Bonus: Sweet Spot

HQN Books

Sweet Spot
Susan Mallery
2008

The Summary
"If only her life was more sinful than sweet...

"'Responsibility' should be Nicole Keyes's middle name.  After all, not many people would sacrifice their lives to run the family bakery and raise a younger sibling.  But with Nicole's twin sister now blissfully married and her younger sis turning out more femme fatale than girl-next-door, super reliable Nicole is getting sick of putting everyone else's needs first!

"Enter Hawk.  The deliciously sexy former NFL player offers Nicole a taste of the freedom she craves.  Hawk may know the way, blindfolded, to her sweet spot, but Nicole's not about to let him get close enough to break her heart.  Of course, she might not have a choice in the matter if Hawk's past keeps getting in the way of their present..."

The Good
I actually liked Sweet Spot better than Susan Mallery's first novel, Sweet Talk.  As the second novel in the Bakery Sisters trilogy, Sweet Talk further develops the Keyes's sisters complicated relationship and, more importantly, looks at focused, feisty Nicole.

While Nicole can be a little hard-nosed--nay, even vindictive--when it comes to those who break her heart, she's really a very nice person.  You might go so far as to call her a bit of a marshmallow.  However, I liked Nicole for her attitude, for her uncompromising expectations and her unwavering loyalty and her self-sufficiency.

I may not always like her unforgiving stance when it comes to Jesse, or her blatant cruelty to Claire when they first reconnected, but she's a decent person and she's completely self-reliant.  She manages to run her own business and keep her bakery afloat even when circumstances conspire against her, and she shows an inner strength that's incredibly appealing in her character.

She's also insightful.  When she becomes embroiled in a fake romance with Hawk, she manages to recognize that she's slowly falling in love and, more to the point, she recognizes what needs to change in order for them to pursue a real relationship.  Mallery does an excellent job of depicting how Nicole and Hawk mature as individuals and lovers, which makes her characters all the more appealing.

Overall, I liked Sweet Spot.  Truthfully, it's probably my favorite of the trilogy; however, I can't really pinpoint why.  I don't know if I simply liked the characters better since I was already introduced to them, since I had more time to know them and become attached, or if I simply found myself more attracted to the plot.  I can't really say one way or another.

Regardless, I still think it's my favorite of the Bakery Sisters' series.

The Bad
Just the usual complaints, I suppose, such as predictable romantic entanglements and occasional mushiness.  But that's to be expected with romance novels.  It's meant to melt your heart, and I think it succeeds pretty nicely.

And if there were some parts I disliked, if the writing did get a little stale in a couple areas, at least it passed quickly.  I finished it in little more than a day, so it's easy to read and quick to finish, which I found an appealing combination.

The Ugly
I really didn't like Hawk's teenage daughter.  Spoiled, conniving, obnoxious and infuriatingly naive, I couldn't stand her.  For much of the novel, I detested her--and I couldn't help hoping that someone would smack some sense into her before she wound up ruining her life one way or another.