One divorce, one social media disaster, one random baby, and three unlikely friendships: welcome to The Sweet Spot.

Set in New York, this is a story of a baby who sparks an unexpected friendship amongst three women: Lauren is an artist, wife, and busy mom of three children. When she least expects it, she is given a deadline that can make or break her career. Olivia is young and on the verge of moving up in her job, until an encounter at work leaves her unemployed, with student loan debt and break-up remorse. And then there’s Melinda, who is lonely and angry after her divorce. And why not? She and her now ex-husband didn’t want children, but then he changed his mind when he fell for another, younger woman. Now Melinda wants revenge, and she knows exactly who was responsible for her ex-husband’s actions.
But revenge isn’t as great as Melinda had hoped when she ends up stuck with her ex’s baby due to unforeseen circumstances. Melinda can’t look after a baby by herself. She’s never done it before, so she swallows her pride and seeks help from Lauren and Olivia. While the three women are juggling everything in their own lives, all the while taking turns with a baby who doesn’t belong to any of them, they decide it’s time to track down the wayward parents.
The Sweet Spot is my first read by Amy Poeppel. Also, I had the pleasure of making her acquaintance at a book event at Bloomingdale’s. I have a copy of one of her previous books, Limelight, which I will read, I promise. I enjoyed reading this latest book, though. I was actually amazed by these women who were willing to lend a hand with a baby while they had their own, busy lives. It wasn’t just the three of them, though; Lauren’s family, including Olivia’s father, stepped in on many occasions. Honestly, in real life, I’m sure it would not work out that way. This was a situation, however, that not only brought everyone together, but it helped the main characters learn a lot about themselves. Whenever I read novels about family life, I often think, “My goodness, how do they do it?” I applaud them all.
Feel free to post your comments. Happy reading!
The Sweet Spot will be available on January 31, 2023.
About the author: Amy Poeppel is the award-winning author of the novels The Sweet Spot, Musical Chairs, Limelight, and Small Admissions. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Rumpus, Literary Hub, and Working Mother. She and her husband have three sons and split their time between New York City, Germany, and Connecticut. For more info, click here.