There’s no crying in baseball…famous last words because Adriana has written a beautiful story in The Sweet Spot and yes there’s a couple of parts that will hit you in the feels. But you know Addy can’t leave our hearts broken for too long.

Cole & Palmer meet by chance at a local diner. He’s in town visiting his parents and is quickly smitten with Palmer but his usual charming self & devastatingly beautiful blue eyes finding him striking out with Palmer. Not one to be a quitter he tries again but still no luck until a situation has him earning a spot in her good graces. Cole quickly falls for Palmer & Ethan…enough to change his entire life for her.

After the worst day ever Cole decides that he can’t add to Palmer’s already full plate and he makes a tough decision without her input….it’s takes a pretty sweet kid to help him see what’s most important.

Fave quotes:
Cole Beck is the man I would create if God handed me modeling clay and said, Go for it: create the man of your dreams, and I will make him into reality. Tall, lean body. Perfect smile. A heavy dose of wit with a hint of naughtiness that promises a good time in bed.—-mmm yes please where can I order one of these 😘



You never know where life may take you. You just have to have patience and trust that it will all work out. You have to believe that the challenges, hardships, all the moments that will absolutely bend you in half are just making you stronger, more resilient, and absolutely more badass for life on the other side. Because there is another side. There’s always another season. For some, it’s facing an illness and its many unknown variables. For others, it’s learning to keep going when life looks bleak. But what makes it endurable is love. Messy, complicated, beautiful, and enduring love.—-THIS💕

Whelp!
Based on the reviews I read about this story, my opinion is not going to be a popular one. Nope. Not at all.
First of all, I love a single mom story! It’s my absolute favorite. I also love stories featuring athletes. Him being a retired baseball player is even better. And he coaches kids?!?!? Wow.
So I thought this story would be amazing.
Well…
I couldn’t get into it.
I kept trying and trying and trying. I finally had to skip whole chapters at a time just to finish it. I kinda wish I had given up sooner. It simply was not the story for me.

Ok first of all I loved this book with one exception that I will rant about and then tell you why I loved it. I would give this a five stars for sweetness and plot and angst, and like barely a 1 for spice. I’m compromising on a four overall since I *can* like spice-free romance, and feel like this book would be immensely improved by a re-write of the one explicit scene or leaving it off all together. (Suffice to say Palmer does all the work, Cole just lays back and doesn’t touch her at all? It’s so weird. Palmer says, “Watching him enjoy me is the most euphoric thing that’s ever happened in my whole life” and I guess we are meant to believe that Palmer is enjoying it because he is? Like nah, I don’t read sex scenes for the FMC to chase her own orgasms. Not in this economy) This one scene is so bad that I wish it had been left off-page and everything left to fade-to-black. Every other scene was closed door or fade-to-black so I don’t know why we have the one bad initial hookup described at all??

Rant over. On to the review. The Sweet Spot is very aptly named, because these two leads are JUST. SO. SWEET. Like seriously. Cole is a baseball player home to visit his family after an abrupt, mysterious early retirement and he isn’t looking for roots. Palmer is a single mom to a 12yo Ethan and her roots are like White Oak deep. Though they try to resist, there’s instant attraction. Even though we’re told Cole is a heartbreaker and will never settle down, the way he immediately loves and Cares for Palmer and her son is everything. Like full-on, swoony, bigger than life book boyfriend material. Palmer and her son are so ripe for loving, and Cole just does everything right. Of course, then he does everything wrong for a minute there, but the ending is worth it!! There is this gut wrenching phone call between Cole and Ethan that I sobbed through, it was that good. It is exactly what Cole needs to realize the breadth of his fuckup and make things right, and then the epilogue is where Cole really shines in his perfect Book Boyfriend way. Loved it. Overall I really enjoyed this book, except for the spice, lol!

I received an advance review copy of this book for free from NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Bow to the queen of small town romances. If you're a fan of this author you already know what you're getting into. Its sweet and sexy and takes you on an emotional journey. A single mom and a retired baseball player hit it off (pun intended) and of course fall madly in love. If you're looking for an author that with every book hits it out of the park (sorry one more pun) then read this book and all her others. You wont be disappointed!

I really enjoyed this one. It was written well and the flow was just right so I read it really quickly.

The Sweet Spot by Adriana Locke is a stand-alone small town romance and it’s the story of Palmer and Cole.

Palmer is an amazing single mom to her son and she seeks stability. Therefore she doesn’t really go on dates even though she wishes for a man to complete her family. Palmer is a lovely character and I also loved how her relationship with her son and best friend Val was portrayed. Hopefully one day Val also gets her own book.

Cole is a professional baseball player who recently retired due to some health issues. He goes to the small town in Ohio where his parents live. There he just wants to slow down and figure out what to do.

When Palmer and Cole meet, I could immediately feel the sparks between them. I loved to see how they became a team and also how much Palmer‘s son loved Cole as well. At the same time Palmer has a lot on her plate and wants forever while Cole is trying to figure out if it’s just a temporary thing or more.

Overall, the title The Sweet Spot is the perfect description of this wonderful romance and I adored Palmer and Cole. 4,5 stars.

(ARC kindly provided in exchange for a review.)

What a fantastic book! It’s got all the elements I love including a single mother with a 12 yr old son wise beyond his years, a small town, a strong hero and an independent heroine. Cole is persistent in his pursuit of Palmer but Palmer wants more than just a fling. Palmer’s internal battle is the stuff of real life as is Cole’s reason for retiring from baseball. The story was so authentic and realistic that I couldn’t tear myself away from this book. I definitely shed a few happy tears and had such a sense of happiness as I finished this one. Adriana Locke definitely has another 5star read out in the world!

Oh this book. I'm not sure where to begin. I didn't realize when I started it (I don't read descriptions for Adriana Locke books) was about a pro baseball player, so that was a fun surprise. I loved getting to know these characters and this small town. I fell in love with all of them. There were the usual laughs and sweet moments, although the sexy times were on the tamer side, I was totally fine with it. Then the heartbreak set in, and this part hit me hard. I read at work so it was a fight to not cry. But have no fear, it had a beautiful happy ending, I wish there was more of it!

I loved this book! This isn’t your average single mom, sports romance. If you love those tropes, you will definitely love this book but the trials and emotions in this book go so much deeper. So well written, MCs that are real, vulnerable and deep. Wonderful secondary characters as well. I would highly recommend this book!

What a beautiful book!
I've read nearly all of Adriana Locke's books and liked them all a lot but think this might be my favourite so far! I read it in less than 24hours and really enjoyed it. Definitely some heart-breaking moments in there but I loved Palmer, Cole and Ethan.
Thank you Adriana for the opportunity to read this early!

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Favorite Quote: "You never know where life may take you. You just have to have patience and trust that it will all work out."

Review: This was such as sweet, lighthearted read with a little bit of spice. I thought it was going to be your perfect romance type of book, but it wasn't, and it tackled some real life issues (single parent, illness). The double POVs really sold the story for me. I loved seeing Cole's development through his own eyes and seeing him change as he spent more and more time with the little league team and Palmer/Ethan. The easy, positive story was a welcome reprieve but also brought out so many emotions. I laughed, teared up a bit, and smiled from ear to ear throughout the entire story. My main complaint is that I need more of Palmer and Cole's story!

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book! I can't wait to buy a physical copy for my shelf when it releases! This was also my first read by this author and I can't wait to check out more of her books.

When I came across this book on Netgalley, I was looking for a nice, summery romance that I could devour in a few days and that’s exactly what I got!

I loved Palmer and Cole’s love story. This book had the perfect mixture of fun, flirty moments and really heartfelt, serious moments.

Once I started reading I couldn’t stop, this is one of the best romances I’ve read in a while. The writing was great, the characters were intriguing, even the secondary ones.

The sweet spot is a good story about a second chance at love for Palmer Clark who falls for the charming basketball player Cole but Cole is a basketball player who is just in town for a short time. Without giving to much of their love story away you can see that these two are looking for something that they are missing from their life.

This is a sweet book and the story was just adorable. I am always up for a single parent story, and Palmer was a women I could identify with. She put all of her energy into her child, and kept going forward. When Cole, a retired pro-baseball player, enters her and her son’s life, everything gets flipped upside down and it shows that she can still have a dream come true.

Cole retired from baseball early, according to most, and fled to the small town his parents moved to for a break. He wasn’t expecting to find myself coaching little league and falling in love with the team mom, but it happened anyway. Then, when the phone call that confirms his fears happens, he has to decide what he’s going to do next.

I really loved the way the author built this town and characters up. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this for my honest opinion.

Adriana knocked it out of the park (Pun intended) with Palmer and Cole's story. I am a huge fan of Adriana's writing and this one hit me right in the feels. I am not normally a crier when when reading but I legit had to stop reading at work cause I was crying at the end of the book. Palmer is a single mom, with a terrible dating history trying to raise her 12 year old son right. Cole is a recently retired baseball star who has come to town to visit his parents. Palmer is looking for forever and Cole doesn't even know what he is doing with his life in the next month, let alone forever.

I loved Palmer's wittiness, sass and her sarcasm. She is my spirit animal for sure. Cole is this fine specimen who literally just walked off the baseball field into my heart. His bond with Ethan though is what sealed the deal for me. Watching Ethan light up under his praise was beautiful. Ethan is smart beyond his years and loved his mom beyond measure.

Palmer and Cole's story proved to you that you can't fight fate. Sometimes people walk into your life right when they are supposed to and they show you that your dreams aren't really that far fetched after all. That you would rather walk through fire with the right person, than live on beach without them. I loved loved loved this book!!!!

LOVED it! This story is so relatable (other than I've never met a recently-retired MLB player!) Single moms have it tough when it comes to trusting, They always have to consider what is best for their kids and Palmer is the same way. I'm so happy it turns out the way it does after some real world struggles!

Romance - denial - secrets - trust - and add in baseball and small towns you have a bittersweet and entertaining story of people dealing, people growing, and coming to terms with who they are and what they want out of life. A fast read - great for the weekend or vacation. A happy ending of sorts, but also some tear jerker moments.

This is a sweet book about a single mom with a super sweet son and a retired baseball who falls in love.

I do have a critique. There was the stereotypical breakup around 80% in, but I won’t explain why because that is a spoiler. I thought it was sweet and low angst.

** Received a copy for review.**
I love a man with swagger. Cole could easily be a big grumpy bear. Life has not been kind to him recently.
Palmer is a grumpy bear with way too much on her plate. Almost every man in her life has been a disappointment. She doesn’t trust her self to become involved with anyone else.
This book is mostly sparkly and sharp. It does have a curve ball but it’s not one of those books where something takes it over.
I hope there will be a book for Val and Fish. I need to know more about their future.

I don't even know how to begin to describe my impressions of this wonderful story. This may be a cliché because there are quite a lot of stories like this, but this story is somehow different for me. Here, we meet a single mother and a former athlete who is looking for a new start and a life without disappointment, pain, and mistrust., Their chemistry is felt from the very beginning until the end. The story is very emotional and for the most part, it describes real-life situations. I enjoyed it and it has all the best recommendations from me.
Thank you for this opportunity.