Review: Smitten by Lacey Weatherford

Life is good. Cami is away at her dream college with her dream man by her side. She thinks if she can just get through with meeting Hunter’s family that everything will be perfect. Little does she know that life’s about to turn upside down again when Hunter is called to infiltrate a gang whose specialty is chopping and racing cars. His contact happens to be a beautiful curvy girl who is the gang leader’s sister and he has to pose as her boyfriend. Communication with Cami is basically forbidden to help keep his cover.

Hunter, however, can’t stand being away from the girl he really loves, and he sneaks away one night to meet her across town. He doesn’t know the gang leader, Ripper, has suspicions about him already and he’s following him to see where he goes. He surprises Hunter and Cami, and Hunter quickly introduces her as his cousin who is having some car trouble. He thinks all is well until he discovers he has one serious problem. Ripper likes Cami and decides to pursue her, drawing her into the same dangerous world he’s supposed to bring down.

Can he keep his cover without having Cami get caught in the crossfire? Will the two of them survive having to watch each other fake it in the arms of another? Or will their hot stolen kisses destroy everything?


4 Star Review

Smitten picks up almost immediately after Crush ended. Hunter (real name Dylan) is living in Tucson and Cami is going to college at U of A. His gunshot wound has healed (from the struggle with Clay after his attempt to rape Cami) and he is cleared to go back to work. His friend Russ followed them when they moved and is going to classes too. Hunter takes Cami home to meet his parents and his sister Sheridan. His colleague Chris is married to his sister. His family loves Cami and greets her with open arms. The age difference (she is 18, Hunter is in his mid- twenties) doesn’t concern them. Hunter has a romantic evening planned, but unfortunately, Hunter and Chris are called in to the station.

 “No one has ever made me feel the way you do.” “And what way is that?”

“Like I might come apart at the seams if I don’t kiss you right now.”

Hunter is told he is going undercover again-starting now. There is no time to call Cami, see his family, and get his things. A chop shop is under investigation, the lead suspect is Ripper, a thug who is also being considered for the murder of his partner, Manny who was his sister, Roberta’s boyfriend. She has contacted the police and thinks her brother killed him after an argument. Hunter will be posing as her new boyfriend who is an auto mechanic.

Russ, Hunter’s friend briefs Cami about what is going on. She isn’t happy about having no contact with him, but Chris’ moves aren’t so restricted (he is posing as Hunter’s drug addicted foster brother) and he is able to keep her up to date. A couple of weeks into the investigation, Hunter gets a hold of Cami and they meet in secret. Ripper followed Hunter and the two are forced to come up with a story that Cami is Hunter’s foster sister. He is forced to tell the station what happened and they concoct a fake identity for Cami. Unfortunately, Ripper is attracted to Cami and pursues her to go out with him. Hunter’s temper is at its boiling point between Roberta constantly taking advantage of their roles as lovers and having to watch Ripper paw Cami.

Hunter gains Ripper’s trust and joins in stealing cars, and selling them for parts. He and Chris are still trying to tie Ripper into Manny’s death. Cami is at her wit’s end with the danger that constantly faces Hunter with his job. Still pretending to be his foster sister, she tells him as much as she loves him; she is finding it hard to live with job. Hunter’s family is wealthy and he has a sizeable trust fund. He intends to marry Cami and will do what he needs to in order for them to live a normal life. 

Things come to a head and the danger heats up. There’s a series of events that will change Hunter and Cami’s lives (and adds a little spice too!). There’s a wild twist towards the end that you may never see coming. I enjoyed this one as much as Crush. While I enjoy a novel filled with action, I appreciated the parts that highlighted their relationship and feelings for one anther. It had a wonderful epilogue and truth be told, I wouldn’t mind a sequel about Russ, Hunter’s best friend.

“I’m never letting this girl go, I love her too much.”