Book Review: Secretly Smitten

Secretly Smitten
By
Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck, Denise Hunter and Diann Hunt

Secretly Smitten is the second installment in a series written by a group of real-life BFFs. In the Smitten series, Coble, Billerbeck, Hunter and Hunt, each with best selling books of their own, come together to tell the stories of the residents of Smitten, Vermont. What results is a collection of short stories intertwining with each other, creating a rich, deep story about each character. If you’ve been reading my blog for any amount of time, you know that I really enjoy reading books that have intertwining stories and this one did not disappoint.  I was already a fan of the majority of these authors before I stumbled upon Secretly Smitten and I was super excited to partake of their collaborative efforts. The stories flow well together and I found myself completely immersed in the story, wishing I could take a trip to Smitten and meet the characters.

In Secretly Smitten we follow the stories of the women of the Thomas family, Tess, Clare, Zoe and their mother, Anna. We learn about their own stories and follow along as a family mystery unravels after a set of dog tags are found in an attic. The dog tags belong to Anna’s mother’s first love who supposedly never returned from war. As Tess, Clare and Zoe set out to solve the mystery the uncover deep family secrets.  These are the kinds of secrets that can destroy families and the bonds they share. But do they separate the family or draw them closer together?

Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck, Denise Hunter and Diann Hunt have a collaborative blog, too.  If you’d like to check it out head on over to http://www.girlswriteout.blogspot.com.

Disclaimer:

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for this review. All thoughts are my own and I was not required to write a positive review.

Buy the Book:

If you’re interested in checking out this book you can find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble, as well as many other retailers.

Book Review: The Trouble With Cowboys

About the Book (from thomasnelson.com):

Only one pair of boots—and the cowboy wearing them—can get Annie out of the mess she’s in.

Annie Wilkerson is Moose Creek’s premiere horse trainer and equine columnist for Montana Living. Money is tight as she tries to put her kid-sister through college and provide for her young nephew. When Annie’s column is cancelled, she’s given first shot at a new lovelorn column—and she can’t afford to turn it down. Only problem is . . . Annie’s never been in love.

Always resourceful, she reluctantly strikes a deal with the town’s smooth-talking ladies’ man Dylan Taylor: She’ll work with his ailing horse, Braveheart, if he’ll help her answer the reader letters.

Working closely with Dylan is harder than Annie imagined, and she quickly realizes she may have misjudged him. But her unwavering conviction that cowboys are nothing but trouble has kept her heart safe for years. And she can’t risk getting hurt now.

The more Annie tries to control things, the more they fall apart. Her feelings are spinning out of control, and her sister’s antics are making life increasingly more difficult. Annie knows she needs to turn the reins over to God, but surrender has never come easily.

When Dylan reveals his feelings for her, Annie doesn’t know what to trust—her head or her heart. The trouble with this cowboy is that he might just be exactly what she needs.

My Thoughts:

If you’re like me, there’s just something about the idea of a cowboy that seems irresistible….maybe it’s the southern drawl, the use of the terms “sweetheart” and “darlin’”.  I’m not really sure why it is, but society seems to have created this fantasized notion of a cowboy. Of course, they don’t seem to take things into account like the fact that their job is one of the sweatiest, stinkiest jobs out there…LOL. Anyway, it’s because of this that Denise Hunter’s cowboy romance novels are so interesting; she caters to the notion that cowboys are the cream of the crop…or something like that anyway. This is the second book I’ve read from Hunter’s Big Sky Romance series and it was just as good as the first one. The interactions with characters and the descriptions of the settings kept me interested and turning pages. It helped that she threw in some twists and turns that I hadn’t seen coming. I really enjoyed reading this book and look forward to reading more of Denise Hunter’s books…especially if they include cowboys. LOL!

Buy the Book:

This book can be found at Amazon and Barnes and Noble, as well as many other retailers.

Disclaimer: A complimentary copy of this book was provided for review. All thoughts are my own and I was not required to post a positive review.

Book Review: A Cowboy’s Touch

A Cowboy’s Touch
By
Denise Hunter

     Who doesn’t love a good cowboy story?  I know I certainly do, especially when it’s a love story! This novel by Denise Hunter is no exception.

     When the stress of her job as an investigative reporter threatens her health, Abigail Jones is forced to take a leave of absence. Her mom, who is also her boss, sends her to visit her great-aunt who lives in a small town in Montana. Moose Creek, Montana is quite a change from Abigail’s fast paced life back in Chicago. Though she initially thinks she will be bored out her mind and that her time in Montana will be miserable, Abigail begins to fall in love with the town and its people. One of these people is a little girl named Maddy, whose father just happens to be one of the most handsome cowboys Abigail has ever met, Wade Ryan. As Abigail begins to develop a relationship with Maddy and Wade, she discovers that he is running from his past. Will she ever get to know the real Wade Ryan?  Can he ever let himself get over the past and love another woman? The pages of this novel answer these questions and more.

     When I finally got the time to sit down and read this book, I was wrapped up in the story.  From the descriptions of the characters to the descriptions of the setting, I wanted to be in Moose Creek, Montana and be a part of the story of Abigail, Wade and Maddy. This book combines a love story with a bit of mystery regarding Wade’s past. I stayed up way too late turning the pages of this book so that I could finish reading this beautiful love story; I just couldn’t tear myself away.

This book can be found at Amazon and Barnes and Noble, as well as many other retailers.

Disclaimer: A complimentary copy of this book was provided for review by Thomas Nelson Publishers. All thoughts are my own and I was not required to post a positive review.