*Swoon Alert* As a woman with brothers, I have always envied those with sisters. I always imagined having a built in best friend and I love reading about sister relationships. While the 1st book in Sparks House is the story of Avery Spark, book #2, Starry- Eyed Love, features London Spark. (Starry Eyed Love can be read as a stand-alone but best enjoyed after reading When Sparks Fly). I'll be honest and say London was not my favorite character in book 1, but she comes out of nowhere and redeems herself. The Spark sisters, London, Avery and Harley, inherited and now run hotel/event space, The Spark House. Enter Jackson Holt, CEO of Holt Media. Sparks fly (get it, elbow nudge) between London and Jackson, however they maintain a mostly professional working relationship throughout the first third or so of the book. They have great banter and better chemistry. Jackson is what book boyfriends are made of. Hes perfectly imperfect and incredibly attuned to London's needs. Go ahead and put this one on your TBR, releasing May 10.

Helena Hunting is a one click author for me and her latest pen further solidifies this. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc in exchange for my honest review. Can't wait for Harley's story!

I’m a big fan of Helena Hunting’s books, especially when I want a lighter, sweet romance with dual POVs. Starry-Eyed Girl was the perfect sequel to When Sparks Fly (though can be read as a standalone) and was exactly the book I needed.

The Spark sisters- London, Avery and Harley- own and run a boutique hotel in Colorado that has been in the family for generations. This story focuses on London who takes care of the business and administration side of the hotel but also sells centerpieces on the side on her successful Etsy page. After a totally awkward meet cute, London runs into Jackson Holt, a guy she rejected once, months later when pitching a deal on behalf of the hotel. What starts off as strictly business turns into something more as the two get to know each other and bring out their best sides.

This story was really sweet! The characters were flawed in all the right ways and easy to connect with. I loved how Jackson pushed London outside her comfort zone and encouraged her to do things that made her happy and not just her sisters. Having two sisters myself, I love stories that stress sibling dynamics and potential conflicts that may arise when you are so close to your family. I liked the chapters that focused on the inner workings of the boutique hotel and all that the Spark sisters do to make it run successful as well as the side plot where the hotel business was booming and they had to figure out what to do to find a work/ life balance. Also, I really enjoyed how the conflict was handled. The main characters acted maturely and communicated with each other rather than listen to outside influences, which was tempting. This perspective felt fresh. On the flip side, I will say that Avery really bothered me in this book. I know she was just a side character and understand where she was coming from but it irked me at times.

I did a read/audio combo for this one and enjoyed the narration.

Read if you like:
🏨 Workplace romance
💸Millionaire hero
👯‍♀️ Sisterhood
🎤Event planning
📚Series that follow siblings
📖Helena Hunting books

Thanks St. Martins Press for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date 5/10/22

This was a sweet romance and I enjoyed it much more than the first in the series. We do see Avery again but in this edition she’s having some control issues and is being insane with her sister Harper and London. It honestly made me want to shake her. However, London was a great MC and a charismatic heroine. Her slow burn of a romance with Jackson fills every billionaire troupe loving romantic’s heart. It had angst, chemistry and plenty of family mess and love.

Loved it!

I received an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review. This is a five star book for me!

This book pulled me in and did not let me go! I found myself getting invested very quickly!

My first book by Helena Hunting and will not be my last!

No spoilers with my review! This is a must read for 2022!

Well done!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4350588756

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 5* Charming Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

This is the second book in the Spark House series and is London’ story. London is such a loveable and relatable character. She works tirelessly together with her two sisters Avery and Harley running their boutique hotel.

During a night out with her sisters celebrating the successful break up with her boyfriend and being single again she lays eyes on an attractive man who cannot seem to keep his eyes off her. When Jackson pays for their meal and drinks and offers her his phone number she politely declines and never expects to see him again.

When a business venture presents itself, London is happy to steer this project as it has great potential to grow their business. Never in a million years did she expect to cross paths again with Jackson, the man she rejected all those months ago at the bar.

What transpires between them is a slow burn romance with some angst that comes between them. Their chemistry was undeniable and their love for one another was full of romance.

The dynamics and bond between the sisters was strong and real even though they were stressed with their new found business success. I loved that they were pivotal in the journey of London finding her HEA.

I loved this charming read which left me feeling very happy and satisfied. A wonderful addition to the series.

This is the second book in this series and if you haven't read the first one, that is okay you shouldn't be lost. This one is about London, one of the Spark sisters who run a Bed and Breakfast in Colorado Springs that specialize in events but she also grooves with her Etsy makings. She is fresh out of a relationship when a man approaches her and her sisters in a bar and asks her out and she turns him down. Several weeks later when she is presenting for a high power media firm the CEO sits in and takes over the meeting and it just happens to be the same man. Jackson Holt it immediately struck by London and she by him. Will they be able to keep up the business only relationship while working together until after the charity event at Spark House? After that, all bets are off and sparks certainly fly between them. What will happen when the rest of the world weighs in and mistrust comes out to play. Will they be able to salvage it? I really loved this story and cannot wait for Harley's story.

A definite 5 stars!!!

"Always better than not enough"


I absolutely fell in love with London and Jackson, so much to that I didn't want them to end.The chemistry between these two was amazing. I really love reading about the sisters and how strong they are. I really hope Harley has a book or maybe Trent and a certain someone.

While Starry Eyed Love wasn’t my favorite book by Helena Hunting it was an enjoyable quick read. The characters were relatable and the story was charming.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review.

<b>No Sparks Between Characters</b>

3 Stars

There’s a stiffness and formality to the way the protagonists interact which left this romance feeling somewhat bloodless.

In “When Sparks Fly”, London Sparks is out with her sisters at a bar celebrating the end of her last relationship which had fizzled out.

“Like a fire made with wet wood, I could never find that spark people talked about. “

At the bar a good looking man ends up buying their drinks for them and approaching London for a date but she turns him down.

A few months later, Holt Media expresses an interest in working with Spark House, the sisters’ event company. It turns out that the CEO, Jackson, is the guy who asked London out. Jackson is interested in London but as they are now working together, he can’t ask her out again (for the time being).

London gets very confused by Jackson while they work together as she feels he’s sending mixed signals. She’s attracted to him but gets flustered around him often.

Despite their stated attraction to each other, the relationship between London and Jackson seemed a touch stiff and formal to me at least for the first half of the book.

There’s a flicker of evidence that they like each other after the midway mark of the book but it felt like a little too late for me.

It’s not that this is a slow burn romance, it’s just that it doesn’t even seem to be a factor until more than half-way through the book. It isn’t until 62% of the way into the book that they have their first kiss. Their formality with one another makes the relationship seem a little anemic, unfortunately.

I did enjoy the drama of the last 40% of the book as their relationship and London’s relationships with her sister face challenges but once again the stiffness with which emotions are expressed took away from the overall effect.

Readers should definitely come to their own conclusions, but for me, “When Sparks Fly” didn’t have the spark that London is looking for in its pages.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a review copy of this romance. This is my honest review.

The second installment of the Spark House series from Helena Hunting missed the mark for me unfortunately. I loved London in book one and felt she didn't quite get her due. The hero in this one didn't evoke any real connection to me after the beginning. Through the middle I found it disjointed and just a strange relationship and the parameters that were set, I don't know exactly but something was off for me here. I enjoyed their first and second meetings and I enjoyed how it ended. Getting from point A to point B didn't work for me though.

I didn't like this one as much as I liked the first book. I found London to be a bit of a drag and her chemistry with Jackson felt a little forced.

I honestly can't figure out why London works for Spark House, aside from familial obligations. She constantly complained about how uncomfortable she was working there and how she'd much rather be doing her Etsy business than do anything involving Spark House. And she never changed her tune. Never. I think her character arc would have been so much more interesting had she actually left the business or at the very least created a new role for herself that she would enjoy. It feels like she would have been more true to herself and that would have made for a much more interesting conflict than the one we got.

Jackson was sweet, but a little unmemorable. He also felt awkward in his role and I didn't get the CEO vibe from him. There was just something...off. Stiff, maybe? Which also brings me to my next point. The dialogue in this book was so proper that it felt like Jackson and London were in a business meeting the whole time. I don't know if it's because I just finished binging Bridgerton, so I've got proper dialogue stuck in my brain, but they both just came off so prim and proper. I get that in a business setting, but when they're hanging out it felt like they were both playing a part.

That all being said, I did like the interactions with the sisters. I loved how supportive Harley was and I liked the conflict with Avery, who was being a big brat the whole time. When she finally got told off I wanted to jump for joy that London and Harley were FINALLY standing up to her and they said literally everything I was thinking. That's always so satisfying!

Overall, I can't say whether I would or wouldn't recommend this one. Not because it wasn't entertaining, but more because it didn't stand out to me.

London and Jackson's relationship gradually changes from business partners to romantic lovers. It's a slow burn. At the same time, there are strains in London's relationship with her sister Avery as they struggle to cope with increased business demands with Spark House while trying to balance personal time: Avery has her wedding plans; London is managing her responsibilities to Spark House while maintaining her Etsy account, and, of course, spending time with Jackson. Things finally come to a head, but the resolution covers it all. An enjoyable read!

I was given an opportunity to read this book through Net Galley. I didn’t read the first book in this series, but that wasn’t a problem at all. There are three Spark sisters. This book centers on the middle sister, London. London’s story was sweet, charming, and funny. It would be a perfect beach read.

This book made me laugh and smile. London and Jackson had mostly a low angst love story- there was interest from the very beginning. It was entertaining to check on her sister, Avery, from book one as she plans her wedding. But also poor London and Harley, as they both are exasperated by their sister, and they need more help at work for sure. The hooking up didn't happen right away, but was worth the wait, because once they got started, it was lots of fun!

Jackson was a super nice guy, who wears his heart on his sleeve, and their biggest problem was miscommunication. I didn't feel as connected to this couple as I have most of Helena's in the past. And the resolution to a big fight they had, I didn't agree with how they handled it, I guess. But I loved seeing all kinds of characters from other books, I still super want to read the third sister's story, and the ending was sweet.

Book received for free through NetGalley

I absolutely adored this book. Adorably cute. Amazing! And followed the last book but could be a standalone. Can’t wait for the follow up!

I did not realize this book was part of a series. It did have some great moments; characterization and plot. But I feel like I have read books like this before so I was not 100% on liking this book. It was just ok.

Still recommended. Kind of.

Thanks to Netgalley, Helen Hunting and St Martin's Press Griffin or an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 5/10/22

When I first started this book I thought "huh, this seems familiar". Ends up it was the second in a series and I had already read the first, just didn't know it was a series.

Enjoyable read, I like a story with family members that continues on, you get to see them grow and learn and evolve, and I think that's a fun part of a series.

Fast paced, a bit of steam, definitely good for a couple of hours of escape.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed getting reacquainted with the Sparks sisters and getting a more in depth look at London. I liked watching her relationship with Jackson progress and how they were able to understand each other on such a deep level.

I also liked seeing how the sisters interacted and their support of each other through big and little things. I assume the next book will focus on Harley, and I look forward to seeing what comes next for her.

Overall super enjoyable, easy, fun read.
(3.75 ish)

[cw - death of parents; anxiety]

I adored When Sparks Fly, so I was extremely excited for this return to Spark House and to see the Spark sisters again.

London made a great main character. In the first book, I was charmed by the way she calmed her anxiety by folding little stars (just like the ones pictured!). She then turned this quirk into a thriving little Etsy business. She is such a creative and resourceful character, and it was fun to read things from her point of view.

We got a few chapters from Jackson’s POV, just enough to show his side of things. At one point I wasn’t sure how the author was going to explain away his indescretions, but it all worked out in the end.

I was a little sad to see Avery slightly villainized in this book, since I loved her so much in When Sparks Fly. Had I read this one first, I might not have wanted to read her love story. It’s not a big plot point, but she’s kind of selfish and controlling to her sisters with regards to their business. I will say though that these sisters improved their relationship a lot by the end of the book.

Starry-Eyed Love was a great continuation of the series, and I’m looking forward to Harley’s love story to close it out!

I love this so much. London is everything. I completely relate to her feelings of anxiety and practicing and rehearsing before every meeting with a new client. And I really enjoyed both her initial meeting with Jackson and their relationship. They get to know each other through a shared Google doc. Seriously. I laughed so hard but also found it so appropriate and sweet.

I also enjoyed seeing the ongoing interactions among the Spark sisters, as they run Spark House. Some unresolved issues from When Sparks Fly remain, and it felt so honest and real how they came up in this book.

I will read anything Helena Hunting writes (and have read everything so far). So I especially enjoyed the crossover appearances of characters from the Shacking Up series.

Though you could read this as a stand alone, I do recommend reading When Sparks Fly first. It helps to set the stage for London's story so well. I adored this one even more than the first though.

Thank you to SMP Romance and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. These opinions are my own.

4.5 stars rounded up