Customer Reviews

Smitten

5 star:		(52)
4 star:		(43)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was surprised with the reviews I've read so far. And then I thought things over and realized that I am an avid romance reader so my bar is set high, and what I find is that this book is poor plot and character development. The story has potential, but the book trips over itself in a rush to reach the same outcome for the 4 main characters: I've fallen in love with a guy I've known since forever and God has to give me the courage to admit it.

I think that a book, christian or not, should take you on a journey, should let you glimpse into the characters thoughts, should make you feel. If the character eats a horrible cookie, I don't want to be informed of it, I want the description to lead me to the conclusion. If the character melts with a glance, I don't want to be told that, I want the description of the glance to melt me.

Everything happens very fast, all relationships are solved in a turn of the page and the reader is not given so much as a glimpse in to the deeper feelings, struggles and thoughts of the characters. The most this book will give you is something along the lines of "was that hurt she saw in his eyes?", "the pain was deep, he hurt her badly". As I said before, writers should take you to the emotions, feelings and somehow make you feel them too, not simply hand it to you on a platter.

I will say that Reese's story was written better than the others. Denise Hunter elaborated a little more on their feelings, but in the entire book left me lukewarm. This is not a book that will beg you to turn the page because you just have to know what's going to happen. This is not a book that will take you in to the characters head and make you commit to them. It's better than some other christian romances I've read, but it can't hold it's own when compared to great works of romance.

I give it 3 stars.

First I just have to say that I absolutely LOVE Denise Hunter, she is one of my favorite authors. I hadn't heard of the other authors but I figured if Denise was a part of the project I wouldn't be too disappointed. And the book did not disappoint me. I read it in one sitting over a few hours.

The story follows four friends, Natalie, Julia, Shelby and Reese, as they work to save their town. The ladies also find love along the way. The book is divided into 4 novellas, one for each character and author. The four stories blend together under the setting of Smitten, VT.

I loved the stories and thing I have found a few new authors to add to my reading collection. The stories of love and faith were beautiful as each women faced her fears as she found love in unexpected places. And the story of a little girls' faith flows though the entire collection.

Smitten's central plot is to save the small town's economy through the eyes of 4 noted authors, who created 4 romantically smitten women, each in their own image (in part), through 4 segments, involving 4 timber-men who pray, building to a charming Christian frothy cappuccino romance romp in Vermont, with enough pine sap and maple syrup to please women, and enough manly resilience to comfort male readers. A run-on sentence is the only way to superlatize this four-factor fiction.

Each segment is a season in the Smitten, VT struggle, as well as a story of one of the 4 friends who banded together in the quest to turn a faltering mill closed lumber town to a honeymoon hot spot. A capitalization on the town's name. But a place where lumber mill men are men, macho's who resist the town's new girly love-scape promo.

Colleen Coble's Natalie cares for niece Mia since her sis abandoned her. Rumors run rampant that the Smitten town founder's descendant is Mia's pa; a huge conflict as Nat's own heart begins to yearn for Carson Smitten. A save-Smitten town plan buds in spring. A little child, Mia, shall lead them.
Kristin Billerbeck's Julia considers a spa in Zak's unused half of greasy spoon, Smitten Grill. It's almost a perfect locale. But can BBQ sauce mix with crème, oil with water, or love with the past?
Diann Hunt's Shelby serves Social Graces in a finishing school needing fire repair, putting her in contact with a fireman and his daughter. There is smoke--will there be fire? Or will Shelby's baggage smother it?
Denise Hunter's Reese is the only remaining of the quartet pals without a beau. She begins remodeling for her outfitter shop with contractor Griffen to the rescue. Is it warm this Smitten winter, or is it my parka?

Although the authors admit putting some of their own personalities into their section's protagonist; there is no mention as to any real husband likeness in the Smitten's suitors. Hm, hm.
The town's plight is the thread that ties all 4 segments together, as well as the town's closely knit inhabitants. The best anthology (although it should not be call such) I've ever read. This group of Christian authors have a huge prior writing history, including many awards, Women of Faith books, and everything from comedy, romance, historical, and murder mysteries. I recommend buying this book, and another to give as a gift, and then check out the former books by any of these fine authors. Having all four under one cover is delightful as a waffle smathered with Vermont maple syrup...or, well, chocolate (right Diann?). Blogs hint of a potential sequel, perfect for all those smitten with Smitten.

This was a great rainy day read. I read it during my Thanksgiving vacation and had a hard time putting it down. Thes girls are wonderful, and I want to honeymoon in Smitten!

Smitten is a small logging town down on its luck. The town pulls together to try a different approach to getting their towns name on the map. Smitten= a romantic escape. The book is broken into four stories though each continues where the previous one left off. Each story is from a different woman's perspective and her experience this the transition to recreating the town of Smitten. Though this book is 432 pages long, I managed to read it all in one night. It is a hopeless romantics perfect escape book!

I wasn't familiar with any of the authors, but was very interested in reading this book when I read some of the reviews. I was not disappointed. This was like a little series in one book. I enjoyed the description of the town and really loved the characters.

Very sweet book. Very clean book. Loved the story of wanting to save the town of Smitten, Vermont. I thought all the authors did a great job and was happy to read that a second book will be coming in the future. I will be excited to read it.

I loved this book. It was so cute and definitely a fun romance novel! And I especially loved that each character's story was told by a different author. The book is broken up into four small novels each one about one of the women. And though the authors have different writing styles, they all compliment each other well and each new character's story picks up right where the one before it left off! It was so fun to read the story like this with different characters and different points of view! And each story was sweet and had me excited to see how it would end! If you want to read a book about overcoming obstacles and finding love along the way then this is definitely a book you should pick up!

Four best friends are determined to save their town after the sawmill closes down and leaves most the community jobless. When they convince country music singer Sawyer Smitten to move his wedding to small town Smitten on Valentine's day, they have their work cut out for them changing the town from a backwoods sawmill community to a romantic resort. Each woman shares the spotlight in this four-novels-in-one book.

Smitten, Vermont, a fictional town that will have you wishing that it were real. You'll meet characters who will stay in your life long after you've turned the last page.

Meet Natalie - the baker and decorator, who tries ever so hard to get her gluten-free recipes just right. She is caretaker of her niece who puts up wreaths of hope all over town much to the chagrin of the local Mr. Smitten himself.

Julie - the resident spa woman who goes head-to-head with a "backwoods" sawmill cook with no time for such frivolousness.

Shelby - Etiquette classes are all the rage for this southern genteel woman and no unshaven, blue jean wearin' man is going to stop her!

Reese - the outdoor enthusiast who wants to open a sports store and falls in love with her best friend. It's just too bad that her attempts to woo him end up turning the tables upside down.

Each woman is as dedicated to their hometown as the last. Four best friends leaving you with a smile and a feeling that just for a moment you were a part of their special friendship.

I'm not usually a big fan of short stories because I always feel like that just as I'm starting to really get into the character, the book ends. But I loved this book because it continued with the characters flowing through out the entire book.

Written by many of my favorite authors Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck, Diann Hunt and Denise Hunter, these women are true life best friends and the stories keep that flair through out.

What are you waiting for? Grab a chair and dive in! You won't want to miss out on the fun!

Many thanks to BookSneeze and Thomas Nelson for my review copy of this book. All opinion are mine without their input or suggestion.

I really enjoyed reading Smitten. It was a fun, light read that kept me very entertained. It was also very inspiring and true 'Chick lit'!

TThis was a darling story, written by 4 different authors using 4 different perspectives. While that might seem a bit daring, it all comes together nicely and tells a wonderful story as it unfolds before your very eyes. It is an inspirational romance novel with no sex or off color language to ruin your entertainment. It is a good, clean read that was very enjoyable.