When Sparks Fly by Helena Hunting
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Best friends to lovers is the worst trope in human history, IMO. That being said, THIS BOOK IS SO GOOD!
Avery and Declan have been friends since college and now live together. They share the same friends and spend most of their evenings together.
When Avery is involved in an accident, Declan is wrecked with guilt. He was supposed to be with her in the car but he blew her off for a one-night stand.
Declan dedicates himself to helping her recover and keeping her company while she is stuck at home.
Declan and Avery get closer than ever as he helps her heal and soon they realize that their feelings might be more than just platonic.
So again, like I said. Worst trope ever but Helena Hunting does it SOO good.
The friendship between Declan and Avery honestly seems platonic at first and I was like “eeww” because I couldn’t see them falling in love.
Basically their feelings surprised me as much as it surprised them. I loved how the evolution of their relationship just seemed so genuine.
This was the book that brought me out of my book slump and I am so glad for it. If you’re a fan of romance, this is the book for you.
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Month: September 2021
Welcome to the Real World: First Job Problems
categories: Welcome to The Real World
By day 3 of my data capturing job, I grew bored of training and they offered to let me capture on my own. So I agreed. My typing speed as a writer meant that I was one of the fastest capturers on the team. In fact it wasn’t long before management started questioning how and why the new girl was capturing faster than the old staff.
My typing speed combined with my introverted ways did not win me any fans. By the end of my second week word got out that I was a college graduate, drove myself to work and had gotten the job because of my aunt who worked in the company. I could feel everyone silently judging me.
Some of the staff didn’t like me because of how fast I worked. Some didn’t like me because of my aunt and a large chunk didn’t like me simply because of my degree. I was confused. I knew I was privileged to have had the opportunity to study further. But I also knew that my degree meant nothing. I worked as hard as I could to prove myself as a serious employee. People thought I was just there to pass the time. While data capturing may not have been my dream job, it was a job I had wanted and it was a job I worked for. I was grateful nonetheless.
Despite the dirty looks that I saw tossed my way on the daily, I pushed through and tried to focus on work.
The manager who hired me tried to get me to understand the importance of getting to know the people in the other teams but as a recent graduate I didn’t get it. I was there to work. Why did I need to make friends with people who definitely didn’t like me?
The lady I worked with decided to toss me into the ocean and sent me to sit with a different team. At the time I was uncomfortable being surrounded by strangers but it wasn’t long before the new team made me feel comfortable and I started to come out of my shell. Eventually I made friends with my co-workers and work got much more bearable.
I understand now that getting to know the people you work with is so important. I wish I had known that back then. There were tons of people who I ended up becoming close friends with. These were people that originally I was intimidated by or just didn’t make an effort to connect with.
What lessons did you learn from your first job? I’d love to know below.
Welcome to The Real World: The Sweet Smell of Nepotism
categories: Welcome to The Real World
Shortly after my disastrous call center stint, my aunt contacted me to see if I would be interested in a data capturing position at the company she worked at. This would also be at a call center but I felt a tiny bit better about the fact that it wouldn’t be a sales position.
I went for the interview and could tell the managers interviewing me were skeptical of hiring me. I had a degree and to them that seemed to mean I would leave the job at the first opportunity that came my way.
I knew this was a lie simply because no opportunity seemed to be coming my way but I worked hard to show them how sincere I was about the job.
I got the position and started the next week. I was overjoyed. Except for the tiny problem that I needed a day off for graduation. I tried to push my starting day back by a week. They refused. I offered to start the day after graduation. They refused. I explained that I needed to get my graduation gown and attend my graduation ceremony. They offered me one day off which seemed ridiculous. It was like they were saying that either I attend the graduation or pick up my graduation robe but I couldn’t do both.
Eventually I ended up taking the day unpaid but I was sulky for the actual graduation. I hated that I would lose a day of pay for a degree that didn’t even get me a job. I had to ask my family for a job. I felt let down by the system. Why did we push high school students to study further if finding a job was so tough? The graduation ceremony just felt like something that I needed to push through to get back to my normal life. I didn’t even get proper pictures with my parents since we didn’t know that we would need to pay extra to take pictures with them.
Cranky and annoyed at the entire university system, I returned to work the next day, ready to continue with my new job.
I didn’t know it at the time but that was the start of me allowing everything in my life to be consumed with work.
I loved my job, the environment, my co-workers. Everyone was helpful and friendly. I instantly fell comfortable. For the first few days anyway. But that’s a story for another day.
The right job is supposed to also be a right fit for you. If it doesn’t feel good, it’s probably not the job for you.