Secretly Smitten - A Review

Last year  the town of Smitten, Vermont was labeled as the romance capital after successfully capitalizing on the romantism of the town's name and appealing to the tourism industry. This year, romance is still strong. Only now there's a mystery to solve as well. When three sisters and their mother uncover a mystery involving dog tags, a man thought long dead, and their grandmother's past, they are determined to get to the bottom of it. What none of them expect is to be bitten by the love bug in the nation's romance capital. Follow Tess, Zoe, Anna, and Clare through the seasons as they get to the bottom of the mystery involving the dog tags and their grandmother's past.

I loved Smitten when I read it. This one introduces a new cast of characters, though the four friends from the last book do all make cameo appearances. Like Smitten, this collection of novellas is differnent than others I've read. Each story focuses on one of the sisters but still includes the overall storyline of the entire novel - in this case the mystery surrounding their grandmother. I'd have to say that though each piece was entertaining, I think I liked the one on Clare the best.

I received this book for free from Thomas Nelson's booksneeze program for the purpose of reviewing. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Recommended to fans of Smitten, romantic comedies, romance, Colleen Coble, Kristen Billerbeck, Diann Hunt, Denise Hunter, contemporary fiction.

Rating - 4 stars

Smitten by Colleen Coble, Kristen Billerbeck, Diann Hunt, Denise Hunter

Natalie, Julia, Shelby, and Reese share more than just a really close friendship. The four women are as close as sisters. They pray for each other, support each other in their various adventures, and they each want to find love. When the lumber mill closes and it appears that their little town is going to die, they formulate a plan to turn their small town into the romance capital by capitalizing on the name of the town, Smitten. Along the way, a little girl's faith, a country sensation hometown hero, and four different men help the girls to not only believe in the town but to also find their own happily ever afters.

I've read several novellas in the past that were written by various authors. None of them had the cohesiveness that this one shared. I've read books by Colleen Coble, but never anything by the other three authors in this book. I found the stories to be funny and unique. Each story itself tells of one particular couple - Natalie & Carson, Julia & Zak, Shelby & Nick, and Reese & Griffen. Yes, they are all in the others' "story" as well, but what also makes this book so different is that the story of the town and it's struggle and growth carries through all four stories.

The authors are real life best friends and I loved reading the interview with them about how each heroine is a little like one of them. Perhaps that's why this book worked so well when other novellas haven't. The authors really know each other and are familiar with their personalities. I look forward to reading the next Smitten book due out next year.

I received this book for free from Thomas Nelson Publishers for the purpose of reviewing. My thoughts and opinions are my own.