"Secret Smitten" by Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck, Denise Hunter, and Diann Hunt (Review & Giveaway)

Secretly Smitten

Summer, fall, winter, spring-Smitten, Vermont, is the place for love . . . and mystery! 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?

My thoughts:  In Secretly Smitten we visit the charming old village that is a modern day remnant from the hey day of logging 200 years ago.  The local residents are descendants of loggers and are an independent, hearty group of individuals.  Their little town is dying and they want to bring life and vitality back to it via a return of the railroad line coming into town. They want Smitten to be know as a romantic get-a-way town.

The story of Smitten is written as 4 novellas by 4 fiction authors who collaborate beautifully without error to bring the characters together into one smooth flowing story.

1. "Love Between the Lines" by Colleen Coble
   A set of World War II dog tags is discovered between the cracks in the floor of the attic.  The name on them is that of a former sweetheart of Grandmother Rose.  Tess (Rose's granddaughter) begins to investigate.  Meanwhile Tess meets Ryan who lives where the family of the former GI lived, and Tess begins to rummage through Ryan's attic in order to find clues to the old romance of Grandmother Rose.
2. "Make Me a Match" by Kristin Billerbeck
   In this section of the book, Zoe is beginning her start up business as matchmaker for Smitten residents.  But the new city manager, William Singer, throws curves at her that threaten to shut down her just opened business. 
3. "Knit One, Love Two" by Diann Hunt
   Anna Thomas is the owner of a yarn shop and holds classes for beginner and advanced knitters and crocheters.  She meets Michael whose mother needs yarn and he comes into Anna's shop to acquire it. The discovery of more secrets and information continues in the Grandmother Rose saga as Anna and Michael discover each other and Anna learns to overcome previous hurts.
4. "Love Blooms" by Denise Hunter
   Clare is the sister in the family who is gifted with the art of growing plants and planting gardens.  She is not gifted in relationships, though, and shies away from commitment.  Into the picture arrives a wanderer who is looking for work in the nursery and who finds a spot in her heart.

The entire book is a delightfully light read of good, clean fun and relationships.  You'll grow to love the little town of Smitten and the various characters who live there.  You'll love the relationships between each and every one and even laugh at the spat between the seniors in the book. "Secretly Smitten" is a sweet, good, clean read.

Novellas are fun reads and this set of 4 is especially fun in that it is so beautifully interwoven to flow as through written by a single author. 

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DISCLOSURE: I was provided an advanced reader copy of this book by Litfuse Publicity Group on behalf of Thomas Nelson Publishing and the authors in return for a non-biased review. Opinions expressed are solely my own and I was provided no compensation for this review.