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Smitten #1
Smitten
Welcome to Smitten, Vermont.
With the help of four friends, itÆs about to become the most romantic town in America.
The proposed closing of the lumber mill comes as unwelcome news for the citizens of Smitten. How will the town survive without its main employer? A close-knit group of women think theyÆve got just the plan to save Smitten. TheyÆll capitalize on its name and turn it into a tourist destination for loversùcomplete with sweet shops, a high-end spa, romantic music on the square, and cabins outfitted with fireplaces and hot tubs.
But is this manly town ready for an influx of romantically-minded guests?
Country music sensation Sawyer Smitten, the townÆs hometown hero, wants to help by holding his own wedding there on ValentineÆs Day. And little MiaÆs lavender wreaths hang all over town as a reminder that faith can work miracles. Along the way, four women spearheading the townÆs transformationùenergetic Natalie, sophisticated Julia, graceful Shelby, and athletic Reeseùget in the spirit by reviving their own love lives.
Join best-selling inspirational romance authors (and real-life BFFs) Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck, Diann Hunt, and Denise Hunter for an inspiring stay at the (soon-to-be) most romantic town on the eastern seaboard.
One visit . . . and youÆll be smitten too.
With the help of four friends, itÆs about to become the most romantic town in America.
The proposed closing of the lumber mill comes as unwelcome news for the citizens of Smitten. How will the town survive without its main employer? A close-knit group of women think theyÆve got just the plan to save Smitten. TheyÆll capitalize on its name and turn it into a tourist destination for loversùcomplete with sweet shops, a high-end spa, romantic music on the square, and cabins outfitted with fireplaces and hot tubs.
But is this manly town ready for an influx of romantically-minded guests?
Country music sensation Sawyer Smitten, the townÆs hometown hero, wants to help by holding his own wedding there on ValentineÆs Day. And little MiaÆs lavender wreaths hang all over town as a reminder that faith can work miracles. Along the way, four women spearheading the townÆs transformationùenergetic Natalie, sophisticated Julia, graceful Shelby, and athletic Reeseùget in the spirit by reviving their own love lives.
Join best-selling inspirational romance authors (and real-life BFFs) Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck, Diann Hunt, and Denise Hunter for an inspiring stay at the (soon-to-be) most romantic town on the eastern seaboard.
One visit . . . and youÆll be smitten too.
433 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2011
79 people are currently reading
2456 people want to read
About the author
Colleen Coble
147 books6,484 followersUSAToday bestselling author Colleen Coble lives with her husband, Dave, in Arizona. She is the author of dozens of novels including the Rock Harbor Series, the Aloha Reef Series, the Mercy Falls Series, the Hope Beach Series, the Lonestar Series and two Women of Faith fiction selections, Alaska Twilight and Midnight Sea. She has more than 6 million books in print.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 345 reviews
April 9, 2012
Smitten is a light read- there is little substance. Each story felt like the same plot and same characters with few variations. It all read like an annoyingly saccharine, sappy, low-budget, drawn out Hallmark movie. Each female protagonist felt like a slight reworking of the last- all were very distrusting and stubborn about silly things. In the first story, Natalie can't trust that Carson is the man he claims to be and seems to be just because she heard differently from her sister, who is notorious for being irresponsible and full of lies. Julia is too stubborn and proud to accept help when its offered to her by her crush, Zak, who she feels is only looking out for her because he's friends with her brother. Shelby has been friends with Nick for a long time but both are too stubborn to see the feelings that are obvious to everyone else (this is true for all of these characters). Reese is pretty much the same as Shelby, as Griffen has been her longtime best friend and has been in love with her for years, yet she can't see it.
So if you don't mind predictable stories that have you wanting to bash characters heads together to just see what's right in front of them... then go ahead and read Smitten. These characters all need a dose of sense- to learn to be honest with their feelings and to open their eyes to what is obvious to everyone else. I suppose that could be said for anyone, but it was a particularly annoying lesson to learn here as it is the same theme in each of the four stories. I would have rather read one cohesive story that wove together these characters- in ways that weren't repeats of the matches made before. Reading one after the other like this, especially when the stories are short, they all kind of blend together with not enough to differentiate them.
I would recommend checking this out from the library before you spend the $$ on it... unless you're in the mood for some brainless, sappy fluff to read.
So if you don't mind predictable stories that have you wanting to bash characters heads together to just see what's right in front of them... then go ahead and read Smitten. These characters all need a dose of sense- to learn to be honest with their feelings and to open their eyes to what is obvious to everyone else. I suppose that could be said for anyone, but it was a particularly annoying lesson to learn here as it is the same theme in each of the four stories. I would have rather read one cohesive story that wove together these characters- in ways that weren't repeats of the matches made before. Reading one after the other like this, especially when the stories are short, they all kind of blend together with not enough to differentiate them.
I would recommend checking this out from the library before you spend the $$ on it... unless you're in the mood for some brainless, sappy fluff to read.
October 21, 2023
An absolutely delightful town full of fun characters. Seriously, it's like reading a Hallmark book that isn't all Christmas.
I loved the "save-the-town" plot and several of the character arcs, but I have to admit, much of the book is a one note. All four stories focus on the "mean men" who don't like the little women doing what they can't. All four have both realistic and unrealistic sides to the relationship problem, and in the end... I don't know. There were some deep spiritual issues in these stories, but I felt like most of those were handled in a rather shallow way.
And I think I just figured out my problem. There are four novellas in this book. To do the stories justice (and keep them from feeling like the same story with different characters), they needed to be full-length novels that really dug into issues and roadblocks. That's the problem.
I loved the "save-the-town" plot and several of the character arcs, but I have to admit, much of the book is a one note. All four stories focus on the "mean men" who don't like the little women doing what they can't. All four have both realistic and unrealistic sides to the relationship problem, and in the end... I don't know. There were some deep spiritual issues in these stories, but I felt like most of those were handled in a rather shallow way.
And I think I just figured out my problem. There are four novellas in this book. To do the stories justice (and keep them from feeling like the same story with different characters), they needed to be full-length novels that really dug into issues and roadblocks. That's the problem.
January 5, 2024
Cute story of four friends who finally find love in the unlikely of places, right before their eyes.
April 14, 2012
I was really looking forward to reading this book. It looked like a fun lighthearted read with a really interesting premise of trying to turn a mill town into a lover's retreat. I could have gotten past the amateurish writing, even though there were many instances that inspired rolling of the eyes. The problem I had the most trouble with was the way Christianity was beaten into the book with a cudgel. I don't have a problem when books have a very christian setting or undertone, in fact some of my favorite books do. But I prefer to have the spiritual beliefs and/or journeys intricately woven into the story as an integral part of the whole tale. It can make a good book truly great. The authors here however felt that it was necessary to hit you over the head with their beliefs using the characters to do so. It was like constantly running into that guy at work, yes you all know the one I mean, who ambushes you at the most inopportune times to discuss "his" beliefs in God or the bible. You start to wonder if he is trying to convince you of them, or himself? I cannot even finish this book which is very disappointing considering how much I was looking forward to it.
July 3, 2016
Four best friends hatched a plan to save the town of Smitten when the mill closed down. This is a sweet romantic tale of how love and faith saved a town and it's people.
I really enjoyed reading this novella. Even though each of the four stories were written by different authors, it flowed together very smoothly. I appreciated the way each woman's faith was shown. The authors sort of mirrored the characters after themselves and I loved how they added little details to the story that made it more personal to them. Each woman was different and yet they were able to come together and put their faith into action to implement something beautiful and successful.
There are discussion questions and an interview with the authors at the back of the book.
A very cute story that makes for a fun, fast read.
I received this book free of charge from Booksneeze in exchange for my honest review.
I really enjoyed reading this novella. Even though each of the four stories were written by different authors, it flowed together very smoothly. I appreciated the way each woman's faith was shown. The authors sort of mirrored the characters after themselves and I loved how they added little details to the story that made it more personal to them. Each woman was different and yet they were able to come together and put their faith into action to implement something beautiful and successful.
There are discussion questions and an interview with the authors at the back of the book.
A very cute story that makes for a fun, fast read.
I received this book free of charge from Booksneeze in exchange for my honest review.
July 17, 2012
Take four women who are some of the best authors of Christian Fiction, and have them collaborate and design four unique characters, each with a bit of their own personalities, create a storyline and a place and put it all together and you have the makings of the novel, Smitten. It was written by Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck, Diann Hunt and Denise Hunter with each of them writing a specific chapter geared around the small town of Smitten, Vermont, who has come under hard economic times. Faced with the mill closing which employs 500 people, the town rallies around the idea of creating a play on the word of their town's name, Smitten, which they believe implies the feeling of love.
Their idea is to create a tourist town that will draw people to it, honeymooners, lovers, people celebrating such milestones as weddings and anniversary's and those simply looking to find love to the town of Smitten. Most of the town is excited about the prospects this could mean for new business opportunities but also a great place to call home. However when Carson Smitten hears about the idea, he is greatly opposed and thinks there is a better way, but he can't quite come up with one that will work fast enough and slowly the town's residents begin to warm his heart up to the idea.
In the first installment of the book, "Natalie: Birthday Wishes" by Colleen Coble takes the story first when the idea is presented to the town council. Natalie Mansfield, is the owner of Mountain Perks, and who is also raising her niece Mia, now 5, since her mother, Lisa abandoned her and left town. Rumors circulate that Carson Smitten is the father, although he denies ever being with Lisa long enough for that to happen, but Natalie can't help but wonder why he won't subject himself to a paternity test to prove it. While working together to find ways to remodel the town for the new look of love, she finds herself working closely with Carson to help renovate his fishing cabins which remain seriously outdated and less than booked for the season. Natalie learns that Carson's brother has a great idea to help kick start the town's new launch and it may boost more love in the town than anyone recognized.
In the second installment of the book, "Julia: Small Town, Big Dreams" by Kristin Billerbeck, the emerging story of the character of Julia we caught a glimpse of earlier in the book continues to grow with her story as one of Natalie's closest friends. Julia Bourne is trying to do her part with the town of Smitten to redefine itself as a romantic destination and desires to open a upscale spa. Since leaving New York, she reaches out to contact Devlin Stovich, a successful New York spa owner and someone who has the money she needs to invest in her idea. When he agrees to come to Smitten, he finds the location of Smitten Grill, a former restaurant geared to the logging industry as the perfect location that now lies abandoned and vacant. However upon closer inspection they both learn that the owner, Zak Grant has ideas of his own on how to renovate the space. Will they be able to work together for the good of the town or will Julia be sent back to New York instead?
In the third installment of the book, "Shelby: You've Got A Friend" by Diann Hunt, we meet the third in this group of 4 best friends, Shelby Evans who arrives to her home in Smitten and meets the local fire department there to put out a fire in her Victorian Home. Nick Majors, a volunteer fireman stops her from entering along with her Shih-poo, Penelope until it is safe to go inside. Shelby was using the downstairs for Classes for Social Graces, a program to help young girls become ladies while she lived upstairs. She learns through Nick, that she is responsible for leaving a glue gun unattended and apparently there are more that just sparks flying between the two of them. Will romance be fanned into flames or will they simply be smitten with one another but remain friends?
In the final installment of the book, "Reese: All Along" by Denise Hunter, we get the opportunity to meet Reese Mackenzie, the local girl who is your all around sports enthusiast who is trying to launch her own business of opening a sporting goods store and is working with her friend, Griffin Parker. What makes this difficult for Reese is that the whole town is rallying around recreating their town and making it the newest romantic destination to compare with the Poconos but in addition to this is the celebrity wedding to their town's newest country star, Sawyer Smitten, Reese's former boyfriend, who is planning on using the town to host his own wedding. Will Reese be able to define her own feelings for Sawyer or is she about to be smitten with someone from her past instead?
I received Smitten by these amazing and talented authors compliments of Thomas Nelson and Net Galley for my honest review. I really enjoyed these individual but connected mini romances found inside the cover of this book. You truly feel like you're getting 4 books in 1 and this is one of the reasons I rate this one a 5 out of 5 stars. This novel is geared to the hopeful romantic in all of us.
Their idea is to create a tourist town that will draw people to it, honeymooners, lovers, people celebrating such milestones as weddings and anniversary's and those simply looking to find love to the town of Smitten. Most of the town is excited about the prospects this could mean for new business opportunities but also a great place to call home. However when Carson Smitten hears about the idea, he is greatly opposed and thinks there is a better way, but he can't quite come up with one that will work fast enough and slowly the town's residents begin to warm his heart up to the idea.
In the first installment of the book, "Natalie: Birthday Wishes" by Colleen Coble takes the story first when the idea is presented to the town council. Natalie Mansfield, is the owner of Mountain Perks, and who is also raising her niece Mia, now 5, since her mother, Lisa abandoned her and left town. Rumors circulate that Carson Smitten is the father, although he denies ever being with Lisa long enough for that to happen, but Natalie can't help but wonder why he won't subject himself to a paternity test to prove it. While working together to find ways to remodel the town for the new look of love, she finds herself working closely with Carson to help renovate his fishing cabins which remain seriously outdated and less than booked for the season. Natalie learns that Carson's brother has a great idea to help kick start the town's new launch and it may boost more love in the town than anyone recognized.
In the second installment of the book, "Julia: Small Town, Big Dreams" by Kristin Billerbeck, the emerging story of the character of Julia we caught a glimpse of earlier in the book continues to grow with her story as one of Natalie's closest friends. Julia Bourne is trying to do her part with the town of Smitten to redefine itself as a romantic destination and desires to open a upscale spa. Since leaving New York, she reaches out to contact Devlin Stovich, a successful New York spa owner and someone who has the money she needs to invest in her idea. When he agrees to come to Smitten, he finds the location of Smitten Grill, a former restaurant geared to the logging industry as the perfect location that now lies abandoned and vacant. However upon closer inspection they both learn that the owner, Zak Grant has ideas of his own on how to renovate the space. Will they be able to work together for the good of the town or will Julia be sent back to New York instead?
In the third installment of the book, "Shelby: You've Got A Friend" by Diann Hunt, we meet the third in this group of 4 best friends, Shelby Evans who arrives to her home in Smitten and meets the local fire department there to put out a fire in her Victorian Home. Nick Majors, a volunteer fireman stops her from entering along with her Shih-poo, Penelope until it is safe to go inside. Shelby was using the downstairs for Classes for Social Graces, a program to help young girls become ladies while she lived upstairs. She learns through Nick, that she is responsible for leaving a glue gun unattended and apparently there are more that just sparks flying between the two of them. Will romance be fanned into flames or will they simply be smitten with one another but remain friends?
In the final installment of the book, "Reese: All Along" by Denise Hunter, we get the opportunity to meet Reese Mackenzie, the local girl who is your all around sports enthusiast who is trying to launch her own business of opening a sporting goods store and is working with her friend, Griffin Parker. What makes this difficult for Reese is that the whole town is rallying around recreating their town and making it the newest romantic destination to compare with the Poconos but in addition to this is the celebrity wedding to their town's newest country star, Sawyer Smitten, Reese's former boyfriend, who is planning on using the town to host his own wedding. Will Reese be able to define her own feelings for Sawyer or is she about to be smitten with someone from her past instead?
I received Smitten by these amazing and talented authors compliments of Thomas Nelson and Net Galley for my honest review. I really enjoyed these individual but connected mini romances found inside the cover of this book. You truly feel like you're getting 4 books in 1 and this is one of the reasons I rate this one a 5 out of 5 stars. This novel is geared to the hopeful romantic in all of us.
December 4, 2011
The setting for this delightful book is picturesque Vermont, in the town of Smitten. When the livelihood of the town is threatened by the local Mills closing, four girlfriends, with business minds and visions, and a true faith of following God decide to change things!
There are four distinct stories woven by four great authors into one, one story starts the book by Colleen Coble. She put Natalie and Carson Smitten on the path to collision and romance. Natalie is raising her niece Mia, who turns out to be the inspiration for the whole town. Mia has made lavender wreaths and is sharing her faith with all.
The second story is by Kristin Billerbeck and is the story of Julia, a girl in stiletto heels and NYC spa dreams. When her former boss Devlin comes to town to offer her advice and a possible backing, he chooses a site she finds impossible. It is part of Zak Grant's Grill!! You will find several chuckles, and wonder how things can ever turn out in a Grill!
The third story is Shelby's by Diann Hunt. Shelby seems a bit creative and at the same time a bit scatter brained. She ends up having a fire in her home, by leaving a glue gun on and going out. This is a sweet story and one that shows you need to trust God all the way!
Nick Majors is a good friend, but lacks a lot of trust. He unexpectedly has his 12 year old daughter Whitney come and live with him, his ex-wife dies.
Love the interaction between Shelby and Whitney. You will cringe at some of Nick's boo boos and laugh at some of his others.
The fourth story is Reese's by Denise Hunter . Reese Mackenzie was formerly engaged to Sawyer Smitten, who is now famous and is helping the town with its new Romantic Theme. He is getting married here and has written a song to celebrate and help.
Griffin Parker has loved Reese for a long time, even left town when she was engaged to Sawyer. He is now helping with building Reese's Outdoor Store, and finding himself falling all over for Reese. You will wonder if Reese is still in love with Sawyer, or now Griffin.
Love how all these stories melded together and blended into a cohesive book. I could just picture the Lake, the town square, the carriage rides. Enjoy this refreshing look at life in Vermont!
There is also going to be a sequel coming next year!!
I received this book from the Publisher Thomas Nelson and Booksneeze, and was not required to give a positive review.
There are four distinct stories woven by four great authors into one, one story starts the book by Colleen Coble. She put Natalie and Carson Smitten on the path to collision and romance. Natalie is raising her niece Mia, who turns out to be the inspiration for the whole town. Mia has made lavender wreaths and is sharing her faith with all.
The second story is by Kristin Billerbeck and is the story of Julia, a girl in stiletto heels and NYC spa dreams. When her former boss Devlin comes to town to offer her advice and a possible backing, he chooses a site she finds impossible. It is part of Zak Grant's Grill!! You will find several chuckles, and wonder how things can ever turn out in a Grill!
The third story is Shelby's by Diann Hunt. Shelby seems a bit creative and at the same time a bit scatter brained. She ends up having a fire in her home, by leaving a glue gun on and going out. This is a sweet story and one that shows you need to trust God all the way!
Nick Majors is a good friend, but lacks a lot of trust. He unexpectedly has his 12 year old daughter Whitney come and live with him, his ex-wife dies.
Love the interaction between Shelby and Whitney. You will cringe at some of Nick's boo boos and laugh at some of his others.
The fourth story is Reese's by Denise Hunter . Reese Mackenzie was formerly engaged to Sawyer Smitten, who is now famous and is helping the town with its new Romantic Theme. He is getting married here and has written a song to celebrate and help.
Griffin Parker has loved Reese for a long time, even left town when she was engaged to Sawyer. He is now helping with building Reese's Outdoor Store, and finding himself falling all over for Reese. You will wonder if Reese is still in love with Sawyer, or now Griffin.
Love how all these stories melded together and blended into a cohesive book. I could just picture the Lake, the town square, the carriage rides. Enjoy this refreshing look at life in Vermont!
There is also going to be a sequel coming next year!!
I received this book from the Publisher Thomas Nelson and Booksneeze, and was not required to give a positive review.
August 19, 2011
When the mill in the small town of Smitten closes, the townspeople are nervous that they will lose their beloved city. Four friends, Natalie, Julia, Shelby, and Reese, decide to save their town by making Smitten the go-to spot for honeymooners and couples in love. Now, they just need to convince the men in the town that their idea will work. Will they be able to convince the men in their lives to take a chance on love and on Smitten?
For years, I have been reading the blog that Kristin, Colleen, Denise, and Diann have together. Their friendship and love for one another is evident in each post. The four women in Smitten are based on the authors themselves, and I think that’s one reason this book flows smoothly. Many times when you read a book that has two or three novellas that contain the same characters, the characters are different in each book, which is annoying for a reader. Because these authors know each other so well, the characters remain true to themselves throughout all four stories, creating one continuous novel. The characters are as vibrant and as real as the women who created the tale, and their friendship is authentic and comfortable. The element of faith in Jesus is presented as each woman struggles in her spiritual walk, but the book is never preachy, which is a plus in my book.
After reading this, I want to visit Smitten. Fans of these four authors will love this book and feel like they know the authors a little more after reading it.
Check out the authors at their blog: http://www.girlswriteout.blogspot.com/
For years, I have been reading the blog that Kristin, Colleen, Denise, and Diann have together. Their friendship and love for one another is evident in each post. The four women in Smitten are based on the authors themselves, and I think that’s one reason this book flows smoothly. Many times when you read a book that has two or three novellas that contain the same characters, the characters are different in each book, which is annoying for a reader. Because these authors know each other so well, the characters remain true to themselves throughout all four stories, creating one continuous novel. The characters are as vibrant and as real as the women who created the tale, and their friendship is authentic and comfortable. The element of faith in Jesus is presented as each woman struggles in her spiritual walk, but the book is never preachy, which is a plus in my book.
After reading this, I want to visit Smitten. Fans of these four authors will love this book and feel like they know the authors a little more after reading it.
Check out the authors at their blog: http://www.girlswriteout.blogspot.com/
August 15, 2014
It was hard to get into the first story but I liked the characters involved. Second story a little better. I did not like the third story. I like the girl in the story but the man was a jerk. He was not a jerk just one time but numerous times. I thought the girl was a doormat to let him walk on her that many times. In the end he said sorry but she took him back too quickly. She should have made him squirm some but since this was just one story in four I guess the author could not have written the book that way. I loved the fourth story in the book. It was cute and made me laugh. The fourth story by Denise Hunter redeemed the whole book and brought up the star rating.
August 12, 2015
Really enjoyed these!
The only thing is that there were many places, especially in the dialogue, where new sentences went to the next line & became a new paragraph. Because of that, it often seemed like another person had started talking when they really hadn't. It got kinda confusing, but I was able to easily figure it out so it wasn't a huge deal.
The only thing is that there were many places, especially in the dialogue, where new sentences went to the next line & became a new paragraph. Because of that, it often seemed like another person had started talking when they really hadn't. It got kinda confusing, but I was able to easily figure it out so it wasn't a huge deal.
March 30, 2022
This was a cute collection of novellas about four friends who is always there for each other and about their own path to love.
Fans of romance will enjoy this one.
*I listened to this on Scribd.*
Fans of romance will enjoy this one.
*I listened to this on Scribd.*
December 9, 2025
4.5⭐️
So there is 3 books in this one, listen, and 3 different couples in each of the books. They all connect to each other, the faith that each of these people had in God was amazing. It may have taken them a little while to fully trust in God's plan, but they got there. It was so cool to listen to and to see them struggle, but also face their fears and their doubts and pray, also, knowing the scripture that connected with the issue that they were having at the time and then trust in the Lord that everything will go the way that it is supposed to. This was an excellent read
So there is 3 books in this one, listen, and 3 different couples in each of the books. They all connect to each other, the faith that each of these people had in God was amazing. It may have taken them a little while to fully trust in God's plan, but they got there. It was so cool to listen to and to see them struggle, but also face their fears and their doubts and pray, also, knowing the scripture that connected with the issue that they were having at the time and then trust in the Lord that everything will go the way that it is supposed to. This was an excellent read
January 2, 2012
Title: SMITTEN
Authors: Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck, Diann Hunt, Denise Hunter
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
December 2011
ISBN: 978-1-4016-849405
Genre: Inspirational/novella/contemporary romance
Smitten, Vermont has hit a rough patch. After years of service, the lumber camp—and main source of employment for the men in the town—has declared bankruptcy and closed. The people of Smitten are stunned and shocked. With no job for the men, the town will shrivel up and die.
But four women in the town are determined to fight for their town. Natalie is raising her sister’s little girl and is desperate to provide stability in the little girl’s life. She comes up with a brilliant plan to make the town a romantic getaway for couples. A country star seems to be on board with her plan when he hears about it and schedules his wedding in Smitten. That gets most of the town on board with the plan. But some of the people can’t seem to get the backing needed for their ideas. Is the town doomed to die?
SMITTEN is a collection of four novellas that are all tied together by four very close friends who are all working together to save the town and find romance on the way. Even though the four authors in this collection are all award-winning authors in different genres they work well together and this collection of novellas is head and shoulders above their competition. All four of the stories were stellar and all were penned by some of my favorite writers.
If you are looking for a contemporary romance novella collection then look no further. This is a book that you’ll read and put on your keeper shelf. I can’t wait for the second novella collection coming in December 2012. There are plenty of extras included at the end of the book too, such as an interview with the authors, recipes, exercise tips, facial hints and more. Highly recommended. 5 stars. $15.99. 422 pages.
Authors: Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck, Diann Hunt, Denise Hunter
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
December 2011
ISBN: 978-1-4016-849405
Genre: Inspirational/novella/contemporary romance
Smitten, Vermont has hit a rough patch. After years of service, the lumber camp—and main source of employment for the men in the town—has declared bankruptcy and closed. The people of Smitten are stunned and shocked. With no job for the men, the town will shrivel up and die.
But four women in the town are determined to fight for their town. Natalie is raising her sister’s little girl and is desperate to provide stability in the little girl’s life. She comes up with a brilliant plan to make the town a romantic getaway for couples. A country star seems to be on board with her plan when he hears about it and schedules his wedding in Smitten. That gets most of the town on board with the plan. But some of the people can’t seem to get the backing needed for their ideas. Is the town doomed to die?
SMITTEN is a collection of four novellas that are all tied together by four very close friends who are all working together to save the town and find romance on the way. Even though the four authors in this collection are all award-winning authors in different genres they work well together and this collection of novellas is head and shoulders above their competition. All four of the stories were stellar and all were penned by some of my favorite writers.
If you are looking for a contemporary romance novella collection then look no further. This is a book that you’ll read and put on your keeper shelf. I can’t wait for the second novella collection coming in December 2012. There are plenty of extras included at the end of the book too, such as an interview with the authors, recipes, exercise tips, facial hints and more. Highly recommended. 5 stars. $15.99. 422 pages.
June 21, 2012
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Smitten was such a fun and enjoyable read! The four individual stories (Natalie: Birthday Wishes; Julia: Small Town, Big Dreams; Shelby: You’ve Got a Friend; and Reese: All Along) that made up the book flowed wonderfully together and I loved each one of them.
The characters in Smitten were great - I liked pretty much all of the main characters. While it did take me a few chapters to get completely into the story, once I did, it seemed that as the book progressed, I continued to like the story more and more!
I don’t really know which one of the four stories was my favorite (they were all great!), but I especially loved the last one. =) With a great ending, Smitten leaves me very much looking forward to Secretly Smitten which is set to release this December.
I definitely recommend Smitten if you enjoy romance novels - I think it is unique and a great read!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book for my review. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion – which I’ve done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.*
Was my review helpful? If so, please click "yes" on Amazon. Thanks! =)
Smitten was such a fun and enjoyable read! The four individual stories (Natalie: Birthday Wishes; Julia: Small Town, Big Dreams; Shelby: You’ve Got a Friend; and Reese: All Along) that made up the book flowed wonderfully together and I loved each one of them.
The characters in Smitten were great - I liked pretty much all of the main characters. While it did take me a few chapters to get completely into the story, once I did, it seemed that as the book progressed, I continued to like the story more and more!
I don’t really know which one of the four stories was my favorite (they were all great!), but I especially loved the last one. =) With a great ending, Smitten leaves me very much looking forward to Secretly Smitten which is set to release this December.
I definitely recommend Smitten if you enjoy romance novels - I think it is unique and a great read!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book for my review. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion – which I’ve done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.*
Was my review helpful? If so, please click "yes" on Amazon. Thanks! =)
September 3, 2016
What a fun book! I love how all of the novellas together tell a full, continuing story. What a wonderful idea for these four authors, to each take a character and tell that character's story in their specific novella.
The stories tell of a group of friends who are determined to save their Vermont logging town, named Smitten, from becoming a ghost town when the main logging business closes. The idea is born to turn Smitten into a romantic tourist destination. The ladies face opposition from some in the town and wonderful support from others. All four novellas tell the stories of how each woman finds her love when least expected. Very fun!
I was already a fan of Colleen Coble and Denise Hunter, and am glad to have now read and enjoyed the novellas from Kristin Billerbeck and Diann Hunt. I must admit that it was bittersweet to read the story from Diann Hunt, knowing that she recently passed away and that the other three authors are missing their close friend.
I am excited to read the next installments from the town of Smitten. This was a cute and well-done novella collection.
You can read this review on my blog at:
http://brittreadsfiction.wordpress.co...
The stories tell of a group of friends who are determined to save their Vermont logging town, named Smitten, from becoming a ghost town when the main logging business closes. The idea is born to turn Smitten into a romantic tourist destination. The ladies face opposition from some in the town and wonderful support from others. All four novellas tell the stories of how each woman finds her love when least expected. Very fun!
I was already a fan of Colleen Coble and Denise Hunter, and am glad to have now read and enjoyed the novellas from Kristin Billerbeck and Diann Hunt. I must admit that it was bittersweet to read the story from Diann Hunt, knowing that she recently passed away and that the other three authors are missing their close friend.
I am excited to read the next installments from the town of Smitten. This was a cute and well-done novella collection.
You can read this review on my blog at:
http://brittreadsfiction.wordpress.co...
April 8, 2022
This collection was okay. It felt like a half baked attempt at a hallmark movie. All the characters seemed like carbon copies of each other and the plot was basically the same for them all. I only made it past Natalie’s story. I couldn’t bear to finish Julia’s story because these heroines were giving me a headache.
It grated on my nerves that Natalie couldn’t trust Carson even after seeing all the evidence necessary to prove he was innocent of her horrible accusations. Instead, she chose to believe her lying, no good sister who neglected her own child for years. Julia, also didn’t trust Zak. Instead of growing up, she chose to nurse a grudge the size of Texas because Zak rejected her in high school🤦🏽♀️
Needless to say, while I did like the heroes, the female MCs were stubborn, immature and petty. I could not finish this book.
Content: Clean, Kissing, Heavy on the Christian elements.
It grated on my nerves that Natalie couldn’t trust Carson even after seeing all the evidence necessary to prove he was innocent of her horrible accusations. Instead, she chose to believe her lying, no good sister who neglected her own child for years. Julia, also didn’t trust Zak. Instead of growing up, she chose to nurse a grudge the size of Texas because Zak rejected her in high school🤦🏽♀️
Needless to say, while I did like the heroes, the female MCs were stubborn, immature and petty. I could not finish this book.
Content: Clean, Kissing, Heavy on the Christian elements.
September 21, 2023
This was a little too Hallmark and Chick-Lit for me but I did like how all four novellas were interconnected.
Four friends try to revive their town of Smitten, VT after the long time lumber mill goes out of business. They look to turn it into a romantic destination place due to the upcoming wedding of local boy made Nashville star decides to get married back home.
Each woman looks to open a different business and meet up with the all the town's hunks to get together.
Four friends try to revive their town of Smitten, VT after the long time lumber mill goes out of business. They look to turn it into a romantic destination place due to the upcoming wedding of local boy made Nashville star decides to get married back home.
Each woman looks to open a different business and meet up with the all the town's hunks to get together.
September 1, 2018
I was expecting something light and fun but was disappointed. I also didn't like the characters or their romances. They each got a happy ending, though. The setting was cute; it was the one thing that I liked about these stories.
June 3, 2023
Collection of four novellas written by four different authors. Loved the way the novellas connected and moved the story through time.
December 29, 2014
This "book" was not worth the read, to be honest. It was really four novellas, all with the same annoying premise, all with the same predictable happy endings. The characters were almost all exactly alike and I essentially felt like I read the same sappy love story four times in one book. Girl secretly falls for guy. Guy has secretly been in love with girl for YEARS, but he's a MANLY MAN and can't admit to it. Then they kiss and live happily ever after.
Blech. Nope. Not for me.
I understand that the novellas had to move quickly in order to not drag out the plot (thin as it was), but within like four pages, the town goes under, these random girls have an idea how to fix it, everyone suddenly agrees to it, and thus ends the conflict. Except for the romantic conflicts, which were trite and annoying and made me dislike every character in the book. Including Mia. Yeah, I hated the five year old girl in the book. I said it.
Anyway, under no circumstance would I recommend this book to anyone. I would actually give it half a star, that's how underwhelmed I was by it. I HATED the language that these young women used. "Drat it"? Really? I don't know any twenty something that says that. Ugh.
Other than not recommending this book to friends and family, I also have no intention of reading anything else any of the four contributing authors have written. Their writing styles are just not my style. They did not capture my interest on any plane and I wouldn't take a chance on any of their other books. Sorry.
Blech. Nope. Not for me.
I understand that the novellas had to move quickly in order to not drag out the plot (thin as it was), but within like four pages, the town goes under, these random girls have an idea how to fix it, everyone suddenly agrees to it, and thus ends the conflict. Except for the romantic conflicts, which were trite and annoying and made me dislike every character in the book. Including Mia. Yeah, I hated the five year old girl in the book. I said it.
Anyway, under no circumstance would I recommend this book to anyone. I would actually give it half a star, that's how underwhelmed I was by it. I HATED the language that these young women used. "Drat it"? Really? I don't know any twenty something that says that. Ugh.
Other than not recommending this book to friends and family, I also have no intention of reading anything else any of the four contributing authors have written. Their writing styles are just not my style. They did not capture my interest on any plane and I wouldn't take a chance on any of their other books. Sorry.
January 22, 2012
Smitten is a delightful collection of four novellas written by Colleen Coble, Kristen Billerbeck, Diann Hunt, and Denise Hunter.
The town of Smitten, Vermont, seems doomed when the main employer, a lumber mill, announces it is closing. Smitten tells the story of four friends who won’t let the town die without a fight. They launch a scheme to turn Smitten into a honeymoon destination. Each of the friends agrees to tackle an aspect of the town’s rebirth, with heartwarming results.
I loved the novella format as a way of telling this story. Each of the authors puts her own spin on her protagonist, giving variety to the characters’ actions. The four novellas dovetail with ongoing sub-plots. One I particularly enjoyed was a character named Natalie’s continuing struggle to produce edible gluten-free treats at Mountain Perks, a coffee shop she owns in Smitten.
If you’re looking for a fun read over these winter evenings, you’ll love Smitten.
Thanks to Thomas Nelson Publishers for providing me with an advance reader copy.
The town of Smitten, Vermont, seems doomed when the main employer, a lumber mill, announces it is closing. Smitten tells the story of four friends who won’t let the town die without a fight. They launch a scheme to turn Smitten into a honeymoon destination. Each of the friends agrees to tackle an aspect of the town’s rebirth, with heartwarming results.
I loved the novella format as a way of telling this story. Each of the authors puts her own spin on her protagonist, giving variety to the characters’ actions. The four novellas dovetail with ongoing sub-plots. One I particularly enjoyed was a character named Natalie’s continuing struggle to produce edible gluten-free treats at Mountain Perks, a coffee shop she owns in Smitten.
If you’re looking for a fun read over these winter evenings, you’ll love Smitten.
Thanks to Thomas Nelson Publishers for providing me with an advance reader copy.
October 18, 2025
I forgot how good this book is and how good the narrator is. I love these four girls and their stories! Natalie, the local coffee shop owner, Julia, resident esthetician, Shelby, a seamstress and etiquette teacher and Reese, an organized athletic enthusiast, work together to save their town when the local mill closes down. It's their idea to make it a romantic destination and the people run with the idea. Everyone's starting up businesses they've always dreamed of, renovating the town, and things really pick up for them when their own Sawyer Smitten, an up and coming country singer, decides to help with publicity.
I love this book so much I'm raising it to five stars. It's got nearly everything: romance, humor, that small town coziness, Christmas, the Fourth of July, four best friends who push each other and are there for each other, faith, love, aunts, brothers, parents, adoption...
It's an excellent and uplifting escape and I'm excited to revisit Smitten again and again!
I love this book so much I'm raising it to five stars. It's got nearly everything: romance, humor, that small town coziness, Christmas, the Fourth of July, four best friends who push each other and are there for each other, faith, love, aunts, brothers, parents, adoption...
It's an excellent and uplifting escape and I'm excited to revisit Smitten again and again!
November 12, 2012
Too cheesy & goody goody. All these women in their twenties who are bFFs and independent suddenly fall in love at the same time. The town loses their logging business and no one is suffering!?!? They just whimsically create a vacation destination and everything is smooth. In my opinion if it's going to be unbelieveable at least include some monsters or magic!
March 19, 2012
I picked this book up at the library. It is a collection of 4 short love stories all set in a town called Smitten. I have read books by all these authors before and knew that I would be getting a clean, sweet romance treat. It was just as I expected it would be.
Christian Fiction
Christian Fiction
December 17, 2011
Smitten by Colleen Coble, Kristen Billerbeck, Diann Hunt, and Denise Hunter
Review by Kara Grant
Christian Romance
“WELCOME TO SMITTEN, VERMONT. WITH THE HELP OF FOUR FRIENDS, IT’S ABOUT TO BECOME THE MOST ROMANTIC TOWN IN AMERICA.” (back cover)
What happens when a small town’s main employer closes down threatening to shut down all other jobs as well? What can one due to generate tourism in a town called Smitten? This is the dilemma we learn about from the very beginning of the book. The book then describes four best friends who put their whole hearts, finances, faith and creativity on the line to do what they can to help: Natalie, Julia, Shelby, and Reese. Since this was written by real life best friends Coble, Billerbeck, Hunt and Hunter, they each put together an individual section of the book detailing these characters and the obstacles they must overcome as they fall inlove while saving their home town.
~Natalie-Colleen Coble
Nat is an only child whose parents died when she was a kid. She runs the coffee store in town and is the one person who eats gluten-free health food. She is raising her niece, Mia, who she wants to adopt and she is the group leader of the four women as well as the organized one in the group. Always having a positive perspective on life and a winning attitude, Natalie is the first one to find out about the town’s unknown future and decides on a quick course of action: turn Smitten into a resort town focused on romance.
Natalie suspects that Carson is Mia’s father based on a lie by her sister and she must overcome her doubts as she falls for him. Will Carson be able to prove his innocence and win her over? Can Natalie get past her suspicions of Carson long enough to help him remodel his cabins? Through the entire book Natalie’s coffee shop become a common hang out location for the four friends to meet and discuss updates on their lives. The joke of Natalie is her inability to make an enjoyable gluten free cookie and she spends the whole book perfecting this feat.
This is the quote of Natalie’s story that amazed me (pg. 84), “She saw him swallow hard. His lips flattened. ‘After what you know of me, you’d actually believe that?’ He leaned forward and stared at her. ‘Even a kiss to me means I love you. I take that pretty seriously. I haven’t had sex with any woman, Natalie. God says it’s a sin, and I want to go to my marriage bed as pure as my wife. I feel stupid even admitting that to you. Guess I’ve been so careful for no reason, when the woman I love is so quick to think I have no morals.’
Did he just say he loved me? She opened her mouth, the closed it again, unsure how to respond.”
~Julia-Kristin Billerbeck
Julia is probably the one with the most doubts about creating a suitable spa business in small town Smitten. She left Smitten to pursue work as an aesthetician in a successful New York spa, but came home when her mom broke her ankle and she was needed to help around the house. Julia decides to meet with her former boss, Devlin, to discuss making a spa business in Smitten and ask for his finances to invest with. Devlin chooses Zak Grant’s out of business grill as the key location for a spa, but what are his conditions before Julia agrees? When Devlin decides not to help and Zak steps in with an offer for Julia, will she submit? The only problem is that Julia wants her independence, not a man, even if Zak is her brother’s best friend and fellow citizen in Smitten.
Despite Julia’s concern for saving Smitten and learning to trust her growing attraction to Zak, she is able to discover about herself the ability to see beauty in her town and its people. Just because you live in a small town doesn’t mean you can’t accomplish big dreams. Will she uncover what Devlin’s true intentions were in time? Will she recognize Zak’s true feelings in his protective nature?
Here’s a quote from Julia’s story (pg. 194), “No, not teasing. Julia, I have loved you for as long as I can remember. I found hundreds of excuses to tell myself it wasn’t true, because it wasn’t convenient. I tried the concept of honor. Sometimes I chose anger. I blamed you when you left for New York and decided that you were shallow, just like Amy. Once I even decided if you couldn’t bake a pie like your mother, you weren’t worthy of such devotion….But the more reasons I thought of, the more I realized I couldn’t picture anyone else by my side for the long haul, and it was either you or eternal bachelorhood.”
~Shelby-Diann Hunt
Shelby is that character that’s easy to love and believes in a happy storybook ending. She has a cute small dog named Penelope that she dresses up whenever she goes out. Her story starts out with a fire in her home causing minor damage and changing her plans even in the midst of the town making changes. Shelby runs the etiquette classes called Social Graces for young ladies and is a loving mentor to each of her students. Nick is her friend, neighbor, and volunteer firefighter who helps Shelby run her classes in his home while hers is being repaired. Just as we learn who Nick is the plot changes; his ex wife dies in a yacht accident and he is left permanent custody of his estranged 12 year old daughter, Willow.
Shelby harbors a secret from her past that not even her best friends know about, one that could bring judgment and awkwardness to her path if it’s revealed. Will she learn to forgive her father? She is determined to bring Nick and Willow closer together without interfering, what will it take for Nick to trust her?
I have to say that this was my favorite of the four stories because it includes healing and a priceless father-daughter relationship that touched me deeply. Of all the stories in this romantic drama, this story was the most unpredictable for me. Here’s the quote I picked (pg. 257), “When he opened the door, she was sitting on her bed, eyes red and swollen, scarlet streaks on her face. He walked over and sat down beside her. Placing her hand between his own, he looked at her. ‘You want to talk about it?’ Big sloppy tears spilled over her lashes and down her cheeks. ‘I miss Mom.’ His heart hurt with her words. He wanted to make her all better. Make the bad stuff go away. But he couldn’t. ‘I know,’ he said quietly.
‘She never stayed home. I always missed her. But now…we’ll never really get to know each other.’
‘I’m sorry.’ He’d make it up to Willow. He didn’t know how, but he would.
‘Listen, I’m fairly new to this whole dad thing, but I want to do it right. It’s great to have you here with me. I want to be what you need, but I’ll make mistakes. That’s just how I am.’
Her smile in his direction melted his heart.
‘Just know that no matter what, I will always love you,’ he said. ‘Deal?’
‘Deal.’
He pulled her into a strong hug, and she hugged him back. Not just any hug, but a real dad-daughter kind of hug. The type of hug that said We’re family.
~Reese-Denise Hunter
Reese is the athletic and practical one of the friends. Her childhood friend, Griffen, helps her remodel the building she moves into to start an outfitter’s shop for the tourists. They play a one on one game of basketball and their feelings for each other change instantly. The only dilemma, who will be brave enough to speak their feelings first? This story was kind of annoying because if the two of them were really best friends, they would have gotten past the awkwardness that ensues and voiced their feelings long before the last page. However, adults do struggle communicating with one another when friendship turns into something more and this story illustrates that very well.
Reese gets all the support she needs from her three friends and she learns to trust God in the process with her vulnerabilities. Trusting God with your heart is a message that never gets old or worn down even if the character should already have this as common sense. This story was probably the most predictable of all of them, but it still held value and it was fun getting to know Reese.
Here’s a quote from her story (pg. 400), “She forced her eyes to his. ‘See, somewhere along the way, Griff, I—I fell in love with you. I’m sorry, I know this must be a big shock, and I didn’t even want to tell you because I was so afraid of losing you as a friend. But then you assumed I wanted Sawyer back, and I thought if we just spent time together, your feelings might change too, and then tonight, I thought seeing me this way might make you see me as not just your little buddy but as a woman…”
What I didn’t like about the story: the name town spinster is used more than once because all four of the main ladies are single.
Some of the romances are frustrating because the women are all attracted to the guy instantly, however, due to misunderstandings, miscommunication, or fears each woman has to overcome a trust issue of some sort before the story progresses smoothly. This cycle happens more than once and makes the story somewhat predictable.
This book did not flow smoothly for me as a reader. Even though it was well written and each author was able to explore these characters individually, it was not a page turner for me.
Overall, this book is adorable and filled with realistic characters that are easy to love despite their flaws. It was easy to keep up with each story and they are developed in order so nothing is confusing about the timeline. I recommend this book to anyone looking for clean romance, a cast of cute characters and some laugh out loud moments, a little girl who shows her faith in making wreaths for the whole town symbolizing God’s unending love, and four women who illustrate what friendship, loyalty and trusting God is really about. This book also includes a reading group guide, an interview with the four authors, recipes and the promise of a sequel in 2012.
I want to thank BookSneeze and Thomas Nelson for the copy they sent me for my review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
Review by Kara Grant
Christian Romance
“WELCOME TO SMITTEN, VERMONT. WITH THE HELP OF FOUR FRIENDS, IT’S ABOUT TO BECOME THE MOST ROMANTIC TOWN IN AMERICA.” (back cover)
What happens when a small town’s main employer closes down threatening to shut down all other jobs as well? What can one due to generate tourism in a town called Smitten? This is the dilemma we learn about from the very beginning of the book. The book then describes four best friends who put their whole hearts, finances, faith and creativity on the line to do what they can to help: Natalie, Julia, Shelby, and Reese. Since this was written by real life best friends Coble, Billerbeck, Hunt and Hunter, they each put together an individual section of the book detailing these characters and the obstacles they must overcome as they fall inlove while saving their home town.
~Natalie-Colleen Coble
Nat is an only child whose parents died when she was a kid. She runs the coffee store in town and is the one person who eats gluten-free health food. She is raising her niece, Mia, who she wants to adopt and she is the group leader of the four women as well as the organized one in the group. Always having a positive perspective on life and a winning attitude, Natalie is the first one to find out about the town’s unknown future and decides on a quick course of action: turn Smitten into a resort town focused on romance.
Natalie suspects that Carson is Mia’s father based on a lie by her sister and she must overcome her doubts as she falls for him. Will Carson be able to prove his innocence and win her over? Can Natalie get past her suspicions of Carson long enough to help him remodel his cabins? Through the entire book Natalie’s coffee shop become a common hang out location for the four friends to meet and discuss updates on their lives. The joke of Natalie is her inability to make an enjoyable gluten free cookie and she spends the whole book perfecting this feat.
This is the quote of Natalie’s story that amazed me (pg. 84), “She saw him swallow hard. His lips flattened. ‘After what you know of me, you’d actually believe that?’ He leaned forward and stared at her. ‘Even a kiss to me means I love you. I take that pretty seriously. I haven’t had sex with any woman, Natalie. God says it’s a sin, and I want to go to my marriage bed as pure as my wife. I feel stupid even admitting that to you. Guess I’ve been so careful for no reason, when the woman I love is so quick to think I have no morals.’
Did he just say he loved me? She opened her mouth, the closed it again, unsure how to respond.”
~Julia-Kristin Billerbeck
Julia is probably the one with the most doubts about creating a suitable spa business in small town Smitten. She left Smitten to pursue work as an aesthetician in a successful New York spa, but came home when her mom broke her ankle and she was needed to help around the house. Julia decides to meet with her former boss, Devlin, to discuss making a spa business in Smitten and ask for his finances to invest with. Devlin chooses Zak Grant’s out of business grill as the key location for a spa, but what are his conditions before Julia agrees? When Devlin decides not to help and Zak steps in with an offer for Julia, will she submit? The only problem is that Julia wants her independence, not a man, even if Zak is her brother’s best friend and fellow citizen in Smitten.
Despite Julia’s concern for saving Smitten and learning to trust her growing attraction to Zak, she is able to discover about herself the ability to see beauty in her town and its people. Just because you live in a small town doesn’t mean you can’t accomplish big dreams. Will she uncover what Devlin’s true intentions were in time? Will she recognize Zak’s true feelings in his protective nature?
Here’s a quote from Julia’s story (pg. 194), “No, not teasing. Julia, I have loved you for as long as I can remember. I found hundreds of excuses to tell myself it wasn’t true, because it wasn’t convenient. I tried the concept of honor. Sometimes I chose anger. I blamed you when you left for New York and decided that you were shallow, just like Amy. Once I even decided if you couldn’t bake a pie like your mother, you weren’t worthy of such devotion….But the more reasons I thought of, the more I realized I couldn’t picture anyone else by my side for the long haul, and it was either you or eternal bachelorhood.”
~Shelby-Diann Hunt
Shelby is that character that’s easy to love and believes in a happy storybook ending. She has a cute small dog named Penelope that she dresses up whenever she goes out. Her story starts out with a fire in her home causing minor damage and changing her plans even in the midst of the town making changes. Shelby runs the etiquette classes called Social Graces for young ladies and is a loving mentor to each of her students. Nick is her friend, neighbor, and volunteer firefighter who helps Shelby run her classes in his home while hers is being repaired. Just as we learn who Nick is the plot changes; his ex wife dies in a yacht accident and he is left permanent custody of his estranged 12 year old daughter, Willow.
Shelby harbors a secret from her past that not even her best friends know about, one that could bring judgment and awkwardness to her path if it’s revealed. Will she learn to forgive her father? She is determined to bring Nick and Willow closer together without interfering, what will it take for Nick to trust her?
I have to say that this was my favorite of the four stories because it includes healing and a priceless father-daughter relationship that touched me deeply. Of all the stories in this romantic drama, this story was the most unpredictable for me. Here’s the quote I picked (pg. 257), “When he opened the door, she was sitting on her bed, eyes red and swollen, scarlet streaks on her face. He walked over and sat down beside her. Placing her hand between his own, he looked at her. ‘You want to talk about it?’ Big sloppy tears spilled over her lashes and down her cheeks. ‘I miss Mom.’ His heart hurt with her words. He wanted to make her all better. Make the bad stuff go away. But he couldn’t. ‘I know,’ he said quietly.
‘She never stayed home. I always missed her. But now…we’ll never really get to know each other.’
‘I’m sorry.’ He’d make it up to Willow. He didn’t know how, but he would.
‘Listen, I’m fairly new to this whole dad thing, but I want to do it right. It’s great to have you here with me. I want to be what you need, but I’ll make mistakes. That’s just how I am.’
Her smile in his direction melted his heart.
‘Just know that no matter what, I will always love you,’ he said. ‘Deal?’
‘Deal.’
He pulled her into a strong hug, and she hugged him back. Not just any hug, but a real dad-daughter kind of hug. The type of hug that said We’re family.
~Reese-Denise Hunter
Reese is the athletic and practical one of the friends. Her childhood friend, Griffen, helps her remodel the building she moves into to start an outfitter’s shop for the tourists. They play a one on one game of basketball and their feelings for each other change instantly. The only dilemma, who will be brave enough to speak their feelings first? This story was kind of annoying because if the two of them were really best friends, they would have gotten past the awkwardness that ensues and voiced their feelings long before the last page. However, adults do struggle communicating with one another when friendship turns into something more and this story illustrates that very well.
Reese gets all the support she needs from her three friends and she learns to trust God in the process with her vulnerabilities. Trusting God with your heart is a message that never gets old or worn down even if the character should already have this as common sense. This story was probably the most predictable of all of them, but it still held value and it was fun getting to know Reese.
Here’s a quote from her story (pg. 400), “She forced her eyes to his. ‘See, somewhere along the way, Griff, I—I fell in love with you. I’m sorry, I know this must be a big shock, and I didn’t even want to tell you because I was so afraid of losing you as a friend. But then you assumed I wanted Sawyer back, and I thought if we just spent time together, your feelings might change too, and then tonight, I thought seeing me this way might make you see me as not just your little buddy but as a woman…”
What I didn’t like about the story: the name town spinster is used more than once because all four of the main ladies are single.
Some of the romances are frustrating because the women are all attracted to the guy instantly, however, due to misunderstandings, miscommunication, or fears each woman has to overcome a trust issue of some sort before the story progresses smoothly. This cycle happens more than once and makes the story somewhat predictable.
This book did not flow smoothly for me as a reader. Even though it was well written and each author was able to explore these characters individually, it was not a page turner for me.
Overall, this book is adorable and filled with realistic characters that are easy to love despite their flaws. It was easy to keep up with each story and they are developed in order so nothing is confusing about the timeline. I recommend this book to anyone looking for clean romance, a cast of cute characters and some laugh out loud moments, a little girl who shows her faith in making wreaths for the whole town symbolizing God’s unending love, and four women who illustrate what friendship, loyalty and trusting God is really about. This book also includes a reading group guide, an interview with the four authors, recipes and the promise of a sequel in 2012.
I want to thank BookSneeze and Thomas Nelson for the copy they sent me for my review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
December 1, 2016
Colleen Coble is one of the authors I try to (sort of) keep up with. A while back, I found that my public library had Smitten Book Club available via OverDrive, but not the first book in the Smitten series, for whatever reason. Since I currently don’t drive to the library much except for the library book sales I love so much, I jumped at the chance to get a Kindle version of Smitten(#1) for a temporary bargain price. An Inspired Reads or Bookbub e-mail alerted me to the deal! Happy day! Now onto my review!
Smitten (2011, Thomas Nelson) is a contemporary (but small town) Christian romance comprised of four stories written within one setting (Smitten, Vermont), spanning perhaps a year’s time. The four romance novellas have mostly shared characters, each with a different hero and heroine pair written by a different author.
Overall rating: 4 1/4 stars
_________________________
#1: Natalie: Birthday Wishes by Colleen Coble
4 stars
The heroine:Natalie Mansfield owns the town coffee shop and is the primary caretaker for her five-year-old niece Mia. One of her customers spreads the devastating news that the local mill is going to close. “The mill was an institution and the main employer in Smiitten. If it closed….. ‘This town is finished.’” Natalie is determined not to leave Smitten. She and her close friends Reese, Shelby, and Julia (who will each get her own story) start brainstorming ideas on how to save the town. “What if we turn the town into a place for honeymooners?”
The hero: Thirty-two-year-old Carson Smitten, the namesake and descendant of the town’s founder in the 1700s, is the owner of the town’s hardware store and some rental cabins. He’s not behind the idea of changing Smitten from a “rough lumber town” to a romantic getaway. It soon becomes apparent that he and Natalie are simultaneously attracted to and antagonistic toward one another. Natalie has a grudge against Carson, which is somehow related to her sister. But now they need to work together to help make the town’s transformation a success!
Something I like: I really appreciated being alerted to the California Raisins’ Christmas CD. We’ve had another one for years and like it a lot. I put it on my Christmas wish list! :-)
Something I didn’t like: I disliked Natalie’s lack of trust and belief in Carson. I think she had every reason to trust in his character. Admittedly, if Ms. Coble removed this issue, she would probably need some other source of conflict to make the story work.
I will still continue to read more of Colleen Coble’s stories. The next book of hers on my list might be Wyoming as I picked up a used paper copy of that book.
_________________________
#2: Julia: Small Town, Big Dreams by Kristin Billerbeck
4 1/2 stars
The heroine: Julia Bourne has been working for the social elite in a New York spa, but is now living in Smitten for her parents’ sake. Her goal is to open an upscale spa in Smitten to help add to the romantic ambiance of the town. To make her dream a reality, she needs financial backing.
The hero: Zak Grant is a good friend of Julia’s brother, and has agreed to look out for Julia. With difficulty, he persuades her to allow him to help out, both by allowing her to use his building and by helping her renovate it.
Something I liked: The ending of this novella surprised me. It wasn’t typical, and definitely fun. I remember thinking, “No way!”
Something I didn’t like: Similar to Natalie in the first story, Julia was simultaneously attracted to and resentful toward Zak. And I didn’t feel Julia’s reason for her resentment of him was compelling enough. True to real life for some people, possibly, but she never once considered that maybe Zak had grown up.
Kristin Billerbeck seems to write mostly contemporary romances, so I won’t be seeking them out as I strongly prefer historical novels. However, I look forward to reading her story in my copy of The Christmas Brides Collection .
_________________________
#3: Shelby: You've Got A Friend by Diann Hunt
4 stars
Heroine: Shelby Evans comes home one day to find a fire truck in front of her house because a fire had broken out in the dining room. Between the disaster of the fire and the mess from the firefighters doing their job, her home is in a horrible state. To make matters worse, Shelby hosts special etiquette classes (Social Graces) for young ladies, and now the scheduled dinner party marking the end of the class needs to be held elsewhere.
Hero: Nick Majors, who owns a Christmas tree shop, was on the scene as a volunteer fireman. Shelby had left a glue gun on the dining room table without turning it off, so Nick lets loose with a lecture. Based on how quickly they start arguing, the reader can easily surmise that the two have known each other for a long time. Later, Nick learns that his ex-wife has died, and he has an emergency of his own: his twelve-year-old daughter Willow is going to come live with him.
A quote that I liked:
Shelby: “Nick is a good friend. That’s all he’ll ever be.”
One of her friends:“No matter how much the three of you want it to be otherwise.”
This is a friends to lovers story - a trope I almost always enjoy.
Something I didn’t like: Shelby caused unnecessary friction between herself and Nick by inviting Willow to Social Graces without discussing it with Nick first. I know she doesn’t have children, but come on! Admittedly, as a parent, I occasionally find how lacking others, particularly those without children, can be in the common sense department with regards to their interactions with my children. So I know this sort of thing does happen, but I find it irritating, regardless. Shelby needs some social graces of her own, I guess! (And yes, Nick does call her out on it.)
I won’t be regularly seeking out Diann Hunt’s books because for the most part, they don’t fall in the historical romance genre that I prefer. However, I am interested in A Whale of a Marriage .
__________________________
#4: Reese: All Along by Denise Hunter
4 1/2 stars
Hero/heroine: Reese Mackenzie is opening an outfitters shop (a recreational store, selling skis and whatnot), but her newly acquired building needs renovation. Her best friend Griffen Parker promises Reese, his “favorite girl,” that he will commit himself to the project for the next two months. Guess what? Another friends to lovers story! No complaints here.
Something I liked: I found myself chuckling while reading this one. I think that’s my favorite thing about reading - finding something to tickle my funny bone! Also, I definitely felt the friendship between Reese and Griffen here.
What I didn’t like: I didn’t completely like the way the plot went. (I’m intentionally keeping this vague.) It involves some deception, which I really don’t care for as a plot device. However, I liked Reese and Griffen well enough that it didn’t bother me too much.
I’ve tried one Denise Hunter book before ( The Accidental Bride ), and I definitely want to read more. I have A Cowboy’s Touch on my to-read list.
***********************************************
I recommend this book to those who like contemporary (but small town) Christian (or clean) romance novels and anthologies. I love how four author friends wrote this book (and its two sequels) together. I’ve put the next Smitten book on my to-read list, but I won’t be in a big hurry since neither novellas nor contemporary romance are my preferred reading material. However, Smitten is a sweet book and I enjoyed it.
Smitten (2011, Thomas Nelson) is a contemporary (but small town) Christian romance comprised of four stories written within one setting (Smitten, Vermont), spanning perhaps a year’s time. The four romance novellas have mostly shared characters, each with a different hero and heroine pair written by a different author.
Overall rating: 4 1/4 stars
_________________________
#1: Natalie: Birthday Wishes by Colleen Coble
4 stars
The heroine:Natalie Mansfield owns the town coffee shop and is the primary caretaker for her five-year-old niece Mia. One of her customers spreads the devastating news that the local mill is going to close. “The mill was an institution and the main employer in Smiitten. If it closed….. ‘This town is finished.’” Natalie is determined not to leave Smitten. She and her close friends Reese, Shelby, and Julia (who will each get her own story) start brainstorming ideas on how to save the town. “What if we turn the town into a place for honeymooners?”
The hero: Thirty-two-year-old Carson Smitten, the namesake and descendant of the town’s founder in the 1700s, is the owner of the town’s hardware store and some rental cabins. He’s not behind the idea of changing Smitten from a “rough lumber town” to a romantic getaway. It soon becomes apparent that he and Natalie are simultaneously attracted to and antagonistic toward one another. Natalie has a grudge against Carson, which is somehow related to her sister. But now they need to work together to help make the town’s transformation a success!
Something I like: I really appreciated being alerted to the California Raisins’ Christmas CD. We’ve had another one for years and like it a lot. I put it on my Christmas wish list! :-)
Something I didn’t like: I disliked Natalie’s lack of trust and belief in Carson. I think she had every reason to trust in his character. Admittedly, if Ms. Coble removed this issue, she would probably need some other source of conflict to make the story work.
I will still continue to read more of Colleen Coble’s stories. The next book of hers on my list might be Wyoming as I picked up a used paper copy of that book.
_________________________
#2: Julia: Small Town, Big Dreams by Kristin Billerbeck
4 1/2 stars
The heroine: Julia Bourne has been working for the social elite in a New York spa, but is now living in Smitten for her parents’ sake. Her goal is to open an upscale spa in Smitten to help add to the romantic ambiance of the town. To make her dream a reality, she needs financial backing.
The hero: Zak Grant is a good friend of Julia’s brother, and has agreed to look out for Julia. With difficulty, he persuades her to allow him to help out, both by allowing her to use his building and by helping her renovate it.
Something I liked: The ending of this novella surprised me. It wasn’t typical, and definitely fun. I remember thinking, “No way!”
Something I didn’t like: Similar to Natalie in the first story, Julia was simultaneously attracted to and resentful toward Zak. And I didn’t feel Julia’s reason for her resentment of him was compelling enough. True to real life for some people, possibly, but she never once considered that maybe Zak had grown up.
Kristin Billerbeck seems to write mostly contemporary romances, so I won’t be seeking them out as I strongly prefer historical novels. However, I look forward to reading her story in my copy of The Christmas Brides Collection .
_________________________
#3: Shelby: You've Got A Friend by Diann Hunt
4 stars
Heroine: Shelby Evans comes home one day to find a fire truck in front of her house because a fire had broken out in the dining room. Between the disaster of the fire and the mess from the firefighters doing their job, her home is in a horrible state. To make matters worse, Shelby hosts special etiquette classes (Social Graces) for young ladies, and now the scheduled dinner party marking the end of the class needs to be held elsewhere.
Hero: Nick Majors, who owns a Christmas tree shop, was on the scene as a volunteer fireman. Shelby had left a glue gun on the dining room table without turning it off, so Nick lets loose with a lecture. Based on how quickly they start arguing, the reader can easily surmise that the two have known each other for a long time. Later, Nick learns that his ex-wife has died, and he has an emergency of his own: his twelve-year-old daughter Willow is going to come live with him.
A quote that I liked:
Shelby: “Nick is a good friend. That’s all he’ll ever be.”
One of her friends:“No matter how much the three of you want it to be otherwise.”
This is a friends to lovers story - a trope I almost always enjoy.
Something I didn’t like: Shelby caused unnecessary friction between herself and Nick by inviting Willow to Social Graces without discussing it with Nick first. I know she doesn’t have children, but come on! Admittedly, as a parent, I occasionally find how lacking others, particularly those without children, can be in the common sense department with regards to their interactions with my children. So I know this sort of thing does happen, but I find it irritating, regardless. Shelby needs some social graces of her own, I guess! (And yes, Nick does call her out on it.)
I won’t be regularly seeking out Diann Hunt’s books because for the most part, they don’t fall in the historical romance genre that I prefer. However, I am interested in A Whale of a Marriage .
__________________________
#4: Reese: All Along by Denise Hunter
4 1/2 stars
Hero/heroine: Reese Mackenzie is opening an outfitters shop (a recreational store, selling skis and whatnot), but her newly acquired building needs renovation. Her best friend Griffen Parker promises Reese, his “favorite girl,” that he will commit himself to the project for the next two months. Guess what? Another friends to lovers story! No complaints here.
Something I liked: I found myself chuckling while reading this one. I think that’s my favorite thing about reading - finding something to tickle my funny bone! Also, I definitely felt the friendship between Reese and Griffen here.
What I didn’t like: I didn’t completely like the way the plot went. (I’m intentionally keeping this vague.) It involves some deception, which I really don’t care for as a plot device. However, I liked Reese and Griffen well enough that it didn’t bother me too much.
I’ve tried one Denise Hunter book before ( The Accidental Bride ), and I definitely want to read more. I have A Cowboy’s Touch on my to-read list.
***********************************************
I recommend this book to those who like contemporary (but small town) Christian (or clean) romance novels and anthologies. I love how four author friends wrote this book (and its two sequels) together. I’ve put the next Smitten book on my to-read list, but I won’t be in a big hurry since neither novellas nor contemporary romance are my preferred reading material. However, Smitten is a sweet book and I enjoyed it.
February 19, 2023
A lovely book. First in a series. It has been on my TBR for a while and this year I found a way to fit the complete series of 3 books into The 52 Book Club 2023 Challenge.
This cute book is about a town that lost it's main employer. The ladies of the town decide to monopolize on the name of the town, Smitten; named after the founding family. The want to turn the town into a Vermont version of the Poconos. Each of 4 sections, 4 novellas in one book, is written by a different author. Wonderful how they keep the theme going. Each chapter about a different young lady from town, each a romance, each also propelling the main story forward, with a centralized message of Faith.
"She saw Mia smiling at her, and she realized the beautiful gift of Smitten's faith in God, lead by a little child. Sometimes Julia ran low on faith, as if God's grace might dry up like Sugarcreek Mountain in the summer, but God's grace was unrelenting and overflowing. She smiled broadly toward her friends, thankful that when she'd run dry on faith, she could rely on God and the faith of others to fill her up again. She didn't have to walk alone. Sometimes, trusting in God meant trusting in the people he had placed in her life. Besides... independence was overrated." (pg 267-268)
Hard feelings, reconciliation, fear, hope, pride, trust, stubbornness, caring, guilt, secrets, truth and more... these stories have it all. These stories have life. Well it feels like real life anyway.
"He loved her, she didn't doubt that. But there was a vast difference between loving a friend and being thoroughly, well, smitten. It hurt to be the one who loved more. She wondered if God felt this way. After all, our love for you really can't measure up to your extravagant love for us. I'm sorry, God. Let me love you like you love me. Make me smitten. (pg 521)
Using this book for the The 52 Book Club 2023 Challenge prompt #44 - A contemporary setting
This cute book is about a town that lost it's main employer. The ladies of the town decide to monopolize on the name of the town, Smitten; named after the founding family. The want to turn the town into a Vermont version of the Poconos. Each of 4 sections, 4 novellas in one book, is written by a different author. Wonderful how they keep the theme going. Each chapter about a different young lady from town, each a romance, each also propelling the main story forward, with a centralized message of Faith.
"She saw Mia smiling at her, and she realized the beautiful gift of Smitten's faith in God, lead by a little child. Sometimes Julia ran low on faith, as if God's grace might dry up like Sugarcreek Mountain in the summer, but God's grace was unrelenting and overflowing. She smiled broadly toward her friends, thankful that when she'd run dry on faith, she could rely on God and the faith of others to fill her up again. She didn't have to walk alone. Sometimes, trusting in God meant trusting in the people he had placed in her life. Besides... independence was overrated." (pg 267-268)
Hard feelings, reconciliation, fear, hope, pride, trust, stubbornness, caring, guilt, secrets, truth and more... these stories have it all. These stories have life. Well it feels like real life anyway.
"He loved her, she didn't doubt that. But there was a vast difference between loving a friend and being thoroughly, well, smitten. It hurt to be the one who loved more. She wondered if God felt this way. After all, our love for you really can't measure up to your extravagant love for us. I'm sorry, God. Let me love you like you love me. Make me smitten. (pg 521)
Using this book for the The 52 Book Club 2023 Challenge prompt #44 - A contemporary setting
March 3, 2019
First of all I just have to say Kristen Billerbeck is one of my all time favorite authors, I love her humor as well as her faith that comes through in her books.
The book has four different authors bringing to life back into Smitten, Vt. which had become a dying town. The lumber mill had closed and with no hope of another industry taking its place, leaving the townspeople thinking there is no hope for Smitten. Four friends come up with a plan to turn Smitten, VT into a honeymoon destination.
Four awesome authors write a quarter of the book, and they are individually focusing on one of the four characters in the story. Each story is intertwined with the other, the four sections give you a better picture of the four best friends. And little do they know their own lives will be touched by a love of their own
I really enjoyed this book and would read it again, these ladies really pulled this off, four different authors pulling together an amazing story of romance and bringing a small town of Smitten, Vt. Into your world, even for a short time. Sit back in a quiet place and let them take you into their story of Smitten, love and bringing a town and their residents back to life.
I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers (booksneeze.com) as part of their book review bloggers program.
The book has four different authors bringing to life back into Smitten, Vt. which had become a dying town. The lumber mill had closed and with no hope of another industry taking its place, leaving the townspeople thinking there is no hope for Smitten. Four friends come up with a plan to turn Smitten, VT into a honeymoon destination.
Four awesome authors write a quarter of the book, and they are individually focusing on one of the four characters in the story. Each story is intertwined with the other, the four sections give you a better picture of the four best friends. And little do they know their own lives will be touched by a love of their own
I really enjoyed this book and would read it again, these ladies really pulled this off, four different authors pulling together an amazing story of romance and bringing a small town of Smitten, Vt. Into your world, even for a short time. Sit back in a quiet place and let them take you into their story of Smitten, love and bringing a town and their residents back to life.
I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers (booksneeze.com) as part of their book review bloggers program.
June 19, 2019
I am not a chick lit, romance reader nor do I like short stories. But yes sometimes a nice sweet love story is perfect for a beach read.
I have read Collen Coble Christian mysteries but I have not read anything by the other three authors.
It really is a cute idea. Story is about 4 friends who want to save the town of Smitten, VT, which is suffering economically due to the shutdown of the mill. Searching for ways to save the town, the four come up with the idea of the town’s name and decide to make Smitten the most romantic town in the US.
Novel is in four parts each written by 4 authors who are real life BFFs. They each write about one of four female leads in the story. The four stories are all very similar and predictable.
I found myself rolling my eyes and telling these women to stop being so stubborn and silly.
It was a fast read.
I will read another Coble but not sure about the others as it seems they are romance writers but you never know!.
I have read Collen Coble Christian mysteries but I have not read anything by the other three authors.
It really is a cute idea. Story is about 4 friends who want to save the town of Smitten, VT, which is suffering economically due to the shutdown of the mill. Searching for ways to save the town, the four come up with the idea of the town’s name and decide to make Smitten the most romantic town in the US.
Novel is in four parts each written by 4 authors who are real life BFFs. They each write about one of four female leads in the story. The four stories are all very similar and predictable.
I found myself rolling my eyes and telling these women to stop being so stubborn and silly.
It was a fast read.
I will read another Coble but not sure about the others as it seems they are romance writers but you never know!.
September 8, 2019
Smitten by smitten!
I have had this book for several years and I don't know why it took me so long to read this delightful story! It is 4 novellas that build on each other told by 4 different authors about 4 different friends. It was masterfully done and I thoroughly enjoyed it! Sweet, inspirational romance at its best! Highly recommend!!
I have had this book for several years and I don't know why it took me so long to read this delightful story! It is 4 novellas that build on each other told by 4 different authors about 4 different friends. It was masterfully done and I thoroughly enjoyed it! Sweet, inspirational romance at its best! Highly recommend!!
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