MY REVIEW:

Many are the plans in the mind of a man,
but it is the purpose of the  Lord that will stand.
Proverbs 19:21 ESV

Summer Plans and Other Disasters is a light-hearted romance that contains an important lesson. The story revolves around Callie Stevens a school teacher who believes she has heard from God about what she should do over summer vacation and has planned accordingly. The only problem is that her plans seem to fall apart at every turn and Callie begins to doubt if she heard God correctly. Perhaps she just took the ball and ran with her own interpretation of what she heard.

Other characters include Callie’s older brother Jack, his best friend Ryan, Callie’s old flame Kyle, and her new friend Stacey. The narrative is related through several points of view and it is evident the characters are not always on the same page. Intelligent, accomplished Callie who does everything accordingly to plan is a disaster in the making which definitely adds quite a bit of humor to the tale. Jack is the perfect big brother, level-headed and competent except when he’s around a certain young lady. Ryan is a perfect leading man but then Kyle is not too bad either. The problem is will Callie figure out which one meets God’s plan for her or will she carry through with her own plans?

I mostly enjoyed this book even though at times Callie could be just a bit exasperating. Her education and accomplishments were in direct contrast to some of her quirky actions. Nevertheless, Summer Plans and Other Disasters is a great novel for those times when one wants to read something light and humorous. I would be open to reading a sequel, especially if it is about Jack.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by Audra Jennings PR. A favorable review was not required. All views expressed are my own.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Elementary school music teacher Callie Stevens thinks she’s finally figured out God’s plan for her life—she even made a list to keep her on track. Moving in with her brother and reconnecting with her ex-boyfriend are at the top of the list. What’s not on the list is running into her childhood crush, Ryan. God wanted her to connect with Kyle, right?

Trying to figure out God’s plan is hard enough. But a dating-averse older brother, the young blonde who adores him, a pregnant best friend, and Callie’s continual mishaps make her wonder whether her best laid plans were truly God-inspired.

Now available from Elk Lake Publishing!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Karin wrote her first novel in 2007 to cope with her husband’s cancer diagnosis (no worries – he’s cancer free now!). With the support and encouragement of her family, she submitted that manuscript. That particular manuscript has not been published yet, but Summer Plans and Other Disasters, her first published book, releases in September 2018.

Karin writes contemporary and speculative fiction stories with a healthy dose of romance, but she’s also expanded her repertoire: she writes feature stories for the local paper, copy material for businesses, and blog posts for herself and others. She even edits (offering copy editing, fiction editing, and critiques through Write Now Editing Services) and teaches (she’s the Substantive Fiction Editing instructor for the PEN Institute and can be found around the country teaching writing and editing courses at conferences and at her local college).

When Karin’s not reading, writing, or editing, she enjoys cooking and baking. She plays the piano and sings (the key of E, please). She kayaks with her husband in the summer, watches football in the fall (Go Blue!), and enjoys Christmas lights all winter long. Shy but extroverted, Karin adores her nieces and nephew and loves spending time with her family.  Learn more about Karin at: karinbeery.com.

You can also follow her on:

Facebook – www.facebook.com/authorkarinbeery/

Twitter – https://twitter.com/karinbeery 

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/karinbeery/