Publication Date: December 12, 2025
A 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.
When 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.
Frustrated 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.
Despite 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.
What starts as an encounter at a sex club delivers unexpected consequences when Stella sees a familiar face in an unlikely place.
Author Zakiya N. Jamal combines humor and spice in Sparks Fly. The workplace is the least conducive environment for a romance, especially since Max is related to Stella’s boss’s boss.
Max is fascinated by the spunky woman, but circumstances keep preventing the two from sealing the deal. Even drawing a line between personal and professional leads to more dissatisfaction, especially when it appears that Max and his AI are about to make Stella’s job obsolete.
From a development standpoint, some of the secondary characters needed a purpose other than checking a diversity box. Even with the main characters claiming to be bisexual, the reader is left wondering how this relates to the story’s impact. It was also puzzling to see skin color represented with different capitalization.
Sparks Fly forces two people to navigate professional challenges threatening to drive them apart.
Zakiya N. Jamal was 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 If We Were a Movie will be published in 2025 by HarperTeen.
