5 ⭐️

I absolutely adored The Sweet Spot!

This book is a classic Adriana Locke story-all the feel good emotions and the incredible characters that are sure to steal your heart as you’re reading. As always, Ms. Locke creates a fictional world that feels so real. Single mom and small town romances are some of my favorite tropes and let me just say that this story was out of this world amazing!

Cole and Palmer were two fantastic characters. Literally stole my heart from the very beginning. The chemistry between the two was palpable and I loved watching them fall for each other. Ethan, Palmers son, stole the show! I adored him! Loved this book and cannot wait to see what’s next for Ms. Locke!

This is the 2nd book I've read by this author and it makes me wonder why I haven't read more.
I really enjoyed this story. Palmer and Cole were great characters with a great story to tell. I really enjoyed both of their separate stories as well as the budding romance. Palmers story really struck a chord with me and I found her so relatable which made it easy to put myself in her shoes. Cole well what can I say about Cole except where can i find me one of those! He was not your typical jock but had such a sweet side to him and was so caring. My heart broke for him towards the end of the story. Adriana Locke did a great job at tugging at the ol heartstrings. This book had me hook line and sinker and I didn't want to put it down. Can't wait to read more by her.

This one just wasn't for me. I found it hard to connect with the characters and the story. I really wanted to love this story though.

Real rating: 1.5 stars

I am struggling with how to rate this one because I have absolutely no idea why I kept on reading. I mean, I do know, because I requested a free copy in exchange for a review and I wanted to be as honest as possible with all the info I had. And I hate abandoning books.

The Sweet Spot is the second book I've read by Adriana Locke, besides Like You Love Me. And there are plenty of similarities between them. Besides the fact that they were both the last books I read at the end of the year, with this one for 2022 and the other in 2021.

The two share the same insta-love trope which I hate, hate, hate. Their "insane" chemistry is off the charts immediately and they *know* it.

And here Cole is a super sexy dude who was in the MLB, while Palmer tries too hard. Just like Holden and Sophie.

I absolutely hate books with female characters that are obviously attracted and star-struck with a man, but on the surface they're so chill and relaxed and cool. Can we stop writing these women, please? Admit you like someone or stop boiling inside.

The first half of the book, Palmer was absolutely insufferable. I hated everything about her, except for her relationship with Ethan. Mainly because Ethan was the most normal character there, alongside Cole's mom. I like the fact that Palmer tried to protect her son as a single mom, but dude, too much.

This was extremely long for a romance, with a dramatic moment so pushed back for even more *useless* drama and conflict, but could've been solved in five seconds around halfway through the book.

Other than that, Cole was a pretty well-written character, aside from all his dramatic secrets. I loved how he was insecure sometimes, unsure about his future, and conflicted. He was also sexy, respectful, and understanding.

Palmer... could've gone way better.

*Thank you Montlake Publishing and NetGalley for providing a free ARC in exchange for an honest review*

5 Stars

Oh my heart! This book was absolutely one of the best stories I’ve read this year. Palmer, Cole, and Ethan will steal your heart. These three prove there’s nothing better than finding that “sweet spot”.

Angela - Alphas Do It Better Book Blog

When Cole asks for Palmer's number she refuses, but then they keep bumping in to each other, and he is her son's coach. He never meant to stay in town and has a secret he is keeping, so what will the future mean for them.
A great read, emotional at times. I loved both characters and wanted everything to work out for them.

Oh this book was a classic small town delight. Professional baseball player retires and heads to Ohio to spend time with his parents. Where he meets an authentic badass single mom rightfully weary of good looking men who make big promises. I loved how authentic this story was and yet, it brought all the feels too! I enjoyed the dynamic of this relationship. This book definitely hit the sweet spot!

The Sweet Spot was sweet indeed! So many of my favorite tropes in one book

•Single mom
•Small town
•Sports romance
•Happily Ever After

Palmer is a hard working single mom with a 12 year old son, Ethan. Cole is a recently retired baseball player deciding his next move. When Palmer & Cole's paths cross on a night out, the sparks are instant. I love that not only do we get to see the relationship between Palmer and Cole grow, but we get to see Ethan develop a relationship with him as well. Thank you to Montlake and NetGalley for an ARC of this book for my promise of an honest review. 4 stars.

Oh my, what a heart tugging sweet read!
Palmer is super mom! She’s had hard knocks and keeps picking herself up to protect herself and her son. Watching her navigate the trials and tribulations weighing on her makes me love her and want to just wrap her up in a big hug.
Cole is a recently retired pro baseball player with his own baggage. Once the issue he’s dealing with is revealed, it was hard not to like him even more and root for these two to find a happy ending.
Ms Locke does her typical excellent job of weaving real life in with a romantic, redeeming story. These characters face real issues, some of which Cole’s major league paydays can’t fix. Add in an excellent secondary cast, including a scene stealing 12 year old, and this is another Locke winner. I hope we see more of Bloomfield!

This was such a cute book! I really enjoyed this small town/sports/single mom romance. Cole and Palmer had sparks flying at first sight. Their relationship was so sweet and I loved seeing it evolve. Four stars

Cole and Palmer are the sweetest small town love story. The strength that Palmer exhibits is endearing and Cole's tragic end to his baseball career makes your heart ache with concern and adoration. The way that Cole is with Ethan is literal swoon. I love this story and Adriana's writing. Any story that has consistent baseball analogies, I am so in. 5/5 stars!

Another good book by this author. A retired baseball player goes to a small town to visit his parents and meets single parent Palmer who has never had a man treat her right. They both struggle with personal issues but eventually get their HEA.

Confessions of a Bookaholic.

This was my first (𝘶𝘯𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵) Adriana Locke romance and I am literally kicking myself, trying to understand how someone who has read over 330 books this year, has not read Adriana Locke before??? No matter. My V Card has been punched and I am now addicted to her special kind of romance.

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗧 𝗦𝗣𝗢𝗧 hit all my reading sweet spots - it’s a small town, single mom, sports romance - the holy trinity of romance reads. Once I started this book I could not put it down. I quickly became enamored of Cole, he is a delicious specimen of a man. I liked Palmer a lot, her sarcastic wit was so very relatable to me, add in her son, Ethan and this book gave me all the feels.

I’m going to give 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗧 𝗦𝗣𝗢𝗧 the judy.ann.loves.books stamp of approval, TBR and Enjoy!

The Sweet Spot is a story about Palmer and Cole. This story is told from both of their points of view. Palmer is a single mom to Ethan, and she is doing whatever she can to provide for him. His father will sign him up for things and then not follow through.

She meets Cole and he instantly has feelings for Palmer. However, she's hesitant about her son. Cole decides to be the coach of Ethan's baseball team since he's been playing since he was young.

As their relationship evolves, Ethan is having a hard time keeping his secret from her and his family. Can Palmer and Ethan get their happy ending with Cole in their life? Or will something happen to split them up for good?

I really enjoyed this book and these characters.

More than just a sweet romance, this book had more depth than I expected. A good strong storyline, lots of real life emotional issues, a gorgeous couple who fight their attraction to each other and strong friendships to help through the tough times.
I have read a few other books by this author but this is my favourite to date.
A quick read.

I have never read a story by this author that I haven't loved and this one was no different. I love a single parent story and this one had it all. Great characters with amazing chemistry. And an incredible storyline. I absolutely loved it.

The Sweet Spot was a fine read. I enjoy a good small town romance and Adriana Locke's stories are nice so I was excited to dive in. Palmer and Cole meet by chance and the spark was there. Palmer was hesitant so it was fun to see Cole chase her and break down her defenses slowly. I appreciated their banter-very playful mixed with sweet and hot. They both have their issues so it was interesting to see how it would all play out. While I did like their time together I wanted a little more with Palmer and Cole. I needed more of them being in a relationship and showing the love between the two. I did like Cole's relationship with Palmer's son Ethan. It was very genuine and caring. Palmer's friend Val and Cole's friend Fish as well as his parents were good supporting characters. And the small town atmosphere was very evident throughout. Overall a pleasant story about chance, love, and finding your happy. It was nice with good moments.

A wonderful small town, single parent romance. Palmer and Cole were phenomenal and I loved how they met. Small town romances are my favorite because everyone is like family and it feels likes home. I loved the whole feel of this story. It was the perfect blend of sweet and steamy.

I thought that The Sweet Spot by Adriana Locke was a cute single mom romance. Single mom Palmer Clark is willing to do anything for her son, Ethan, including cover for her jerk of an ex when he bails on Ethan. Because of this she is giving 110% to Ethan, her job, and her friends and she doesn't have time for anything resembling a relationship.
Former baseball player Cole is trying to figure out what is next for his life after a shoulder injury gets him medically retired from the only thing he's ever loved. He's now visiting his parents trying to decide what is next for him and he meets Palmer. What starts off as a harmless bet between friends to get her number soon proves to be difficult when Palmer won't give him an inch, which he's not used to. But soon after they start something Cole gets news that he never saw coming, will Parker and Cole get their HEA?

The title could not be more spot on.

Review:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Sweet Spot, by Adriana Locke, was my first by her and I plan to dive into her backlist immediately.

Single mom, Palmer, is looking for some stable forever love. When Cole, a retired baseball player, comes to her small town Palmer is anything but stable. However, Cole may be more grounded than either of them thinks.

I loved how this book started with a home run. The witty and sassy banter was top-notch. I was immediately drawn into Palmer and Cole as well as many of the side characters. I appreciated the everyday intelligence and relationship of Palmer's son. He was wise beyond his years, particularly due to being forced into it by his crappy biological father, and didn't settle for less than he deserved/gave others.

As the story played out there is a good bit of steamy and swoon-worthy spice. Unfortunately, that did not fully make up for the repetitive feel of the plot. That being said, the writing excelled enough to not make that bother me too much.

I thought The Sweet Spot was sweet and worth the read or listen.

Thank you for the ARC. On sale now!

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