**I received a complimentary copy of this book for consideration. All thoughts are my own.
About the Book
Book: Summertime Lilies
Author: LM Karen
Genre: Contemporary Christian Fiction
Release date: Jan 30, 2021
A sweet and sentimental contemporary romance with a uniquely witty voice.
There are three things you should know about Brittany Masters:
- She’s a single mom and a nurse manager at the local cancer clinic
- She has big plans for a quiet summer
- She’s convinced that fudge pops are the answer to almost all of life’s most important questions
A new neighbor, Matt, making friends with her son while simultaneously pursuing her blow plans for a predictable summer right out of the water. A chance meeting at the cancer clinic where she works renews a connection with an old friend and gives her the perspective she’s been missing. From quiet nights on her front porch swing in Matt’s company to long talks in the clinic with her old/new friend, Brittany’s summer is anything but routine.
Click here to get your copy!
About the Author
LM Karen writes contemporary Christian fiction romance. As a longtime lover of words, she can generally be found behind her laptop or with a book in her hand. A graduate of Toccoa Falls College, her heart is in the mountains. She eventually made use of the voices in her head by putting them on the page.
More from LM Karen
I am not artistic. I’m not someone who can look at a space, or an item and see it’s potential. If you give me white space, I will have no idea what to fill it with. Even if I had an idea of what I wanted it to look like, there is no way I could make it look like the picture in my head. My stick figures have always been lop-sided.
What I am pretty good at is making up stories in my head. At restaurants I enjoy observing other customers and giving them stories. In the grocery store I consider what a post-apocalyptic shopping experience might look like. On my drive home I might imagine the lives of the occupants in any given house I pass.
It became a hobby when I slowly began to write these stories down. If I considered a particularly interesting character the natural progression was to wonder what their story was. What started as a hobby quickly evolved into an obsession. Often times I consider myself a citizen of the world in my head more than reality (which has it’s pros and cons). I spent a lot of time quietly working on my stories, trying to become a better writer and honing my craft.
As an avid reader from a young age, I can’t count the characters that have influenced my life and the stories that have touched my heart. My deepest hope is to use my predilection for make believe to touch someone else’s life. That maybe a young girl would be positively influenced by one of my characters.
My Thoughts
When I first read the description for Summertime Lillies, I was intrigued. It sounded like a great book, and I couldn't wait to check it out. When I started reading, I must admit I was just a bit disappointed to see that it was written in first person, present tense...a style that I find can be hard to do well. I also find that--because it's not one that I read much in-- it can take me a bit to get into the pace of the story. I gave the story a chance and read on, and am happy to say that once I got into the pace, the first person didn't bother me a bit. I was drawn into these character's lives and wanted to know what would happen next, regardless of how the story was told.
I enjoyed Brittany and Matt's romance and found Matt to be the perfect book boyfriend--- so thoughtful and considerate to Brittany's past. There was a lot of attention paid to physical attractiveness, which some more conservative readers might not like... but personally, it didn't bother me--- only showed that these characters are human! I still found it to be a very sweet and clean romance. While I enjoyed this sweet love story, it was really Lilly's character who added a wonderful depth to the story that made it quite beautiful.
This is the first book in the Oak Street series, and the debut from the author too...and an impressive debut at that. I look forward to reading more from the series and from the author in the future!
Blog Stops
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, June 2
Vicky Sluiter, June 2
The Write Escape, June 3
She Lives To Read, June 4
Locks, Hooks and Books, June 4
Inklings and notions, June 5
The Christian Fiction Girl, June 6
Batya’s Bits, June 6
Texas Book-aholic, June 7
For Him and My Family, June 8
Genesis 5020, June 8
Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, June 9
deb’s Book Review, June 10
The Meanderings of a Bookworm, June 10
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, June 11
Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, June 12
Kayem Reads, June 12
A Modern Day Fairy Tale, June 13
Wishful Endings, June 14
Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, June 14
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, June 15
Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, L.M. is giving away the grand prize package of a signed paperback copy of the book and $25 Amazon Gift Card!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
https://promosimple.com/ps/10cfe/summertime-lilies-celebration-tour-giveaway
Sounds like a great book.
ReplyDeleteIt's always strange how when you make plans and think everything is going to work out the way you planned, something changes and, at times, it's for the better. As a nurse, I like to read about the medical field and see what's new.
ReplyDeleteLM Karen is a new author to me, but I look forward to reading this. I always love meeting new authors. Thanks to this blog for the introduction.
ReplyDeleteRandi, Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
ReplyDeleteThe cover is beautiful. I love the cover!
ReplyDelete