall comments: The title here is apt--there are definitely sparks between these two. They’re at each other’s throats right from the beginning of the story, and they never let up. The downside for me was that I WANTED them to let up. Just a bit. Now and then. London is a good writer, but I didn’t enjoy this one much.
Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.
Rating: 5/10
PROS:
- Aiden intrigued me almost as soon as he entered the story (in Nic’s recollections, not even in person). His silence, his privacy, and the fact that the unbearably dashing Nic has been unable to get to know him all combine to give him Aiden air of quiet mystery. I couldn’t wait to see the unveiling of his character. (See cons below also)
- The development of details pertaining to the men’s job is well done. London obviously knows quite a bit about programming or did a lot of research.
- The sex scenes are rough and passionate and intense. These two men don’t do anything halfway, whether it’s working or arguing or tumbling in the hay.
CONS:
- The two main characters are constantly fighting. Even when they have the occasional tender moment, it’s almost always ruined shortly thereafter by an exchange of insults or (what seemed to me like) contrived accusations. Even during the final makeup scene, they’re arguing as they seduce each other. Aiden, especially, irritated me: he’s angry 70 percent of the time. The other 30 he’s just being sullen.
- The POV here is third person omniscient, which means that you get a look at the thoughts of multiple people within each scene. Yes, this is a valid point of view for storytelling. I just don’t like it. It makes it difficult to discern whether what you’re reading is Character A’s thought or Character B’s *perception* of Character A.
- I don’t like reading sex scenes that involve one of the main characters with someone who’s not the other main character. That happens twice here. I’m not suggesting that the scenes don’t serve a purpose; I just didn’t understand why those scenes couldn’t have been simply mentioned in passing rather than described in a fair amount of detail.
Overall comments: The title here is apt--there are definitely sparks between these two. They’re at each other’s throats right from the beginning of the story, and they never let up. The downside for me was that I WANTED them to let up. Just a bit. Now and then. London is a good writer, but I didn’t enjoy this one much.
May 23, 2016
The only other story of Clare London's that I'd read, previously, was 'Lucky Dip' in Winter Warmers and I really liked it!
I was disappointed in this book. I expected more romance. I would have appreciated more 'hot' scenes and more togetherness. The main characters did have a lot of 'baggage' between them, but I found it exhausting.
I did enjoy the plot, especially with the possibility of a dating service that actually was as fluid as it was in the new program for Sparks.
I also have to give the author points for the antagonist(s) in the novel, since they really came out of nowhere. I'm sure some people wouldn't like it for that very reason, but it seemed authentic to me.
Megan was fun. I hope Charlie finds his 'forever' lover. I wish his mom could have played a larger presence in the book.
P.S. I don't know how much control authors have over their book covers, but it drives me crazy when the cover photo doesn't match up with the descriptions of the characters in the novel. In this case Nic and Aidan were supposed to be the same height. Nic was much shorter on the cover. Nic was supposed to have dark blue eyes and chestnut hair, coppery...pooling carelessly on his shoulders. Also not a match with the photograph.
I was disappointed in this book. I expected more romance. I would have appreciated more 'hot' scenes and more togetherness. The main characters did have a lot of 'baggage' between them, but I found it exhausting.
I did enjoy the plot, especially with the possibility of a dating service that actually was as fluid as it was in the new program for Sparks.
I also have to give the author points for the antagonist(s) in the novel, since they really came out of nowhere. I'm sure some people wouldn't like it for that very reason, but it seemed authentic to me.
Megan was fun. I hope Charlie finds his 'forever' lover. I wish his mom could have played a larger presence in the book.
P.S. I don't know how much control authors have over their book covers, but it drives me crazy when the cover photo doesn't match up with the descriptions of the characters in the novel. In this case Nic and Aidan were supposed to be the same height. Nic was much shorter on the cover. Nic was supposed to have dark blue eyes and chestnut hair, coppery...pooling carelessly on his shoulders. Also not a match with the photograph.
January 26, 2013
The story idea was great, the execution not so much. The characters were both very hard to relate to and when it got down to the mystery part of the story it was kind of a let down how everything got wrapped up basically within a paragrahp. Also, english is my second language but I don't think that you should have exclamation points in every paragraph. It kind of made me want to put the book down and just let it sit there for the rest of eternity. It made me that mad! I have read other stories from this author so I won't give up just yet.
June 7, 2012
Obviously an early effort, as there were way! too! many! exclamation! marks! used throughout. Also, frequently difficult to tell at times exactly whose POV it was. And don't even get me started on the inconsistencies about the entrepreneur with years of experience, but this was his first venture just one year ago. Or that the programmer responsible for the system was a contractor, and apparently had no stock options. Very obvious the author doesn't live in Silicon Valley!
August 10, 2012
Nicely written but not one of favorites from this author.
October 13, 2012
Unfortunately, I couldn't get into this story, the character's didn't make me want to read more about them, and I ended up giving up about half-way through :(
September 23, 2013
I've been in he hospital/rehab due to a fall and have spent the past 4 weeks without a computer - but with my Kindle! So I have been reading a lot and am giving an arbitrary date to my finish date.
March 30, 2017
An entertaining read about 2 very different and imperfect characters that are perfect for each other.
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