Jason Clarke and Stella Bloom wonderfully narrate Helena Hunting’s Starry-Eyed Love in first-person dual-POV continuing her Spark House series about three sisters running their family’s event hotel Spark House. Clarke’s and Bloom’s expressive and dynamic narration wonderfully brings Hunting’s emotional, steamy romance to life. Their narration complements Hunting’s touching story and colorful narrative style immediately capturing hold of my imagination and heart. Both nicely provide the characters with distinct voices differentiating them from other characters. I love Bloom’s narration for all the characters, but especially London, Jackson, and Harley. Her voices for them really fit their personalities. Clarke’s narration for Jackson, and his best friend Trent is excellent. I love his voice, however, his narration for female characters is just not as good as it is for males.
Creative, responsible, supportive, and sensitive, London is the middle sister. She sacrifices her dreams to support her family, like staying home with her younger sister, Harley, while Avery went away to college to pursue hers after their parents’ sudden deaths in a car crash and taking on responsibilities with Spark House, which aren’t natural or easy for her. London manages the business side of Spark House, focusing on bringing in new clients. After breaking up with her boyfriend, London takes time off from dating. While out with her sisters at a restaurant, a handsome stranger pays for their dinner and asks her out, giving her his number. But she turns him down.

Three months later, she meets with a multi-million-dollar company to discuss a potential partnership with Spark House. Unexpectedly, Jackson Holt, the company’s CEO, enters during London’s presentation and she belatedly realizes he’s the man who asked her out months ago. As they plan a charity auction for their corporate partnership, Jackson’s and London’s fiery chemistry grows stronger. They become friends, and their relationship starts to shift to a deeper, intimate relationship. Avoiding any appearance of impropriety, they put romance on hold. Once they’re free to pursue a romantic relationship, both give in to their mutual attraction. London, who struggles with anxiety, struggles with finding her place in Jackson’s life and where she stands with Spark House, balancing increasing workloads and personal endeavors and commitments. After a traumatizing loss, Jackson closed himself off from his emotions, leaving him guarded and secretive about his life.

Hunting’s vibrant description, complex and deftly developed characters, lively dialogue, and intensely emotional and steamy story make the novel a page-turner, investing you in the characters and their lives. Bloom’s narration of Jackson’s and London’s first meeting perfectly captures London’s personality, anxiety, and the sexual tension sparking between them and London’s complete surprise at the experience. It’s one of my favorite scenes, revealing their characters and the stirrings of their shared magnetic attraction. Well written and genuine, the scene flows with electricity, ease, and the sense of rightness that exists between Jackson and London and is present throughout their relationship and in all their sweet, funny, sexy, poignant interactions. Their relationship is founded upon a profoundly emotional and sexual connection. Clarke’s narration for Jackson’s first POV is excellent as well, nicely showing Jackson’s personality, attraction to London, and reaction to her and the way she makes him feel. I love their relationship, bond, and chemistry. While there is a strong attraction between them, I love how they become friends bonding over shared experiences before becoming sexually/romantically involved. They’re perfectly matched—each brings balance into the other’s life. London helps him open up and loosen his reins to connect with his emotions and a woman beyond casual hookups. He encourages her to relax and have fun, and with him, she experiences sparks.

I love seeing the sisters interacting more and can’t wait for Harley’s book. She’s a sweetheart who is so encouraging and supportive of London. Avery, on the other hand was truly frustrating.

Starry-Eyed Love is a sweet, funny, angsty, steamy, and poignant love story that’s a captivating audio listen.

Advanced review copy provided by Macmillan Audio via Netgalley for review.

Helena Hunting is amazing and this is a great addition to all her books! I can't put them down and can finish them in one sitting.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Will be recommending this book to my friends. This is definitely a repeat read.

I think what I like most about this series is the genuine nature of the sister dynamic. The through line across each of these books is the relationship between the Spark girls. With each book we learn more about them as a group and see a different perspective. In the first book, When Sparks Fly, we get to know Avery and her immense passion for her family’s company. Seeing it through her eyes was a completely different picture than in this book, from London’s perspective. She also loves the company but it’s not her whole world the way it is with Avery. I think after getting this new point of view, you really get to see how the sisters can disagree and talk things out. I can’t wait to see where everything goes in Harley’s story.

In this book, London is trying to juggle her family’s company, a side-business she loves, and a blossoming relationship. She wants to have it all but she’s starting to wear thin. I like how much more background we get into the Spark family in this book. I feel like I have a great sense of what London comes from and what she values. This is a cute and steamy book with plenty of heart. I am looking forward to the next one.

Starry Eyed Love by Helena Hunting is the second book in the Spark House series. You can listen or read it without having read book one.

Some background- Spark House is a boutique hotel in Colorado run by the Spark sisters. They create unique events and operate their business through the lens of sustainability. This second book features London Spark, the crafty (as in Etsy crafts!) middle sister, and media mogul and total hottie, Jackson Holt.

London and Jackson first meet in a bar. London is with her sisters enjoying a drink, has just recently broken up with her boyfriend and she spots a handsome bearded guy looking over at her table. The guy orders drinks for her table and then swaggers over to say hello. While she and her sisters are mesmerized by his handsome looks and stunning pickup lines, London lies and tells him that she has a boyfriend. Such strength this girl has. Or is it stupidity? Hmmmm…..

Fast forward a few months, and Holt Media, a huge national media company, reaches out to the Spark sisters to see if they’d be open to a partnership. Holt has an initiative that supports and collaborates with businesses that practice sustainability. London heads over to Holt Media offices to present more on Spark House, what they stand for, and some thoughts on strategy.

A good-looking, not bearded, man walks by the conference room while London is presenting. He does a double take, pauses and when no one in the room speaks to him, London introduces herself and invites him to sit in. The man is, of course, Jackson. And, of course, he sits himself down and starts asking her questions about Spark House. He recognizes her. She doesn’t immediately recognize him.

The rest of the book is the two of them working with each other as business partners. They desperately try to not be attracted to each other. And there’s some suspicion on the part of Jackson’s people that the Spark sisters are using him for his connections and cash. I love Jackson because he doesn’t ever entertain that thought and defends London at every turn. He’s loyal to her, they hang out quite a bit and go RIGHT TO THE LINE without really engaging in a romantic relationship.

There’s not a lot of conflict. Which is fine. Sometimes I just want people to like each other, be nice to each other, fall in love and for things to work out, drama free. There’s one bit of messiness that you can see coming pretty quickly in the book, but even that didn’t cause massive amounts of angst for me.

I liked the narrators in the audio book and it’s a good sign when I walk longer every day because I MUST hear the next chapter.

This one seems to have gotten a lot of love, but it didn't work for me. I had to force myself to not DNF. I will say, I did not read book #1. Maybe I needed that to have a connection to the characters?!?! Because I really did not connect to any of them. I didn't care for them and wasn't rooting for them. Avery drove me absolutely nuts and I found her to be very obnoxious.

I loved the first book in The Spark House series and was excited to read about the next sister, London! I identify a lot with London and loved her romance story. The complex relationship between the sisters adds so much more depth to the book that I really enjoy. This one was much like the first and was charming and spicy with a dash of humor. I always enjoy Helena Hunting's writing and the characters are always so well-developed and likable. I can't wait for the next book about Harley!

I have loved Helena Hunting's books for a while now. This wasn't my favourite books but I found it entertaining enough.

Wow! I loved London's romance story while adoring the complicated relationship with her sisters.

It was charming, spicy and emotionally beautiful.. The family's event hotel in Colorado was such a sweet locale and I thought it brought a down-to-earth feel.

I truly enjoyed the writing, the character development and will read more Helena Hunting's books.

Well done. The audiobook version was lovely with different narrators for London and Jackson.

This is about second sister, London finding love with Jackson, I have to mention he is a billionaire. I got some 50 shades vibes in the starting. While I found the developing relationship fun, I found the relationship between sisters even more interesting.

As the drama ensued (as it usually does), most miserable ones seem to be the ones around main characters. In the end, people around them sign in relief when they talk it out and go their separate ways…jk…am I?!? Well I cannot reveal the ending…there may or may not be a wedding. If you like smart people creating steam along with everything else…this is for you!

after hearing many amazing things by helena hunting, i was super excited to dive into this novel… and i absolutely loved it! the characters are undeniably lovable, genuine, and written perfectly! i adored all the spark sisters and their close bond but i especially found the youngest, harley, to be the funniest and full of spunk (so i’m looking forward to her own stand-alone novel coming early in 2023)! even avery, the oldest of the trio, has her own novel that i’m going to have to read. all three of these plots can be understood without having read the others but all the sisters made an appearance in “starry-eyed love” so i imagine it’d be more exciting having already been introduced to harley and avery.

all the characters were well developed and i loved how the author showcased their raw emotions and not just the “picture perfect” versions of themselves. as someone who has a whole host of worries and a drawer full of fidget-rings to keep my fingers busy, i totally related to london and how she constantly moving around to distract her from her anxieties. i think these imperfections allowed me to connect with the characters at a deeper level and love them even more! london and jackson are too good for each other and instantly stole my heart. they have great chemistry and understand each other so well that it was easy to root for them throughout the novel

Oh. My. Goodness. I have become a lifetime Helena Hunting fan! What a BRILLIANTLY written novel! Jackson and London are just EVERYTHING together and I am utterly obsessed! The charisma, the chemistry, the triumphs, it's all just absolutely delicious and incredible! Five starry-eyed stars from me! See y'all on another page!

Starry-Eyed Love
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Romance
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 5/10/22
Author: Helena Hunting
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Pages: 352
Goodreads Rating: 4.11

Thank you to NetGalley and PUB for providing a copy of the book for me to read in exchange for my honest opinion.

Synopsis: As luck would have it, a multi-million-dollar company calls a few months later asking for a meeting to discuss a potential partnership, and London is eager to prove to her sisters, and herself, that she can land this deal. Just when she thinks she has nailed her presentation, the company’s CEO, Jackson Holt, walks in and inserts himself into the meeting. Not only that, but he also happens to be the same guy she turned down at the bar a few months ago. Between Jackson’s secretive past and London’s struggle with her sisters, London must question where she really stands - not just with Jackson, but with the Spark House, too.

My Thoughts: The chapters are medium length, not to long and not too short. The narrators of the story are London and Jackson, from their perspective, more London than Jackson. This book was A M A Z I N G!! The characters are well-developed, they have depth, they are witty, they are emotional, and the author does an amazing job with them. The author’s writing style is emotional, witty, a little complex, creative, and flows extremely well, it just works very well for this book. I really, really enjoyed this book. It was amazing, I will definitely read more by Hunting. She does a really good job of portraying the romantic and not-so-romantic emotion in words that pulls you there with the characters. At times I laughed, I cried, and I just loved it.

Starry-Eyed Love (Spark House #2)
Helena Hunting
London Spark was out with her sisters celebrating her breaking up with her boyfriend. A handsome male pays for their drinks and slips her his phone number. She promptly returns it to him. London is the business administrator of their family’s business; an event hotel called the Spark House. London loves her family and there isn’t much she wouldn’t do for her precious sisters. She is a very crafty/creative person. A large wealthy company contacts the Spark House with a potential deal; London is in the middle of her presentation when the CEO of the company decides to set in on the meeting. Jackson Holt asks London some very aggressive questions. She soon recognizes him as the man that slipped her his phone number. They begin spending time together and find they genuinely like each other’s company.
I enjoyed watching London and Jackson fall in love. Author Helena Hunting allowed their love to slowly develop and grow. Both London and Jackson were realistic and likeable. Having said that I didn’t like Avery. She was hardheaded and refused to listen to anyone else. Everything centers around her. Starry-Eyed Love is an engaging, charming, and delicious novel.
This is the second book in the Spark House series, but it stands well alone. The narrators did a great job, KUDOS to Jason Clarke and Stella Bloom. Author Helena Hunting, I love the book and look forward to the next book in the Spark House series.

Starry-Eyed Love is book 2 in the Spark House series; however, the story also works as a stand-alone. Book 2 focuses on the second sister, London. Here, London and Jackson have a slow-burn romance as they move from co-workers to friends to lovers. Of course, the story is filled with miscommunication and conflicts. But the steam (and make-up steam) between our London and Jackson will start your pages on fire. Overall, a fun, breezy read, perfect for the beach.

I thought the narrators did an exceptional job.

3.75 stars

Book number 2 in the Spark Family series did not disappoint! In fact, I liked this one even better than Avery and Declan's story!

Working at the family business wasn't London's dream, but she knows how lucky she is to go to work every day with her two sisters. The family quaint B&B is thriving, keeping the three women busy. Once the small hotel catches the eye of Holt Media CEO, Jackson Holt, business is suddenly booming. She can't deny the sparks with Jackson, and even though she turned down a date with him months before, he's the one insisting on keeping their relationship professional. That is, until their shared business charity event is over.

Bonding over the shared grief of losing both parents, London and Jackson are more than just sparks. Hunting keeps the embers burning with a slow growing love during this novel - it was just the right tempo. It was sweet and sad and warm and perfect.

Here's hoping Harley gets her turn next! **fingers crossed**

I listened to the audio version of the book - Stella Bloom and Jason Clarke were stellar (as usual!). Great job!

Thanks to the author, Netgalley, and Macmillan Audio for the chance to listen and review.

Helena Hunting brings us back to Spark House, this time following London. When the Spark sisters are given an opportunity to partner with a big company, London makes a presentation and ends up running into the CEO of the company - who also happens to be a man she had a chance encounter with at a bar and rejected. When they begin working together, sparks fly and turn their worlds upside down.

I was immediately drawn to this book by Helena Hunting’s name alone - I have had so much fun reading her books, and this was no exception! I can’t say I’ve read many billionaire romances, and this one definitely kept my interest (especially because I was already invested in the hotel to begin with!)

You can tell that London and Jackson care very deeply about each other, and I felt that the conflict made sense and made for an impactful ending. I also loved how we continued to see the Spark House staying green and becoming so successful!

One thing that I’m stuck on is how strongly Jackson feels about the environment, while also owning a private plane. It’s later explained that it’s “the greenest plane designed”, but it still feels weird.

This was super fun and mildly spicy, and I hope Harper gets her own book too! I’m excited to see what her happily ever after entails!

I really enjoyed the narrators, and thought they fit the story nicely!

There are three Spark Sisters and Starry-Eyed Love is London's story. Spark House is the family business that all three sisters took over the running from their grandmother. Each of them has a strength to offer, London's is the artistic side. The problem is that Avery is busy planning her wedding so London attends a meeting with a multi-million-dollar company to discuss a potential partnership. What she was not expecting was to work with CEO, Jackson Holt. London had met Jackson previously and turned him down for a date, but did not know who he was. As they work more together, they begin to have feelings for one another, but they need to keep it professional while working together. Throw in a female friend who wants to be more than friends and there are a few wrenches in the works.

I enjoyed this romance, despite there being some open door romance. London is a great character, but she has some insecurities. She is not comfortable in Jackson's world, so it definitely causes some anxiety. She is a very talented person, who works hard at Spark House as well as running her own store. She goes through a lot of growth in this story, and I was glad to see her stand up for herself. Jackson was a bit harder to like. He was a bit rigid and took a lot for granted, but I guess being as wealthy as he was, he lived a very different life. I did like that he didn't give up on London and was very instrumental in getting her to move out of her comfort zone. I have to say, Jackson was a bit obtuse at times about relationships, which does cause some angst, but he had some baggage from his past to get over. I did enjoy their banter, both in messages and real life. That was where the humor fit in. This was a slow developing romance, which I liked as they got to know each other first. When the conflict comes to a head, it was well done. I saw it coming based on their personalities and baggage, but it was well written and the resolution was great. This story is a romance with family issues thrown in, as well as themes of self-esteem, recognizing your strengths and using them to the best of your abilities. I enjoyed this story and am looking forward to the third and final book in this trilogy, Make a Wish - Harley's story. I listened to the audiobook narrated once again by Jason Clarke and Stella Bloom. They alternate chapters depending who's POV it is. I love the voices they give the characters, adding emotion to the story. If you enjoy a slow burn romance with baggage to overcome, family issues and some humor, then I recommend you pick this one up.

Ohhhhhh this is soooo freaking cute!!! It has a lovely mixture of swoon, cheesy grin and schmexy. London, out with her sisters after a breakup, turns down a very yummy proposal. Only to walk right back into Mr. Yummy's life unbeknownst to all parties involved, a few months down the road for a potential business partnership.

Hunting put a lot into this novel and the delicate way it comes together had me engaged from start to finish. Yes, this is a romcom romance in its own right. But it also looks at taking a step back, not working yourself to death, sisterly bonds and economically smart/women run business life. It just flows so well.

We still have the rich man meets not rich woman trope but Hunting makes the meet cute to the emotional turning point not outlandish or eyerolling. There is Nothing better than not having to yell at the MCs for "seriously" moments.

I laughed, swooney-swooned and fell for London and Jackson. Definitely a poolside or beach read for the upcoming summer. This is the second novel in the Spark House series but it makes a perfect standalone too. Thank you St. Martin's Griffin for the ability to read and review this novel for an honest and unbiased review.

I love Helena Hunting so much. She writes anxiety in such a real and relatable way. This was a lovely story that was a romance but also a story of family and sisterhood for the three sisters who run their family's hotel and event venue.