About the Book

Book: Summertime Lilies
Series: Oak Street Series, Book 1
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.

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My Thoughts

This is definitely one of those books that makes it hard to review. I didn't hate it but I didn't fall in love with it either. It was somewhere in the middle for me. I think what saved this book for me was the humor. The one liners from Matt were on point and just made me chuckle. He is also a great character that is well developed. Actually all the characters were pretty good. Brittany could be a bit irritating. She over thinks A LOT and has some type of inner monologue going on that is annoying. One thing that bothered me is her obsession with the neighbor. At some points while reading I just wanted to shout... okay we get it he's hot. I think that part was a bit over the top.

Lilly was definitely the star of the book along with Matt. She is a wonderful character that teaches Brittany some wonderful needed lessons. Overall I thought it was a good read. I think the author did a good job for what seems to be her first novel since I didn't find anything else by her. This is considered Christian fiction but it is very light in that regard. I think this would be a good summertime quick read.

My Rating: 3 Stars/Liked it

I received a copy of this book through Celebrate Lit. I was not required to post a positive review. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

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.