**Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**
When Sparks Fly is a cute friends-to-lovers story about Avery, a young woman who owns an event space with her two sisters. Her roommate/best friend Declan is an important part of Avery's life, but they had never crossed the boundaries of their friendship. When Avery is involved in an accident and needs someone to care for her every need, Declan steps up to help. Before long, Avery and Declan begin to develop feelings towards each other and soon the lines between friends and something more start to blur. What follows is a sweet, light hearted romance that kept me turning the pages throughout. Although this book was not as steamy as some of Hunting's other romance novels, this one kept me interested and I became invested in the characters. I would recommend for those who enjoy the friends-to-lovers trope!

This is a cute friends to lovers read. I absolutely fell in love with Avery (and her sisters – I want to read London’s story next!). She is so determined and I can completely relate to always trying to do too much on my own rather than asking for help. When she does not have a choice but to ask for her best friend Declan’s help after a car accident it goes against her every instinct. Declan does everything he can to take care of Avery and reading about how their friendship turns into something more was so fun to read. They both have messy romantic pasts that make their relationship seem unlikely, but I adored how everything unfolded between them. They had tons of chemistry and did so many little things that were unique and adorable to their relationship. At the end, I felt that things slowed down a lot and while I understood the way the book turned, I wished it had moved along a little bit faster. Overall, it was still a great friends to lovers romance.

I don't read the synopsis' of Helena Hunting's books because I go into them expecting to enjoy them no matter what. Unfortunately, I very much did not enjoy When Sparks Fly.

I'm not even going to go into a story recap because it would turn into a rant about the male lead man child Declan, who I absolutely could not stand. I did like Avery, but that was largely in part to the fact that I've been in her shoes. Major car accident, no independence, long rehab, and fears of being in a car again, been there and done that, so I found her quite relatable.

The romance part of this friends to lovers romance was in my opinion lacking. Where was the angst or the secret pining between friend? When the intimacy finally happens halfway through the book, it's well written . Yet no matter how sweet his words were during or how smooth his moves were, my disliked for Declan soured them for me.

In the end I appreciated all the work Declan put into really fixing himself and his grand gesture was cute but it wasn't enough to save the book for me. The climax and everything that followed was a bit predictable. I can see some readers really enjoying When Sparks Fly . Sadly I'm not one of them, but that won't stop me from reading Helena Hunting's future releases.

I really enjoyed this romcom from Helena Hunting. It was an interesting new twist on the best friends to lovers trope and I liked it. I appreciated the growth both characters had to do to be together.
My only issue was that his issues were a little stronger than hers and it seemed like he worked through them pretty fast, but it still was clear that he did put in the work so it ended up okay.
Overall this was a fun read with a little steam and some deep emotional work. Definitely recommend!

I have been a fan of Helena Hunting for a while now. I have read and re-read her books multiple times. This book is no different. From the very beginning I was hooked on Avery and Declan's story. Best friends since college who now live together, they are planning to visit their alma mater for a meeting to secure a sponsorship for her and her sister's event business. On her drive to the meeting tragedy strikes and Avery is in a car accident, partially due to Declan not going with Avery. With a broken arm and leg, Avery needs around the clock assistance while she heals. Declan steps in and takes on the task. From the moment Declan steps up, he realizes that his feeling for Avery are anything but friendly.

Full of friendship, heartache, humor, and more, this book packs a punch and leaves you begging for more. I can't wait to see what Helena has in store for future books. Hopefully Avery's sisters, London and Harley, get a story along with Jerome and Mark.

When Sparks Fly
by Helena Hunting

📚💕⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💕📚

BFF TO FOREVER?

Omg Helena Hunting did an amazing job with When sparks fly. The natural progression and intensity between Avery and Declan is absolute perfect. The writing is flawless, and the words are so captivating, the plot had so many twists and turns and none that I was expecting, and many shocking moments. I really enjoyed this book and it kept me engrossed throughout. I really loved the characters and the way they interacted with each other. This is a fun, hot, romantic must read book and I would definitely recommend this book to

Authors Blurb: Avery Spark is living her best life. Between her friends, her sisters, and Spark House, the event hotel her family owns, she doesn’t have much time for anything else, especially relationships. She’d rather hang out with her best friend and roommate, Declan McCormick, than deal with the dating scene. But everything changes when she is in a car accident and needs someone to care for her as she heals.

Declan avoids relationships, giving him a playboy reputation that he lives up to when he puts a one-night stand ahead of a promise he made to Avery. While he may not have been the one driving the car, he feels responsible for Avery’s injuries and is determined to make it up to her by stepping into the role of caretaker.

Little did they know that the more time they spend in compromising positions, the attraction they’ve been refusing to acknowledge becomes impossible to ignore. When they finally give in to the spark between them, neither is prepared for the consequences. Their love is fragile and all it will take is a blow from the past to shatter it all.

This book has everything I love in a book. Then you add that it's beautifully written and believable. It is easily a five star read. Written in dual POV my personal favorite this story flows so incredibly well that the next thing you know your 80% into the book and loving every second of it. The believable way the characters interact is perfect. Run, Hop, Jump or use your (1 click) finger to do whatever you have to do and get this amazing book. It'll break your heart, you'll want to scream with frustration and it'll let you discover that love just might conquer all. The chemistry is steamy and sweet and oh so romantic.

Thanks Netgally for letting me read and review.📚💕

Declan and Avery are now my favorite literary couple! Their steamy love affair begins under a difficult set of circumstances, as Avery is involved in a car accident and Declan who is her friend and roommate steps up to assist in her recovery, but ends up being a lot more than that.

Avery Spark and Declan McCormick have been best friends since college. One of Declan's random hook ups leads to him backing out of plans with Avery the next morning. Avery ends up getting into a bad car accident after the changed plans. Overwhelmed with guilt, Declan insists that he be the one to help her recover in the condo that they share. For weeks, Declan has to help Avery with all of her basic needs. Their constant close proximity and compromising situations leads them to see each other in a new light and they begin to cross the line out of the friend zone. They both know that hooking up with your best friend can end in disaster, but they can't resist wanting to explore this new side of their relationship.

This friends-to-lovers romance was really enjoyable! When Declan begins taking care of Avery, he is attentive, thoughtful, and he jumps in with both feet to give Avery whatever she needs. He really steps up to the plate in a way that she doesn't expect and it is very sweet. I kind of felt bad for the guy because he was trying so hard and he was still feeling so guilty! The progression of their relationship from friends to lovers was natural and I really enjoyed those first few steamy scenes where they were nervous and excited.

Declan and Avery's break up and subsequent reunion was one of the best that I can remember reading in a while. I loved that Hunting took her time in having the characters work through some of their major issues before they got back together. It made me feel like they belonged together and the road back to each other was heartwarming. The HEA in this book had me swooning!

Steam level: 🔥🔥½ - 🔥🔥🔥
⚠️: grief, car accident, infidelity

I love Helena Hunting’s writing and a good friends to lovers story so I was excited to pick this one up. It had it’s cute, sweet, and steamy moments, and I loved a lot about the first half, but the last half didn’t work great for me.

Avery and Declan have been best friends since college and are currently roommates. There has never been anything romantic between them, but Avery gets in an accident that has her depending on someone most of the time for healing. And that someone becomes Declan.

I enjoyed this part of the book a lot. Watching Declan realize his feelings for Avery, him trying to make up for the accident which he feels to blame for, and especially watching things change and grow in their relationship. When Avery was mostly back to normal and started to go back to work etc things started to shift for me.

The book kind of lost that spark for me. It wasn’t bad by any means, just all the tension and those moments between Avery and Declan were gone. Add in the hero jumping to conclusions and things crumbling for a while as well as a few interactions with London (her sister) that bugged me, this one just ended up being okay for me.

I did enjoy the epilogue a lot and I think many romance readers will enjoy this friends to lovers story!

Honestly, I was disappointed. This book had potential with a good story line; however, the author's transitions between the platonic and sexual relationship between the two main characters was choppy at best. It was sorely predictable, as well. It did have a nice story line, and the romance was hot.

Avery and Declan had been friends since college and no matter what life brought their way, they were always there for each other. Declan was a bit of a playboy and I was surprised that Avery never got upset when he paraded his latest “date” through their condo. His reckless and thoughtless behavior created the perfect storm for Avery’s horrifying accident. In his heart, Declan knew he should have stayed home that night and now he was left with picking up the pieces of their broken friendship while praying for Avery’s forgiveness.

Avery rarely complained while she was recuperating but she did feel helpless, which was hard for her to deal with. She was an on-the-go kind of girl and being immobile and dependent on Declan was humiliating and depressing. Avery was tired of Declan apologizing to her about the accident. He was overcome with guilt and she was worried that he would never get past it. Declan may have not experienced much love growing up but being surrounded by Avery’s brightness and happiness made him a better man. They were best friends and soulmates who shared crossword puzzles, their love of watching sporting events, and they even knew each other’s favorite food. That sounds like a match made in heaven to me!

Declan had trust issues when it came to falling in love and commitment. As he nursed Avery back to health, his true feelings for her surfaced and he wasn’t sure if he could make her happy or if he was even capable of having a real relationship. Declan was afraid of ruining their friendship but it was impossible to ignore the truth: he couldn’t envision a life without Avery at his side. He would do everything in his power to heal her, protect her and be the man she deserved.

I'm a huge fan of Helena Hunting, so getting a copy of this book was super exciting to say the least. It was phenomenal. Absolutely loved it!

Helen Hunting is one of those authors where you automatically buy her books when you see she has a new one out. She is one the best in this genre. I loved this story. The characters were likable and relatable. It was easy to fall in love with this story. I found myself smiling at every cheesy moment. This was a delightful rom-com!

I honestly like this book. Hunting provides a real life view of relationships and the baggage that comes along with it. The struggles of what life brings and how we handle them, plus tackling past hurts that affect the decisions and feelings we display to those we want to be close with. This is a great summer read or the "I don't want to get off the couch" read. Because we all have those days. Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

WHEN SPARKS FLY - Helena Hunting

Friends to Lovers - 4 stars

Plot - 4 stars - When Declan misses a trip with Avery, a major accident occurs and they have to figure out how to rebuild their friendship.

Writing - 4 stars - I was caught up in the story right away. The characters were very appealing, right from the start, and I could see where the story possibilities were and couldn't wait to see if I was right.

Characters - 4.5 stars - This is where the story shone for me. Avery is a strong and attractive woman, very close to her sisters and working with them to build the family business of Spark House. Her best friend is Declan, who is hot and cute and very dependable, except for this one time. Now they are thrown together in an unnaturally close situation because of her accident, and it is complicating their relationship and threatening their friendship.

Title - 4 stars - A clever play on words referring to the Sparks name as well as romantic sparks.

Cover - 3 stars - Although the color is eye-catching, the font is so super large that it distracts the eye rather than drawing it in. Less is more.

Overall - 4 stars - We meet the characters and get to know them right away. Then when the accident happens, it's easy to understand how their connection changes. The scenario made sense as did their conflicting feelings. I loved their willingness to work together, but it was also very understandable that they'd have major problems with their relationship because of their new dynamic. I occasionally felt that there was a little too much psychobabble, but mostly I enjoyed delving deeper into their thoughts and understanding the why behind their actions. It was an emotionally-charged situation that offered a lot of opportunities for romance, support, and tension. Secondary characters of Avery's sisters and their mutual friends added dimension and interest. I'm surprised this book is listed as a standalone since it would be excellent to learn more about Avery's sisters and their love lives in future books.

When Sparks Fly is an instant yes from me. Helena Hunting's books are always so sweet, and the chemistry between her characters is always on point.

It was no different in this novel and I sped through it. Highly recommend to any fan of Hunting or romance.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I had high hopes for this book and I still do, as I really enjoy this author, but unfortunately I was not able to read this review copy. I tried it multiple times in multiple apps, but the print never got any bigger than microscopic. Ah well, I will certainly read it when it releases.

This is a sweet and spicy best friends to lovers romance that will leave readers swooning. I loved the characters of Declan and Avery, and there special bond. I also loved the relationship between Avery and her two younger sisters, Harley and London, with whom she co-owned Spark House, a hotel and event center. Helena Hunting knows how to bring the angst and deliver on the heat when the romance finally sparks. Such a great book!

Helena Hunting is a favorite author of mine and I was so excited to have the opportunity to read her latest book When Sparks Fly a little early (thank you Netgalley & St. Martins!) Let me tell you one of the reasons I adore Helena Hunting. Last year when the world went to crap, and everything was cancelled, I missed out on the opportunity to meeting Helena at Apollycon. Apollycon is a book convention put on by Jennifer L. Armentrout. Holy smokes was I excited for this convention because books and book people and more books. Anyway, Helena was a total peach and sent readers intending to have her sign their books bookplates and swag. It was really sweet, and I super appreciated it. So on to the book.

When Sparks Fly is a contemporary, friends to lovers romance. Avery and Declan have been buds since college and now own a condo together. They are both in love with the other but unwilling to change the status quo for a boatload of reasons on both sides. Something had to give right? Due to a series of emotionally challenged choices on Declan’s part. Avery is driving alone, in a storm, with bad tires. This is massively emphasized. Avery needed new tires and Declan is a dick. She gets into a car crash and ends up very physically broken. Declan pushes to be her caregiver out of love and guilt. A slow series of sexual shenanigans ensues with a side of inevitable heartbreak.

To paraphrase my new favorite instagrammer Samir, here’s what we love about this book:

Avery is not mad at Declan for the crash itself. She even makes my favorite point about accepting life’s vagaries (because superstition) that something worse could have happened if he had been there. Avery is mad at him because he treated her like garbage before the crash.

The romance was sweet and sexy. I really liked Avery and Declan’s relationship at the start because they had such a solid foundation and watching it grow into something new was nice.

Avery asked for what she wanted when she couldn’t get herself off. If you really want to help a girl, give her a handy. Lol I think this was my absolute, favorite part.

Everything was so real life-ish. Helena Hunting sticks to that theme in her books for the most part. The good and bad things that happen to her characters are regular and mundane parts of life. Even the car crash. It’s the relationships the characters have with each other that elevates the story.

Here’s what we hate about this book:

Everything was so real life-ish. These characters can’t catch a freaking break sometimes. I was getting a little pulled out of the story by the time the pot brownie video happened. Poor Avery is just having a really bad few months.

London, Avery’s sister was really overbearing and annoying. I wanted to like her because she is probably getting her own book but it was a struggle just to see her on the page.

The end was slow and rushed all at the same time. I get that Declan was trying to put in the work of making himself handle his interpersonal relationships in a healthy way but it started to bore me after a while. I don’t want to be bored at the end of the book. And then it was over. I think I could have used a little more “together time” at the end in addition to the proposal.

While I general enjoy Helena Hunting’s books, I am going to have to put this book aside for now.

I enjoy Declan and Avery’s friendship, but it just wasn’t working for me early on in the book. Im sure there will be a time when I’ll pick it up again, but for now, I’m going to DNF it.