I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
When Sparks Fly by Helena Hunting Published by St. Martin's Griffin on September 21, 2021
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Contemporary, Fiction / Romance / Romantic Comedy
Pages: 288
Format: eBook
Source: Publisher
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Charming, hilarious, and emotional...When Sparks Fly is Helena Hunting at her very best!
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.
Helena Hunting is a long-time, favorite author of mine, so I’ll gladly dig into any new book that I can get my hands on. Her new release, When Sparks Fly, feature a set of friends to lovers brought together by a tragic accident, a whole boat load of guilt, and years of pent up feelings.
Avery has been running the family business with her sisters since their grandmother’s retirement, which is well-earned after their parents died in a tragic car accident when Avery and her sisters were young and their grandmother stepped in to raise them. Avery excels at planning events for groups at her hotel which are specific and catered to each group. She’s happy overall, participating in a soccer league with her best guy friends from college and living with the best guy friend she could ever have–Declan. He stood by her side through it all in college: when his own best friend stepped out on her when the two were seriously dating, and when faced with a decision of his best friend or Avery, Declan picked Avery and didn’t look back.
Avery and Declan have a years long pattern built up of watching sports with their two best buds from college, eating chicken wings and drinking beers. It’s just like Avery is one of the guys. Declan can almost forget that he was once attracted to Avery when they were in school but she chose to date his best friend. That is until she comes out dressed to the nines for a date with someone, and Declan’s jealousy flares–and his actions have some serious consequences for Avery and subsequently Declan.
Avery and Declan’s relationship as friends is seriously tested as she recovers from a serious car accident and she relies on Declan for everything in her day to day life for a few months. They grow closer than they ever thought possible, but is it out of love, convenience, or guilt?
I give When Sparks Fly a four out of five. I enjoyed the awkward honesty of Avery and her relationship with her guys. There were so many fun and funny spots in this book to balance out the seriously heavy spots. The smoldering tension between Avery and Declan as they dance around each other was palpable, and I enjoyed watching that play out. What really helped put a final star on this book was the work that Declan was willing to put into himself in the end in order to be with Avery. However, I feel like she also needed to put in similar work to be with him as well. The growth of both of these characters was enough to be satisfying, and the side characters of her sisters and the other friends balanced things out nicely. And I really loved the specialty groups that went to the hotel and how weird and funny they were.
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About Helena Hunting
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author HELENA HUNTING lives outside of Toronto with her amazing family and her two awesome cats, who think the best place to sleep is her keyboard. She writes all things romance — contemporary, romantic comedy, sports and angsty new adult. Some of her books include Meet Cute, Pucked, and Shacking Up. Helena loves to bake cupcakes, has been known to listen to a song on repeat 1512 times while writing a book, and if she has to be away from her family, prefers to be in warm weather with her friends.
Connect with Helena Hunting
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