Chasing Sunsets by Karen Kingsbury

After reading the first book in the new Angels Walking series, I was really excited to read the second book. I was glad there wasn't a long wait between the first and second book.

This book stays true to the same style of writing that I have come to love by Karen Kingsbury. It is a real life scenario and though the characters may not be into the same job as I am, their struggles are ones that are easy to relate to. They each have such a unique story that it's impossible to forget.

I like that this book tied back into the first one where we first met Tyler and Sami. It was good to get an update and to watch their story continue to grow. That's the thing I liked so much about the Baxter series... although the stories focused on different people, we never lost contact with our old favorite characters! The same is true in this series and I love that about this series.

Mary Catharine did frustrate me some, although I can understand why she made some of the decisions she did. I'm assuming that the next book will be focusing mostly on Mary Catharine. I hope I get the ending that I really want!

Marcus is a sweetheart and I couldn't help but like him. He was easy to feel his heart. He hadn't made the best choices in life, but I think we all can say that about a time in our own lives. For him to know he was forgiven was a wonderful celebration.

I'm not normally a person who likes to read fiction about angels because I feel like sometimes authors let their imaginations run wild with what angels can and can't do and it becomes less based on what Scripture says angels can and can't do. I appreciate that Kingsbury doesn't do this. She uses her imagination, of course, but does stay true to what Scripture says about angels. I'm thankful she doesn't compromise on this.

I am definitely looking forward to getting my hands on book 3. I hope there's not a long wait for it!

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I received this book free from Howard Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

Angels Walking by Karen Kingsbury

This is probably the first book by Karen Kingsbury that I wasn't as excited to read at first. Normally I'm so excited she has a book coming out but the title of this book left me thinking I may not like it. However, I just can't pass up one of her books, so like the fan I am, I decided to read it.

From the title, I assumed this may be a book about angels and I just figured I wouldn't be into that. Scripture talks about angels, but people like to use their own imaginations to make angels do more and be more than Scripture talks about. I figured that would be the case since this is a fiction book.

After the first chapter, I still had some reservations. But by the second chapter, I was hooked and knew this was still the same Karen Kingsbury. Of course, the angels conversation was made up, but the way things worked together was something each of us experience in our own lives. It leaves us saying, "Wow. God worked it all perfectly, without me." This was the same scenario played out in the pages of this book.

I liked how you clearly saw the problem, but just like in our lives, you couldn't see how the solution would be presented and how the relationships would be mended. It was a beautiful picture of God's grace in a man's life that had run so far from God.

And this is just the beginning.... the true story has to deal with a child yet to be born.... Now I'm definitely excited about this series and reading the next one in that will be coming out.

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I received this book free from Howard Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

The Family of Jesus by Karen Kingsbury

Wow!  After having spent this whole year in the book of Matthew for my personal study, I'm so glad this book came at the time of my final few chapters of study.  This was a beautiful way to end my Matthew study.  I came to love Joseph, Zechariah, Elizabeth, Mary, James, and John the Baptist in a new way.

I think it's easy to de-personalize the characters in the Bible since information about many of them is limited.  Then there's some who were so close to God or so close to Jesus that we forget that they could possibly be scared or have normal feelings like we do. 

One person I always did that to was John the Baptist.  I never stopped to think about his lonely time in prison and how he was left with his own thoughts. I'm sure he battled fears and disappointment.  I loved stopping to really ponder who these people were and remind myself they were, in fact, humans too. 

There is a Bible study at the end that you could easily do as a small group study, Women's study, or personal study.  It has personal questions for personal study and then group discussion questions.

It's hard to beat the Baxter series, but I think this book is my favorite so far.  I hope she does more with the people in the Bible, such as others in the line of Jesus.  There's a hint of that happening with this being part of the Life-Changing Bible Study Series.

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I received this book free from Howard Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

Fifteen Minutes by Karen Kingsbury

Karen Kingsbury has been a long-time favorite of mine.  I've read all of her books and love every book by her.  I couldn't wait for this book to come out!  I always anticipate a new book by her and than am disappointed that I read it so fast and finish it far too soon.  Not that it's any fault of Karen Kingsbury....I just can't put the book down for long!

Fifteen Minutes is based on a singing contest, kind of like American Idol.  There are several different characters that have a role in this book, but Zach is the major one.  He can sing and has a chance to go all the way in this singing competition.  He joined it so that he could help save his father's farm and keep it in the family.  He has a beautiful girlfriend, Reese, that he'd love to marry one day soon.  Zach is certain he can take part in this show and still bring glory to God.  He never accounted for the many temptations and one girl who won't take "no" for an answer and seems to take the challenge that Zach has a girlfriend.  She wants desperately what she can't have and that would be Zach.

Then there's Chandra, who has been there done that and has the battle scars to prove it.  She has taken on Zach and has helped guide him and keep his focus on what really matters.  I love that she holds him accountable and gets involved.

I felt bad for Kelly Morgan as she navigated through her bad decisions and came to a place of reconciliation with her family and girls.  I was cheering her on as she was making some hard decisions.

Zoey drove me nuts!  I wanted to shake that girl and tell her to leave Zach alone.  I had instantly liked Reese and didn't want anyone to interfere with her and Zach.  When Zach makes a few not-so-smart decisions, I wanted to give him a good talking-to.  I was so mad at him in certain parts of the book!  I could just imagine what Reese would think when she saw all of these things replayed on television.  And those producers were horrid!

This book highlights the pressures of being "in the world and not of the world."  It reminds me of how diligently I need to be aware of Satan's tactics in my own life and just how compromising I can be if I let my relationship with God slip just a little.  I can't do anything in my own power, just as Zach found out.

I'm highly anticipating another book by Karen Kingsbury, hopefully soon!

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I received this book free from Howard Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

The Chance by Karen Kingsbury

Karen Kingsbury never fails to write a good story!  I don't think I have ever been disappointed by one of her books and highly doubt that I ever will be.  I was hooked on this book from the first page and couldn't put it down.  Any time I could sneak in a chapter to read, I did.

 

I love how Kingsbury can take such tragedies and show the good in them and how God could possibly bring beauty from what seems like ashes.  Who would think that an old oak tree would be the center of such a great story.

 

I loved both Ellie and Nolan and my heart broke for both of them as they both experienced their own tragedies in life.  They both made two different choices out of the tragedy, but God still brought something good out of each person.  I think it shows how even our messes can still be redeemed by the love of God.  It also reminds of us how much judgment hurts and how it can cut to the core and devastate people.

 

I am very much looking forward to her next novel which is supposed to be out in October.  I'm glad that I never have to wait too long to read one of her books!

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I received this book free from Howard Books in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Bridge by Karen Kingsbury

What book lover would hate the setting of this book?!  The Bridge is a bookstore that is in financial distress, but it is a bookstore that is a landmark in Franklin, Tennessee.  All of the locals know about it and go there.  Well, they used to until the 100-year flood destroyed the store and all of the items inside of it. 

The Bridge is much more though.  It also happens to be the one place that Molly Allen and Ryan Kelly could go to share their passions about books.  It was the place where Molly could be free and know that her father didn't have someone watching her and her movements 24/7.  It was the place where they could fall in love and dream and hope could grow.  But when their dreams get squelched and the beloved owners of the Bridge fall on hard times, will either find hope again?  Will the Bridge once again offer treasured books to customers and will it bridge a relationship that may not be meant to happen?

I am a huge Karen Kingsbury fan and this book was as great as all of her other books.  She writes in such a way that makes you feel like you are walking along on a journey with the characters.  She knows how to tug at the heart and get you so absorbed in her books that you just can't put it down.

The book itself is a short book, which I found to be a nice change.  I actually could read the book in a few hours with distractions from kids!  I was delighted by that fact alone.  It may be a short book, but it packs a lot of content.  As Kingsbury does in many of her books, she loves to show the redemption of people and that God is a God of second chances. 

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I received a free copy of this book from Howard Books, for my honest review.  The opinions expressed here are my own.

Coming Home by Karen Kingsbury

I'm so sad that the Baxter's have come to the end with the final book written about them.  If you've followed the whole Baxter family series and all of the spin-offs, then you will definitely want to make sure you read this book.  However, it's a bit different than I had thought it would be.  I was crying halfway through when I saw how the Baxter family would end their time in these books.  When you've gotten so close to each character, it's so hard to say goodbye to them.

Karen does a wonderful job at making sure that even new readers could pick this book up and get a great glimpse into the lives and pasts of the main Baxter family.  It is definitely more meaningful if you've read all of the series, but she summarizes with just enough detail for new people and not so much of a summary that it bores her readers that have followed them along the way.

The book has a twist, like all of her books.  It's not all wrapped up in a nice big bow, so watch out for the tears and the "ugly cries!"  However, you will end knowing that each Baxter is happy and is where God wants each of them to be.

This book is a must have for all of the series collectors out there!  And to you new readers of Karen Kingsbury: you've got to read this entire series, but this book is a great place to start!

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I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.