Series: Spark House, #3
Traits & Tropes: single dad; widower; second chance
Publication Date: 01.24.23
Genre/Setting: Contemporary; Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA
Heat Level: 2
Rating: 4/5
Narration Rating: 4/5
Harley Spark nearly kissed the widowed father of the toddler she was the nanny for and it ruined everything, causing the family to move to the other side of the state. She never saw them again and that became a defining moment in her life.
After seven years, Harley would like to think she’s totally moved on, but she’s proven wrong when she sees Gavin and his adorable daughter Peyton, now nine years old, at a birthday party hosted by Harley’s family’s event hotel, Spark House. She tries to keep the situation casual and not be awkward, but she can’t help but notice how attractive Gavin still is and it becomes clear that she’s still very mortified over what nearly happened the last time they were together.
Gavin is completely oblivious to Harley’s anxiety and invites her to lunch with himself and Peyton. For the adorable little girl’s sake, he says, and it’s the perfect chance for Harley to finally apologize and rid herself of her regret and mortification for good. Or make things so much worse for everyone.
This was a pseudo-second chance story unlike anything I’ve read before. Harley and Gavin had a bit of a history and, though nothing ever really happened between them, that connection was still there. When they reconnect nine years later they’re both in very different places than they were then and what starts as merely Harley spending time with Peyton rapidly becomes a friendship with Gavin. It’s clear there’s more between them, but it takes a bit for them to admit that and do something about it and I actually enjoyed that process a lot, even if they were also at times frustrating in their reticence and cluelessness. This wound up being heavier than I had anticipated as Gavin finally had to face his grief over the loss of his wife and try to find a way to move on, but it was all handled really well. I loved how mature Harley was as a heroine and how she was able to have serious conversations with Gavin without sinking to any childish antics. She called him out when he needed it and refused to settle for less than she deserved in a relationship, all while being sensitive to his grief and giving him the support and encouragement he needed to work through it. Harley also learned to stand up for herself and give voice to her desires and it made me wish I was so empowered and sure of myself.
I really enjoyed the dual narration of this book and my only wish is that the female narrator had voiced all the female dialogue and vice versa, I think mainly because male narrators trying to do female voices, and especially the young child’s voice for this story, can get a bit jarring after a while. Otherwise, I loved how the narration pulled me into the story and kept the chapters and dialogues clearly delineated between Harley’s point of view and Gavin’s. Harley and Gavin both demonstrated a lot of growth and I enjoyed seeing their relationship develop as they faced some serious challenges together and worked through them as a team. This was an unexpected emotional roller coaster for me and a very satisfying conclusion to the Spark House series.
I voluntarily listened to and reviewed an audio advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/2285820226
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4921637410
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