Series review: Smitten

Unlucky Break 
Release Date: March 2013
Author: Kate Forster
Publisher: Hardie Grant Egmont
Source: Publisher for Review
Format: Paperback
Where to Buy:  Fishpond | Booktopia
More Info: Goodreads

Summary:

Andie Powers has a one-way ticket to LA – the glamorous world of Hollywood, movie stars, palm trees and endless summer.

She’s desperate for a break after her mother’s battle with cancer and her boyfriend’s pathetic betrayal. Staying with her celebrity aunt Cece in Hollywood seems like the perfect solution. Besides, Cece won’t take no for an answer. Suddenly Andie has everything she could possibly need to be happy – a dream mansion, a new best friend, unlimited credit cards and a brand-new BMW.

But she can’t shake the feeling that this place is fake. It’s only after a chance encounter with bad-boy movie star James Hawthorn that she discovers something real.

She knows he couldn’t possibly feel the same way about her. But when everything around you is one big act, it’s hard not to get caught up in the story...

 Tall, Dark and Distant 

Release Date: March 2013

Author: Julie Fison

Publisher: Hardie Grant Egmont

Source: Publisher for Review

Format: Paperback

Where to Buy:  Fishpond | Booktopia

More Info: Goodreads

Summary:

When Georgia meets Nik on her summer holiday, she’s sure he’s too good to be true. He’s gorgeous, with god-like abs and an adorable English accent. Then she discovers that he’s actually a member of an obscenely wealthy Russian family – and he wants to get to know her better.

Nik catapults Georgia into a world of private yachts, fast cars and expensive jewellery. Having a billionaire for a boyfriend certainly comes with benefits ... but it also comes with a price. How long will it take before life in the fast lane spins out of control?

Lust and Found 
Release Date: March 2013
Author: Julie Fison
Publisher: Hardie Grant Egmont
Source: Publisher for Review
Format: Paperback
Where to Buy:  Fishpond | Booktopia
More Info: Goodreads

Summary:

Cambodia is the last place in the world Sienna wants to visit. She likes five- star hotels and exercising her credit card in air-conditioned malls – not flea- ridden hostels and trekking through the jungle.

But when her brother Eddie starts sending strange messages from Cambodia, Sienna’s mum convinces her to go check on him. Thankfully, her boyfriend agrees to go along.

When they arrive, they discover that Eddie has disappeared. Sienna just wants to find him and get the hell out of there. Everything in Cambodia
is getting to her – the language barrier, the unrelenting humidity, the mosquitos. But mostly it’s Eddie’s maddeningly hot French friend, Guillaume, who couldn’t be more unhelpful if he tried...

 Head over High Heels

Release Date: March 2013

Author: Kate Forster

Publisher: Hardie Grant Egmont

Source: Publisher for Review

Format: Paperback

Where to Buy:  Fishpond | Booktopia

More Info: Goodreads

Summary:

When Lyssa is scouted by a modelling agency, she’s more surprised than anyone. She’s a gangly girl from a migrant family, with out-of-control hair and the wrong postcode.

She’s not even interested in a modelling career. She wants to get into Medicine at university. Then she learns how much she could earn from a single photo shoot – enough to give her struggling family the help they need.

Lyssa’s parents don’t like her talking to boys, let alone posing provocatively for a photographer. And while her best friend Emily is a champion liar, Lyssa’s still not sure she’ll get away with it. She’s always played it safe.

But then she meets Dan at the modeling agency, and Dan is all kinds of amazing. Maybe amazing enough to convince Lyssa that she should play it dangerous for once...

Cover:
The covers are so so cute! They are actually the reason why I decided to read the series. My favourite might be Lust and Found, just because I love that sun-set effect but then, Head Over High Heels' cover has Eiffel Tower! (You know how much I love Paris) But all the covers are so adorable!

Story:

Have you been so smitten with a guy that everything feels like a dream? Do you ever fall for someone so quickly it feels impossible?

The Smitten series, although set in different places, with different stories and characters, carry the same themes throughout; love, family, friendship and pursuing your dreams. The series is also written by Australian authors! While I enjoyed all four, my favourite is perhaps Tall, Dark and Distant, because the guy, Nik, has English accent! (How typical of me)

I do have to say, the series feels a bit too unrealistic even though it is contemporary. The main character, living a normal life, suddenly encounters a guy or an event which changes her and even her life. While I don't mind these kinds of stories, sometimes they don't appeal so much to me. I love the different settings of the series such as how one is set in Paris, LA and even Cambodia! But the love story I find really cute and sweet, even though at times it can be frustrating. The series is fun and fluffy nevertheless so if you're looking for a summery escape, then this series might just be for you!

Characters:
The main characters in the series usually undergo development after the events in the story and I like reading about their progress from the first time we meet them in the story until the end. There are times when the characters' behaviours annoyed me so much but all is well in the end. My favourite characters though are probably Georgia and Nik from Tall, Dark and Distant. Even though the story itself feels unrealistic, I like their interactions and relationship!

Overall:
Are you looking for a fun, cute and fluffy contemporary books? Do you need a quick escape? Then the Smitten series might just be for you! Find yourself falling in love with the setting, story and characters! I am definitely looking forward to read more works by Kate Forster and Julie Fison!

3 Forget-Me-Not flowers for the Smitten series!

Thank you Hardie Grant Egmont for the review copies!