Redemption by Karen Kingsbury and Gary Smalley

Redemption by Karen Kingsbury and Gary Smalley. Tyndale House, 2002. 384p. (1414333005) Series: Redemption, #1

Ten minutes ago I finished my third book by Karen Kingsbury (The Bridge and The Chance being the first two). I don’t know why I’ve avoided her books for so many years. I don’t know why I thought they were fluffy romance novels. They are anything but. She has a knack for creating real characters with real problems and feelings.

There have been many times when I have turned the last page of a story wishing that it wouldn’t end with the proposal or the wedding, wishing that the story would continue and tell the characters joys and hardships in marriage. I know life isn’t all sunshine and roses after the I Dos and I wish more books would include that.

And Karen Kingsbury’s books seem to do just that. Last night and this evening I read Redemption, co-written by Gary Smalley and Karen Kingsbury. It is about a couple whose marriage is falling apart in the worst way and yet the wife clings desperately to the love they once had, to God’s grace and the firm conviction that love is a decision.

Which, actually, is something I’ve often said (and learned from my wise mother). Love is a choice.

Go read the Redemption series. And then the two series about the Baxter family that follow it. I know I’m going to. In fact, as soon as I post this, I’m going to head over to the library and grab book two. (Oh the joys of being the librarian and being able to get a book at any time of day or night. :-) )

And if you can't go buy, borrow or beg this book right now, envy the librarian with the keys...

Go read it! Find it at a library near you; Buy it from Amazon; Buy it from ChristianBooks.com 

Disclosure: I borrowed this book from the library. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

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Top Ten Books When You Need Something Light & Fun

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

This week's topic is books you pick up when you need something light and fun. There aren't ten books that I turn to to reread bits and pieces of (or the whole thing).

Top Ten Books When You Need Something Light & Fun

1. Love Comes Softly by Jannete Oke

2. The Princess by Lori Wick

3. Philippians – The Bible

4. The Blue Castle by L. M. Montgomery

5. Seven Daughters and Seven Sons by Barbara Cohen

6. Anne of the Island by L.M. Montgomery

7. The Ordinary Princess by M.M. Kaye

And that's all the titles I can think of that I pick up to cheer up / un-stress / unwind

What's books are your comfort foods?

Remember - Anytime you visit Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com or ChristianBooks.com use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.

Once Upon a Prince by Rachel Hauck

Once Upon a Prince by Rachel Hauck. Zondervan, 2013. 320p. (9780310315476) Series: Royal Wedding, #1

This was such a fun story in the spirit of Grace Kelley, Kate Middleton and any other “commoner” who falls in love with a real prince.

Goodreads Summary:

Susanna Truitt never dreamed of a great romance or being treated like a princess---just to marry the man she has loved for twelve years. But life isn’t going according to plan. When her high-school-sweetheart-turned-Marine-officer breaks up instead of proposing, Susanna scrambles to rebuild her life.

The last thing Prince Nathaniel expects to find on his American holiday to St. Simon’s Island is the queen of his heart. A prince has duties, and his family’s tense political situation has chosen his bride for him. When Prince Nathaniel comes to Susanna’s aid under the fabled Lover’s Oak, he is blindsided by love.

Their lives are worlds apart. He’s a royal prince. She’s a ordinary girl. But everything changes when Susanna receives an invitation to Nathaniel’s coronation.

My Review:

If you’re in the mood for a contemporary princess tale then this is a good one to pick up. The author does a great job describing the emotions that Susanna experiences when her boyfriend of twelve years (!) breaks up the relationship.

Nathaniel meets her in a moment of crisis and they become friends, but he doesn’t tell her who he really is. Which leads to an awkward moment and confusion later.

The events that occur when and after Susanna goes to the coronation reminded me a lot of the movie Princess Diaries and especially Princess Diaries II. Which I didn’t like so much, but then there are only so many ways for events to transpire and for a conclusion to be reached.

I really liked the interaction between family members. They were funny, they had their flaws, they had character, they tried to live out their Christian faith. It made the story seem more realistic.

In America the story takes place on St. Simon's Island and I think the photo below (that the author uploaded to pinterest) must be Lover's Oak or at least the inspiration for Lover's Oak. What a lovely spot!

St. Simon's Island (picture from Rachel Hauck's pinterest board)

And even though the European places and families are all made up, the names are European sounding enough to make one think those places could actually exist.

It’s the beginning of a series! Wonder who the next ones will be about since the prince only has one brother? I do have a guess for one of the books, but shan’t share it since it’s kinda a spoiler. :-)

Worth re-reading if you're in the mood for some light hearted fun (since you'll already know how events transpire).

Go read it! Find it at a library near you; Buy it from Amazon; Buy it from ChristianBooks.com (Releases May 7, 2013)

Disclosure: I received this ebook for free from the publisher through NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission.

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Remember - Anytime you visit Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com or ChristianBooks.com use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.