Once a month, the six women of the Sweetgum Knit Lit Society gather to discuss books and share their knitting projects. Inspired by her recently-wedded bliss, group leader Eugenie chooses ""Great Love Stories in Literature"" as the theme for the year’’s reading list––a risky selection for a group whose members span the spectrum of age and relationship status.

As the Knit Lit ladies read and discus classic romances like Romeo and Juliet, Wuthering Heights, and Pride and Prejudice, each member is confronted with her own perception about love. Camille’’s unexpected reunion with an old crush forces her to confront conflicting desires. Newly widowed Esther finds her role in Sweetgum changing and is surprised by two unlikely friends. Hannah isn’’t sure she’’s ready for the trials of first love.

Newcomer Maria finds her life turned upside-down by increasing family obligations and a handsome, arrogant lawyer, and Eugenie and Merry are both asked to make sacrifices for their husbands that challenge their principles.

Even in a sleepy, southern town like Sweetgum, Tennesee, love isn’’t easy. The Knit Lit ladies learn they can find strength and guidance in the novels they read, the love of their family, their community––and especially in each other. (taken from back cover of book)

This was such a sweet and charming story. Although it is the second in the Sweetgum Knit Lit Society series, it can definitely be read as a stand-alone novel. The characters were very likeable and had enough depth where you could actually see yourself as friends with any of them. Their monthly book club selections seem to be somewhat reminiscent of what they are going through in their own personal romance lives. I loved the details of their small Southern town - it was very easy to visualize - I wanna live there! Although some parts were predictable, the story itself was very engaging and I found that I did not want to put it down. It makes you want to join a book club and work on monthly knitting projects (in my case, I’d have to learn to knit first), but I still found this whole idea very enjoyable. I also want to mention that the book is classified as Christian Fiction, but it is something that believers or non-believers can enjoy. Their meetings do take place at the local church and one of the women is married to the preacher, but that’s about as religious as it got. There were a lot of loose ends at the end but I can see where there will definitely be a next installment. Ms. Pattillo's novel is very engrossing and I will definitely be on the lookout for more from her. ( )

This book was a fun and quick read. With a large cast of characters to follow, the books felt almost like a bunch of little stories in one novelization. While this book is a sequel, I did not feel like I lost anything by not reading the first book in the series as this book stood alone just fine. I do hope to read more books in this series, as it was a light and fast read.

Technically, this book is considered Christian romance, but don't let this put you off. I am not a Christian and I do not enjoy preachy books, but this book was a fun read that was not in any way preachy. While the characters did refer to praying for each other when one of the characters is having a hard time, this type of thing is something people say to each when health issues arise.

There is some romance in this book and not all the threads are tied up by the end, although most of hte major plot points do see some resolution. I look forward to the next book in the series. ( )

The Sweetgum Ladies Knit For Love, is the second book in this series. I don't feel that I should give a review of this book, as perhaps I missed out on the character development in the first book. ( )

This book was a light and easy read that explored the link between classic literature and contemporary life's challenges. It followed along with the lives of all the women in the reading/knitting group and related it to the novels they were reading on the theme of romance. The characters were not developed very deeply because the story was spread between so many main characters. On the positive side of this, it did include characters from many age groups so that many different readers may identify their own life issues in at least one of the characters. I enjoyed the portrayal of small town life and the way that people's lives intertwine in this type of setting. The theme was about opening up to love from various sources and forgiving and moving on with life when you have been hurt in the past. The writing style was very straight forward and basic which is not really to my taste. Overall, the book was enjoyable though not a challenging or particularly insightful novel. ( )

This was my first foray into the world of the Sweetgum Knit Lit Society. When I requested it, the story just sounded great. I do not know how I missed that it was part of a series. I am glad that I missed that detail, because I may not have requested it. This is a great book! The story was a quick and smooth read, but it was rich.

Each character had a unique personality, and each fit well within the story. My favorite though was Hannah. I don't know what it is about the throws of young love, but it gets me every time. Maybe it is a way to stay in touch with that side of me. Beth Pattillo certainly knows how to create a perfect setting and realistic characters! I feel as though I have made new friends as I joined in each one's life moments. I truly look forward to the next installment, and I am absolutely thrilled that I have the first book to enjoy!

I definitely would recommend picking up Sweetgum Ladies Knit for Love by Beth Pattillo. A good friend story is hard to find. ( )