This one is slightly different from Helena's normal romantic comedy books. it still has humour in but is filled with more heart and I couldn't put it down once I started it. I became completely invested in Avery and Declan.

Avery and Declan have been friends and roommates for years. Its only when after an accident Avery needs Declan's help with everything the lines start becoming blurred between their friendship and something so much more.

I loved the heart and angst in this one, it felt raw and real. You could honestly feel the push/pull between the two.

I am hoping to read more from sparks house, especially the sister getting their own stories.

I have thoroughly enjoyed other Helena Hunting books before, so this was a bit of a disappointment. I did not feel chemistry between the main characters, they way they got together was awkward, I felt like the big event that eventually tore them apart was extremely forced, and I HATED how the female MC took credit for the male MC completely overreacting (and she had others telling her to apologize/she was in the wrong, too!).

Avery and Declan have been platonic friends since they first met in college. They've been roommates for the past two years but become even closer when Avery is injured in a car accident and Declan feels responsible - he was supposed to drive her that day - and becomes her round-the-clock caregiver. Their forced proximity and the like lead to....sparks flying. (Only I guess I didn't feel the sparks!) Can Avery and Declan navigate a relationship when she begins to heal and they leave the bubble of their condo?

Avery and Declan have been best friends forever. When Avery is in a bad accident, Declan blames himself and decides he will take care of Avery until she recovers. As he is taking care of her, things change. They become more than friends. Will that affect their friendship if they take it further? Declan is afraid that he can't do anything permanent because his parent's marriage was a complete train wreck. Can they make it?

This is a classic friends-to-lovers story with all the best elements of one.
Both Avery and Declan are likable characters with enough believable flaws to make them relatable. They also interact with secondary characters that are also interesting, so every scene is full of interactions that you enjoy reading.
It's the type of plot where you pretty much know where everything is going, but Hunting applies her magic and makes it interesting, which combines with the likable characters and winds up as a very enjoyable read.
Many happy thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the read!

I really enjoyed this second chance romance story. Helena always writes romances with a lot of sizzle and this one had it all! The chemistry was on point and really made me wonder what took so long for these two to get together! So cute and Helena fans will enjoy it!

This was a cute friends to lovers romance!
I am a fan of Helena Hunting’s writing style!
Steam- 🔥🔥 (Low)

Avery and Declan have been best friends since college and are currently roommates.

Something happens to Avery and she needs help after so Declan is there for her and nursing her while she recovers. The way he takes care of her was so sweet. 😍

Along the way, a spark appears and then the romance begins. I liked this part of the book and seeing how the characters were together in a intimate way vs when just being friends.

Of course it’s not always a smooth ride from friends to lovers, so they enter road blocks along the way. Especially with Declan’s past and not knowing how relationships work.

After working out their struggles I thought the story ended in a good note. It was a sweet and real story of falling in love with your best friend!

My Review of When Sparks Fly by Helena Hunting

Avery Spark, and Declan have been best friends from the time they met in College. Both successful in their careers. They purchased a Condo together, both enjoy playing soccer, hanging out with their mutual friends, and solve the weekly crossword puzzle together, while remaining friends. Unfortunately, they both have been scarred by family situations. Avery's parents died in a car accident during a rain storm, so she hates driving long distance during those weather conditions. Declan is a child of divorce, and saw the constant betrayal between his parents, so doesn't believe in romantic love. Declan's pretty much a man whore. Women come and go in his life.

Avery, and Declan are forced into a more intimate situation when Avery has a near fatal accident, and Declan volunteers to take care of her. During this time period they both realize they've ignored the feelings they have for each other, and decide to give an exclusive relationship a try. Things happen and their fragile love is put to the test, and Avery moves out. Will Avery, and Declan be able to work out their trust issues, and realize that sometimes you have to work, and fight for your HEA?

I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.

I've read a few other books by this author and really enjoyed them so I was excited to read her new release! Helena Hunting is an interesting author to me because she spans the genre between more steamy (her Pucked series from what I remember is on the steamier side) to very low steam level. This book was on the lower side and I have to say I thought there was a lack of chemistry really between the protagonists. They definitely were well suited for each other and it was still a romantic story but I just didn't necessarily buy into there being a strong attraction between the two of them. Other than that I thought this book was pretty good. I liked the plot - it was different from a lot of others in the romance genre and I found it pretty original. I would recommend it, especially if you like romance that is a little less graphic!

Loved every page of Avery and Declan! These two besties who became more than friends. After Avery's car accident things start to turn for these two after Declan starts taking care of her. These two and their witty banter had me laughing out and loud and I loved how slowly things between them started to heat up. Declan, his character was a bit to crack into since he's been hurt in the past he brought all of his fears with him. I loved everything about Avery and her relationship with her family is awesome!! When these two finally get their act together I couldn't put this book down. Their story is laugh out loud funny, swoon worthy and highly addictive. I cannot for more to come by Helena Hunting!!

5 Sparks When You Least Expect Them Stars!!!

This book is so much more than an unexpected love story, it’s a story of family, love, tradition, and yes, finding love with the last person you expected it to be with! Avery and Declan have been friends for several years and are in fact roommates which works perfectly for their lives. They’re both physically active in soccer leagues and have the same group of friends and there’s Avery’s two sisters, London and Harley who are everything to each other.

While there might’ve been an attraction between Avery and Deck in the past, neither acted on it. But that just might change on a fateful day that changes everything about everything that is in each of their orbits. I have to admit, I was really irritated with Deck when his actions resulted in a cataclysmic change for Avery. Because of this change, the guilt he’s feeling and that’s also being heaped on him by London and Harley was literally oozing from my kindle…and I’m not ashamed to admit I was on board with it!

One of the best highlights of this story in addition to Avery and Declan is The Spark House. The Spark sisters run an event company and there is no lack of chuckles with some of the events we get a birds eye view of that’s for sure… I mean things I never would’ve thought of LOL!

Back to Avery and Deck….when Avery begins her recovery, Declan is there every step of the way, even with the glares her sisters might be launching in his direction. Because of her injuries, Deck has to help her with every aspect of her life and because of this, she has no more humility and just when she doesn’t think it can get any worse, they cross a line that once again changes everything about their friendship in ways neither expected.

I loved how this dynamic changed as this part of their story progressed. There are moments of ecstasy and pain, love and joy and heartache. Both have internal fears that don’t allow them to truly open their hearts to love and because of this, they may lose each other permanently. I loved how Ms. Hunting developed this story. It’s not an easy recovery and the challenges that arise for Avery and Deck are not glorified. As a reader we can feel every bump in their road. The question is, will they overcome these obstacles and get a love that’s been simmering below their surface for quite a while? You’ll need to read this fabulous book to get all the answers!!

When Sparks Fly is a best friends to lovers romance that’s about two people helping each other heal in different ways. Friends to lovers isn’t my favorite trope because the conflict is usually the same, the “we shouldn’t because we don’t want to ruin our friendship” back and forth, but although that definitely played a part it wasn’t the main focus in their story.

Although I loved the strong, independent tomboy Avery from the get go, I was not a fan of Declan, even though I could see his charm. In the beginning I really felt like he deserved for everyone to be mad at him, but as things progressed his story really tugged at my heart strings and he ended up putting in all the work to redeem himself. Avery and Declan together had more than friends chemistry from the beginning that everyone saw except them, but it made their transition to an actual couple relatively easy. The ending for these two was just perfect and I loved how they got to their HEA.

While this book had me a little emotional due to what both Avery and Declan go through both in the past and present, it was still relatively light with a little bit of steam. I’m looking forward to what comes next with the Spark sisters!

When Sparks Fly is Helena Hunting’s newest release. We meet the Spark sisters Avery, London, and Harley, they are extremely close they lost their parents when they were younger. Together they are running Spark House an event hotel their family owns.
Avery met Declan their freshman year in college and they have been best friends since. After college they decide to get a condo together. I love their banter, they are very close and have the same interests. After Avery has a pretty bad car accident, when she comes home, she is not able to get around on her own. Declan steps up and takes care of her 24/7.
With lots of heart and a bit emotional this friends-to-lovers romance is a roller-coaster ride to a HEA!!
The epilogue was super sweet. This is a standalone novel, but looks like we will be heading back to Sparks House for other sister’s stories.

Friends to lovers can be hit or miss for me, but Avery and Declan drew me in from the start. The progression to more than friends, while a bit sudden, felt inevitable for these characters.

Declan in particular had some baggage and major issues he needed to deal with, and I really appreciate that when that all came to a head, they didn't just instantly fix everything and wrap it up in an unlikely HEA. They took the time to work through things (yay for therapy) and rebuild the friendship before moving back into a relationship. This really helped me believe that happily ever after was in the cards for these too.

This story had a few humerous moments, but it's not the rom-com that Ms. Hunting is known for. Absolutely nothing wrong with that, just don't go into this expecting Pucked or Kiss My Cupcake. This story is, however, sweet and heartwarming, and a good start to what I assume is a new series.

I always have warm and fuzzy feelings when I read a friends to lovers romance. And it became so much fun where these two were already roommates with that chemistry that just needs a push! The characters were fun, likable, humorous and well written. But it also touched my heart. It definitely entertained me page after page. Avery and Declan have captured my little old heart and made me smile.

I notoriously adore this author. This book did not disappoint. Hunting always has a great amount of laughter, romance, and spice. This did not disappoint. Hunting is an automatic read for me and I'm so glad to have read this title. 5 stars across the board.

When Sparks Fly is the latest fun and quirky story by Helena Hunting. Without sharing spoilers, the direction the story took early on kind of threw me for a loop. While it didn't turn me off entirely, it was a bit of an unexpected letdown and set the tone for the rest of the story. With that said however this book was enjoyable and filled with numerous laugh-out-loud moments, despite the heaviness at times regarding mental health and auto accidents.

Eu gosto muito dos livros da autora, então fiquei ainda mais empolgada quando soube qual seria a trope da história: friends to lovers. Avery mora com o seu melhor amigo Declan há uns dois anos e tudo permanece bem assim até que, após um vacilo do protagonista, ela se vê dirigindo sozinha num dia de chuva e sofre um acidente.

Sentindo-se culpado, Declan muda sua vida para ajudar Avery em sua recuperação. Eles acabam permanecendo 24h por dia durante um bom tempo juntos, o que acaba resultando em muita tensão e faíscas entre os dois. O tipo de aproximação deles muda e não é inesperado quando os dois acabam juntos de alguma forma.

Contudo, Declan tem problemas com relacionamentos devido a traumas familiares. Ele quer fazer dar certo, mas ambos temem sair dessa bolha que criaram, pois além do romance, não querem que a amizade deles sejam destruída.

Eu tive um problema em me conectar com o casal, talvez por ter ficado muito chateada com a atitude do protagonista no início da história. Há também um certo acontecimento na reta final que não gostei, apesar de ter previsto isso acontecer, dado que o Declan em algum momento teria seus demônios jogados contra ele.

O lado bom é que a autora incluiu a necessidade da terapia para o personagem, afinal, amor não cura tudo, não é? Achei importante abordar isso na história.

Há outros personagens na história que são a rede de apoio do casal. Fiz algumas teorias para alguns livros futuros, mas ainda não sei se a autora irá escrever. O epílogo é bem fofo e acredito que os fãs de friends to lovers possam curtir o livro.

Avery and Declan met their freshman year in college, and have been best friend since he picked Avery in the breakup between her and their mutual friend Sam. After college, they became roommates. They continued to hang out with the boys, of which Avery is an honorary member, and do their own thing. For Avery, that thing is working nonstop to make her family business a success. For Declan, it’s working hard in finance and playing hard with a revolving door of beautifully manicured women. When Avery gets into a car accident because Declan plays tie hard one night and forgets his plans with her, she has to have surgery on several broken limbs. She’s left immobile so Declan takes off work to care for her and assuage his guilt. The forced proximity and increased intimacy soon blurs the lines of their relationship.

I am a hard-core Helena Hunting fan. There’s pretty much nothing she can write that I wouldn’t want to read. When Sparks Fly is proof why. The genuine emotion between these characters jumps from the page. The entire story reads like a metaphor. It’s a collection of all the little things that makes someone love another. Declan and Avery have all of these love pieces and clues lying around their home. It all clearly spells out their affections, but they haven’t put the energy into putting them together. The crossword puzzles they share throughout the novel, echo the missing pieces of their relationship. It’s beautiful, really. And it becomes the most beautiful when the two of them have to scrutinize those pieces. Before the denouement, the story lacks much of the tension I’m used to feeling in her writing. Since I have read and re-read my favorites from her so many times, my rating on this one is a bit skewed. It’s a great read. It’s just not Hunting’s best. It’s more like a starter novel for people looking to appreciate her full catalogue.

My thanks to NetGalley and St.Martin’s press for the eARC I received of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

I haven't read a Hunting book in so long and this was as predictable and enjoyable and fluffy as I expected it to be. It was so much fun and flirty and sexy and a really sweet friends to lovers story. I enjoyed it very much and I flew through it. Now to get back into reading more of Hunting's books!

When Sparks Fly by Helena Hunting has quite a few of my fave tropes including friends to lovers! Avery and Declan have known each other since college and have always had a great friendship. They even live together after college and 🚨 caretaker trope alert 🚨 Declan looks after Avery when she gets into an accident. The awkward and intimate moments that arise when he looks after her was just adorable.

This is where things take a downturn for me though. I don’t really enjoy books where things can be solved if the characters JUST COMMUNICATE and Declan’s jealousy and insecurity about his relationship with Avery leads him to make some questionable decisions. YMMV.

There were definitely super cute and steamy scenes whilst Avery was home bound and recovering from her accident. That was probably my favourite part of the book- watching their chemistry build up even further and finally admitting their feelings for each other and we get to see sparks fly. But as their forced close proximity comes to an end with Avery’s recovery, we start to see more issues arise and they have to learn how to be with each other and have a healthy relationship. Declan pisses me off as he becomes a real jerk, as his behaviour spirals to asshole territory over another misunderstanding. I found it more frustrating than fun to watch them muddle through their journey to their HEA.

Overall, this was a cute read, if you squint and ignore some plot inconsistencies. (It niggled at me, but it honestly wasn’t too bad!)