Review: Still Smitten
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 12, 2014
I was super stoked to see this book finally released because I absolutely adored the first book in this series, Pinned.  While remaining in the SSU world, Smitten differs from its predecessor in that the leading characters are an English major (Dan) who loves and is fantastic at dancing and a brooding, hot and cold rich boy (Julian).  What results is an epic saga that sweeps over only a few weeks but feels much longer due to the numerous events that unfold.  This story felt much, much longer than the 247 pages but left me feeling full and satisfied rather than overwhelmed.  With so much happening, it'd be easy for an author to get sidetracked and go off on tangents, but everything Ms. Black wrote is relevant to the story, even if it isn't obvious right away.  This is one thing I love about the author; everything put into the book has its place and meaning.However, I do feel like the magic of the first book was lost a little on this second book, especially in the first half or so, only because the plot was something I've read numerous times before: two men meet, they both are attracted to one another although one is straight but struggling with his sexuality, both don't know each has feelings for the other even though it appears obvious, and slowly their relationship unfolds.  That aside, the writing is wonderful enough to keep me from getting bored and once the plot moves beyond this stage several unique elements appear, which helps this book stand out (I won't go into details, though, because at least some are definitely spoilers).  The beginning seemed to move really quickly and it was almost an instance where one would have to suspend disbelief, but as always Ms. Black explains the haste a little later on in the story, leaving me silly for doubting her expertise of this craft.  Other than a few minor inconsistencies (eg. we are told Julian already has an MBA but at one point it seemed as though he was going back to school to finish; also the time frame seemed a little off, considering how much happened over supposedly only a couple of weeks), the story was very solid with nothing extraneous added, however dubious some aspects seemed to be.There weren't very many negatives at all.  One thing I didn't like was that Julian's personality seemed inconsistent.  Upon first meeting him, he is standoffish, carefully cold and distant, and has that confident arrogance that make tall, dark, and handsome characters like him so appealing.  I think Black sums it up perfectly in calling him a mix between Gatsby and Heathcliff.  However, too quickly his outer facade fades and we are given a much more sweet, sympathetic, and eagerly romantic side of him as he swiftly falls for Dan, a side that persists throughout most of the remaining book save for a few instances where it suddenly appears again.  While this shift is doable and arguably expected from a romance, I think it could have been more believable had Julian remained guarded for longer than he did.  I felt like I was reading about two different, irreconcilable characters.  This, however, is noticed more in the beginning of the book, and begins to fit towards the end of the novel as different elements allow for the shift in personality.  Additionally, there were a few sickly sweet moments thrown into the book that were a bit too saccharine for my tastes, but they were easy to look over.Smitten is a beautiful story about two more boys from the SSU universe.  I love the emphasis on plot with a dash of sexiness thrown in.  Once again, the bed scenes were steamy and distinct, with a couple of very erotic dance scenes thrown in for good measure.  Not only are we reacquainted with old characters, but a few new people are brought in as well, and I'm really hoping that Ms. Black will write a story for them, as I truly believe she was setting the stage for one.  I've said if before and I'll say it again: Maris Black is one of my new favorite authors and I will eagerly and impatiently be watching for new releases from her.  She's a very talented writer and you can't go wrong with her books.  Smitten can definitely be read as a stand-alone novel but I highly recommend picking up Pinned as well (I actually enjoyed that one more than this one).  I can't wait to see what she has in store for us next.