Newly divorced mom of two young boys seeks employment with a hunky builder up the street from her house in this large print edition of Smitten by Janet Evanovich. Janet's early writing career was in the Romance field and there is plenty of romance in this fun novel. It was a welcomed diversion from more serious books that I have read lately. Fun to get a diversion at this stage in life!

#2 in the Elsie Hawkins chick lit series

This series has been mildly entertaining, but it's certainly not as well-developed as the Stephanie Plum series, which I love. It has been pointed out that Elsie is the model for Grandma Mazur, although she's not quite as funny or as crazy, in my opinion. Her powder-blue Cadillac, though, is obviously the same as the powder-blue Buick that Stephanie sometimes uses. Ferguson is the silly dog, but he's a little too much to take--stealing ham, etc. Evanovich obviously toned him down a bit to become Bob, who is a lovable goofball. After pointing out these similarities, I must admit that I found Lizabeth to be annoying. She's somewhat naïve, somewhat snobbish, and irritatingly questions everything Matt does, usually to his detriment. Matt, on the other hand, is adorably helpful, charming, down-to-earth, and fits so well into their lives. The story was well-narrated by C.J. Critt, and it was a quick and enjoyable read, but I much prefer Evanovich's later writing.

A fun read with plenty of laughs

Wow! Have romances come a long way! This is a Janet Evanovich written in 1990! It is like reading a whole different genre from a romance written today-loaded with sexism, stereotypes, and mannerisms that men and women are supposed to have. You can CLEARLY see the future Stephanie Plum series here—she has such a formula. Big dumb dog who eats everything, Aunt Elsie with her big Cadillac, BINGO, and gun in her bag, the male is a construction worker, super tall and muscular, the female is accident-prone, petite, and trying to find a job she likes. Even the obsession with donuts is in this story, although this takes place in the Philly suburbs instead of Trenton, NJ. I was entertained and read it in a night, but by no means is this a good book!

I was ready to enjoy this book after I read the author's note describing it as a self-aware "red-hot screwball comedy." And while my gay-ass didn't find any part of the book hot, I had a good time. Honestly, the book gives you exactly what it promises and if the male love interest had any boundaries I would have given it a full 5 stars.

The storyline is cute and had so much potential but the characters were lacking
It was cool to see a single mom story where the guy falls in love with the girl and ends up loving her kids as well. A someone who grew up with a dad who was not bio but more of a dad than a girl could ever ask for, it was cool to see a similar story in a romance novel.

But the problem with this story was that it was basically the previous novel as far as the characters personalities go. Macho man who falls madly in love cute girl from the start and is a softy for the girl (and this time her kids) meets sweet stubborn girl who needs convincing even though she’s already in love. If I heard the audiobook of both books 1 & 2 in the Elsie Hawkins series, and it was a snippet of the FMCs voice, the personality is the same. So either they are the same person in a different story or the audiobook reader thinks Evanovich writes the same FMC personality in every romance book she wrote. Same could be said about the MMC too.

Other than that, cute story, soft easy read if you need one to get through quick. But I would worn future readers, all these older romance novels of hers seem to have the same FMC and MMC character types.

Ok, so there are a lot of things wrong with this novel that are also wrong with most other Janet Evanovich novels. I mean, true love in 3 days? Really? But that is okay. That is part of the fun of reading novels like this. They require a 'suspension of disbelief' of sorts but they are entertaining enough. The problem with this one is that the main male character is much too aggressive for me. There are things he does in the book that are to violent to be romantic - even if you are giving it the leeway required of the genre.

Example:
**Semi-Spoiler**
Woman goes into her bedroom needing some space (from guy she met two days ago) and locks the door. Said guy (she met two days ago) BREAKS DOWN THE DOOR. Not cool, man. Not cool. That is not romantic behavior. That is psychotic behavior. When breaking down a door is romantic: the woman is inside screaming for help, woman is inside unconscious and time is running out, when she is being held prisoner - you get the idea.
**Semi-Spoiler Over**

The other thing wrong with this book is that the woman in question has two kids. Ok, so you wanna marry some guy you've known for less than a week? You are 25 and know your own mind - go for it. Who am I to judge? You are in your thirties with TWO KIDS? Um, no. Just no.

Maybe Janet Evanovich has never been in a relationship with a person who actually disrespects your personal space and breaks things. If you have not had this experience, this man might seem romantic. But I tell you, if I met this man in real life I would back away slowly, not marry him.

Found at a thrift store on a rainy morning at the beach. What a perfect way to laugh through the afternoon. Not in the Stephanie Plum series but fun, fast romantic comedy book. Will be passing on to the fun book club ladies.

Love the 'Between the Numbers' novels. They are delightfully off-the-wall, slightly supernatural (but in a good way), and with some really great characters. Janet Evanovich's writing never fails to impress.

Lizabeth is a single mother of two young boys who buys her delapitated dream home before quickly realizing she is in over her head. After desperately searching for any job, she stumbles into working for a local construction company. Hilarity ensues as she learns to paint and hammer nails from Matt, and of course Evanovich throws in a lusty relationship between the two. Her Aunt Elsie and her trusy Cadillac visit to babysit for the summer while Lizabeth is working. Elsie is quite the character, especially when waiting on the porch hoping a local flasher comes to visit. Will Lizabeth find love again despite being wary of every man turning out like her ex-husband? A quick read that’s a romp of a good time. Not nearly as funny as the Stephanie Plum series, but I like the author’s easy to read writing style and the plot was good overall.

a great read with characters and lol funny moments. If you have just came off of a heavy read and need something light then Smitten is for you. Lisabeth Dane is desperate to find work to care for her children's needs so she goes to a construction site looking for a job. there, she meets matt Hallahan and sparks fly immediately. He tries to protect her from the hard jobs but she doesn't like his overprotection.
meanwhile Aunt Elsie hawkins has come to stay for the summer and she is a real hoot. A flasher is on the loose and Elsie doesn't want to miss any of the action. This and many more anecdotes make Smitten a fast read. Highly recommend for a lighthearted read on a warm spring day.

Light and breezy with a little romance and mystery thrown in. Delightful summer read.