This is a friends to lovers romance. Usually in these types of reads, the couple 'Don't want to ruin their friendship by becoming intimate,' but in this, they sort of just jump into it and think about the possible fall out after the fact. The two have been friends since their early college days, and have since become best friends and even purchased a condo together. Though she is more like one of the guys... until she gets ready for a first date and walks out looking smokin' hot. To say that that opens his eyes is an understatement. He is a good guy and loyal to his friends, but he is also a but of a player. Never getting too serious with any one woman. There are lots of laughs, but also some pain... both physically and emotionally. They both have things from their past that cause some stress both for them personally and for them as a couple. There are fun times and there are frustrating times. Over all it's a good light-hearted read. Nothing too terribly heavy. It's well written and the characters are well developed. It reads easily and alternates between POVs. There is sexual content that is suitable for mature readers.

*I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley.

This book was a quick, breezy, pleasant read. It's not that I didn't like it, I was just hoping for more. The two main characters, Avery and Declan, were both a little too vanilla for me. It started strong but fizzled out quickly because I was hoping for more banter and depth from both of them. It felt more like an outline of a really great book instead of a a well-developed and finished piece. I would have preferred a book about Avery and her two sisters --- their interactions were much more lively and entertaining.

This friends to lovers was such a great yet cute, sweet read and I enjoyed it from page one. This did not feel like the typical friends to lovers type of read. In this book, we meet Declan and Avery, two friends and roommates that have known each other since college that have had unresolved feelings for the other for just as long. When Avery is severely injured in a car accident, Declan steps in as her caregiver. While taking care of Avery, the pair take that their friendship to the next step and let their amazing chemistry loose. In the end, events occur and the pair are forced to face some serious issues in their life.

In this book, the characters were well written. Avery, the tom boyish girl who is also one of the guys is still a little damaged from her parent's death while being busy trying to please everyone in her life. She is the oldest of her sisters and runs an event center with them. She works hard with them to keep ensure that the business is successful while keeping her sisters happy as well as their customers and determined to have a full recovery from her accident. Declan on the other hand has been Avery's long time friend from college. He assists her and her sisters with the finances of the event center and comes from a set of parents that did not have a healthy relationship who constantly use him during their arguments. He is extremely loyal and carries a lot of guilt when it comes to Avery's accident.

This book moved along well and had me hooked from the start. I enjoyed the dynamic between the characters as well as their chemistry. I was sorry to see this book end and while on one hand wish that the supporting characters can get a story of their own also feel that the book ended just right and it would not matter if this story turns in to a series.

Overall, this was a great read that I enjoyed from page one. I have been a long time fan of Ms. Hunting's books and like her other books, I would recommend this book to others.

This one was a miss for me. I normally love Helena Huntings book but for some reason couldn't get into this one. I loved the side characters and I hope the sisters get a book.

I loved this book so much! The chemistry you could feel between Avery and Declan was everything! This was perfect for a fast paced, light, summer read. I can’t wait to read more from our characters.

Friends to lovers, what's not to adore? My only complaint was being glued to my Kindle and staying up way too late to see how this adorable story played out. Highly recommend!

Helena Hunting will never cease to write an amazing and sweet rom com!

If you're a fan of friends-to-lovers romances, this book should be at the top of your list! Avery and Declan are best friends who live together until an accident forces true feelings that have been hiding all this time to come forward. Helena Hunting is amazing at what she does, and that's writing sweet romances with real characters. They have their flaws and they make mistakes, but the beauty of it is that they find a way to overcome it, to forgive and to live their lives to the fullest.

My heart is happy!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the earc in return for an honest review.

A book boyfriend-worthy romance!!! This friends-to-lovers love story will deliver sweet and sexy moments with a dash of angsty drama. Declan will become your favorite book boyfriend!

Avery has just been one of the guys for years. Her best friend just happens to be a hot guy who she lives with. They have always had a strictly platonic relationship. She's driven and works along side her sisters running Spark House.

Declan is a good time guy. Loves his friends, enjoys his hook ups and has a great job. Avery has been his bestie for years. They even bought a condo together since they get along so well. All is perfect until he makes a mistake.

Avery finds herself in the hospital and in need of care to mend. Declan steps up. They already live together, so this should be easy. However, being so dependent on another person is not what Avery wants. As her frustration with her limitations mounts, she seeks comfort and relief from her best friend.

A friends-to-lovers romance with lots of heart and steam. Two people who mean the world to one another cross a line they cannot come back from. Declan is buried under his own baggage so far down that he can't see the light. He's struggling with what he wants but can't get past the feeling of not deserving happiness. Avery isn't willing to go back and erase what happens, but she can't fix him. Declan will have to find his way.

I absolutely loved Declan and Avery. The relationship they fostered over the years was the perfect foundation for the most beautiful forever. It took some work to get there, but that kind of love is worth the sacrifice. The author dug deep with these characters and their struggles. I loved watching Declan's evolution from a man who was just pretending, to a man that felt everything and wanted to be the best partner he could be. A fantastic couple with real life challenges and a love worth fighting for. You are going to fall in love with Declan as he becomes Boyfriend-Worthy!

I tend to think of Helena Hunt as a romcom writer and while When Sparks Fly definitely has romcom moments, I enjoyed that this novel packed a more emotional punch. Both Declan and Avery had some baggage that was begging to be unpacked and in Helena Hunting's hands, it definitely was. To get to that point, though, there were all sorts of events--some funny and some horrific--that kept me turning pages.


The novel started with a completely ridiculous and funny scene, leads us through the backstory of Avery and her family and introduces us to her friendship with Declan via a college relationship gone bad. All of this gets us to the car accident that gives us the meat of the story. There's forced proximity, guilt, frustration, and many opportunities for this best friendship to turn into something else, which obviously it does only to blow up before we get to their HEA ...all well worth the journey to get there.

In addition to the main story of Avery and Declan, the secondary characters also provided a lot of comedy and interesting diversions and I'm definitely seeing the potential for several of these characters to get stories of their own.

When Sparks Fly is a fun read that definitely brings the emotion--a good way to spend your weekend.

I really enjoyed this book. At first I wasn't sure if I really liked the male main character however I fell in love with him. This book is full of drama, laughs, and heartaches. The two main characters (Declan and Avery) evolved from best friends to lovers. The story is an easy fun read. I would definitively recommend this book to anyone who loves a happy ever after stories. I received this book as a ARC from NetGalley for my honest opinion.

When Sparks Fly is Hunting's contemporary side mixed with her light humor. This had more of a realistic twist infused with Hunting's fantastic romantic flare and dusted with her wit and charm.

This book takes two emotionally damaged people, given real life drama and solutions and then they still have to figure out if they are better off together or apart at the end.

Declan and Avery have been best friends since college and have been living together has roommates for the past couple years since graduation. They have been through a lot together, but have never dated or even crossed a line into indecent waters. They both have been able to put each other in a friendship box with absolutely zero trouble, but when Avery gets seriously injured and needs help with basic needs, some shall we say, lines have to be crossed just so Avery can use the bathroom or take a shower. The proverbial box is opened and it's hard to close once things have been released.

Declan is there for Avery- 24/7 . As her caregiver, he will do or give Avery whatever she needs, literally anything to make sure she heals properly. He can't even imagine what he would have done had she not survived her accident so he truly becomes a hovering, over protective stalker. While he knows it's not healthy, he also can't stop and while Avery isn't in a place to help herself he's fine, but when she begins to heal...Declan slowly unravels, but remember that opened box...yeah it's trouble for both of them.

These two may have known each other for years, but when their relationship begins to change neither are prepared for the emotional pileup that is coming for them. Deck is a normal self-saboteur and Avery never lets anyone in emotionally. While these two think their friendship basis is strong enough to handle everything, hopefully it will be enough to withstand their heartbreaks.

This book is different than a lot of Helena's other works, but it is still crafted with her great writing and fun wit. It's a 4.5 overall only because Deck was a bit of a hard sell for me personally. I normally love Helena's hero's, even her jerky ones which I seem to love more (like Shippy), but again this was just my personal opinion on Declan.

This was a fun, easy read. I loved seeing the relationship evolve between Declan and Avery from best friends to lovers to more. I was angry, I was scared, I was annoyed, I laughed, and I cried. This book hit all the emotions for me.
I was laughing from the beginning when it starts with a hobby horse convention (yes, you read that right).
I'm hoping there will be more books set amongst this group like her sisters and their friends. This book isn't as outrageously fun as her Pucked series, but it was definitely a great read.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

“When the Sparks Fly” by Helen Hunting was a delightful book. I have not read any books by this author before but really enjoyed it. I like friends to love genre.
Avery and Declan were in school together and now roommates. Declan is a playboy and Avery does not like the dating scene.
Avery is hurt in a car accident and needs a lot of help. Declan feels guilty and steps up to take care of her and help her heal.
The story unfolds -- The writing was good and the story sweet. I may go back and read a few more by this author. Highly recommended

Helen Hunting’s books are exactly what you need when you want to finish a book in one day. This is a lovely story of a couple that’s meant to be. The most interesting part was their separate struggles with their own insecurities. It’s not very often you see the male lead dealing with insecurity and seeking help for it. It’s great to see the hero learning and growing. This weekend I brought “When Sparks Fly” with me to the beach and finish it in one sitting!

Helena Hunting is one of the best at creating fun yet dramatic, chemistry-filled romantic comedies! In "When Sparks Fly", best friends Avery and Declan are sharing an apartment, working busy jobs, and dating around. However, after Avery is in a near-fatal car accident, Declan takes over caring for her, and lines begin to blur. What used to be just a friendship has now become much more than that. The sparks that fly between them are fun to read about, and I enjoyed that their relationship was based on a deep friendship first. However, once jealousy rears its ugly head, they have to figure out how to deal with difficulties in a healthy way in order to save their relationship. I also loved how Hunting normalized going to therapy and dealing with past pain.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book. It was so fun to read and the story is easy going. I’d not heard of this author before but I found it a nice easy read

This friends to lover's romance story had me glued to my kindle from the very beginning! The characters were so well rounded that Avery and Declan kept me turning the pages of this fantastic book until the very end!

I really enjoyed this story, so very enjoyable. I love the characters and how they interact. Very well written

Declan and Avery, best buds, roommates and business associates are forced into extremely close quarters when Declan becomes Avery’s constant caretaker as she recovers from a terrible car accident. As they become closer and more intimate, their past histories interfere and push them apart.

In the beginning, I felt Declan’s character came across as immature-ish for an almost 30 year old man. Thankfully he redeems himself in the end and proves himself worthy of Avery’s love and friendship.

While I’m a huge fan of Helena Hunting’s Pucked series, When Sparks Fly does not have the same outrageous, laugh out loud antics. This is more of a sweet, slow burn read.

Thanks to St Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review an ARC.

I LOVE best friends-to-lovers.....it is by far my favorite genre. When one of my favorite authors writes it? Yup, I'm in seventh heaven! Helena Hunting's When Sparks Fly is funny, sexy, and emotional with just the right amount of heart. Readers will adore Avery and Declan's story.

Avery is such a fun character. She's kind, hard-working, an amazing friend, athletic, and has a strong drive to succeed. Declan is funny, sexy, loyal, and dedicated. These two are so much fun together and when their friendship takes a turn towards the romantic, their connection intensifies. Tragedy brings them closer and Hunting will definitely tug at your heartstrings with this emotional component to the story. My heart broke for both Avery and Declan but these two fight their way to a perfect happy ending. These two really do have a ton of spark!

Hunting delivered a story that will make you laugh and make you cry. She balances the more emotional parts of the story with humor and lightness. I loved all of the characters and hope we get to see more of Avery's sisters as well as her and Declan's friends. The whole cast of characters were so much fun! I loved this story! 5 stars