I have waited for Gia, after Isabelle and Autumn, it’s surely Gia’s turn. After Hollywood craziness and then slow burn love, we needed some sports and surely Melissa Brayden had given it to us.

“Sparks like ours” is the third book of the Seven Shores Series by Melissa Brayden, involving lesbians in love in Venice beach from the breakfast club at the Cat’s Pijamas ran by Autumn.

Gia Malone is a surf Pro, nr.2 in the World and the hottest brunette in Venice still single.

She would love to have someone to love, just as her friends do, she secretly envies them, yet she is so happy for them and wishes she could have a love like that, too.

Surf has been her life, she loved the endless sea and the bouncy waves she so much wanted to control and surf at her best, to be the best female surfer in the world. The place is taken by her competitor, Elle Britton, whom she doesn’t quite like, because she just isn’t her type.  Gia is an introvert with a big heart and an unacknowledged beauty. She had no help and she did it all by herself.

Elle is world no.1 female surfer, she is talented, beautiful and camera’s sweetheart, as she is an extrovert, who likes to chat about everything. She is the American sport’s dream.

Her parents supported her t engage surfing and, also, through college and everything. She was very grateful to them and she just felt at the height of her career, the best days of her life. What she needed next is an amazing man by her side.

Melissa Brayden created an opposite attract novel with a brilliant subject: sports, surf, competition.

Gia and Elle are great competitors that respect each other, but stay off each other’s way, acknowledging their differences.

They are obliged to work together for a publicity campaign created by one of their sponsors and so the story has a starting point where the two main characters get to meet and really know each other.

We don’t read much of Gia at first, but of Elle.

Elle meets a wonderful man, he is sweet, caring and treats her like a goddess, but when he kisses Elle, everything changes, fades and she is blunt. She continues to see him, feel great about him, yet everytime she sees Gia, something inside her stirs her up, make her feels conscious of herself and so attracted to her, noticing every gesture of Gia’s.

One day, her supposed boyfriend tells Elle he wants to be just friends, and surprise, because he is gay.

It was a turning point in the book and Elle realizes then why she didn’t feel anything for him, because she was feeling something for Gia.

And during a tournament, between photo sessions, Gia and Elle devoured each other with a passion that matched competition in sports. I loved how Elle revealed her feelings and her passion was unmistakable and true.

Gia fell in love with Elle right there in her arms.

Elle and Gia found out each about the other things they couldn’t imagine possible. Gia now knew how sweet and caring Elle was and Elle know how fragile and loving Gia was.

Another turning point is when Elle’s best friend almost drowned during a surf session with Elle. She manages to rescue her friend and get her to the hospital and Gia rushed to find out that Elle is safe and sound.

That is why Elle really fell in love with Gia, right there in the hospital (and so does the reader).

Let’s not forget they are also competitors, I expected Gia to win the first place in the world and to be there a conflict, yet Melissa Brayden avoids that when Gia and Elle both have bad days and timings in the competition, Gia goes out first at many tournaments and she is out of the number one race, yet Elle sticks there and finally wins, with Gia always by her side, proving unselfishness and so much love.

I fell in love with Gia for the second time, because of this.

The worst moments of all, when you would have thought Gia would away, was when she met Elle’s parents.

They were from high class and great snobs, given so much importance to the fact that Elle was a college graduate and Gia was not. Elle realized her mother supported her, because she believed this was a phase. But her love for Gia was real and true and she had no idea her parents would behave like this with the woman that she loved.

She respected them further, but never closer and kept her distance until they would change their mind, time would prove the strength pf their love and devotion to each other.

And it did. They went through hard moments together and Elle didn’t want to make a fuzz of the fact she was the nr.1 again, because of Gia, she didn’t want to hurt her feelings.

I loved Gia and Elle, they cared so much for each other and went against all odds for their new fund passion and love, altogether with respect and trust.

Just perfect

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