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Smitten Novella #11
A New Chapter
The century-old "Gentlewoman's Guide to Love and Courtship" is no ordinary book club choice. But for the little book club in Smitten, Vermont, it might be their best pick yet!
When Lia's childhood best friend Joey moves back to town, his daughter plays matchmaker to help them find their own new beginning.
Lia is a kindergarten teacher who insists all the Smitten Book Club members read "Anne of Green Gables." She likes nothing better than a pastoral novel where an outsider finds a special place in an idyllic community.
When her childhood friend Joey moves back to Smitten with his daughter Grace in tow, Lia reaches out to help with Grace as Joey settles in as partner in his brother's dental practice. With a little matchmaking from Grace, Lia and Joey soon discover their friendship has grown into a love that could last a lifetime.
"Charming." -Best-selling author Robin Lee Hatcher of "Knit One, Love Two"
When Lia's childhood best friend Joey moves back to town, his daughter plays matchmaker to help them find their own new beginning.
Lia is a kindergarten teacher who insists all the Smitten Book Club members read "Anne of Green Gables." She likes nothing better than a pastoral novel where an outsider finds a special place in an idyllic community.
When her childhood friend Joey moves back to Smitten with his daughter Grace in tow, Lia reaches out to help with Grace as Joey settles in as partner in his brother's dental practice. With a little matchmaking from Grace, Lia and Joey soon discover their friendship has grown into a love that could last a lifetime.
"Charming." -Best-selling author Robin Lee Hatcher of "Knit One, Love Two"
70 pages, Paperback
First published January 14, 2014
10 people are currently reading
73 people want to read
About the author
Diann Hunt
39 books45 followersDiann Hunt wrote romantic comedy and humorous women's fiction targeted to Christian women of the Baby Boomer generation. She'd lived in Indiana forever, had been happily married forever, loved her family, chocolate, her friends, her dog, and, well, chocolate. Her book "For Better or For Worse" is being made into a Hallmark movie, with production beginning in November, 2013.
After a four-year battle with ovarian cancer, Diann went home to be with her Lord and Saviour just after Thanksgiving, 2013. She leaves behind a legacy of words of blessing, love for her Lord, her family, her close friends, and fans the world over who have come to know and love her and call her their friend.
After a four-year battle with ovarian cancer, Diann went home to be with her Lord and Saviour just after Thanksgiving, 2013. She leaves behind a legacy of words of blessing, love for her Lord, her family, her close friends, and fans the world over who have come to know and love her and call her their friend.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 23, 2019
Cute plot to this story. I enjoyed it more than any of the prior offerings.
March 13, 2024
A New Chapter was a lovely contemporary romance novella, and I think it's honestly my favorite so far of the titles included in Smitten Book Club.
Unlike the previous titles, this one had some deeper issues it was tackling, and I liked how grief was portrayed as hitting everyone differently, and how it can sometimes cause effects that no one could have ever expected. I also loved the focus on how we can't choose to forgive and move on ourselves, but rather have to be willing to let God do a work in our hearts.
Lia and Joey were both wonderful main characters, and I think a big reason of why I enjoyed this one as much as I did was that it's sort of a second chance romance since the two of them were best friends in their school days.
I only ended up having two slight complaints I feel I should mention before I conclude my review.
First, the ending is really rushed; even when taking the novella word count into consideration. And second, I didn't feel that this one dived as much into the mystery as the previous two titles did, but the sweet faith based romance more than made up for it.
Final Rating: 4/5.
I ended up enjoying this one, and I'm looking forward to reading the last title in the series shortly.
Unlike the previous titles, this one had some deeper issues it was tackling, and I liked how grief was portrayed as hitting everyone differently, and how it can sometimes cause effects that no one could have ever expected. I also loved the focus on how we can't choose to forgive and move on ourselves, but rather have to be willing to let God do a work in our hearts.
Lia and Joey were both wonderful main characters, and I think a big reason of why I enjoyed this one as much as I did was that it's sort of a second chance romance since the two of them were best friends in their school days.
I only ended up having two slight complaints I feel I should mention before I conclude my review.
First, the ending is really rushed; even when taking the novella word count into consideration. And second, I didn't feel that this one dived as much into the mystery as the previous two titles did, but the sweet faith based romance more than made up for it.
Final Rating: 4/5.
I ended up enjoying this one, and I'm looking forward to reading the last title in the series shortly.
April 30, 2014
A New Chapter by Diann Hunt
This one is about Lia and on Thanksgiving Day she bites into a walnut shell and cracks a tooth. Her mother and others talk her into getting it fixed that day as the dentist owes them a favor. Joey is the dentist when she arrives and they agree to have a coffee after...
They meet for coffee later and catch up with one another. He's lost his wife and has a child and is living at his relatives house til his house can be built. Lia's mother talks him into renting Lia's apartment upstairs and that way she can watch the child when needed.
Lia is also given the book from Abby in hopes they can find the gold for Molly. Lia is a school teacher.
Grace has a problem communicating with others since her mother died but Lia knows sign language. Joey wants to take Grace away for the holidays because he thinks it's too much of a reminder of her mother. Love hearing of Lia's mother and her knitting.
Reading her bible and the guide help her to see things in a new light and she tells Joey he needs to forgive the man who ran into his wife's car.
.
Won this book along with 9 other copies in a Facebook contest. I have read the other Smitten books and liked them.
This one is about Lia and on Thanksgiving Day she bites into a walnut shell and cracks a tooth. Her mother and others talk her into getting it fixed that day as the dentist owes them a favor. Joey is the dentist when she arrives and they agree to have a coffee after...
They meet for coffee later and catch up with one another. He's lost his wife and has a child and is living at his relatives house til his house can be built. Lia's mother talks him into renting Lia's apartment upstairs and that way she can watch the child when needed.
Lia is also given the book from Abby in hopes they can find the gold for Molly. Lia is a school teacher.
Grace has a problem communicating with others since her mother died but Lia knows sign language. Joey wants to take Grace away for the holidays because he thinks it's too much of a reminder of her mother. Love hearing of Lia's mother and her knitting.
Reading her bible and the guide help her to see things in a new light and she tells Joey he needs to forgive the man who ran into his wife's car.
.
Won this book along with 9 other copies in a Facebook contest. I have read the other Smitten books and liked them.
February 12, 2014
Review originally published on i blog 4 books: http://iblog4books.blogspot.com/2014/...
This novella has so many elements that I love in a story—childhood friends reuniting, kids playing a main role in the story, forgiveness as a major theme! Sigh. As Lia and Joey reconnect, I enjoyed getting to know them and see how their relationship grew out of their friendship as kids. While this was a short story at around 80 pages, it didn't feel short, and I think it has a lot to do with the fact they already knew one another. I also adored Lia's mom and Joey's daughter! Sweet story all the way around. It's hard to choose, but I think this one might be my favorite story in the collection. :) [5 stars]
I received a free copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through Litfuse Publicity in exchange for my fair and honest review.
This novella has so many elements that I love in a story—childhood friends reuniting, kids playing a main role in the story, forgiveness as a major theme! Sigh. As Lia and Joey reconnect, I enjoyed getting to know them and see how their relationship grew out of their friendship as kids. While this was a short story at around 80 pages, it didn't feel short, and I think it has a lot to do with the fact they already knew one another. I also adored Lia's mom and Joey's daughter! Sweet story all the way around. It's hard to choose, but I think this one might be my favorite story in the collection. :) [5 stars]
I received a free copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through Litfuse Publicity in exchange for my fair and honest review.
September 7, 2015
Really enjoyed this story about teacher, Lia, dentist, Joey, and his silent daughter, Grace. Joey has lost his wife in a devastating mall shooting. His daughter witnessed the murder and refuses to speak, preferring to use the sign language of her mother to communicate. Joey moves back to Smitten to be closer to family, friends, and to 'start over.' Lia, a former friend of Joey's, is a devoted teacher and works within Grace's abilities rather than trying to push her to give up her sign speech. Joey is thankful for her friendship and understanding, but isn't interested in a romantic relationship. Its too soon for him and Grace to think about such things, isn't it? How can Lia continue to be friends with Joey when he draws her near only to push her away? I found this to be a very tender story; Grace certainly touches the heart. This is my favorite in the Smitten Book Club series.
May 30, 2014
Lia has loved Joey forever. But they have always just been friends. When Joey returns to Smitten with a daughter, Lia finds that she still loves him. Joey's brother points out his feelings to him and through the Christmas season, a time of sorrow for Joey and Grace, he has to bring himself to the same conclusion. He has loved her forever.
July 4, 2016
Loved this series.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews