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

IF YOU LIKE THIS BOOK THEN TRY...
What If You And Me by Roni Loren

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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,

Avery & Declan have been best friends since college & live together. They’ve been through a lot in their lives. Avery’s parents were killed in a car accident. Declan was used a pawn in his parent's toxic relationship. They both have their demons and are oblivious to their feelings for each other. When an accident that Declan blames himself for leaves Avert relying on him completely. Feelings build as Declan cares for Avery his way of repenting for his guilt. Even then it’s not plain sailing for our hero & heroine as Declan insecurities bite.
There is definitely more angst in this story than say Helena’s Pucked series, but there is enough humour & banter to balance. The heroine & hero are relatable and engaging.
I enjoy Helena’s style of writing. Her talent for an outlandish scene is legendary. This was a highly enjoyable read that was difficult to put down.

So much fun! Sweet and sexy and brilliant friends to lovers story. Declan and Averys chemistry is so well crafted and lovely. I love how they grow and learn together. Loved it.

Thank you for the advanced reader/ listener copy of this book. Declan and Avery have an incredible chemistry that had me binge reading this book in one day! Thanks for a great book that I will recommend to many!

I knew I couldn't wait to read this one by Helena Hunting! loved both Meet Cute and Kiss My Cupcake last year and wasn't disappointed.

In this friends-to-lovers romance, Declan came out the gate rowing a douche canoe and I was sure I was going to hate his character. When his best friend Avery is in a car accident, he steps up to take care of her. There was plenty of built up sexual tension 🔥 I loved the discussion of insecurities and I found Declans characteristics very relatable.

I listened to the audiobook while at work and read the ebook at night when I couldn't listen. I have LOVED having both options on netgalley. The dual narration is my favorite when listening to romance.