Book Tour Review: The Sweet Spot by Stephanie Evanovich

Title: The Sweet Spot
Author: Stephanie Evanovich
Genre: general fiction, romance novelish
Series: N/A
Pages: 272
Source: TLC Book Tours for review
Rating: 3/5

When pro baseball player Chase Walker first meets Amanda at her restaurant, it’s love at first sight. While Amanda can’t help noticing the superstar with the Greek-god-build, he doesn’t have a chance of getting to first—or any other—base with her. A successful entrepreneur who’s built her business from scratch, Amanda doesn’t need a Prince Charming to sweep her off her feet. And a curvy girl who likes to cook and eat isn’t interested in being around the catty, stick-thin herd of females chasing Chase and his teammates.

But Chase isn’t about to strike out. A man who isn’t interested in playing the field, he’s a monogamist who wants an independent woman like Amanda. His hopes rally when she discovers that squeaky-clean Chase has a few sexy and very secret pre-game rituals that turn the smart, headstrong businesswoman on—and into his number one fan.

Then a tabloid discovers the truth and turns their spanking good fun into a late- night punch-line. Is Amanda ready to let loose and swing for the fences? Or will the pressure of Chase’s stardom force them to call it quits?

I can tell you why this book didn't click for me personally  -- it was the characters. Well, mainly one important character. It's a hard kind of novel to enjoy if you aren't a fan of the people directly involved with the plot and I was less than enthused with the male half of the equation. There's a lot to celebrate with Evanovich's second novel -- the body positive focus on Amanda, the female love interest, the relatively healthy family dynamics shown, the easy way you sink into the story -- but it fell apart for me with Chase, Amanda's counterpart.

Chase just isn't the kind of man or love interest I find attractive. He's overbearing and bossy, presumptuous and incredibly arrogant. Granted, Evanovich paints him in smaller strokes than that, but even for all the layers and virtues she gives Mr. Walker, I never liked him or cared about him. And once a reader is divorced from the central romance, it can all feel a bit silly and contrived. At least, that's how I feel about The Sweet Spot. It's a mostly innocuous, bubble gum-type read; one that will entertain for a few hours with its predictable but comfortable plot.

Granted my apathy for Chase won't be the only or expected reaction and my 3/5 is certainly indicative that there's more to like about the story than just Amanda's attitude and her family. It's a broadly entertaining novel, but it just doesn't do anything original enough to become a favorite for me. The characters grow and change, but I still lacked an emotional connection to any part of the story at the end. The Sweet Spot is what it is: a fluffy summer read.