Review: Smitten Book Club by Colleen Coble, Kristen Billerbeck, Diann Hunt, Denise Hunter

Smitten Book Club
by Colleen Coble, Kristen Billerbeck, Diann Hunt, Denise Hunter
Thomas Nelson / 2014


Amazon, B&N, Goodreads

About the book:

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.

My rating:

My thoughts:

Smitten Book Club is the third book in the "Smitten" series. I have to say, this has been one of the most unique series I've seen. All of the books are a collection of novellas from four authors with different main characters - and yet there's one central theme/story that binds them together.

For Smitten Book Club, it was Pearl Chambers' book and the search for the legendary buried gold. I think this was my favorite part about the book, as I loved the little bit of mystery it brought to the story. The quotes from "the Gentlewoman's Guide to Love and Courtship" (Pearl's book) at the start of every chapter were fun, too!

As for my favorite novella, that was the last one: Happily Ever After by Denise Hunter. It seemed like the novellas got better with each one: Love by the Book was just okay for me; I felt like it needed better editing, as the story didn't seem to flow that well and was confusing at times. Shelved Under Romance was good and I liked this story. A New Chapter is my second favorite novella in this book; I enjoyed it very much and the only thing that I didn't care for all that much was how quickly things moved in the end - didn't seem believable. As I said, Happily Ever After is my favorite of the bunch. I felt like it was the most complete novella and flowed the best. I really liked that one! :)

Overall, a fun read! If you like contemporary reads, you might enjoy Smitten Book Club.

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. 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 and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*

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Weekend Wrap-Up (April 4th) & Giveaway Winners!

Weekend Wrap-up is where I share what I read this past week, am currently reading, and hope to read this coming week, and (when applicable) the current giveaways/giveaway winners. Occasionally I'll post some other stuff as well. Be sure to follow my Pinterest boards "Free Kindle Books" and "Book Deals" to see the good deals/freebies I share about. :)

Feel free to join along and post your own Weekend Wrap-up on your blog/site (if you do, please leave the link in a comment so I can stop by) or, in a comment, share what you've accomplished (reading-wise) this past week. :)

 What I've read this week:



This week flew by! I'm glad I was able to finish even one book. The last two novellas in Smitten Book Club were great - look for my review tomorrow. :)

What I'm currently reading:

Fiction:


Remnants: I'm on page 83 of this book. It's very good so far!
Dark Vessel: Didn't read any of that this week, but I'll get back to it once I finish a couple other books.
Undeniably Yours: I'm over 40% done with this one.

Nonfiction:

Still on the first chapter, but I'm looking forward to reading more.

  What I hope to read next week:

Reviews posted this week:

None...but I'll be posting a new review tomorrow. ;)

Current Giveaway:

Enter for a chance to win a paperback copy of Loving by Corin Hughs! Giveaway is open to US residents. Ends 4/17. Link: http://christianbookshelfreviews.blogspot.com/2014/04/interview-giveaway-corin-hughs-author.html

Giveaway Winners:

The winners of a Kindle copy of God's Daughter:

Jan H.

Patty

*Winners have been emailed*

There you have it, that is what I'm reading this week! What about you?

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Interview & Giveaway: Corin Hughs ~ Author of "Loving"

Welcome to Christian Bookshelf Reviews, Corin!! Will you tell us a little about yourself? 

I married my high school sweetheart nearly 10 years ago and am blessed to be the mom of three young children. By day, I nurture skinned knees, read picture books, play restaurant and draw scary (unintentionally) versions of Disney princesses. As pillows hug little heads, and my home grows quiet, I nestle into my “spot” on the couch. With my laptop in place and coffee on the end table, I get lost in another world…and I write! Each tap on my keyboard is laced in prayer – prayer for the words I type, the stories they create and the people who read them. I pray my writing encourages and challenges my readers.

What is your novel, Loving, about?

Inspired by a true story, Loving takes readers on the journey of a young childless couple who seeks to adopt a prostitute’s unwanted baby. It is an emotional story that realistically addresses the raw, difficult pains of infertility, disease, prostitution, addiction, rejection and, of course, adoption. It’s a story about ordinary people – people just like you and me – living with extraordinary faith.

I wrote Loving to honor my friend, Hannah, who has pulmonary hypertension, similar to the character Hannah in the book. This book tackles the hard realities of life and faith in a way that, I hope, will both challenge and inspire.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer? 

Third grade! I had hoped the desire would “go away.” It never did! I graduated from University of Central Florida with a degree in English/Creative Writing and then became a grant writer. I’ve written inspiration greeting cards for a Christian publisher and Loving is my first published novel.

What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk? 

Sometimes I type prayers into my writing (they get deleted before anyone else reads them!). For me, writing is a way I worship God – while writing, I’m praying for wisdom in writing and for the people who read what I write. My writing is often the product of meditating on particular Scriptures, so I’m being drawn into a deeper trust in Christ through writing and I pray my readers would say the same.  

Where do you like to write? 

Anywhere! Currently, my most common writing spot is on the couch, left corner next to the end table. A coffee mug is always perched on the end table as nighttime fills the sky and my children sleep. Coffee, my imagination and God keep me awake.

What do you like to do when you're not writing? 

Well, I don’t get nearly as much time to write as I like, so uninterrupted time to write is wonderful! As a grateful wife and mommy of three young children, my days are filled with wiping sticky fingers, kissing boo-boos, snuggling, reading stories, packing lunches and snacks, tackling laundry and searching for lost puzzle pieces. I also adore sipping coffee with girlfriends and dinner dates with my husband. If I can drag myself from bed early enough, I enjoy jogging on my treadmill.

What is your favorite genre to read and why?

Inspirational fiction or nonfiction. I seek to know God more with every day, in everything I do. I’m a stickler for living with purpose! I love that books can challenge and deepen my faith. It’s amazing the talented writers whose works we have available to read.

What is your least favorite genre to read?

Sci-fi.

Is there a place you'd like to visit, but haven’t yet? 

This list is all over the place, literally, but here goes…Sarasota, Gatlinburg, Greece, Ireland and Haiti.

Do you have a favorite Bible verse? 

The one that I seem to meditate on daily is Philippians 4:8. I try to evaluate every decision by this verse – what I say, do, watch, listen to, read, write, etc.

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

Do you have a favorite song and/or movie? 

Any Matthew West song…his songs challenge me! My favorite movie is Father of the Bride.

What is your favorite holiday? 

Christmas! It was my mom’s favorite and she died of cancer in 2009. Every time I hear “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas” I think of my mom and am filled with love and longing.

What is your favorite season and why is it your fav?

Summer! Sandy toes and crashing waves, salty air and coconut-scented sunblock. I love God’s playground!

Some this-or-that questions:

Snowstorms or Thunderstorms? Snowstorms

Chocolate or Vanilla? Chocolate

Tea or Coffee?  Coffee

Call or Text?  Text

Cats or Dogs? Cats

Early-bird or Night-owl? Early-bird

Introvert or Extrovert? Introvert

Facebook or Twitter? Facebook

Mystery or Romance? Romance

Sneakers or Sandals? Sandals

Are you currently working on any new novels? If so, could you give us a hint? 

Loving is part of a three-book series. I’m working on the second novel in the series. This book delves into healing. It’s a new layer of our individual struggle to trust God. It also digs into the unique, difficult, volatile, yet precious mother-daughter relationship. My deepest hope is that it will inspire mothers and daughters to strengthen their bonds and restore relationships that desperately need healing and forgiveness.

Thank you so much for being here! Is there anything else you’d like to tell readers and where can we find you on the web?

I loving hearing from readers! Please visit my website www.corinhughs.com and drop me an email. Also, “Like” my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/corinhughsauthor and we can “talk” in real-time. I’m honored you had me, Melanie! Thank you!

Amazon, B&N, Goodreads, Christian Book.

Enter for a chance to win a paperback copy of Loving by Corin Hughs! Giveaway is open to US residents. Ends 4/17

How to enter: Sign into the Giveaway Tools form below (it might take a moment to load) and submit each entry you complete. The mandatory entry is to leave a comment on this blog post, so please make sure to use the same name on both the form and your comment. Commenting alone will not get you entered – you must click enter on the form. Happy entering!

Entry-Form

Open only to those who can legally enter. Winning entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by Giveaway Tools and announced here as well as emailed and will have up to one week to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Giveaway Tools or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. I am not responsible for any packages lost or damaged in the mail. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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"Waiting On" Wednesday: Love's Fortune: A Novel (The Ballantyne Legacy) by Laura Frantz

Hosted by Breaking the Spine.

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event that spotlights upcoming releases that we're

eagerly anticipating.

 This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:


Love's Fortune: A Novel (The Ballantyne Legacy) by Laura Frantz
Revell / ISBN#978-0800720438
Expected Publication Date: September 16, 2014
Find on: Amazon, Goodreads

About the book:

Sheltered since birth at her Kentucky home, Rowena Ballantyne has heard only whispered rumors of her grandfather Silas's vast fortune and grand manor in Pennsylvania. When her father receives a rare letter summoning him to New Hope, Rowena makes the journey with him and quickly finds herself in a whole new world--filled with family members she's never met, dances she's never learned, and a new side to the father she thought she knew. As she struggles to fit in during their extended stay, she finds a friend in James Sackett, the most valued steamship pilot of the Ballantynes' shipping line. Even with his help, Rowena feels she may never be comfortable in high society. Will she go her own way . . . to her peril?

With her signature attention to historical detail, Laura Frantz brings 1850s Pennsylvania alive with a tender story of loss, love, and loyalty. Fans will cheer for this final installment of the Ballatyne saga.

Why I want to read this book:

I loved the first two books in this series and I'm sure I'll also enjoy Love's Fortune. Can't wait to read it! =)

What's your "Waiting On" Wednesday selection this week?

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