4.5 ⭐️ (rounded up to 5). This was such a cute and fun book that I really enjoyed. I needed a change of pace after reading so many thrillers so I decided on a feel good romance. I expected it to be like a Hallmark movie (which I do love) but it was not. Let’s just say the sex definitely bumps it out of the “Hallmark-type” book. 😂Wow, were there some steamy chapters in this one!

So let me start with the storyline, this wasn’t a typical best friends fall in love basic romance. While it was funny and sweet most of the time, it also dealt with sadness, trials, guilt and more. As far as characters go, I really liked them all. Avery, London and Harley (the three Spark sisters) each had their own distinctive personality and I liked them all. Then there’s Declan…we definitely need to categorize him as “before accident Declan” and “after accident Declan”. The first Declan, although he was a great friend to Avery, he was also a player, a pig, a jerk….I did not anticipate liking him at all! BUT….then there’s post accident Declan and oh my did he grow on me. The way he stepped up to take care of Avery (even though he was driven by guilt when Avery had her accident). He was so sexy, sweet and obviously had deep rooted feelings for her. After so much time together, it was impossible for either of them to hide the feelings that they’ve kept inside for so long. They were both scared because they didn’t want to jeopardize their friendship. Also, after growing up with parents who cheated and didn’t know what commitment and real love meant, Declan more or less decided he would never have a serious relationship. Then his feelings for Avery surfaced and it started to change him, but also scared him. The last thing he ever wanted to do was hurt her, so he pretty much acted as if he didn’t deserve to have someone to love. Overall i definitely recommend this one, it was such a sweet romcom and I truly enjoyed it from beginning to end! I laughed ALOT, I smiled and it made my heart happy (and sad) at times! The ending was great and I look forward to reading the second book in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

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A friend to lovers romance about Avery who runs the boutique hotel/event space with her two sisters and her best friend and condo-mate, Declan. Due to a poor night of decisions, Avery is driving to a client meeting alone when she is in an accident. Scared for her life, Declan rushes to her aid and becomes her caretaker. The two begin to form a relationship but will it survive the bubble created in their home when faced with their own insecurities.

I thought it was a sweet story and the sisters running the hotel reminded me of the Nora Roberts Wedding Quartet. I am excited to read the other sister's stories. 3.5 stars.

Helena writes romance like no other and her vice is so strong. I devoured this one and it will be reread material for e because it is THAT GOOD!

I have to say this one was a pretty solid three star read for me which I wasn't expecting because I usually find myself enjoying Helena Hunting's books a lot more. Usually friends to lovers isn't my favorite trope, so I can kind of see in that regard why this one didn't really do it for me. I think the biggest issue I had was with the hero's trust issues and the way that really one moment kind of ruined him for me.

I will say though that what I especially did enjoy about this book were the sweet little singular moments sprinkled throughout when we really got to see their friendship come through as opposed to just the love part. This one was really cute and fun, but just not a total home run for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Typically Helena's writing works for me but this one was a miss. Thank you for letting me read and review her books.

I love a friends to lovers and Helena knocked this one out of the park. I love the relationship between Avery and Declan from the very beginning and the chemistry between them was apparent from very early on. This book had so much humor (hello hobby horse riding convention). It’s something I love about a Helena Hunting book. That and fantastic, relatable characters.

2.5 STARS!

It pained me so much to give When Sparks Fly such a low rating as I'm a big fan of Helena Hunting, but this one was just not my cup of tea.

Avery and Declan are long time friends and are roommates. When Avery gets into a car accident that leaves her immobile for weeks, Declan steps up and wants to take care of her while she recovers. Soon, the lines begin to blur and these two friends become lovers *yum*.

This is went the story took a turn for me and not in the best way. I enjoyed Declan coming to his senses about his feelings for Avery but he became negative rather quickly. One moment ruins everything and there was no way I could forgive the hero. Plus, he honestly just had too many trust issues and easily jumped to conclusions.

Overall, there were rare moments I really really enjoyed, but this particular story simply wasn't a favorite.

Sweet and emotional, it was an absolute delight to immerse myself in this story. I completely adored Avery and Declan. Their chemistry and connection felt effortless and genuine, and I was so invested in their story. 100% recommend!

Declan and Avery! this is a great friends to lovers story. College friends, roommates, a breakup and then lovers.

This book hooked me from the first words. When Sparks Fly by Helena Hunting is the first in a new series of standalone romances. This one features two friends who through unexpected circumstances find themselves moving their relationship from platonic to lovers. I personally loved this one. It is filled with heart-felt emotions and touches on mental health and childhood traumas. Declan and Avery are easy to root for, and their relationship progresses in a natural and believable way. I sat down with the intention of reading just a few chapters of this one, and before I knew it, I was closing in on the end. It is that good.

Avery is the eldest sister of the Spark family. Working with her two younger sisters, she is turning their childhood home into a hotel/event space that is renowned in their state and has become the destination for corporate and personal events. But her life comes to a crashing halt when she is in a car accident that leaves her dependent on her sisters and best friend for everything. Driven and hard-working, Avery rarely takes a break. This forced sabbatical isn’t what she had in mind, but it is exactly what her heart and soul needed to reset. And thankfully her best friend is there to help her pick up the pieces.

Declan is an interesting character, to the say the least. I was not expecting the depth that the author gave him. He has been Avery’s best friend since college and roommates for years. He firmly put himself in the friend category when Avery dated and was briefly engaged to his best friend Sam. But when that ended in disaster, Declan chose Avery’s friendship over Sam and never looked back. When he nearly loses her in the car accident, he has to face the feelings he’s been hiding head on or face losing her forever.

The car accident that is the catalyst for the story is alluded to in the blurb so as a reader you know it is coming, and I SO wanted to stop it. My heart was breaking before it even happened for both Avery and Declan. Declan made some bad decisions that resulted in Avery driving herself that day, so he blames himself every time he sees her grimace in pain or upset that she cannot do for herself as she is used to doing. I loved seeing their relationship evolve on the pages. It quickly goes from sweet to steamy, but does so in a natural and believable way.

Overall, I really enjoyed When Sparks Fly and look forward to Avery’s sisters’ stories. This is truly a friends to lovers story, even how they handle the (inevitable, 75% point in the book) conflict is representative of the years of their friendship. If you enjoy sweet romances, I highly recommend this one.

For the most part I enjoyed this light hearted friends to loves romance story by Helena Hunting. There were many hilarious and emotional moments for Declan and Avery in this story. At the same time there was a lot missing in connecting me to the characters. I liked it, I didn't love it.

I love Helena Hunting, but this newest one just missed the mark for me. The first half of the book was okay, but I struggled to stay interested. The last half of the book was missing so much for me and I just didn't enjoy it like I had hoped I would.

This is a cute and cozy friends to lovers. I definitely found myself saying "boys are dumb" a couple times but I liked Avery and Declan's chemistry a lot. Not my favorite of Helena's books, but a sweet read.

I read this book after the second one in the series, but it didn't matter. I was able to understand everything that was happening. This is Avery and Declan's story. She runs Spark House with her two sisters. He's a financial guy. They've been best friends for years. He makes a mistake that causes disastrous things to happen to Avery. In an effort to make up for his bad choices, they grow even closer. Their story is sweet, and heartbreaking. I really enjoy all the characters in this series and hope to read the last one as soon as it comes out.

I received this novel as an advanced reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This is a cute friends to lovers romantic comedy that is easy escapist fiction where the characters have good chemistry.

Sweet book, easy reading. I really enjoyed this one! I'll be looking into more books from this author.

I'm torn on this one... I've been a huge fan of Helena Hunting's for quite some time. Though I really loved Avery's character (independent, athletic woman), I had some issues with Declan, especially near the end of the book. There are alpha heroes and then there are men who use tracking devices/apps and read their partner's texts... That's a no for me.

That aside, I do appreciate the way that Hunting tackled some heavier themes - grief, loss, mental health.

Helena Hunting writes in a way that makes it easy to lure her readers in; and I have thoroughly enjoyed my past reading experience with Hunting’s series of tales. When Sparks Fly is a part of a new series that Hunting has assembled featuring three sisters and their potential flames. This first book in the series was difficult for me to get through as I found it hard to empathize and like the main characters, particularly the male lead. It is interesting to see the changes in Hunting’s writing, from the beginning of her career with her humor-filled romance stories to her new, more serious romantic plots.

I received an ARC from the author and publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Ehhhh, there are some real problems with the themes of this book. Lots of trust problems and mental health issues. Pass.

The author's writing was great, actually, it was the plot that frustrated me. I just couldn't get a good vibe from these characters and I found it tough to get though the book. I actually ended up finishing it by listened to the audiobook, which was well done by the way. I didn't particularly care about the characters and their friends to lovers story was lackluster.