Make a Wish

October 31, 2022
A onetime nanny reunites with her former employer in Hunting’s immersive third Spark House contemporary romance (after Starry-Eyed Love). While working for single father Gavin Rhodes to nanny his daughter, Peyton, Harley Spark developed quite a crush. Seven years later, she still harbors embarrassment about attempting to kiss Gavin one night—only for him to respond by abruptly moving away from Colorado Springs. Now 28 and co-running the event hotel that gives the series its name, Harley’s shocked when Gavin and an almost nine-year-old Peyton turn up at Spark House for a birthday party. Gavin’s back in the area to help run his family business and asks Harley out to lunch with him and Peyton to reconnect. Sparks fly, and the pair decide to try dating—but Gavin’s still grieving his wife, who died in childbirth, and feels guilty about moving on. Complicating matters even further is his former mother-in-law’s intense dislike of Harley. Will they be able to make it work with the specters of the past hovering over them? Harley’s genuine joy at being around children—and her affection for Peyton in particular—adds to her appeal, and the slow-burning romance between her and Gavin keeps the pages flying. Readers looking for a fast-paced story about love after loss should snap this up.

November 1, 2022

Running a successful event hotel with two sisters and their husbands is about as easy as it sounds. Harley Spark is always filling in, and her proposals take the back seat to her sisters' master plan for franchising their brand of specialty venues. Hosting a child's birthday party at Spark House, Harley is stunned to see guests Gavin and Peyton Rhodes, the widowed father and daughter she nannied for seven years ago. Gavin's hasty move to Boulder after Harley gave him an awkward and ill-timed kiss made her determined not to be so vulnerable again. Gavin hasn't come to terms with his wife's death during childbirth, but he has always tried to put his daughter first. His decision to move back to Colorado Springs to be closer to his parents, however, has unexpectedly revealed feelings for Harley that never went away. VERDICT Hunting delivers a satisfying contemporary love story in the third and final installment in the "Spark House" trilogy (following Starry-Eyed Love). Realistic emotional obstacles are explored and resolved with a rewarding happily-ever-after.--Nicole J. Suarez

Copyright 2022 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2022
Harley Spark knew that almost kissing her then-employer, Gavin Rhodes, was a mistake, but his moving halfway across Colorado just to avoid her seemed a bit extreme. Seven years later, Gavin and his young daughter, Peyton, are back in Colorado Springs, and it appears that Gavin has absolutely no memory whatsoever of what was the most embarrassing moment in Harley's life. While Harley might tell herself that occasionally helping Gavin out with Peyton is something any friend would do, is being friends what Gavin really wants with Harley? Or is Gavin hinting to Harley that he is open to something more? Hunting concludes her Spark House trilogy--following When Sparks Fly (2021) and Starry-Eyed Love (2022)--by bringing back the youngest Spark sister for her shot at true love in this deftly crafted rom-com that effectively mingles layers of emotional sweetness with plenty of sexy chemistry while simultaneously examining the grieving process and the toll guilt can take if we let it overwhelm everything else in our lives.

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