Overall, this was a fun, romance novel. I like that the characters weren't perfect and they each carried around guilt that they didn't need to. I love that Harley and Gavin found each other again after so many years and that everyone else say their shared feeling before they did.

Jason Clarke and Stella Bloom did a good job of narrating this novel. I liked that they switched up when the POV switched between the two main characters.

I've thoroughly enjoyed this series and Gavin and Harley's story is no exception. Harley used to nanny for Gavin until he suddenly moved away. Now he's back and stirring up feelings in Harley all over again for him, and his daughter.

Gavin is a great dad, which is incredibly appealing. You can see that he truly wants what is best for his daughter. Doesn't mean there aren't some struggles there (cue his deceased wife's mother), but eventually they get handled. Dealing with Peyton's grandma was rough for Harley, but I appreciated that she was in it for what's best for Peyton, even if that wasn't what was best for her.

You can feel the spark between Gavin and Harley from the get go - even when they're struggling. I couldn't be happier with how their HEA turned out.

This charming book is the third in the series, however the first two don't need to be read first to enjoy.

Harley, a sweet, lovely, charismatic person is the live-in nanny for a newly widowed father...until he quickly leaves town. Several years later, they have reconnected, and Harley rekindles her bond with Peyton (the father's daughter)...and you guessed it - sparks fly with dad, Gavin.

A quick read, but also tender as Gavin grapples with the loss of his first wife, and extended family dynamics. Tha narration was lovely as well.

3 stars- this was okay, a little too cheesy/cute for me. It probably my least favorite of the 3, I didn't necessarily believe their chemistry either. I love HH and will read anything she writes -I've heard great things about this one so I think I'm just an outlier!

Thank you so much for an audio arc of Make A Wish by Helena Hunting.

This was a fun third book in this companion series! This book was a good mash up of Hallmark meets Helena Hunting steaminess. I love how Hunting describes and develops characters and I loved getting to know more about Harley, who I really liked in the past books. I found some plot points a bit repetitive, we would read characters think something and then explain it to another character at another time.

The audio narration was so well done and I would love to read more book narrated by the actors. I am a fan of Hunting’s writing and would recommend this one to readers who like an age gap, single dad romance with a loveable daughter, understandable conflict, and cute steamy romances.

3.5 rounded up to 4 stars

Trigger: Gavin’s wife, Peyton’s mom did die in child birth. This is referenced throughout the novel and grief is a central aspect to this book. Harleys parents both died in a car accident (off page) and this is referenced in memories.

Another hit from Helena Hunting! Love her Spark series and I’m going to miss it so very much! Loved Harley’s story and her bond to this family. Can’t wait for what’s next up for Helena Hunting!

Seven years ago, Harley was working as a nanny when she almost kissed the child’s widowed father. And then to add to her embarrassment, the father and his child moved across the country. Now, Harley is working with her sisters when the man and his daughter randomly show up at one of her events. As they reconnect, Harley finds the attraction is definitely still there.
This is the third book in the Spark House series and what a beautiful series and journey of love stories this has been. I particularly enjoyed this story since it featured tropes that are not my usuals (age-gap, single-dad). Second chance romances are not always my favorite, but the circumstances surrounding this one made sense to me and I really enjoyed seeing Harley and Gavin finally take their shot at love. I listened to this one via audiobook and I thought Jason Clarke and Stella Bloom did a phenomenal job narrating this story and conveying all of the emotions involved.
Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the advance copy.

Seriously loved this one! When I requested this book on NetGalley I didn't realize it was part of a series! (I quickly found books 1 & 2 and read through them!) This is the 3rd book in the Spark Sisters trilogy and follows a story between Harley (youngest Spark sister) and Gavin - a widower in Colorado. Harley and Gavin had some falling out after an awkward evening years ago when Harley was the nanny to Gavin's newborn, Peyton. Flash forward, Peyton's attending a birthday party at Spark House and Gavin and Harley's path cross again. In this steamy romance, Harley and Gavin rediscover what they knew all along. This book was so fun, flirty and difficult to put down. Great plot and fantastic narrator! A special thanks to @NetGalley for the copy in exchange of my honest review.

I enjoyed this! It was easy listening and even though I didn’t realize it was the third in a series when I started, I honestly didn’t feel lost AT ALL. It stood really well on its own and made me want to read the other ones, but didn’t make me feel like I NEEDED to. I liked the focus on grief as well as blending families and the grief we carry when doing so. It was really good.

Helena Hunting has quickly become one of my favorite Romcom authors. I loved the first two books in the Spark House series and was excited to listen to Harley’s story, Make a Wish. This one did not let me down. Harley and Gavin’s journey from ex-nanny to friends and to lovers was perfectly executed. I loved how their relationship developed. Their personalities meshed so well and Peyton fit into their story flawlessly. It was such a delightful story. I loved being able to sneak a peek into the lives of the characters from the first two books. It always makes me happy to catch a glimpse of familiar characters and see where their story has led them. This book could be read as a standalone, but I highly recommend grabbing the whole series! Make a Wish was an excellent addition to the Spark House series.

I read the Spark House series out of order, reading book 2 first then book 3 (this one). I haven’t read book 1 yet, but Make A Wish was more enjoyable in my opinion. I liked Harley’s character and her journey. I don’t really love single dad romances, or age gaps, but this one really worked for me as it was cute and felt real and not mega cheesy. I enjoyed the family dynamics and relationship between Harley and her sisters but I really enjoyed the dynamics between Gavin and his family and in-laws. I felt seen with a certain family member. IYKYK.

Cute, sexy, swoony and a touch of angst is my best wrap up for this one! Helena Hunting is a great author and this book is proof. I listened to the audio and thoroughly enjoyed it.

I listened to this audio and overall enjoyed it. This is the 3rd book in the Spark House series and it was my favorite one. I think it could be read as a stand alone just fine.
I loved the narrators Jason Clarke and Stella Bloom.

Harley Spark loves kids and I loved that she took education classes (represent). She was a nanny for Peyton after her mom tragically passed away in childbirth. Harley's job ended suddenly and seven years later Peyton and her dad are back in her life.

This was a really sweet sorta second chance romance with the single dad trope.

Thank you Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for this audio ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Make a Wish (Spark House Book 3) by Helena Hunting
Narrated by Stella Bloom and Jason Clarke
3rd in a Series but I read as a standalone.
4.25 stars
NetGalley ALC.

I was so excited to get an Advanced Listening Copy of a Helena Hunting novel from NetGalley, that I didn’t notice it was third in a series. I noticed while reading the story that there must have been previous books about the sisters but it didn’t take away from my enjoyment of Make A Wish by Helena Hunting , it stood just fine on its own.

Make a Wish begins with a flashback to over eight years ago. At 19 Harley began nannying for Gavin and his baby daughter, Peyton, whose mother died in childbirth. A year-and-a-half later, after a particularly rough night with a teething Peyton, Harley almost kissed Gavin. He moved two hours across the state to be closer to his in-laws right after, and Harley blamed herself. She stopped nannying right after, worrying about her lapse of judgement.

It’s now 7 years later, and Gavin has just moved back to town with his 9-year-old daughter. Harley runs birthday parties at her family’s hotel, and they show up to one. Her heart immediately gets involved because she loved that little girl and was still attracted to her dad. She’s 28 now and not in his employ, but she is still mortified about what happened.

Make a Wish is a slow burn, where Gavin and Harley use Peyton as the excuse to get together, and sometimes it felt like he was in it more for the amazing care Harley provides his daughter than for himself.

Gavin’s mother-in-law now lives almost two hours away, but she was Peyton’s main caregiver for the last 7 years. She’s strict and judgmental, but she loves her granddaughter. Gavin was still listening to her and letting her boss him around because he felt so guilty that their daughter died in childbirth. I felt bad hating her, but that made her a great 'villain' in this story.

Likes:

•I love single parent books so much!
•Peyton was adorable and stole the show.
•Stood alone fine (but made me wish I read the others because I liked this so much).
•Gavin was such a great dad.
•Had I read the first two books, I would have enjoyed catching up with the other two sisters.
•Harley losing her parents at a young age made her a really nice fit for Peyton and Gavin, as she knows loss.
•Told mostly from Harley’s POV with only about ¼ being from Gavin’s.

Dislikes:

•Peyton acted much younger than 9 years old.
•The relationship revolved a little too much around the daughter.
•Not quite as funny as I expected from previous Helena Hunting books.
•It took too long to hear his feelings about what happened that night before he left town. I wasn’t sure if he even remembered.

The Narration:

You can’t go wrong with Jason Clarke and Stella Bloom! I love both of them and they fit the characters well. They also both did young Peyton’s voice adorably well. I did, however, notice that they both narrate all three books in the series, which is why I didn’t immediately pick up the first in the series, When Sparks Fly. I wouldn’t be able to binge this series because I can’t have the same voices narrating different characters in a row.

The Down & Dirty:

I really enjoyed Make a Wish by Helena Hunting. I wish I had read the first two, but that didn’t affect my enjoyment of this one. It would be hard to read this and not fall in love with sweet Peyton, and poor Gavin deserves some happiness as well. I’ll be listening to the first 2 soon!

Rating: 4.25 Stars, 3 Flames, 4.5 Narration

Omg...this book!!! Such a good love story with emotional elements and family strife mixed in! I loved it even more than I expected to♡

Cute book! I loved these characters and how this story was not the typical plot for a rom-com. I would love to see a sequel, maybe following another character in this story!

I am quite literally obsessed with this story. Like I am obsessed with everything Gavin, Harley & Peyton. 🫶🏼

This is the third book in the series, but can be read as a standalone. I read as a stand-alone and will 100% be going back to read book 1 & 2!

Gavin is a strong (surprisingly naughty) single dad grieving his wife’s child birth death. He surprisingly comes BACK into Harley’s life after being gone for some time and as a reader you get to watch Harley & Gavin fall in love before they even realize they fall in love.

Harley is a sunshiney, optimistic women who is trying to find her place in her family’s business.

Gavin is the ultimate book boyfriend for me. As a single mom, a man who can throw on a tutu and play with his daughter is such a TURN ON. The love he had for Peyton was BLEEDING off every page and I couldn’t get enough of their relationship.

THE EPILOGUE. stop it right now. It was the PERFECT touch on the story.

My only complaint was i wanted more. I was also so pleasantly pleased when Gavin finally stood up for himself to Karen and she came around!

Make A Wish by Helena Hunting

Helena Hunting is an auto buy author for me! I love her writing and Make a Wish was everything I wanted it to be.

Harley loves kids and spent her early twenties as a nanny. She’s always wondered if an almost mishap with the widowed father of the child in her care led him to move across the state. Harley and Gavin meet by chance years after widower, Gavin and his daughter Peyton move back to Harley’s hometown. As they begin to spend more time together, Harley wonders if Gavin sees her as a familiar presence in Peyton’s life or does he see their relationship as something more.

I really really liked this book. A second chance romance, a bit of an age gap, humor, emotion, spice- it has it all! The only thing that was off for me was some of the things Peyton says/does… maybe it’s just that as a 2nd grade teacher I spend my days with 8 year olds, but sometimes she seemed way younger than 9 years old and that stuck with me. Overall, great book! Loved Harley and Gavin!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, and St. Martin’s Griffin for the audiobook ARC of Make A Wish

#makeawish #helenahunting #bookreview #bookrecommendation #netgalley #arcreader #bookstagram #bookstragrammer #CurrentlyReading #TBR #fivestarreview #fivestarreads

"Make a Wish" by Helena Hunting is a new release has been popular on #Booksta recently. I might be the only one, but I didn't love it! 2⭐

Harley was a nanny for Peyton and her dad, Gavin, after Peyton's mom died. Harley's job for them ended suddenly. Now, 7 years later, Peyton and Gavin are back in her life and Harley is loving it. But she has a boyfriend and Gavin's intentions are fuzzy.

I liked Harley as a character; she is whimsical and fun. This story is full of rainbows and unicorns and glitter, which I'm here for!

However, I never clicked with Gavin. There is a lot of telling us about their relationship instead of showing. We're never told why Harley likes him, except that he's older and attractive. The pacing also felt really off, with minimal action until more than halfway through.

Additionally, I didn't enjoy the male narrator - his voice felt much older and deeper than I expected for Gavin.

Loved this audiobook! Harley Spark is all about the kids. She is Gavin’s nanny after his wife dies in childbirth. She helps with Peyton until she is 18 months old. Then she and Gavin have an almost kiss. Gavin and Peyton move after that. Fast forward seven and a half years later and Gavin is moving back with nine year old Peyton. Can this time work out for them or will life and mother in laws get in the way?

Loved this story.
The narrators are fantastic. Their voices and vocal changes work to help the story flow.
Loved these characters.
Harleigh the former nanny and Gavin the single dad whose wife died in childbirth. Sweet Peyton his daughter who is pure sunshine.
And even the side characters are lovable...well mostly.