By iamsandykay on October 5, 2026 ( Leave a comment )

Book Review – A Study in Sparkling

A Study in Sparkling
by Jodi McAlister

Book Description:

Fiona Fisher thought she had it all: a loving husband, three kids, and a life far away from the suffocating expectations of her family. But when her husband reveals that he’s leaving her for his secret second family, Fiona is left devastated and humiliated.

Satoshi Tsukamoto wants it all. He’s the owner of a popular wine bar, and he’s studying for the hardest test in the world: the Master Sommelier exam. There aren’t enough hours in the day for anything else—except maybe for Fiona, his favorite customer, and the woman he’s absolutely, catastrophically in love with.

On paper, Fiona and Satoshi make no sense. He’s eight years younger than her and has no time for romance. She’s a single mother and doesn’t know if she’ll ever be able to trust anyone again. But how can Fiona resist when Satoshi suggests they give into their mutual attraction and let off some steam? And how can Satoshi resist when the woman he adores is finally within his grasp—even if they’ve agreed to keep things casual?

Note: I was provided a copy of this book free from NetGalley and Atria Books in exchange for a review.
All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Note 2: Links in this post go to Bookshop.org where I earn a small commission at no cost to you.
Bookshop.com supports local independent books store across the United States.

My Take:

An engaging rom-com in the best sense of the word with great characters, an interesting plot, and a satisfying [happy] ending.

The return to the romantic comedy genre of the 90s is a wonderful thing for readers. This book fits really well into that category and is great for anyone who loved You’ve Got Mail and the like when we were growing up. This book feels like a light and fluffy story {complimentary} while also covering some realistic struggles we all can go through. The plot was well-paced and I devoured this story.

Wonderfully created characters who filled their roles, but also felt very human with faults and anxieties, which made them loveable.

When reading stories like this, if it doesn’t feel like the characters could walk out of the book and be living real lives, it just doesn’t work for me. This book did not have that problem. The cast of characters are each fully-formed individuals while being in a cohesive family group – love the sibling relationships that grew through the story. One of my favorite, somewhat throw away interactions is when the FMC tells her (overbearing) father that the way he orders his drink is an absolutely ridiculous drink – it makes perfect sense in the story. Things like this feel so real and made reading this story an even better experience.

The Final Verdict

My rating: 4.5 stars

Would I recommend? Definitely

Great rom-com with loveable characters and a satisfyingly addictive plot.