Smitten by Janet Evanovich

Single mom Lizabeth Kane isn't exactly carpenter material -- she's never picked up a hammer in her life. But she desperately needs the construction job that builder Matt Hallahan is offering. And even though he knows trouble is ahead, Matt can't refuse Lizbeth's irresistible smile.

Matt Hallahan isn't exactly relationship material -- he has always been too busy working on other people's houses to make a home of his own. And even though she knows better, Lizabeth can't stop thinking about the rugged carpenter.

Is the relationship Matt and Lizabeth are building solid -- or more like a house of cards?

Another of the rereleased series romances that Janet Evanovich wrote years ago, and yet again with this one, you can tell. Having looked back at the reviews I have done of these rereleases, the main things that all three of them have in common is that the romance between the two main characters develops at breakneck speed. Within a couple of days of meeting, Matt is thinking about settling down, having never even thought of it before. Another thing is that compared to many of today's other romances, the books feel like the bare bones of the story.

Lizabeth bought a run down house the day after her divorce, and now has to get a job because otherwise she will not be able to make her mortgage payments. There was no mention of how she was planning to meet the payments in the first place. Once she gets the job with Matt, her Aunt Elsie comes to stay for the summer to look after her two boys. Aunt Elsie was apparently a prototype for Grandma Mazur from the Plum books, and she was a lot of fun.

There was at least one plotline that was a bit contrived, and that was in relation to a naked stalker who kept on coming and showing himself to Lizabeth. That was the catalyst for Matt to come and protect her, and in the end an explanation was offered as to who the stalker was and why, but it felt really contrived and not really satisfactory.

Overall though, if you want a quick romance to read and then move on from this was pretty good, and certainly better than some of the other rereleases.

Rating 4/5