The Sweet Spot

Written by Laura Drake

Narrated by Susan Bennett

A Love as Big as Texas . . . Charla Rae Denny was the perfect wife with a perfect life, content to keep the home fires burning while her husband, JB, competed as a champion bull rider. Then their son died in a tragic accident-and everything fell apart. Divorced and saddled with a hill of bills and a failing ranch, Charla must now cowboy up to put her life back together. James "JB" Denny doesn't stay where he isn't welcome. So when Charla shut him out of her grieving heart-and their home-a year ago, he took comfort where he could find it. Now after seeing beautiful Charla again, he wants it all back. She can't work the ranch alone, and deep in his heart he knows he can be the man she needs. But after so much history and heartbreak, can JB convince Charla to take a risk and give their love a second chance?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Mar 7, 2014
• ISBN: 9781490601014

Reviews for The Sweet Spot

[cc123-3 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Charla Ray and Jimmy

This book is about a long-married couple learning to deal with grief and mending a relationship after that grief tore them apart. I had tears way to often to say I really enjoyed this book. Great characters dealing realistically with very heart-breaking issues. Oh, and cattle and bull riding.

[bookofsecrets · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Sad, sad. I have mixed feelings about this book. I'm a sucker for a story that pulls at the heartstrings (and this one did, big time!), but for me THE SWEET SPOT was too much too soon. Readers don't get a chance to connect with the characters before all their troubles are thown at them.Charla and Jimmy's twenty-year marriage couldn't survive the accidental death of their only child. Guilt and anger drove a wedge between them. Jimmy sought comfort in a woman half his age, and Charla turned to pills to numb the pain. With Jimmy off the ranch, Charla is struggling to keep the operation running and pay the bills. And, on top of all that, her elderly father has Alzheimer's disease, so she must find a way to care for him and run the ranch at the same time.This book is billed as a contemporary romance, so you're probably asking, "Where's the romance?" Well, it's there, it's just not the focus of the story, IMO. THE SWEET SPOT was about Charla coming to terms with the death of her son and finding a way to forgive herself for all that happened. Only then is she able to open her heart to Jimmy and see how deeply the tragedy affected him too.Usually I love an emotional tearjerker, but THE SWEET SPOT didn't completely click with me. However, I was thrilled that this book's hero and heroine were in their early 40s - how rare and refreshing! I *almost* dare to call this book inspirational (religious) romance-ish, because there was mention of God and church throughout. It was noticable, but it didn't take over the story.A highlight of the book was the friendship that formed between Charla and new-girl-in-town Bella. Bella was a hoot. She was a recent transplant from New York City who took dressing like a sexy Texas girl a bit too far. Thank goodness for Bella - she was the perfect friend for Charla and great comic relief.A lovely feature of this book was that every chapter began with an inspiring quote relating to the story, and this one was my favorite:"To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you." - Louis B. SmedeSOURCE: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.