Sweet Spot (Bakery Sisters)
In the second book of the Bakery Sisters trilogy (Sweet Talk, 2008), Nicole Keyes, tired of being the “Responsible One,” wants a life of her own. She has weathered some low points, most notably finding her younger sister in a compromising position with her husband, having major surgery, and dealing with the reappearance of her estranged twin. But now life has a new twist for Nicole. When Raoul, a teenager in the foster-child program, steals some donuts from her bakery, she wants to call the cops. Instead of answering her complaint, the police call Raoul’s coach, Eric “Hawk” Hawkins, who convinces a reluctant Nicole to let the youth work off his theft. Mallery explores the many facets of family relationships, and Nicole’s complex nonfamily involvements, in this heartwarming novel about how a woman at odds with the world learns to live with it, and sometimes even love in it. --Shelley Mosley