Magda knows a 28-year-old shouldn’t run away from home, but Rivers Bend is the ideal escape. Helping out her best friend will get her away from her uber-wealthy, controlling grandmother and duplicitous ex. She doesn’t expect the quirky little town to feel so much like home. Add in hotter-than-the-sun Jeff and his daughter, and leaving seems as unthinkable as it is inevitable.Raising Sam alone, … Jeff knew he wanted her to grow up in his supportive hometown. The arrival of a feisty new tenant sends Jeff’s world spinning. Magda fills a void in his life that he’d like to make permanent.Will love triumph over the most powerful woman in the country, and can they figure out how to make this happy-for-now in Rivers Bend into their happy-ever-after?
more
A SWEETER SPOT is sweet indeed! There’s so much to love about this book: the lively characters, the heartfelt romance, the flowing prose, and the warmth that practically oozes from the pages. The chemistry between the hero and heroine (Jeff and Magda) sizzles, but their bond goes deeper than mere physical attraction. They truly care about one another, and you’ll root for their happy ending. Well done, Ms. Simonetta! I can’t wait to read the next book in the series!
A spunky Librarian, a former foot-ball star with a tween daughter, a status conscious grandmother, and an ex-fiance anyone would drop like a hot potato.
These are the main stars in Donna Simmonetta’s newest release from The Wild Rose Press, A SWEETER SPOT.
Magda “Maggie” Horvath bolts from her NY home and job when she discovers her fiancé is doing the nasty with someone else. In all truth, Maggie’s never real felt she and Pierce were going to get a happily ever after of their own, but her domineering and social status conscious grandmother – who’s also Maggie’s employer – pushed the two into an engagement that was more a merger than a marriage.
So Maggie does the run-away-bride-to-be thing and lands in River’s Bend, Virginia to help her old college chum, Bethanne, who’s laid up on bed rest while pregnant. Beth’s the town librarian and Maggie agrees to run the library until Beth has the baby and is back on her feet. Beth’s husband has a business partner, Jeff ( the ex footballer) who’s more than a little gobsmacked when he meets Maggie. Jeff’s got a tween daughter, Samantha, and he’s always been worried about bringing any new females around his daughter. But when his attraction to Maggie makes him start rethinking that, Jeff makes his move.
Maggie’s ex, Pierce the Prick, is not only a cheater, he’s a drug abuser. He needs to marry Maggie to settle some very extensive debts, and her leaving is in no way going to stop that marriage. Armed with a pistol and a serious drug habit, he follows her to River’s Bend.
I hate spoilers, so I won’t tell you what happens, but will Maggie and Jeff have a shot at true love? Will her obnoxious grandmother ever see her for the person she is and not some substitute for Maggie’s own mother? Will Pierce get his comeuppance?
All questions you’ll have to read this delightful book to find out.
I truly enjoyed A SWEETER SPOT. It was the perfect mix of romance, a little suspense, and a whole lotta emotional growth on everyone’s part – my favorite kind of romance!
Do yourself a favor and get a copy. Then settle on to an old chair, get a cup of tea, and feel the warmth and love that flows through this book.
The first of a trilogy set in the fictional town of Rivers Bend Virginia, this is a story about overcoming former heartbreaks to find true love. The characters are real people that you care about. You will definitely want to read the rest of the trilogy (Love is Lovelier and What Was I Thinking?) after you finish A Sweeter Spot!
This is a sweet, sometimes funny, story about a spunky librarian and a former NFL player. Maggie’s grandmother is on a mission to right the wrong done a generation ago when Maggie’s mother married “beneath” her social status. Maggie is the one who has to rectify the mistakes of the past. Maggie finally had enough and left it all behind. She headed to VA to help her best friend out. Her time in Rivers Bend has an expiration date. Jeff is back in his hometown to be near family and raise his daughter after the tragic death of his wife. That’s long in the past, but there are still a few secrets surrounding it. In the midst of Maggie and Jeff’s growing attraction, her past comes back to visit. While this isn’t really a romantic suspense there is a little bit of it woven into the story. Mostly though, this is a light, fun, and entertaining read with down to earth characters, family and friends, that you’ll love.
It took me awhile to get into the story but when I did, I really enjoyed the interplay between the characters, and especially the setting in Rivers Bend, Virginia. Ms. Simonetta did a fantastic job creating a picturesque small, Southern town. I could imagine myself strolling downtown and being greeted by the friendly residents as I entered the library and spotted Magda (Maggie) Horvath behind the circulation desk. If I lingered for a time, I would spot Maggie’s hunky love interest, Jeff Brayden deliver a very special lunch treat for her. Jeff’s daughter, Samantha (Sam) was a delightful addition to the story. Actually, Ms. Simonetta excels with characterization, and I came away from the story feeling as if I knew each and every one, even Maggie’s horrific ex-fiancé and pitiful grandmother.
The occasional foul language and descriptive sex scenes kept me from giving this 5 stars. For me, they just didn’t fit the characters and story setting. However, I would recommend this book and author.
Jefferson (Jeff) Brayden was a former NFL player who lived with his daughter, Sam, in Rivers Bend, Virginia, and owned a corporate retreat with a former teammate and good friend, Francisco. He didn’t do long-term relationships because he wanted to protect his daughter from women who were only after the spotlight or his money. His wife had been like that and he didn’t want that kind of relationship ever again.
Magda (Maggie) Horvath had escaped from her grandmother and ex-fiance in New York and had come to Rivers Bend to help her best friend, Bethanne, out. Bethanne was Francisco’s wife and they were expecting their first child and she was on bedrest. Maggie came to work as the town librarian until Bethanne was back on her feet. Little did she know she would find love in the small town of Rivers Bend, Virginia. The sparks between Maggie and Jeff were were electrifying. She finally found the family she had always wanted.
My only criticism of the book is the occasional foul language and the descriptive sex scenes. Personally, those things are more of a turn-off rather than a turn-on.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.