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Verdict: A slow, lyrical, very Canadian hockey romance with a diverse cast, a vividly drawn Manitoba winter and a lot on its mind — but its secrets feel thin to some readers, its exposition heavy to others, and the romance takes a long time to catch.
Best for: Readers who love a strong sense of place, very slow burns, community and chosen family, and romance that takes on real-world issues.
Heat level: Not rated (readers call it steamy; no romance.io steam score)
Rating: ★★★★☆ (3.5/5 — a 3.67 Goodreads average across 75 ratings and 3.65 on StoryGraph from 14 reviews)
Tropes: Slow burn, second meeting, doctor/coach, small-town homecoming, hurt/comfort, found family, athlete/non-athlete.
When Sparks Fly is Annie McDonald’s 2020 contemporary lesbian romance from Bold Strokes Books, her second novel. Dr. Daniella “Dani” Waveny comes home to small-town Manitoba from a medical posting in Guyana, carrying a hard-to-diagnose virus and a lot of heartbreak. At the rink, she runs into Luca McAffery — the iron sculptor and hockey coach whose playing career ended in a collision Dani treated fifteen years earlier.
It holds a 3.67 average across 75 Goodreads ratings, with 54% of them four or five stars and almost no low ratings, 3.65 on StoryGraph from 14 reviews, and 4.3 stars across 38 Amazon ratings. Most readers land at three or four stars: they admire the writing and setting more than they fall for the romance.
What Is When Sparks Fly About?
At nineteen, Dani volunteered as a trainer for the local girls’ hockey team and was the first to reach Luca after a mid-ice hit left her with a serious concussion. Since then Dani has become a doctor and left town, and Luca has rebuilt her life around welding, sculpture and coaching — and around a recovery she does not talk about. Now Dani is back as the team doctor, waiting on test results that could change her future and keeping everyone at arm’s length.
Luca has her own responsibilities: her father, a teenage hockey player from a northern community who lives with her, and an offer from the national women’s team she is reluctant to take. When Dani literally falls into her arms at the arena, both have reasons to keep their distance — and secrets that will have to come out before anything can happen.
What Makes This Romance Work
- Setting: Canadian readers say the Manitoba winter, the blizzards and small-town rink culture are spot on, and one reader was captivated by the prose describing the land.
- Diversity and culture: Readers praise the First Nations and Métis characters, Ojibwe language and Guyanese representation, and how the book does not shy away from the issues Indigenous people face.
- Addiction handled with care: Luca’s past and recovery, and her friendship with a fellow recovering addict, are treated sensitively.
- Communication: Several readers liked that, once the secrets are out, the leads talk to each other rather than manufacturing drama.
- Community: Family, chosen family and a strong supporting cast give the book its warmth.
Book Synopsis
Dr. Daniella Waveny is back from a medical posting in Guyana carrying more than just her suitcase. The difficult-to-diagnose virus that forced her return to her northern Canadian hometown could threaten much more than her livelihood. It could shatter her dreams.
Luca McAffery has her own baggage. The iron sculptor and hockey coach carries the world on her shoulders, but when she runs into Daniella, her arms are — fortunately for them both — wide open. So is her heart. A devastating hit at centre ice first brought them together years ago. Will the consequences now tear them apart, or will the spark of their passion be hot enough to thaw the secrets that stand between them?
My Review
McDonald writes with a real feel for place. The cold, the light, the Northern Lights and the rhythms of a small prairie town come through in passages readers quote with affection, and the town is populated with people who matter: Luca’s father, Dani’s mother Prudence, who is working with Luca on a project, a friend from recovery, and Ziggy, the teenage player Luca takes in, through whom the book shows the harsh side of mean girls on a sports team. It also does not shy away from issues faced by First Nations and Métis people. One reader called the book, admiringly, ambitious.
That ambition is also the main criticism. The book covers hockey, racism, homophobia, addiction, concussion, a mystery illness and a romance, and some readers found it too busy, with heavy exposition that stops to explain hockey or local references. The secrets that keep Dani and Luca apart did not land for several readers — one said they made her roll her eyes, another found the illness predictable, and one worried the secrecy around Dani’s time in Guyana read as more negative than intended. The romance itself is very slow and then, for a couple of readers, jumps from brief interactions to very physical quite abruptly.
My honest note: Read it for the setting and the people, and let the romance take its time. If you want a tight, romance-first story, it may feel like too much and too little at once.
| Element | In When Sparks Fly |
|---|---|
| Central relationship | Dr. Dani Waveny & Luca McAffery — returning doctor and sculptor-coach |
| Core tropes | Slow burn, second meeting, homecoming, hurt/comfort |
| Setting | Warren, a small town north of Winnipeg, Manitoba |
| Representation | First Nations, Métis and Guyanese characters |
| Heat level | Not rated — readers call it steamy |
| Length | About 208 pages (Kindle) |
| Content notes | Past opiate addiction, concussion, racism, homophobia, illness |
How Spicy Is When Sparks Fly?
Readers describe it as low angst and steamy once the leads finally get together, and one gave it four out of five flames for steam. Romance.io has only a handful of ratings and no steam score, so we have not given it a heat rating.
On content, readers flag references to past opiate addiction, homophobia and racism, alongside a career-ending concussion and Dani’s illness. The difficult subjects are handled with sensitivity, according to reviewers.
Who Should Read This Book?
You’ll likely love it if: you love atmospheric settings, very slow burns and books with a strong sense of community, and you want diverse Canadian representation. It is on our sapphic hockey romance list.
You may want to skip it if: you want a fast, romance-focused read, you dislike secrets as a source of conflict, or heavy exposition slows you down.
In short: Beautifully set and big-hearted, with a romance that takes its time.
What Readers Are Actually Saying (September 2026)
This is a small-press title with a modest readership, much of it from advance readers; a web search surfaced no Reddit threads. On Goodreads the split is 16% five stars, 38% four, 41% three and 4% two, with no one-star ratings. On StoryGraph, every reader who answered called it character-driven and found the cast diverse and loveable. I could not find an audiobook.
Why readers love it (according to the discourse): The setting first. Second, the diverse cast and cultural detail. Third, the writing. Fourth, the slow burn.
What readers argue about and complain about: Weak secrets, above everything. Second, heavy exposition. Third, a busy plot. Fourth, a romance that is slow and then abrupt.
The comparison worth making first: If you want an injured-player-and-medic story with more focus on the romance, Off the Ice or Touch are more straightforward.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is When Sparks Fly set?
In Warren, a small town north of Winnipeg, Manitoba, in the depths of a prairie winter. Canadian readers say the cold, the blizzards and the Tim Hortons runs are all true to life.
Is When Sparks Fly a slow burn?
Yes — one reader called it one of the slowest burns she has read. Dani and Luca are attracted early but keep their distance until their secrets come out, well into the book.
How spicy is When Sparks Fly?
Readers describe it as steamy once the leads get together, and one gave it four out of five flames. Romance.io does not have enough ratings for a steam score, so we have not given it one.
What topics does When Sparks Fly deal with?
Beyond the romance: past opiate addiction and recovery, a career-ending concussion, homophobia, racism, issues facing First Nations and Métis communities, and a mysterious illness.
Is there a lot of hockey in When Sparks Fly?
More than the cover suggests. Luca coaches and trains players, and some readers loved the detail while others found the hockey explanations long-winded.
If You Loved When Sparks Fly, Read These Next
Try Unadulterated Something for another slow-burn hockey romance with a strong community, or Off the Ice for a hockey player and the doctor treating her. For more, browse our sapphic hockey romance list, the sapphic sports romance hub, or the full Book Reviews archive.
The Bottom Line
When Sparks Fly sets out to tell a love story rooted in a real place and a real community, and on that level it succeeds: the setting is vivid, the cast is diverse, and difficult subjects are handled with care. What holds it back is how much it carries — secrets that feel slight, exposition that slows the pace, and a romance that sometimes gets lost. For readers who value atmosphere, it is worth it. Check When Sparks Fly on Amazon →
The Eikna Overall Ranking
On the Eikna scale, When Sparks Fly ranks as a good, atmospheric hockey romance — rich in place and people, held back by thin secrets and a crowded plot.
The Evidence Scorecard
Overall ★★★★☆ 3.5/5
- ✓ 3.67 average across 75 Goodreads ratings
- ✓ No one-star ratings on Goodreads
- ✓ 3.65 on StoryGraph from 14 reviews
- ✓ 4.3 stars across 38 Amazon ratings
Romance ★★★☆☆ 3.3/5
- ✓ Very slow burn
- ✓ Good chemistry
- ✓ Weak secrets
- ✓ Abrupt shift for some
Characters ★★★★☆ 3.8/5
- ✓ Luca a favourite
- ✓ Strong supporting cast
- ✓ Diverse community
- ✓ Could be more fleshed out
Writing ★★★★☆ 3.7/5
- ✓ Lyrical descriptions
- ✓ Authentic setting
- ✓ Heavy exposition
- ✓ Busy plot
Emotional Impact ★★★★☆ 3.6/5
- ✓ Addiction and recovery
- ✓ Racism and homophobia addressed
- ✓ Hopeful throughout
- ✓ Secrets fall flat for some
Heat Level — not rated
- ✓ Steamy once together
- ✓ Four flames from one reader
- ✓ Low angst
- ✓ No romance.io steam score
Ending ★★★★☆ 3.5/5
- ✓ Hopeful resolution
- ✓ Clarity about the future
- ✓ A little sappy for one reader
- ✓ HEA vs HFN not specified
Re-read Value ★★★☆☆ 3.2/5
- ✓ Atmosphere is the draw
- ✓ Short at about 208 pages
- ✓ Slow start
- ✓ No audiobook found
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