Review: Spark (Lust & Luster) by Ainsley St Claire

Spark, the prequel to the Lust & Luster series by Ainsley St Claire is NOW LIVE!

Amazon: https://geni.us/sparkllp

What you can expect from Spark:
enemies to lovers
wedding hookup to hot mess
billionaire CEO
hidden identity
outrageous bridal couture (with hoop skirts and bloomers)
slow-burn steam that turns scorching
a series-starter prequel you won’t forget

We had one weekend. No expectations. Just passion. But fate—and Atlanta’s hottest wedding—had other plans.

Dante
I came to this wedding to support my friend and escape the pressure of launching a gemstone empire. I didn’t expect the woman in the poofy dress with the sharp tongue and the unforgettable bloomers.
Arianna is smart, stunning, and not the least bit interested in my usual charm.
That only makes me want her more.
She says it’s just one night.
But I want every night after.
And I’m not used to hearing “no.”

Arianna
Dante Marino is temptation in designer shoes.
He’s way too good at getting past my defenses.
What started as a fling turns complicated when our chemistry spills beyond the sheets.
Because this weekend?
I’m supposed to focus on my best friend’s wedding—not fall for a man who could unravel everything I’ve worked for.
We live in the same city.
We run in the same circles.
And if he finds out who I really am, I won’t just lose the heat—we’ll lose any chance at something real.

Spark is the sizzling prequel to the Lust & Luster series. It introduces the Marino brothers, their billion-dollar gem business, and the women bold enough to set their world on fire.

MY REVIEW

Aryanna meets Dante in the funniest of meet-cutes, and a spark between them is lit. They're here for their friends' wedding, and they end up forging more than a casual connection that lingers long after the wedding is done. But her secret identity, and the revelation of it is going to mean that connection will be tested, to the extreme.

Dante is a grumpy, grumpy man ever since his fling with Aryanna. She ditched him without a word and hasn't responded to his texts. He's not used to women walking away from him, and he doesn't like it, at all. He wants everything with her and he can't even find her. Until he does. And when he finds out who she really is? Let's just say his feelings are about to turn as icy as the beautiful but cold gems that are his passion. She has a lot of explaining to do...

Spark has me impatient to find out what happens between Dante and Aryanna next. I like the setup, it's a good way to lead-in to their full story. But, I'm really disappointed with how short it is, and how incomplete it is. I know it's a prequal, novella length, but I still feel like a bit more character detail and backstory detail is necessary to keep it from feeling so abrupt. It did achieve what prequels set out do so, though - made me eager for more of this couple with sizzling chemistry. Unfortunately, the next story in the series appears to not be Aryanna and Dante's story, but his brother Matteo's. I'll just have to impatiently wait for whenever the rest of Aryanna and Dante's story releases.