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Reviewed by Romuald Dzemo for Readers' Favorite
Ruby Fink's Chispa is one of the best novels I've read this year, boldly combining coming-of-age angst with mesmerizing romance. Seventeen-year-old Claire Beauchene is an ambitious ballroom dancer determined to win her third consecutive title at the prestigious Blackpool Dance Festival. As she prepares for the competition, her world is upended when her partner, Sebastian, unexpectedly leaves for a television dance show in Los Angeles, throwing her carefully laid plans into disarray. Claire, forced to find a new partner at the last moment, finds Luca Ortiz, a talented but aloof Latin dancer with a rough exterior and a troubled past. As Claire and Luca undergo a series of high-stakes dance rehearsals, competitions, and personal struggles, they begin to grow toward each other. What started as a simple professional adventure quickly evolves into romance, but it has its struggles.
Ruby Fink's storytelling captivated me, and I was enthralled by the San Diego and Los Angeles settings, especially the dance scenes that seamlessly fuse the glamour of competition with the heartbreaking realities of Luca's life and family. I love deeply flawed and relatable characters, and this book didn’t disappoint. Luca is a man with a lot of emotional baggage, and from the start, it is difficult to imagine the romance between him and Claire taking off. The author skillfully explores the character arcs, underlying their emotional growth, and how shared struggle and partnership can lead to love and personal development. The conflict is well-executed, and ambitions versus unforeseen setbacks fuel it: Sebastian’s career move, Luca’s financial hardships, and Claire’s internal struggles between her dreams and the sacrifices she must make. Chispa is a delightful tale for fans of young adult romance with unforgettable characters.
