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Sweet Spot (Keyes Sisters #2)

by Susan Mallery (Goodreads Author)

3.94 of 5 stars 3.94 · rating details · 2,537 ratings · 138 reviews

"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...more

Mass Market Paperback, 376 pages

Published August 1st 2008 by HQN (first published January 1st 2008)

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May 14, 2008 Julie (jjmachshev) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: queuemyreview, 2008-reads

Reviewed for queuemyreview.com; book release: August 2008

How does Susan Mallery do it? Her stories interest me, suck me in, make me think, spit me out smiling, and then leave me hungry for the next! The heroine of “Sweet Spot”, Nicole, was introduced in the first book of this series, “Sweet Talk”. I really didn’t like Nicole! She was snarky, bad-tempered, and whiny. I just couldn’t see how even Susan Mallery could make her likable. Well, darn it, she did it. As I read Nicole’s story, I began to...more Reviewed for queuemyreview.com; book release: August 2008

How does Susan Mallery do it? Her stories interest me, suck me in, make me think, spit me out smiling, and then leave me hungry for the next! The heroine of “Sweet Spot”, Nicole, was introduced in the first book of this series, “Sweet Talk”. I really didn’t like Nicole! She was snarky, bad-tempered, and whiny. I just couldn’t see how even Susan Mallery could make her likable. Well, darn it, she did it. As I read Nicole’s story, I began to understand the whys and hows of her behavior. And, even though there were still times I wanted to kick her into next week, she turned out to be someone I’d really love to have as a friend.

Nicole has some pretty good reasons to be unhappy. She was forced to accept too much responsibility too early in her life. Her future in the family business was mapped out for her almost from the cradle. She became the mother figure for her younger sister and pretty much raised her through rebellions and tantrums. She’s always been the responsible one. In the last year, she’s had two surgeries and caught her younger sister in bed with her soon-to-be-ex-husband. She’s tired of the pitying looks and being responsible. So she cooks up a plan with one of her gorgeous, sexy customers. She will be his strings-free sex kitten and he’ll play her adoring, infatuated boyfriend. All she has to do is keep her heart behind those tall, hard walls and she’ll be fine. Right?

Hawk’s life is on cruise control. He’s young, well off, and charming…and he knows it! He’s also a widower with a 17-year-old daughter, a job he loves, and women throw themselves at him all the time. He doesn’t need a relationship. He loved his wife and dotes on his daughter. His job as a high school coach keeps him in shape, close to his daughter, and working with the game he loves. And then…he meets a woman he can’t charm. She somehow gets under his skin, but he knows if he can just ‘have her’ a few times, life will go back to normal. Right?

Whew. Do these two need some counseling or what? They don’t sound likable, do they? Umm hmm, just keep reading. The sexual tension between these two is sizzling and non-stop. But as they learn more about each other and become more involved in each other’s lives, something strange happens. They actually like each other…even without sex! There are some fairly intense situations in this book, dealing with single-parent and teen pregnancies. I appreciated the fact that Ms. Mallery didn’t try to tie it all up with a pretty bow and pretend that these situations will always end happily. Because they don’t and won’t. However, she also shows that regardless of the situation, honesty and communication are the keys to a successful relationship…EVERY time.

I like this author. I liked this book. It ended way too soon for me and the short glimpse provided of the next book in this series left me hanging. If you enjoy stories that pull at your emotions, don’t miss “Sweet Spot” by Susan Mallery.
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Oct 19, 2008 Gail rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-romance

This is the second book in the "Bakery Sisters" series. The first book is about the twin who left home to be a piano prodigy. This is about the twin who stayed behind. It begins after the close of the first book.

The heroine has always been the responsible one. She's been running the family bakery, she helped raise her younger sister, and even though she's finally reconciling with her long-absent twin, her life is falling apart around her. Her marriage is over. Her younger sister has gone so far...more

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Apr 23, 2012 Nicola rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Nicola by: Ian

Shelves: 2012-books, challenge-books

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Feb 22, 2012 Jennifer rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

I could not get past Hawk. He saunters around the story like he owns it, and like Nicole should be pleased he's there. That wasn't sexy to me. He intrudes on her life to prove he knows her (actions speak louder than words and his actions say he will try to control her). I also found the dialogue very flat, and really only a back-and-forth about them having sex or not. No depth.

This makes me sad because I'd really enjoyed Irresistible.

I think if the last 20 pages of Hawk developing as a father (a...more

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Feb 23, 2013 Linda Jaejoong rated it 5 of 5 stars

Endlich geht es weiter, diesmal ist Nicole an der Reihe!! Sie erwischt den Teenager Raoul dabei wie er versucht Doughnuts in ihrer Bäckerei zu stehlen. Durch ihn begegent sie Hawk, Raouls Footballtrainer!! Er ist alles was Nicole braucht, aber seit wann ist die Liebe so einfach?? Drews Verrat sitzt tief und auch Brittany, Hawks Tochter, macht ihre Beziehung zu Hawk nicht gerade einfach!! Und dann kommt auch noch eine Schwangerschaft mit ins Spiel. Sind Hawk und Nicole in der Lage ihre Probleme z...more

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May 03, 2012 sanctuary angel pettyfer rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Hai, aq baru saja membaca buku ini. Dan kalo Claire membuatku terpesona dengan ketabahannya, tapi Nicole berbeda. Aku suka dengan kepribadiannya yang sinis dan celetukannya yang pedas. Berikut reviewku...tapi aku menggunakan kata ganti orang pertama ya,,,

Aku Nicole Keyes, aku wanita yang mandiri, teraktualisasi, dan yang paling hebat adalah aku telah berhasil menjalankan usaha keluarga sejak aku remaja. Tapi sejak mendapati adikku sendiri berselingkuh dengan suamiku, aku merasa hidupku dikhiana...more Hai, aq baru saja membaca buku ini. Dan kalo Claire membuatku terpesona dengan ketabahannya, tapi Nicole berbeda. Aku suka dengan kepribadiannya yang sinis dan celetukannya yang pedas. Berikut reviewku...tapi aku menggunakan kata ganti orang pertama ya,,,

Aku Nicole Keyes, aku wanita yang mandiri, teraktualisasi, dan yang paling hebat adalah aku telah berhasil menjalankan usaha keluarga sejak aku remaja. Tapi sejak mendapati adikku sendiri berselingkuh dengan suamiku, aku merasa hidupku dikhianati. Siapa yang tidak? Bukan karena suamiku, ups,,,calon mantan suami, tapi pengkhianatan Jesse adikku yang membuatku sakit hati. Bayangkan aku membesarkannya sejak orangtua kami meninggal dan apa balasannya heh!!! Dia berselingkuh dengan suamiku di rumahku,,,kupikir ini lebih buruk dari nightmare

Di suatu pagi, aku mendapati seorang anak remaja mencuri donat d tokoku, dan aku bersyukur dengan tongkat yang kugunakan sejak operasi lutut itu. Dengan tongkat itu aku berusaha menghentikan anak muda tersebut. Tapi sayang, bukan polisi yang datang mengamankan anak muda itu, melainkan pelatih footballnya. Aku tidak akan sekesal ini kalo saja pelatih itu bukan orang yang tampan, tinggi dan berotot dan ego setinggi langit serta menyadari ketampanannya. Oh, Tuhan cukup dengan mantan suamiku...aku tidak akan tergoda benarkan?

Hawk, ya pelatih itu bernama Hawk. Pria itu cukup membuatku waspada. Karena aku tidak mau lagi terlibat dengan hubungan yang tidak serius. Belum lagi masalah hati yang sangat menguras emosi,,,dan kurasa pengalaman dengan Drew calon mantan suami sudah cukup buruk.

Tapi sayang keinginanku tidak tercapai. Hawk, menebarkan pesonanya melalui anak didiknya yang telah kuperbolehkan tinggal bersamaku. Keputusan yang ceroboh menurutku. Ya,,,pria itu blak-blakan dengan keinginannya berhubungan denganku. Bahkan dia tidak kebal dengan komentar-komentar pedasku, entah terbuat dari apa telinganya...ck..ck..

Aku tidak tahan dengan semua ini, belum lagi tatapan iba dari orang-orang sekitarku tentang nasib percintaanku yang malang. Dan yang lebih menjengkelkan saudara kembarku yang menyarankan aku mencari cinta baru, oh,,,God aku sudah muak dengan semua ini. Ditambah dengan mantan suamiku yang sering menghinaku dengan sifatku yang kerap membuat orang-orang menjauhiku, lengkap sudah penderitaanku.(-̩̩̩-̩̩̩_-̩̩̩-̩̩̩)

Ya, aku menerima tawaran Hawk. Dan kami membuat kesepakatan. Dan semua itu pun dimulai. Tapi aku tidak pernah membayangkan akan jatuh hati pada Hawk. Aku tau hidup Hawk masih dibayang-bayangi oleh almarhum istrinya. Dan putrinya yang seringkali menyebut kebaikan ibunya, seakan menyiratkan bahwa aku hanya selingan buat ayahnya. Seakan aku tidak mengetahui fakta itu. Halloo,,,aku ini wanita dewasa, dan siap menghadapi konsekuensi perbuatan. Ya, mari kita berasama-sama memecahkan satu persatu malasahku aku,,,bahkan Claire lebih mahir dalam konflik drama keluarga.

Happy reading(less)

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May 13, 2011 moi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-romance, romance, 2011-reads, best-witty-banter-dialogue, bakery-sister-series

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Okay, this is the second book in the series and here we are introduced to Nicole's life... and most importantly her mind!
I hated her in the first book, I mean I was wondering why she was behaving/reacting the way she did and come on, she needed to stop fretting about every small things...

Here, we learnt about Nicole's life, she was happy to have Claira back in her life and was little miffed that Claira was having a happily-ever-after ending and love-forever thing... and she was sad and lonely!!

S...more Okay, this is the second book in the series and here we are introduced to Nicole's life... and most importantly her mind!
I hated her in the first book, I mean I was wondering why she was behaving/reacting the way she did and come on, she needed to stop fretting about every small things...

Here, we learnt about Nicole's life, she was happy to have Claira back in her life and was little miffed that Claira was having a happily-ever-after ending and love-forever thing... and she was sad and lonely!!

She is damn pissed with Jesse her younger sister whom she practically brought-up. Jesse did the act of betrayal which I guess even I would have a hard time forgiving!! And she is divorcing her husband when she caught him making out with Jesse!! He was total jerk!!

Now, Nicole is frustrated of being the cause of everyone's worry and thus enter Hawk! aka Eric Hawkins! Pro football player but now retired as his was wife was suffering from cancer and he wanted to be with his wife and his daughter - Britanny! She is total spoiled brat! he pampered her way too much!

They started dating by way of deal - that they will pretend to be totally in love with each other just to show Nicole's friends and family that she is happy! It started with a deal but of course it did not end that way... Both fell for each other and they surely did have love-forever and happily-ever-after ending for them tooo..

And yeah, I loved Raoul. He is an orphan teenager who comes and lives with Nicole and understands and protects her always and finally becomes a part of her responsibility!! he is choo chweet and adorable!! and yeah he even brings along with him a stray dog - Sheila who later gives birth to 3 puppies - 2 girls and 1 boy

Oh yes, the most hilarious for readers and frustrating for Nicole was everyone around her was getting pregnant and having a family or at least someone to love except for her. ( First, Claira then she hears abot Jesse being pregnant too and she doubts it is her jerk-husbands child that Jesse is carrying. But, in truth is Matt, Jesse's BF's child. And then, even the Sheila is pregnant *laughs* and Nicole wants to kill herself!

and to top it all even Britanny turns up pregnant which later we get to know is that is was false alarm!! * winks*

So, this was nice read and now I want to read the 3rd book and see what is up with Jesse. I mean, she really needs a lot of growing up and stop messing around with her life...(less)

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Jan 19, 2012 Darcy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, audio-book, listened-to-at-work, romance

This book made me like Nicole better, made me understand why she is the way she is. There was still drama with Jessie, who still irritated me because she won't accept any responsibility for her part in everything. We do find out that things weren't as they seemed with the ex, but it doesn't absolve her of her actions.

I think it is funny how Nicole thinks she is so tough, but she is really a marshmallow. I knew she would cave in and let Raoul go. I just didn't expect things to go the way they did...more

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May 06, 2012 Ivonne Guevara rated it 4 of 5 stars

es una lucha de voluntades desde el principio, Nicole no quiere saber mas de hombres desde que su marido la "engaño" con la hermana se ha cerrado completamente al amor y a las relaciones, cuando Hawk aparece para "rescatar" a su jugador estrella todo cambia, aunque se digan cosas y este como si en verdad no le interesara, la energia entre ellos no se puede ignorar y mas cuando en verdad se muere por un beso o alguna caricia de él.
Hawk es un padre y viudo, que despues que su esposa murio no ha in...more es una lucha de voluntades desde el principio, Nicole no quiere saber mas de hombres desde que su marido la "engaño" con la hermana se ha cerrado completamente al amor y a las relaciones, cuando Hawk aparece para "rescatar" a su jugador estrella todo cambia, aunque se digan cosas y este como si en verdad no le interesara, la energia entre ellos no se puede ignorar y mas cuando en verdad se muere por un beso o alguna caricia de él.
Hawk es un padre y viudo, que despues que su esposa murio no ha intentado nada serio con ninguna mujer, la unica mujer para el es su hija, Brittany que Gosh!!! que tiene en la cabeza, en serio pero el culpable es Hawk por consentirla tanto y narrarle un cuento de hadas cuando no lo fue, pasaron cosas dificiles pero si lo hubiera sabido n o tendria esa mentalidad.
Entre Nicole y Hawk hacen un trato para tener una relacion abierta, colo sexo y donde ella lo deje, para demostrarle a su ex (que no vale la pena) que ella puede abandonar a una persona, en verdad ese trato ni duro mucho, ya que poco a poco se van dando cuenta que le importa el otro, que empiezan a sentir algo y que puede llegar a ser algo mas fuerte pero Hawk no ha tenido un cierre total con su esposa que impide que el de el paso para una relacion seria, las mentiras, el ocultar cosas, no ser sinceros los lleva a pelear de sobremanera en donde él solo le echa la culpa a ella sin ninguna razon ya que con alquien se tiene que descargar y no lo hara con su hija.
Tambien vemos a Raoul, un chico que no tiene nada que esta en hogares de acogida y al tratar de robar algo no le salen las cosas bien pero poco a poco va mejorando puesto que Nicole le da trabajo, un lugar a donde vivir, confianza y sobretodo proteccion, claro que no podia ser tan perfecto siendo el novio de Brittany aunque el es muchisimo mas maduro que ella de sobremanera pero tambien se deja envolver por lo que dice ella y demas.
Entre todos hacen una divertida novela, con sus altos y sus bajos en donde a cada paso maduran y aprendern algo que les sera de ayuda en un futuro y se dan la oportunidad de vivir una historia llena de amor y comprension.(less)

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Dec 16, 2011 Susan (susayq) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebooks, 2011books, contemporary-romance

3.5 stars

I did a bad thing and read this book before the 1st one in the series. I don't normally do that. Did it take away from this story? Not at all, at least I don't think it did. There were some things that obviously happened in the first book that were recapped here (sometimes into the ground - like Nicole's hubby sleeping with her little sister, but they really didn't).

I really liked Nicole. She was tough and acted like she didn't take any crap, but she was caring and vulnerable and was t...more

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Apr 01, 2012 BkGurl rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own

Another winner in this series! Nicole is a complex character that we met in the first book - one who I didnt like all that much, but she more than redeemed herself here. Hawk is a bit of an egomaniac and more than a bit clueless, but still quite lovable. Well-developed story and characters with real not-so-sweet themes such as teenage sexuality, abandonment, grief and dishonesty. This one has considerable more heat than Sweet Talk. Can be read as a stand alone but you'd miss a lot of the back st...more

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Jan 13, 2009 Anica rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

This was book 2 in the Bakery series.

I actually felt more like giving that book 3,5 stars because as awesome and hilarious/funny the beginning was, the whole middle part was just way beyond stupid and boring. I felt like Susan Mallery ran out of ideas how to keep the 2 lovebirds apart a bit longer so she suddenly turned Brittany into a whole bitch and made this weird wife/not letting go of her story. *rolleyes* And don't let me start on this whole pregnant thing. I don't think it was funny AT AL...more

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Jun 26, 2011 Brittney Musick rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: audiobook, read-2011, 1-adult, ebook

After reading Sweet Talk, I wasn't sure how I'd feel about reading a book that focused on Nicole. I really did not like her throughout the majority of Sweet Talk, so I was surprised that I actually really enjoyed Sweet Spot.

Nicole seemed more likable, and that could have been because her relationship with Claire was much better than it was before, and there seemed to be more time and distance between what happened with Drew and Jesse, so her anger seemed less and the true hurt seemed to shine th...more After reading Sweet Talk, I wasn't sure how I'd feel about reading a book that focused on Nicole. I really did not like her throughout the majority of Sweet Talk, so I was surprised that I actually really enjoyed Sweet Spot.

Nicole seemed more likable, and that could have been because her relationship with Claire was much better than it was before, and there seemed to be more time and distance between what happened with Drew and Jesse, so her anger seemed less and the true hurt seemed to shine through more clearly and in a less aggressive and ugly way.

I liked Hawk. He seemed sexy and sure of himself and like a good guy, but he was definitely flawed - especially where his daughter and deceased wife were concerned. It was tough to see him get so defensive at times, but it was also understandable to an extend. I just wish it hadn't taken him so long to come around.

I adored Raoul, which isn't that big of a surprise since I also really loved him in Finding Perfect. That was one of the reasons I was so excited to read the Bakery Sisters series. I liked getting to see more of his background and how he came into Nicole's life and how she as well as Hawk helped to guide him to where he eventually wound up.

Brittany was such a brat, and, while I understand that part of that came from being enabled by her father, it was somewhat hard to get passed. She was very whiny, selfish and immature at times. I kind of felt like Nicole on those moments where she wanted her to go back home. I could not agree more. I suppose I shouldn't be harsh, though, since she's probably not all that far off base from a lot of teenage girls. I don't know that I really ever came to like her by the end of the book, but I could see room for the possibility somewhere down the road.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book much more than I was expecting after disliking Nicole so much in the previous book in the series.

I felt bad for Jesse, and I still have that inkling of a feeling that there could be more to the story than what's been said, so I'm looking forward to finding out more about that and hoping to enjoy her story as much as I did the first two.(less)

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Nov 15, 2012 Brina rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Nachdem ich den ersten Band "Frisch verliebt" binnen kurzer Zeit verschlungen habe, stand schnell fest, dass ich auch den zweiten Band "Frisch verlobt" lesen muss. Gelohnt hat es sich allemal, denn der zweite Band gefällt mir noch besser als der erste Band, sodass sich Susan Mallery wieder einmal ganz klar steigern konnte.

Obwohl mir der erste Band bereits sehr gut gefallen hat, muss ich zugeben, dass der zweite Band deutlich frischer und spritziger wirkt. Man kennt die Protagonisten zum größten...more Nachdem ich den ersten Band "Frisch verliebt" binnen kurzer Zeit verschlungen habe, stand schnell fest, dass ich auch den zweiten Band "Frisch verlobt" lesen muss. Gelohnt hat es sich allemal, denn der zweite Band gefällt mir noch besser als der erste Band, sodass sich Susan Mallery wieder einmal ganz klar steigern konnte.

Obwohl mir der erste Band bereits sehr gut gefallen hat, muss ich zugeben, dass der zweite Band deutlich frischer und spritziger wirkt. Man kennt die Protagonisten zum größten Teil bereits und weiß, was man ungefähr von ihnen erwarten kann. Jedoch wurde ich auch immer wieder von ihnen überrascht.

Im ersten Band hat man bereits Claire sehr gut kennen und mögen gelernt, nun ist ihre Zwillingsschwester Nicole an der Reihe. Obwohl sie Zwillinge sind, sind sie von der Art her doch relativ verschieden. Zwar sind beide sympathisch, allerdings konnte ich mich in Nicole noch schneller hineinversetzen. Trotz all der Unterschiede haben sie eine Gemeinsamkeit und das ist das Pech in der Liebe. Beide haben große Probleme, Gefühle zuzulassen, was man im ersten und nun im zweiten Band sehr gut feststellen kann.

Neben den ungleichen Schwestern Claire, Nicole und Jesse lernt man Raoul, Birttany und Hawk kennen, die ich ebenfalls sehr gerne kennen gelernt habe. Es ist selten, dass ich bei einer Reihe, bzw. einem Buch sämtliche Charaktere mag, hier ist es jedoch der Fall, was das Buch dadurch nur noch wertvoller macht.

Die Liebesgeschichte zwischen Nicole und Hawk ist zaghaft und stürmisch zugleich, besitzt aber auch eine gewisse Romantik, sodass es besonders schön ist, sie bei ihrer Liebe zu beobachten. Allerdings müssen sie sich immer wieder neuen Herausforderungen stellen, weil Hawks Tochter Brittany nicht unbedingt der einfachste Mensch ist und so manches Problem hat. Die Sorgen bzgl. ihrer Person werden dabei detailliert und authentisch beschrieben, sodass man auch dabei mitfühlen kann und den Protagonisten nur das Beste wünscht.

Obwohl das Buch ganz klar zum Genre "Romance" gehört, war "Frisch verlobt" doch etwas anders als andere Bücher in diesem Bereich. Oftmals hat man, besonders bei Susan Mallery, eine chaotische Protagonistin, die sich nach einer Beziehung sehnt, dies ist hier nicht ganz der Fall. Nicole ist alles andere als chaotisch, sondern sehr vorsichtig und stellenweise auch schüchtern, dafür aber auch unglaublich herzlich und unkompliziert. Dennoch sind die Themen hier ernster, sodass man auch eine andere Seite bei Susan Mallery und den "Bakery Sisters" erlebt. Man erlebt eine Scheidung und den Verlust eines Partners. Die ist jedoch keinesfalls ein Nachteil, denn ich wurde bestens unterhalten und stellenweise zum Nachdenken angeregt.

Das Cover gefällt mir sehr gut. Bei "Frisch verliebt" war mir das Cover mit seinem pinken Hintergrund noch zu knallig, der jetzige Blauton gefällt mir da schon eher und auch das Herz passt richtig gut zur Handlung. Gleiches gilt für die Kurzbeschreibung, die ebenfalls gelungen ist und das Wichtigste enthält.

Insgesamt hat mir "Frisch verlobt" unglaublich gut gefallen. Susan Mallery konnte mich wieder einmal von sich und ihren Geschichten überzeugen und es war wie immer eine Freude, in die Welt der Autorin eintauchen zu dürfen. Der letzten Band "Frisch verheiratet" wird definitiv gelesen. Eine Trilogie, die man sich nicht entgehen lassen sollte!(less)

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Feb 09, 2012 Hannah rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance-lovers-book-club, contemporary, romance, read-2012, sports-related

I should probably start off this review by stating that I am not usually drawn to contemporary romances that don't contain any suspense elements, so I am not really the intended audience for this sort of novel. That said, Sweet Spot failed miserably to meet even my lowered expectations. I had major problems with the writing, the plot, and especially the characters.

Susan Mallery's writing left a lot to be desired, at least in this book. While I didn't notice many grammatical or typographical err...more I should probably start off this review by stating that I am not usually drawn to contemporary romances that don't contain any suspense elements, so I am not really the intended audience for this sort of novel. That said, Sweet Spot failed miserably to meet even my lowered expectations. I had major problems with the writing, the plot, and especially the characters.

Susan Mallery's writing left a lot to be desired, at least in this book. While I didn't notice many grammatical or typographical errors, I just couldn't appreciate Mallery's uninspired style. Sweet Spot reads like the work of a novice author who hasn't found her own voice yet and employs every cliché she can think of to cover her literary shortcomings. The dialog and the descriptive passages all felt either too flat or too familiar, as if I had read them hundreds of times before in other novels.

I could forgive Mallery's lack of literary prowess, though, if she were a better storyteller. Unfortunately, the plot in this novel failed to interest me at all. There were too many side characters and too many unrelated things going on. Perhaps if I had read the first book of the series, some of the character interactions in Sweet Spot would have made more sense. Maybe. Unfortunately, the references to events that occurred in the previous book (Sweet Talk), and the set-up for the next book (Sweet Trouble), encroached on the story in this book.

My biggest problem with Sweet Spot, however, was the fact that the entire cast of characters seemed to be suffering from dissociative identity disorder. Nearly every character in the novel was inconsistent, and thoroughly unbelievable. The heroine, Nicole, was the only possible exception, but even Nicole's personality seemed to undergo occasional, inexplicable fluctuations.

Raoul, the teenage boy Nicole took under her wing, was a walking, talking contradiction. He was a homeless kid who grew up in the foster care system and who also happened to have a juvenile criminal record. At the very beginning of the book, he attempted to steal doughnuts from Nicole's bakery. Yet he was also the star quarterback of the local high school football team, he was dating the coach's cheerleader daughter, and he possessed a nobility and wisdom beyond his years. So which was he, the juvenile delinquent from the wrong side of the tracks, or the jock with a heart of gold? Mallery apparently intended to convince the reader that he could be both, but the two halves of his character didn't mesh in a believable way.

The hero, Hawk (really) was the worst part of the novel. The author's descriptions of him were unappealing, and his dialog was even worse. Either he was smugly talking down to Nicole as if he considered himself God's gift to womankind (which he clearly did), or he was whining at her like a petulant child for things that were in no way her fault. Why did she put up with him? Why would any woman be drawn to such an immature, egotistical idiot?

Obviously this is not a book I would recommend to anyone. The only thing I liked about it were Nicole's occasional bursts of snarky wit, but they were too few and far between to hold my interest in the book. It was a relief just to get it over with.
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Feb 12, 2011 Maria rated it 5 of 5 stars

If I liked Claire's story, I absolutely loved Nicole's. She is my favourite sister and I have a feeling that this has to do with the fact that I feel like my personality is a bit like hers. She tries to look and sound cold but deep down inside she is an absolute sweetheart. Stubborn, she tries to fight her own feelings, trying to keep her heart from commanding her brain. But soon it all becomes too much and she ends up giving up and going with the flow. But like every flow, there are times when...more

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Jul 31, 2010 Maria rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, favorite-authors, romance

Nicole Keyes has been the grown-up for far too long. She raised her little sister Jesse, managed the family bakery, and sacrificed for everyone else. Eric Hawkins or Hawk is a ex-NFL widower. He now coaches at the local high school. Raoul is his star quarterback. When Raoul tries to steal donuts from her bakery Nicole demands that he work off his debt.
Before she knows it, Nicole is offering Raoul a place to live and mentoring a herd of high school kids. And having lecherous thoughts about the f...more

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Jul 05, 2010 Debby rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance

Nicole Keyes pretty much raised her sister Jesse, when her mom left to chaperon Nicole's twin Claire, on her concert pianist tours. Nicole ran the family bakery and took care of Jesse. When pregnant Jesse takes off after getting caught in bed with Nicole's husband, Nicole is left to pick up the pieces. What she picks up is Raoul, the high school quarterback, when he tries to steal from the bakery. His coach, Erick Hawkins - a former NFL pro and his spoiled daughter Brittany also come into her li...more

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Feb 08, 2013 Leya rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: library-book

This is the second book of the Bakery Sisters series. The first book was Sweet Talk, which i read and enjoyed, you can find it here. In that book I found Nicole a tad bitchy, but I understood where the anger and resentment had come from.

I was a little concerned about my feeling for Nicole in this one, I was expecting the bitchiness, but I was pleasantly surprised. I found Nicole to be quirky and full of sass. Loved her. I enjoyed Hawk, but found him a little conceited. I didn't like his daughte...more

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Feb 25, 2009 Evelyn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: funny, romance, women-s-fiction

Nicole, the "responsible" sister of the Keyes family has always sacrificed her own needs to give her younger sister Jesse everything and run the family bakery. Now Jesse has betrayed her trust and Nicole, still emotionally fragile from reuniting with her fraternal twin Claire, locks horns with a hunky high school football when she catches one of his players stealing donuts. Learning that the player, Raoul, has no family and is living in an abandoned building, Nicole offers him a job and a place...more

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Jan 03, 2013 Kelly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Really loved this ! I think once upon a time I read the book about the sister Claire but I don't really remember it. I loved this book and especially loved that Hawk was an ex-pro football player. The daughter sounded so bratty though that was slightly annoying but I guess that's what makes it well written because you can picture in your mind the character exactly. Raoul is such a sweet character I wish I had a brother like him (always wanted a brother!). I would definitely recommend this book a...more

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Jun 11, 2011 Shwetika rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: leanable

Loving it !! I love Nichole !! She's strong ,tough , Total bossy and then she's Kind, caring, giving and soft-hearted at the same time ... I love her scarcsm and Dear god she's bitchy in the best possible way N You really can not be charmed by her need to have responsibility .. I mean she's practicing digging for responsibility guess that comes with being bossy . Okay seriously not in mood of writing a 110 words about why you should read this book and all but again I'm in no mood to write-up !!...more

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Mar 07, 2013 Susan rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book is the second in The Bakery Sisters Triology. It was a fine romance story with all of the basic elements. I admit I do like the main character of this book - she's feisty and sarcastic, but has a truly wonderful heart.

My main problem with this series is that the author is using unplanned pregnancy as a plot device. All 3 sisters are now pregnant - all unplanned. It seems really strange to me and just plain old irresponsible. I'm not a prude, I just think it is a bit much for all 3 sist...more

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May 06, 2012 CaroB rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, contemporary, series-r-us, romance

Are you serious? What happened to Nicole the bitch? I couldn't beleive the character whose close-mindedness and bitterness has pretty much paved the way for the series is really just sacred and misunderstood. But that makes it ok for her to tell everyone she hates them and then hand out parenting advice. I liked the dialogue, and the story was readable, mostly because I want to know what happens with Jesse, but she became a completely different character than I was expecting and Hawk's ego was b...more

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Apr 11, 2011 Suzanne the Mighty ~Satin Seductress~ rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-romance, pdf-kindle

3.5 Stars

I really liked this book, I already liked Nicole from the previous book and I love her sarcastic sense of humour, the guy, Hawk, in this book was also a lot better, he seemed to have more character and I could feel the relationship between them more.

The only character that annoyed me was Brittany, Hawks's daughter, she was selfish spoiled and really got on my nerves! How did she ever get a boyfriend as good as Raoul?!

Also is it a theme in Susan Mallery books that everyone gets pregnant...more

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Aug 15, 2011 ★¸. • * ° * Kathy,Ahmazing Book Faerie*°°*•.¸. ♥★ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Where did nasty snakey bitchy Nicole go!!? I really didn't like her in the first book, but man, has she had a major makeover! I felt so sorry for her in the start of this book, everyone was happy around her and getting on with their lives and she wasn't. Then Hawk arrives. I had laugh out loud moments....She wanted to pull her hand free and demand that he stop touching her. She wanted to tell him that they weren‟t together, they would never be together, and ask him what the hell was he thinking....more

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Feb 21, 2011 Angie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, 3-contemporary, pc

Really loved it. Funny, charming and definitely sweet. Nicole is stubborn, hard on the outside & soft inside. She's had such a hard time you can't help but want what's best for her and finding Raoul despite the circumstances in which they met was good for her. Sheila was also good. Hawk despite his past and his problems you can't help but like him, and the fact that Nicole gives him a run for his money is an added bonus. Really great story and in strange fashion it was a sequel that was best...more

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Oct 17, 2010 Leah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: in-my-harem, author-susan-mallery, 5-stars, scars-and-tats-and-piercings-oh-my, happy-slapsgiving, thats-some-funny-shit, bad-boy-take-me-away

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Nicole Keyes really didn't want any more drama in her life. Enter Raoul, the teenage boy who attempts to steal five dozen donuts from the bakery. And along with him, enter Hawk, the studly, irresistibly charming football coach at the local high school who came to retrieve Raoul, his star quarterback. Against her better judgment, Nicole offers to have Raoul pay off the donuts he tried to steal by working in the bakery the next morning. To her surprise, the boy is a good worker and she offers him...more

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Mar 07, 2013 Colleen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: susan-mallery

I really did like this book. The two main characters, Hawk and Nicole, were cute together, but the character in this book that made my heart melt is the young man that Nicole took in named Raoul Moreno. The reason is he was such a nice guy, so if you read this book and like the character Raoul then read Susan Mallery's other book in the series Fool's Gold called Finding Perfect where Raoul's story continues. Besides Raoul this book was good and sweet and all those good things.

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Jun 30, 2009 Amanda Westmont rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book was well-written and fun, but I had a hard time with the romance stereotypes - that the heroine is so instantly put-off by the beautiful hero when he first appears in her bakery and the inexplicable way her obvious dislike of him makes him decide to pursue her. I dunno, in my mind, if a woman acts like a bitch, the average man is going to bolt as fast as he can in the opposite direction. Once I got over that aspect, though, I couldn't put it down.

1 like · like · see review

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About Susan Mallery

New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery has entertained millions of readers with her witty and emotional stories about women and the relationships that move them. Publisher’s Weekly calls Susan’s prose “luscious and provocative,” and Booklist says, “Novels don’t get much better than Mallery’s expert blend of emotional nuance, humor and superb storytelling.” While Susan appreciates the crit...more

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