Amy Poeppel delivers a humorous, multi-perspective story with lovable characters in The Sweet Spot. The plot really drives home the message that we’re more than our worst moments, as each character makes mistakes, but finds redemption too. Life can be hard and circumstances drive us to insanity sometimes, but it’s never too late to change your perspective and do better in the future. It also helps if you have reliable friends and family to offer an ear and maybe some advice too.

The most brilliant aspect of this book is how the author weaves in multiple perspectives. She starts with one character and you slowly meet others as their lives intersect. Then it switches perspective. This was a really clever way of introducing a large cast of characters without making it confusing. Very well done!

Yes, yes, yes! This book was a can’t put down must read!! I highly recommend this one and I love all her books but this one has since become my top favorite!

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Incidentally, I also won a Goodreads giveaway paperback of the book. Ha, that's never happened before. I've enjoyed Poeppel's other books, especially her most recent book set in the summer.

Here, we have an interesting mix of characters in Greenwich Village, who are all connected in some way. The number of characters and points of view- at least the first half wasn't overwhelming to me. It took a little time to get into the book and get the foundation set for the main plot point. Lauren is a ceramic artist, commissioned by a C List (or D List?) Celebrity Felicity Winn who has an HGTV show and upscale Home Goods type stores to make a ton of her signature "bug" dishware. Lauren gives Felicity interesting advice, which backfires on her later.

A few months later, Felicity has given birth to Horatio, with her formerly married partner Russell, who left his wife of 30 years, Melinda. Felicity runs into his ex with the baby and for some reason, tells her It was Lauren who encouraged her to get Russell to leave his wife. Melinda goes on a revenge spree, gets poor Olivia fired after a video goes viral but only showing Olivia's reactions to Melinda's terrible behavior. Felicity goes back to work on her show and leaves Horatio in the care of his father.

How these 3 women- 2 of which are hated by and towards Melinda work together to take care of the baby for over a month is a bit complicated but enjoyable to read. There's a little bit of a community building there, with multi generations represented. As far as unlikeable characters, it's not Felicity or even Melinda who drew my ire, but Lauren's sister in law Frances was the worst, and Lauren's brother William not far behind. The writing was very clever and funny and whimsical as well.
4/5☆

Amy Poeppel writes some of the best up-lit around. I love the quirky cast of characters and the humor throughout the book.. And the family and found family relationships in the book are just wonderful. At first, I wasn't sure if I would like it. However there was a certain point that it turned and I loved it so much. It is my second novel by this author and I will give anything she write a try.

The title of the book comes from the quote "the sweet spot is where duty and delight converge" believed to be by Thomas Mann. Finding that the sweet spot was a discovery process for all the characters in the book not knowing that somewhere between the chaos of an eccentric family who could use a little help and the people who used stability and routine as a crutch, there could be found the magic of the unexpected. The characters in this novel are delightful and you will recognize them; you see them in your work life, neighbors and in the parents waiting to pick up their kids from school. I enjoyed popping the hood to see some of their interior messy lives and how it could blow up and come together in a surprising manner.

I was provided an early release, but it has not influenced my review. This is my first Amy Poeppel, but won't be my last. I am glad she has a backlist!

Health warning! This book can cause severe sleep deprivation. I read until I couldn't anymore and started to fall asleep mid-sentence. Taking off my glasses, setting my kindle on the night-stand ready to tuck in for the four hours left before the alarm went off--and bam, wide awake and reaching for the book again. I loved, I laughed and I wanted to move into the brownstone with this wacky family so that we could solve life's problems together.
I would not hesitate to make this my NUMBER 1 BOOK RECOMMENDATION for 2023.
Thank you to Atria/Emily Bestler Books and NetGalley for allowing me a digital ARC. This opinion is true, honest and my own words.

Unfortunately The Sweet Spot was not a book for me. It’s a book based on coincidences, misunderstandings, (mostly) misguided revenge, and a baby used as as prop and often a pawn. Poeppel’s writing is highly readable, but I just couldn’t get over my dislike of the major plot points. I think it was intended to be charming and funny, but I was turned off. Other readers who are less bothered by these tropes might enjoy it, but it was not for me.

In the heart of Greenwich Village, three women form an accidental sorority when a baby—belonging to exactly none of them—lands on their collective doorstep.

This story was like being placed in the middle of a community of friends and watching them interact with each other. You will cheer for the main characters one minute and then wonder how they can forgive and forget the next minute.

Told from multiple perspectives, The Sweet Spot, focuses on themes of found family and enemies to friends. New York City is its own character as well and you can imagine the characters walking the streets and navigating the subway.

I enjoyed how the various storylines were linked together and used to move the story along but still give us readers multiple perspectives on the same happening.

Amy Poeppel puts her characters in the craziest situations and I'm here for it. Too complex to describe but very easy to read, a few women in NYC find themselves in sticky situations- a reality show decorator is pregnant by her married older boyfriend, a Hippie potter has unexpectedly large orders to fill when her line takes off, a women has a complete life meltdown when her husband leaves her and she blows up her long-term job, forcing her to work attendance at a posh school, and a twenty-something causes a PR nightmare and loses her job and security. Somehow, these women (and the men and children in their lives) get thrown together, with a baby in tow and a Mrs. Havishan brownstone as the main setting.

This book has a frantic and hilarious pace and just kept me reading. I was so glad to not be in this book (!) but it is so well plotted and intertwined and I really, really loved it. I'm always worried I have Poeppel on too high a pedestal, but she does it beautifully and delicately in every book.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy for review.

The Sweet Spot is a quirky, laugh out loud story. It is set in NYC with a family’s brownstone at the heart of it. There’s a bar in the basement called The Sweet Spot, but it isn’t a book about a bar. It’s about women whose lives converge, and centres around family, found family, and friendship. Some of the characters may be unlikeable, however, they are flawed humans like us all and redeem themselves in the end.

Thank you to Atria/Emily Bestler Books, Netgalley and Thoughts From a Page early reads patreon for the advance reader copy. All thoughts are my own.

Full of hilarity and hijinks, The Sweet Spot is sure to make you laugh while at the same time scratching your head on how these enemies could become friends and band together to support one another. The NYC setting is like a character itself, and I enjoyed picturing the locations as I was reading.

Read if you like:
NYC stories
Unlikely friendships
Goofy dogs
Found family

Thank you to Thoughts From a Page Podcast for providing a digital ARC as part of the Patreon program.

In New York City, a group of women form unlikely friendships when they are brought together by forces of fate--and a baby. There's Lauren and her children, who just moved into a brownstone gifted by her husband Dan's father. But Lauren quickly makes an enemy in Melinda by hastening her divorce. Melinda's been dumped by Russell for Felicity, who runs a fancy shop that sells Lauren's art. At said shop works Olivia, who is unceremoniously fired after a video of her goes viral. Add in Evelyn, Lauren's uppity mother, who comes to stay for the weekend, but winds up not leaving. These women are on a crash course collision--tempers are running high--and oh yeah, Felicity is pregnant!

This is an incredibly charming book that made me laugh out loud on multiple occasions! I truly loved it--some of these characters are crazy, some are downright lovable, some are silly, but I was completely caught up in their wild and chaotic lives. Lauren and Dan have three children who add to the insanity, and soon we have a visit from Dan's father too. There's an untrained dog, a biting gerbil, and a bar in the basement of the brownstone. But at its core, SPOT is an endearing look at families--both your own and the ones you find and make on your own. It delves into motherhood, marriage, friendship, and love (and, sometimes, hate).

The story can meander a bit, but ultimately it's such a lovely and witty read that I did not care. This is such a sweet and fun book.

I'm only giving this book three stars, but I honestly feel conflicted about that because this was one of those 'it's not you it's me' situations. I cannot handle plots based on misunderstandings or lack of communication. I get SO frustrated reading that I can't get into the story, no matter how compelling or enjoyable it might otherwise be. If you don't like this trope, I would suggest you avoid this book since it makes regular appearances throughout. However, if this plot device doesn't bother you, you will probably really enjoy this book! Even in my frustration, I chuckled several times and the characters seemed very "current" (of today's world), which I really loved. This was my first book by Amy Poeppel and even though I didn't enjoy it as much as I had hoped, I will be picking up her backlist titles since the writing was great.

I got an advanced copy of this book from the publisher (thank you to Simon and Schuster and Net Galley!), so I felt compelled to finish it (I would have DNF'd b/c of the trope early on if not).

Oh Wow is this not for me. I think there will be readers who sink into the immersive nature of this - it's very "a day in the life" of stressed, overworked, over pressured women and gets deep into the weeds of their daily minutiae. I, however was bored to disinterest. I was expecting high stakes drama and got angsty angry moms.

**Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC**

I want to start by saying I really like Amy. I do like her writing style and comedic humor that she incorporates into her books. For some reason, I just couldn’t get into this one. It could definitely just be me though so I still recommend people pick this one up. If you want something light hearted and a little funny then this could be for you.

This is a fantastic book to begin the new reading year, although to be honest, I did start reading The Sweet Spot at the end of 2022. I thoroughly enjoyed this thoughtful, well-crafted exploration of the wide range of human emotions. As a creative woman who is also a mother juggling many responsibilities, I could relate to Lauren and her challenges of being an involved, attentive parent while reacting to the unexpected surprises that crop up in her daily life. She handled the obstacles standing between creating her art and making sure her family was well cared for.
This novel starts out slow, but once you see how the women are all connected, you'll feel more invested in the storyline. It's a book about anger management, regret, asking for forgiveness, and pursuing romantic relationships after being hurt and rejected. Amy Poeppel is a master at exploring the depth of human emotions and behavior, while simultaneously crafting a poignant, sometimes humorous book featuring flawed characters.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the complimentary copy. All opinions shared here are my own.

Delightful family drama about a loosely-related cast of characters in Greenwich Village who come together to care for a baby that lands in their care. I loved the different characters and motivations, and it was a very easy, light read. I sped through it and recommend it to anyone who loves light-hearted messy family stories.

The Sweet Spot is a boisterous, big-hearted novel filled with interesting characters and plot lines. There are a lot of people to keep track of in this book, but I never once felt lost or confused. I laughed out loud multiple times, got plenty riled up over some of the characters' behavior and antics, and enjoyed the chaotic ride of the plot from first to last page. This story is filled with love and generosity, as a group of women in Greenwich Village - some of them previously at odds - band together to take care of a baby who has been callously abandoned by his new parents. I loved that Poeppel presented several of these women in a one-dimensional, negative light, before peeling away the layers to reveal a lot more to each of them, especially the central mother-daughter relationship in the book. Poeppel has become an auto-read author for me. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for a digital review copy.

What a read! The characters are introduced to us and there are several. Then Amy weaves their stories together. It was a bit overwhelming at times and distracting but the cover and Amy’s past books made me want to read this. Three stars.

NetGalley - Thanks for an advanced copy for the purpose of this review.

“Olivia was finally coming to understand one indisputable truth: relationships were hideously, absurdly, almost comedically complicated. Maybe the trick was to stop taking it all so seriously.”

Set in Greenwich Village NYC, a slightly dilapidated, but well-loved apartment with a bar in the basement is home base to this story with lots of characters and lots of heart.

Melinda, Lauren and Olivia are three women at different stages in their lives. Each have people and chaos in their orbits. Their unconventional worlds converge, creating laugh-out-loud scenes and razor sharp dialogue. It truly was the perfect entry point for the segue into a new year of reading for me.
If you enjoyed any of Ms. Poeppel’s other novels (Musical Chairs, Small Admissions) I highly recommend adding this crazy and clever novel to your lists.
The Sweet Spot, indeed!

Thanks to NetGalley, Atria/Emily Bestler Books and Thoughts From A Page Patreon Community for providing the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
Available 1/31/23.