The storyline in Smitten was wonderful. I loved the historical aspects of the book and the places in London that are visited. I would purchase this book for myself, but I will not be purchasing it for my high school library simply because of the sex scenes. The book itself is great and I enjoyed reading it and rooting for the main characters to find their way to each other.

Smitten by the Brit by Melonie Johnson is the second in the Sometimes in Love Series. I missed the first book in the series but now will have to check it out. Smitten by the Brit is about Bonnie and Theo. They met because their best friends are marrying each other. (This was the first in the series). Bonnie is attracted to Theo but she is engaged to your childhood sweetheart. Then her life becomes like a modern-day Austen novel. She discovers her fiancé cheating. She is offered temporary position teaching in England where Theo is living. But as Theo’s sisters say he has a hero complex and must save the family fortunes. So how will these two get together in the end? You will have a good time with this romance. I received a copy from netgalley and must say it was a fun quick read. I would recommend this when you want a feel-good romance.

3.5 Stars
Smitten by the Brit is the second book in the <i>Sometimes in Love</i> series, and tells the story of Bonnie and Theo.

While reading the first book. Getting Hot With the Scot, I definitely felt the attraction between Bonnie and Theo and was hoping that they would be the leads in the second book. That being said, I wasn't as enthralled with their story as I had hoped. I felt like Bonnie and Theo spent so much time avoiding each other and staying away, and denying their feelings and second-guessing each other... that it was difficult to make the leap from lust to love, and feel like they really knew each other.

I took a peek at some other reviews and clearly I am in the minority on this, so maybe I was not in the right state of mind or something when I read it.

These are nice quick, light reads that keep you involved, so I will most likely look for the third book and see who gets their story told next.

I was provided a free ARC of Smitten by the Brit in exchange for my honest review.

After thoroughly enjoying the first book in this series, Getting Hot With the Scot, I was eager to read the next book in the series. I suppose technically this second book could be read on it's own, however, I recommend reading the books in order. So this book picks up not long after the first one ends, Cassie is planning her wedding while Bonnie thinks she should at least have a date set for her own wedding. After all, she's been planning to marry Gabe since she was eight years old. Too bad, Gabe has a different plan. Which works out perfectly since there just happens to be a very available Duke by the name of Theo ready to make up for Gabe's stupidity.
This was a very enjoyable romance that paid tribute to some of the literary classics including Jane Austen, Shakespeare and of course Anne of Green Gables. And even if you're like me and haven't read any of these, you'll still appreciate all of the references. I'm eager to see what Melonie Johnson has in store for the other friends in the group.

Smitten by the Brit had me smitten from the start. The story follows Bonnie and Theo, who we were introduced to in Melonie Johnson’s previous book, Getting Hot With the Scot (the book is a standalone, but readers will have a better understanding of the characters if they read both books). The two met several months before the book begins, but Bonnie was engaged to her childhood sweetheart at the time so they both had to ignore the chemistry sparking between them. When Bonnie finds herself single for the first time ever, she runs into Theo again and things progress from there. Neither one is in the position to start a serious relationship at the time, but it’s clear that they would both be interested in doing so. Instead, they find themselves embarking on a friends with benefits relationship of sorts.

While I enjoyed Getting Hot With the Scot quite a bit, I really loved Smitten by the Brit. Since the two characters know each other from the start, the feelings run deeper and there is a slow burn feel to their relationship. I also really enjoyed all of the literary references Johnson throws into her writing; it made for a richer story. Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Hopefully we’ll see more of this group of friends in future books!

I was interested in reading Smitten by the Brit. The sparks that Bonnie and Theo had in Getting Hot with the Scot was amazing. But, since Bonnie was engaged and Theo was a gentleman, they didn’t do anything about it. So, yes, I was interested in the book. I needed to know if they got together.

The plot for Smitten by the Brit was pretty straightforward. Bonnie walks in on her fiancee having sex with another woman on her bed. Devastated, she decides to take a summer job teaching in England. Where Theo is. The more Bonnie hangs out with Theo, the more she starts falling for him. Is it a rebound? Or is what she’s feeling for Theo the real thing?

I liked Bonnie. She was one of the more relatable characters that I have read in awhile. I liked that she was quirky, loved Shakespeare, and loved to read. She was a sweet girl in this book.

Theo annoyed me but I liked him. He was between a rock and a hard place the entire book. I wish that he grew a backbone sooner than later.

Bonnie and Theo’s relationship was a huge focal point of the book. I mean, it is a romance novel about them. I loved that the author didn’t have Bonnie fall heads over heels for Theo right after her break up with Gabe. It wouldn’t have sat right with me. Instead, she was an emotional mess. She was dealing with the baggage of Gabe cheating on her (and blaming her for it, flipping tool!!). That baggage had to be dealt with in order for her to move onto Theo. In that sense, the book did go slowly. Which I didn’t mind, weirdly enough. But, once she arrived in England, their relationship sped up. And that was months after her breakup with Gabe.

The sexual attraction and sexual tension carried over from Getting Hot with the Scot. I loved it. I haven’t read a book where the sexual tension between secondary characters were carried over as flawlessly as it did in this one. The author did a fantastic job of building it up and keeping it up. For the entire book. Loved it. Each sex scene was explosive. Each sex scene was fantastic.

I also liked the humor in Smitten by the Brit. From the beginning, I was giggling at the one liners that Bonnie, Ana, Sadie, Delaney, and Cassie had. The whole scene with Ana showing Bonnie how to give a blowjob on a popsicle was hilarious.

As much as I liked the book and its characters, there were some parts of it I didn’t like. I couldn’t stand Theo’s mother. Talk about a controlling, cold woman. She was rude to Bonnie. She had absolute control over Theo. She left a bad taste in my mouth. I also didn’t like how Bonnie refused to talk to Cassie about her feelings. I understood why she didn’t want to talk to Cassie. But, she should have been honest with her.

The end of the book was fantastic. I am not going to get into it. I will say this. It was the perfect ending for this book!!

“Bonnie had often wished to be in the middle of an Austen novel. Only now that she was, she couldn’t wait to escape.”*

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Bonnie feels like she’s been engaged to childhood sweetheart Gabe forever. She hopes that once he finishes up with graduate school he’ll finally agree on a wedding date. Her best friend Cassie already has set a wedding date after a whirlwind romance with a sexy Scot. Bonnie can’t help to be a bit jealous that Cassie’s man is eager to get hitched while Gabe seems happy to wait indefinitely to walk down the aisle. Then there’s the Scot’s best man Theo, a genuine duke who’d make the perfect hero in a modern day Jane Austin novel, and who never fails to make bibliophile Bonnie swoon. But in order to save his family assets, he needs someone with an enormous dowry to be his duchess—not an American college instructor. Too bad Theo ignites the kind of passion in Bonnie that she’s never felt for Gabe.

Like series starter GETTING HOT WITH THE SCOT, SMITTEN BY THE BRIT is a fun and sexy contemporary romance. While Bonnie and Theo meet in the previous book, Johnson effortlessly establishes the backstory so that readers who are new to the series are quickly oriented.

The well-developed characters make this series sing. Bonnie is quirky and relatable, while Theo is Mr. Darcy with a touch of James Bond. The group of five girlfriends are the lifeblood of the series, each intriguing, realistic, and deserving of a happy ever after. Johnson’s story world is populated with people readers will enjoy getting to know from Theo’s matchmaking sister to Bonnie’s dad, who offers to off Gabe. The robust world provides fruitful ground for a successful, long running romance series.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to experience this novel in advance of its release.

*Please note that my review is based on uncorrected text.

Smitten by the Brit continues with characters introduced in Hot with the Scot, focusing this time on Bonnie and Theo. Still waiting for her fiancé to finish his advanced degree, Bonnie is offered a summer job teaching Shakespeare at Cambridge. That very same night, she discovers what a rat her fiancé is. Theo, sent across the pond to fulfill his aristocratic mother’s matchmaking scheme to fill the family’s depleted funds, runs into Bonnie at the party best mate, Logan and his fiancée Cassie were attending. The players are in place for another sexy, steamy, rollicking adventure as the friends plan Cassie’s wedding in Scotland...with men in kilts...and Theo and Bonnie fight their attraction. This story has more depth than the previous one; the girl friends less silly. The author has cleverly incorporated Bonnie’s love of Austin and Shakespeare into her narrative. I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this book.

This is an absolutely delightful story!

We met Bonnie and Theo in Getting Hot with the Scot, and the attraction between them was palpable. (Although this is a stand alone, I recommend reading GHwtS first. It added dimension and depth to this book.) Bright, quirky Bonnie is sweet and needs someone to appreciate her endearing peccadillos. Enter Theo, who sees how wonderful Bonnie is below the surface. Of course, there are some problems with their match. First, Bonnie is engaged to her childhood sweetheart, and Theo is under immense familial pressure to marry a wealthy, titled woman. Theo is a duke, and his family has plenty of property, not much cash, and he has the burden of keeping them all afloat. Bonnie is neither wealthy nor titled.

This story had the potential for more angst and drama, but overall, it was pretty tame. Through their travails, Bonnie and Theo keep finding their way back to one another, and over time we see that they are perfect complements.

Melonie Johnson's writing is solid. The dialogue is clever, and there is just enough detail to make you feel like you're in Chicago, and later at Cambridge, with the characters. I loved the Shakespeare and Austen references. This is a quality book. Recommended!

I was given an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. This is the second book in a series but can be read as a standalone without much difficulty catching up. It was a cute romance that was also a quick read. There wasn't much depth to the characters and I had a hard time feeling any real emotion to either Theo or Bonnie.

This was a sweet book. If you are into Shakespeare and Jane Austen, you will love all the references through the book. I'm not into those things, so it was a slow start, but overall I liked the book and was so happy with the ending. The characters really grow up and realize what is important in their lives throughout this book. I definitely recommend it. It's a great sweet, love story to relax with.

A wonderful romance between two loveable characters. Bonnie has always loved Jane Austen and Shakespeare and been with the same boy since 8th grade while Theo has grown up knowing his life was not completely his own because his mother held the reins of his future. They initially both feel attracted to each other but know it can't go anywhere because Bonnie is engaged and Theo's future is already planned for him. But one untimely realization changes everything they had planned and it begins the sweetest love story.
I enjoyed getting to know Bonnie and Theo and highly recommend that others should get to know them, too. This is the second book of a series but can definitely be read as a stand alone book. I was grateful to receive an arc from Netgalley for an honest review. This wonderful story will be available in May 2019.

When Bonnie met Theo in Getting Hot with the Scot, I knew I needed their story. Smitten by the Brit was everything I was hoping for. Bonnie is an American academic, obsessed with Shakespeare and Jane Austen while Theo is an English Duke with an estate desperately in need of cash to save his home and the jobs of all the people who work for his family.

Like the first book in the series, not only do you enjoy the couple, but the friends and family that really add to the story as well. It was sexy and funny and we got more of Cassie and Logan and their wedding in this book. I look forward to more in this series!

Having met Theo the summer before while on holiday with her best friends, Bonnie fought the intense attraction she felt for Theo. As the two get closer, helped along by Bonnie's new teaching assignment in England, the two enbark on a funny heartwarming adventure straight out of one of Bonnie's beloved tales.
This novel was fun, sexy, and worth a read for this lovely happily-ever-after. I recommend this 4 star novel to all those romance junkies who love a happy ending.

The book is cute, hilarious and sweet. I extremely enjoyed reading this book and recommend it to anyone who wants a feel good romance story. I’m looking forward to reading more books in this series.

Book 2 in the Sometimes in Love series -- this series is shaping up to be really cute.

Bonnie is engaged. Theo is to marry a woman worthy of a title and with plenty of coin. There isn't supposed to be an attraction. So what if he's Prince Eric to her Ariel? It's not going to happen...until it does....but it's totally a one time thing. They agreed! Bonnie was in need of a rebound after breaking it off with her cheating ex and Theo had get it out of system before he proposed to the woman his mother chose to save his family name....


But fate always has it's way.

This book is really cute. I love the characters. They're layered and complex. As is the story.

The story had a lot going on. Cheating finance, rebound sex turned friends with benefits, arranged marriage, a wedding of friends. It almost felt a little too much -- but that's life sometimes. A little too much it doesn't seem real.

The story is charming enough to carry all the different parts.

Told in from the POVs of Theo and Bonnie sometimes it was hard to keep up with who was telling the story. The transitions could have been smoother.

Overall, it was a good read. And I'm ready for Books 3-5.

This is my first book by Melonie Johnson. I did not read the first book in this series and did not find that it detracted in any way from the story; so this can be read as a stand-alone. I enjoyed this book. It is kind of lighthearted in its delivery. There are moments when it gets a little "hot and heavy"; but, it plays well into the story and isn't just sex for the sake of sex. The story flowed well and the characters are charming and believable. I found myself routing for Bonnie Blythe the main female lead. She gets her heart broken and is able to come away from it with a better outlook and tends to be "in the moment" now more than she had been. All-in-all a very good and enjoyable story.

Bonnie is an English professor. She is engaged to Gabe. They have known one another since kindergarten and she knows exactly what the future holds for them. The only glitch is the fact that Gabe has not set a wedding date yet.

Bonnie comes home early and finds Gabe – having sex with another woman – on the quilt her grandmother made for her.

Her support system of 4 friends rallies around. She has their complete devotion and support.

Cassie, her best friend, is getting married in Scotland to, Logan, the love of her life. Bonnie is Maid of Honor. When they were in Britain last summer, Cassie met Logan and it was instant love. Now, Bonnie is realizing the depth of her relationship with Gabe was never what Cassie and Logan share.

Bonnie has been offered a wonderful opportunity to teach a seminar at Cambridge for the summer. It is like a dream come true for someone whose priorities are William Shakespeare and Jane Austen. And the timing is perfect. She will be able to get away and re-evaluate her life.

She has a very strong attraction to Theo. He is Logan's best friend. They met at school and played rugby together. Their friendship is as strong as the friendship between Bonnie and Cassie.

Theo is charming, handsome, courteous and speaks with a lovely British accent. He is also a duke. His natural character is one of a gentleman.

His family has financial issues. His mother is forcing Theo to promise to sacrifice his life. He must marry a wealthy woman from the right family and the right class. She has chosen the perfect woman who will bring respect and her fortune to their family.

Theo's mother is the worst example of a snobbish British woman who automatically knows that Americans are lesser to anyone British. She is certain that she, and she alone, knows what is best for her son. And he will never be allowed to forget that fact.

This is a story of attraction, lust and romance.

It is also a story of strong family relationships. And it is an illustration that not all families are created by blood.

Bonnie and Cassie and their friends are a family of women who depend on one another, love one another and hope for the best for one another. Theo and Logan are two men who depend on one another, love one another and hope for the best for one another.

I really enjoyed that aspect of this story. There is a warmth that flows among the group of women friends. It is the same between Theo and Logan.

This is the second in a series that works well as a stand alone read. The characters and relationships are explained well. Previous events come up naturally as part of what is happening now in the lives of Bonnie and Theo.

Bonnie and Theo are bringing internal problems to their interactions with one another. Each of them must come to grips with the past. As well as determine what their future holds.

It is a very well done story. Ms Johnson has created likable characters. Her plot development is well done and keeps things moving at a good clip.

I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley. I am voluntarily writing this review and all opinions are completely my own.

Smitten by the Brit is the second book in Melonie Johnson’s Sometimes in Love series. This book is about the best friends of Cassie and Logan from book one. This book is about Bonnie and Theo. While everyone is prepping for Cassie and Logan’s wedding, Bonnie’s engagement falls apart. Bonnie comes home early from a party to find her fiancé in the act with another woman, on top of her grandmas handmade quilt. After breaking off her engagement, Bonnie takes a teaching position in Cambridge for the summer session. Not only is this a dream job but it brings her close to Theo, Logan’s best man and her dream crush.

This book was just as cute as the first one, with even more heart. It was full of literary references and a lot of strong emotions. I think in a lot of ways this one was even better then the first. I will admit that the steamy scenes were a lot more subdued in this book though. I totally understand that the plot of this book makes the need for the steamy scenes to be more infrequent, but I was hoping they were going to be just as steamy. Sadly that wasn’t the case, and that is seriously my only gripe.

I really loved this book and I’m very much looking forward to the next one. I can only imagine what Johnson will cook up for next one if they keep getting more and more sweet and heartfelt.... and hopefully kick the steamy back up too.

Fun read, some laugh out loud moments, great chemistry, and I love a book that takes place in England. Special bonus for me was that the female character lived in Chicago, Printer's Row, and I lived there for two years. Love little connections like that. They also featured a favorite restaurant, of most people, in Chicago.

This is a familiar story, often used, but a fresh take, and very modern. Quite enjoyable.