I’m not crying, your crying! In all seriousness, I did cry… a few times. It felt cathartic and this was a book I loved and didn’t know I needed. Make a Wish is a beautiful and emotional read. As a young mom a lot of it hit home and I found myself wondering what my family and kiddos life would have looked like had I passed in childbirth… very emotional for to think about, and I related to a lot in this story.

Helena Hunting is fantastic at writing very real, authentic stories about real people going through real issues. Most of her books are a bit more lighthearted, so I wasn’t totally expecting Make a Wish, but I really enjoyed Gavin, Harley and Peyton’s story, and the final book in the Spark sisters series. It had a bit less romance than some of her other stories making it a bit more of a drama, but as a newly single mom I enjoy reading single parent stories a LOT more than I used to. They give me hope… which is something we all need!

Read this if you enjoy age gaps, single-parent romances, emotional journeys, sister stories, and stories that take place over a decade.

Thank you Helena and St Martin’s Griffin for the ARC copy. All thoughts are my own and I thoroughly enjoyed Harley Sparks story!

Make a Wish
(Spark House #3)
Helena Hunting
4.5⭐️

My wish is that this series doesn’t have to end! I have loved each and every one of the Spark sisters stories, and Harley’s was no different.

Blurb: Ever have a defining life moment you wish you could do over? Harley Spark has one. The time she almost kissed the widowed father of the toddler she nannied for. It was so bad they moved across the state and she never saw them again.

Fast forward seven years and she’s totally over it. At least she thinks she is. Until Gavin Rhodes and his adorable now nine-year-old daughter, Peyton, reappear at a princess-themed birthday party hosted by Spark House, Harley’s family’s event hotel. It’s the perfect opportunity to heal old wounds. Or it could just reopen them. This is one of those times Harley wishes she could see the future…

I could not put this one down! I devoured it in less than 24 hours. I loved Harley and Gavin. Watching her growth, and seeing her find her voice. Watching him overcome so much and open up to love again after loss. Peyton absolutely stole my heart. I adored her relationships with both Gavin and Harley, and seeing this family come together. Even Karen came around. 😂

And how about that prologue? It had me in tears. Hunting brought out ALL the feels for that ending.

What I adored;
✨Single Dad
✨Second Chance Love
✨Family Bonds/Sisterly Love
✨Age Gap

Pub Date: 1/24/23 This was such a fun conclusion to the series and I would absolutely recommend.

Thank you to St. Martins Press, NetGalley and Helena Hunting for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Make a Wish by H. Hunting , published by St. Martin's Press, is the third stand-lone in the Spark House Series. The previous books are When Sparks Fly and Starry-Eyed Love.
This is Harley and Gavin's story.
I'm a huge sucker for single parent stories, and this si a great one. I just love this adorable 9 year old sidekick.
But back to the story. Harley was the nanny and there were definitely sparks between the two. But neither acted on it. Now, 7 years later they meet again at a birthday party at Harley's family hotel. And there is definitely a spark, or two between Gavin and Harley.
A beautiful story, with the perfect flow. Reading this book is like coming home, snuggling up on the couch. I just love this kind of stories.

Make A Wish is the 3rd book in Helena Hunting’s Spark House series and what a way to finish their stories. I was so excited to get an advanced copy from Helena and once I picked it up, I had such a hard time forcing myself to stop so I could take care of my adult responsibilities (who needs work anyway lol). This 5-star book kept me hooked, and now I’m about ready to go reread the series from the start!
 
Make A Wish follows the 3rd Spark Sister, Harley, a former nanny who now organizes children’s parties at Spark House. When the former family she nannied for, single-dad Gavin and his daughter Peyton, reappears back in her life, she becomes attached again. Realizing they spend all their free time together and how Harley would do anything for Gavin and Peyton, they both realize that these latent feelings from years ago may not be so latent anymore. Watching them both grow, even from the very beginning, kept me hooked as Gavin dealt with his original feelings of guilt as a widower as well as having to handle his in-laws and Harley tried to find out how she fits into their lives now. I was rooting for Harley and Gavin the whole book and was so satisfied watching their relationship blossom (and Peyton was absolutely adorable too).
 
If you love single-dad romances, the nanny (former nanny) trope, close-knit families, and romance, the Spark House series, especially Make A Wish is for you. I’m off to go reread the whole series now to make me less sad that I finished it!

I love the way Helena Hunting always makes me cry while laughing, her stories are magical, and this one is so absolutely adorable.

Harley is such a sweet and funny heroine, she adores children, I love the connection that she and Peyton feel, and the way the author narrates the attraction between Harley and Gavin, it is latent through the pages, and soon feelings begin to blossom, but everything gets complicated because Gavin has heavy baggage, my heart hurts for them, I love seeing more of Avery and London and their HEAs, I love Gavin's parents and friends,

Make a Wish is a cute, funny, emotional and sexy story, it made me laugh, cry and sigh, and left my heart overflowing with happiness, and that epilogue, gahhh I love them so much. Highly recommended for fans of
Single dad
Age gap
Rom com
Emotional
Sweet
Family

I haven’t read any of the other Spark House books but that didn’t really affect my reading oof this one! def able to be read as a stand-alone.

I love Harley. She’s way kinder than I am but I relate to her so much. Trade a mother in law from hell for an awful very much alive baby mama and I’ve been her before. Although thankfully her story is fictional and had a much happier ending lol. I think my favorite part of the book (outside of Peyton bc I’m a sucker for an adorable child) was watching Harley embrace standing up for herself and what she wants. That’s a hard journey but so rewarding!

Gavin is nice but I most of the time just wanted to yell at him that he needed to go to counseling. Harley and Peyton really carried the story for me. Karen (Gavin’s deceased wife’s mom) is a piece of work. If you want to feel better about your MiL read this book! 😂

Overall a sweet story that I’d def recommend to folks of contemporary romance. Check the TWs though, there’s def some in there.

Make A Wish is the perfect conclusion to the Spark House series featuring the Spark sisters. Harley is the youngest sister and still trying to find her place in the ever changing dynamic of the Spark House when a blast from the past appears in her life again. Gavin was a recently widowed single dad when Harley started nannying for him and his infant daughter Peyton. Harley truly found a missing piece when she was with them but that all changed when they moved away and Harley took on a more permanent role with Spark House. Now after seven years, Harley finds herself drawn to both Gavin and Peyton in every way but when big events begin to happen she wonders if she’s just getting her hopes up for a future when the past is so present.

Harley relationship with Peyton is truly something special and so important; they are forever bonded over a missing piece but it only makes their connection even more unique. Harley and Gavin are a good example of the right person but not the right time all those years ago and even though Gavin still has some things to work through he knows that Harley is who he wants walking through life with him. I truly love the sisters bond and to see them each grow, heal and find their happily ever after is just what you want in a series like this.


Thank you @helenahunting and @stmartinspress for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

The Spark House series about the three Spark sisters has been such a delight to read. Each sister's romance has been sweet, emotional and fun. This newest and final book was all those things. 

Harley Spark was a kind, nurturing person. She excelled at putting everyone else first even when it made things harder on her. She had a natural gift with children, and it was fun to see her blossom around them. She felt wise beyond her years at times. Harley kind of reminded me of a baby-sitter I used to have growing up. I kept imagining her as Harley. I loved seeing Harley speak her mind to both her sisters and Gavin. 

Gavin was a great guy for the most part. He had some issues with his grief and his dead wife's mother, but I loved him when he wasn't being an idiot. How he loved and tried to encourage his daughter's loves was sweet.

The relationship between Harley and Gavin was sweet. I liked how they reconnected, and things grew slowly over time until they combusted. Harley fit naturally into Gavin and his daughter Peyton's life. Almost too well because a lot of this book were tender moments between Harley and Peyton. Gavin almost played second fiddle to that relationship. I actually wanted more time with Harley and Gavin alone to see their relationship strengthen. They were so cute together. 

Peyton... A lot of readers are going to disagree with me on this, but she wasn't my favorite part of this book. In fact, I couldn't decide how I felt about her. That's because of her age and how she came across. Peyton was nine and then ten in this book. There were moments where she acted that age, but there were also times when she talked like a much older teenager and others when she acted/was treated like a 4-year-old. 

One of the things I was glad to see continue through this book was the relationships between the sisters. I loved that Avery and London had Harley's back when it came to relationship stuff and that they wanted to make Spark House the best it could be for the entire family. I couldn't stand Gavin's mother-in-law, but I loved to hate her. His parents were great, as were his friends. 

Overall, this was a great ending to the series. The epilogue was fun! I'm sad that it's over, but I know Hunting will be giving us new and exciting romances in the future.

I love Helena Hunting so I was screaming with joy when I was approved for this third book in the series. As this series comes to a close, this book stayed true to the other books, in that it felt softer, and a bit more emotional. We still get some spice in our romance novel, but this one really was woven in with grief and finding love after losing a partner. It was wonderfully written, and evoked a lot of emotions. I’m a fan of single parent tropes, and the author did an amazing job of really having Peyton part of the story. I’m so glad that the author gave us not only the romance for Harley, but gave her confidence to find her footing on where she stood with the Spark family, and what she wanted to do with her life. Being back with the Spark sisters and their partners was a bit like coming home, and I loved the tie in to the authors other series. I love this series so much and highly recommend!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this digital arc

4.5 Stars It’s bittersweet that the Spark Sisters series is over, but Make a Wish was the best way Helena Hunting could’ve wrapped their stories up. When Harley Spark was 20 years old, she nannied for a toddler, Peyton, and her single dad, Gavin, who is still mourning the loss of his wife in childbirth. Having been orphaned at twelve, Harley understands their loss and feels like she has found a family while taking care of Peyton and by extension, Gavin. Not long after Harley almost kissed Gavin one night, he packs up Peyton and moves across the state to be closer to his in-laws. Now, seven years later, Gavin and a nine year old Peyton are at Spark House, Harley’s family boutique event hotel that she runs with her sisters Avery and London, for a birthday party and reconnect with Harley. Both Peyton and Gavin keep spending more time with Harley after the event, happy to have her back in their lives. It takes some time for Gavin to realize that he doesn’t just like having Harley around for Peyton’s sake, but because he’s attracted to and cares about her. Having previously run from addressing his emotions after the loss of his wife, will Gavin take this second chance to start something with Harley?

I loved Harley and Gavin’s story, especially the parts with Peyton because she was stinkin’ adorable. Make a Wish dealt a lot with grief at the loss of a loved one and how you can move on with your life without letting go of your feelings or memories (both good and bad) that you shared with that person. Harley was able to empathize with Gavin and especially Peyton due to her own loss of her parents, and to an extent, she helps both of them process their unresolved feelings over Peyton’s mother’s death. I also appreciated Harley’s career journey to finding where exactly she fit in Spark House, since both her sisters had more defined positions at the hotel and the hotel was expanding rapidly as it franchised. I loved that Harley was able to get the best of both worlds, combining her love of Spark House and working with her sisters, with her love of working with children, both in a caregiving and party capacity. Bonus—seeing the continuation of Avery’s and London’s lives (plus Declan’s and Jackson’s, too) after their stories was a fun treat. Finally, my favorite part of this story was the epilogue. I won’t ruin anything, but the different POV was an unexpected treat and wrapped up the entire series perfectly. Highly recommend this series and especially this story!

Make a Wish was my favorite book in Helena Hunting's latest trilogy, The Spark House series. Make a Wish is a nanny/single dad romance with a twist. Almost ten years ago, Harley was Gavin's nanny for his daughter Payton after the loss of his wife. Although they have some chemistry, Gavin moves away before anything can happen. Almost a decade later he and his daughter are back in town, and despite the odds being against them their spark is rekindled. With lots of ups and downs between boyfriends, meddling grandparents, and work drama this book is entertaining and fun! I cannot wait to read more books by Helena Hunting. TW: loss of a spouse/ mother during childbirth, manipulative parents/grandparents, disordered eating commentary. 3.5/5

This is the last of The Spark House series and features Harley Sparks, the youngest of the three Spark sisters. Eight years ago, when she was twenty, she nannied for widower Gavin Rhodes. Gavin’s wife died during childbirth, and he was trying to deal with his grief and a newborn. One night, they almost cross a line, and Gavin ends up moving away. It is now eight years later, and Harley is working a children’s party and their family venue, when Gavin arrives with his 9 year old daughter, Peyton. Gavin and Harley start to reconnect through Peyton. They eventually realize that there is more there than the connection through Peyton, but can they work through their respective baggage to get to their happily ever after? I loved this final book of this series and am a bit sad that there weren’t more sisters for future books. I received an arc of this book from NetGalley for my honest review.

As this series comes to a close, this book stayed true to the other books, in that it felt softer, and a bit more emotional than Helena Hunting’s indie books. We still get some spice in our romance novel, but this one really was woven in with grief and finding love after losing a partner.

It was wonderfully written, and evoked a lot of emotions. I’m a fan of single parent tropes, and the author did an amazing job of really having Peyton part of the story.

I’m so glad that the author gave us not only the romance for Harley, but gave her confidence to find her footing on where she stood with the Spark family, and what she wanted to do with her life.

Being back with the Spark sisters and their partners was a bit like coming home, and I loved the tie in to the authors other series.

I absolutely love the Spark sisters so I was extremely eager to get Harley’s story! Harley is at a point where she is trying to find where she fits, both at Spark House and in life. Her management of Spark House social media has been passed off to a team, her birthday parties were deemed ‘not financially beneficial’, and her degree was put on hold years ago to help her sisters at Spark House. In walks Gavin and Peyton, the last family she ever worked as a live in nanny for. I will say the easiness of Gavin and Harley seemed extremely fast but then I remembered that she lived with him for a year and a half when Peyton was a newborn, and that will create a bond between anyone! I loved the ease between the three, it was so easy to just see how they synced. I had some anger issues regarding Gavin’s mother in law and how she manipulated him and even issues with the older Spark sisters for shutting down Harley’s ideas without talking things through. But in the end it was Gavin and Harley who needed to stand up for themselves and each other… which obviously they did because Helena Hunting always gives us a HEA!

All the standalone novels in the Spark House series are must-reads but Make Me A Wish has a special place in my heart. After finishing Starry-Eyed Love, I was itching to get my hands on the youngest Spark sister’s story. And what a poignant story Hunting has told.

Harley Spark. Innocent but competent beyond her young years, she’s got everything under control as a loving and considerate nanny—just until. Fast forward. It’s not easy to forget when there’s no closure, and the guy she’d worked for is back. Get a box of tissues ready, ladies and gents. Hunting’s bitter-sweet offering overwhelmed me with emotion.

Gavin. From the moment Hunting introduced him, his thoughts consumed me. Putting his daughter and heart first gave me no option but to have his back. Though here’s the catch, I found myself rallying for Harley more. Maybe because she had a lot on her plate at the hotel, or perhaps her dreams seemed impossible to achieve, whatever the reason, this overly considerate lass gained my respect and had me cracking smiles.

Anything family is my cuppa, Hunting putting conflicting matters into perspective. Observing the differences, Harley and Gavin want their relations to respect their wishes. But even before thinking about that, finding their happy medium is foremost. Hunting underlined the importance of voicing one’s feelings, regardless of the hurt it could cause, with the utmost graciousness.

Now what I liked most. Not being sure what was on the cards—there were times when the tension got the better of me. Neither am I ashamed to admit that sassy banter is my thing. Stong tick here because Hunting is an ace at giving just that. Hot hero with all the pluses. No doubt about it! And a kid with an uncanny vision that made me wish she were mine—double that tenfold ‘coz it was love at first sight.

If I could make a wish, it would be to see more of these gals and their men at Spark House. However, all good things come to an end, and what an ending it was. Simply bravo, Hunting!

4.5 stars. I loved returning to Sparks House for Harley’s book. Harley was a nanny before she started to help her sisters with running Sparks House and Gavin is the dad of one of children that she nannied for, Years later Peyton (and Gavin) attend one of the birthday parties Harley has coordinated at Sparks House. Harley and Gavin try to reconnect as friends, but the attraction is too much to ignore. I enjoyed this age gap, single father romance. Gavin is still trying to deal with the loss of his wife (even though it has been years) and how to move on to a new relationship. I liked how strong Harley was and standing up for herself-not wanting to be second best, but was also very patient and understanding with Gavin’s struggles. I also enjoyed the interactions with Peyton and how she and Harley just meshed. This is a great read.

*4 Stars*

ARC kindly received for an honest review.

This was a great story. Peyton really steals the show, but I really liked Harley and Gavin too. This kind of story makes you realise the grief that many families face from unexpected tragedies. There were lots of fun and cute moments in this one, and while it was maybe a little bit too long, the story played out well. I enjoyed this and would recommend.

“Love is never easy, and your path has been harder than most.”

Make A Wish is the third book in the Spark House series and it is my absolute favorite. Harley and Gavin plus Peyton are absolute magic. The emotional impact was so heartfelt and this one hit me in the feels.

“It’s up to me to make my own happiness.”

Harley is smart and independent, but she’s trying to find the place she fits in the world. Spark House is continuing to grow, but Harley feels like the odd one out. She was devastated when Gavin and Peyton left town years ago, but when they return to town and she begins to spend time with them, she starts to discover where she’s truly meant to be.

“Harley is a ray of sunshine peeking through the clouds. Warm and bright and full of life.”

Gavin was shattered when his wife died during childbirth and now he’s unconsciously scared of letting someone fully into his heart. Harley is the first person who fits seamlessly into his life and makes him feel alive again, but can he let down his walls enough to love again?

“I feel like you’ve put me back together.”

This was such an emotional, heartfelt story of love, loss, and healing. I loved watching Gavin and Harley develop a slow burning friendship and watching them grow and rebuild together. The chemistry was simmering beneath the surface in every meeting and I loved the closeness between Peyton and Harley. Harley helped Gavin realize that he needed to actively live his life rather than passive aggressively accept what was easiest while Gavin helped Harley recognize what would make her happy in life instead of just taking what was in front of her.

“Change is always supposed to be uncomfortable. It’s how you know you’re making the right choice.”

Full of so much heart, heat and humor, Make A Wish is a beautiful story and I loved it so much. This was a lovely conclusion to this fantastic, heartfelt trilogy and that epilogue was perfection!

Harley is at crossroads in her life. Changes are happening all around her. But she will hosting a party she runs into a former nanny client. Gavin Rhodes the one she is almost kissed. Will Gavin and Harley make it as couple or will other obstacles block them. It is cute single dad nanny romance. Can’t wait for you to read it! Thank you for the arc@


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A nice contemporary single dad romance comes some bittersweet moments for this Spark House series.

Harley used to nanny for Gavin and Peyton, until he up and moved over two hours away. At that time, Harley threw herself into Spark House and all she was needed for there. Her role was ever changing with Spark House but she learned to roll with the punches.

So when she’s in charge of a birthday party for a ten year old little girl at Spark House, the last person she expects to see is Gavin. The same Gavin that she embarrassed herself in front of so horridly, she still thinks about it all these years later.

Peyton remembers Harley from photo albums of when she was a baby. So they instantly reconnect like no time has passed, which brings Gavin back into her life, naturally.

When they finally make the plunge to be a couple, they’re hit with a few bumps in the road. Gavin still hasn’t dealt with his past trauma and Harley knows she loves Gavin but she can’t keep going like this. She can’t play second best.

I loved how unique this story was. It was made to feel authentic even with the few convenience scenes, that just made you totally love their relationship. And how they grew as characters. While it is a love story about Gavin and Harley, his daughter Peyton is very much a big part of the story, which I loved. I think Harley’s story is my favorite of the three.