A Book Review

Lillies in Moonlight, by Allison Pittman 

First, from the back of the book: After a roaring night on the town, fun-loving flapper Lilly Margolis, dazed and disoriented, twists her ankle and falls into the backyard of a wealthy family where the effects of the Great War—over for more than half a decade—are still endured. Inside the walls of the Burnside mansion, Cullen Burnside, a disillusioned and disfigured veteran, and his widowed mother, Betty Ruth, who daily slips a little further into dementia, lead a lonely existence … until Lilly. Whimsical, lighthearted, and beautiful, she rejuvenates their sad, disconnected lives and blossoms in the light of their attention. 

But Lilly, like Cullen, is hiding from a painful past. And when Cullen insists on returning her to her faraway home, their budding attraction seems destined to die on the vine. The resulting road trip becomes a journey of self-discovery—but what will Cullen and Lilly find at journey’s end?


My thoughts? I really enjoyed this book. The writing was fresh and fast paced, the characters endearing, and the story believable. Lilly is a lovely girl - written in such a way that you find yourself rooting for her, understanding the path that she has walked in life, and hoping that her future gets brighter. And Cullen? Oh, Cullen is just perfect. This wasn't a life changer, but it was fun and heartfelt and thoroughly enjoyable every step of the way.

An added bonus? Author Allison Pittman weaves elements of faith and repentance into her story without sounding silly. Sometimes you read Christian fiction and you can tell the entire story is simply a vehicle to deliver an overtly preachy message. When this happens, I think the message is less convincing, too contrived. But Pittman doesn't struggle with this issue. The novel reads more like a story that just happens to share a message, rather than a message that just happens to have a story. The effect is one that is far more convincing, more believable.

And now you must know that I received a copy of Lillies in Moonlight from Waterbrook Multonomah's Blogging for Books Program. The book was free, but my opinions are real and true just the same. 


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