Avery and Declan have been best friends since college. They even live together. But when Avery has a serious car accident and Declan become her caregiver feeling buried deep inside begin to surface. Steamy friends to lovers story.

If I had to describe When Sparks Fly in three words they would be- entertaining, sweet and addictive! ⁣
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⁣Avery and Declan are best friends and roommates that suddenly find themselves in very close proximity when Avery is injured in a horrible car accident. Lines begin to blur and eventually sparks will fly! My favorite romance troupe is friends to lovers and this one didn’t disappoint. Add in great characters and a decent amount of steam and you’ve got When Sparks Fly! ⁣
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⁣I stayed up until midnight finishing this book and my typically bedtime is about 9PM. (#pregancyproblems) It’s a solid four star read and I highly recommend it to romance lovers! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣
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⁣Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a free ARC of When Sparks Fly. #Netgalley #WhenSparksFly

I love a good friends to lovers, but this was…not what I expected.

Avery, who, along with her sisters, was orphaned by a car crash on a rainy day, was…you guessed it, grievously injured in a car crash (which is described on page) on a rainy day. Why? Because her college best friend, Declan, was supposed to drive her but got all in his feelings about her going on a date, got tanked and brought home a one night stand to the CONDO THEY SHARE.

So now Declan is atoning by being her in-home nurse. With all this intimacy in the form of shower help, Avery and Declan cross boundary after boundary in their friendship until they are clearly more…until ghosts from the past (figurative ghosts, not literal) threaten their newfound connection.

Sounds good, right? It would be excellent if Declan the Feckless weren’t such an unmitigated a-hole. I’m sorry, but if you agree to drive me to a place because you know I have car anxiety in inclement weather AND that my car has low tire tread and bald windshield wipers and you blow me off to get wasted and chase some strange? DEAD TO ME.

And his particular hangups are 110% red flags leading straight to a therapist, which, I will grant, the author sends him to. (NORMALIZE GOING TO THERAPY!) however, he needed to be in therapy, and as JenReadsRomance puts it, “in cold storage” for AT LEAST a whole DIFFERENT book after the crap he pulled.

I couldn’t buy him as a genuine hero because the majority of his care for Avery were shown as the result of guilt, not love. And the fact that he’s one of the worst cases of “I don’t know how to deal with my feelings so I’m going to take them out on the woman I claim to care for” that I’ve seen in recent history. He’s attempting to be a reformed f***boy, but I’m not convinced yet.

I really loved this two. Declan and Avery are friends turned lovers, and their chemistry and camaraderie was enjoyable.

Declan is without a doubt a broken yet charming boy. Make no mistake he has issues that affect his behavior. He doesn’t always act as one might one a hero to act, BUT, for me, it let to an authenticity. He struggles with relationships and love, but the way he handles it when the falling action and resolution occur was dealt with realistically and in a healthy manner.

Avery is focused on her goals and has blinders in a bit. I enjoyed her characters overall, and I liked that she stuck to her guns when it came to Declan. Her frustrations were understandable.

The plot, overall, was pretty expected, but I did really enjoy their overall chemistry that extends beyond the bedroom. For some, I would imagine the lack of change in their behavior outside of the bedroom makes the shift from friend to lovers seem not significant but, for me, outside of the bedroom was never the problem. They had all that and just added the spice. I also felt the impetus that forced them into the role of lovers was authentic as well as the fallOut. There were some very MINOR secondary plot points that I felt like weren’t resolved or mentioned, and I wish they would have been.

Overall, this is a great friends to lovers romance. It was sweet and slightly steamy and an enjoyable read from cover to cover.

Avery and Declan are roommates and best friends. Then one day Avery gets into a terrible car accident and needs someone to help care for her, so Declan steps in. As he cares for her they get closer than they ever have been and they start to realize their feelings for each other.

I loved this friends to lovers romance! Avery and Declan have such a great friendship that turns into an even better romance. It’s sexy, they’re great together and Declan is so charming! He is so loyal and they are both very driven and once they know what they want they go for it. I also really enjoyed Avery’s sisters and getting a peak at Spark House and the funny events they have to host.

The conflict in this was really believable too. Some romances it seems like the conflict is there because it just has to be or it was because the couple didn’t communicate. This has a little bit of miscommunication but all in all the conflict was something I could see happening to any normal couple and I really liked that.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Great friends to love story, plenty of deep feels. Avery and Declan have been friends since college, best friends, it's never crossed that line. Living together they've seen it all, seen each other date and their ups and downs, everything was going normal until the accident. Avery is in a car accident leaving her in need of assistance Declan steps in (somewhat in response to the his guilt he feels for his role in the happenings) but when the close tasks unacknowledged feelings surface. Declan volunteers to help Avery with her needs and things fall into place but it's never smooth sailing when there's baggage involved. Friendship, loyalty, hard work and big hearts make this an engaging read.

3.75 stars--WHEN SPARKS FLY by Helena Hunting is a contemporary, adult, stand alone, erotic, romance story line focusing on PR /event planner and co-owner of Spark House Hotel/Event space Avery Spark, and business consultant Declan.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Declan and Avery) WHEN SPARKS FLY follows the friends to lovers relationship between PR /event planner and co-owner of Spark House Hotel/Event space Avery Spark, and business consultant Declan. Declan and Avery have been best friends since college, and currently share a condo as roommates and best friends but a fatal traffic accident has left Avery dependant upon her best friend for help with the simplest of tasks including mobility and bathroom breaks. Weeks together finds our couple dancing around the proverbial ‘elephant in the room’ pushing their relationship from best friends to more but jealousy is about to rear its’ ugly green head, and the fall-out is about to disrupt a life-long friendship, and a growing love between our leading couple. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Avery and Declan, and the potential fall-out as issues of trust force Avery to walk, leaving an angry and heart broken Declan to reconsider everything he lost.

Spark House is struggling to sign up a sponsor, and with it the event side of the hotel is struggling to survive. A series of real-life bloopers and mistakes finds potential sponsors walking away, forcing the Spark to find blame for their loss of income, targeting both Avery and Declan in the line of fire. As Avery battles daily her in recovery, Declan battles between head and heart as he begins to fall for our story line heroine.

The relationship between Declan and Avery is a best friends to lovers that is put to the test when Avery becomes dependant upon Declan for the smallest of tasks. Declan doesn’t do relationships, our hero is a bit of a manwh*re, but his heart wants something more with our story line heroine, something he struggles to accept and understand. Avery knows falling for her best friend places their friendships in a precarious position, a position that is about to be tested with demons from the past. The $ex scenes are intimate, passionate and seductive without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful and dynamic secondary and supporting characters including Avery’s sisters London and Harley, and Declan’s best friends Mark and Jerome. Here’s hoping the author has plans for London and Harley, as well as Mark and Jerome.

WHEN SPARKS FLY is a story of family, friendships, betrayal issues of trust, forgiveness and love. This is NOT a story of cheating or infidelity as some ‘reviewers’ have claimed it to be. Our couple begins as best friends and roommates with neither one making a commitment to one another but jealousy will become the starting point for a crack in the relationship that may not be able to heal. Both Declan and Avery are somewhat immature and selfish but it doesn’t help that their friends and family pick at the scab that refuses to heal. Issues of trust have been a part of Declan for all of his life, and Avery was betrayed by a former love. The premise is engaging, entertaining and captivating; the romance is sexy and hot; the characters are energetic, flawed and playful.



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Well I’m a little behind this morning as I took the weekend off as much as I could. However I wanted to add my review for this one since it comes out this week.

This is a friends to lovers romance with some heavy topics covered. From Declan’s toxic parent relationship and his cheating dad. Also Avery lost both her parents in a car accident.

So when Avery gets into an accident during a trip that Declan was supposed to be on, she has a long recovery process.

Since Declan feels guilty he wasn’t in the trip and they live together he promises to take care of her. The closeness makes it difficult for them to ignore their feelings.

While there is a conflict towards the end I was glad it didn’t resolve so quickly and therapy and mental health was addressed before they got back together.

Overall I enjoyed this one but it wasn’t my favorite, I felt some of the reactions were a little blown out of proportion and the fade to black scenes where not what I’m used to from this author. It passed the time and was enjoyable.

3.5 stars

In this friends to lovers tale, Avery Spark is living the dream. She has exactly what she's worked for -- until an accident has her bedridden and recuperating at the home she shares with best friend Declan.

Declan and Avery have been friends for some time, and there might have been some feelings in the past that they shelved for a while. But with Avery laid up, and Declan as her caregiver, they both start looking at each other differently.

Of course, that brings some issues for Declan and Avery to resolve if they want to take things to the next step. There's some past baggage that needs to be resolved before they can move on and that second half of the story was a little bit uneven for this reader which is why I'm rating it as I did.

This is a new-to-me author. The story is written in first person, dual point of view. I do like friends-to-lovers story and that was what attracted me to this title. I would be interested in reading more from this author in the future.

I am a huge fan of Helena Hunting and so far I've loved all of her books from her sports romances to her new adult romances as H Hunting to her contemporary romances and When Sparks Fly was just perfect. I felt that it checked so many boxes for me of my favorite troupes, best friends to lovers? Check! Unknown unrequited love on both sides? Check! Sisterly bonds at a high? Check! A good tom boy boss babe? Check! Helena Hunting's signature comedy? Check! While reading When Sparks Fly I got vibes of Jennifer Probst's Stay series, siblings/sisters running a family inn together working hard to make sure that the business that was left to them says open.
Avery's Spark's life long dream job has been to run her family's inn, Spark House, and now she and her sisters finally have their chance to make Spark House the best business it can be. But there is one hitch... just as they're about to get some of their biggest sponsors and events yet Avery gets into a car accident and breaks her leg and arm and effectively is house bond for the foreseeable future. While Avery can help a bit with the social media aspect of the job she can't help with much else and has to rely on her two sisters for work and her best friend, Declan for everything else from going to the bathroom to changing her clothes to getting herself food. Back in college Avery had a major crush on Declan but she quickly figured out he didn't feel that way about her. Having put her feelings behind her for Declan for the most part and having to rely on him for everything is very hard, add in the fact that he's inadvertently the reason she got into accident in the first place makes the whole situation... Complicated...
Declan has secretly loved Avery since they met in college but when she started dating his best friend he gave up those feelings, but she still holds a special spot in his heart... He even gave up his friendship with his friend and chose her when he cheated on her. But Declan has now royally screwed up, he promised to drive Avery to their college reunion because she doesn't like to drive in bad weather but when he get drunk the night before and leaves his car at the bar and brings home a one night stand he forces Avery to drive herself, which is when the accident happened. Now Declan is wracked with guilt, her sisters are blaming him and Avery is even blaming him at times. Determined to make things right thing, waiting on her hand and foot to ensure that nothing else happens to Avery.
As the two spend more time together their feelings start to resurface for one another and just as things start to go well between them a misunderstanding happens and Declan's past rears it's ugly head... Can Avery and Declan not only save their friendship but their relationship?

When Declan and Avery's friendship is challenged and they start to notice each other as something other than friends is when the juicy fun begins. Who knew a purely platonic relationship could turn up that much heat? Getting to follow these two as they flip the switch on their friendship is rewarding in all the right ways. Loved these two from beginning to end and like they say, some of the best relationships start off as friends. As much as this would be enjoyed as a slow, fun read I couldn't help myself and finished it in one read. That's okay, isn't that why they made coffee and concealer?
I received an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley for my honest opinion.

Exploring the tricky path from friends to lovers When Sparks Fly is an emotional journey between two characters who must learn how to be in each other’s lives in a completely different and far riskier way after years of close friendship. I was excited to read his novel when I found out Helena Hunting was writing a friends-to-lovers romance because I love how she writes humor, steam, and emotional romance in her novels. One of my favorite authors writing my favorite romance trope seemed like a win-win.

Avery Sparks lives her dream, running her family’s Spark House hotel/event space with her two sisters in Colorado Springs. Although she has no love life, she loves her friends, working with her sisters at a job she adores, and living with her best friend in their condo. Declan, her roommate and best friend since college, is a loyal, handsome, and intense accountant and manwhore, who avoids commitment like the plague. Baggage from his parents’ tumultuous marriage and subsequent divorce makes him cynical and emotionally challenged about romantic relationships. Independent, athletic, stubborn, and work-driven, Avery hasn’t opened her heart or taken a chance on love since a devastating college breakup with Declan’s then best friend shook up her world and their friend circle.

Avery’s world is shaken again after a car accident leaves her severely injured, immobile, and needing extra care and help while healing. After a poor judgment call leads to nearly losing Avery, Declan’s determined to care for his best friend. Despite being best friends and roommates, Avery’s reliance on Declan as her caretaker to see to her daily needs moves their relationship to a more intimate level that becomes stressful and confusing. Feelings that both have either suppressed, denied or even been unaware of come rushing to the surface with even closer quarters, intimate situations, and Declan lending Avery a helping hand to give her sexual relief. While they have friendship down flawlessly, moving into a sexual and romantic relationship is a leap they are unprepared for.

Hunting’s development and evolution of the characters are perhaps the best aspects of the novel. I loved Avery’s and Declan’s friendship. While the friendship had already been years in the making at the start of the novel, Hunting vividly shows the strength and depth of their relationship within the novel. The characters are likable and relatable, mostly. Hunting tries to support the choices made by the characters – Declan especially – with their backgrounds, however, at times it’s difficult to reconcile them with what we are to believe about their connection/relationship with others. Declan lets Avery down in such a hurtful and thoughtless way that it impacts the way I see him and whether I feel he is a worthy love interest for Avery. Nevertheless, Hunting deals with emotional/mental and relationship issues in a nuanced and thoughtful way that does influence the evolution of the novel’s characters and addresses this issue.

One thing missing from the novel, however, was a solid foundation of a past awareness/acceptance of sexual attraction toward each other by Declan and Avery – aside from just saying they are attractive or sexy – before starting any foreplay. While others remark on seeing the interest and roots of its existence for years, little of their outward behavior toward each other supports this belief, especially on Avery’s side. We get a bit from Declan, but without spoilers, I won’t go into it. Although the chemistry and sexual tension are brilliantly described and built up when they suddenly appear, the novel is noticeably lacking at Hunting’s usual steam level, and I missed that. In a novel where the characters have supposedly been suppressing their attraction as long as these two have, for most of the sex between the characters to be offscreen is not only disappointing, but it also works against making the attraction between them believable/legit. However, considering certain events in the story, I could see where Hunting might want to minimize or draw attention away from the sexual connection between them, focusing more on the friendship and emotional connection.

When Sparks Fly is an intensely emotional, thoughtful exploration of friendship, love, responsibility, and how the ways we relate to people and view and form emotional/sexual bonds and relationships with people is heavily influenced by our pasts/baggage. Readers who approach it not expecting a rom-com with a lot of humor and on-screen sex, but as an intensely emotional romance about how difficult it can be to transition from friends to lovers, focusing more on the emotional and psychological connections and bonds between the two people and the importance of having a balance between them and sex may love it.

Helena Hunting has a knack for writing stories that hit you everywhere in the feels and that's exactly what When Sparks Fly did for me. This roommates, best friends-to-lovers story was so beautifully written and I loved the connection and chemistry between the two main characters.
Avery hasn't had a serious relationship since her ex cheated on her in college. She runs Spark House with her two sisters and practically lives and breathes work. She lives with her best friend Declan and is a very independent woman. On her way to secure sponsorship for Spark House, Avery gets into an accident which leads to her being housebound for the following six weeks.
Declan feels guilty over Avery’s accident. He was meant to be there with her and completely let her down. To ease his conscience, he plays nurse while she is recovering and with all innocent gazes and touches, Declan soon finds himself having more than friendly thoughts about her. Will he admit his feelings for her? Will these two cross the line with no return?
This roommates friends to lovers story had a lot of sweet and sexy moments. Declan was charming but did have some baggage and felt unworthy of happiness. Avery was so goal orientated that she didn't have time to live. I felt these two characters were perfect for one another and you could see how close their connection and chemistry was. Both in and out of the bedroom.
Once again Helena Hunting delivers an amazing contemporary romance of friends to lovers. The story had some very real characteristics to it which added to the allure of the story. I'm intrigued about how the stories of the other two Spark sisters will fare. If it is anything like this, then it is bound to be epic.

Avery Spark knows how to work hard and play hard. She works with her sisters at Spark House, a hotel and event space where she plans the events and her sisters London and Harper help her pull them off. Whether it’s a wedding for a bridezilla or a weekend for a bunch of guys who ride hobbyhorses for fun, Avery keeps the events rolling along. A lover of sports, she and her guy friends from college get together once a week to watch soccer and play on a team together.

She lives in a condo with her best friend Declan, who is one of the guy friends from college she plays soccer with. For a while in college, Avery was dating Declan’s best friend Sam. It was Declan who had broken Avery’s heart by telling her that Sam had been cheating on her. She lost a boyfriend but gained a best friend, but that’s all their relationship has been. Declan isn’t a relationship guy, and Avery is careful with her heart, so it was never a good combination for dating.

But when Avery asked him to drive her to their college so she could pitch the alumni association about using Spark House for events, Declan agreed. Avery could drive herself, but her tires are getting worn and she can’t get them replaced before her meeting. And the forecast is calling for rain. Avery has been nervous about driving in the rain ever since her parents were in a car accident in the rain.

And when Avery goes on a date the night before the meeting, Declan finds himself jealous and decides to make some bad decisions. He goes out to a bar and drinks and ends up bringing a woman home with him, so when Avery is ready to leave the next morning, Declan is not ready. Avery is irritated, but it’s fine. He can live his life how he wants. She’ll just drive his car. But he left it at the bar last night, having had too many drinks to safely drive home.

Avery sets out on the road alone, in her tiny car with the old tires, and she’s doing okay for a while. But then a kid in a white truck starts weaving in and out of the lanes, getting too close to the passing cars. Declan calls Avery to check up on her and to apologize )again) about leaving her in the lurch. So he hears the sound of metal scraping metal when the accident happens. He stays on the line until help arrives and finds out what hospital they’ll be taking Avery to. And then he calls her sisters and ells them what happened and heads to the hospital, where he hardly leaves her side for days.

Declan blames himself for the accident and vows to himself to take the best care of Avery until she’s back on her feet, which will take several weeks because of the breaks in her arm and leg as well as the other bruises and contusions. Declan orders all he equipment she’ll need to heal in their condo, and he arranges to work from home while he’s Avery’s caretaker. But what he can’t prepare for is how caring for Avery 24/7 will make him feel.

As the days go by, and Avery fights between frustration and hope, Declan is determined to work off his debt to her. After all, he should have driven her. She should never have been in the accident. But his guilt melts into tenderness as he sees her struggle with her new limitations, and all the times he spends in her presence reminds him of what an amazing woman she is. He finds himself developing genuine feelings for her, or maybe just feeling what he had kept buried for so long.

And as Avery sees this softer side to Declan, her feelings are stirred up too. A friendship is a really good starting point for a relationship, but is Declan able to go deeper? Does Avery want to risk her friendship with him to find out?

Prolific romance author Helena Hunting takes a look at whether best friends should become lovers in When Sparks Fly, her steamy new novel. Taking an honest look at the frustrations of physical limitations as well as the challenge of healing from emotional trauma, this novel doesn’t skim over the hard moments or the difficult conversations, and it definitely brings the fire.

I love how this romance is about two adults falling in love, meaning it’s about real-life feelings and consequences, not just rom com tropes that are charming but unrealistic. These characters have their feet planted on the ground at all times (even if one of those feet is in a cast). But since so much of the story happens in the condo, it feels a little claustrophobic. Declan does try to get Avery out of the house when he can, but with the severity of her injuries, there is only so much he can do. With Avery working with her sisters and living with Declan, her world seems limited. There is a lot of love there, but it does feel a little small. That being said, I think When Sparks Fly is a beautiful romance, and the friends-to-lovers storyline is done well, with depth and thoughtfulness.

Egalleys for When Sparks Fly were provided by St. Martin’s Griffin through NetGalley, with many thanks.

I've been a big fan of Helena Hunting since reading Meet Cute a few years ago. This is one of my most anticipated books of the year (my pre-order arrives today!) and I'm thrilled to say I loved it!

Typically enemies to lovers is my preferred trope, but I've read so many good friends to lovers this year that it's quickly becoming a favorite!

Avery's accident was scary and so sad for her and her sisters as it triggered memories of their parents. It was easy to be mad at Declan even though it wasn't entirely his fault. He went above and beyond to take care of Avery as she recovered. I loved their friendship and how it transitioned from friends to much more. I loved the slow slight slow burn as their relationship developed. I loved Avery's relationships with her sisters and would've liked to meet her grandmother!

The ending was tough, but it seemed like a good resolution. I liked how Declan was working on himself and they didn't just get back together without addressing the issue. Thank you so much SMP Romance and Netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I will update as soon as I share the link on my bookstagram.

I have not read too many of this author's books so I did enjoy this one. You get to find out about Avery and what makes her tick. Her and her sisters have accomplished alot also building up Spark House. A hitch happens and thanks to a car mishap Avery needs taken care of so Declan insists on doing it. You know what can happen in that. Turn those pages to see if the two can survive going into new territory or if they should halt.

After reading a couple of heavy books, I needed something light, and what better than a fun rom-com by Helena Hunting. This quick, easy read about Avery Sparks and her best friend Declan is a typical friend to lovers’ trope with all the angst and emotional baggage you would expect. Avery and Declan have been best friends since college when Avery had her heart broken by Declan’s friend. They became close friends after college and became roommates. Declan has problems connecting long-term with women due to his parent’s messy relationship. His only long-term relationship is his friendship with Avery.

After a car accident that leaves Avery unable to care for herself, Declan steps up, mostly due to guilt, and becomes her caregiver while her broken bones heal. They both soon realize that their feelings go much deeper than friendship and while hesitant to upset the status quo, move forward with their feelings. Soon they realize that love, friendship and reality can be a hard thing to mix.

This was a quick, fun read with no instant happy ending. Both parties had to accept they had to put in the work to make their relationship work which was refreshing for a change. My thanks go to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read it for my honest opinion. I gave this book 3 ½ stars rounded up to four.

When Sparks Fly was the perfect blend of fun, entertaining, and sweet! It was heartfelt and sexy and I totally enjoyed it!

I liked the evolution of Avery and Declan coming together. I loved learning the ends and outs of their history and friendship and what influenced them to make the choices they’ve made over the years. I liked the attraction between them and how they kept it in check, fighting their feelings. At the beginning of the story, choices are made that have serious consequences that lead these two into a forced proximity situation. They have a lot of ups and downs and I liked the drama involved. As they become even closer, I loved them opening up, the intense and intimate moments between them, watching their feelings grow, and being vulnerable with each other. There's anger and guilt between them, frustration, and an awesome building sexual tension. I loved them working through their feelings and coming out on the other side.

This was a really good story and I loved the emotion involved. There was a nice amount of humor as well rounding it out. I liked how intimate their relationship felt beyond sex (though that was pretty hot!). I loved the closeness they already had since they were friends first and how it grew and changed into so much more. I thought there was a good pace and felt invested the entire time. I loved them coming back together for a fantastic happily ever after, all the sweet gestures, and the awesome epilogue.

This was a wonderful story about friendship and love, healing and forgiveness. It's an engaging and charming story filled with heart.

When Sparks Fly was a pleasant story. Avery and Declan were friends since college. There might have been an attraction when they first met but each tapered that down and stay just friends. They had such a good friendship and I enjoyed how easygoing and seamless it was. But then tragedy strikes and the two are forced to be even closer then they already are. As time progressed, lines start to blur and their friendship grows. It wasn't an easy ride by any means. I was fascinated to see how Helena would have this go since both Avery and Declan have issues from their pasts. Having that underlying friendship was a good key. I truly liked Avery as a heroine. With everything she had to endured, she provided her best foot forward. Declan had his good and bad moments. It was hard for me to really like him at parts but by the end he was fine. When he was all in with Avery it was sweet. I loved the Sparks sisters. They were so supportive of each other and truly loved one another. I also liked the bonds between Avery and her guy friends, besides Declan. There are some triggers and dark moments. Helena handled them with class and I liked how she showed the importance of mental health/therapy. Overall, this was a fine friends-to-lovers/close proximity read. I was intrigued from start to finish. I hope the other two Sparks sisters get their own books.

Declan and Avery have been best friends since college. Avery knows exactly why Declan is single. He’s a fantastic friend most of the time but he thinks he’s incapable of being a good boyfriend because of his parents relationship. He’s pushing thirty and he’s really never committed to any woman.
Everyone around him mostly just accepts that this is how Declan is, it’s a shame that he’s taken it as a fact that he can’t be a good boyfriend because he wasn’t given a good example of a living relationship growing up.

Everyone is used to Declan’s string of one night stands.

Avery and Declan live together. She’s the only girl in the friend group.

Declan has been dependable as a friend. But he lets Avery down in a major way and something awful happens.
He knows that Avery is afraid to drive in bad weather because her parents died in a car accident in bad weather. He knows that her car isn’t that dependable and that her tires aren’t in great shape. And he agreed to drive her to a very important meeting.
But he gets jealous when he sees her dressed up and going out on a date the night before. Rather than try to deal with what that means about his feelings for Avery, he gets drunk to take his mind off it, he brings a random girl home from a bar and leaves his car somewhere else.
When the next morning comes, he doesn’t drive Avery and he doesn’t even have his dependable vehicle around for her to use.

She winds up driving in bad weather and getting into an awful wreck.

As someone that isn’t a great driver, I was furious with Declan on Avery’s behalf. Then add in her own traumas about driving after her parents’ deaths.

Declan is sick with himself for what happens and he promised to take care of Avery during her recovery. Her sisters offer to, but it makes more sense that Avery could stay in her own home if Declan takes care of her.

But half her body is in casts and her ribs hurt. She’s alternating between a wheelchair and crutches and literally everything is hard to do. I can relate to this part too! It wasn’t a car accident but I know what it’s like to have major surgery and not be able to do anything easily.

So, I’m absolutely in Avery’s corner here.

But no one is really thinking about his awkward this is going to be for two people who are only friends.
She can’t even wash her hands without help, let alone bathe herself.

I will absolutely credit Declan for being a very good friend to Avery during this time. He took fantastic care of her.

Then things got awkward again when lines got crossed and their relationship started to move from friendship to possibly something more.

When Avery becomes fully healed, they face another challenge. Unfortunately it was during this time that Declan did something I had major problems with. I didn’t like anything about how the situation was handled.

Ultimately, I think the story resolved in a nice way. But it’s frustrating to be so mad at one of the main characters twice in this book. Both of the big mistakes Declan made were really bad ones.

I got to read an early ebook edition from NetGalley. Thanks!