"THE SMITTEN SERIES"--Join popular romance novelists and real-life BFFs Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck, Diann Hunt, and Denise Hunter for four delightful intertwined tales of mystery and sweet intrigue--heartwarming contemporary romance set in the quaint little town of Smitten, Vermont (see my review)

Smitten

Welcome to Smitten, Vermont.

With the help of four friends, it's 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 they've got just the plan to save Smitten. They'll capitalize on its name and turn it into a tourist destination for lovers complete 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 town's hometown hero, wants to help by holding his own wedding there on Valentine's Day. And little Mia's lavender wreaths hang all over town as a reminder that faith can work miracles. Along the way, four women spearheading the town's transformation energetic Natalie, sophisticated Julia, graceful Shelby, and athletic Reese get 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 you ll be smitten too.

MY REVIEW:  I was completely captivated by "Smitten"--a charming and involving anthology from four talented authors. I am a great fan of hometown reunion romances, and this book offers four such love stories, written with smooth continuity by each of the contributing authors. I thought that I would have a favorite among the quartet, but the flow of one story into another makes it seem like the tale is being told in one voice. Set in the picturesque and close-knit community of Smitten, Vermont, this story brings together old friends, just friends, and more than friends. When the local lumber mill closes, and economic disaster looms large over the town, four local women spring into action to save their homes and livelihoods. Each of the women convinces a special man in their life to help them convert the rugged town of Smitten into a lover's resort destination. In "Natalie: Birthday Wishes", by Colleen Coble, Natalie Mansfield, is the owner and operator of a little bake shop. She is also "Mom" to the niece abandoned into her care by her own troublesome sister, Lisa. Natalie has long been in love with Carson Smitten, the man whom Lisa named as the father of her baby daughter, Mia. While Carson has always denied ever being involved with Lisa, Natalie is torn between her love for Carson and the love of family she has for Lisa and Mia. In Kristin Billerbeck's "Julia: Small Town, Big Dreams", Julia Bourne returns to her hometown to care for her ailing mother. A New York city aesthetician with an elite society clientele, Julia decides to convince her famous and influential employer to invest in a spa in the newly remade romance retreat of Smitten. Zak Grant, the lifelong best friend of Julia's brother, has a plan of his own for Julia's future, and he just has to figure out a way to make Julia see what he sees. Diann Hunt brings us the opposites attract buddyship between Shelby Evans and Nick Majors in "Shelby: You've Got a Friend". Shelby Evans has a feminine, frilled style with lots of flash. Nick Majors has an "un-style"--sort of a low-key, stubbled lumberjack look. Despite their many differences, this mismatched duo are the best of friends. When Nick's ex-wife dies and he becomes the sole caretaker of his preteen daughter, he needs a woman's guidance. Nick's daughter Willow soon bonds with Shelby, and memories of long-kept secret from Shelby's past haunt her happy time with the young girl. As Nick and Shelby begin to disagree on how to handle Willow, they also become aware that their friendship has become a deep attraction. In "Reese: All Along", from Denise Hunter, Reese Mackenzie enlists the help of her old friend, Griffen Parker, in remodeling the building in which will open a sporting goods store. Years ago, Griffen, always in love with Reese, had left town when she became engaged to Sawyer Smitten. The engagement didn't last and Sawyer pursued a successful career in country music. Sawyer's very public engagement and wedding plans become part of the Smitten community make-over, and he even writes a song to promote the romantic image of the town as a lover's paradise. When Reese finally faces the fact that Sawyer will never be hers, can Griffen make her see that the friend from her past is the key to her future happiness? When you read these four engagingly intertwined tales of romance, you will be "smitten"--just like me! I look forward to the next book from these four lovely and talented ladies, "Secretly Smitten", which will be released in December, 2012. A personal side note from me: I live in a small Virginia mountain community which is economically dominated by a paper mill. If our mill were to close, it would truly devastate the community. I could only hope that there would be enterprising souls with a true love of home and family who would band together to not just survive, but thrive!

Book Copy Gratis Amazon Vine


 

Secretly Smitten

Escape with popular romance novelists—and real-life BFFs—Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck, Diann Hunt, and Denise Hunter for four delightful intertwined tales of mystery and sweet intrigue.

There’s a secret in Grandma Rose’s attic—a forgotten set of dog tags belonging to her first love. But David Hutchins was killed in action and never returned to Smitten. How did the dog tags end up in the attic?

The mystery intrigues Rose’s three granddaughters—Tess, Clare, and Zoe—and they decide to investigate, though their mother, Anna, warns against meddling. But as the seasons turn and the mystery unravels, the three young women and their mother encounter some intriguing mystery men of their own. Has a sixty-year-old puzzle sparked something new for this close-knit family of women?




Smitten Book Club

The century-old Gentlewoman’s Guide to Love and Courtship is no ordinary book club choice. But for the little book club in Smitten, Vermont, it might be their best pick yet!

The thick, leathery tome Heather pulled out of the dusty cardboard box was definitely coming home with her. Not only was The Gentlewoman’s Guide to Love and Courtship an appealing curiosity by virtue of its title; it was also written by Smitten, Vermont native Pearl Chambers, a local gentlewoman from three generations back.

Little did Heather know the repercussions this little curiosity would have on her and her friends’ romantic exploits.

When Heather and her fellow book club members begin passing the book around, their respective interpretations are unleashed on their respective love lives . . . for better or for worse. Is it a mystery? An idealist fantasy? An intimation of Jane Austen? As romantic love finds its way to each woman, the Guide proves itself both surprisingly prescient and hilariously irrelevant.

What’s more, a handwritten inscription indicates that the arcane book might hold the only extant clues leading to buried gold—exactly what one of the members needs to keep her house. How could they not go treasure hunting?

In this remarkable collaborative novel, besties Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck, Denise Hunter, and Diann Hunt tackle the tale of the Gentlewoman’s Guide by writing for one book club member apiece. Smitten Book Club is a hopeful, hilarious story of friendship and healing, written by friends for friends.


 

Colleen Coble is a USA TODAY bestselling author and RITA finalist best known for her coastal romantic suspense novels, including The Inn at Ocean’s Edge, Twilight at Blueberry Barrens, and the Lavender Tides, Sunset Cove, Hope Beach, and Rock Harbor series. Connect with Colleen online at colleencoble.com; Instagram: colleencoble; Facebook: colleencoblebooks; Twitter: @colleencoble.




Kristin Billerbeck is the author of numerous Christian novels, hitting the CBA bestseller list and winning the coveted ACFW Book of the Year in 2004 for What a Girl Wants and again in 2006 for With this Ring, I’m Confused. She has been featured in the New York Times, USA Today, World Magazine, the Atlanta Journal Constitition and been seen on the "Today Show" for her pioneering role in Christian Chick Lit. She has a bachelor’s degree in advertising from San Jose State University.  http://www.kristinbillerbeck.com




Denise Hunter is the internationally published bestselling author of more than 25 books, including A December Bride and The Convenient Groom, which have been adapted into original Hallmark Channel movies. She has won The Holt Medallion Award, The Reader's Choice Award, The Carol Award, The Foreword Book of the Year Award, and is a RITA finalist. When Denise isn't orchestrating love lives on the written page, she enjoys traveling with her family, drinking green tea, and playing drums. Denise makes her home in Indiana where she and her husband are rapidly approaching an empty nest. To learn more about Denise, visit her website DeniseHunterBooks.com; Facebook: AuthorDeniseHunter; Twitter: @DeniseAHunter; Instagram: deniseahunter.

Diann Hunt wrote romantic comedy and humorous women's fiction targeted to Christian women of the Baby Boomer generation. She'd lived in Indiana forever, had been happily married forever, loved her family, chocolate, her friends, her dog, and, well, chocolate. Her book "For Better or For Worse" is being made into a Hallmark movie, with production beginning in November, 2013.

After a four-year battle with ovarian cancer, Diann went home to be with her Lord and Saviour just after Thanksgiving, 2013. She leaves behind a legacy of words of blessing, love for her Lord, her family, her close friends, and fans the world over who have come to know and love her and call her their friend.