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Lavender #1
Loving Lily Lavender
*REVISED EDITION*
Lily is 23 and on top of the world. Her wedding planning business is thriving, her beautiful Victorian home is organized, just like the rest of her life, and her rose garden is flourishing. She is in no way looking for a man to complicate her manicured life. Her faith is strong, and she couldn’t be happier.
Lucas is 24 and miserable. Having just been thrust into stardom with the release of his first blockbuster film, he’s running from paparazzi and screaming girls all who want a piece of his flesh. In a desperate attempt to get a grip on his fast declining life, he runs away to a small town, hoping to go unnoticed. But Jasper, North Carolina has a few surprises of its own.
On one fateful night, their two, opposite worlds will collide, and they will have to fight against all odds to protect the kind of love that changes a soul forever.
This is a sweet romance filled with passion, near-death experiences, a tormenting stalker, a hostage crisis, and much more!
Lily is 23 and on top of the world. Her wedding planning business is thriving, her beautiful Victorian home is organized, just like the rest of her life, and her rose garden is flourishing. She is in no way looking for a man to complicate her manicured life. Her faith is strong, and she couldn’t be happier.
Lucas is 24 and miserable. Having just been thrust into stardom with the release of his first blockbuster film, he’s running from paparazzi and screaming girls all who want a piece of his flesh. In a desperate attempt to get a grip on his fast declining life, he runs away to a small town, hoping to go unnoticed. But Jasper, North Carolina has a few surprises of its own.
On one fateful night, their two, opposite worlds will collide, and they will have to fight against all odds to protect the kind of love that changes a soul forever.
This is a sweet romance filled with passion, near-death experiences, a tormenting stalker, a hostage crisis, and much more!
342 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 29, 2012
3 people are currently reading
497 people want to read
About the author
DeAnna Kinney
32 books243 followersDeAnna Kinney is what you could call an eclectic writer at its best. If she can dream it, she can write it. Her main focus is YA Paranormal but also writes New Adult and Adult Romance, Action Adventure, Children's books, and even an Apocalyptic Christian Thriller Romance. She considers herself as fun-loving and a bit peculiar. Besides writing, she loves reading, all things purple, Star Wars, acting like a goofball with all of her friends, and dancing while she cooks (she can see her kids rolling their eyes as we speak). She believes whole-heartedly that chocolates and a good book go hand in hand. And, having experienced it herself, believes utterly in the power of true love.
She lives in the lovely North Carolina with her husband, four kids, and a dog named Link (aka Monster).
She is very hands-on with her fans and thrives on their interaction.
Her upcoming works include:
*Maybe something about Zombies, Bullying, and perhaps the end of the world, although not necessarily in that order.
Visit her on Facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Deanna...
She lives in the lovely North Carolina with her husband, four kids, and a dog named Link (aka Monster).
She is very hands-on with her fans and thrives on their interaction.
Her upcoming works include:
*Maybe something about Zombies, Bullying, and perhaps the end of the world, although not necessarily in that order.
Visit her on Facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Deanna...
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
January 7, 2019
I am proud to say that this was the very first book I wrote. Okay, so the reviews are mixed, but I don't care about that. I am so thrilled it is finally being published. It holds a special place in my heart. This story was based on a full-sequence dream of such sweet love that for 3 days I couldn't seem to shake it. Finally, I sat down with a pencil and notebook and began to write it as I saw it in my head. Of course I had a lot of filling in to do as I didn't get very many details from this dream, but their undying love was undeniable. My biggest challenge was to somehow capture that love on paper. I hope I have been able to do that for you.
Although this story has faith elements, it is written in a way as to be non-offensive and can be enjoyed by everyone no matter your faith.
Although this story has faith elements, it is written in a way as to be non-offensive and can be enjoyed by everyone no matter your faith.
November 17, 2012
Oh boy... where to begin? If you're thinking of reading this book, there's definitely some things you should know beforehand.
The entire story has an over-the-top sugary-sweet feeling, with the two main characters, Lily and Lucas, both seeming rather naive. Their range of emotions is limited; they generally fly high in waves of unbelievable happiness, except for when they are separated, which causes them to fall into near crippling despair. Extraordinary joy, or total despair, that's all they seem capable of feeling, nothing in-between.
This seems to be marketed as Christian fiction, yet there is barely any faith content to be found. Several chapters in, Lily reveals she is a Christian, but sadly it's not at all obvious by her behavior. We never find out exactly what she believes, or why. Much of her faith seems to revolve around remaining a virgin until marriage, yet oddly enough, she is completely willing to engage in frantic make-out sessions that go to the very brink of "no return" before breaking away. To be honest, it creeped me out how very many times she and Lucas bluntly talked about intimacy (or rather, the lack thereof). And then after their marriage, it's mentioned well over 10 separate times when they are intimate or "made love". It's not particularly graphic, but the sheer number of times it's mentioned--often combined with slightly suggestive comments--is simply way more information than necessary.
The writing style has the feel of a young-adult novel, which I have nothing against, but considering the content, I could not recommend it to a child or teen. As I've mentioned, it's not especially graphic, but for my taste there is honestly way too much focus on the subject of sex, something that should not be the main focus in a "Christian" novel.
There are various other things that bothered me, and while I won't get into all of them, one that's high on the list is Lily's tendency to take God's name in vain. ("Oh My God!") She says she's trying to break the habit (only because it offends her work clients), but I didn't feel her efforts were very substantial. Another large issue was Lucas's sudden conversion to faith, which came about by "bargaining" with God for something he wanted. Bargaining is never a good idea, and the whole situation ultimately made it very hard for me to believe he really had changed, especially considering that he was never even presented with the gospel or salvation plan.
I honestly hate to write negative reviews. I know a book takes an extraordinary amount of time to create, and I really admire those who have the courage to put their work "out there" for the entire world to see. Judging by other reviews I've read, my opinion of this one is in the minority, but I felt I had to bring these issues to light for those who may be considering the book. This is exactly the type of detailed review I wish I could have read before picking this one up.
The entire story has an over-the-top sugary-sweet feeling, with the two main characters, Lily and Lucas, both seeming rather naive. Their range of emotions is limited; they generally fly high in waves of unbelievable happiness, except for when they are separated, which causes them to fall into near crippling despair. Extraordinary joy, or total despair, that's all they seem capable of feeling, nothing in-between.
This seems to be marketed as Christian fiction, yet there is barely any faith content to be found. Several chapters in, Lily reveals she is a Christian, but sadly it's not at all obvious by her behavior. We never find out exactly what she believes, or why. Much of her faith seems to revolve around remaining a virgin until marriage, yet oddly enough, she is completely willing to engage in frantic make-out sessions that go to the very brink of "no return" before breaking away. To be honest, it creeped me out how very many times she and Lucas bluntly talked about intimacy (or rather, the lack thereof). And then after their marriage, it's mentioned well over 10 separate times when they are intimate or "made love". It's not particularly graphic, but the sheer number of times it's mentioned--often combined with slightly suggestive comments--is simply way more information than necessary.
The writing style has the feel of a young-adult novel, which I have nothing against, but considering the content, I could not recommend it to a child or teen. As I've mentioned, it's not especially graphic, but for my taste there is honestly way too much focus on the subject of sex, something that should not be the main focus in a "Christian" novel.
There are various other things that bothered me, and while I won't get into all of them, one that's high on the list is Lily's tendency to take God's name in vain. ("Oh My God!") She says she's trying to break the habit (only because it offends her work clients), but I didn't feel her efforts were very substantial. Another large issue was Lucas's sudden conversion to faith, which came about by "bargaining" with God for something he wanted. Bargaining is never a good idea, and the whole situation ultimately made it very hard for me to believe he really had changed, especially considering that he was never even presented with the gospel or salvation plan.
I honestly hate to write negative reviews. I know a book takes an extraordinary amount of time to create, and I really admire those who have the courage to put their work "out there" for the entire world to see. Judging by other reviews I've read, my opinion of this one is in the minority, but I felt I had to bring these issues to light for those who may be considering the book. This is exactly the type of detailed review I wish I could have read before picking this one up.
September 30, 2012
Review also appears on my blog
This was such a sweet book and I would like to thank the author DeAnna Kinney for providing me with an ARC of Loving Lily Lavender for review.
This is the type of book that makes you believe in the all consuming, powerful, gives you wings kind of love. A love that will plaster a giant smile on your face and make you cheer for the characters. I loved Lily. She is such an inspiring heroine and it was great reading from her perspective and seeing how she works through problems and how is able to rely on her faith in though situations. She wasn't a whiny type of a girl who refuses to see the truth right in front of her and keeps on denying the plain truth. I loved the fact that Lily just accepted problems as she faced them. Which let me just tell you there were a lot of. I felt so bad for her she had to face so many things but she never doubted herself and never lost faith in Lucas and their love it was really great.
Lucas was a great male hero and I loved the fact that he wasn't made out to be perfect. He had his flaws and in the beginning of the novel he had a lot of them. However, I was able to love him as a character because I watched him work through those problems and become a truly become a man worthy of our amazing Lily. She was his everything and I loved how nothing mattered to him but her not even his own life was more important than Lily.
Now for the best part of the book,the love story. The love these two characters shared was so pure and loyal and just amazing. They faced so many challenges and obstacles and hard times but their love got them through it all. I mean this is the kind of love people dream about, poets write sonnets for, and well it's the kind of love that keeps people from losing faith in humanity and encourages people to believe that true love still exists and it's still powerful and still wonderful.
I have to say however, that this book has some strong Christian faith elements which would make sense as Lily is a devoted Christian so those readers that tend to dislike characters praying or relying on God might find some issues with this book. To be fair though, its not one of those crazy Christian books where the main character is convinced that everything and everyone is a spawn of Satan. The main character is Christian but she never attempts to get anyone else to turn Christian and she doesn't judge anyone for not being Christian. It was great how loving and accepting she was.
This was such a sweet book and I would like to thank the author DeAnna Kinney for providing me with an ARC of Loving Lily Lavender for review.
This is the type of book that makes you believe in the all consuming, powerful, gives you wings kind of love. A love that will plaster a giant smile on your face and make you cheer for the characters. I loved Lily. She is such an inspiring heroine and it was great reading from her perspective and seeing how she works through problems and how is able to rely on her faith in though situations. She wasn't a whiny type of a girl who refuses to see the truth right in front of her and keeps on denying the plain truth. I loved the fact that Lily just accepted problems as she faced them. Which let me just tell you there were a lot of. I felt so bad for her she had to face so many things but she never doubted herself and never lost faith in Lucas and their love it was really great.
Lucas was a great male hero and I loved the fact that he wasn't made out to be perfect. He had his flaws and in the beginning of the novel he had a lot of them. However, I was able to love him as a character because I watched him work through those problems and become a truly become a man worthy of our amazing Lily. She was his everything and I loved how nothing mattered to him but her not even his own life was more important than Lily.
Now for the best part of the book,the love story. The love these two characters shared was so pure and loyal and just amazing. They faced so many challenges and obstacles and hard times but their love got them through it all. I mean this is the kind of love people dream about, poets write sonnets for, and well it's the kind of love that keeps people from losing faith in humanity and encourages people to believe that true love still exists and it's still powerful and still wonderful.
I have to say however, that this book has some strong Christian faith elements which would make sense as Lily is a devoted Christian so those readers that tend to dislike characters praying or relying on God might find some issues with this book. To be fair though, its not one of those crazy Christian books where the main character is convinced that everything and everyone is a spawn of Satan. The main character is Christian but she never attempts to get anyone else to turn Christian and she doesn't judge anyone for not being Christian. It was great how loving and accepting she was.
October 10, 2012
Thanks Anna for a wonderful copy of book in exchange for a honest to good interview..it was too good :)
Firstly I love the cover..it suits the story and i think its the dress she wears in book too..its so beautiful.[Whoever the model is..she looks like a porcelain doll]
The story is also a beautiful one which makes us believe in Faith,God,Trust,Soul mates and True Love...it has so much compassion filled in it you will be moved by it at the end of the story.
Lily is a simple girl with simple needs..she is strong,witty,smart,sweet,lovable and has immense faith in god as she is christian herself ,she takes care of her ill mother and manages as wedding planner..she loves her work and enjoy it too core..and she loves cooking and it becomes to her baking advantage in weddings.
Her simple life is turned when she meets Lucas - the famous star - on a double date with her friend Megan.Lucas is not at all like a actor should be..he is down-to-earth,sweet,respects her,takes care of her and though he has his insecurities in himself and doubts..he is all what she wants in a man...she wants to take care of him and help him come out of his bubble and love him,care him.A few days between them..they both learn so much about each other that falling in love was never a doubt.
Lucas life is not simple..filled with paparazzi and schedules of films..it becomes difficult to be together ..and so they gets apart.The few weeks they become apart are miserable and they both realize that they can't live without each other as their feeling run deeper and stronger then they thought..its hard but they try to manage and schedule to be together as much as they can.
But life's not so easy..and when there is life there are hurdles.. and they both face it together with the faith in god and belief in each-other's love.
Its a beautiful,lovable,sweet story for everyone who believes in true love and fairy tales.
Anna has done great job as usual..this being her first story ..we can see some similarities in lily and charity's characters...and i love them both now!And to read that she dreamed of it..i think its a god send message to her for writing such a great book :)
YAY!This is my 300th book in my 2012challenge..and i am so glad :-D.
Sri.
Firstly I love the cover..it suits the story and i think its the dress she wears in book too..its so beautiful.[Whoever the model is..she looks like a porcelain doll]
The story is also a beautiful one which makes us believe in Faith,God,Trust,Soul mates and True Love...it has so much compassion filled in it you will be moved by it at the end of the story.
Lily is a simple girl with simple needs..she is strong,witty,smart,sweet,lovable and has immense faith in god as she is christian herself ,she takes care of her ill mother and manages as wedding planner..she loves her work and enjoy it too core..and she loves cooking and it becomes to her baking advantage in weddings.
Her simple life is turned when she meets Lucas - the famous star - on a double date with her friend Megan.Lucas is not at all like a actor should be..he is down-to-earth,sweet,respects her,takes care of her and though he has his insecurities in himself and doubts..he is all what she wants in a man...she wants to take care of him and help him come out of his bubble and love him,care him.A few days between them..they both learn so much about each other that falling in love was never a doubt.
Lucas life is not simple..filled with paparazzi and schedules of films..it becomes difficult to be together ..and so they gets apart.The few weeks they become apart are miserable and they both realize that they can't live without each other as their feeling run deeper and stronger then they thought..its hard but they try to manage and schedule to be together as much as they can.
But life's not so easy..and when there is life there are hurdles.. and they both face it together with the faith in god and belief in each-other's love.
Its a beautiful,lovable,sweet story for everyone who believes in true love and fairy tales.
Anna has done great job as usual..this being her first story ..we can see some similarities in lily and charity's characters...and i love them both now!And to read that she dreamed of it..i think its a god send message to her for writing such a great book :)
YAY!This is my 300th book in my 2012challenge..and i am so glad :-D.
Sri.
February 3, 2014
Loving Lily Lavender is one of the sweetest books I have ever read. Talk about love at first sight! Lucas is a famous Hollywood actor and Lilianna is a wedding planner, two completely separate world and two people who wouldn't normally meet. Well that was the case if it wasn't for the fact that Lily's best friend Meagan didn't have a crush on Lucas' friend Randall. Woody's isn't a place Lily would normally go to but for her best friend she does, as soon as Lily meets Lucas' she is attracted to him and they talk and she points out he has self-confidence problems and helps him over come them. The story has some heart break in it and I was upset to learn that Lucas' was only in town for a couple of weeks and seeing how close he and Lily became only would lead to heart break. I love Lily and Lucas' their characters are amazing and I love how protective of her he is from the beginning and how kind and sweet they both are. There are three parts of this book that I really love, the first has to be when Lucas comes back for Lily and when they confess how they feel for each other, the second one has to be Lily writing about her and Lucas and the final one has to be the bank scene. But I could state a load more parts of this book I love because it is such a brilliant book, so full of life. There isn't anything boring about it. The one downside I had was how much pain they went through, they had heartache after heartache and they still came out stronger as individuals and as a couple. If you want to read such a romantic and amazing book pick up Loving Lily Lavender, I laughed, cried and smiled throughout the book, it's one for the ages!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 7, 2012
I was provided with pre-release copy of this book by DeAnna Kinney, and i want to thank her for that...
The cover is sooooo beautiful!!!!
At first i thought it to be a paranormal just like DeAnna's other books....Its a love story of Lily, a wedding planner and Lucas, an actor. For me, Loving Lily Lavender started off on somewhat slow pace , but it picked up after few chapters....
Lily is beautiful, confident, sweet and believes in God. Lucas is handsome, funny but insecure and had flaws in the beginning.I also liked Megan, Lily's BFF. When Lily and Lucas meet, they feel there soul mate thing and spend loads of time together to know each other better, Lily helps him face his insecurities head-on and they both try to stay to together no matter what obstacles come in their path.....
Thank you DeAnna it was great reading such a beautiful story!!!!
My Rating :4.75 stars
The cover is sooooo beautiful!!!!
At first i thought it to be a paranormal just like DeAnna's other books....Its a love story of Lily, a wedding planner and Lucas, an actor. For me, Loving Lily Lavender started off on somewhat slow pace , but it picked up after few chapters....
Lily is beautiful, confident, sweet and believes in God. Lucas is handsome, funny but insecure and had flaws in the beginning.I also liked Megan, Lily's BFF. When Lily and Lucas meet, they feel there soul mate thing and spend loads of time together to know each other better, Lily helps him face his insecurities head-on and they both try to stay to together no matter what obstacles come in their path.....
Thank you DeAnna it was great reading such a beautiful story!!!!
My Rating :4.75 stars
January 17, 2013
Lily is a wedding planner, an independent woman with a soft, romantic side and an over-the-top positive outlook on life! She has strong religious convictions that she talks about, but as part of the story, not a method of preaching to the reader, is this why she can have such a rosy outlook on life, regardless of circumstances, including her mother's mental decline that she has to deal with??
Lucas is an insecure actor, overwhelmed with his success and totally taken with Lily! She seems to fill in the blanks that he needs, completing him. Their romance is warm, their need for each other intense, almost to the point of obsession! The world outside their little bubble seems to be inconsequential as long as they have each other.
Throughout the story, poor Lily is stalked, attacked, injured, her home is set on fire, she is caught up in a bank robbery. With only brief mentions of faith, the reader is allowed to fill in the blanks, was she saved by her God?
This isn't a deep, heady read, it is a warm, cozy read with a positive slant. It's a read I could recommend to my mother without hesitation! The 'intimate' moments are more of a 'fade to black' kind, no graphic details, but you can feel it is new and special to them. Totally "Mom" safe reading and a nice change-up for me!
Lucas is an insecure actor, overwhelmed with his success and totally taken with Lily! She seems to fill in the blanks that he needs, completing him. Their romance is warm, their need for each other intense, almost to the point of obsession! The world outside their little bubble seems to be inconsequential as long as they have each other.
Throughout the story, poor Lily is stalked, attacked, injured, her home is set on fire, she is caught up in a bank robbery. With only brief mentions of faith, the reader is allowed to fill in the blanks, was she saved by her God?
This isn't a deep, heady read, it is a warm, cozy read with a positive slant. It's a read I could recommend to my mother without hesitation! The 'intimate' moments are more of a 'fade to black' kind, no graphic details, but you can feel it is new and special to them. Totally "Mom" safe reading and a nice change-up for me!
January 21, 2013
My Rating: ★★★1/2
Loving Lily Lavender was a cute story that had me grinning and at times groaning.
What I loved: The thing that pulled me into this book was the romance. Lucas and Lily are such a sweet couple and watching their romance blossom into a fairy tale love was wonderful. I’m a sucker for that cheesy, giggly, first love kind of romance, and this book gives you exactly that.
What I liked: I really liked the characters. They were all well-developed and very likable, each one with their own unique personalities. Lucas and Lily were perfect, and they kept me invested until the end.
What drove me crazy: All the near-death experiences drove me batty. They just sort of happen and then are resolved quickly, and we move right into the next one. I think it would have been more interesting if they were weaved together but what we get is conflict then resolution, conflict then resolution, etc. For me, the major action felt underdeveloped and was resolved way too quickly.
My overall thoughts: In the end, I really struggled with this book bouncing from a 3 to a 4 star rating. But even with the action drawbacks, I loved the romance, and I just couldn’t get that prefect love out of my mind. If you are looking for an easy and cute read with a wonderful love story, I would recommend this one.
Loving Lily Lavender was a cute story that had me grinning and at times groaning.
What I loved: The thing that pulled me into this book was the romance. Lucas and Lily are such a sweet couple and watching their romance blossom into a fairy tale love was wonderful. I’m a sucker for that cheesy, giggly, first love kind of romance, and this book gives you exactly that.
What I liked: I really liked the characters. They were all well-developed and very likable, each one with their own unique personalities. Lucas and Lily were perfect, and they kept me invested until the end.
What drove me crazy: All the near-death experiences drove me batty. They just sort of happen and then are resolved quickly, and we move right into the next one. I think it would have been more interesting if they were weaved together but what we get is conflict then resolution, conflict then resolution, etc. For me, the major action felt underdeveloped and was resolved way too quickly.
My overall thoughts: In the end, I really struggled with this book bouncing from a 3 to a 4 star rating. But even with the action drawbacks, I loved the romance, and I just couldn’t get that prefect love out of my mind. If you are looking for an easy and cute read with a wonderful love story, I would recommend this one.
October 7, 2012
First I have to say I absolutely love this book. I want to thank DeAnna for letting me have an early copy to review, I’m so glad she did. This book is totally different from her other books, but I want to say it’s almost better than the Charity Moon series. My favorite books are romance books hands down, and let me tell you this Loving Lily Lavender was the best romance novel I have read in a long time. The first thing I loved about this story was how the main character Lily, has such a strong faith and isn’t afraid to love. This story is about a woman who finds the man of her dreams and fights to keep him in her life. They go through some rough times but their love always sees them through. There were times I was crying because I was happy and there were times I was crying because I was sad, but it just made me love the story so much more for that. The one thing I loved about this story was that Lily and Lucas love was very inspirational. After reading this story you want to go out and find that slap-me-down, heart-pounding, can’t- get -enough, would-die-without-you kind of love as DeAnna and Lily would say. I truly hope there will be more to this story I want to know what happens next.
October 2, 2012
I was given a copy to read from the author. I didn't really have any idea what to expect. I have read her other books. This book is unlike most of the books I read. It doesn't have any thing paranormal about it. Even with that being the case I loved it. I instantly fell in love with the main characters. I loved the fact that the main character had such strong faith in the L-rd our G-d. I was hooked from the beginning. I didn't want to put it down, I just wanted to keep reading to see what happened next. There was just enough suspense, and at the right moments. This book is truly a great book, it was a wonderful distraction from the stress of planning my wedding. But this book also gives hope that with faith and love can over come everything. I will definitely recommend this book. Who doesn't like a good romance with suspense and character you can easily love? This book is appropriate for any age. There is no harsh language or any sexual scene. My little sister is 12 and I would feel okay with her reading this.
October 3, 2012
First of all I would just like to thank DeAnna for giving me a copy of her book 'Loving Lily Lavender' for an honest review.
Wow, where to begin. Not only was the cover beautiful but so was the story. Instantly I fell in love with all the characters and their quirks and quite often I found myself smiling at their interactions. Lucas and Lily's story was inspiring. They just couldn't catch a break though! Lucas and Lily's love was unique and their characters were well constructed. It was sweet watching them both develop over the short time period and become stronger. The two faced so many different difficulties and sorted through multiple problems yet they still stuck together because of their intense love for one another. Just like in all of her other books, DeAnna packed it with surprises that I honestly did not see coming. I wouldn't normally read a book like, 'Loving Lily Lavender' but I was not disappointed with the special engaging story. Once again DeAnna another great book!
Wow, where to begin. Not only was the cover beautiful but so was the story. Instantly I fell in love with all the characters and their quirks and quite often I found myself smiling at their interactions. Lucas and Lily's story was inspiring. They just couldn't catch a break though! Lucas and Lily's love was unique and their characters were well constructed. It was sweet watching them both develop over the short time period and become stronger. The two faced so many different difficulties and sorted through multiple problems yet they still stuck together because of their intense love for one another. Just like in all of her other books, DeAnna packed it with surprises that I honestly did not see coming. I wouldn't normally read a book like, 'Loving Lily Lavender' but I was not disappointed with the special engaging story. Once again DeAnna another great book!
October 26, 2012
Oh WOW!! I love the cover...the girl is really is really pretty and I want to thank DeAnna for giving me this book to review and I am so so glad that she did!!
The story sweet, fast paced , i love fast paced books, romantic, and one who beleives in true love and fairy tale will surely love this book.
Lily is wedding planner doing what she loves the most and accepting herself as she is . she is confident and ready to help anyone and her need to help out Lucas was sweet and I really like her for that.She has strong beliefs!!
Lucas is handsome sweet, hot as every movie star should be but he is no ordinary movie star he has some insecurities about himself .........
How they struggle to be together and face all the obstacle to be together is touching and I really lived the whole book for it.
The story sweet, fast paced , i love fast paced books, romantic, and one who beleives in true love and fairy tale will surely love this book.
Lily is wedding planner doing what she loves the most and accepting herself as she is . she is confident and ready to help anyone and her need to help out Lucas was sweet and I really like her for that.She has strong beliefs!!
Lucas is handsome sweet, hot as every movie star should be but he is no ordinary movie star he has some insecurities about himself .........
How they struggle to be together and face all the obstacle to be together is touching and I really lived the whole book for it.
April 14, 2014
I absolutely adore DeAnna Kinney's work.She writes so well and her books never fail to entertain me and keep me hooked. I loved Loving Lily Lavender just as much as I've loved her other series.I won't give any spoilers away but Loving Lily Lavender is definitely worth reading. Her cover is just gorgeous as well!
April 28, 2013
I enjoyed this book! The only thing I had a hard time with was when there was a slight change in the scene in a chapter and trying to figure it out. In other books I've read there's a line or something between the changes so you can anticipate it, but I still loved the story :)
November 8, 2012
My faith was restored after reading this book,thank you for showing with faith love conquers all.
July 17, 2013
This book is amazing! It has love and loss and of course, obstacles. It was well written and the story was touching. I would recommend this book to almost anyone.
November 17, 2021
Lily and Lucas come from very different worlds that cross paths and change them forever. She has her business, home and world all set when Lucas drops in, who is a new star from a recent movie and hounded by a lot of people. They find comfort and protectiveness between them. The characters have great chemistry and have a few problems to surpass before everything falls together for them. The storyline has drama, some danger, surprises, understanding and more. Loved their references to a better religious life and the right thing to do, without it being pushy or all over the story. Great ending.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 27, 2021
Totally engrossing book
This book was very enjoyable to read. I liked that author allowed Lily to walk her faith-walk with honesty and conviction and, without sermonizing, to bring others to a relationship with her Savior. I did find her pastor a bit offputting, lecturing Lily about her decorum; I rather doubt he would have given the same speech to one of his male congregants.
I received an ARC copy of this story from Booksprout and voluntarily chose to share my review.
This book was very enjoyable to read. I liked that author allowed Lily to walk her faith-walk with honesty and conviction and, without sermonizing, to bring others to a relationship with her Savior. I did find her pastor a bit offputting, lecturing Lily about her decorum; I rather doubt he would have given the same speech to one of his male congregants.
I received an ARC copy of this story from Booksprout and voluntarily chose to share my review.
November 9, 2021
I loved this story. It is the kind that you can identify with the characters and immerse yourself in the story. Very beautifully written and characters to win the heart make this book a must read.
November 3, 2012
Loving Lilly Lavender reminded me of the one Mills and Boon novel I have read. This is not meant as a criticism - there is a reason why M&B has been a flourishing publishing business for many years. Lots of readers love those kinds of books but, I must admit, they are not my cup of tea.
The story is told from the POV of Lilly, a young woman who goes on a blind double date with her best friend and is paired with an English movie actor called Lucas Lavender. Lilly and Lucas fall instantly in love...
My issues
(1) With this book you get either the ‘good guys’ (‘and girls’) or you get the ‘nasty villains’ rather than characters who are somewhere in between. I prefer my characters flawed, i.e., you get to see their good side but sometimes they mess up and behave badly - because no one is perfect.
(2) Some research was in order. Lucas is British (a Londoner) and so he uses the odd British word here and there. Two of them were rather naughty swear words, which was fine by me and made me smile, one was ‘mum’ which was used appropriately, and then there was ‘chap’ which was not: chap is a word used only by upper class Brits (such as members of the Royal Family) and never in the context as it was in this book, i.e. ‘my best chap’ and ‘we’ve been chaps since childhood’. Friend or ‘mate’ would have been fine. ‘Abso-bloody-lutely’ doesn’t count as it is not a British word and I am certain no one in London ever says that.
On a positive note:
(1) I smiled at the part when Meagan takes out a red dress from Lilly’s closet (that she had bought for Lilly), suggests she wears it and then ends up wearing it herself (because it fits and looks better on her). That is so true of best friends!
(2) I liked the Star Wars references, especially Chewy the dog.
(3) I thought the song Lucas wrote for Lilly was good (sweet but not too corny).
(4) Some may label this ‘Christian romance’ but it is inclusive and non-judgemental so I don’t think it needs to be pigeon-holed in this way. It could be enjoyed by followers of other faiths and even open-minded ‘non believers’. So long as you don't mind your romance formulaic and fluffy, Loving Lilly Lavender could be the book for you.
The story is told from the POV of Lilly, a young woman who goes on a blind double date with her best friend and is paired with an English movie actor called Lucas Lavender. Lilly and Lucas fall instantly in love...
My issues
(1) With this book you get either the ‘good guys’ (‘and girls’) or you get the ‘nasty villains’ rather than characters who are somewhere in between. I prefer my characters flawed, i.e., you get to see their good side but sometimes they mess up and behave badly - because no one is perfect.
(2) Some research was in order. Lucas is British (a Londoner) and so he uses the odd British word here and there. Two of them were rather naughty swear words, which was fine by me and made me smile, one was ‘mum’ which was used appropriately, and then there was ‘chap’ which was not: chap is a word used only by upper class Brits (such as members of the Royal Family) and never in the context as it was in this book, i.e. ‘my best chap’ and ‘we’ve been chaps since childhood’. Friend or ‘mate’ would have been fine. ‘Abso-bloody-lutely’ doesn’t count as it is not a British word and I am certain no one in London ever says that.
On a positive note:
(1) I smiled at the part when Meagan takes out a red dress from Lilly’s closet (that she had bought for Lilly), suggests she wears it and then ends up wearing it herself (because it fits and looks better on her). That is so true of best friends!
(2) I liked the Star Wars references, especially Chewy the dog.
(3) I thought the song Lucas wrote for Lilly was good (sweet but not too corny).
(4) Some may label this ‘Christian romance’ but it is inclusive and non-judgemental so I don’t think it needs to be pigeon-holed in this way. It could be enjoyed by followers of other faiths and even open-minded ‘non believers’. So long as you don't mind your romance formulaic and fluffy, Loving Lilly Lavender could be the book for you.
January 1, 2013
Got a bit past the 15% mark, happened to comment online about something I didn't like about the dialogue, and the author jumped on me! [ETA: The author has since apologized; we misunderstood each other, as she was merely teasing. However, the "real world" input pulled me out of the story completely and irrevocably.] I tried to continue reading after that, in spite of the spelling errors and the way the characters strained my suspension of disbelief, but I never managed to get my head back into it. Calling it "read" because this is as far as I'll ever get on this one. A pity, because it did seem like a very sweet story, if a bit contrived.
October 13, 2012
I just couldn't finish this. I got 25% in and they met at a bar, he took her back to his place to talk on the first date, they start making out and she had to tell him she was a virgin and didn't do sex before marriage, then a couple dates later he comes to her house stoned and she sends him home, he comes back later and she instantly forgives him. Not to mention it needs A TON more editing...I don't usually even notice editing errors but there was a lot of little ones. Like since instead of sense...etc. I made it to about 45% and skipped my way to the end.
It was jut very amateurish and not a lot of depth to it.
It was jut very amateurish and not a lot of depth to it.
October 11, 2012
I'm not sure how to rate this book since I am not a Christian Lit fan (my friend told me to read it). The writing was good, but I felt everything was nauseatingly perfect, and at times I wanted to throw up. This would be a great book if you like Christian lit...this just wasn't my cup of tea.
October 17, 2012
Although numerous of the aspects of the story were far-fetched, I did like the story. The editing was not good, though. For example, Paula Deen was referred to as Paula Dean. Rapped for wrapped, peeked for piqued, eatable for edible, etc.
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November 26, 2012Amazon Freebie 11/25/2012
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March 5, 2013Amazon freebie 3/5/13
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