Forever Faithful, the Complete Trilogy by Karen Kingsbury

Karen Kingsbury Trilogy

Waiting for Morning
A drunk driver...a deadly accident...a dread destroyed. When Hannah Ryan loses her husband and oldest daughter to a drunk driver, she is consumed with hate and revenge. Ultimately, it is a kind prosecutor, a wise widow, and her husband's dying words that bring her the peace that will set her free and let her live again.

A Moment of Weakness
When childhood friends Jade and Tanner reunite as adults, they share their hearts, souls, and dreams of forever--until a fateful decision tears them apart. Now, nearly a decade later, Jade's unfaithful husband wants to destroy her in a custody battle that is about to send shock waves across the United States. Only one man can help Jade in her darkest hour. And only one old woman knows the truth that can set them all free.

Halfway to Forever
Matt and Hannah...Jade and Tanner--after already surviving much, these couples must now face the greatest struggles of their lives: parental losses and life-threatening illness threaten to derail their faith and sideline their futures. Can Hannah survive the loss of an adopted daughter' Will Tanner come through decades of loneliness only to face losing Jade one final time.

My Review:
Karen Kingsbury brings characters alive with her writings. I always feel as if I've known them--lived next door to them for years. This series amplifies her talent. Each character is flawed--just as you and I are. Each one struggles with faith in a fallen world. Why does God allow things to happen to His people?

I have a couple of caveats. I know that it's the author's style of writing, but I cringe with each sentence fragment. The third title, "Halfway to Forever," covered a good bit of the earlier material. I suppose some of that is necessary for those who hadn't read the first two titles.

However, Kingsbury's compelling plots beg for attention. Her fans will delight in this trilogy which is bound into one large volume.

Thank you to Laura Tucker at WaterBrook Multnomah Publicity for my copy.

Giveaway! This Side of Heaven by Karen Kingsbury

Annie Warren always wanted the best for her son, Josh. But years of failure and bad choices created a heartbreaking distance that has grown far worse since the day Josh was hit by a drunk driver. Now on medical disability, Josh has put his life on hold for years, waiting for the insurance company to send a settlement that never seems to come. Worse, he believes the story of a scheming woman who claims they have a seven-year-old daughter named Savannah.

Despite the unlikelihood and complete lack of evidence, Josh dreams of being a father and is determined to one day claim the child. His family doesn't know the full story. They don't know what happened the night of the accident that was worth the chronic pain Josh suffers every waking minute, or that he is turning his life around. They haven't seen that Savannah's eyes are his, and they don't know how desperately the little girl needs her family.

When the settlement that rightly belongs to Josh is threatened, Annie sets out to defend her son. But she might find a treasure more valuable than money, one she never expected, one that is the greatest gift her son could ever give her.

My Review:
Characters are important in a novel. They must be credible. I was pleased to see Carl Joseph and Daisy Gunner, a Down Syndrome couple, living next door to the protagonist, Josh Warren. I remember them from earlier books in the Cody Gunner Series. Karen Kingsbury is at her best when writing characters--particularly children. The children in her books think and speak in an authentic manner. For instance, a cotton ball at the doctor's office is thought of as "a wet little ball of white fur." In this novel a little girl, Savannah is introduced. She seems believable, and I can't help but wonder if I'll meet her again in a future work.

The description of chronic pain is well written.

I found the plot credible; the author's notes at the end surprised me. I can't tell you more than this without ruining the story. Running through this Christian Fiction book is the theme of loving in an unconditional style, rather than in a judgmental manner. Too often, we let a moment to love pass, and it's gone forever. I connected to the deep desire of one character's wish for ten minutes more of life in order to be able to hug a departed loved one.

There are discussion questions at the end of the novel, which makes for a good talk at any book club meeting. Her sentence fragments drive me nuts, but Karen Kingsbury fans will ❤ this one!

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The generous folks at Hachette Book Group are allowing me to host this book giveaway for five (5) copies!

• Winners are restricted to the US and Canada. No PO Box mailing addresses, please.
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• I'll close the comments at 6 PM EST February 21st and pick the five winners. I will contact the winners via email to get their mailing information. The winners will have three days to respond. If I do not hear from them within three days, I will select another winner(s). If you're interested, just say so in a comment with that all-important email address in code.
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A Treasury of Miracles for Friends: True Stories of God's Presence Today by Karen Kingsbury

From the bestselling author comes a heartwarming collection of true stories to remind readers that God is present in every friendship. Outside the family circle, no one is as important as a dear friend. A friend is there throughout the years, in good times and bad. And unlike family, friends are there because they want to be and not because they have to be. In her latest collection, Karen Kingsbury explores the miracle of friendship with the same unerring focus given to the previous books in this series.

Included in the collection are stories about long-lost friends having miraculous reunions; conflicts in friendships that had wondrous resolutions; and life-saving situations where a friend shows up without reason at just at the right moment-all demonstrating God's role in the healing power and the hope that comes with a true and steadfast companion.

My Review:
Within 146 pages, this collection of eleven true events are "fictionalized for the purpose of this book" to demonstrate the unexplainable occurrences involving friends. It reminds the reader that God is always our friend. Well written, it's a good idea for one special friend to gift to another. Expect to need a tissue.

A Treasury of Miracles for Women: True Stories of God's Presence Today by Karen Kingsbury

Few things are as powerful as the love of a woman for those others in her life. Love is enduring, forgiving, understanding and unending. So often, it is the one certainty in our lives, as is the love God has for His children--a thousand times over.

This is a collection of poignant and true stories about ordinary women touched in extraordinary ways. Within its insightful pages are unexplained miracles, answers to prayer and angelic encounters--all of them centered around women--women who are sisters, mothers, daughters and friends. Whether it is through the gentle nudge of maternal conviction or the true sacrifice of self, each story in this extraordinary treasury reveals that God is at work in our lives. Each one reminds us how precious and close to heaven is the heart of a woman and that, even as we love, so we are loved.

My Review:
Fifteen short stories about critical times in the lives of women are contained between the covers of this 162 page book. Keep the tissues handy. A must read for all Kingsbury fans. 

A Treasury of Adoption Miracles: True Stories of God's Presence Today by Karen Kingsbury

Bestselling author Karen Kingsbury--herself an adoptive mother--offers an inspiring collection of true stories to remind readers that God is present in every adoption.

Adoption has become increasingly prevalent, with recent statistics showing that about one out of every ten Americans is an adoptee. There’s something about this gift of love that is truly miraculous--that someone would willingly give a life to someone else so that they might have a family. This book is filled with true stories about adoption. As someone who adopted three boys herself, Karen knows firsthand the wonder and joy of adding to one’s family. Here, she details miraculous stories of adoption, giving readers glimpses of the love and new beginnings as seen through the eyes of the men, women, and children involved.

My Review:
There are twelve stories within these 156 pages, each one telling about the miracle of adoption. It's Kingsbury at her best, especially when she tells her own true story of how she and her husband, with a family of three, came to adopt their three sons from Haiti. This book would make an excellent gift for any family opening up their home to an adoptee. Get out the tissues; this one's a tearjerker.

A Treasury of Christmas Miracles: True Stories of God's Presence Today by Karen Kingsbury

This collection of true stories from bestselling author Karen Kingsbury celebrates the mystery and wonder of Christmastime.

A chance encounter that changes everything . . . help that appears from nowhere . . . kindness when it's least expected . . . We've all experienced miracles in our lives. Now Karen Kingsbury has collected a series of real-life stories about people whose lives were changed by the mystery and wonder of Christmastime. In each of these stories, Karen brings undeniable proof of God's presence in our lives. And with an uplifting voice, she gives us a joyous reminder of the true meaning of Christmas: the greatest miracle of all is opening our hearts to love.

My Review:
Fourteen short stories about unexplainable happenings at Christmas time are contained between the covers of this 143 page book. There's a Reader's Group Guide of twenty questions in the back. Kingsbury fans will be pleased with this collection of gems.

Sunset by Karen Kingsbury

As John Baxter makes plans to marry Elaine, one of the Baxters enters into the most trying season of all. During a time of renewed love and hope for the future, the Baxters try to come together to establish the sacred ground of marriage and to chart a course for the future. Memories of times gone by meet with the changes of today in a story that proves only the support of faith and family can take a person into the sunset years of life.

My Review:
The Baxter family saga concludes with this fourth book of the Sunrise Series although the author promises to use them as background characters in future novels. This is a stand-alone novel, but if the reader has kept up through the Redemption Series and then the Firstborn Series, this book brings back all of the characters and ties up all loose ends in a satisfying conclusion. There's a good bit of repeating, but perhaps this comes with the fourteenth book in a series.

Kingsbury has a way of telling a good story while allowing her readers to know the people who live in her books. Though varied personalities, they all are believable. Children's voices are especially well written such that I can see his head nod as he explains about dinosaurs or hear her plaintive wail when she wants her pacifier.

Warning: read it with tissues close at hand. Any Kingsbury fan will love this one. Discussion questions are included.

Someday (Sunrise Series-Baxter 3, Book 3) by Karen Kingsbury

Pressures of the celebrity lifestyle weigh heavily on Dayne and Katy Matthews as they take on separate movie projects. Tabloid rumors talk of trouble and unfaithfulness between the two, but finally something drastic catches Dayne's attention and makes him realize the destruction they're playing with. But will it be too late? The Flanigan family recognizes the deep loss of the Christian Kids Theater program, and they lead a final effort to keep the theater from being torn down. Meanwhile, John Baxter takes the next step in his growing relationship with Elaine, giving him a season to contemplate selling the Baxter house and, along with it, losing a lifetime of memories made there. As the rest of the family considers the future and what may lie ahead, they must pull together like never before. Only their undying love for each other can help the Baxters get past the trials of today for a life they know is possible . . . someday.

My Review:
Karen Kingsbury writes such realistic characters that as I read her novels, I find myself tearing up with the problems they experience. This Sunrise series is an especially good one as it deals with the Baxter family over a period of time. I can't wait to read the final installment that concludes the Baxter saga.

I add a caveat, however; the author writes in sentence fragments, and this Drives Me Nuts!