Book Review: Bump, Set, Sparks

Bump, Set, Sparks is a book which captures the Southern California beach lifestyle, but not much else.

Official Summary

Jess loves volleyball―she really does. Playing in Southern California Beach Volleyball League with her best friend Tania is a blast, but their recent losing streak has destroyed her confidence. In fact, a lot of what used to bring her joy―stargazing, hanging with friends at Maggie's bar, and cuddling with her adorable wiener dog, Fleming―just doesn't seem like enough anymore. It doesn't help that Vivienne, one of Jess's rivals in the league, always seems to be around just when she's feeling her worst. Vivienne is everything Jess isn't: beautiful, effortlessly charming, and, most infuriatingly, winning.

When Jess is ghosted yet again, it's the final blow to her ego. Who better to challenge her than the most confident girl she knows? And as Jess gets to know Vivienne off-court, she discovers there's much more to her than just a pretty face (and wicked serve). But even though there's an undeniable connection between them, they're competing for the same spot in the pro leagues. Jess has the opportunity to build self-confidence and a better life, but she'll have to learn to believe in herself, and the people around her, if she doesn't want to lose everything she's gaining. And there's nothing Jess hates more than losing.

Quick Information

Author: Jennifer Moffatt
Published: June 16, 2026
Genre: F/F Romance, Sports Romance, Contemporary Romance
Tropes: Size Difference, Slice of Life

Review

Jessica McLaughlin is an aspiring professional beach volleyball player who currently plays in the Southern California Beach Volleyball League. Despite being one of the tallest players, Jess suffers from a lack of confidence and insecurities which derail her at every turn. In contrast, Vivienne Morris is what Jess wishes she could be, the picture-perfect confident volleyball player. 

I was stunned at the lack of an in-depth story despite the book’s summary. We follow Jess and the (many) other characters through one season of beach volleyball life. To best describe this book would be something akin to those beach and Christmas episodes from long running TV shows. We get to see characters in a scene that is pure fluff but has no deeper impact. Sure, we tolerate it, maybe even enjoy it, but deep down we want to return to the main story. While I wasn’t upset while reading this, I kept expecting something to happen, anything to make this story feel worthwhile, but there just wasn’t. Play a volleyball game, go out partying, scenes with the dog and Jess’ neighbor, listen to inner monologue on how “ugly” the beautiful MC sees herself, dash in some jealousy, childish outbursts, and horny thoughts from time to time. Rinse and repeat. So many scenes which could have easily been cut and otherwise felt like word padding more than anything meaningful to progress the story forward.

That being said, I think the author captured the SoCal lifestyle and dialogue well. It feels very much on par for the setting. However, I think starting every other paragraph with “Uh” and “Um”, especially back to back, doesn’t make for the most engaging writing to read. Readers can understand how Jess is awkward without these added vocal ticks, especially with the staggering amount of them throughout the story.

When I first picked up this book, I was expecting a competitive, rivals to lovers story. Bump, Set, Sparks is about as far away from that trope as possible. Jess is jealous of Vivienne and Vivienne just…exists around her. No animosity, no rivalry, Vivienne doesn’t actually do anything to elicit the kind of negative response Jess has to her. The unwarranted childish, one-sided jealousy from Jess’s inferiority complex got old, very, very fast. 

Romance fans you’re going to have to pace yourself as there is very little for you here. The two main characters don’t kiss until almost 90% of the book is complete. The label slow burn is a disservice to fans of the trope. For a slow burn something has to burn. There was no burning, no big buildup. We just see a character tell Jess, “I think you’re jealous [of Vivienne] because you like her” for the big one-sided revelation. This felt very immature instead of being a meaningful plot point. When the two FMCs finally get together the romance happens suddenly followed by a swift fade to black, like all the other intimate scenes. Readers should also be aware that there are other love interests for either FMCs.

As a big fan of sports romance, I was curious to see how the author would blend volleyball into their story. Moffatt does a great job in describing volleyball and even explains some of the rules along the way to an audience who may be unfamiliar with the sport. With sports romance, an author must balance the sport with the romance. This element was the weakest part of the book for two reasons: the romance was lacking and the athlete mindset was not showcased at all.

The narrative tells us that each of these athletes wants to make the big push into professional play, but not a single one of them acted like it. Partying late into the night before a big game, being so distracted by looking at another girl across the sand in a life-defining match? When I read a story that emphasizes an athlete’s dream to be a pro one day, but then it shows them acting contrary to that dream every time, it defeats the impact of this plot point in the story entirely. 

I really wanted to like this book but there was just not much here. The book could have been edited down and retooled to inject something meaningful into the story. If you have some time to kill and want to experience a SoCal volleyball story (and only that), you will probably be partially entertained by Bump, Set, Sparks. If you are looking for an engaging sports romance story, you won’t find it here.

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

A copy of this book was provided for an ARC Reader Review. I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you to the author and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this.