I fell utterly and completely in love with this book. Friends to loves stories are always challenging, with histories and obstacles that get in the way—and that was certainly true about Avery and Declan. But I loved watching their relationship evolve and change more than once over the course of this book. I swooned, i sighed, I worried, and above all else, I felt all of the emotions swirling between them.

This is an excellent friends to lovers story, and Avery and Declan have a complicated past which makes for a bumpy ride along their love story. They have great chemistry, and even though there was more angst and emotions than some of Helena’s books, I appreciated the complexity of this story. It was a wonderful read.

Okay, two characters in which I was hesitant to dive into because of the synopsis. And with time, something that is brand new to me when it comes down to Helena, Avery and Declan have a past connection that brings them to the present of loving each other.

This was a sweet romance, and I am looking forward to see if Helena has more in stock for Avery's sisters!

I'm sad to say that When Sparks Fly wasn't for me, but I also have to say that I think much of my review boils down to personal preference. I found the characters underdeveloped and two-dimensional and the writing matter-of-fact and tell-not-show. I saw potential for this book to be more meaningful and well-rounded, but in the end I was left unsatisfied. Some of the statements the characters made about women that weren't the protagonist or her sisters also disturbed me; I felt that they promoted internalized misogyny I was uncomfortable reading about. The resolution of the plot was also illogical and damaged much of the character development for both protagonists.

That being said, I know many other readers had a much more positive experience with this book than I did, and I encourage all readers to give this book a chance. I think my one-star rating doesn't fully capture all of the elements of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I will post this review to my blog and to my Goodreads promptly.

I'm ambivalent concerning this book.

So I'm gonna list the things that I really liked:
- The author did an amazing job showing us a realistic relationship, with its ups and downs. They screwed up, owned up to it and worked on it. I particularly liked how it wasn't magically fixed after saying I'm sorry.
-It left me with a hopeful feeling about overcoming hardships

Things I didn't love:
- Declan. I just didn't fall in love with him.
-The sisters. It seemed like each one represented an archetype, they were a bit flat.

There are many promising aspects to this friends-to-lovers story, but the last portion of the book just didn’t do it for me.

Overlooking Declan’s despicable behavior and lame excuse at the beginning of the book, his friendship with Avery is quite enjoyable. There is an ease between them that only best friends who know each other’s strengths and flaws—and accept them—have. I melted at Declan’s attentiveness to Avery while he is helping her recover, and how he repeatedly proves just how well he knows her likes and dislikes. The reason for them crossing the line into friends-with-benefits is rather cringeworthy, but I liked them together as a couple and enjoyed the bit of steam.

Overall, the first half of the book is entertaining and then out of nowhere Declan has a personality transplant. It drastically changes the tone of the story and not in a good way. The plot goes down a path that failed to hold my interest and severed my investment in the couple. Conflict could have been introduced in a less extreme way that would have been more believable and enjoyable.

I admired Avery’s amazing problem-solving skills when it comes to her job, but I was baffled by why she takes the blame for other people’s poor decisions. I wanted to shake her sometimes. Regardless, she can always count on her sisters to have her back. I liked their relationship and how each one is distinctly different. I also enjoyed the camaraderie in Declan and Avery’s friend group.

It’s safe to say this book is a mixed bag of feelings.

Before we get into the review, I have to say a big thank you to both NetGalley and the publishers at St. Martin’s Griffin for giving me the e-ARC for this fun Rom-Com in exchange for an honest review. When Sparks Fly is about best friends and roommates Declan and Avery who have stuck through each other throughout college and into their adult life. One day, Avery is in a car accident that Declan blames himself for so while she’s recovering he takes care of her every need. But the transition from friends to lovers doesn’t always go smoothly. When Sparks Fly is out on September 21st and is available for pre-order now.

I absolutely loved the premise for this rom-com. I came in expecting mutual pining and angst and a lot of “oh my god they were roommates” feelings. And I would say the first half of this novel really satisfied that part of my brain. From there we see a relationship form that was really cute. And we also explored what that meant when Avery is finally able to go about life as normal and they left the little bubble they had created. I thought Avery and Declan were both really well rounded characters who definitely had their flaws, but who tried to see the best in each other even when they didn’t always agree with one another. I also appreciated that the sex scenes weren’t fade to black or watered down too much and didn’t go too far in the opposite direction either.

My struggle with this one mostly stems from third act issues for me. I think that the major conflict makes sense for everyone’s background and baggage. But it felt like it was a little blown out of proportion. We also see them heavily emphasize going to therapy and to not try to fix a relationship when you’re still having your own issues to work out. But that was so heavy handed that it made the cute ending feel less satisfying.

The most shocking thing for me when it came to this book was when the accident happened. I was less than 60 pages into the novel and already crying which is completely abnormal for me. There was another moment later in the novel that also got me crying. So, the author does a great job of putting me in my feels at least. I’m ready to pick up more of her books and see if we can keep jerking at those tears.

I enjoyed reading this book.
The beginning was a little slow, but the story got better the more I read.
When Sparks fly is a little sad, sweet, funny and a tad nerve biting.
It's a friends to lovers story with a slow build up, a car accident being the catalyst to the sparks.

I enjoy Helena Hunting's books and this title was no different. The story was cute and I liked the character interactions. I think the book was a bit choppy and slightly unbelievable at times, but it's a romance novel and we're reading it for the story!
I read this one in a couple of sittings and would reccomend it.

Avery and Declan are likable. Nice comes to the forefront, but nice is not terribly exciting. The plot point that changes the environment for Avery and Declan is believable, but there is not enough rousing sentiment to pull the reader into the story. The characters are post-college, yet the tone skews younger making them seem juvenile. This quality leads to tediousness and a flat narrative. There is some heat between the characters but not enough to sustain a spark or a flame for long. If reformatted. this book could work for a junior reader.

In When Sparks Fly, we meet Avery and Declan, friends since college, and housemates now. When tragedy strikes, they will find a new balance in their lives and their relationship.
Overall rating: 3.5

If you enjoy friends-to-lovers, forced proximity and caretaker tropes, strong female MCs, and you don't mind flawed love interests, then this is the book for you.

I love Helena Hunting's books. Meet Cute, and Kiss My Cupcake were two of my favorite romances of last year. But sadly this one didn't meet the same mark for me.

First of all, it's not easy for me to buy into a friends-to-lovers. Either, the attraction has to be there from the get go with a solid reason why they stayed friends instead, or we need to see the relationship grow on the page as they realize they could be more. I don't think When Sparks Fly delivered on either. We can see that they're mildly attracted to each other and are in denial about it. But when they take that step into a sexual relationship, it still came out of nowhere for me.

The main issue for me was that when the big conflict hit Declan was so out of order and I was so offended on Avery's behalf that I just wanted her to move on. To make matters worse, the author clearly didn't feel the same because Avery actually finds a lot of fault in herself instead of calling out Declan's bs for what it is. Which offended me even further. The resolution to the conflict felt awkward to me as well. How they tackled their reconciliation while cute, just did not make sense to me, it felt forced.

Putting those two issues aside, there was also a lot that I enjoyed. I really liked Avery as a character. She was smart, strong-willed, knew what she wanted and was a badass at her job. Such a great MC.

Also, while one of the sisters really grated me, I loved the relationship Avery and her two sisters had and how supportive they were of each other. This is the kind of sisters I always wanna see in books (and in real life).

Most of Declan and Avery's scenes were quite cute, I loved their tradition of doing crosswords together. Also, Declan is just AMAZING at taking care of Avery. He might not be a good significant other, but he's an incredibly loyal and giving friend. If you like the caretaker trope, you're in for a massive treat! I can easily say that despite the fact that I thought their relationship didn't have a good evolution, they gave me smiles all the way. Until the main conflict this book was 4 stars or more for me.

When Sparks Fly by Helena Hunting is a cute, sweet, and cozy read with friends to lovers theme. Don’t forget about emotional moments and steamy ones too. I love the whole idea and concept of Avert and Declan’s story. How one dangerous accident can change your view and feelings toward your best friend. Both Avery and Declan were interesting heroes and their slowly blossoming relationship was amazing to experience.

I have to admit, there were some ups and downs. I am not a fan when a “breaking” point in a story is caused by heroes' too fast judgment and tunnel vision. Where I can understand Declan’s reasoning, he and Avery had a strong foundation in a relationship. But because of this, their reunion was even sweeter and precious. I was smiling so wide when Declan decided to fight for Avery's heart but also their friendship.

Overall the sparks flew when I read When Sparks Fly. Besides amazing heroes, the supportive ones were interesting too. It was a pleasure to read Avery and Declan’s love story

Helena Hunting is one of my favorite authors and friends to lovers is my favorite trope. I was so excited to read When Sparks Fly and it did not disappoint! Declan and Avery were fire and the storyline was *chefs kiss* SO good. I didn’t love Averys sisters….in fact they got. On. My. Nerves. Other than them, I LOVED Hunting’s latest.

This was a really enjoyable story from Helena Hunting and also surpringly emotional.
I was mainly interested in reading this because friends to lovers is one of my favorite romance tropes and it didn't disappoint, I thought Avery and Declan had really good chemistry and trulu shared a connection. Now I wasn't a big fan of Declan's actions on a number of times even where I could see where it came of but it rubbed me the wrong way, but luckily it all works out and the good overcomes the bad.
So you can expect some angst from this book but there's also some funny moments, romantic and sexy ones too, it has a nice balance. I'd surely recommend reading it if you like contemporary romance.

From the first paragraph, I knew this book would be a good one. I immersed myself into the book from the first chapter and I cannot say enough good things about this book! Honestly amazing! The writing is incredible and the plot is just one to die for. I am absolutely obsessed with this book. My favorite part would have to be the character development throughout the book. Character development is something I look forward to and this book did not disappoint.

When Sparks Fly is adorable friends-to-lovers romance that left me questioning my own taste in men, and how I've never gotten to the point of being so precariously taken care of like Avery was. I've never read a friends-to-lovers before. I always thought the trope was a little weird. For me, the guys I've known since their voices dropped aren't people I could EVER imagine getting with. (Well... maybe one). And when I read the synopsis for this, I rushed through it, not catching on to Declan and Avery being friends. However, I'm so happy that I didn't get that part, because I adored this book.

Declan and Avery have been tight-knit friends since college, and have been roommates for years. When Avery gets into a serious accident, Declan takes it upon himself to tend to her every need as she's on the slow mend. Naturally, things take a turn as they get closer through this bond, and the lines between their friendship become blurred.

What I enjoyed so much about these two characters is how naturally their relationship progressed. Unlike most other romance novels, where it takes life altering choices or one night stand mistakes for someone to realize who they truly love, Avery and Declan resembled the closest thing to reality I think I've ever read. And I ate that shit UP. Her relationship with her sisters also dives into real world problems that many siblings run into, which was refreshing to read throughout the romance aspect of it.

Overall however, and the reason I didn't give it a five stars, is I felt the book was a little forgettable. I finished and felt complete, but wasn't rushing to recommend it to friends or add it to my top summer reads. Regardless of that fact, it was an adorable story that I do feel I'll go back to read on a rainy day. I'm very much interested in checking out Helena Hunting's other works!

“When Sparks Fly” is a first time read by Helena Hunting, new author to this reader. When I received this opportunity, I jumped right in and was not disappointed with the read. I was hooked and had to definitely finish as I had a hard time putting the book down.

Avery and Declan are best friends and are roommates who run the Spark House Hotel. Avery has little time for anything else and after an accident, Declan volunteers his services to assist. Well, there are compromising situations that turns their friendship into an intimate one that could jeopardize their relationship. I so love friends to lovers as a trope and this romance between the two just set a good feeling with me as I read the story.

It had all the makings of a good read…humor, steamy love scenes, and nicely written. I thought the characters in the story were well developed and the pace flowed on target for me. I also enjoyed the sub-characters that contributed well to the friendship and support for one another. The only drawback to this good story was the excess on the steamy love scenes. As I do enjoy a moderate bit of steamy romance, I think a little could go a long way without being an overkill.

A nice quick read that was heartwarming, witty and a lovely HEA. Recommend the read.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Griffin for this ARC in exchange for my fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book! This is my favorite Helena Hunting book I’ve read so far. Avery gets injured during a car accident and her best friend and roommate, Declan, takes care of her. As they spend time together, they start to develop feelings for each other. I loved the forced proximity and best friends to lovers tropes and I really liked both characters. The book was a little slow for me at the end but I loved the HEA and overall I really enjoyed it.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Not only did the first chapter in When Sparks Fly hook me but also turned my smiles into bellyaching laughter. And that’s only half of it. Hunting’s friends-to-lovers, forced proximity romance is steeped in emotion, her prose powerful, and her characters lovable. Throw an engaging storyline into the mix, and you’ve got one helluva read.

When womaniser Declan McCormick makes a careless error, guilt consumes him. But he can put things right by showing all-out compassion for his best friend and the co-owner of their property, Avery Spark. There’s nothing like a little stress release either, and ooh boy, does he add a sparkle to his responsibilities! Yes, Declan’s a pleaser, guarantees a good time and good-looking to boot.

Nevertheless, I did get a teeny-weeny irritated with Declan and Avery while observing them deal with their new situation. I wasn’t sure whether to give him a good talking to or give her a high five! That said, their sparks of passion excited me to the point of cheering them both on in some pretty gripping scenes. So, when the tough gets going, will they be able to stay friends?

I loved their mutual friends and the way Hunting delved into the running of the family business. However, there were times when I felt sisterly love and concern a tad overpowering. It was a case of if that were me, would I have handled it differently! There’s nothing like Hunting’s writing to get you thinking though. Also, a feel-good story told from a dual perspective in the present is my absolute favourite; the author delivering an interesting troupe of supporting characters being the cherry on the top.

Something Hunting knocked out of the park was the importance she gave to the fear of vulnerability and not just healing emotional wounds, but physical ones, too. How learning to overcome these setbacks is the best road to happiness.

Fingers crossed that we’ll hear more from the Spark House gals but in the meantime, grab this must-read book and enjoy! Bravo Hunting!

ARC kindly received from St. Martin’s Griffin via NetGalley for an honest review.

This is the first book I’ve ever read by Helena Hunting and it didn't disappoint!

I found it extremely easy to read and loved learning about Avery and Declan. They have such a strong bond as friends but when that bubbles into more, you can feel the hesitation from the both of them. They don't want to ruin the great relationship that they do have. I did, however, not 100% care for Declan. He constantly jumped to conclusions and some of his reactions to things seemed outlandish to me. He often went from 0 to 100 really quick which put me off a bit. But overall, I really did enjoy this book. You could feel the underlying attraction between the both of them, the friendship that they have was strong, and I loved the back and forth between them. I laughed, smiled and it left me with the best heartwarming feels. I can’t wait to read more from Helena Hunting!