This was a wonderful book! I am such a big fan of Helena Hunting and this one didn't disappoint. I also loved the relationship between Avery and her two younger sisters as well. Helena Hunting is great at writing angst, heat, and romance. .Such a fun read!

Avery Spark is a strong, independent woman who helps run an event company with her sisters and lives with her long-time best friend, Declan. Declan and Avery are meant to head to an alumni event together, but due to some jealousy and poor decision-making, Declan ends up very hungover, leading Avery to go by herself, and resulting in a car accident that incapacitates her for weeks. Declan blames himself and becomes her temporary care-taker. Lines get blurry, feelings are revealed; it's a best friends-to-lovers story with some bumps in the road!

I will say, this book felt very realistic-the characters were multi-dimensional (even the secondary ones), the things that happened were sometimes heavy, and communication and accountability between all relationships, while not perfect, was highlighted as something that was super important, with characters either being good at it or working on it. That fact felt very important to me, since so many romance novels rely on banter but not actual communication! This was also a mildly spicy book (for whomever may want to know.) Super quick read once you get into it, great for a vacation read or a beach read!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Overall this book was fine. I think that the premise was a little better than the execution. I felt a little detached from the characters, maybe the chemistry just wasn't there for something that in theory had been building up for years. I felt that the characters felt a little one dimensional and the tropes were too overused for the execution. I wanted to really root for Avery and Declan but they were kind of dull to be honest. I'm normally ok with predictability (e.g. when their relationship takes a tumble), but as long as you have great characters or chemistry or even side characters. I'm saddened to say When Sparks Fly didn't really have any of that for me so it fell a little flat.

The sisters or friends could have also been more engaging or entertaining, instead just props to in theory build barriers up against Avery and Declan, but I found that I didn't really care about them or the business and in the end I had to slog through it just to finish even though you could see what was coming a mile away. 2.5 stars

If you're looking for a fluffier, light-hearted romance, sparks just might fly for you with this book. While the story does include some serious stuff such as the serious car accident that Avery, our female lead, is seriously injured in, it doesn't have any extreme plot twists that scorch our emotions. However, that is exactly what I was looking for with this title. A lighter read that still tackles some tougher relationship hurdles along with the support of loving side characters to cheer them on the whole way. Admittedly, Declan was not the Prince Charming of the ball at some specific points in this book, but both characters in the end were likeable and fit well with the tone of the story. It was enjoyable to see real conversations and a slower repair of a relationship after the familiar miscommunication trope causes a rift between the two best friends/boyfriend, girlfriend. Both Declan and Avery's work in trying to continue and rebuild their relationship towards the end of the story was genuine and refreshing instead of being shallowly resolved in the last two paragraphs of the book.

Fun, fresh romp of a romance. Four out of five stars. Never had lobster mac and cheese, but it does sound pretty delicious.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this title.

A rom com back for the masses. Best friends come together when they realize they have feelings for each other as one helps the other recover from an accident. Declan and Avery had a strong friendship that got tested when Avery was hurt in a car accident. With sarcasm and banter, the first half of the book was fun and entertaining. The second half felt a bit drawn out and predictable but at least the ending wasn’t a quick and easy resolution.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

I have read several of Helena Hunting's previous books and was excited to receive an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When Sparks Fly fell short for me. Avery and Declan are enjoyable characters for the most part. It felt at times that before Avery and Declan hooked up that Declan was a man-whore from comments and conversations. But the Spark House concept felt forced as did Declan's parents' disfunction. So when the situation with Sam arose 3/4 of the way through the book, it felt childish and contrived.

Hunting is still an author that I will always read. She produces great "beach reads" that are quick reads that are a great distraction from real life and heavier books.

Possible triggers: Loss of a parent, sudden lose, and car wreck.

Such a fun book by Helena Hunting! The writing is as always flawless.
Can't wait to see what comes next from this amazing author.
Thanks Netgalley for the Arc

I have read other Helena Hunting books and have loved them. This one did not disappoint. She is quickly moving up my list of favorite authors. I have read other books by her and loved them. This book did not disappoint.
This is the story of two bestfriends who live and work together. One day Avery is in a car accident and so Declan being the wonderful friend that he is steps up to take care of her. While he is taking great care of her they realize that their feelings go deeper than just friends.
This is a hilarious and emotional story. You have two bestfriends and what's a rom-com without the romance. This book was very well written and I was hopeful that I would love and I was not disappointed

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Right from the beginning we are brought into the lives of Avery and Declan. Avery is a very”sporty” kind of girl. She plays soccer with the guys, has sport watching hang-outs with the guys and considers these people to be her close friends, and they are. Declan is her best friend and after the accident he goes above and beyond to help Avery and assuage his guilt. They are falling in love but live in denial. We believe that they will figure it out but, of course, there are other obstacles. This is a good Contemporary Romance by an accomplished author. I did have some trouble relating to Avery. I just have never understood her personality type. That is nothing againist this book, it is totally me. I also wanted Declan to get into therapy early-on and was frustrated that Avery didn't stop with the seductive actions. (She could have had help from her sisters with bathing, even though there were excuses made as to why this wasn't possible.) So, my feelings are mixed but not about this good story and excellent writing.

<b>When Sparks Fly is a sweet, emotional friends-to-lovers/roommates-to-lovers romance.</b>

Everything changes for Avery after a nasty car accident. She’s forced to take time away from Spark House, her family’s event hotel, and the active lifestyle she loves to focus solely on recovering in the condo she shares with her best friend Declan. Instead of leaning on her sisters for support, Avery accepts Declan’s offer to care for her during her recovery. Declan feels terrible about the accident because it’s his fault Avery was driving on the highway by herself in the rain when the accident happened. He would do anything to make Avery feel better, including helping her get some much-needed release. When Avery and Declan finally give in to the attraction that’s always simmered between them, Declan will need to decide if he’s finally ready to give up his playboy antics and open himself up to the possibility of a lasting happily-ever-after.

Helena Hunting did an excellent job crafting the relationships between the characters. I loved Avery’s relationship with her sisters and her all-guy friend group. The sisters and the guys were always there to support Avery and Declan as well as call them out on the BS when it was warranted. The secondary characters were a fun bunch to read about.

<spoiler>I also loved how therapy was used in the novel to help Declan become the best version of himself. I always appreciate when therapy is talked about or used in books to help characters work through their issues, it goes a long way to destigmatizing mental health.</spoiler>

I’m not the biggest fan of the friends-to-lovers trope because the romances often jump in with the characters already having feelings for each other and I feel cheated of seeing them first experience those feelings/the initial attraction. With that said, I think readers who enjoy this trope will be happy with how Helena Hunting used Avery’s recovery as a chance for these two friends to finally acknowledge the feelings they had been burying for the sake of their decade-long friendship.

I did struggle a bit with some of the plot points involving Declan, namely his actions before Avery’s car accident and his self-destructive jealousy near the end of the novel. I completely understand how both plot points moved the story along, but they made me kind of hate Declan and the last thing I want is to hate the hero I’m supposed to be rooting for.

While I didn’t exactly love the plot of this romance, I did enjoy Helena Hunting’s writing style and most of the characters she created. Hopefully there’s a chance for Avery’s sisters to get their own romance stories in the near future.

<i>Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Helena Hunting for the chance to read this digital ARC.</i>

So cute! It’s the usual friends to lovers but dine in Helena’s unique way. Laughter ensues, steamy nights persist, and usual conflict that eventually works itself out. I personally didn’t care for the rushed ending but did thoroughly enjoy their adventure getting together. You can’t go wrong with a read from HH.
Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review an early copy of this book.

Helena Hunting has a way with writing stories that makes you love the characters she writes-warts and all. Avery and Declan are best friends and live together. They have strictly friend-zoned one another after Avery’s breakup with Declan’s former best friend.
Through a series of rather unfortunate and near-death event, the two friends start to recognize their affections for each other may not be friendly at all and start thinking of each other in very non platonic ways. Declan is there to help aid Avery after the accident and starts to care for ALL her needs, including some of those personal ones she can’t manage on her own. Sparks start to zing and these two find themselves in new territory.
“When Sparks Fly” doesn’t have as many steamy scenes as some of the other books written by the author, but it is a good story on its own merit.
Advanced copy provided for honest review.
4.5/5 Stars Overall

I really enjoyed this contemporary romance by Helena Hunting. The plot was different than many romance novels I've read, and I enjoyed the chemistry between the hero and heroine. I really enjoyed the maturity of the characters at the end and how they came to resolve their issues.

Four and a half Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭒

When Sparks Fly by Helena Hunting is a delightful, entertaining, and a bit steamy, friends-to-lovers romance.

Avery Spark and her two sisters run an event planning business at the Spark House event space that has been in their family for years. They work hard to keep the business running and are always on the lookout for more events to plan.

Avery and Declan are best friends and roommates. Avery and Declan both enjoy soccer and spending Monday nights with their friends watching football and have a special friendship that neither of them wants to mess with. Back in college, Avery was dating, Declan’s best friend Sam, but when Sam was unfaithful, they broke up their relationship and Declan sided with Avery and they both pushed Sam out of their lives.

When Avery gets in a car wreck while driving to an important Spark House meeting, Decan is sick with guilt because he was supposed to drive her, but was too late getting up after spending the night with his latest one-night stand. So, when Avery is unable to care for herself due to her injuries, Declan takes time off work, to care for her and help Avery recover and gain back her mobility. The time Avery and Declan spend together during her recovery unearths their deeper feelings for each other, but they have to learn to be together again as Avery gets back to normal.

This was a fun, but also deeply emotional book with a perfect friends-to-lovers trope. Both characters have some emotional baggage that keeps them from fully finding love. I like that the main characters are really good friends to start with, and they both understand each other so well, that when they both realize they have stronger feelings for each other, their transition to lovers is easy until they have to face reality again.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a fun romantic book. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Mein Leseerlebnis

“When sparks fly” ist eines dieser Bücher, das ich beim Lesen nicht schlecht fand, das mich aber auch nicht voll überzeugen konnte. Dazu wirkten die Charaktere auf mich nicht echt genug. Flotte und teils intensive Dialoge konnten das ein wenig wettmachen.

Manche Szenen haben mich zum Lachen gebracht, andere interessierten mich herzlich wenig. So empfand ich alles rund um Averys Job im Spark House als wenig fesselnd. Auch empfand ich die Beziehungen zu ihren beiden Schwestern als etwas blass. Avery und Declans Beziehung fand ich glücklicherweise interessanter.

Statt Entwicklungen in der Beziehung der beiden Hauptcharaktere sich natürlich entwickeln zu lassen, hat die Autorin zwei Beschleuniger eingebaut. Beide Beschleuniger basieren auf Aktionen Declans, die meiner Meinung nach nur bedingt zu dem passen, wie Declan ansonsten dargestellt wurde. Die erste Aktion schien mir dabei noch unwahrscheinlicher als die zweite. Vor allem die Declan an sich als Mann dargestellt wurde, auf den man sich durchaus verlassen kann.

Blicke ich auf mein Leseerlebnis zurück, so fiel dies also recht gemischt aus. Sollte es Folgeromane zu Averys Schwestern (vielleicht in Kombination mit ihren beiden männlichen Freunden?) geben, plane ich derzeit nicht diese zu lesen. 🖤🖤🖤1/4

Für wen?

Wen der Klappentext anspricht und wer für das Liebesroman Genre recht typische Geschichten mag, könnte mit dem Buch eine gute Zeit haben.

This started out so well, and then quickly fizzled out.
I loved the banter and comradery between Avery and Declan, but it never really developed beyond the surface. It felt like so much time was spent in their day to day or their past stories, while the angst and development was rushed and very quickly resolved.
I would have preferred to have more of their romantic growth and time together rather the constant reminders that she can't wash her own hair.

Best friends, turned lovers because of an embarrassing encounter. Lovers turned boyfriend/girlfriend… but how does that work when one of them is extremely sexually promiscuous and the other is cautious in regards to relationships.

I struggled with the first half of this book. Although I love the writing and characters, issues and all, the way Avery and Declan came together was awkward. It also felt very one sided, Declan “taking care” of Avery and her needs, when she did little or nothing for him. I know she was partially immobile, but it just seemed wrong and taking advantage. I really liked the ending though, working through the past issues and overarching insecurities and self-sabotaging. I felt that the ending was a very redeeming quality, after the awkwardness of the whole first part of the novel. I really enjoyed the characters and their development, especially after the breakup.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC. I will be suggesting this book to my friends who enjoy the same reads in this genre. This is my favorite book I have read by Helena Hunting – right up there with Meet Cute.

This is an absolutely perfect romance novel for me. It gave me all the feels in all the right moments. I highly recommend reading it.

I love stories with humor. I am a fan of friends to lovers stories. For some reason, this one is not a favorite of mine.

Avery and her sisters run a family business. They have an entertainment venue. Avery shares a condo with Declan. They have known one another since college and he is Avery’s best friend. Declan is a ladies’ man, a hunk who thinks that one night stands are a good part of life.

I wanted to like these two people. I liked Avery. She is a smart woman who enjoys working with her sisters and she does a good job at it. In fact, she is the one who can stop a fight between two hobby horsemen. After all, who wants to have someone injured by a wild hobby horse used as a weapon?

For me, Declan was a lot of good things. But, he was not what I would want for Avery. I would not want someone jealous and unreasonable. She deserves better.

I know – by the end of the book things are all sunshine and lollipops. But, I don’t buy it. And I don’t buy Declan as a great guy. I would not expect anyone to change their life. But, it is a big leap to go from one night stands and giant size jealousy to being an ideal boyfriend.

This story just did not provide me with what I hoped

I really liked this book. Declan and Avery are best friends and roommates. Avery gets in a bad car accident. When she is released from the hospital Declan is there for her. And takes care of her, and helps her recovery process. During this time both of their feelings for each other start to come forward. Avery hasn’t been in a serious relationship since her last boyfriend cheated on her and left her heartbroken. Declan has never had an example of a good relationship because his parents kept cheating on each other. This was a sweet story that was funny and emotional. An overall good read!