MY REVIEW:

What could be more exciting than  four of your favorite authors collaborating on an anthology with related stories? That is just what happened when Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck, Denise Hunter, and Diann Hunt got together and came up with the idea for “Smitten”. Each author penned the story of one of four young women who reside in the Vermont town of Smitten and each story took up where the previous one left off. These ladies not only produced an interesting and fun tale, but the continuity between each installment was impeccable. I barely noticed when the story was handed over to the next writer. And the story works – even though the genre is very different from the usual styles of several of these authors.

The town of Smitten’s very existence was threatened by the closing of the lumber mill that employed much of its population. Unwilling to allow its demise, best friends Julia, Natalie, Shelby, and Reese come up with a brilliant idea to promote the town as a romantic getaway. Although most of the residents are eager to help, the four women meet resistance from some of the single men who can’t imagine how such a scheme could be successful.

What would a book with the title “Smitten” be without romance – lots of romance? Each of the friends has pretty much given up on finding a husband in their town. All of the eligible men have been their friends for years. It never crossed their mind to view these guys in any other light – until they began working together on the town projects. One by one, Natalie, Julia, Shelby, and Reese come to realize that the men they have always known are exactly the right men for them.

The story is rife with miscommunication, misunderstandings, and humor. Drama, action, and romance abound. I enjoyed the revelation each of the women had when they realized the love of their life had always been so close at hand. I also found myself a bit frustrated at the way they handled the situations which means that I got into the story enough to care about the characters.  I am actually having a difficult time reviewing this book without totally giving everything away. Just let me say that if you enjoy a good romance and would like a great book to escape into, then “Smitten” should be on your list.

 

This book was provided for review by BookSneeze.



ABOUT THE BOOK:

 

Four friends devise a plan to turn Smitten, Vermont, into the country’s premier romantic getaway-and each finds her own true love along the way.

With Smitten Lumber closing, residents wonder if their town can stay afloat. Then four friends and local business owners-Natalie, Julia, Shelby, and Reese–decide the town is worth saving. How will they do it? They’ll turn Smitten into a honeymoon destination!

As Natalie, Julia, Shelby, and Reese work to save the town, each discovers romance in her own life. Meanwhile, the faith of a little child reminds the whole town what it means to have real faith in the God who is the always and forever Love.

Discover a novel written by four of Christian fiction’s most popular romance novelists- friends in real life who’ve drawn an amazing story of four friends! Includes a Reading Group Guide as well as “Conversation over Coffee with the Authors”.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Colleen Coble: Best-selling author Colleen Coble’s novels have won or finaled in awards ranging from the Best Books of Indiana, ACFW Book of the Year, RWA’s RITA, the Holt Medallion, the Daphne du Maurier, National Readers’ Choice, and the Booksellers Best. She has nearly 2 million books in print and writes romantic mysteries because she loves to see justice prevail. Colleen is CEO of American Christian Fiction Writers and is a member of Romance Writers of America. She lives with her husband Dave in Indiana. Visit her website at www.colleencoble.com. Twitter @colleencoble
 Kristin Billerbeck: Kristin Billerbeck is the bestselling, award-winning author of several novels, including What a Girl Wants. A Christy Award finalist and two-time winner of the American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year award, Billerbeck has appeared on The Today Show and has been featured in the New York Times. She lives with her family in northern California.
 Denise Hunter: Denise Hunter is the best-selling author of many novels, including The Convenient Groom and Driftwood Lane. She lives in Indiana with her husband Kevin and their three sons. In 1996, Denise began her first book, a Christian romance novel, writing while her children napped. Two years later it was published, and she’s been writing ever since. Her books contain a strong romantic element, and her husband Kevin says he provides all her romantic material, but Denise insists a good imagination helps too! Visit her website at www.DeniseHunterBooks.com. Twitter @deniseahunter, facebook.com/group.php?gid=124248046980
 Diann Hunt: Diann Hunt has lived in Indiana forever, been happily married forever, loves her family, chocolate, her friends, her dog, and, well, chocolate.