I think this book is fun, and would be more fun if you didn't have the particular chips on your shoulder that I do. I was so hopeful because it had so many promising components—body positivity, fake dating, single mom, etc—but personally it just fell flat with the execution.

Things this book did well:
(1) The chemistry. The desire and tension between the leads was immediate and palpable and I really loved how humbling and visceral it was for both of them!
(2) The admiration/respect Linc has for Emma’s role as mother. Past his attraction, past his fondness, he does admire and respect her care of/for her daughter. This also extends to his relationship with Greer, which was sweetly (if offscreen) developed.
(3) The wallflower and rake!!!!! trope!!! Oh it’s one of my favorites. He sees her when she doesn’t, he values and affirms her, and then she gets to give him identity beyond his sexuality and this was an AMAZING example of this trope. Linc’s celebrity status and Emma’s long time crush made it the perfect adaptation of the stereotypes, and it was such a fun twist on it.
(4) Friendship! Between guys, between gals, between bestie and bestie's husband (v relatable), I thought this book really well expanded on relationships that aren't just romantic. There's support and empathy from platonic relationships, and that's really powerful to read!

Things that detracted from that rating:
(1) Descriptions of how a woman’s body SHOULD be. I totally hear that we have been socialized one way, with own standard of attractiveness, but I don’t think the response is proposing a new standard. As a plus size person, I always recoil a bit when “real woman” rhetoric is introduced. Descriptions of curves as beautiful? Love to see it. Description of curves as beautiful, with deprecation of anything other? Pass.
(2) Linc’s ‘protectiveness’. I get it, it’s a hard trait to capture, but there were times when he totally overstepped with an “I know best, trust me” attitude that was deeply infuriating. There’s a fine line between commandeering and commanding and it felt as though the author expected me to be hot enough for Linc to not notice when he stomped all over Emma’s boundaries, and decisions she very much needed to make for herself, under the ruse of knight in shining armor. And since this is no small part of his appeal to Emma, it's no small part in his characterization/how I'm supposed to fall for him.

All told, I think this novel felt mostly like a romcom from the aughts--sweet and well intentioned, but with some undertones that sour upon second viewing.

Pretty quickly after starting this book, it felt familiar, and I was happy to see that it was second in a series and I happened to have read the first. Phew.

This continues the story of life around Rock Falls. A town in Vermont where everyone knows your name, your business, and a lot of people have your back.

This is the story of Emma, her daughter Greer, and former professional baseball player Linc. Linc has built a community center so that the local kids have a place to go for sports, homework, arts, and whatever else they might need. Emma ends up working for him as his assistant, takes over his office, and his heart.

Fast read, enjoyable. Includes some mentions of the San Antonio Riverwalk, which is always a good thing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled publishing for the e-arc of A Sweet spot for love.

I give this book 3.75 stars, and 2 🌶️’s on the spice level!

If you enjoy the following tropes/characters below then you might enjoy this book as well:

🟣 Ex baseball player and curvy single mom
🟣 fake fiancé
🟣 closed proximity (although very short/small scene)

The only thing I did not love about this book was how hard the FMC was on herself, I wish she would have had a little more confidence throughout then what she had. However, I think the MMC did his best to show her how incredible and beautiful she is, even if she didn’t believe it.

Overall, a great read. Felt like a more realistic situation which is always kind of nice from time to time.

Review in progress and to come.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review

This checked off everything I look for in a book. Was not disappointed. Really enjoyed this book. I will read more from this author.

This was such a fun read! I love having plus size.curvy FMC's and also single mom! It was a great combo and I really enjoyed the authors writing. I can't wait to read other titles by her.

There is a lot of potential here for a good story, but unfortunately it fell flat for me. The premise, the tropes, the sports angle- all the ingredients are there for an engaging story but it was rushed and characters were underdeveloped. Emma was not a very confident or intriguing FMC, and Linc was a rather bland MMC. There was just a lot going on with various situations and secondary characters popping up throughout the plot. I wanted to like it, and think with some editing and tightening up of the story it could be a really fun read.

Tropes- sports romance, single parent, fake relationship

Spice rating 2/5🌶

Emma has not had the easiest of lives up till now, but she loves her daughter. She is plus sized and worries that there is no way a man she has had a crush on since highshcool could ever truly love her.

Linc has had a successful baseball carrier which has allowed him to pursue what he really wants to do, return to his home town and open up a community centre for kids. However, when a possible investor assumes he is engaged, who can he find to play the part?

But when Linc quits Emma's job for her, she becomes reliant on Linc. Being reliant on anyone else is the one thing Emma swore she would never do, even if it means that she gets to pretend to be engaged to her highschool crush. Will Emma be able to see beyond the fake engagement? Will Linc be able to let go of his past hurt and see his true friends?

The chemistry between these two was amazing! And the spice was fantastic! I really felt for Emma and her struggles. The hit and miss communication was a little heavy at times and I wish we had delved a little more into Linc's past. Overall, a wonderful read and I hope Aliyah writes more in this series!

3.5⭐️

Emma is a single mother who is busy raising a cute 7 year old daughter. Too busy scraping by to care about men, her focus is all on her daughter.
Franklin Connor or Linc for short is a former pro baseball player. After an early end to his career, he is focused on his community center to help out the kids.
While in the phone with an investor, Linc is distracted by his crush walking by, Emma. When he later realizes he’s said he has a fiancée, Linc convinces Emma to help him out. When pretending, or not pretending, blurs lines and feeling come into play the two have a complicated time ahead of them.

I really enjoyed how Emma was shown as a mother. Greer was cleared loved and cherished. I adored Greer coming out of her shell with starting sports. I also liked the supportive friendships and found family.
I feel like we spent less time with the characters actually together instead of in their own heads. Additionally, I would have liked more time with Greer and her interactions with Linc. I did enjoy this book to consider carrying on with the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

In A Sweet Spot For Love by Aliyah Burke, readers are treated to a heartwarming and engaging tale of a fake relationship that turns into something more. Emma, a devoted single mother, is struggling to manage her work commitments while supporting her daughter's newfound love of baseball. Linc, a former professional baseball player, runs the community centre where Greer plays, and dreams of expanding it.

When an investor insists that Linc is a "family man," he points out Emma as his fiancée in the crowd, and the two begin a fake relationship that quickly becomes more complex than either of them anticipated. As they navigate their growing feelings for each other, they also contend with the expectations of their friends and the small town they live in.

The story is filled with tension and a slow burn that keeps readers engaged until the very end. The characters are well-developed, and their close friendship circle adds depth to the story. The dialogue is vibrant and easy to read, and the small town setting helps to drive the narrative.

Overall, A Sweet Spot For Love is a fantastic cross-racial romance that will leave readers feeling uplifted and satisfied. The story is interesting, and the characters are wonderful. Burke has crafted a well-written and enjoyable novel that is definitely worth reading.

1.5 ⭐️ How NOT to: write a book boyfriend ft. a heart-shaped engagement ring.
Single mom / Ex Pro Athlete / Fake Engagement

This book did not work for me. From the MMC being an ass who’s constantly barking orders at the FMC, to the inconsistent narration, the odd grammatical choices, and the lack of connection between the MCs, this book was a total flop.

I can see a lot of potential in the story, and I liked the blurb, which is why I picked it up. I enjoyed the plot well enough, but the execution was awful. It was difficult for me to understand, let alone get immersed into the story, when the narration and dialogue was so stilted. I had to put the book down multiple times because I was exhausted at having to decode what exactly was happening. The MMC, Linc, didn’t help at all. He’s one of my main problems with this story. He’s entitled, paternalistic, possessive (and not necessarily in a good way) and riddled with not-so-subtle sexist overtones throughout the whole book. I mean, when he finally gets around to proposing for real at the end, it starts with:

“Emma, I’ll never find another woman who makes me feel the way you do. A woman who always puts others before herself. A woman who loves with her entire being. I’m a jackass and doubt an asshole.”

... I mean... He said it all by himself, didn't he?

Honestly, I could go on, but I don’t enjoy putting down someone’s work, so I’ll just say that it didn’t work for me, and I therefore would not recommend it.

⭐️.5 / 5
🌶️ / 5

Thank you so much Net Galley and publisher for providing me with an eARC of the book! This review is already posted on Goodreads.

Emma is a curvy, devoted single mother to her young daughter Greer, and is determined to give her a better childhood than she experienced. Greer has recently discovered a love of baseball at the community centre and Emma is struggling to manage her work commitments around this.

Linc, a former professional baseball player, built and runs the community centre and has dreams to expand. When an Investor steps forward with the expectation that Linc is a 'family man', he makes a split second decision and points out Emma as his fiancèe in the crowd.

So begins a fake relationship between the two that gets more complex as time goes on! Emma can't believe that her childhood crush picked her out of every woman in the crowd, whilst Linc is amazed that a woman as incredible as Emma is still on the market!

I read this book in one sitting and stayed up WAY later than I should have. It was that good, I couldn't bear to wait until the next day to see what happened!

It is your classic fake dating trope in a small town, with amazing tension and a slow burn. But when it all happened it was 🔥🔥
I really loved all the MCs, and their close friendship circle were the perfect additions to the story.

Thank you to Author Aliyah Burke, Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for providing me with this ARC. I have given this review freely with all opinions being my own. Look out for publication in Australia on March 27th 2023 💕

A Sweet Spot For Love by Aliyah Burke was just the rom-com I needed.
I loved Linc and Emma. Their chemistry was amazing. I loved watching them together.
The small town vibes was another plus…. Love this type of setting.
Aliyah Burke’s writing was just amazing as usual. It was so hard to put my Kindle down for even a minute.
The quick, witty banter of the likeable characters, the pleasant setting, and the overall premise made this a joy to read.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Entangled/Amara for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

This was such a sweet rom com about a single mom and a retired baseball player! It had some of my favorite tropes from slow burn, fake dating, and a strong independent female MC! Highly recommend this very fun rom com!

A fantastic cross racial story. The characters are wonderful and the plot is interesting. Linc is an ex baseball player who returned to his hometown to give back to the community. Emma is a single mom working hard to raise her daughter. The story is set in a small town and this helps to drive the narrative. Linc, Emma and their friends move the story along with the vibrant dialogue created by the author. This makes the story easy to read and every page worth turning to the lovely end.

Thankyou very much for approving this arc to me,
I unfortunately didn’t get round to finishing this book as I unfortunately didn’t like the writing style. I found it really hard to read this in third person perspective however I did like the concept of fake marriage and I think the characters suited each other very well

I love a good single parent trope. Unfortunately this one did not work for me. I couldn’t connect to the characters. Emma wasn’t super likeable and Linc didn’t have much of a personality. I did like Greer! She was really sweet.

I usually don’t mind third person pov (though it’s not my favorite), but this one was so jumbled and confusing. It wasn’t super clear who was doing or saying what. Things jumped around a lot. I feel like it could’ve used a little more structure.

Despite my feelings, I could definitely see this being something people enjoy. The premise was very sweet and I really wanted to love it, but it was hard to get past the writing style for me.

Thank you netgalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and Aliyah Burke for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a sweet, enjoyable read! One of my favourite things about it was that Linc loved Greer so much. I’m looking forward to checking out if there are more books by Aliyah set in this world!

It was cuteeee. I don’t always love kids in books but this one wasn’t bad. I liked the Male MC and his friends a lot. His “struggles” seemed a little out of nowhere and not a fully formed plot point, same with the female MC hers seemed like it wanted to be a plot point but only when it helped the story, her body issues would be something she struggled with all the time not just pick and choose when it helped move the book along narrator turmoil style. But it was an easy read and still had a cutie HEA.

2.5 Stars A Sweet Spot for Love was a cute fake dating/fake engagement romance between a single mom and former professional baseball player. The characters were sweet and likeable, and the story alternated between their third person POV, though at times I had trouble figuring out whose POV it was. A quick and easy romance read.