A good story friends to lovers romance. It’s also a good story about family dynamics and how characters’ pasts affect their perceptions and actions.

Helena Hunting is usually an auto-buy author for me. When I was approved to receive an advanced copy, I was shocked and excited!

I really wanted to love this book on the level that I loved Meet Cute and the All In Series and while I thought there was some redemption at the end, a few things fell flat for me. This is a friends-to-lovers, forced proximity romance about Declan and Avery who have been friends since their first week of college. The story takes place about 10 years later and they are best friends who live together and don't realize they have feelings for each other.

Avery gets into an accident and since Declan is her roommate, and feels personal guilt about her accident, he volunteers to take care of her while she recovers. It's during this time that they both realize their feelings run deeper than friendship. I did not feel like there was enough tension or build-up between the two of them before they transitioned into a relationship.

Another issue I had with this story was the pressure and guilt she felt for having her sisters take over her responsibilities at work. Avery mentions several times that she feels bad that her sisters have to step up because she's only focused on herself. My question is: what else is she supposed to focus on with a broken leg, broken arm, and cracked ribs...? That was really frustrating to me.

Finally, the conflict they experience was expected due to Declan's lack of previous relationships, but what I did really enjoy was the redemption journey he went on to become a better person and a better partner to Avery. They had some really cute moments as he was working on himself and it's one of the first times I feel like an author actually cared to make a character try to be better after they realize how big they've messed up.

I really wanted to love this book and I really wanted it to be a new favorite friends-to-lovers, but like I mentioned, a few things fell flat for me.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the advanced review e-copy in exchange for my honest review.

The hugest of thanks to #stmartinsgriffin and #netgalley for the ARC for When Sparks Fly by Helena Hunting!
Friends to Lovers is my favorite romance troupe because there’s a tipping point when the couple decides to cross a line that they’ve carefully avoided (and this can make or break the story).
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In Helena fashion, the line crossing is hands down the most unique I’ve read. I’m not going to spoil it because that’s just cruel. The ending is one of my favorites ever. I love Avery and Declan so much. All I’m saying!
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Steam factor: smoking hot 🔥
Swoon factor: all the swoon
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Remember to support your favorite authors by preordering! Releases 21 September!

I love a good friends-to-lovers story. There were some things I really like about this book, and other things that just didn’t really work for me.

I really liked Avery. She was sort of a tomboy. She enjoyed playing sports and hanging out with the guys watching sports. I found her to be a very relatable character. Then there was Declan. In his professional life he was great. He had a good job and was very responsible. In his personal life, not so much. He definitely had some growing up to do.

Avery and Declan were best friends and after college they decided to buy a condo together. They often hung out with their friends and had fun together. Their life as roommates had been really working well for them until Declan got a little jealous of Avery. Things went downhill from there. He reacted poorly and made bad decisions that had a ripple effect.

That’s where things became a little too much for me. I realize Declan felt responsible for what happened to Avery so he chose to take care of her during her recovery, but the level that he ‘took care of Avery’ seemed to be a bit much between friends. I know I don’t have any friends that I’m that close with.

Overall, I really did like the story. I just felt like the catalyst to finally get Avery and Declan together was a bit far-fetched, but maybe I’m the strange one.

Fantastic story about sisters, best friends and love. After Avery is in a serious car accident Declan insists on taking care of his best friend. Will Avery allow Declan to take care of her? Will Declan find himself wanting more than friendship? After Declan had a front row sit to Avery and Sam’s breakup will he think it is possible to risk his heart and want more than friendship with Avery?

Thank you Netgalley for complimentary copy.
Really enjoyed this story. Recommended read.

Avery and Declan have been best friends since college. When Avery experiences a life threatening car accident, Declan steps in to care for Avery's every need until she can recover. As the two grow closer together, they begin to act on the attraction and love that has always been there, but for years they have been reluctant to acknowledge.

'When Sparks Fly' is a friends-to-lovers contemporary romance that has all the right pieces in place. The chemistry between the MCs is terrific. We get to see their relationship grow and develop. The novel is told from dual points-of-view so we get to see into the minds of both characters fairly equally. My only criticism of the novel is that it may have been more effective to see more of Avery and Declan's relationship prior to the accident in order to help see the tension build between them. Otherwise this is one of my favorite Helena Hunting contemporary romances to date!

I love a good friends-to-lovers romcom, and this one had plenty of surprises in store for me. Thank you to St. Martin's Press for my gifted ARC.

Avery Spark and Declan McCormick are best friends and roommates - always there for each other, but romance hasn't been on the table. When Avery gets into a terrible car accident, Declan steps up to take care of her, pushing a hospital bed into their living room and arranging to work from home. As they become closer than ever, they realize that romance is what they both want - but will their past get in the way?

I loved Avery's character - she's sporty, fun-loving, and hard-working, with a great relationship with her two sisters/co-business owners. Declan was more of a mixed bag - he clearly had a lot of issues to deal with outside of their relationship. I think Hunting wrote his character and his struggles realistically, but I can also understand how some readers would be uncomfortable with a male lead with such a short temper. In the end, I was happy with his character development and the frank discussion of mental health and its impact on relationships.

This is definitely not a closed door romance, but it's also not as steamy/detailed as some of the rom coms I have to skip pages in (e.g. the Brown Sisters trilogy). I also felt that the emotional connection between Avery and Declan was very real, and I don't always get that from romcoms. If you like the friends to lovers trope, give this one a try and let me know what you think!

Review posted to Instagram and Goodreads on July 10, 2021.

This was cute friends-to-lovers romance that also touched on different forms of trauma. The main character Avery lost her parents in a car accident and after being in a car accident herself, struggled to regain her confidence between the wheel. Her love interest, Declan, had a difficult home life growing up. Her parents had a very toxic relationship, and this has affected the relationships in his life. Overall, it is a light, enjoyable rom-com.

When Sparks Fly by Helena Hunting is a book perhaps written for a younger crowd than an older group of which I am a member. The Spark House events at the beginning are not what I would call premier destination events but ones that were silly and a bit crude even. That put me off the story before the main plot of the story begun.

The writing is well done so readers who could appreciate men on hobbyhorses at water troughs would enjoy this story. Avery and Declan have a friendship that is interesting too. Even here Declan did not give a great first impression. I did find him likable by the end. As for their relationship hey were made for each other. Happily-ever-after will serve them well.

This is the second book I remember reading by this author. Sadly, this is not the author for little old me. I do think the twentysomethings especially could appreciate this story.

An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a fun, easy read. Friends to lovers is one of my favorite tropes, by far. I’m just not sure the initial transition in this one was my favorite. I did like seeing Avery and Declan work through things so seriously and maturely, though. And I’m glad it worked out in the end!

Declan and Avery have been friends since college. They are now roommates, just roommates. Avery has a bad car accident and is unable to do the most basic things, so Declan says he will take care of her. He feels the accident is his fault. Of course, this leads to them taking things to another level and then the issues that follow. I liked this ok, I felt that for 2 people that are almost 30 years old they didn't act like it. Like I said, it was ok

I am always excited to read a Helena Hunting novel. When Sparks Fly is a friends-to -lovers romance which tells the story of Avery and Declan. Best friends since college and now roommates Avery and Declan have managed to overlook/conveniently ignore their attraction to one another until circumstances (Avery is injured in a car accident and Declan steps in to help her) bring everything front and center. Declan and Avery were like able characters and the evolution of their relationship was well done. Oftentimes I avoid the friends to lovers trope because it can be tricky to establish the right amount of sexual tension. Helena Hunting did a great job in that area. I did feel that the conflict at the end seemed kind of forced and didn’t really work for me, and at times the details of Avery’s business, The Spark House, had me skimming the pages. Overall it was a good read, especially for those who enjoy friends to lovers and forced proximity romance.

This book was such a fun and cute rom com. Although it had some serious parts in it and made me cry I really enjoyed this read and the characters development.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy to honestly review.

I’m truly a huge fan of Helen Hunting .. so anytime she puts out a book .. I’m here for it. This is such a cute contemporary romance book. I love to read a book that gives us dual point of views. You definitely want to preorder this one or place a request now for your library hold. This is going to be a perfect fall read!!

4/5⭐️

This book was really cute and fun to read, Declan and Avery are adorable and I liked that book centered more in their relationship than sex.

I have read Helena Hunting books before and I really liked them, so I will keep reading them she has an amazing way to write.

I loved all the sided characters and the mc they really stand out, even though Declan is a “f*ckboy” you can clearly see that he actually likes Avery, as more than a friend.

Can’t wait to see with what Helena has next❤️.

This book has one of my favorite tropes, friends to lovers. I love Avery and Declan’s relationship and as they move from the friends to lovers category, you can feel the heat sizzle through the pages of this book. I think the story is even better because of their prior relationship with each other. Declan makes a mistake that kind of leads into the event that affects Avery but what I liked most about the book and Avery was that she wasn’t unforgiving or angry with Declan even though he was beating himself up over it. It was refreshing to read this perspective from the heroine when anyone in her place would be bitter and angry. The book gets even better as they go through a major conflict and the way Declan decides to resolve it. This book is utterly lovable and I highly recommend it. Seriously, just buy the book right now and thank me later.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review*

4.5 stars - How much do I adore friends to lovers romances, let me count the ways:

1. Solid history
2. Foundation of trust
3. Invested in each other’s feels
4. They’ve seen the previous relationship pitfalls
5. Heartstrings galore

When Sparks Fly ticks all these boxes, plus the hero and heroine couldn’t be more perfect for one another. He’s hot and knows it. She’s sexy and doesn’t seem to. There’s always been an attraction, but the friendship was just too precious to potentially ruin by trying for more. Then there’s a promised unfulfilled, an accident that could’ve been so much worse, and a reckoning that’s a long time coming. I LOVED IT!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Avery and Declan have remained fast friends and nothing more. She's too busy with her social and work calendars. Declan prefers to maintain his playboy, no commitment reputation. When Avery is in a car accident and needs a friend to care for her during her recovery, she realizes she may have had deeper feelings for Declan all along.

This had its ups and downs. The premise was promising, but I found the actual start to Avery and Declan's relationship a bit odd and farfetched. <spoiler> It got a little better once they actually got together <spoiler>. I did like seeing a couple that had to put in work to be together. Relationships require hard work individually and together. This was the first book I've read that showed that.

The emphasis on Avery being one of the guys was mildly annoying at first but became less of an issue as the story and her character developed. I appreciated the character development in this because the main characters had some serious self-reflection going on despite one being the "flawed" partner and the other being the "emotionally intelligent" partner. I enjoyed this new look at main couples in contemporary romances. Overall, a lighthearted romance that had a surprising amount of emotional depth to it.

Sparks definitely fly, threatening to incinerate this story's very own pages, as it unfolds!

Hunting delivers an adorable story, full of heat, strong relationships, and always a good dose of humor.

You don't need to look any further for your next guilty pleasure. Make sparks fly in your own life by reading this gem.

As Always, Happy Reading!

"5/5 Beaming Brains!" - Lit-Up My Mind's

When Sparks Fly will take you on the journey from friendship to love. The characters have issues that they kept locked in the backs of their minds. After events leading to self decovery they have to rebuild their lifes.