Review: Sweet Thing by Kate Meader

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

If you love age-gap, forbidden romance with a dose of found family and swoony chemistry, Sweet Thing is a must-read.

What I loved most about this book? Adeline. She’s not the polished, put-together heroine who has it all figured out—and that’s exactly what makes her so compelling. She’s the classic oldest daughter, constantly feeling out of step with her athletic, high-achieving family. Adeline’s journey of trying to find where she belongs, of carving out her own identity beyond “Theo’s daughter,” was raw and relatable. And I loved that she was the one pursuing Lars—owning her attraction and making the first move. That tension? That chemistry? Off the charts.

Lars is equally layered. He’s not perfect, but he shows up—and that matters. He’s just had a baby (surprise!) dropped into his life, and watching him rise to the challenge of fatherhood is heart-melting. There’s no over-the-top baby mama drama here (thank you, Kate Meader!). Just real, heartfelt conflict and growth. The forbidden element—Adeline being the daughter of Lars’ teammate and best friend—adds just the right touch of angst, but the way it’s handled feels authentic rather than overblown.

And let’s talk about the side characters for a second: the protective dad/brother energy usually isn’t my favorite, but here, the cluelessness of the guys just made me laugh. They were so dumb sometimes—but in a lovable way. On the other hand, Adeline’s mom? I wanted to shake her! It was so obvious what was happening with her daughter and Lars—how did she not see it?

The emotional depth of the story is balanced by humor, heart, and heat. There’s so much longing and tenderness, especially between Lars and Adeline, and the little found family they create with baby Mabel is adorable. I do wish we got just a bit more of them as a family after the conflict—because their chemistry was that good—but overall, I couldn’t stop reading.

This book hit all the right notes: strong character arcs, sizzling romance, a heroine you’ll root for, and a hero who rises to meet the moment. Sweet Thing was tender, angsty, sexy, and oh-so-satisfying. 💗

Tropes:

• Age gap
• Forbidden romance
• Single dad / secret baby
• Nanny romance
• Found family
• Protective dad/brother
• Emotional healing
• Slow Burn (Pop- 56%)