Review: The Sweet Spot by Kayla Perrin

Once again, I think I'm at a point where I'll read anything an author writes. After reading Getting Even and Say You Need Me last year (see the beauty of libraries?), I didn't hesitate to buy this book when I spotted it a few months ago. I'm so glad I didn't. This was a fantastic read for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the masterful use of description, characterization and suspense.

Zoë is an imperfect heroine. Which I think makes me like her more. Hell, I can definitely identify with her better than some of the svelte supermodels who happen to look gorgeous when they get out of bed, have fabulous wardrobes they found at the vintage store and shoe collections worth more than some island country's GDP. Okay, she's not ugly and she does have a strong liking for Starbucks and designer clothes/shoes, most of which she can scarcely afford, but I guess her slightly insane personality balances it all out. I was half-convinced Kahari might take out a restraining order before all was said and done.

Speaking of Kahari, he is kind of perfect. Like tall, gorgeous, loves kids, appears to be the nicest guy ever perfect. Of course, he's attracted a crazy stalker. Zoë, being slightly misguided, sees this as an opportunity to jumpstart her struggling career as a sportscaster. Okay, that's not quite how it happened. More like her tongue outran her brain (which was only dealing with half a plan), all hell broke loose and the next thing I know, she's stalking Kahari herself. Fun, right?

Ha. I think Kayla might say I'm misstating this stuff, but I swear, I thought Zoë had lost her ever-loving mind at some point. Strangely, that was part of the draw of the book. Insane, but realisitic in the way that some women seem to get in their own way when it comes to relationships. I was dying to find out how Zoë would get her man (in a way that didn't feel rushed and was realistic in context) if she kept doing all these little things that drove him nuts. That's why I ended up reading half the book in one go - I refused to go to sleep yesterday until I finished it. It took until after 4AM, but it was totally worth it.

Things that made me love this book (contains spoilers):

- Zoë getting rid of her dickish boyfriend.
- A heroine who kept me guessing through most of the book.
- Speaking of ^^, a delightful amount of suspense.
- The pacing of their romance. It wasn't an instant we're-madly-in-love-after-meeting-twice kind of thing, and their attraction to each other (in spite of the circumstances) felt real.
- In spite of the drama, there are some parts of the story that are so funny, I didn't want to put it down to work (which is how I ended up staying up so late to finish).

There are plenty of other factors that made me love this book, but it would turn into a summary of the story. Yes, I loved it that much. Yes, you should go buy it today. Click on the book cover at the top of this post to visit the author's website and read the first chapter.