Thursday, November 11, 2021

Shut the Door

About the Book

Book: Shut the Front Door

Author: L.M. Karen

Genre: Contemporary Christian Fiction

Release date: July 15, 2021

Ebook_ShuttheFrontDoor+02 The zany story of an alpha male pursuing a headstrong woman and the hilarious entanglements that follow.

Maddy’s dating profile couldn’t be more together. Maddy, however, feels utterly not together when Derek is in the room. She thought living next to her best friend Brittany, (who happens to be married to her brother, Matt) would be the best move of her life; not realizing it came with the complication of Brittany’s older brother Derek. Their undeniable chemistry and passionate personalities make it hard for Maddy to continue ignoring his determined pursuit. This is a feel good romantic comedy with a hint of excitement.

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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 like writing characters who are flawed but are loved anyway. Who have maybe made a mess of things, or are consumed by fear, or have some growing to do, because isn’t that all of us? All of my characters get happy endings because as Christians we all get the happy ending. We are flawed, we are human, we are sinful, but we are loved. We are forgiven.

One of my favorite things about Maddy in Shut the Front Door is that she is fearless. She is bold and unapologetic about who she is. But even Maddy with all her confidence still has insecurities about being accepted, and just wants to be loved at the end of the day. She just wants to know that she will be received for all she is by the one person she loves the most. I think that’s a very relatable desire and what we all really want. One of my favorite things about Christian fiction is that we are reminded within the fun and sweeping nature of romance that we are always and eternally loved by God.

MY REVIEW

I have to get this out of the way first. The book to me at times bordered on language that some may find offensive. Oh some can say they aren’t really bad but I want to let readers know that there are a few words I didn’t care for . Now let’s get on with what I thought about the book.

The characters are good but I think Maddy was so determined to prove that she didn’t really like Derek that her focus wasn’t on the important things. She has been hurt in the past but right now she is falling hard for Derek. I couldn’t understand why she was so over the moon about him after one date. There has to be more that I am missing. The author has captured my full attention and I wanted to see if conflict would arise between these two. Maddy is very head strong and goes full throttle when going after something. I was worried that she was heading straight for a broken heart.

Derek seems to have been awol for awhile but I know his presence is very much appreciated as he gets to know his nephew better. When he is around Grady he is fun and easy going. There is something in his past that caused him to stumble but he has said he now has rededicated himself to God. It was nice to see these two grow in their relationship. At times there was mention of tension between them that hinted at being intimate. I would have liked for the author to not focus on their physical chemistry so much.

As you read the story you will understand why the title of the book is perfect. Maddy is always late and sometimes doesn’t think about her safety. The author puts in a little drama that makes Maddy realize that she has been too lenient in the area of her safety. This part of the story also shows how much Derek does to try to keep her safe. Maybe he went a little over the boundaries with her privacy but after all, he wanted he to be safe in her home. He will have some explaining to do when Maddy discovers all he has done to secure her home.

There are some lighthearted moments as they both find their way to trusting each other. The faith element is light and I would like to have read more about Derek’s path back to God. I did like that the author gives us characters that aren’t perfect and explores areas they need to improve on. One thing I noticed was that Maddy has issues with letting others do things for her. Sometimes we can let our pride get in the way that causes friction with people. Derek is a little controlling and certainly needs to trust God more and let go of things he can’t control. Overall a good book with a nice ending. I am looking forward to reading the last book in tge series.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.