5 star Review Make A Wish (Spark House #3) by Helena Hunting
 
I love Helena Hunting's writing style. I know when I pick up a book by this author I am in for a well written, entertaining story with characters who you cannot help but fall for.

Make A Wish is a second chance at love story that ticked all the boxes for me.Harley Spark and Gavin Rhodes have a history after all she used to be the nanny to his daughter Peyton. Now Gavin and Peyton have returned and Harley is shocked when she sees the at an event at Spark House.

When Gavin asks Harley to lunch she reluctantly agrees. Make A Wish was an emotional story that had me smiling and crying at times. I loved Harley, she is a woman I could easily see as a friend and one who cares deeply.

The connection she shares with Gavin is strong and I absolutely loved the relationship that they both had with Peyton who almost stole the show form our couple.

A beautifully romantic love story that let me with a smile on my face.

I received an copy of this book through the publisher via Netgalley

Thank you to #partner St. Martins Press for our copy of Make a Wish by Helena Hunting.

This book is available on January 24, 2023.

Rating: 4 star
Genre: Romance

Thoughts: This is the third book in the Spark sisters series. These books can be read as standalones; however, I think it is helpful to read them in order to get to know the sisters!

I really enjoyed the series and these books. Helena Hunting is a go-to romance author for me!

This book kept me entertained, and I enjoyed the maturity Harley, the main female character, portrayed toward the end of the book!

If you read romance, this is a fun series to pick up!

Four stars!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️I really enjoyed Harley’s story!! I think this was my favorite book in this series! I always enjoy Helena Huntings books, and Make A Wish was no exception. I definitely recommend this book as well as the first two books in this series.

What a fantastic conclusion to the Spark House series. Make a Wish brings us Harley and Gavin's story, and I really enjoyed watching their HEA unfold.

Harley and Gavin had history together when Harley was Peyton's nanny as a baby, and now roughly eight years later, they get a chance to be more.

I'm not usually a fan of long separations when the couple takes around 10 years to reunite, but in this case, it worked. Harley was very young as Peyton's nanny (19/20), and Gavin had to work through the grief and trauma of losing his wife in childbirth.

Harley was such a fun, creative person. I loved her personality and how she interacted with children, especially Peyton. She was a bit of a fireball, too, which was a bit unexpected but very appreciated.

Gavin was a bit older than Harley (I do love me some age gap). He was an amazing single dad to Peyton, and although he seemed more reserved at first, you could sense that he was protective and possessive of Harley.

I loved that they had connection and chemistry even years after last seeing each other, and they were both in a much better place even though they had plenty of baggage to work through together and separately.

It was also great to see Avery and Declan and London and Jackson and to watch them all expand Spark House as a family.
Funny thing. In Starry-Eyed Love, Avery got on my nerves, and this time, it was London who did.

***I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy generously provided by the publisher via NetGalley.***

4 Stars for the heartwarming story.

I'm presuming this is the last book in this series as it is the last sister's story. This has been a cute romance series. Harley is such a ray of sunshine ... she made my heart happy. There were times I wanted to give Gavin a swift kick, but I know he went through a lot when he lost his wife and had a daughter to raise on his own. Then there's Gavin's daughter Payton ... she is just so cute. I love that the dynamic between Payton and Harley is strong right from the start. This is a great addition to the series and I'm sad that it's over.

Harley is the youngest Spark sister and she loves kids. Right out of school she takes a nanny job for a man (Gavin) who lost his wife during childbirth. When Harley starts to have feelings for Gavin, he up and moves to Boulder which is about 2 hours away, leaving Harley without a job. Harley is not only heart-broken because of Gavin, but also because she loved his daughter.She decides to take a break from kids and goes to work at Spark house with her sisters. Seven years later Gavin and his daughter move back to Colorado Springs and accidently meet Harley at a birthday party Peyton is attending. It doesn't take long for Harley's feelings for Gavin to come rushing back ... only this time, does Gavin feel the same? Or will the memory of his deceased wife keep them apart?

I received an early copy in exchange for a honest review.

𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐖𝐢𝐬𝐡 (𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 #𝟑)
𝐁𝐲 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐚 𝐇𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠
𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫: 𝐒𝐭. 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧’𝐬 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝟏.𝟐𝟒.𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑
𝒞𝑜𝓂𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒮𝑜𝑜𝓃!



I loved being back at the Spark House business and this time watching youngest sister Harley navigate her way to love. ✨

All the Spark Sisters have their own talents and gifts, but Harley has such a big heart and loves kids. In fact, she is helping at a princess-themed Spark House birthday party when Gavin, the man she once nannied for years ago walks back into her life.

Gavin is a single dad who lost his wife in childbirth. Harley had strong feelings for Gavin and his daughter Peyton back when she nannied for them, but now they’re back. But there’s a lot of baggage to unpack here as Gavin and Harley start to fall for each other.

So many emotional elements in here, parenting, grief, guilt, but of course a hot romance too. Harley is such a sweet character and so patient and kind. I was happy that London and Avery also made an appearance; I’m sad that there are only three Spark sisters. Helena Hunting is definitely one of my go-to romance authors.

I highly recommend the audiobook for this one - awesome narration.


Thank you @stmartinspress for this gifted copy and @macmillan.audio for a complimentary audiobook.

DNF at 31% - just not feeling it. I’ve had a hard time with this series from the beginning. A few things I couldn’t understand in the first 31%:
1. Harley having a boyfriend she’s not completely into but not saying anything to him about it
2. Gavin’s being okay with bringing Harley back into his life after being apart for 7 years but not okay with her introducing her boyfriend to his daughter
3. Gavin’s daughter Peyton ALWAYS being there for everything
4. Harley not voicing her concerns to her sisters about all the things having to do with the Spark House franchises

Disappointed to not see how things end for the series, but it’s just not for me.

Make a Wish is the third book in the Spark House trilogy from Helena Hunting. I have loved this whole series, and it has the most beautiful covers! This is another one that I'll be buying a physical copy for my shelves.

Harley is the youngest of the Spark sisters and has had the most difficulty finding her place at Spark House. She has long been drawn to working with children. But after getting too close to the father of the infant she nannied, she's no longer certain that child development is the right career path for her. Seven years after they moved away, Gavin and his daughter who Harley nannied for are back.

This is a mix of a second chance romance with an age gap. I really loved how Harley and Gavin could connect with each other through loss. He is finding his way as a parent and with changing his relationship with his former in-laws. And the age gap with Harley as the former nanny worked so well. They both handled perceptions of their relationship deftly. I was so impressed by the character development in the book.

I also loved seeing all of the other characters. We get great updates on the previous two stories and some fun cameos from the Mills brothers. Plus Peyton, Gavin's daughter, is such a sweetie. I also especially want to shout out Gavin's best friend, Ian. He gives the best advice and shows the kind of male friendship that we rarely get to read.

The audiobook had two narrators. Stella Bloom voiced all the characters well, but Jason Clarke did much better with male than with female or child voices. The audiobook was just under 10 hours long.

I'm so grateful for this spectacular conclusion to the series and so sad to see it end.

Thank you to the author, SMP Romance, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the advanced copy. These opinions are my own.

4.5 stars rounded up

4.5⭐ rounded up.

Book 3 in the Spark House series ~ fine as a standalone, but the whole series is great, so you might as well read em all in order.

Featuring ~ dual 1st person POV, widower, single dad, friends to lovers, age gap (9 years), second chance at love, a little steamage

Harley & Gavin
UGH! I usually am not a fan of single parent books, but this is the second dad now that is maybe changing my mind. What a swoony father Gavin is. He's so attentive to Peyton, he's not afraid to put on a tutu and the fact that she is his world just screams from the pages.

Harley was so sweet and an all around lovely person. You can always count on her to be there when you need her. She was great with Peyton and their bond was adorable.

It was nice seeing how Avery & Declan and London & Jackson are getting on with their lives. Most characters were likable, except MIL the PILL. She put a damper on things that I didn't care for. Some of it was understandable after a little communication, but it went on a tad too long for my liking.

Overall, a delightful wrap up for all the Spark sisters. EEK with the epilogue ~ perfection!

I was fortunate enough to receive a kindle copy and the audiobook to review. Either format was perfectly fine.

Narrated by Jason Clarke and Stella Bloom for 9 hours and 54 minutes. They did a lovely job.

Make a Wish, the third book in the Spark Sisters trilogy, centers around Harley, Gavin, and Peyton. Peyton, Gavin’s daughter and the child Harley used to nanny, is a sweet, exuberant little girl who adores fairies, princesses, and glitter. She moves back home with her daddy, Gavin, and is reunited with Harley by chance at a birthday party. One thing leads to another and Harley begins spending time with Peyton, which also means she spends time with Gavin.

Gavin loves spending time with Harley and Peyton, but circumstances lead them to step away from each other when there doesn’t seem to be a way around them. Gavin wants what’s best for Peyton and Harley wants to be treated as an equal. Being second to a ghost is not the way she wants to have a relationship with Gavin, and even though she loves both Gavin and Peyton, she needs to do what is best for her heart.

I love how this book kept me engaged and wanting more until the very end. I also appreciate being able to see how Harley’s sisters, Avery and London, are doing and being able to hear about their relationships since we last saw them in their own respective books.

I was fortunate to review an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and Macmillan Publishers in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity to read this book and complete the Spark Sisters love stories!

Ok, so I loved this book more than Harley's sister, London's book. Harley used to nanny for Gavin, they almost had a moment, then he moved away. Now he's back and there's definitely sparks. Not to mention, Harley also connects SO well with his kid. But grief is a tricky thing, and he's a widow. It adds a whole other element to dating, not to mention their age gap. Oh and a meddling mother in law.

I was just so pulled into the story. I loved their connection, and how good of a dad he is. I like how Harley likes to hang with kids and do crafts and things. It was fun to see how her sisters were doing as well, and how far Spark House had come since book one. But you could totally read this on it's own.

There were some moments that made me crack up, especially one dealing with glitter. And as far as steam, their first time is one of my favorite scenes in the whole book. I really enjoyed this.

I've really enjoyed this series from Helena Hunting that follows three sisters and their boutique event hotel in Colorado. Make a Wish is the final installment and does a nice job of wrapping the series up. We get lots of opportunities to see where Avery (book #1) and London (book #2) are now, and the story between Harley and Gavin is sweet. I liked the set up and the tropes but overall the execution fell a bit flat, making this my least favorite of the series.

In the prologue of the book, which takes place 7 years ago, Harley is Gavin's live-in nanny after his wife dies during childbirth. They're both sleep deprived and emotional when one night they almost kiss. Within a few days, Gavin takes his daughter and moves out of town and years go by without contact until they show up at a birthday party at Spark House that Harley is hosting. Almost immediately after reconnecting with Gavin and his daughter Peyton, Harley and Gavin realize that they didn't leave the chemistry between them behind but they both have a lot of baggage to work through and having a child in the mix doesn't make things easier.

The dynamic between Harley and Gavin felt unbalanced and it didn't feel like Gavin really addressed the issues he had beyond a vague promise to go to therapy. At times Harley seemed super young and immature, while at other times she came across as quite preachy. The conflict with the in-laws was interesting but after a while it started to grate on the story. I didn't see a ton of chemistry between Harley and Gavin and at times it felt like Harley was forcing a romantic connection because she was so close to Peyton and wanted a family situation. I wish the storyline about Harley's role at Spark House had been further developed. I also wish Harley hadn't been in a relationship for the first 40% of the book.

Content warnings: Gavin's wife dies in childbirth and there's at least one scene recalling that experience in detail; Harley's parents died in a car accident when she was young; Harley is in a relationship for the first 40% of the book and there's definitely some emotional infidelity happening; meddling mother-in-law

I voluntarily reviewed an early version of this book. All opinions are my own.

I absolutely Loved Harley and Gavin! This story which is a little second chance romance, a little nanny/single parent and a whole lot of emotion and heart had me completely captivated. I have been waiting for Harley's story, as she is the last of the Spark sisters. Something about this story spoke to my soul. I loved Harley's character, her love of children and her feelings for Gavin. This story is very emotional and deals with serious themes of loss, loss of parents, loss of a partner and traumatic birth (referenced not on page) I felt that these topics were handled delicately and realistically in a way that was so tangible for the characters and supported their development.

The villain through this story was a real Karen- literally. Gavin's mother in law, Karen, was a raging B, and she made me so angry through so much of this book. This story addresses a lot of family dynamics both with Gavin's family and Harley's family and how Harley fits in with Gavin and his daughter.

I absolutely loved this story and recommend it in all formats

I received an ARC of this book and voluntarily give my honest review.

Ahh I adored Harley so much and her love for all things glitter and fun. She was the sweetest with Peyton and just felt like the kindest human. ⁣
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I loved that even though Gavin was 10 years older, Harley proved to be even more emotionally mature than him at time.⁣
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This story felt so real and raw and how I envision true struggles would be after losing your wife, the same day your child is born and the struggles that come with being a single dad, managing in laws, and work and life in general. I could feel Gavin’s grief and struggles but also could feel how much he truly saw Harley for who she was and adored her for it.⁣
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This story was angsty but also such a warm hug and I loved it. I loved the ending wrap up of all of the sisters and their families and also really adored Peyton and how stinkin cute she was. ⁣
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I don't want this to be the end of the Spark sisters. I don't want this to be the last we see of Spark House.

With that being said, this is the story of the youngest Spark sister, Harley. She has the biggest heart and her love of children shows in the pages. She carries a boatload of guilt that has made her the person she is, but is all that guilt warranted? Her desire to keep close to her sisters is both a blessing and a curse, but Harley comes through like a shining star through it all. 

Gavin and Payton have suffered a great loss. Gavin is an amazing father but struggles with himself. He keeps unpleasant feelings buried deep. When Gavin and Harley first meet, Harley was his saving grace when needed.

The flow and timeline of this story is beautifully done. Though years have passed, memories last and true feelings don't fade away.

This is an emotionally wrought story. You are going to feel all the feels with this story. I caught myself getting misty, I felt myself smile, and I was swooning hard.

Never say never is what I am hoping for with this series finale....Ms. Hunting is a phenomenal writer and this series is one of the best.

Helena Hunting’s Spark House series features some incredibly emotional stories. ‘Make A Wish,’ the final book of the series, may be the most emotional of all. There’s a lot of past heartbreak in this second chance, love-after-loss, single-dad romance, but it’s also full of love and charm and happy moments too.

This story belongs to Harley, the youngest of the Spark sisters. Despite being the baby of the family, she’s one of the most emotionally mature characters I’ve read. She’s a breath of fresh air. This is also Gavin’s story and his daughter Peyton’s too. Gavin is a fantastic dad, and Peyton is an incredibly well-written kid. It’s impossible not to fall for this family in progress.

This book was bitter sweet. It’s the last one in the Spark House series. This series follow 3 sisters and their stories. From book one I knew that Peyton’s book was going to be the best and I wasn’t wrong. The connection between the characters was there from the first moment they met. However the timing was wrong. Gavin had recently lost his wife while she was giving birth and Peyton was young at the time with dreams of her own.

Gavin has always made sure everyone around him was doing well and wasn’t struggling with the loss of his wife. For years he put everyone first and never dealt with the death properly. He was focused on his daughter and his family. So packing up his house and moving was something he did for his in-laws and his father/work, but now 10 years later he knew he had to move back. He had to live his life for his daughter and him. He would take it one day at a time.

Peyton has had a crush on Gavin since she was 20 and babysitting for him. So when he fired her and moved she was heartbroken, but she found a way to move forward. She dropped out of school and went to help her sisters at Spark House, a family business that was passed down to them. She has dated throughout the years but no one seemed right. All her relationships were out of convenience and not spark. So when one day at a birthday party she ran into her first love Gavin, she was speechless.

They had history and she had always thought they moved because of her. Now 10 years later, he is back in her life and they are spending a lot of time together. Peyton has fallen hard for his daughter and even harder for him. But she can tell that he still, even after all these years hasn’t dealt with the death of his wife. Can they figure it out together or will she have to walk away from the one thing she has always wanted…

I received this ARC for my honest review and opinion. I give it 5 stars. It was so well written and the story line was really good. The only thing that I wanted was more story after they figured it out, before the epilogue. AND the epilogue...holy moly...tears! So good!

Make a Wish is just so amazing. I loved this one so much. It is my favorite of the Spark House books. This is a nanny romance with a twist. This is Harley's book and you are going to love it. Harley feels left out on everything as things are changing and her role keeps changing in the Spark House business. Harley is fantastic with kids and super creative. I adore her to pieces. Gavin is a widowed single father who has moved back in town with his now nine year old daughter Peyton. Gavin is trying to do everything he can for Peyton. I love the reconnection of Gavin, Peyton and Harley so much. Harley and Peyton are adorable together. Gavin and Harley have this beautiful love that is not without struggle. This one will make you laugh and will bring you to tears at times. I love the emotional side of this one. I love how patient Harley is with Gavin when it comes to how he fights his ghosts. This is such an amazingly beautiful read that I could not put down. I loved every moment of this one. You need to read this one now.

I have really enjoyed the Spark House series and while I'm sad it has to end, I think this was the perfect ending.

Having her story be the final book meant we were given glimpses of Harley throughout the series, and I was excited to finally get all of her. She is such a sweet and caring character, and pairing her with a single dad was a perfect choice. The fact that there was a second-chance aspect to their relationship made Harley + Gavin's story that much better. I really liked their characters, their playful chemistry, and their evolution - individually at together - from beginning to end. Peyton was the cherry on top, bringing a smile to my face each time she was on the page.

I loved getting to check in with London + Avery, the sister moments sprinkled throughout, and the way it all came together at the end!

This is the third in the spark sister series and should be read in order if you don’t want major spoilers. This was the sweetest of the three and an angsty ride for a single widow dad and his young daughter with the final Spark sister. Harley was a young nanny for this grieving family when an awkward encounter sparks a change in circumstances. Years alter there’s a second chance to see how far this tiny family has come and Gavin is a sweet cinnamon roll of a MC. There are many obstacles along the way that make this an angsty and fun ride