Make a Wish by Helena Hunting (Spark House #3)
Published by St. Martins Griffin on January 24, 2023
Age/Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Goodreads
Ever have a defining life moment you wish you could do over? Harley Spark has one. The time she almost kissed the widowed father of the toddler she nannied for. It was so bad they moved across the state and she never saw them again.
Fast forward seven years and she’s totally over it. At least she thinks she is. Until Gavin Rhodes and his adorable now nine-year-old daughter, Peyton, reappear at a princess-themed birthday party hosted by Spark House, Harley’s family’s event hotel. Despite trying to avoid the awkwardness of the situation, she can’t help but notice how unbearably sexy he looks in a tutu. Add to that a spontaneous hives breakout, and it’s clear she’s not even remotely over the mortification of her egregious error all those years ago.
Except Gavin seems oblivious to her inner turmoil. So much so that he suggests they get together for lunch. For Peyton’s sake, of course. It’s the perfect opportunity to heal old wounds. Or it could just reopen them. This is one of those times Harley wishes she could see the future…
With her signature charm and sense of humor, bestselling author Helena Hunting creates a novel about love, family, and second chances in Make a Wish.
Sparks fly when Harley is reunited with her dad-crush from years ago, but will Gavin be able to relinquish his guilt and allow himself to find love again?
I knew Harley would have the sweetest romance in this series, but it was also a very tricky one. Harley was hired to care for Gavin’s newborn following his wife’s death, and she developed a deep affection for both Gavin and Peyton. Then, after she attempted to kiss Gavin, they were gone. Fate had them crossing paths seven years later, and I was excited that there were still something between them. But there were multiple roadblocks on their path to an HEA. There was Gavin’s mother-in-law causing problems, in addition to Gavin holding onto a lot of guilt related to his wife’s death. That proved to be an obstacle too difficult for Harley to ignore.
My heart broke over and over for Harley. As the youngest, she always seemed to get lost in the shuffle and was constantly settling. Her role at Spark House kept shrinking, and here she was trying to compete with a ghost for a man’s heart. Part of this book was Harley trying to find her place in the business, while also asserting her needs and desires in all areas of her life. I was thrilled to see her going for what she wanted and not settling for second best.
Make a Wish was packed with some very beautiful, touching, and tender moments. I adored Gavin’s relationship with his daughter as well as the connection Harley established with her. There were smiles and tears, and those last two chapters! They owned me. I shed snotty tears as I read those final pages and was left with lots of warm fuzzies. A fine ending for a series I really enjoyed.
Secretly Yours by Tessa Bailey (A Vine Mess #1)
Published by Avon Books on February 7, 2023
Age/Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Goodreads
A steamy new rom-com about a starchy professor and the bubbly neighbor he clashes with at every turn...
Hallie Welch fell hard for Julian Vos at fourteen, after they almost kissed in the dark vineyards of his family's winery. Now the prodigal hottie has returned to their small town. When Hallie is hired to revamp the gardens on the Vos estate, she wonders if she'll finally get that smooch. But the grumpy professor isn't the teenager she remembers and their polar opposite personalities clash spectacularly. One wine-fueled girls' night later, Hallie can't shake the sense that she did something reckless--and then she remembers the drunken secret admirer letter she left for Julian. Oh shit.
On sabbatical from his ivy league job, Julian plans to write a novel. But having Hallie gardening right outside his window is the ultimate distraction. She's eccentric, chronically late, often literally covered in dirt--and so unbelievably beautiful, he can't focus on anything else. Until he finds an anonymous letter sent by a woman from his past. Even as Julian wonders about this admirer, he's sucked further into Hallie's orbit. Like the flowers she plants all over town, Hallie is a burst of color in Julian's gray-scale life. For a man who irons his socks and runs on tight schedules, her sunny chaotic energy makes zero sense. But there's something so familiar about her... and her very presence is turning his world upside down.
He was all about planning and schedules while she was pure chaos. Together, they were a perfect pair.
What a super fun grumpy-sunshine romance! Julian and Hallie were opposites in so many ways, but they also brought something the other needed to the table. Julian adhered to his routines and schedules as a way to control his anxiety. Hallie pretty much flew by the seat of her pants and was rather untethered following her grandmother’s death. While he encouraged a bit of structure for Hallie, she helped Julian be a bit less rigid. I loved that they were able to find that middle ground together, and I was really proud of all they accomplished for themselves along the way.
As for the “secretly yours” part, it was adorable. The letters were so sweet, and it’s amazing the effect anonymous words can have on someone. I knew Hallie was a sweetheart from the start, but Julian was a grump with a heart of gold. There were some really precious moments in there that had me eating out of the palm of his hand. Because this was a Tessa Bailey story, it was packed with lots of hilarious and witty banter too. I was amused, tickled, and downright giddy at times.
Overall, I had so much fun with these characters! I am looking forward to returning to this world, and eager to see what Bailey does with Natalie and August.
Published by St. Martins Griffin on January 24, 2023
Age/Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Goodreads
Ever have a defining life moment you wish you could do over? Harley Spark has one. The time she almost kissed the widowed father of the toddler she nannied for. It was so bad they moved across the state and she never saw them again.
Fast forward seven years and she’s totally over it. At least she thinks she is. Until Gavin Rhodes and his adorable now nine-year-old daughter, Peyton, reappear at a princess-themed birthday party hosted by Spark House, Harley’s family’s event hotel. Despite trying to avoid the awkwardness of the situation, she can’t help but notice how unbearably sexy he looks in a tutu. Add to that a spontaneous hives breakout, and it’s clear she’s not even remotely over the mortification of her egregious error all those years ago.
Except Gavin seems oblivious to her inner turmoil. So much so that he suggests they get together for lunch. For Peyton’s sake, of course. It’s the perfect opportunity to heal old wounds. Or it could just reopen them. This is one of those times Harley wishes she could see the future…
With her signature charm and sense of humor, bestselling author Helena Hunting creates a novel about love, family, and second chances in Make a Wish.
Sparks fly when Harley is reunited with her dad-crush from years ago, but will Gavin be able to relinquish his guilt and allow himself to find love again?
I knew Harley would have the sweetest romance in this series, but it was also a very tricky one. Harley was hired to care for Gavin’s newborn following his wife’s death, and she developed a deep affection for both Gavin and Peyton. Then, after she attempted to kiss Gavin, they were gone. Fate had them crossing paths seven years later, and I was excited that there were still something between them. But there were multiple roadblocks on their path to an HEA. There was Gavin’s mother-in-law causing problems, in addition to Gavin holding onto a lot of guilt related to his wife’s death. That proved to be an obstacle too difficult for Harley to ignore.
My heart broke over and over for Harley. As the youngest, she always seemed to get lost in the shuffle and was constantly settling. Her role at Spark House kept shrinking, and here she was trying to compete with a ghost for a man’s heart. Part of this book was Harley trying to find her place in the business, while also asserting her needs and desires in all areas of her life. I was thrilled to see her going for what she wanted and not settling for second best.
Make a Wish was packed with some very beautiful, touching, and tender moments. I adored Gavin’s relationship with his daughter as well as the connection Harley established with her. There were smiles and tears, and those last two chapters! They owned me. I shed snotty tears as I read those final pages and was left with lots of warm fuzzies. A fine ending for a series I really enjoyed.
Published by Avon Books on February 7, 2023
Age/Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Goodreads
A steamy new rom-com about a starchy professor and the bubbly neighbor he clashes with at every turn...
Hallie Welch fell hard for Julian Vos at fourteen, after they almost kissed in the dark vineyards of his family's winery. Now the prodigal hottie has returned to their small town. When Hallie is hired to revamp the gardens on the Vos estate, she wonders if she'll finally get that smooch. But the grumpy professor isn't the teenager she remembers and their polar opposite personalities clash spectacularly. One wine-fueled girls' night later, Hallie can't shake the sense that she did something reckless--and then she remembers the drunken secret admirer letter she left for Julian. Oh shit.
On sabbatical from his ivy league job, Julian plans to write a novel. But having Hallie gardening right outside his window is the ultimate distraction. She's eccentric, chronically late, often literally covered in dirt--and so unbelievably beautiful, he can't focus on anything else. Until he finds an anonymous letter sent by a woman from his past. Even as Julian wonders about this admirer, he's sucked further into Hallie's orbit. Like the flowers she plants all over town, Hallie is a burst of color in Julian's gray-scale life. For a man who irons his socks and runs on tight schedules, her sunny chaotic energy makes zero sense. But there's something so familiar about her... and her very presence is turning his world upside down.
He was all about planning and schedules while she was pure chaos. Together, they were a perfect pair.
What a super fun grumpy-sunshine romance! Julian and Hallie were opposites in so many ways, but they also brought something the other needed to the table. Julian adhered to his routines and schedules as a way to control his anxiety. Hallie pretty much flew by the seat of her pants and was rather untethered following her grandmother’s death. While he encouraged a bit of structure for Hallie, she helped Julian be a bit less rigid. I loved that they were able to find that middle ground together, and I was really proud of all they accomplished for themselves along the way.
As for the “secretly yours” part, it was adorable. The letters were so sweet, and it’s amazing the effect anonymous words can have on someone. I knew Hallie was a sweetheart from the start, but Julian was a grump with a heart of gold. There were some really precious moments in there that had me eating out of the palm of his hand. Because this was a Tessa Bailey story, it was packed with lots of hilarious and witty banter too. I was amused, tickled, and downright giddy at times.
Overall, I had so much fun with these characters! I am looking forward to returning to this world, and eager to see what Bailey does with Natalie and August.
These are both such fun, but Harley and Gavin's situation and her having to compete with his dead wife -- sighs, oh Harley <3
ReplyDeleteI can imagine it is difficult to be the next partner following the death of the previous one. Most likely, the person was still in love with their former partner. It can't be easy competing with a ghost.
DeleteI'm glad you enjoyed Hunting's book. I read it, but I can't remember my thoughts on it now.
ReplyDeleteIt was a solid series. The first book was my favorite though
DeleteOK Make a Wish has my vote!!
ReplyDeleteIt was cute and a nice ending for the series
DeleteI really want to read more of these two authors! I have recently read my first Helena Hunting and like the sound of this one. I have somehow never read Tessa Bailey and need to correct that sometime soon.
ReplyDeleteHunting's newer books have been really wonderful. I am newer to Bailey's work, but the last few have been great. Really loved the Bellinger Sister books
Delete