WHEN SPARKS FLY - Helena Hunting

Friends to Lovers - 4 stars

Plot - 4 stars - When Declan misses a trip with Avery, a major accident occurs and they have to figure out how to rebuild their friendship.

Writing - 4 stars - I was caught up in the story right away. The characters were very appealing, right from the start, and I could see where the story possibilities were and couldn't wait to see if I was right.

Characters - 4.5 stars - This is where the story shone for me. Avery is a strong and attractive woman, very close to her sisters and working with them to build the family business of Spark House. Her best friend is Declan, who is hot and cute and very dependable, except for this one time. Now they are thrown together in an unnaturally close situation because of her accident, and it is complicating their relationship and threatening their friendship.

Title - 4 stars - A clever play on words referring to the Sparks name as well as romantic sparks.

Cover - 3 stars - Although the color is eye-catching, the font is so super large that it distracts the eye rather than drawing it in. Less is more.

Overall - 4 stars - We meet the characters and get to know them right away. Then when the accident happens, it's easy to understand how their connection changes. The scenario made sense as did their conflicting feelings. I loved their willingness to work together, but it was also very understandable that they'd have major problems with their relationship because of their new dynamic. I occasionally felt that there was a little too much psychobabble, but mostly I enjoyed delving deeper into their thoughts and understanding the why behind their actions. It was an emotionally-charged situation that offered a lot of opportunities for romance, support, and tension. Secondary characters of Avery's sisters and their mutual friends added dimension and interest. I'm surprised this book is listed as a standalone since it would be excellent to learn more about Avery's sisters and their love lives in future books.

When Sparks Fly is an instant yes from me. Helena Hunting's books are always so sweet, and the chemistry between her characters is always on point.

It was no different in this novel and I sped through it. Highly recommend to any fan of Hunting or romance.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I had high hopes for this book and I still do, as I really enjoy this author, but unfortunately I was not able to read this review copy. I tried it multiple times in multiple apps, but the print never got any bigger than microscopic. Ah well, I will certainly read it when it releases.

This is a sweet and spicy best friends to lovers romance that will leave readers swooning. I loved the characters of Declan and Avery, and there special bond. I also loved the relationship between Avery and her two younger sisters, Harley and London, with whom she co-owned Spark House, a hotel and event center. Helena Hunting knows how to bring the angst and deliver on the heat when the romance finally sparks. Such a great book!

Helena Hunting is a favorite author of mine and I was so excited to have the opportunity to read her latest book When Sparks Fly a little early (thank you Netgalley & St. Martins!) Let me tell you one of the reasons I adore Helena Hunting. Last year when the world went to crap, and everything was cancelled, I missed out on the opportunity to meeting Helena at Apollycon. Apollycon is a book convention put on by Jennifer L. Armentrout. Holy smokes was I excited for this convention because books and book people and more books. Anyway, Helena was a total peach and sent readers intending to have her sign their books bookplates and swag. It was really sweet, and I super appreciated it. So on to the book.

When Sparks Fly is a contemporary, friends to lovers romance. Avery and Declan have been buds since college and now own a condo together. They are both in love with the other but unwilling to change the status quo for a boatload of reasons on both sides. Something had to give right? Due to a series of emotionally challenged choices on Declan’s part. Avery is driving alone, in a storm, with bad tires. This is massively emphasized. Avery needed new tires and Declan is a dick. She gets into a car crash and ends up very physically broken. Declan pushes to be her caregiver out of love and guilt. A slow series of sexual shenanigans ensues with a side of inevitable heartbreak.

To paraphrase my new favorite instagrammer Samir, here’s what we love about this book:

Avery is not mad at Declan for the crash itself. She even makes my favorite point about accepting life’s vagaries (because superstition) that something worse could have happened if he had been there. Avery is mad at him because he treated her like garbage before the crash.

The romance was sweet and sexy. I really liked Avery and Declan’s relationship at the start because they had such a solid foundation and watching it grow into something new was nice.

Avery asked for what she wanted when she couldn’t get herself off. If you really want to help a girl, give her a handy. Lol I think this was my absolute, favorite part.

Everything was so real life-ish. Helena Hunting sticks to that theme in her books for the most part. The good and bad things that happen to her characters are regular and mundane parts of life. Even the car crash. It’s the relationships the characters have with each other that elevates the story.

Here’s what we hate about this book:

Everything was so real life-ish. These characters can’t catch a freaking break sometimes. I was getting a little pulled out of the story by the time the pot brownie video happened. Poor Avery is just having a really bad few months.

London, Avery’s sister was really overbearing and annoying. I wanted to like her because she is probably getting her own book but it was a struggle just to see her on the page.

The end was slow and rushed all at the same time. I get that Declan was trying to put in the work of making himself handle his interpersonal relationships in a healthy way but it started to bore me after a while. I don’t want to be bored at the end of the book. And then it was over. I think I could have used a little more “together time” at the end in addition to the proposal.

While I general enjoy Helena Hunting’s books, I am going to have to put this book aside for now.

I enjoy Declan and Avery’s friendship, but it just wasn’t working for me early on in the book. Im sure there will be a time when I’ll pick it up again, but for now, I’m going to DNF it.

Avery and Declan are best friends, ever since Declan's best friend cheated on Avery and made him choose one of them. They have a solid friendship built on loyalty and trust. Until, Declan lets Avery down in the worst of ways and she comes out with broken bones and can't take care of herself. When Declan comes to the rescue, mostly because he caused the trouble, they realize their love for each other may have been deeper than they both want to admit. There are ups (a lot of ups) and downs, leaving Avery living at her families hotel and commiserating with her sisters. Read this great book to find out if love is in their future.

Avery and Declan! So cute and so in denial. This was such a fun, short read that packed plenty of growth, romance, and chemistry. I honestly really enjoyed this and I loved seeing Avery and Declan grow and figure it all out. This was the perfect romance read for the summer, filled with a lighthearted, fluttery romance, but balanced with a deeper connection and growth.

If you love the friends-to-lovers trope then you'll love When Sparks Fly. If you're looking for a story that's incredibly unique, this might not be what you're looking for. However, if you're looking for a cute romance that makes you bubbly inside and roots for the OTP, then this is the one.

Helena Hunting always adds interesting tidbits to her stories which make them stand out amongst all the other romances that hit the shelves! In this one, readers will easily fall in love with Avery and Declan, former friends turned caretaker, turned new love interest! I love WHAT brought these two back together and watching them fall in love despite everything around them was really charming for me to "watch". I'll always recommend a Helena Hunting novel and that includes this one too!

I received an advanced copy of this novel from the publisher. This in no way affects my review or opinion.

I was SO excited to get an ARC of this book because when I saw Helena Hunting, I was in. When I saw she was also writing a friends-to-lovers story- I was SOLD.

I am always so impressed with Huntings ability to write a romantic comedy that is actually full of romance (and steam!) and actual comedy. I would read a grocery list that Hunting writes! Really enjoyed this book, just as I enjoy all of her writing. I highly recommend this read!

When Sparks Fly is a sweet and charming story, it introduces us to two best friends (Avery and Declan) that have over a decade of friendship. They live together and basically do everything with each other. Avery has an unfortunate car accident that Declan blames himself for and she needs a caretaker to help her get through it. Declan wants to be that person for her, as he's caring for Avery that's when you see "the sparks fly," their long friendship turns into something much more.

Helena brings in a very real element to this book that I loved. I don't want to spoil anything but I do love how it wasn't a pretty package from beginning to end, Declan and Avery deal with some emotional things that they need to work on. This was a sweet and sometimes emotional friends to lovers romance, which happen to be one of my favorite genres.

Friends to lovers romance about college friends who chose to be roommates with unresolved feelings to each other is the perfect recipe to keep someone glue to this story. The amount of sexual chemistry between these 2 was off the charts. It had you anticipating and waiting with baited breath for what was to come next.
Avery and Declan are sweet, sexy, meant to be from the beginning. But years of restraining themselves and past hurt make it hard for them to come clean to each other about their feelings.

Avery made the choice to date Dec’s college friend Sam instead of him because Dec is a known playboy. He is commitment phobic, one-night stands are his jam. Declan also is carrying huge baggage from his parents’ dysfunctional relationship. Avery experiences being cheated on by Sam and it is Dec who tells her. He also makes the choice to cut his entire relationship with Sam to support Avery. This connection between them, this wavering support is powerful in this story. This helps make their connection believable and relatable. You know that Avery and Declan are going to be each other’s everything.
As one Approached their 30’s perspective and who you are changes and matures…..
Avery is running Spark House: a hotel/ event center she’s inherited from her family she lost in traffic accident when she was teenager. She’s running the business with her sisters London and Harley. But she bought a condo with her best friend Dec and even though she’s harboring feelings she never crosses the lines with him. Avery doesn’t want to lose her friend because of her feelings. She cares so deeply for him. Her biggest fear is that her feelings are unrequited.

In the beginning I’m seriously angry at Declan! I have so many new names for him. For a while he was going to be a character that needed punched in the face. Seriously, right before their alumni gathering trip, he gets drunk and brings a random girl from the bar. He claims to have had reasons since he found out Avery goes on a hot date in a hot dress. But his response is to run to the bar for distraction! But it is so not cool. As Avery bangs on his room door in the morning, she realizes he’s still with the girl. Avery’s past trauma and her feelings seem to be an afterthought for Declan.

Everything that happens, happens for a reason but damn it, Declan need to grovel and big time repent. The evolution of their relationship from this point forward was engaging. Declan did come through in a big way. He does redeem himself.
The friend’s group in this romance is one of the things I love about romance. It is one of the things that keeps me engaged and coming back to the romance. The supporting characters give so much to the story and relationship. It really gives so much to the story. It also has you anticipating their own HEA’s.

I really did enjoy this story. It had a lot of depth that engaged you and had so many feelings. The spark and chemistry between these characters was fantastic. I could not wait for them to get together. I liked the sweet conclusion which was also clever. While I do wish there was more heat to the romance. I do feel it was a very well-done Friends to lovers romance. Helena Hunting is one of my all-time favorite authors. I enjoyed this story tremendously.

This one was a miss for me. Let's start with the good -- I liked the complex family dynamics with Avery's sister. I liked Spark House as a setting -- the hobby horse competition scene was hilarious. The early sexual tension between Avery and Declan is super great. The bad -- Avery is super into sports, and is "not like other girls." She prefers to hang with the guys because "they say what they mean." She's presented as unique because she has a voracious sex drive. So much of Avery's personality/character trades on super tired, sexist tropes and it really did not resonate.

Declan is also problematic out of the gate. Avery is heading out to a first date and he tries to convince her to change out of a sexy black dress into a shapeless shirt dress that hides her figure because he's jealous. We do not try to police women's bodies in this day and age!! One of the major plot points revolves around Declan's emotional baggage surrounding his parent's problematic marriage. While it's hinted at throughout the book it blows up in a very abrupt and under developed way to create the "conflict" near the end of the book. I needed it to be more developed throughout the book, since Declan goes from being a great boyfriend to a jealous rage monster in roughly 5 seconds.

Hunting is a clearly an engaging writer -- I kept reading even though the initial introductions to both characters turned me off. But overall, while this one wasn't really for me but I could see others enjoying.

Helena Hunting did it again!
When Sparks Fly had it all humor, charm, emotion and was one of my favorite Helena Hunting books! She has a gift with creating characters who are well developed and often times relatable. Declan & Avery are no exception! They are the best of friends from college who end up living together after school. When an accident occurs it will test their friendship. Are they meant to be more than friends? Will they survive how this accident challenges their friendship? Will they cross those lines? How will the accident change the course of their future?
Do yourself a favor, don't read all of the spoilers because it will ruin it for you.
I'm not one for spoilers, but I am here to give my honest opinion after reading this ARC. I loved this one, 4.5 stars for me because I could not put it down! It was the perfect summer read by the pool and I devoured this one in 2 days. When Sparks Fly does not disappoint, it will have you hooked from the start. Just make sure to set some time aside because you will not want to put this one down! Hint: slow burn, that's all I'll give!
Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for this digital ARC with me for my honest thoughts.

** spoiler alert ** The first 50% I loved! The chemistry between Declan and Avery was fantastic even before it turned romantic. When it got to the point of her having to masturbate after the accident it totally lost me. Really "have to masturbate" after a severe accident. She acted like it was worse not being able to get off than anything else. I really didn't like it. Add the fact that she guilted Declan into doing it for him - no thanks. Ok so why a 3 star and not lower. After that cringe-worthy part I did like the ending. Declan took responsibility for his actions, throughout the book actually. I also loved what he did at the end to try to win her back. For me this would have been a higher rated except for the masturbation need that just seemed over the top for me.

This was a good read for me. Not my favorite of Helena Hunting's, but was still good. She's able to work in humor into her stories that feels organic, and manages to make a romance read emotional but still fun. This was a really good story with a good friends to lovers premise.

Great story! Best friends stop fighting that they are in love in an unusual situation. It is nice to see how they explore their attraction and realize what they have had all along. I received an ArC from NetGalley and the publisher and this is my honest review.

When the author is Helena Hunting I already know I am going to devour the read. My expectations for her have been set and I doubt anything can change that. Ha!

Her "All In" series is one of my favorite series ever. So, as you do with favorite authors you just grab up any and all things you can of theirs.


Enter "When Sparks Fly."

I liked it. It was good. However, it wasn't what I typically feel when reading a Hunting novel. I didn't feel as connected to Declan and Avery as I typically do to her characters. The plot was fantastic but at times I felt it just too forced.

I enjoyed the aspect of fixing the big conflict and how Hunting managed that. The HEA didn't come easy and I can appreciate that.

Overall, it was just good. I had expected excellent but good is still good.

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the advanced copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

While not my favorite book by Helena Hunting (that's a hard list to crack), I very much enjoyed this one! I love the humor of Helena's writing and loved the setting for this one. Spark House was so charming! As always though, it's the emotional beats that always get me with Helena's writing and make it an absorbing romance read.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I really like Helena Hunting and this was a fun and easy romance. I rounded my review to 4 stars. It was a nice friends to lovers romance with sweet characters. There was lots of amazing sexual tension and attraction. The story dragged a tiny bit and I wasn't always completely immersed in Declan and Avery's story. The aspects that focused on mental health and therapy were great and needed.