I received this book for free from the library in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: the library
The Sweet Spot
by
Stephanie Evanovich
romance in Hardcover edition that was published by William Morrow on July 8, 2014 and has 272 pages.
Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Big Girl Panties
Second in what I’m calling the Big Girl Panties mildly erotic romance series. The couple focus is on Chase Walker and Amanda Cole and is based in New York City.
My Take
Evanovich has a cute way with words and she caught me right away with phrases like “…ducks and geese and squirrels roaming in pairs, actually looking love-struck, ready to extend their respective species.” It’s cute and fluffy with some almost insta-love on Chase’s part, which is a switch-up. Amanda, now, she’s fighting it like mad. Evanovich has a few nice messages in here, and she incorporates some show with most of it being tell.
I’m not sure what Evanovich knows about spanking nor did she make me feel Amanda’s or Chase’s enjoyment of it. What I did like was that she has created a unique flavor of spanking for Chase and Mandy. Chase tells her that they’ll set the tone for what’s right for them and forget everyone else’s idea of what it’s supposed to be about. It’s a good way to cover your … ahem…if the author don’t know anything about it. HOWEVER, then again, it’s also a great message for readers. That what you like is what’s right. Don’t worry about what anyone else is doing. What they’re doing makes them happy. Just keep doing what you like because it makes you happy.
It’s a good message that can be applied to anything in your life. Well, of course, I mean things that won’t kill anyone or injure them in a negative way. Hmmm, gotta be careful there since spanking and other BDSM activities do include the hurt.
That Chase is such a sweetie, and talk about persistent! Part of me was thinking, hey, he is such a girl, and the greater part of me is sighing over him. My one annoyance with him is his insisting on her packing her bags to go to his away games with him. He knows she has a restaurant to run.
“As for me, I’ve been totally blessed. The least I can do is not be a jerk about it.”
Don’t you wish more sports figures [and others!] were this appreciative of what they have?
Amanda. Hmmm, I like how great she is as a boss and in running her restaurant — she is very lucky in her employees. I also like her calm acceptance of the demands on Chase’s life. I can’t get excited about how she approaches her personal life. It incorporates one of my personal bête noirs, the I-don’t-want-you-but-don’t-you-dare-ignore-me trope, and she is so quick to take offense. Then, in the crisis, she actually listens to Chase’s jerk of an agent. She already knows he’s a jerk. And she still does what he says. She doesn’t even try to contact Chase. WTF? I don’t blame Chase for his reaction at all! And what’s with her “twenty stinkin’ minutes”? They’re both at fault for what happened. She knew how he’d react, and she pushed him anyway.
That move she makes to get back at Chase? Lame.
The worst I can say is it took me awhile to understand what the snafu was. And that’s really minor, although (I do love that word, don’t I?) if the guys never tell Amanda what Chase is apologizing for, how do they expect her to figure it out?
I do like Amanda’s confusion over the spanking. I suspect it’s the same reaction most of us would have, trying to understand how they could like such a naughty, forbidden activity.
The Story
It could be considered a prelude, that bird dropping a wet one on Amanda just as she get to work, as she does get that nasty phone call from some guy named Alan Shaw making out like his dinner partner is hot stuff and Amanda had better clear the decks to accommodate them.
It doesn’t endear Chase to Amanda when he shows up. No, he does that all by himself with his attention and wit. There’s just one thing that’s missing for Chase…
The Characters
Amanda Cole owns a highly regarded restaurant with happy employees, annnddd she’s a weenie in her personal life. Catherine Cole is her high-powered lawyer, an Essex County DA, of a mother who has set high standards while her father, Rupert Cole, is a retired judge considering running for public office. I love how supportive they are of what Amanda wants, what her dreams are, and not what they want. I also like her mother’s comments about how she and Rupert have supported each other career-wise.
Chase Walker is a hot — in every sense of the word — baseball player for the New York Kings, and yet, he’s also a nice, courteous, clean-cut young man. With a bit of a kink. His dad was a major influence on his life. Troy Miller is a new teammate with a drinking problem exacerbated by his wife staying behind in Atlanta; Sebastian Perry is the team’s outfielder. Leo Bennett is the Kings’ coach. Alan Shaw is Chase’s major jerk of an agent. Lena is his sweet, grandmotherly cleaning lady. Jack is one of Chase’s security people.
Logan Montgomery is Chase’s friend and trainer. Bobbi and Kelly are massage therapists.
The Cold Creek Grille
Her employees include Eric, the surfing bartender, and Nicki who is an aspiring actress — they share an apartment but aren’t involved. Freddy is a tall busboy. Liam is hired to manage the restaurant, and just in time too.
Julie is an old high school girlfriend who’s now married to Greg, her Marine Corps sergeant husband, and they have a son, Milo. Senator Warren has a summer home in North Carolina. Gertie Bach is a neighbor in the beach town of Nag’s Head. Derrick Baxter is a political commentator on television.
The Cover and Title
The cover is cute enough with a deep mint background and a pretty girl hiding the lower part of her face behind a big fluffy red feather. What the feather has to do with the story, I don’t know. I do like the arrangement of the title and the author’s name. It’s one of the few covers I’ve seen with a large size for the author and a small one for the title, but it’s the title that stands out. Very nice.
The title is all about Amanda’s newfound desire and The Sweet Spot Chase likes so well.
