I really enjoyed all three of these audiobooks. There is some romance in each, but there is so much more. We have three women that are all dealing with situations in their lives that they are working on. You have a family trying to balance their lives and work responsibilities, a woman who was jilted the night before her wedding and one trying to prove she can do the job as a flipper as well as solve a mystery. I recommend all three of these books. I want to thank Macmillan Audio for providing me with a copy of the audiobooks. The rating and opinions shared are my own.

Starry-Eyed Love (Spark House #2) by Helena Hunting, Jason Clarke & Stella Bloom (Narrators)

Published May 10th 2022 by Macmillan Audio, St. Martin’s Griffin

4 Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

There are three Spark Sisters and Starry-Eyed Love is London’s story. Spark House is the family business that all three sisters took over the running from their grandmother. Each of them has a strength to offer, London’s is the artistic side. The problem is that Avery is busy planning her wedding so London attends a meeting with a multi-million-dollar company to discuss a potential partnership. What she was not expecting was to work with CEO, Jackson Holt. London had met Jackson previously and turned him down for a date, but did not know who he was. As they work more together, they begin to have feelings for one another, but they need to keep it professional while working together. Throw in a female friend who wants to be more than friends and there are a few wrenches in the works.

I enjoyed this romance, despite there being some open door romance. London is a great character, but she has some insecurities. She is not comfortable in Jackson’s world, so it definitely causes some anxiety. She is a very talented person, who works hard at Spark House as well as running her own store. She goes through a lot of growth in this story, and I was glad to see her stand up for herself. Jackson was a bit harder to like. He was a bit rigid and took a lot for granted, but I guess being as wealthy as he was, he lived a very different life. I did like that he didn’t give up on London and was very instrumental in getting her to move out of her comfort zone. I have to say, Jackson was a bit obtuse at times about relationships, which does cause some angst, but he had some baggage from his past to get over. I did enjoy their banter, both in messages and real life. That was where the humor fit in. This was a slow developing romance, which I liked as they got to know each other first. When the conflict comes to a head, it was well done. I saw it coming based on their personalities and baggage, but it was well written and the resolution was great. This story is a romance with family issues thrown in, as well as themes of self-esteem, recognizing your strengths and using them to the best of your abilities. I enjoyed this story and am looking forward to the third and final book in this trilogy, Make a Wish – Harley’s story. I listened to the audiobook narrated once again by Jason Clarke and Stella Bloom. They alternate chapters depending who’s POV it is. I love the voices they give the characters, adding emotion to the story. If you enjoy a slow burn romance with baggage to overcome, family issues and some humor, then I recommend you pick this one up.

The Wedding Season by Katy Birchall, Daphne Kouma (Narrator)

Published May 3rd 2022 by Macmillan Audio, St. Martin’s Griffin

4.5 Stars:

I thought The Wedding Season was going to be a romance, and although there is a romantic storyline, the majority of the story is about friendship, figuring out what you want you out of life and letting go and having fun. Freya Scott is an organized, smart and ambitious woman who is dumped by her fiancé the night before their wedding. He didn’t feel like she needed him and that she was too rigid and organized. To get her through the Wedding Season, her BFFs Ruby and Leo, who are engaged and getting married that summer, come up with a list of things for Freya to do, something at each wedding. Some are fun, some are serious, but all will get Freya out of her comfort zone.

I really enjoyed this book, even though it was not what I was expecting. Freya is very uptight in many ways and doesn’t see herself as others do. She has to deal with a devastating experience, and find closure. She also has a very difficult relationship with her mother that she needs to work through, as both have very different ideas of what happened there. I enjoyed seeing Freya complete the various tasks/challenges on the list, some putting her in very funny situations. I loved how Freya’s friends supported her and helped her deal with the situation she is in. Finally the romance, Matthew was a creep. The way he treated Freya after all the time they had been together was terrible, he was such a coward. Freya was better off without him. She met someone at a couple of the events she was at and they clicked. It wasn’t a whirlwind romance, but a friendship that develops into something a little more. Daphne Kouma narrates this story and does a great job. Using expression, tone and various accents she is able to give voice to the various characters that enhanced my enjoyment of the story. I really liked this story that was more of a women’s fiction story with humor, friendship, finding yourself and some romance. A great summer story, I recommend.

The Homewreckers by Mary Kay Andrews, Kathleen McInerney (Narrator)

Published May 3rd 2022 by Macmillan Audio, St. Martin’s Press

5 Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Hattie joined Kavanaugh & Son at the age of 18. She originally cleaned restored homes for the company. Within only seven years, she married the bosses son, becoming Hattie Kavanaugh, and was widowed when her husband, Hank, was killed in a motorcycle accident. She continues working for the company but also uses her own money to buy and flip homes in gentrifying neighborhoods. When one of her company flips loses a lot of money she looks for something to make back the money. What she finds is a reality TV producer looking for a new show in the house flipping/reno area. Harriet agrees with his proposal, purchases a rundown beachhouse at auction and proceeds to do the reno following all sorts of guidelines. All costs are hers, but she gets material from sponsors and is paid for her part in the program. What she wasn’t ready for was the house designer the network hired, who they want to be a love interest, but all he does is aggravate her. The story also has a mystery to it, when they find the wallet of a local teacher who has been missing for many years. There is a lot going on in this story, with someone trying to sabotage the reno, the possibility that there is a connection between the missing teacher and the house and some simmering feelings just under the surface.

I really like the mashup of genres in this story. It is a bit women’s fiction, a mystery, the home reno theme and a bit of romance. I really liked Hattie’s character. Although it has been seven years since she lost her husband, she still loves him and his family. She feels terrible about the reno going way over budget and is willing to do whatever it takes to make it right, including borrowing money from her dad who has a shady past. She is also smart and knows what she is doing and is not about to let Trey sabotage her job. The mystery was quite interesting as well, with Hattie trying to solve it as she is sure the vandalism has something to do with the murder. Moe is the producer of the show and not only does he want the show to succeed, he wants to keep Hattie safe as he has begun to develop feelings for her. This was a great story with all it’s various plotlines coming together well in the end. Another great story by Mary Kay Andrews that I definitely recommend.