3.5⭐️

I was really looking forward to this one. And it started off really well. I loved the chemistry, banter and the back and forth between Palmer and Cole. However, I don't feel the connection growing after that. The relationship growth just wasn't there, I feel. And I didn't think the time they spent together was enough to have developed romantic feelings towards each other. Idk if it's just me. But that's how I felt.

I thought this was an amazing read! The writing flowed well from start to finish, and I loved Cole and Palmer together. I thought they had great chemistry, and you could see it from their first meeting. Palmer was such a strong heroine and I loved her. She was stubborn about accepting help when she needed it, but with her past, I understood it. Cole was an awesome hero. He was sweet and kind, and I loved that his relationship with Ethan was as good as his relationship with Palmer. I knew something major was being alluded to, but I wasn't expecting what was dropped towards the end of the book. I usually hate when a decision is made for another person "because that's what's best", but for once, I would have absolutely done what a character in a book would have done. I completely understand Cole's feelings, and although it sucked, I got it. I was all too happy to see them being able to make it back to each other though, and the ending was super sweet.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book.

Adriana Locke is one of my favorite authors and she hits it out of the park with this small town romance about a single mom and retired baseball player.

Palmer and Cole had fun, flirty banter and so much chemistry from the moment they first met. They were both great characters and I especially liked Palmer. I also liked how their relationship developed and they found something special and unexpected together.

Adriana's writing is engaging and fun and the relationship development and story were well paced. This is one of my favorite books she's written.

I’m a big fan of Adriana Locke, and this book is amazing in so many ways. There are a few parts that are predictable - that’s going to be true of every romance out there - but she has thrown in multiple twists that I absolutely could not have ever seen coming, and that truly makes this such an enjoyable and fresh storyline.

Yes, the small-town single mom plot has been done before, but has she been courted by a pro MLB star new to town, visiting his parents, where it’s love at first sight on his part? No? Didn’t think so! Cole pursues Palmer from the get-go, and also falls for her pre-teen son the moment they meet as well. He gives up opportunities back home to stay in town and coach a little league team to spend more time with Palmer and Ethan (and his folks), and he can’t figure out why he can’t get them out of his mind.

While each character deals with some really huge personal issues, they have each other to lean on… until the biggest twist is thrown into the mix and everything is turned upside down, even for us as the reader.

Adriana Locke has such beautiful writing and I always love her character development, chemistry she brings in between everyone, plus the extreme chances she takes, especially with this book. I would definitely recommend this to everyone!

I received an advance copy from NetGalley and Montlake, and this is my honest feedback.

This book was fantastic. Cole is a retired baseball player who goes to visit his parents while he waits for news. He meets Palmer and is drawn to her immediately but she doesn’t accept him at face value because of her past. She is a single mom who loves with her whole heart but gets hurt time and again. Slowly, he worms his way into her life and things start looking up.

I loved how these two met and how her being a single mom didn’t stop him when it came to wanting to get to know her. Starting as friends/team mom and coach helped set a foundation for their relationship. Her son was great and I loved how mature he was for his age. I especially liked how he called both Cole and Palmer out when it was needed. The relationship he builds with both is wonderful and heartbreak times.

Just when they both are ready to admit they want more, Palmer receives two pieces of bad news and kind of flips out (causing him to rethink the important news he needs to tell her). Now, all their lives are upended and there might not be a way to fix things. I really enjoyed this book and would love to read more about them. I received an ARC and this is my honest, voluntary review.

4.5⭐️

This was a very real romance with mature characters and problems. It’s heartfelt with the most wonderful community and found family.

“The way he makes me feel like I’m both not me and completely me at the same time.”

Cole and Palmer have great chemistry but I truly love the way that Ethan fits into the story. He’s the perfect balance of innocence and protectiveness and I love the way he loves his mom and is loved in return.

Thanks to Netgalley and the author for a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.

This was an adorable small town single Mom romance. I really love small town books. Add in a hunky baseball player and single Mom yes please. I enjoyed Palmer and Cole. I loved their stolen moments. They came quick but it can happen. I love how Cole was with Ethan. I loved Coles parents. I loved how Ethan felt with the grown up things. I loved how strong Palmer was. Although I hated that dreaded you know what’s going to happen part. But the ending of the book was perfect. Cole was so sweet and thoughtful.

Absolutely amazing! <3 <3 Wow! I love Cole and Palmer's story. It brought tears to my eyes, and I laughed and may have gotten angry at it too.

But it's so worth it, guys. It really is. <3

This was an adorable and sweet small town single mom story. The meet cute between Palmer and Cole was great but I found the story was a little slow.

I felt it was a little contradicting that Vole wanted to pursue Palmer but didn't want to commit to her. It sometimes felt like he was all in and then at other times it felt like he kept pulling back and couldn't make up his mind.

I usually devour any book Adriana Locke writes and I've been a big fan of her recent and older series but I felt like this one just didn't have me as invested.

I loved the sweet moments between Cole and Palmer, Palmer and Ethan and Cole and Ethan. Overall it was a good book and I'm happy to have read it.

Adriana Locke is one of my go to authors and she writes fun, sweet and steamy small town romances that always makes me laugh. The Sweet Spot is a sweet romance about a single mother, Palmer and a ex baseball player, Cole who are both looking for a new start in life, but for different reasons.

Their chemistry is perfect from the first time they meet and only grows throughout the story. I loved all the emotion this book has, it gave me all the feels I love in a book. I also loved the relationship Cole has with Ethan, Palmer's son, it was perfectly written!

This was a funny, steamy small town, single mom romance with all the feels.

Palmer is trying to be the best mom she can be with a deadbeat baby daddy and not much in the way of parental role models. Her bestie is Palmer’s only source of support, but life in their small town gets very interesting when newly retired baseball player Cole comes to town.

Palmer’s son Ethan might have been my favorite character with his no nonsense take on life and his ability to see the truth when the adults cannot. And I loved how Cole and Ethan bonded over baseball and Cole really showed up for him.

It was a little hard to get invested in Palmer and Cole because you definitely felt like Cole was holding something back. But just like Ethan does in his coach, we have to have faith that Locke is going to get us to our happy ending.

This was an emotional journey for sure!

Absolutely love this story. The characters are amazing. I love them all. I was intrigued and entertained the whole time. Palmer and Cole have this pull and chemistry that makes the story that much better. I hope we get more on these characters. In true Adriana fashion I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. Couldn't put it down and couldn't wait to see what would happen next.

Adriana Locke is on my automatic 1-click list. I fell in love with her writing years ago, and I’ve tried to catch every new release. Her writing resonates and clicks with me every. Single. Time. I can’t quite put my finger on the why of it, but it does. I guess it’s like any other relationship in your life. Some you're drawn to, and some you aren’t. It’s one reason I love reading new-to-me authors. It’s kind of like the speed dating of the book world. Most of the time, prospects are decent. Some are downright awful. And every once in a while, you stumble onto a big winner. I hit the jackpot with my first Adriana Locke book. Now, I can’t help but come back over and over. She writes amazingly complex but (mostly) lovable characters in amazingly emotional (in the best possible way) stories. And this one hit home in a way that had me sobbing.

Palmer was amazing. Strong, resilient, a loving and devoted mother, and my heart hurt so much for all that she’d endured in her life. But she had a town that loved her and more friends than she realized, which went a long way in making this a truly heartwarming story.

But it was Cole who had me in tears because I could 100% relate to his struggle. My dream job, my passion, was taken from me at a time when things seemed to be going so well. So his sense of loss resonated deeply with me. Not everyone will understand why he stumbled and spiraled the way he did, but man, oh man, did I get it. It was just what my fragile heart needed to see these two get their HEA despite all the struggles. And this book is one more reason I will always reach for books by this author without hesitation.

The Sweet Spot by Adriana Locke is amazing. Cole and Palmer are the best. Palmer is a single mom and does not want to get attached. Cole is a retired baseball player who also does not want to get attached and is keeping a secret from a lot of people. Will Palmer and Cole fall for each other? Make sure to one click and read this awesome story by Adriana because you will not be disappointed.

Colson “Cole” Beck has arrived in his parents’ new hometown in Ohio to decompress after suddenly retiring from Major League Baseball while he was on the top of his game. He figures he’d lie low for a little bit, while trying to figure out what the next stage of his life is going to look like.

Palmer Clark is a single mom to her amazing son Ethan. Her ex is barely in the picture for either of them. When Cole meets Palmer, he is immediately attracted to her. Palmer knows not to get too attached, since Cole will be leaving their small town at some point. But that doesn’t stop Cole from trying.

When Cole decides to stick around town to coach Ethan baseball team, all bets are off. They start to weave themselves into each other’s lives. That’s when Cole decides to face his reasons for retiring head on, just to see if there can be a future with Palmer and Ethan. But when he hears something he has been dreading, Cole realizes that he can’t put all of that on Palmer. So instead, he lies to Palmer, Ethan and his parents about a job offer back in LA that he can’t turn down.

Of course, this is not the end of Cole and Palmer’s story. You will need to read it yourself to see if Cole ever decides to come clean with Palmer. And will it be soon enough for Palmer to realize Cole did what he did for her and let him back into both hers and Ethan’s life.

This book is one of the reasons that Adriana Locke is the queen of Small Town Romance. She knows how to create characters that you grow to care about and want to have their Happily Ever After. You could say that small town romance is totally in her “sweet spot”.

Oh my! This gave me so many feels! And I think I just found my new favourite book boyfriend! This is a small-town, single parent, sports romance. It was such a wholesome read. I absolutely adored Palmer's relationship with her 12 year old son, Ethan. I can only hope my own daughters have a similar close relationship with me when they're older. I love how well Ethan handled the more adult situations. Cole, a recently retired baseball player, and Palmer's love interest, is just everything! As a mum myself, he would be everything I'd ever want in a man when it comes to how a guy is when he's around my children. Cole was so attentive, so genuinely interested in Ethan and wanted to spend time with him. He was amazing. Heck, I had dreams about this man!! I loved Palmer and Cole's chemistry. The only thing that frustrated me was how long it took for Cole to reveal his secret. Although, I'm glad it was resolved pretty quickly as my heart plummeted when he ran. Honestly, I loved this story so much. It's one of my favourite reads this year.

She wants forever. He plays it day by day. They’re both wishing for the best in USA Today bestselling author Adriana Locke’s charming and sexy hopefully-ever-after romance.

Single mom Palmer Clark will not be sidelined by the new man in town. Sure, the honey-tongued baseball legend is gorgeous, loves puppies, and has charmed his way into the community’s heart, but Palmer craves stability. Nothing about Cole says forever. So why is he so hard to resist?

Cole is swinging through town to visit his parents when he meets the kind of down-to-earth distraction he’s been looking for since retiring from the majors. True, his long-term relationship score is zero. But even though raising his average with Palmer seems impossible, it’s worth a shot.

As promising as the summer nights are, fate turns small-town dreams upside down, and some lessons are learned the hard way. But having faith in love and choosing hope over fear might get Palmer and Cole to the sweet spot they’re looking for.

Loved Palmer and Cole's story. This book had all the feels. Lots of chemistry between these two. I loved how good Cole was with Ethan. Beautifully written and heartfelt. Loved every page of this book and was sad when I finished it. Highly recommend!

I absolutely love books written by Adriana Locke. She writes with passion as well as realism. Her storylines grab me and her characters are easy to love. I didn't put this book down, reading into the early morning hours. My heart swelled with emotions as I read. Such a great HEA. I enjoyed this standalone so much that I bought myself a copy as well as the audiobook. I cannot wait to listen to it next.

Thank you NetGalley and Montlake for the ARC of this book. This is my voluntary and honest review.

The Sweet Spot was such a fun story to read. Cole and Palmer had the sweetest connection and I just couldn't get enough of it. Palmer was scared of being hurt again and had so much going on in her life that she didn't want to take the chance on Cole. But he was so caring and really tried to understand her and her struggles. I loved how he was there for her but didn't try to take over her life for her, instead he knew when to just sit back and let her handle things on her own and I really liked that.

Overall, this was an easy story to fall in love with and the characters were very lovable.

Palmer has always put her son Ethan first and always will so when his undependable father registers him for baseball she knows that she will be the one taking him to practice and watching his games. She didn’t expect that his new coach would be Cole, the man who has been pursuing her but has a life in California he plans to return to.

Cole has recently retired from baseball and to visit his parents. He is attracted to Palmer from their first meeting however he is deciding what his future will hold while she is looking for a man who will be there for her and her son. There is no denying the chemistry between them as they try to handle all the curveballs that life keeps throwing at them.

Palmer has always had to handle everything herself so I enjoyed seeing the town as well as Ethan and his family be there for her while Ethan is going through a challenging time and causes some turmoil until he realizes that as long as they are together there is nothing they can’t overcome. There is also a great cast of secondary characters that only make this heartwarming story even better.