This is book 3 of the Spark House series but it stands alone if you haven't read the first 2 titles. It's a group of sisters so of course there is overlap and if you read in order it will make you happy dance in your reading chair.

This is an interesting story featuring a single dad and the former nanny. It’s second chance, but not really… there wasn’t any real first chance. Just a moment where a line was almost but not crossed.

Harley was part of the family for a year and a half raising baby Peyton, helping out single dad Gavin, but then they moved away. Harley was super embarrassed about offering comfort to sleep deprived, emotionally exhausted, grieving Gavin. She blamed herself for crossing a line and her guilt along with the lack of closure caused 7 years of uncertainty for her. She stopped nannying, stopped working towards her degree, drew inwards and tried to protect her heart by not exposing herself.

Then one day, fate bring Gavin & Peyton back into Harley’s world. Peyton knows exactly who Harley is because of her baby albums and instantly wants Harley to be part of her life again. Harley is hesitant, Gavin is hesitant, but it feels so easy to love Peyton again, to help her settle in, to help Gavin when he doesn’t have care options, to build a friendship as the people they are now… and maybe more (which Peyton is totally there for!).

Throw in some added uncertainty from Harley’s family in the form of business expansion leaving her moored and unfulfilled in her day job, some family drama on Gavin’s side from his in-laws who spent the last 7 years helping him raise Peyton (and potentially sabotage his ability to date) and it’s not an easy road for anyone. But it might be the best journey to take.

The audiobook was performed incredibly by Stella Bloom and Jason Clarke. They both had some intense emotional moments through this book and gave fantastic kid voice for Peyton and her friends/classmates. I was in tears at times because of the rawness of the pain both characters experienced throughout this journey (in the present and reliving the past). They also had a lot of fun moments too that bring in the Helena Hunting humour. Jason’s dad chuckle is so fun!

I requested and was provided an advance copy of this audiobook via Netgalley.

Make a Wish is the third book of the Spark House series but can easily be read as a standalone. Sadly, this one is my least favorite of the series. I was so excited when I saw the author putting out teasers for this book, I was convinced that I was going to love it. I mean single dad falling for the nanny. Sounds romantic right? But unfortunately it didn't deliver that wow factor for me. I failed to connect with either main characters, Gavin and Harley. The chemistry didn't built and there was just too much angst and drama infused in the story that overtook. A touch too much.

The audiobook was great. No complaints about it. The flow was good.

This is a cute story, and the third in a series. I didn’t read the first two, but the third can be read pretty well as a stand alone. Cute, completely fluffy romance with all the feels and feels-good ending.

1.5 stars.

It took me several tries to get into this book. I don’t think it was the narration, but rather the story itself. It just wasn’t pulling me in, and I would find my thoughts drifting to other things. After struggling through most of the book, I found myself not liking the male narrator. His voice was too deep, and I would sometimes find it difficult to catch what he was saying if I wasn’t concentrating. I also wasn’t a fan of the way he did Peyton’s voice.

As for the content, I don’t think I was the target audience. This book was riddled with toxic implications about what makes a “man” and a “woman.” There was one particular scene that stuck out to me, which was when Gavin and Harley were discussing Chad, Harley’s ex. Gavin calls Chad a “kid” because he subsists on a “steady diet of video games.” I felt this was written in poor taste and just because you play video games doesn’t make you a “kid.” And then Gavin implied that Harley is a “woman” because she can care for a child. I just found this kind of talk really harmful and is not conducive to the current state of society.

This book was 75% about Harley being a surrogate mother and 25% romance. I didn’t realize the entire book was mostly going to be about caring for Peyton, but I guess this stems from real life to some extent. A lot of parents will often lose themselves in their children, making their children the priority in their lives instead of their partner. The characters were one-dimensional, and it was unclear to me what there was to Gavin and Harley beyond being parents and workaholics.

As the reader, all I saw was Gavin falling for someone who could care for his child, Peyton. When asked what Gavin liked about Harley, he gave some very generic traits, of which I didn’t see any examples of in the book. As for Gavin, there are many mentions regarding his muscles, and then one time, Harley says he’s a great dad. I didn’t feel there was a buildup of chemistry, so it was just physical attraction that really brought them together, besides their love of Peyton.

I haven’t read the other books in the series, but if this one in the book is any indication of how the other ones will go, I’m not sure I want to spend the time reading them.

Four and a Half Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭒
Make a Wish by Helena Hunting is the third book in her popular Spark House series but can be read as a stand-alone book. However, it’s a fun series and all the books are great.

Story Recap:
Harley Spark loves children and is the children’s party event coordinator at her family’s event hotel, Spark House. As the youngest of the three sisters, she is beginning to question her role at Spark House but loves working with her sisters. Her sisters have told her that they will be ending the children’s parties at Spark House because they don’t add enough to their bottom line. Harley is disappointed but knows she has to think of the company first.

At her last Spark House children’s party, Harley runs into Peyton, a little girl she used to babysit as a toddler, who is now an energetic nine-year-old. However, it’s Peyton’s dad, Gavin, who has Harley wanting to run away from the party. When Harley was a young woman, she was a live-in nanny for Peyton, after Peyton’s mother died during childbirth. Taking care of young Petyon and her grief-stricken father, Gavin, was a fulfilling job until she almost kissed her boss, Gavin. Shortly after that “almost kiss”, Gavin and his toddler daughter Peyton, moved away to Boulder to be closer to his in-laws. But Harley has always thought that their move was because of her clumsy attempt to kiss, Gavin.

My Thoughts:
I’ve read and enjoyed every book in this series, and I like this one the best. I’ve been waiting for Harley’s story, and it was worth the wait. I love Harley, she’s less driven than the other sisters but just as passionate about life. Just not as passionate about Spark House as her sisters. She found her niche at Spark House by doing the children’s parties, but now her sisters have decided to drop doing the parties as it’s not as lucrative as weddings and corporate events.

The star of the story is Peyton, Gavin’s nine-year-old daughter. She is funny and works as a buffer between Gavin and Harley. Gavin is an adorable dad and will do anything to make his daughter happy, including tea parties wearing a tutu and special trips to child-themed restaurants.

Recommendation:
I highly recommend Make a Wish to anyone who enjoys romance. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The following review was posted on my blog today, Thursday, January 19th, 5 days before publication. It will be shared on Twitter and Instagram between that day and the day of publication, and has already been posted on Goodreads. The blog post includes links to order the books and to its Goodreads page, so readers can add it to their to-be-read books.





“Have faith in the power of true love, my dear, it conquers all.”

Author: Helena Hunting
Narrators: Stella Bloom and Jason Clarke

Genre: Romance
Actual Rating: 4.5 stars
Narration: 5 mikes
Spicy Meter: 3 fire emojis
Content Warnings: Discusses age gap relationships, parental death, death during childbirth, dysfunctional relationships, and gaslighting. Contains explicit sexual content.

“Make a Wish” is the third and final installment in the Spark House series, and it follows the youngest Spark sister: Harley. She used to be a live-in nanny for a toddler named Peyton, but that was until she tried to kiss the girl’s widowed father, Gavin, and they upped and left to the other side of the State. Harley never saw them again, she moved on to work with her sisters in their boutique hotel, and that was that. Until Gavin and the now 9-year-old Peyton move back and they naturally reconnect. Will Harley get over what happened years ago and be able to move on to what the future could hold? Or will her embarrassment win this time around?

Hear me out: this book is part of a series, yes, but it works so so well as a standalone novel. And you can trust me with this one, because I have not read any of the other Spark House books and I was not only able to understand what was going on, but I was able to love the novel and all the characters as a whole.

And then when it came to the narration of this ARC audiobook—it was simply perfect. Stella Bloom’s voice was soft and really expressed Harley’s quirkiness, and Jason Clarke… Oh, Jason Clarke. His voice was so so deep. It was absolutely immaculate. I recently found out all the other audiobooks for this series are narrated by this pair and I can’t wait to get my hands on those.

The age difference and change in power dynamics was a bit weird, I’m not going to lie. I sometimes doubted Gavin’s intentions and really thought all he wanted was another live-in nanny. Also, that 9-year-old acted more like a 5- or 6-year-old, it got to be a bit annoying, yet I still honestly enjoyed this book—hence the aaaalmost perfect star rating.

I can’t speak for the rest of the series, but I would highly recommend “Make a Wish” if you’re looking for a romance that leans more towards the complex. Touching topics like childbirth death and losing both parents at a young age, this is a bit of a heavy read—but it still finds ways to be heartwarming.

If you enjoy age difference and second chances at love, then “Make a Wish” is most definitely for you.

If you click here, you’ll be redirected to Goodreads, so you can add the book to your TBR list.

Or you could click here, and be redirected to Amazon, so you can order the book.

ARC provided by NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: January 24, 2023

Make A Wish by Helena Hunting

This is book three in the Spark House Series. Harley recognizes Gavin when he brings his daughter Peyton to a party held at Spark House. She used to be a nanny for Peyton before they moved away. Harley is happy to lend a hand in child care again and finds herself growing attached. To Gavin and Peyton.

Gavin is trying to find his way in the world after losing his wife when his daughter Peyton was born. It was hard for him and now that 10 years have passed he is still single and has yet to settle down into a real relationship.

Harley is such a likeable character with a warm beautiful heart she makes this story really good. Gavin is a single parent who wants to have a life again. Will Harley and Gavin find a way to lite a spark to something more then just employee and employer to friend when he returns.

I can understand everyone's hurt and pain with dealing with past hardships when losing a loved one. I did not read the other two books in the series but that was just fine this one could be read as a stand alone. I do plan on going back and reading the other two books.

Narrated by Jason Clarke and Stella Bloom which they did a great job bringing everyone voice to life in this audio book. It was easy to follow along which made it enjoyable to listen to. This was a four star read for me. I recommend this is you like single parent romance stories. Even if you don't I believe you will still enjoy this romance novel.

Thank you to Netgalley and MacMillan Audio for a free copy of Make a Wish for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

Once again I’m enjoying romance more via ears than eyes. Impatience is my middle-name when it comes to romance-reading and while I am sometimes impatient at the length of a romance audiobook, it doesn’t compare to how finger-drummingly ho-hum I feel when I’m eyeballing it.

I certainly both enjoyed and grew impatient with Helena Hunting’s contemporary romance, Make A Wish. It has a cutesy cartoon cover (not a fan) moments of rom-com-ish humour (weak ones), a touch of women’s fic psychologizing (better than I thought it would be), and a fairly standard romance, not too passionate, or compelling, but in the context of its two other qualities, solid. There’s a handsome single dad, aspiring child-care expert, soupçon of May-to-December, and saccharine plot poppet; the publisher’s blurb offers further details:

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. Despite trying to avoid the awkwardness of the situation, she can’t help but notice how unbearably sexy he looks in a tutu. Add to that a spontaneous hives breakout, and it’s clear she’s not even remotely over the mortification of her egregious error all those years ago.

Except Gavin seems oblivious to her inner turmoil. So much so that he suggests they get together for lunch. For Peyton’s sake, of course. 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…


Gavin and Harley’s romance takes a long, long time to get going and I was okay with that. Obstacles to the HEA abound, but they’re psychological and, thank the romance gods, free of any Big Mises: Harley’s guilt over the almost-kiss, also The Boyfriend, Gavin’s unresolved grief, a former mother-in-law from hell (who turns out to be more sympathetic than I first thought), and a nine-year-old’s delicate feelings, all of which Hunting pulls off marvelously, if lengthily, and with enough depth to her characters they round out rather nicely. Case in point the immature, oblivious boyfriend, more attached to his gaming device than Harley. And yet, when they break up (because Harley maturely realizes she still has feelings for Gavin), he turns out more reasonable and self-aware than first impressions bode. Everyone, in effect, most importantly Gavin and Harley, are articulate and capable of self-examination and -awareness. It’s refreshing to have a hero and heroine who readily admit their attraction, date, and converse. Frankly, for such a tame couple and romance, the bedroom scenes were incongruously explicit.

Hunting’s romance, centred on Harley, Gavin, and Peyton, is a relationship-building one, with ups and downs, doubts and fears, questions and affirmations. It made sense, given that Harley was with Peyton from birth through to a year and a half, Harley has as much of a relationship with Peyton as Gavin. And this is where my personal taste and romance-preference clashed with Hunting’s account rife with excess of glitter, princesses, and craft projects; they took up too much air time for this reader. On the other hand, Harley was annoyingly fey and yet, when she wasn’t, she was tough, psychologically astute, and up-front honest, kind of badass, like when she broke up with the boyfriend, or called Gavin on his acquiescence to his mother-in-law, or his avoidance of his feelings for her. Gavin was carrying much understandable baggage and wasn’t always willing to be open, or confront conflicting feelings head-on, but his basic decency carried the day and his apology was funny and heartwarming. Hunting’s humour was puerile in places, relying on gags about food, drink, glitter, and bodily functions, but she also often hit the right rom-com-with-heart notes.

I both liked and disliked the narrators. The romance is written in alternating Gavin-Harley first-person narration. They were terrific as the primary characters: Bloom manages to capture Harley’s fey-badass qualities and Clarke has a lovely deep, throaty voice for Gavin. I was nonplussed, however, when the male narrator insisted on higher pitches to convey Harley’s and Peyton’s voices in dialogue and neither helped me warm to Peyton, who was an annoying, breathless motor-mouth. Hunting’s romance-audiobook was pleasant, displayed psychological acuity, but could have made better use of the “less is more” rule on princesses, glitter, and baby diaper contents.

Helena Hunting’s Make A Wish, in audiobook, releases on January 24 and was recorded by Macmillan Audio. I received an advance audiobook from Macmillan Audio, for the purpose of this review, via Netgalley.

Make a Wish is the third installment in the Spark House series and follows the story of the youngest Spark sister, Harley. I have read the other two Spark House books and love them, but even if you haven't you can still read this one as a standalone. This book is great! So sweet and full of heart. Harley reconnects with a widowed man whose daughter she used to nanny. Their relationship is not without the complications of single parenthood and in-laws, as well as long held on guilt and grief of the loss of a close loved one. As with the other books int he series, it was great to be transported to the magic of Spark House. Helena Huntings writing is great, and I felt very invested in the characters and their story. I listened the audiobook and both narrators were wonderful. I highly recommend this book!

Such a great audiobook, the voice actors were amazing! This was such a great wrap to the Spark House series, I think Helena ended on a great note. I appreciated the angst in the storyline that allowed both Harley and Gavin to find their paths to fulfillment! Such a great story, I loved it!

Make A Wish
(Spark House #3)
Helena Hunting
Nine years ago, the happiest day of Gavin Rhodes life was also the saddest day of his life. His daughter Peyton took her first breath, and his wife took her last. Harley Sparks was Peyton’s nanny until he moved to Boulder where his in laws lived. Karen his mother-in-law took over the job of raising/babysitting for Peyton. She loved Peyton with all her heart, but she tended to dominated Gavin’s life. Seven years later he and Peyton moved back so he could take over for his retiring father.
Harley works for Spark House, an event resort owned by Harley and her two sisters; she did the social media for the hotel, and she handled the birthday parties. She loved working with children. Her birthday parties were filled with crafts, games and other activities. It was during a birthday party when she met Gavin and Peyton again.
Peyton is excited to meet Harley. Soon Harley is drawn into Gavin and Peyton’s life. She finds herself falling in love with the handsome widower and his daughter. But Gavin has never truly come to terms with the loss of his wife. He knows he is in love with Harley and wants her to be part of his life but can’t allow himself to be happy.
The main characters in this book are Harley and Gavin but Peyton steals the show. I liked Harley from the beginning although she seemed too naïve for her age. I was not fond of Gavin. He allowed his former mother-in-law to be rude and down right mean to Harley and to himself. Chad, Harley boyfriend at the beginning of this tale was not likable until after they broke up. This book brought tears to my eyes more than once, especially the ending. I rarely read single parent romances, but I enjoyed this one.

This book was just an absolute emotional delight to read. I really loved it so much! It was by far my fave of the SPARK HOUSE series! I’ve been on a real nanny/single dad roll *see my post last week* and this was such a great one! Honestly, I feel like these are a rare find in the traditionally published world!

Usually, the hero is what really hooks me in a book. And don’t get me wrong, Gavin was great, but I absolutely loved Harley and sweet little Peyton!

What to expect::
•Former nanny and widowed single dad
•Age gap
•Adorable kid
•Catching up with the Spark sisters
•Dual POV
🎧Great on audio
🔥Open Door steam

4.5⭐️

Jason Clarke and Stella Bloom were perfection, as always, on audio!

The story of Make A Wish was truly a sweet story, and as a person who reads many romances, it still felt fresh and new. I loved the amount of care given to the whole supporting cast.
I did struggle with this being an Open-Door romance. The romantic scenes did not seem to flow with the sweet narrative. The dichotomy was jarring.
Also, the male narrator was not my favorite for a romance. I felt as though he would be better for reading thrillers or general fiction.

Make a Wish by Helena Hunting
Spark House #3. Contemporary romance. Can be read as a stand-alone, however events happen after the prior two books and the characters play a role in this book. Trilogy conclusion.
Harley recognizes Gavin when he brings his daughter Peyton to a party held at Spark House. She used to be a nanny for Peyton before they moved away. Harley is happy to lend a hand in child care again and finds herself growing attached. To Gavin and Peyton.

The final sister’s story. It’s adorable. Gavin will do anything for his daughter including dress up in a tutu without embarrassment. Harley’s first love is child care and it’s clear she is conflicted with the growth and her responsibilities at Spark House. It’s also clear that she still loves Peyton and still has feelings for Gavin. But of course, there are issues that must be dealt with including Harley’s current boyfriend and Gavin’s mother-in-law that never liked Harley.
Charming and heartwarming.

🎧 I listened to an audiobook that was narrated by Stella Bloom and Jason Clarke (who do the full series) in a dual POV. Each takes on both voices from the male or female perspectives. The crossover is well done and convincing in the romance and tension of the situations. Because they are the same narrators for the full series, I would recommend that you don’t listen to them directly in a row or you may start confusing the characters. Overall I enjoyed both the print and the audio versions equally.
I listened to this story at a speed of 1.3 (my usual) which I found the most comfortable.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley and Macmillan Audio.
4.5

I adored this book! Friends to Lovers is one of my favorite romance tropes. This book was a pure delight.

The characters, the storyline, and the writing were fantastic. The audio was extremely well done. And I felt the narration flowed seamlessly.. The supporting characters in the book were highly enjoyable as well. Helena Hunting is a great writer. I definitely recommend this book to others.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

When I received an ALC from NetGalley, I did not realize that this book is the third and final book in a trilogy that follows the Spark sisters. After reading this one, I can confidently say that reading them in order is absolutely not necessary as apparently each one of the three sisters get their own book. This one is about Harley and Gavin. Gavin is a widower/single dad who Harley nannied for years ago before he moved his little family closer to his in-laws. Gavin and his daughter, Peyton, move back after 7 years away and they serendipitously run into Harley. Well, you can imagine where this leads. Their chemistry is amazing and I love the fact that Harley, wise beyond her years, was able to reconnect with adorable Peyton and help Gavin heal from his past wounds. I found this book to be rather refreshing and sweet and funny and heartwarming, and I cannot wait to go back and read the two previous books in the series. Overall, this is a great feel-good story about second chances. Oh, and the two audiobook narrators did a phenomenal job with this one. Thank you Helena Hunting, NetGalley, and Macmillan Audio for my advanced audio copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Wow! This story was amazing. I haven't actually read the other two books in the series, but needless to say I am going to go back and read those now!

In true Helena Hunting fashion Make a Wish is hilarious and heartwarming. Harley and Gavin have amazing chemistry and watching them pretend like it doesn't exist is perfection. Everything in this book hit all the right notes with me, single dad, age gap, nanny and parent, time gap, it all hurt so good and made the epilogue that much sweeter. Jason Clarke and Stella Bloom can do no wrong as narrators, in my opinion, this was another incredible listen.

This is my second Helena Hunting book, and I find her writing style refreshing and enjoyable. While the novel tackles some heavy subjects--death of a spouse/mother--the author does a fantastic job of blending humor and heart. I really enjoyed this touching story of second chances.

Seven years ago, Harley almost kissed her boss, Gavin—a widower with a toddler daughter. Shortly thereafter, Gavin moved away. Harley thought she was over it, until Gavin moved back to town. They renew their friendship, and the attraction builds again. What happens when interfering family members get in the way?

I loved this audiobook—it's my favorite of the series. The chemistry between Harley and Gavin is irresistible, but they're both a little hesitant at first. They want to be careful of his daughter's feelings. The conflicts and obstacles are true-to-life, and the emotions strong. Both Harley and Gavin learn to fight harder to get what they want and form a new family.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.