This book has one of my favorite tropes, friends to lovers. I love Avery and Declan’s relationship and as they move from the friends to lovers category, you can feel the heat sizzle through the pages of this book. I think the story is even better because of their prior relationship with each other. Declan makes a mistake that kind of leads into the event that affects Avery but what I liked most about the book and Avery was that she wasn’t unforgiving or angry with Declan even though he was beating himself up over it. It was refreshing to read this perspective from the heroine when anyone in her place would be bitter and angry. The book gets even better as they go through a major conflict and the way Declan decides to resolve it. This book is utterly lovable and I highly recommend it. Seriously, just buy the book right now and thank me later.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review*

4.5 stars - How much do I adore friends to lovers romances, let me count the ways:

1. Solid history
2. Foundation of trust
3. Invested in each other’s feels
4. They’ve seen the previous relationship pitfalls
5. Heartstrings galore

When Sparks Fly ticks all these boxes, plus the hero and heroine couldn’t be more perfect for one another. He’s hot and knows it. She’s sexy and doesn’t seem to. There’s always been an attraction, but the friendship was just too precious to potentially ruin by trying for more. Then there’s a promised unfulfilled, an accident that could’ve been so much worse, and a reckoning that’s a long time coming. I LOVED IT!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Avery and Declan have remained fast friends and nothing more. She's too busy with her social and work calendars. Declan prefers to maintain his playboy, no commitment reputation. When Avery is in a car accident and needs a friend to care for her during her recovery, she realizes she may have had deeper feelings for Declan all along.

This had its ups and downs. The premise was promising, but I found the actual start to Avery and Declan's relationship a bit odd and farfetched. <spoiler> It got a little better once they actually got together <spoiler>. I did like seeing a couple that had to put in work to be together. Relationships require hard work individually and together. This was the first book I've read that showed that.

The emphasis on Avery being one of the guys was mildly annoying at first but became less of an issue as the story and her character developed. I appreciated the character development in this because the main characters had some serious self-reflection going on despite one being the "flawed" partner and the other being the "emotionally intelligent" partner. I enjoyed this new look at main couples in contemporary romances. Overall, a lighthearted romance that had a surprising amount of emotional depth to it.

Sparks definitely fly, threatening to incinerate this story's very own pages, as it unfolds!

Hunting delivers an adorable story, full of heat, strong relationships, and always a good dose of humor.

You don't need to look any further for your next guilty pleasure. Make sparks fly in your own life by reading this gem.

As Always, Happy Reading!

"5/5 Beaming Brains!" - Lit-Up My Mind's

When Sparks Fly will take you on the journey from friendship to love. The characters have issues that they kept locked in the backs of their minds. After events leading to self decovery they have to rebuild their lifes.

**Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**
When Sparks Fly is a cute friends-to-lovers story about Avery, a young woman who owns an event space with her two sisters. Her roommate/best friend Declan is an important part of Avery's life, but they had never crossed the boundaries of their friendship. When Avery is involved in an accident and needs someone to care for her every need, Declan steps up to help. Before long, Avery and Declan begin to develop feelings towards each other and soon the lines between friends and something more start to blur. What follows is a sweet, light hearted romance that kept me turning the pages throughout. Although this book was not as steamy as some of Hunting's other romance novels, this one kept me interested and I became invested in the characters. I would recommend for those who enjoy the friends-to-lovers trope!

This is a cute friends to lovers read. I absolutely fell in love with Avery (and her sisters – I want to read London’s story next!). She is so determined and I can completely relate to always trying to do too much on my own rather than asking for help. When she does not have a choice but to ask for her best friend Declan’s help after a car accident it goes against her every instinct. Declan does everything he can to take care of Avery and reading about how their friendship turns into something more was so fun to read. They both have messy romantic pasts that make their relationship seem unlikely, but I adored how everything unfolded between them. They had tons of chemistry and did so many little things that were unique and adorable to their relationship. At the end, I felt that things slowed down a lot and while I understood the way the book turned, I wished it had moved along a little bit faster. Overall, it was still a great friends to lovers romance.

I don't read the synopsis' of Helena Hunting's books because I go into them expecting to enjoy them no matter what. Unfortunately, I very much did not enjoy When Sparks Fly.

I'm not even going to go into a story recap because it would turn into a rant about the male lead man child Declan, who I absolutely could not stand. I did like Avery, but that was largely in part to the fact that I've been in her shoes. Major car accident, no independence, long rehab, and fears of being in a car again, been there and done that, so I found her quite relatable.

The romance part of this friends to lovers romance was in my opinion lacking. Where was the angst or the secret pining between friend? When the intimacy finally happens halfway through the book, it's well written . Yet no matter how sweet his words were during or how smooth his moves were, my disliked for Declan soured them for me.

In the end I appreciated all the work Declan put into really fixing himself and his grand gesture was cute but it wasn't enough to save the book for me. The climax and everything that followed was a bit predictable. I can see some readers really enjoying When Sparks Fly . Sadly I'm not one of them, but that won't stop me from reading Helena Hunting's future releases.

I really enjoyed this romcom from Helena Hunting. It was an interesting new twist on the best friends to lovers trope and I liked it. I appreciated the growth both characters had to do to be together.
My only issue was that his issues were a little stronger than hers and it seemed like he worked through them pretty fast, but it still was clear that he did put in the work so it ended up okay.
Overall this was a fun read with a little steam and some deep emotional work. Definitely recommend!

I have been a fan of Helena Hunting for a while now. I have read and re-read her books multiple times. This book is no different. From the very beginning I was hooked on Avery and Declan's story. Best friends since college who now live together, they are planning to visit their alma mater for a meeting to secure a sponsorship for her and her sister's event business. On her drive to the meeting tragedy strikes and Avery is in a car accident, partially due to Declan not going with Avery. With a broken arm and leg, Avery needs around the clock assistance while she heals. Declan steps in and takes on the task. From the moment Declan steps up, he realizes that his feeling for Avery are anything but friendly.

Full of friendship, heartache, humor, and more, this book packs a punch and leaves you begging for more. I can't wait to see what Helena has in store for future books. Hopefully Avery's sisters, London and Harley, get a story along with Jerome and Mark.

When Sparks Fly
by Helena Hunting

📚💕⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💕📚

BFF TO FOREVER?

Omg Helena Hunting did an amazing job with When sparks fly. The natural progression and intensity between Avery and Declan is absolute perfect. The writing is flawless, and the words are so captivating, the plot had so many twists and turns and none that I was expecting, and many shocking moments. I really enjoyed this book and it kept me engrossed throughout. I really loved the characters and the way they interacted with each other. This is a fun, hot, romantic must read book and I would definitely recommend this book to

Authors Blurb: Avery Spark is living her best life. Between her friends, her sisters, and Spark House, the event hotel her family owns, she doesn’t have much time for anything else, especially relationships. She’d rather hang out with her best friend and roommate, Declan McCormick, than deal with the dating scene. But everything changes when she is in a car accident and needs someone to care for her as she heals.

Declan avoids relationships, giving him a playboy reputation that he lives up to when he puts a one-night stand ahead of a promise he made to Avery. While he may not have been the one driving the car, he feels responsible for Avery’s injuries and is determined to make it up to her by stepping into the role of caretaker.

Little did they know that the more time they spend in compromising positions, the attraction they’ve been refusing to acknowledge becomes impossible to ignore. When they finally give in to the spark between them, neither is prepared for the consequences. Their love is fragile and all it will take is a blow from the past to shatter it all.

This book has everything I love in a book. Then you add that it's beautifully written and believable. It is easily a five star read. Written in dual POV my personal favorite this story flows so incredibly well that the next thing you know your 80% into the book and loving every second of it. The believable way the characters interact is perfect. Run, Hop, Jump or use your (1 click) finger to do whatever you have to do and get this amazing book. It'll break your heart, you'll want to scream with frustration and it'll let you discover that love just might conquer all. The chemistry is steamy and sweet and oh so romantic.

Thanks Netgally for letting me read and review.📚💕

Declan and Avery are now my favorite literary couple! Their steamy love affair begins under a difficult set of circumstances, as Avery is involved in a car accident and Declan who is her friend and roommate steps up to assist in her recovery, but ends up being a lot more than that.

Avery Spark and Declan McCormick have been best friends since college. One of Declan's random hook ups leads to him backing out of plans with Avery the next morning. Avery ends up getting into a bad car accident after the changed plans. Overwhelmed with guilt, Declan insists that he be the one to help her recover in the condo that they share. For weeks, Declan has to help Avery with all of her basic needs. Their constant close proximity and compromising situations leads them to see each other in a new light and they begin to cross the line out of the friend zone. They both know that hooking up with your best friend can end in disaster, but they can't resist wanting to explore this new side of their relationship.

This friends-to-lovers romance was really enjoyable! When Declan begins taking care of Avery, he is attentive, thoughtful, and he jumps in with both feet to give Avery whatever she needs. He really steps up to the plate in a way that she doesn't expect and it is very sweet. I kind of felt bad for the guy because he was trying so hard and he was still feeling so guilty! The progression of their relationship from friends to lovers was natural and I really enjoyed those first few steamy scenes where they were nervous and excited.

Declan and Avery's break up and subsequent reunion was one of the best that I can remember reading in a while. I loved that Hunting took her time in having the characters work through some of their major issues before they got back together. It made me feel like they belonged together and the road back to each other was heartwarming. The HEA in this book had me swooning!

Steam level: 🔥🔥½ - 🔥🔥🔥
⚠️: grief, car accident, infidelity

I love Helena Hunting’s writing and a good friends to lovers story so I was excited to pick this one up. It had it’s cute, sweet, and steamy moments, and I loved a lot about the first half, but the last half didn’t work great for me.

Avery and Declan have been best friends since college and are currently roommates. There has never been anything romantic between them, but Avery gets in an accident that has her depending on someone most of the time for healing. And that someone becomes Declan.

I enjoyed this part of the book a lot. Watching Declan realize his feelings for Avery, him trying to make up for the accident which he feels to blame for, and especially watching things change and grow in their relationship. When Avery was mostly back to normal and started to go back to work etc things started to shift for me.

The book kind of lost that spark for me. It wasn’t bad by any means, just all the tension and those moments between Avery and Declan were gone. Add in the hero jumping to conclusions and things crumbling for a while as well as a few interactions with London (her sister) that bugged me, this one just ended up being okay for me.

I did enjoy the epilogue a lot and I think many romance readers will enjoy this friends to lovers story!

Honestly, I was disappointed. This book had potential with a good story line; however, the author's transitions between the platonic and sexual relationship between the two main characters was choppy at best. It was sorely predictable, as well. It did have a nice story line, and the romance was hot.

Avery and Declan had been friends since college and no matter what life brought their way, they were always there for each other. Declan was a bit of a playboy and I was surprised that Avery never got upset when he paraded his latest “date” through their condo. His reckless and thoughtless behavior created the perfect storm for Avery’s horrifying accident. In his heart, Declan knew he should have stayed home that night and now he was left with picking up the pieces of their broken friendship while praying for Avery’s forgiveness.

Avery rarely complained while she was recuperating but she did feel helpless, which was hard for her to deal with. She was an on-the-go kind of girl and being immobile and dependent on Declan was humiliating and depressing. Avery was tired of Declan apologizing to her about the accident. He was overcome with guilt and she was worried that he would never get past it. Declan may have not experienced much love growing up but being surrounded by Avery’s brightness and happiness made him a better man. They were best friends and soulmates who shared crossword puzzles, their love of watching sporting events, and they even knew each other’s favorite food. That sounds like a match made in heaven to me!

Declan had trust issues when it came to falling in love and commitment. As he nursed Avery back to health, his true feelings for her surfaced and he wasn’t sure if he could make her happy or if he was even capable of having a real relationship. Declan was afraid of ruining their friendship but it was impossible to ignore the truth: he couldn’t envision a life without Avery at his side. He would do everything in his power to heal her, protect her and be the man she deserved.

I'm a huge fan of Helena Hunting, so getting a copy of this book was super exciting to say the least. It was phenomenal. Absolutely loved it!

Helen Hunting is one of those authors where you automatically buy her books when you see she has a new one out. She is one the best in this genre. I loved this story. The characters were likable and relatable. It was easy to fall in love with this story. I found myself smiling at every cheesy moment. This was a delightful rom-com!

What a cute, easy read! I really enjoyed this book, so much so that I found myself losing track of time and staying up into the wee hours of the morning, more than once.

I easily connected to Avery and Declan and found myself rooting for both of them throughout. Thanks to the dual POV’s showcased in the book, it was easy for me to empathize with both and see things through their eyes.

I really enjoyed the character growth both characters experienced over the course of the book too, especially Declan’s. It was so refreshing to see a male protagonist with that “player” reputation care so deeply for someone. He made his mistakes but did everything he could to not only make up for them, but grow from them.

The only complaint I have is I felt like some beats were glazed over. I loved the slow burn building up to the characters getting together and the ending was oh so satisfying, but I wish more time could’ve been spent on the in between. I was interested to see more of the couple actually being together (post slow burn) before the inevitable angst that tore them apart.

All in all, I really liked the book though. I’ll probably read it again, and will totally recommend it to others!

I honestly like this book. Hunting provides a real life view of relationships and the baggage that comes along with it. The struggles of what life brings and how we handle them, plus tackling past hurts that affect the decisions and feelings we display to those we want to be close with. This is a great summer read or the "I don't want to get off the couch" read. Because we all have those days. Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.