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.
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…
Review:
Don’t get me wrong–I was enjoying the book all along, but OMG that ending. I was practically sobbing! (In the best way, at least ;))
Make a Wish brings the Spark House series to a lovely conclusion. Each sister’s story could probably stand on its own–this one could, for sure–but they’re all delightful in their own way so IMHO reading them all in order is the way to go. That way when things happen to/with her older sisters here, they have more of an emotional impact on the reader. #yourewelcome
Overall I really enjoyed Harley and Gavin’s book–single parent romances are 100% my jam, especially when the kids involved feel like real characters and not just mini plot devices. I loved that Harley stood up for herself–to Gavin, to his MIL, to her sisters (though especially in the case of her sisters, it took almost a *little* long to get to that point). I liked how (eventually) Harley was able to finally find a meaningful way to contribute to the family business, doing something she loves with the family she loves. And–gah!–I believe I mentioned that the ending had me in tears, yes? 😉
I thought Ms Hunting did a lovely job of portraying Gavin as a young, grieving father. His MIL was a piece of work, though–the layers of guilt on both their sides made their actions fairly believable, but her name here (Karen) was almost *too* on the nose. Given how awful she was 95% of the book, I’m not entirely sure her redemption was quite enough. Let’s just say that both Gavin *and* his MIL needed therapy a lot sooner than they get it–better sooner than later, but still.
I wasn’t crazy about the emotional cheating that Harley puts her boyfriend through–it’s perfectly obvious (to everyone but Harley and Gavin, apparently; they were pretty obtuse for a tad too long) that there’s something there–even though it’s just as clear that Chad isn’t the guy for her, he deserved her honestly long before he gets it. She does own up to it and apologizes at least, so there’s that.
I read this in a day–literally couldn’t put it down!–which tells you that even despite the parts I wasn’t crazy about, I was completely invested. I loved seeing all the Spark sisters together once more, and the glimpses we get into Avery and London’s HEAs were wonderful.
And did I mention the ending? 😉
Rating: 4 stars / A-
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.