A quick, fun romance.

Avery owns and works at Sparks House with her two sisters. After losing their parents in a car accident, they pour their heart and soul into the family business. As the business is struggling Avery takes point on brining in new customers to help off set the cost of renovations.

Declan is Avery's roommate and best friend, meeting during their college years. They live together, spend all their free time together and both ignore potential romantic feelings toward one another.

After Avery is involved in a car accident and is unable to work or take care of herself, depending solely Declan for all her basic needs, things begin to change with their relationship.

I found this book to be a fast read, slightly predictable, but highly enjoyable. I would recommend this book if you are a fan of Mary Kay Andrews or Jayci Lee, this would be a great book to pick up and read!

From Lala’s Book Reviews

Can I say that I’m so glad that I’ve finally finished this book because it’s all I’ve been able to think about while working and my short time home before going back to work. The last time I had read the synopsis was earlier this year when the cover reveal came out, so need less to say that I really didn’t remember when I started reading it last week.

There’s a reason why I love the friends to lovers trope and think that it’s a highly underrated trope. It’s also one of those tropes that I think need to have certain things occur in order for it to be *chef’s kiss*. Like I said a couple of seconds ago, I basically went into this book blind and when I say Delcan’s name as the POV of that chapter I about flipped my lid from happiness to see and friends to lovers book.

When Sparks Fly is my first book that I’ve read by Helena Hunting (although I’ve been a long time fan for a while now), and I can honestly say that this is far from the last book I’ll read from her. I know that Helena writes a variety of romance books from the cuter ones like this one to some with heavier storylines based on the covers and synopses.

Avery and Declan have been friends since freshman year of college when they met and a school event and have basically been inseparable since, so much so that they’re renting an apartment together after graduating from college.

Declan is something else (in a good way). He doesn’t do relationships in any form because of his parents toxic relationship and doesn’t want to put himself in a position where something like that could happen to the person he’s dating or himself, so he just have meaningless hook-ups. But to his friends and Avery, he’s loyal almost to a fault.

When it comes to relationships, Avery is the complete opposite to Declan. She wants that relationship with another person before starting anything physical. And because Avery and Declan know each other so we’ll, I think that’s one of the reasons why they’ve unconsciously friend zoned each other.

She had to grow up early after her parents died in a car accident leaving her grandmother to take care of Avery and her two younger sisters.
Avery now works with her sisters at Sparks House which is like a hotel type place that hosts different events which has become all of their lives as they each have their own specialty that makes the place so special and unique.

Soon after the book begins, Avery is involved in a bad car accident that leaves her in an arm and leg cast. After much discussion and her sisters’ dismay, Avery goes back home with Declan since he is able to work from home and is physically able to help Avery.

As time passes, Avery and Declan relationship changes from friends to something else, but is it because they have the equivalent of cabin fever or are they finally starting to come into their feelings for the other? And, will this change in relationship status be able to withstand reality and their close friends and Avery’s sisters when it comes time?

What a fabulous story!!
I loved Avery and her sisters! They lost their parents in tragic circumstances and since then , have always been there for each other.
They work for Sparks which is Avery’s baby really.

Avery lives with her best friend Declan who is a womanizer but an awesome flatware/ friend.

Declan’s poor decision changed Avery’s path….
Even though it was not his fault, Declan was determined to be the best friend ever by staying by Avery’s side at all time …. But what happens when the friendship line disappears?
Will it affect the friendship group?

This story was exactly what I needed and I have so much love for Declan… the turmoil, the love and conflicts… I felt it all!!

Another brilliant read from HH

I've read a few of Helena Hunting's books and have always enjoyed them - this book is no exception. I loved the friends-to-lovers theme.

Avery and Declan are best friends who live together and have never had any romantic involvement. Avery runs a hotel/events center with her sisters, Harley and London. She's always just been one of the "guys" and hangs out with Declan and their friends, Jerome and Marcus, on a regular basis. However, that changes when Avery is involved in a car accident that requires her to rely on someone to assist her during her recovery. And of course, who better than Declan?

I really enjoyed the story and seeing Declan slowly come to terms with his feelings for Avery. Avery realized much sooner that she was in love with Declan whereas it took him a while. Both have some emotional baggage that makes them cautious of relationships.

Of course, you can't get a HEA without some conflict causing them to split and Avery moves out. Declan has to work on himself to overcome his past and how he views relationships. As Declan works through his issues with the help of a therapist, they eventually start to rebuild their friendship. They start "dating" without seeing each other physically. I loved their "dating" phase and the way Declan showed Avery his love for her.

The pace was good for me and I enjoyed seeing Avery's relationships with her sisters. I'm hoping Helena writes a sequel for each sister so we can see them get their HEA as well.

I'm sad to say I didn't love this book. I've listed some reasons below, but I honestly couldn't finish because I had such a hard time connecting with the characters

*Despite the friendship between the protagonists, they had no romantic chemistry.
*The hero was hypocritical, acting like a manwhore, but faulting the heroine for flirting with another guy
*The setup was frustrating and unrealistic.
*The romance was the opposite of swoon-worthy

Helena Hunting is an auto-read for me so I was really excited to snag this one. A friends to lovers trope that was easy and quick.

Was it one of my favourites? No. It was light hearted with some serious bits that kept me interested. Declan and Avery’s friendship was sweet and their relationship did evolve but I guess I was just looking for more.

Would love to hear your thoughts if you’ve read this story!

I really enjoyed the first half of this friends to lovers story but the second half lost me a little. It felt as though the two main characters did and said things that were uncharacteristic of their personalities, and those actions drove the last part of the story.

Helena Hunting burst onto my radar when she released Pucked. To this day it still rates in my top five books to read. Ever. So needless to say, every time I pick up a new book from this author, I guess I unfairly compare it to Pucked.
Avery and Declan’s story is based on a trope I cannot get enough of. Sure the characters are no Alex & Violet (showing my bias here) but they are fantastic in their own way. I was hooked on the hidden feelings from both of them and even though it took something horrible to happen for them to make a move I honestly think they would have got there eventually.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I listened to the audiobook as I read it. The audiobook was definitely better than physically reading it. The narrators were perfect and really brought the story to life.

Declan and Avery are the main characters in a friends to lovers story. Ordinarily, I enjoy this trope, but I gotta admit to having a hard time with this one even although I love HH. I didn’t like Declan. He’s the friend your friends tell you to stay away from . And Avery needs to grow some responsibility skills. I get that HH used these things to bring them together, but maybe a test group of readers could let her know that this beginning isn’t making readers love the two of them. Now, once the book got past this, it returned to typical HH happiness. ThTs why I’m giving it 4 stars.

This was a cute friend to lovers book. I enjoyed the storyline and the characters, wasn’t a huge fan of Declan at the beginning, but he grew on me. Over all it was a good read!

I really, really wanted to like this book more than I did. I absolutely hated Declan. I am all for the a*hole heros who eventually redeem themselves but this guy was awful all the way through the book. He did do alot of groveling but I also didn't feel like he changed. And I really didn't like Avery either. She was the typical "I'm not like other girls" girl. She likes sex, she preferred to hang out with guys, and she didn't like girls because they were dishonest. Blah blah. I hate that type of girl.

So overall I really would have DNFed this book if I wasn't reading it for Netgalley. If I don't enjoy the characters, I can't enjoy the story. So this one wasn't for me.

I really like Hunting's book, and this was no exception. Though I wasn't prepared for the car accident (I didn't read the blurb ahead of time) and it triggered feelings from my own car accident, I did love where this plot twist took the rest of the story. I loved the relationship build as well as the coming of age for both characters. It was definitely a quick read, and one I was eager to recommend.

Hello, Helena? Please contact my girlfriend and have her set up cute long distant-ish dates at parks.

I needed a light-hearted romance and I was so excited to have an ARC of When Sparks Fly handy on the my Kindle. Helena is a fantastic romance writer and this standalone was just what I was looking for. I admit, there are some scenes that I understand could be problematic depending on perspective of the reader and it is worth knowing that in advance prior to starting. The main female character is involved in an accident and while recovering she and her roommate and friend begin a friends-with-benefits type relationship. While I noted those scenes as a bit murky, they did not take away from the read for me and I acknowledge that some readers will see them as fine and others will not.

Declan is your classic millennial a-hole. He has parental-issues, is famous for his hookups, and he harbors very apparent feelings for his female best friend and roommate. He lashes out, sees things in black and white, and can be difficult. Avery is your classic millennial successful female. She's single, has made success on her own, and her best friend is a male. Add in a car accident, some serious groveling, and a quarantine-style stuck inside together scenario and you have a friends-to-lovers romance. There isn't a lot of meat to the story, to be honest, but the minimal angst, fun chemistry, and attraction acknowledgement was enough to keep me entertained. When Sparks Fly is a cute romance that I recommend for readers looking for a quick-read that ends with all the feel-good feelings.

BOOK REVIEW: When Sparks Fly by Helena Hunting

Oh my goodness! A completely new twist on what it might mean to be a "true friend"?! And I'm putting the word out to my friends... I will not be asking you to "step up"!... ✨😎✨

T.I.M.E. Most Anticipated Books of 2021

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Sub-Genre: Romantic Comedy | Friends To Lovers | Steamy Romance
• T.I.M.E. Jalapeno Rating: 🌶🌶 (Medium Spicy)
Time Period: Contemporary
Location: Colorado

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All my reviews can be seen at This Is My Everybody | Books, Lifestyle & Home Ideas for Simple Living | Denise Wilbanks at www.thisismyeverybody.com

♡ Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

I usually love Helena Huntings writing but this one fell short for me. The characters were one dimensional and the plot just didn't do it for me.

New author for me and I liked the story and the characters but I think a better cover would go down well not that it detracts from the story

Going from friends to lovers isn’t an easy transition. That is the premise in Helena Hunting’s newest book, When Sparks Fly. Helena Hunting is one of my favorite authors so naturally, I was excited to read this one.

Delclan and Avery have been best friends since college and once they graduate, they become roommates. They have a great relationship and enjoy spending time together because they both love sports. They are athletic and love everything that has to do with the sports world. However, their friendship changes when Avery has a bad auto accident.

I liked Declan, although he is a manwhore. I found it is easy to forgive him because deep down he is insecure and dealing with baggage from his past. Declan is filled with self doubt when it comes to relationships and he doesn’t think he is suited to a long lasting relationship. So, his life is filled with a series of hookups with different women.

Avery is the perfect friend and Declan doesn’t want to ruin their perfect friendship by becoming intimate with her. The only problem is lately, he finds he can’t stop thinking about her and staying away from Avery becomes impossible.

Helena Hunting knows how to write romance and she doesn’t disappoint with this one. It is fun, slow burning and has entertaining characters. I thoroughly enjoyed Declan and Avery's story. They have so much in common and are great together. They worry they will ruin their wonderful friendship if they take a chance on love, but I wanted them to work everything out and end up together. This tender story had me quickly turning the pages to find out what would happen next.

Short and sweet friends to lovers, kinda fell flat for the most part. Apart from the Pucked series, these romcom style novels from Helena Hunting aren't doing it for me but her writing style alone is enough for me to keep reading in case I discover a hidden gem. That being said for fans of the trope this will be an enjoyable read, it just wasn't for me.

When Sparks Fly was an interesting idea but I'm not sure the execution landed in a way that hooked me. Avery and Declan being friends to lovers just didn't seem to happen in a way that made me believe that they were a couple. They just never connected in a way that made me want to read much of the story. A decent amount of ableism in Avery's point of view also just annoyed me enough that I never connected with either,