{"product_id":"sparks-fly-isbn-9780593953839","title":"Sparks Fly","description":"\u003cb\u003eA late bloomer thought a visit to a sex club might jump start her love life, but instead makes an instant connection that turns her whole world upside down, in this adult debut from author Zakiya N. Jamal.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen Stella Renee Johnson's roommate invites her to a sex club party but bails at the last minute, Stella decides to use the opportunity to finally cash in her V-card. But just when things are heating up between Stella and a sexy stranger, they realize they don’t have protection and Stella, taking it as a sign this wasn't meant to be, flees.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrustrated in more ways than one, Stella is shocked to learn that the digital media website where she works is partnering with an AI company. She's even more shocked when the alluring man from the previous night walks in. Max Williams is the CEO's brother and the creator of the AI program now threatening her job. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDespite the conflict of interest, Stella and Max can't resist their magnetic attraction toward each other, and agree to keep their personal lives separate from what’s happening at work. But the more similarities they discover at home—both Black, book smart, and bisexual—the more they butt heads at work. Stella and Max must decide whether to think with their heads and walk away from their budding relationship, or follow their hearts and take a chance on love, no matter the cost.\"Both sexy and sweet, \u003ci\u003eSparks Fly\u003c\/i\u003e is simply... delicious.\"\u003cb\u003e—Lauren Blakely, #1 \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“\u003ci\u003eSparks Fly\u003c\/i\u003e delivered on every front: it has some hilarious commentary on online culture, an uncomfortably timely plotline on the threat of generative AI, and, most importantly, two characters who are, from page one, absolutely made for each other. For Max and Stella it’s chemistry at first boob, and I could read five-hundred more pages of them getting to know each other, especially if they are narrated in Zakiya N. Jamal’s fresh, humorous voice. Sizzling, swoony, witty, and topical: this year, \u003ci\u003eSparks Fly\u003c\/i\u003e is the romance debut you’ll absolutely want to pick up!”\u003cb\u003e—Ali Hazelwood, #1 \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“An utter delight! \u003ci\u003eSparks Fly\u003c\/i\u003e is a buoyant, refreshing romp about two real people navigating the complexities of modern love. Zakiya N. Jamal masterfully blends empowerment and ambition with humor and spice, and the result is one hundred percent electrifying.”\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003ebestselling author Rachel Lynn Solomon\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A meet-cute for the ages, Jamal’s sizzling adult debut novel will instantly tantalize readers…A steamy and addictive tale made timely with an AI theme.”\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eBooklist \u003c\/i\u003e(STARRED)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e“The grounded workplace drama adds heft to a sensual plot helmed by unforgettable leads, both of whom are Black, bisexual, and book smart. The result is a nuanced tale that’s sure to please.” \u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly \u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“From the first page to the last, \u003ci\u003eSparks Fly\u003c\/i\u003e is an irresistible workplace romance, full of delicious tension, humor, and joy. A raucous, sexy delight!\"\u003cb\u003e—Ashley Herring Blake, \u003ci\u003eUSA Today\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eDream On, Ramona Riley\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Timely, relatable, and a true pleasure, \u003ci\u003eSparks Fly\u003c\/i\u003e takes the millionaire fantasy and turns it on its head in the best way. Watching late bloomer Stella and the dashing Max navigate bisexuality, love, sex, friendships, family, and the workplace feels like stepping into a complete world. I'll read anything Zakiya writes.\"\u003cb\u003e—TJ Alexander, \u003ci\u003eUSA Today \u003c\/i\u003ebestselling author of \u003ci\u003eA Gentleman's Gentleman\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Stella and Max start out the book in a sex club and end it in your heart. This super-spicy yet tender romance will leave you melting.\"—\u003cb\u003eAmanda Elliot, \u003ci\u003eUSA Today\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eLove You a Latke\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e“\u003ci\u003eSparks Fly\u003c\/i\u003e is the forbidden workplace romance of my dreams. Zakiya N. Jamal delivers humor, heart, and, obviously, heat in this delicious page-turning book! I found myself grinning as I read and rooting for the happily ever after— I know you will too. A gem!”\u003cb\u003e—Denise Williams, \u003ci\u003eUSA Today\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eJust Our Luck\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"An irresistibly steamy ode to late bloomers, \u003ci\u003eSparks Fly\u003c\/i\u003e perfectly captures the infectious giddiness of fully coming into one's own. The prose is smart, the spice delectable, and the love between Stella and Max gentle, authentic, and, indeed, sparkling. Zakiya N. Jamal's adult debut is a must-read for your shelf!\"\u003cb\u003e—Katie Naymon, author of\u003ci\u003e You Between the Lines\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“If you’ve ever wanted to throw out the rulebook and rewrite your own story...sexually, emotionally, romantically...\u003ci\u003eSparks Fly\u003c\/i\u003e is about to be your next must read! Zakiya N. Jamal gives us a heroine who isn’t just finding her pleasure, she’s finding her power, and honestly? Iconic. I devoured this book in one sitting and felt seen and empowered on every page. Fiercely sexy, affirming, and as liberating as it is swoony, this is the kind of romance we need more of.” \u003cb\u003e—Chip Pons, author of \u003ci\u003eWinging It With You\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“The chemistry sizzles, the dialogue shines—\u003ci\u003eSparks Fly\u003c\/i\u003e is an absolute treat from beginning to end! The love story is raw and real, and I adored getting to experience every swoony, sensual and sweet moment of Stella and Max’s journey of sexual—and self—discovery. Zakiya N. Jamal is a star on the rise!” \u003cb\u003e—Rebekah Faubion, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Sun and the Moon \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"A beautiful, sexy read...a deep, layered story about vulnerability in shared experiences, acceptance of sexuality, and the ability to have real, flawed relationships with room for forgiveness.\"\u003cb\u003e—The Gloss\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eZakiya N. Jamal \u003c\/b\u003ewas born in Queens, raised in Long Island, and currently resides in Brooklyn. In other words, she’s a New Yorker through and through. She holds a BA in English from Georgetown University and a MFA in Creative Writing with a concentration in Writing for Children and Young Adults from The New School. Her debut novel \u003ci\u003eIf We Were a Movie \u003c\/i\u003ewill be published in 2025 by HarperTeen.One\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eStella Renee Johnson was going to lose her virginity in a sex club.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMaybe.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCurrently, she was standing in line outside a sex club, but still. If you would've told her past self (meaning the person she was twenty-four hours ago) that she'd be in the skimpiest black dress she owned with a black-and-gold feathered mask that covered half her face, waiting to get into New York City's most elite sex club for its annual Valentine's Day masquerade party, she would've laughed in your face. The only believable part of this whole thing was that it was her best friend Chelsea's idea, and naturally Chelsea was running late.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eChelsea was supposed to meet Stella at their shared apartment after work, but when Stella got home Chelsea was nowhere to be found. Instead, there was a note telling Stella to go on ahead and Chelsea would meet her in line. Now Stella was getting incredibly close to the entrance and Chelsea was still MIA. Every time the line moved forward an inch, Stella considered stepping out of it, but then she felt that the minute she finally did give up, Chelsea would come and they'd have to get on the back of the line.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSo she stayed.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNow, though, there were only four or five couples ahead of her and she could see the large bouncer flipping through the guest list. Stella could feel a bead of sweat rolling down her back, and she began shifting from foot to foot and tapping her hands across her thighs as if she was doing an impromptu step routine. It was a nervous habit that always drove her mother crazy. Stella couldn't help it, though. When she got anxious, she got fidgety.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDeciding to give her hands something else to do, Stella pulled out her phone to call Chelsea for the hundredth time, and it started vibrating in her hand.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Where are you?\" Stella hissed by way of greeting.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Okay, please don't hate me.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eStella heaved out a sigh, already knowing where this was going. Chelsea was Stella's best friend and she loved her, truly, but Chelsea was quite possibly the flakiest person she'd ever known.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"You remember that hot tattoo artist I've been kind of seeing,\" Chelsea started. She didn't wait for Stella to respond before continuing. \"Okay, well she hit me up because she has an extra ticket to see Ari Lennox tonight. ARI! LENNOX! Anyway, we're here now and I thought I'd be able to see her and run over to the club after, but she's late and hasn't gone on yet so I'm not going to make it.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe line moved forward again, and at this point, Stella could make out the creases in the bouncer's forehead. It was time to get out of line, but after having been here for half an hour with nothing to show for it, Stella wasn't ready to give up yet.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Chelsea, I swear to God, just leave the concert and come here now,\" Stella said. She knew she was whining, but she was frustrated and nervous. She had no business going into a sex club tonight, much less on her own.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen Chelsea had barged into Stella's room last night, talking about how she got two free tickets to a party at Red as Sin, her favorite sex club, Stella was confused about what that had to do with her. Then Chelsea insisted Stella should go with her and \"get the whole losing-your-virginity thing over with.\" As if Stella had been holding herself back from having sex this whole time and not actively trying to find \"the one\" for what felt like her whole life.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt wasn't that Stella felt she had to wait to be married to have sex or anything like that. She'd gotten past that part of her religious upbringing when she realized she was suspiciously born three months after her parents' wedding. No, it was more that Stella wanted to love, or at the very least like, the person she was going to sleep with. A random casual hookup had never appealed to Stella.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis wasn't the case for Chelsea, however. Both the idea of needing to love someone before having sex with them and not being able to find a quick hookup with just a few swipes on Tinder. Every so often, usually when Stella was ovulating, she'd dare to consider just getting it over with and meeting up with the hottest person who showed a speck of interest. Unfortunately, while Chelsea got ten matches a day, Stella was lucky if she got ten matches a month. Or rather, ten good matches. If Stella wanted to hook up with a guy who started their conversation with \"Nice tits!\" she'd have plenty more options.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut anyway.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn truth, this whole debacle was really Stella's fault. At the start of the year she'd made the mistake of telling Chelsea that she was officially giving up on love. That the next time she had the opportunity to have sex, even if it was with a rando who was only interested in her \"nice tits,\" she would just go for it. That way, even if she couldn't have love, she could at least find out if sex was really worth all the hype.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhile Stella would tell Chelsea and anyone who listened that having or not having sex shouldn't define a person because virginity was a concept created by the patriarchy, at twenty-seven years old, Stella was tired of feeling like she was missing out on this big thing everyone else had experienced. Sure, she had her toys and porn and romance novels, but she wanted to actually know what it was like to get horizontal (or vertical) with an actual real-life person.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMoreover, she wanted to know what it felt like to be the object of someone's desires, if only for a night. She wanted to know what it was to be attracted to someone and have them be so attracted to her, too, that they could barely keep their hands off each other.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn other words, as her therapist had put it, Stella was craving intimacy, and she was tired of trying to find the perfect person to give it to her, because quite frankly she was beginning to believe that person didn't exist.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMuch less inside a sex club.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eStill, if there was one place she should be able to, without a doubt, get laid, it would be Red as Sin and so she stayed in line.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"I can't just ditch Tattoo Artist!\" Chelsea said, pulling Stella back to their conversation.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eStella almost pointed out that by not ditching the tattoo artist, Chelsea was ditching Stella, but Chelsea pushed forward before Stella could get a word out.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Look, I've been there before and it's totally chill,\" Chelsea said. \"Just go in and try to have fun. Meet somebody! Or multiple somebodies! And you can drink whatever you want, on me. They made me put my card info down when I RSVP'd.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Just tell them your name is Cherry, and everything will be taken care of. Trust me!\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eChelsea had yet to provide Stella with a reason to trust her tonight, but Stella really didn't want to spend another night alone in their apartment until Chelsea came home with a new stranger and did ungodly things with them until the wee hours of the morning. Just thinking about it made Stella feel lonely and bitter, and she abhorred those feelings.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Name?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAt some point, Stella had reached the front of the line, and now the bouncer, who hovered over her despite the fact that she was wearing five-inch heels, was waiting impatiently for Stella to say something. It was time to make a decision.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Cherry.\" The word shot out of Stella's mouth, and the bouncer quirked an eyebrow, still waiting. \"I'm Cherry. My name is Cherry. Like the fruit. C-H-E-R-R-Y. I should be on the list.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eStella knew she was rambling, but it was difficult to stop.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"You got a last name?\" the bouncer asked.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"It's Cherry Cherry,\" Chelsea said. Stella had forgotten she was still on the phone. \"Like my username.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eStella had gone the traditional route of college, then grad school, then a nine-to-five job, but Chelsea opted to drop out of their undergrad classes when her sex-positive Instagram began bringing in more money than the measly tips they made working in the student-run coffee shop. Over the years, Chelsea had amassed a following of almost half a million people across Instagram and now TikTok, which was how she ended up getting invited to things like this masquerade party.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Cherry Cherry,\" Stella repeated to the bouncer. \"Same first and last name.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe bouncer had a look of annoyance mixed with disbelief on his face but checked the list again until he found it.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"This says two guests.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe looked around Stella as if a plus-one would suddenly appear.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Sorry, it's just the one,\" Stella said, holding up her free hand in a little wave that made her feel like she was a child and not a woman almost in her thirties.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Don't apologize!\" Chelsea hissed.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRight, it was time to hang up. \"Have fun at your concert, bye!\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eStella didn't wait for a response before ending the call, her fury at Chelsea making its way back up to the surface. She should've known Chelsea would bail and yet here she was being stood up. Again.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Your phone must remain off while inside the venue,\" the bouncer said.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Sorry,\" Stella said. \"I mean, I'm not sorry. I am sorry, but I didn't know that. I don't know the rules.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"The rules are simple,\" the bouncer said. \"Only touch people who want to be touched. Red as Sin does not tolerate any form of harassment. If you get out of line, you will be thrown out. No photos or videos are allowed unless you are in a private room with a partner who agrees. Party goes until three; after that, everyone must promptly exit, no matter what activity you may be in the middle of. Now please turn off your cell phone. We gotta keep the line moving.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Of course, sor-\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eStella bit her lip to keep the sorry inside her mouth and then turned off her phone, showing the bouncer the dark screen.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"You're good to go.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe pulled open the large metal door, which revealed stone stairs leading down to another unmarked door. Stella gulped. She had no idea what she was about to walk into, but she also felt like there was no turning back now. Besides, she was more than a little curious to see what exactly a sex club entailed. Well, other than the sex, obviously.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"In or out?\" the bouncer asked. \"We ain't got all day.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"In,\" Stella said with a confidence she didn't really feel. \"I'm in.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThen, before she could give it any more thought, she put one foot in front of the other and went down the stairs.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTwo\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAt first glance, Red as Sin looked like any other club. Not that Stella had been to many, but still.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe door at the bottom of the stairs pushed open, and she had to blink a few times for her eyes to adjust to the dark space. It was bigger than she expected, and loud. A mix of pop and alternative rock was spilling out of speakers somewhere, and there was a circular bar set in the middle of the room, with people filling out the space all around it, trying to get a drink or just trying to pass through. The bartenders were all wearing black halter bralettes and skirts that barely covered anything or tight black shorts that left nothing to the imagination.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOn Stella's left, there was a little window for a coat check, and Stella quickly shrugged out of her coat and handed it over, along with her purse. In exchange, she received a blue numbered ticket.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eStella securely tucked it away in her strapless bra, then proceeded to walk farther into the club, making her way around the place. She saw couples canoodling on pleather couches in various corners of the room, but most people were on the dance floor, grinding and pawing at each other. She accidentally made eye contact with a few people, but she quickly kept moving, unsure if she was ready to be propositioned just yet.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEventually she found her way to a corridor that had a smidge more lighting than everywhere else. It looked like people were crowding around something, and at first Stella thought it was a line to the bathroom, but no one was moving. Curious, she stepped closer until she could see over one woman's shoulder and then she gasped.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMultiple people turned to look at her, and she thanked God her dark skin protected her from flushing red.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Someone stepped on my foot,\" she explained to no one because they'd already forgotten about her. Their focus was back on the scene that was playing out in front of them. Through a plexiglass window, she could see that two women were currently using a double-sided dildo. Stella leaned forward, tilting her head to the side as the women shifted positions. She couldn't understand how they could possibly be comfortable like that, but by the way one was throwing her head back in ecstasy, Stella imagined she was enjoying it, although over the music (and maybe the walls of the room were soundproof?), she couldn't actually hear anything, which was weird. Did people like to just watch with no sound? It was like watching porn on mute, and that was something Stella could do at home.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eShe broke away from the crowd, turning on her heel too quickly to stop her body from colliding directly with the tall and broad-shouldered man who was standing right behind her. Stella also couldn't prevent her boobs, which often had a mind of their own, from pressing directly into the glass in his hand, tipping it over, and spilling his drink down the front of his white pressed shirt.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Fuck me,\" Stella muttered.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe man, who'd been staring down at the stain now spreading on his shirt, looked up at her then and his lips twitched.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"If that's what you wanted, all you had to do was ask.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThree\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMaximo \"Max\" Martinez Williams did not want to be out tonight.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor starters, it was Valentine's Day. Max wasn't anti-V Day like some other single people, but that didn't mean he wanted to spend his evening-a work night, no less-dodging happy couples fawning all over each other on the streets of New York. And he certainly did not want to spend the night in a sex club.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eUnfortunately, as was the case his entire life, he could not figure out how to say no to his younger brother, Miles.","brand":"Berkley","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48233570533605,"sku":"NP9780593953839","price":19.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780593953839.jpg?v=1767737044","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/sparks-fly-isbn-9780593953839","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}