Sparks Fly by Cheryl Cooke Harrington

I was drawn to this title because of the airplane on the cover. I know from following the author's blog that she actually took flight lessons before writing this book, so this is an author who pays attention to detail. I appreciate that and that knowledge made the book interesting to me.

In a nutshell: a schoolteacher goes back to her woodland home after being away ten years. She's not sure how her grandfather is going to welcome her, but hopes to stay for good and become involved in running the inn. When she arrives she meets a handsome, rugged, slightly arrogant pilot who it turns out is her new business partner. But some "flags" raise and he may not be all he seems. Can she withdraw her heart once it's out there though?

What I liked about this story was the look into the area. I'm not the least bit familiar with Canadian wildlife or living in that northern part of the continent. It sounds nice, frankly, except for the lack of Internet. I don't think they had that or cell phones. It's also obvious the author did her research on forest fires too. I forgot to mention there's a small but significant subplot about fires. OH--and mineral rights. I didn't know anything about that either.

But I must confess, the real conflict with the hero doesn't show up until very late, and until that point, it's just a romance. I was surprised by this. Maybe as there isn't the usual kissing/embracing/fornicating couple on the cover as has come to be the (ugh) norm for romance covers, I wasn't expecting it to be so romancey. My bad. There was a lot of the typical "aware of each others' bods" stuff and it was just slightly overdone, but it's a clean romance, which I appreciate. I just wish it had been a bit faster-paced throughout rather than just the last eighth. Another minor annoyance was the way the grandfather talked, but I realize the author was staying true to that area's dialect.

Does it feature a spunky heroine who doesn't take crap? It sure does. Does it have aviation? YES! Is it worth reading? Yes, it is. Is it enjoyable? Yep. Ms. Harrington has a promising writing career ahead of her.

I received a digital copy of this from the author.