This one was a miss for me. Let's start with the good -- I liked the complex family dynamics with Avery's sister. I liked Spark House as a setting -- the hobby horse competition scene was hilarious. The early sexual tension between Avery and Declan is super great. The bad -- Avery is super into sports, and is "not like other girls." She prefers to hang with the guys because "they say what they mean." She's presented as unique because she has a voracious sex drive. So much of Avery's personality/character trades on super tired, sexist tropes and it really did not resonate.

Declan is also problematic out of the gate. Avery is heading out to a first date and he tries to convince her to change out of a sexy black dress into a shapeless shirt dress that hides her figure because he's jealous. We do not try to police women's bodies in this day and age!! One of the major plot points revolves around Declan's emotional baggage surrounding his parent's problematic marriage. While it's hinted at throughout the book it blows up in a very abrupt and under developed way to create the "conflict" near the end of the book. I needed it to be more developed throughout the book, since Declan goes from being a great boyfriend to a jealous rage monster in roughly 5 seconds.

Hunting is a clearly an engaging writer -- I kept reading even though the initial introductions to both characters turned me off. But overall, while this one wasn't really for me but I could see others enjoying.

Helena Hunting did it again!
When Sparks Fly had it all humor, charm, emotion and was one of my favorite Helena Hunting books! She has a gift with creating characters who are well developed and often times relatable. Declan & Avery are no exception! They are the best of friends from college who end up living together after school. When an accident occurs it will test their friendship. Are they meant to be more than friends? Will they survive how this accident challenges their friendship? Will they cross those lines? How will the accident change the course of their future?
Do yourself a favor, don't read all of the spoilers because it will ruin it for you.
I'm not one for spoilers, but I am here to give my honest opinion after reading this ARC. I loved this one, 4.5 stars for me because I could not put it down! It was the perfect summer read by the pool and I devoured this one in 2 days. When Sparks Fly does not disappoint, it will have you hooked from the start. Just make sure to set some time aside because you will not want to put this one down! Hint: slow burn, that's all I'll give!
Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for this digital ARC with me for my honest thoughts.

** spoiler alert ** The first 50% I loved! The chemistry between Declan and Avery was fantastic even before it turned romantic. When it got to the point of her having to masturbate after the accident it totally lost me. Really "have to masturbate" after a severe accident. She acted like it was worse not being able to get off than anything else. I really didn't like it. Add the fact that she guilted Declan into doing it for him - no thanks. Ok so why a 3 star and not lower. After that cringe-worthy part I did like the ending. Declan took responsibility for his actions, throughout the book actually. I also loved what he did at the end to try to win her back. For me this would have been a higher rated except for the masturbation need that just seemed over the top for me.

This was a good read for me. Not my favorite of Helena Hunting's, but was still good. She's able to work in humor into her stories that feels organic, and manages to make a romance read emotional but still fun. This was a really good story with a good friends to lovers premise.

Great story! Best friends stop fighting that they are in love in an unusual situation. It is nice to see how they explore their attraction and realize what they have had all along. I received an ArC from NetGalley and the publisher and this is my honest review.

When the author is Helena Hunting I already know I am going to devour the read. My expectations for her have been set and I doubt anything can change that. Ha!

Her "All In" series is one of my favorite series ever. So, as you do with favorite authors you just grab up any and all things you can of theirs.


Enter "When Sparks Fly."

I liked it. It was good. However, it wasn't what I typically feel when reading a Hunting novel. I didn't feel as connected to Declan and Avery as I typically do to her characters. The plot was fantastic but at times I felt it just too forced.

I enjoyed the aspect of fixing the big conflict and how Hunting managed that. The HEA didn't come easy and I can appreciate that.

Overall, it was just good. I had expected excellent but good is still good.

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the advanced copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

While not my favorite book by Helena Hunting (that's a hard list to crack), I very much enjoyed this one! I love the humor of Helena's writing and loved the setting for this one. Spark House was so charming! As always though, it's the emotional beats that always get me with Helena's writing and make it an absorbing romance read.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I really like Helena Hunting and this was a fun and easy romance. I rounded my review to 4 stars. It was a nice friends to lovers romance with sweet characters. There was lots of amazing sexual tension and attraction. The story dragged a tiny bit and I wasn't always completely immersed in Declan and Avery's story. The aspects that focused on mental health and therapy were great and needed.

Love Declan and Avery , who are roommates and best friends that become more then best friends after Avery was in an accident and Delcan becomes her care taker.
Some fun situations humor and sweet slow romance.
Fun story.
Voluntarily reviewed.

Classic Helena Hunting Rom Com gold!
Maybe nothing will ever match her Pucked Series or All In for me... but I enjoyed this one immensely. Friends to lovers - swoon!

This book evoked a lot of emotions in me. I enjoyed getting to know the main characters as friends in the beginning of the book so we could fully experience their journey. I loved the deep connection and care that comes out when Declan realized just how close he came to losing the most important thing to him. I was a little annoyed in the middle when there was such an emphasis on the physical attraction, but the didn't last too long. In a dramatic turn of events, I wanted to slap Declan and yell at him for being a jerk. Thankfully, the author took this moment to focus on how working through your trauma with a therapist can help set you on a better path. Overall, it was a good read and I would recommend it!

Another cute read from Helena Hunting! Having been immobile for months after an accident and suffering ptsd as I recovered, I totally got Avery and her emotions. I only wish I'd had a Dechlan while I was learning to walk again. Lol!

Unfortunately this book was not for me and I did not bother to finish it or even get half way through. I was bored and annoyed by this book and it’s lackluster characters. All of the characters are very basic and the author constantly repeats the same descriptions of them, Avery is sporty while her sister is more girly and Avery’s friends are all guys who like sports. The constant references to Spark House were tiring. It was never the hotel or work but always Spark House. Who talks like that? Plus the characters were crass. How many times does a woman need to mention masturbation? Or a guy the effect of being turned on? It felt juvenile and so unnecessary. There were zero sparks flying in this book, more like a lot of physicality and words to that affect. I was bored and saw zero romance of chemistry. I saw a lot of titles listed by the author at the beginning of the book and a series of books that sounded like hockey so maybe there’s an audience for these books among sports fans but I am definitely not one of them. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Slow start, great middle, drawn out ending, awesome epilogue! Avery and Declan both had some major baggage to overcome. Avery was definitely a fighter, and Declan scarred but willing to put in the work.

Avery runs the Spark House with her sisters. A hotel/event space that caters to the whims or its guests. Avery loves it as it's been in her family for some time. Avery is living her best life - running Spark House with her sister by day and getting to hang out with her best friend and roommate Declan whenever she's not as Spark House.

Declan and Avery have been best friends since college. They go way back and Declan and Avery even hang out with their buddies from college once a week! Life is going good for Avery and Declan until some choice decisions cause Avery to get into a car wreck. Declan feels responsible and vows to always be there for Avery if she ever needs anything.

Being around one another so much with Declan helping Avery with everything is bound to cause a shift in their relationship. Every touch and glance is somehow amplified now on both sides. But what happens if Avery and Declan decide to become more than friends?

While I did enjoy the friendship between Declan and Avery - I wasn't completely sold on the two of them as a couple. Parts of When Sparks Fly were hard to read. I felt bad for both Avery and Declan when Avery had her accident. I understand that there was a lot of forgiveness and self reflection on both sides and especially for Declan. I still really had a hard time with Declan's character and wasn't very fond of him at times - especially the last quarter of the book.

I appreciate Helena discussing mental health and therapy in When Sparks Fly. I'm glad that more authors are able to discuss these important issues in romance now!

Not a favorite HH romance, but I hope we get Avery's sisters stories too!

A sweet story of long time friends that find love through tragedy. I really enjoyed both of the main characters and their sweet friendship that grew into so much more!

This was my first time reading a Helena Hunting novel, and I am shook. This novel will tear your heart up, make it melt, and feel roasted, but dang it's a wonderful ride.

Can I say that this book took my by surprise? Not because I didn’t think I’d love it, I knew I would. Helena Hunting is always a good decision. I love every book she’s written, from the Pucked laugh out loud then cry my heart out series, to the sobbing all along the way Broken Ink books, I love them all. I knew I’d love this one. But I didn’t know I’d FLOVE it. Declan is a yes, please and thank you. Book boyfriend extraordinaire, ya know, once he got his head out of his a$$. Avery is the epitome of Heroine and her strength gave ME strength. I couldn’t do what that woman did, but she did it flawlessly. Hunting knocked this one out of the park, grand slam. But…now I need more Spark. Please tell me the other sisters get a book???? I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy for the purpose of review. All opinions are my own.

First off, if you have read Helena Huntings other books get your expectations of what this will be out of your head before you begin. It's not Pucked or even Shacked Up. This book has more emotion pulling and less comedic zingers than her other books, and that's ok- it just has a different feel than her previous books so read it with an open mind. This book will appeal to a younger crowd, so again- some fans of her previous work may not want this. BUT new readers to her work that are looking for a well written story for young adults will really enjoy this I think. As always, the side characters (sisters and friends) add to the story and character development and I'm sure we will be seeing more of them in the future!

Hot! Hot! Hot! The sparks certainly do fly between Avery & Declan! Oh, I really loved this couple. So perfect! This is a really wonderful friends to lovers HEA book that needs to be on your TBR list. Looking forward to more books with London, Harley, Mark and Jerome’s stories-with updates on Avery & Declan of course!