I don’t think this has ever happened to me before with Helena Hunting… but I couldn’t gel with this that I ended up DNF’ing.
First of all, London and Jackson are adults… yet they cannot have a simple conversation. All the issues could have been resolved with a simple conversation like any adulting adult would do… so I ended up getting frustrated with them both.
Then there’s London’s older sister Avery, I didn’t really like her in her own book (When Sparks Fly) but in this.. Gah! What a cow!
Maybe I’ll give this another go some other time, but at present, this just seems to irritate me :(

*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book*

To start, I freaking love these sisters. The realness between their relationship is bang on. They help one another, they fight with one another, and they whole heartedly support one another.

Jackson and London are so great. Their relationship builds as it should. That man though, dude sure put her through the ringer sometimes 🤦‍♀️. Though I did love the depths he went to help and support London and her sisters.

Truly loved.

Starry-Eyed Love – Spark House #2
By: Helena Hunting
Release: May 10th – Out Now!

This segment of the Spark sisters was a nice follow up to the first in the series, When Sparks Fly. This second book focuses on London Spark and her journey to love with Billionaire Jackson Holt.

London is the Finance and Administration person for Spark House. While her passion is around creating unique experiences for customers and her Etsy business, the business role is where she was needed for the family’s company. While she’s much stronger than she gives herself credit, being in this role is both rewarding and taxing on her.

After turning Jackson down on a night out with her sisters, London finds herself in a business meeting with him and his company for a potential eco-friendly partnership. As much as they try to avoid it, lines get crossed between business and pleasure.

This book has love and betrayal. It has characters facing fears and learning to work through them in various cohesive units. Unfortunately, the dialogue keeps it from being a 5 star read like the first in the series. Conversations are disjointed and overly formal at times. At one point I think I said “Who talks like that” out loud. The plot and premise though are spot on.

4 stars

Thank you to @netgalley @smpromance @macmillian.audio @letstalkbookspromo and @getredprbooks for a copy of this book and audiobook in exchange for my honest review. Also, thank you to @berittalksbooks hosting the buddy read chat!

#books #bookishlife #booklover #readingisfun #iowabookstagrammers #iowabookstagram #netgalley #smpromance #macmillianaudio #starryeyedlove #sparkhouse #smpinfluencers #stmartinspress #letstalkbookspromo

London is the middle Spark sister and as such finds herself pulled in every direction. Running Spark House was not something she could see doing at least this early in life. When their parents died, life changed quickly. London is used to being the glue holding everything together and finds herself suppressing her feelings to accomplish the goals of Spark House. Jackson Holt is a self made billionaire that is kind of drifting through life. He is looking for more but is not completely sure what that means for him. There is certainly a spark between these two from the beginning.
I love that both of these characters are strong but also vulnerable. They find a lot of common ground but can often be confusing to each other. London stands up for herself with Jackson in ways she has not yet done with her own family. Her struggle with anxiety and feelings is completely relatable. The stresses her job responsibilities are creating are interfering with her daily life in unhealthy ways. Jackson is more outgoing and confident but he too has experienced great loss. He has no semblance of work-life balance and is unsure of how to handle relationships differently than business. Neither one of them wants to love and lose again.
This book picks up from the first, When Sparks Fly, but from London’s view. I think it is enlightening to see Avery and Declan’s relationship from her perspective. I also enjoyed that we see that Avery still has struggles. Even though you have found your HEA, not everything is going to be easy and stress free. London’s story contains a strong family element that encompasses all the Spark House strives to be. As their relationships and therefore family grows, Spark House must do the same.

Welcome back to Spark House for book two in the series, Starry-Eyed Love and those three amazing Spark women! This time it’s London’s turn at a happily ever after, so sit back and enjoy this sweet read as we are treated to another wonderful story filled with memorable characters that are easy to love.
It was a joy to witness London and Jacksonslowly move from a business relationship to their effortless friendship and on to love.
London loves her sisters and her family’s business but now that the business’s success is skyrocketing and her relationship with Jackson is developing into something she wants to pursue, she is feeling overwhelmed. Can she balance it all?
Jackson Holt, CEO and founder of Holt Media has been avoiding relationships and commitment until London enters his life, not once but twice. It must be fate and even though she turned him down once, he is relentless and determined to win her over.

I absolutely loved this book! She has fast became my fav author when it comes to good romance books! This was one book I didn’t want to stop reading and when I did I couldn’t wait to pick it back up!

Overall Grade: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Helena Hunting’s Starry-Eyed Love is the contemporary romance that you expect from her. This story is the follow-up one to her When Sparks Fly where we are introduced to the Spark sisters, Avery, London, and Harley. Struggling to take their generational hotel and events space, Spark House, to the next level, we find these ladies meeting their matches and falling in love. In her newest story, Hunting creates a sweet story for London Spark and Jackson Holt, a multi-media billionaire who champions sustainability, which happens to be a hallmark of Spark House. When these two meet, it’s instant chemistry, even though London spurns his invitation for dinner. Thanks to fate, they meet several months later when Jackson’s media conglomerate reaches out to the Spark sisters and invites them to engage in a partnership to connect them with green-friendly sponsorships. London and Jackson are instantly attracted to each other again, but given their business arrangement, they deny their attraction until they finish a charity auction held at Spark House. There is much back and forth between these two until they can no longer deny themselves. Thankfully, their resistance holds out until after the charity auction, and they fall head over heels for each other. Sadly, there are aspects of Jackson’s past that come forward to complicate a happy ending for these two; however, what is standard and foundational to this series of standalones is the loving relationship between Avery, London, and Harley.

While I don’t believe the Spark sisters’ stories (Harley’s is still to come) epitomize the depth of Hunting’s writing, they are easy, engaging reads that remind you of Hunting’s capacity as a writer. With When Sparks Fly and Starry-Eyed Love, however, there is a bit of her magic missing. I wondered in my review of When Sparks Fly if it's the influence of the more mainstream publisher. But the things that make you adore her Pucked series are missing in these stories. That aside, here’s what I loved about her newest book:

1. London is the stalwart of the sisters. She’s also made the biggest sacrifices of the sisters as she handles the business for Spark House when she’d prefer to be more creative. She does this out of the love and protection of her sisters. This instantly makes her admirable. It also makes it easy to see why Jackson falls hard for her. Her story becomes one about “shape” meaning she isn’t “shaped” to the business aspects of Spark House, and she struggles with anxiety in her role. When she’s being creative, we ‘see’ her shape, and it draws us emotionally to her because she spends much of Starry-Eyed Love denying herself. Thankfully, Jackson’s role in her life emboldens her to make better choices by its end. Her evolution engages you in her story.

2. Jackson isn’t as decidedly drawn as London. In fact, he’s troublesome because he has an integrity issue. As a business person, Jackson’s charisma is undeniable. He champions London to his business associates, and this makes him loveable. But he makes some unwise choices in his relationship with London. As a reader, you see the train wreck coming ahead of them, but you have to bear his ignorance. This sometimes undermines his loveability, unfortunately, because he appears careless. However, his past informs these choices, and you find it easy to forgive him for his foibles…eventually.

3. For me, London and Jackson’s story is more palatable than Avery and Deacon’s. While I enjoyed When Sparks Fly, I ended Starry-Eyed Love preferring it more. I’m still troubled by Avery’s stubbornness and inflexibility, and it intensifies in this book. I’m hoping when Hunting gifts us with Harley’s romance that Deacon and Avery’s union will have mellowed her a bit.

4. Hunting makes communicating via a Google Doc the newest form of foreplay.

5. There is a lovely bit of cross-over with other Hunting titles in this story which connects you back to earlier stories in her booklist. I love when a writer makes connections between her series.

Helena Hunting’s Starry-Eyed Love offered me a respite from the world of adulting. It grabbed my attention and pulled me into the world of the Spark sisters. Jackson and London’s epilogue will make you swoon and offer hope that there is more for them in this starry world.

Thank you Helena Hunting and Netgalley for the eARC!

This was a hard book to get into. It was slow burning for me and I did not like the banter between the sisters. I had to stop reading several times.

Another fun, sweet story in the Spark House world. London does everything she has to in order to keep things together, even when it may not be what she wants to do or what she may be best at. She is that way in business, in her relationship with her sisters and in all of her past relationships. Jackson turns her world upside down. Will she be able to let go of the control she tries to have on everything or will it eventually just break her.

I really enjoyed Starry-Eyed Love by Helena Hunting. Full of realistic and wonderful characters and a bumpy and sweet love story.

London is so dedicated to her family. She’s doing a job that gives her so much anxiety, and does it incredibly well, to advance the family event business and hotel. Her sister Avery, from When Sparks Fly, is determined not to hire outsiders for the lead jobs in the company putting so much more stress on her sisters. So far they’re keeping up but it’s really cutting into London‘s more enjoyable pursuit, her Etsy store.

London thinks Jackson is hot when she first meets him but she’s not looking for a boyfriend. She doesn’t even recognize him all cleaned up the second time. They shouldn’t date since they’re now in business together but an attraction this strong can’t be denied. London is having to learn about the world of the rich and famous and she’s really not that into all the baloney. Can she find her niche in his world? Can they navigate the waters of a new relationship with so man6 external stressors? These questions lead us on an up and down journey of a sweet relationship, social media pains and sexy fun.

I recommend this book to all romantic souls!

Thanks to the author and NetGalley for the ARC.

This is the second book in the Spark House series, which is about three sisters. I have not read the first one, but the author did a good job with a brief explanation of the first book in the beginning! The first book centers around Avery, this book centers around London, and I look forward to book three where we learn Harley's story! I really liked this charming romance book. I loved the family business/family drama, and I enjoyed the sisters relationships with each other. I liked the multiple POVs between our main characters and thought the chemistry between London and Jack was perfect. I love how they're relationship grew and bloomed over time. Fans of a slow burn will love it! Overall, I really enjoyed this book.

✍🏼 𝘼𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧: Helena Hunting
📖 𝙎𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨: Spark House #2
🗓️ 𝙋𝙪𝙗 𝘿𝙖𝙮: 3/10/22
📚 𝙂𝙚𝙣𝙧𝙚: Romance

Thank you St. Martin's Press for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review ! This book is out now and I recommend it.

Thanks to @netgalley for the ARC of Starry-Eyed Love, book two in the Spark House romance series by Helena Hunting.

Having just broken up with her boyfriend, London Spark is not in the mood to be hit on. Especially not when she’s out celebrating her single status with her sisters. So when a very attractive man pays for their drinks and then slips her his number, she passes it right back to him with a ‘thanks, but no thanks’. Fast forward a few months and London is giving a business changing presentation to a hugely successful company and in walks the CEO who is…you guessed it! The same man who asked her out many months ago. It’s a charming and at times funny romance set in Denver. I enjoyed the dynamic between the sisters as well. 4 stars.

Starry-Eyed Love by Helena Hunting is a fabulously fun and fresh take on the Cinderella fairy tale. I adored both London and Jackson both, and I loved London's relationship with her sisters. As the middle of three girls, I can totally relate to the dynamic between them.

One of my favorite things about this book is the surprise appearance of a few other Hunting characters. If you've read her other books, you'll know who I'm talking about. I love that she does this with her books because it feels like visiting with old friends.

All in all, I adored this book. And even though there are overlapping characters from When Sparks Fly, Starry-Eyed Love can be read as a standalone.

Thanks to NetGalley and SMP for receiving an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is as such a good light read! I really enjoyed the writing style, it flowed very well and I was able to just get lost in the pages. I haven’t read the first Spark’s novel but had no issues with reading this as a stand alone. I don’t feel like I missed out on any pertinent information. I will however be going back to read book one. The setting for this one one was fun for me I like the Spark house and the legacy the sisters are trying to uphold. I really enjoyed the event planing parts and how much detail was put into their day to day. I loved the tension between London and Jackson and as a whole liked both characters individually. I do wish some of the conflicts had been a little more drawn out instead of tied up neatly, but then again I like resolution so this wasn’t a deal breaker for me. All in all this was a super fun slow burn romance and I look forward to reading more of Huntings book in the future.

The second in the Spark House series, I was thrilled to be back in this fictional world! London and Jackson had incredible chemistry, but it was done in such a sweet and tender way!

What I loved:
•Billionaire/workplace romance
•Great sisters, great setting
•Slow burn with great steam in the end
•Great Shacking Up Easter eggs - my fave Helena series EVER and you need to read it!!

💜I’m not going to lie, if I find a billionaire who likes charcuterie as much as Jackson, I will marry him right on the spot!!

Another great one from my fave HH. I can’t wait for the final sister’s story!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/🔥🔥🔥

I thought that this was a very good read. This slow burning romance is fun, emotional and full of heart. The author skillfully creates characters and relationships that are incredibly realistic and relatable and yet have no trouble letting you escape into them. I loved London and Jackson. Their chemistry was obvious, and I greatly enjoyed watching their relationship evolve as the story unfolded.

London Spark along with her sisters Avery and Harley run a boutique inn and event center. They all live and breathe Spark House as they are the third generation to own it and want to carry on the family name.

London Spark has just broken up with her boyfriend and has vowed not to get involved with another man anytime soon. When a very handsome man pays the sisters tab on evening, London turns down his invitation to take her out. Little does she know she will be running into Mr. Handsome again quite soon. When he turns out to be Jackson Holt, a media mogul and suggests a partnership with Spark House, London just can not say no. Her life takes a sharp turn, and she ends up with some tough decisions to make, not only in business but in her personal life as well.

What a fabulous second book in the Spark House series by Helena Hunting. I loved the story of London and Holt along with the continuing story of Avery and Harley. If you missed Avery’s story, grab a hold of a copy of When Sparks Fly, trust me you will love it!! This story has everything you could hope for in its pages. A spark of love, family dynamics, tough choices and a bond between sisters that can not be broken. Thank you so much to St. Martins Press, Helena Hunting and Netgalley who gifted me a copy of the book. I’m already excited to read the next book in the series.

What a beautiful story! The sisters’ relationship was a pleasure to read. And London and Jackson - what a perfect Cinderella fairy tale! Looking forward to Harley’s book! A definite addition to your tbr list!

This book was an up and down kind of book and it completely threw me. I did NOT expect to feel everything I felt. Even the bad thoughts I had turned out to be good. I absolutely LOVE how this author can make me feel all the things from annoyed to extremely happy within a few pages. It’s absolutely brilliant.

Starry-Eyed Love is the second book in the Spark House series.

So my review is going to be completely honest, I found this one hard at first but I pulled through, powered through the rest of the book and was left in complete awe at the amount of positive and negative feelings I had towards this book.

So, when I hit chapter 9 I had this niggling feeling these two were not going to be characters I was going to love…I liked London, I liked Jackson but their attitudes towards her family just seem shitty to me. I got the fact the business is a family run thing and with the stuff that’s going on it’s extremely stressful and she felt like she needed to be there all the time but I wish she would grow a back bone and tell her sisters straight that things need to change and tell them what she wants to do instead of what’s she’s asked to do…she just seemed so negative towards her sister all the damn time and their business especially when she was talking to Jackson. It was so darn frustrating.

I had to put the book down for a while..I came back to it later and my feelings had changed…I understood her feelings more than I did at the beginning, I understood all the emotions she was feeling but I still honestly thought she needed to grow a back bone and stand up for herself and the company.

I guess I needed the break to fully digest these characters and exactly what and who they are. Their feelings and everything. In the end, even about half way through I found myself enjoying these characters.

I loved how London complimented Jackson and Jackson her. They’re good together, a team and I loved it. They’re a powerful duo and it’s very clear to see they make each other happy. So even though I had my reservations about them at the start it changed a lot as I continued reading.

London’s book shows us the progression of Spark House and the relationship between the three sisters whilst running the business. We see how stressful a family workplace can be and how it can affect each sister. It’s hard at times but most of all rewarding.

Helena truly knows how to mess with your head with her writing, as I stated above this one really threw me. It may have took a little more time than usual but I did indeed love these characters and their story. It was fun and emotional. The perfect amount of feelings for this cutesy romance. Well done Helena.

I really enjoyed this book! The premise of the sisters running the family company is compelling, especially for London, who would rather be on the creative side of the business instead of the more practical work she does. She meets Jackson, who is interested in Spark House, and the chemistry is immediate and strong.
They decide to wait until after his event has passed to take their relationship to the next level, but it’s not easy for either of them! I liked the story and the characters, 4 stars.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.