The Larkin sisters have been trying for years to escape their wild child reputations. So maybe breaking arrogant playboy Rafe de Luca's nose in the middle of a posh ski resort wasn't the best way for thirty-two-year-old Maggie to prove she's actually an upstanding citizen. Fortunately, detective Cal Drummond saw the whole incident and stepped in to save the day. Only now the paparazzi might blow Cal's cover. He's been trailing Rafe secretly for weeks, trying to prove the star of reality television's Trust Fund Brats is not just a jerk--he's a killer. And now that Maggie has pissed off the powerful De Luca clan and soiled Rafe's reputation, she could be his next victim. (summary from ISBN 1451623631).

This is a light, romantic mystery, but I had a hard time getting into it. I didn't really like the characters or care about the plot. ( )

Local girl, Maggie Larkin, isn't impressed by reality-star Rafe DeLuca's advances. She expresses her distaste by punching him in the face. With that one action, Maggie unleashes a firestorm of paparazzi and reports on her front lawn. Being a reformed wild child, Maggie has worked hard to put her past behind her. But her impulsive act has put her in the spotlight and possibly made her a target of a serial killer.

Cal Drummond doesn't come from a traditional family. Growing up in a foster homes, his mother was more concerned about meeting the next great husband instead of being a mother to her kids. When Cal's half-sister Julie is murdered, it becomes Cal's duty to find her killer. Cal ends up in Barringer's Pass, protecting a feisty a feisty red-head from the man he is determined to bring down.

Silver Sparks gets off to a great start. I immediately liked Maggie. She is impulsive and spunky and she doesn't take anyone's shit. She has worked to live down her wild child reputation and all of her hard work has been ruined thanks to Rafe DeLuca. Cal comes to Maggie's rescue and tries to keep her out of harms way. But Maggie isn't having it. She has worked hard to have a successful business and respectful reputation and she is not going to cater to Rafe DeLuca. Maggie has a lot of spark and her personality is in constant conflict with what Cal wants her to do.

The romance build-up between Cal and Maggie was slow and steady. They didn't immediately fall into bed. I don't even think they liked each other at first. They constantly butted heads; Cal being controlling and Maggie being impulsive. There were times where both Maggie's impulsiveness and Cal's need to control everything worked my nerves. It took awhile for them to compromise and meet each other halfway.

Cal is on leave while he is pursuing Rafe so his business in B-Pass is not in official capacity. That being said, it seemed like he was telling everyone he encountered that he suspected Rafe of murder. I'm like, what a way to stay on the down low. I am thinking that if you are pursuing a rich, high-profile murder suspect who has money and lawyers at his disposal, you wouldn't want to let on that you suspect him of committing a crime. Cal and Maggie and whoever else involved would constantly talk about their suspicions and plans out in the open! What happened to being stealth?

I enjoyed Silver Sparks until the halfway point. The story moved at a fast pace. There was some light, funny moments and I enjoyed the budding friendship/romance between Cal and Maggie. But soon the murder aspect of the book started to wear thin and I started to get frustrated with the characters and their actions, one in particular - Rafe's sister Amber. The appearance of Cal's half-sister, Amber, didn't help matters. Yes, Amber's character is 16, with no one to turn to and she's angry. And because of this, why would you tell a 16 year old girl who's in mourning that you know who killed her sister?!?!? That I really, really didn't understand. So the rest of the book is spent chasing after Amber as she goes off half-cocked, trying to trap Rafe. We are supposed to believe that Cal is a good, by the book cop but I questioned his actions throughout most of the book.

It's hard for me to rate this book because there were some aspects that I enjoyed. The serial killer plot line wasn't that difficult to figure out. At times I felt that it took away from the romance since this book is categorized as romance. Silver Sparks is the first book in the Larkin Sister's trilogy and I am looking forward to reading the next book, featuring Zoe. It makes me wonder if the next two books will have a crime subplot or will it be strictly romance.

All in all, Silver Sparks was an okay read for me. I had some issues with it but the issues won't deter me from reading the next book in the series ( )

Looking for a great romance for Christmas? This book has romance, intrigue, and action. Maggie, the main character, is surprisingly patient. Her patience runs out when Rafe DeLuca pushes her too far, insulting the Larkin sisters and touching her inappropriately. What she isn't counting on is that Rafe may be a little more unhinged than she first thought...he might be a murderer. Now that Maggie is in danger, she needs to watch her every step. Cal, a cop, protects Maggie; he has a personal reason for protecting Maggie from Rafe-Rafe very likely killed his sister. The story takes off from there.

Maggie is a great main character. She is brassy and tough; she can certainly be patient, but she knows when to put a stop to something. Cal is sweet. He manages to be both a "tough guy" and amazingly caring. The two complement each other perfectly. The secondary characters, besides Rafe, are mostly there to round out the story. Rafe is the perfect antagonist. He is honestly portrayed as cold-blooded and gross when it comes to his treatment of women.

The events of this novel are fast-paced and exciting. The main characters are easy to get to know and likable. The ending of the book is perfect. This book is recommended to adult readers. ( )