Starry-Eyed Love by Helena Hunting is the second book in the Spark House series, but it functions perfectly well as a standalone. I should know, because I read it as one. This was a very sweet romance and I’m glad I received an eARC from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
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The summary, from Amazon:
Charming, hilarious, and emotional, Starry-Eyed Love is Helena Hunting at her very best!
Having just broken up with her boyfriend, London Spark is not in the mood to be hit on. Especially not when she’s out celebrating her single status with her sisters. So when a very attractive man pays for their drinks and then slips her his number, she passes it right back to him with a ‘thanks, but no thanks’. As the business administrator for their family’s event hotel, the Spark House, London has more important things to worry about, like bringing in new clientele.
As luck would have it, a multi-million-dollar company calls a few months later asking for a meeting to discuss a potential partnership, and London is eager to prove to her sisters, and herself, that she can land this deal. Just when she thinks she has nailed her presentation, the company’s CEO, Jackson Holt, walks in and inserts himself into the meeting. Not only that, but he also happens to be the same guy she turned down at the bar a few months ago.
As they begin to spend more time together, their working relationship blossoms into something more. It isn’t until their professional entanglements are finally over, that London and Jackson are finally ready to take the next step in their relationship. But between Jackson’s secretive past and London’s struggle with her sisters, London must question where she really stands – not just with Jackson, but with the Spark House, too.
Buy Starry-Eyed Love here.
London runs Spark House, an event hotel, with her sisters Harley and Avery. After a break up, the girls hit the bar, where a handsome man asks to take London out. London rejects him because she’s not ready to date just yet, claiming she has a boyfriend.
Some time passes, and Holt Media reaches out to Spark House. They work as a liaison between eco-friendly companies. The sisters are excited about the partnership. London plans to meet with the company to share more information about Spark House and is surprised when the CEO pops into the meeting. Though the sisters had researched him, London doesn’t make the connection until she sees Jackson in person again that he’s the man from the bar. The two meet again by coincidence in the meeting and begin working together.
London quickly realizes her mistake in rejecting Jackson as the attraction between them grows and asks him out. Jackson keeps finding reasons to personally work on the Spark House project, but turns her down because he feels uncomfortable dating someone he’s working so closely with because of the power dynamic. This is the slowest of slow burns with two characters who are attracted to one another, with London questioning Jackson’s mixed signals and Jackson not wanting to get involved in an inappropriate relationship. Furthermore, both have their guard up. London and Jackson lost their parents at a young age and resist letting others in as a result.
Eventually, Jackson realizes his attraction to London is too great to ignore, and hands his project off to a friend. The two formalize their relationship and begin seriously dating. Unfortunately, the pressures of dating someone rich and somewhat famous are a lot for London, especially when she realizes a former romantic interest from his past is still very much involved in his life. Jackson’s lack of communication on the subject makes it too much to handle. Personally, I felt the third act break up was a little silly and wanted London to just sit and listen to Jackson, but I do understand these characters have different experiences than I do in life that made them react the way they did. Ultimately, we get our happily ever after, so it’s all good.There’s also a storyline about Spark House, where Avery, who I assume is the heroine of the first book, does not want to hire on more help. She is adamant to run Spark House as a family and despite the strain all of the sisters are feeling as the hotel becomes more and more successful, refuses to let others become involved in the running of the hotel. I honestly hated Avery and am curious as to whether I’d find her likable in her own romance novel. I’ll have to give the first book a try. Then again, I’m an only child. When one of my friends’ siblings treats them poorly they always make up quickly and I’ll hold a grudge against their siblings for a long time. 😂
Overall, this was a sweet contemporary slow burn and just what I needed to read. 4 stars.
Find out more about how I rate books here.
Starry-Eyed Love by Helena Hunting
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Saccharinely sweet in the best of ways. I pictured Kit Harrington as Jackson which made this extra fun. 😋
Book Club Questions
- Who was your favorite sister? Why?
- Explain the relationship dynamics between London and Jackson throughout the course of the book.
- Did you like or dislike Selene? Why?
