When I was in undergrad, I discovered Karen Kingsbury's books and with 4-6 weeks, I read every single book she'd ever written. I fell in love with the Baxter family and I was so sad when she stopped righting about them.

Well, that all ends June 6th, my sweet boy's first birthday, when she releases Love Story! I was super excited to receive an advanced reader copy of Love Story from NetGalley to review.

It should come as no surprise that I finished Love Story is less than 24 hours and I LOVED IT!!!

I enjoyed learning about where the family is now after a while of not reading of them. I thoroughly enjoyed how Kingsbury used John Baxter's grandson's school project to draw them closer together and to also show much of what John and Elizabeth Baxter's story was when they met, courted, etc.

It was not the story I expected to hear and that was a surprise and much enjoyed. I enjoy a twist in a story that's unexpected and a reminder that even in brokenness, God prevails.

If you like Christian fiction, I recommend this book and of course, if you love Karen Kingsbury, get this book in your hands as soon as you can!!!

For those who have followed Karen Kingsbury’s “Baxter Family” books, she has another great one.

Love Story goes back and tells how the Baxter Family began with the love story of John and Elizabeth. Their grandson, Cole, wants to do a project for school about the love story of his grandparents and asks John to help him. Throughout the book, we see the love, struggles, heartaches, losses and triumphs of John and Elisabeth.

Other family members we have come to love also show up in this book expressing the love, joy, frustrations, and final results of trusting God to work things according to His plans.

This is a great addition to the Baxter series, and I highly recommend it, especially to those who have been long-time readers of this series. The love, affection, and trust in God affects all the generations.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher, Howard Books on Netgalley, to review for my honest opinion.

As I have not followed all of the Baxter stories, I found myself a bit lost in this book. I felt that there were too many characters in the story and I couldn't focus on the main ones for this book. I think for those who have faithfully followed all of the Baxter stories that this book would be enjoyable for them.

It was heartbreaking to follow John back through his story, especially since Elizabeth died a decade ago. He struggles not to become mired in the past, but Cole's interest pulls him deeper and deeper into it. Meanwhile, this project stirs up questions for Cole about his own history, and brings up plenty of memories for his mom, Ashley, too. Since Ashley's story (Remember) is one of my favorite Baxter books, I loved the focus on Ashley and Cole. It was really interesting to explore more of the Baxter history and that era.

This book brings back the iconic Baxter family from Karen Kingsbury's series. In this book, it takes a look back at John and Elizabeth Baxter's meeting and how the Baxter family started. It also looks at the present day lives and struggles of several other characters including Cody and Andi (will they get back together); Bailey and Brandon (the upcoming birth of their baby); and how will Ashley deal with telling her son Cole the story of his beginning. This is a must read for anyone who has read the other books in the series! It is like "getting together" with old friends.

Karen Kingsbury's writing is not necessarily bad, it's just not for me. Her characters are too "squeaky clean", and even the ones that stray are portrayed in the language of someone who doesn't really know what it means to stray. I couldn't relate to them at all. It felt like it was Kingsbury thinking through many of the characters, not the characters taking on lives of their own.

Love Story is somewhat of a continuation of the multiple series' by Karen Kingsbury involving the Baxter Family. This one just happens to jump back in time to reminisce about when John and Elizabeth Baxter first met, so many decades prior. Cole is doing a high school paper in which he has to interview a family member and his goal is to write about the famous, but somewhat secretive, love story between his grandparents. Unfortunately, John's not sure he wants to go back to that place and time now that Elizabeth has been gone for some time and he has just recently remarried.

At the same time Cody Coleman is still coaching football and can't seem to get over his true love, Andi, even after two broken engagements. He knows she's moved on and doesn't want to see him, but he's pretty sure he has to try just one more time to find her, and then....he sees her on TV working with a disaster relief organization and sets out to find her.

What I love about Karen Kingsbury is the way she can weave a tale so seamlessly. With so much history and depth to each of the characters and their stories in the previous books, she really does an amazing job of moving all of their stories forward while only truly focusing on two main storylines. And this one even involves flashbacks to the original love story of John and Elizabeth Baxter while moving forward in the present. I absolutely loved it and I think I've even missed one or two books before this one. I was in tears several times because I was just so connected to the characters and what they were feeling. I love it when a book can do that!

If you've read any of the previous books/series involving the Baxter family, I'm sure you'll enjoy this one. And if you haven't, I'm still sure you'll find this a good read. The storyline does involve premarital sex and the forced adoption of that love child, but it's also a very good example of what can happen when you make just a few tiny compromises and end up in situations in which the consequences are severe. But it also shows the grace God has on us when we repent and seek Him without being overly preachy in it's tone.

I struggled with this one. I have never really liked the Cody and Bailey stories and I thought this was going to be just a Baxter story and not intertwined with Cody.

Thank you Karen Kingsbury for another heartwarming story about my favorite family. Kingsbury does an amazing job of defining her characters, developing them into people we know and love and making them into the kind of people we want to be friends with. This book is no exception. Tough subjects are handled beautifully. A story of God's tender mercies that are new every morning. What a beautiful love story that is packed with so many emotions. Can't wait for the next Baxter book!!

Love, Love, Love! Karen Kingsbury does it again! Sweet, heart warming, and deep! Like wrapping up in a cozy blanket with a cup of tea!

This is the first time I have been able to sit down and really enjoy a Karen Kingsbury book, but I can tell you this will not be my last one by her and I wonder why in the world it took me so long to actually get to read one of her books. I absolutely loved this story and the way that Karen Kingsbury writes is unlike any other.

I love that Karen Kingsbury gives us a look at how the Baxter family began in this story. I can only imagine that we all thought it was easy going for these two when it all started with Elisabeth and John Baxter secretly seeing each other. I was captured by the way that John told their story and the way that things unfolded for these two love birds.
I was glad that Cole had to do a History project and that he decided to tell the story of his grandparents. Even though there is a lot going on in this story with Andi and Cody, as well as the History project, but it all fits so well together to give you this one big story that keeps your attention captured throughout the whole story.
I could not put this one down because I wanted to know how things were going to end for Cole and Andi, as well as how the Baxter family all came to be. I fell in love with all the characters right away and felt that I was a part of the Baxter family immediately. Karen Kingsbury knows how to write a story, that is for sure. I can not wait to go back and read her other books and to see what she has in store for us in the future. It is going to be hard to beat Love Story, but I am positive that she will do it.

Cole has to interview someone for a heritage project at school. He asks his grandpa, John, if he would be willing to meet with him once a week and tell him stories of him and his first wife, Elizabeth. After reading so many books about the Baxter family, it was nice to read John and Elizabeth’s story of how they met and how God changed their lives. As alluded to in other books, they made grievous mistakes but John took responsibility and did some hard things to protect Elizabeth. I appreciated the reminder that we may never know the impact we are having when we are faithful in the little things that come our way.
I loved being back with the Baxter family and am excited to hear that there are more stories of them to come. The one odd thing about this book was that it felt like two separate books…one about John & Elizabeth and the other about Cody and Andi. Usually when books switch back and forth between scenes and people, there is some connection that brings them back together. That didn’t really happen with this book other than the fact that all of the people knew each other. Still it was an enjoyable, poignant read.
Thank you to Howard Books for providing me with a free e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This book is the back story of John and Elizabeth Baxter. It was a story we who have been reading the Baxter series always wanted to know.
I love how Karen weaves the current with the past in this book. I always feel like I am at a family reunion when I read these books.

Baxter fans rejoice! In this satisfying reflection, learn the beginning of John and Elizabeth's love. As a bonus, you'll discover more about the next generation of Baxters with fulfilling updates on their lives. Plus, finally learn more about the intriguing lives of Bailey Flanigan , Brandon Paul, Andi Ellison and Cody Coleman. What a treat for Karen Kingsbury readers and newbies alike. There's a good reason for an actual Baxter fan club and this book will add more to that growing list.

Karen Kingsbury's Love Story is all about nostalgia. If you were a fan of the Baxter series, then this is an addition to the series. While I enjoyed the first five Baxter series, or the R series as they are affectionally called, I didn't really like Love Story. The story John Baxter tells Cole is a story that fans of Kingsbury's Baxter series will be familiar with. I can't remember where in the twenty-four novels in the series that Kingsbury has told this story before, but I learned nothing new about the relationship between John and Elizabeth. So I was disappointed in that aspect. As an added bonus, Kingsbury threw in a dueling story with Cody and Andi, to show why their love just can't seem to work. After reading the first couple of scenes with them, I got bored and skipped their parts until the end of the book. Wasn't that interesting. To make the story even more nostalgia, Kingsbury threw in an update on Bailey and Brandon. Again, it paralleled her real life daughter, Kelsey, and I skimmed through these sections too. Overall, the story moved rather rapidly. A month in one novel with not a lot of action. More telling than showing. If you want to know what has been happening to the Baxters, then this might be the perfect novel for you, but for me, I didn't learn anything I didn't know, and I prayed the novel would hurry up and end.

I received a complimentary copy of Karen Kingsbury's Love Story from Howard Books, and the opinions stated are all my own.

Lovely blast from the past of the Baxter adventures. I enjoyed the way the past and present were interwoven. Fans of the Baxter series will love this new installment, but the novel also stands on its own for new Kingsbury readers.

I received an advanced copy from NetGalley.

What a wonderful new chapter in the Baxter Series.

Welcome back to the wonderful world of the Baxters and their "extended" family. This story doesn't cover one, but three different love stories. In this book we see the complicated relationship between Cody Coleman and Andi Ellison, a more detailed look into the past life of John Baxter and his deceased wife Elizabeth from the Redemption series, and the everlasting love between Ashley Baxter Blake and her husband Landon.

I cried along with the characters as they pulled on my heartstrings. The painful past and hopeful futures have made this family very real to me even though I know "in my head" that these people are purely fictional. It doesn't fell that way. Ever since starting the Redemption series and finishing Coming Home last year, I have fallen in love with the Baxter family, having watching them grow in faith as their stories continue.

Karen Kingsbury is one of those authors that pull you in from page one and keep you engaged in the story because you almost feel as if you were these people, sharing their pain and their joy. She is definitely one of "if not" my favorite author.

I recommend this book for those both new to the Baxter Family and old fans ready to come back to Bloomington.

This book is the foundation of all the Baxter family story, though it is written after more than 20 previous books. I found myself, like Cole, having the story "clearly weaving its way into my soul". I enjoyed so much the story of Andi and Cody. I loved seeing how they were able, with lots of prayer, to find their way to each other, especially when just the chance sighting of Andi on TV was what got the ball rolling, so to speak. I enjoyed finding out about how the Baxter family all got started, even though I haven't actually read all of them, or even half of them. I did find that I was quite uncomfortable with week 2 of John's interview, and yet I never once thought "Well, that should never have been written". Quite the opposite in fact, I found myself saying "why did they do that, that wasn't wise" and laying all the blame squarely on the shoulders of people that for a few hours I had forgotten were only characters in a book. And Bailey was amazing!

Love Story is the 26th book Karen Kingsbury has written about the Baxter family. There are five in the Redemption series, five in First Born series, four in Sunrise, four in the Bailyey Flanigan series, and then there is Coming Home and A Baxter Family Christmas. You don't have to worry about getting lost and not knowing what is going on. Karen does an excellent job at the beginning of the book reviewing what has happened with all her characters. She names all the children, their spouses and all their children. She reviews events that has happened. So really you don't have to read all the previous 25 books unless you have plenty of time. Knowing more details about the history of the characters just would help you get inside their minds more easily.

In this book John Baxter's grandson Cole is doing a school project on family history. He wants to write about John Baxter and his first wife Elizabeth who is the mother of all John's children. Sadly she had died ten years earlier from cancer. As John remembered back on his and Elizabeth's love story I knew there was sadness there. After all I had read the previous 25 books! I thought I was prepared but I still had wet eyes at one point in the story.

There is also a second story in the book which is about the on again and off again romance of Andi Elison and Cody. Some people reading these books were not happy that Bailey and Cody did not work out. Several books in the series were pointing toward they having their happy ever after ending but that didn't happen. She fell in love with an up and coming actor. Reading Andi and Cody's story may make some people feel a little better about the union that maybe they were meant to be together after all.

So all and all I liked this book but there is one thing that is bothering me that is inconsistent with the previous book. In the previous book it was mentioned at the beginning of the book that John Baxter was 60 years old. In this book he meets Elizabeth in 1967. She is 19 and John is five years older which would make him 24 years old. If he was 24 years old in 1967 then he should be about 74-75 now. Also, when Ashley was talking with Cole about her mother she told Cole that her mother was barely in her 60s when she died of cancer 10 years ago. John would have been 65 then and 10 years later would be 74 and not 60 in the last book, A Baxter Family Christmas. I guess some people don't notice details like this but I do.

Thanks Howard Books and Netgalley for providing me a digital copy of this book to review. This book is due to be released on June 6, 2017.

I heard about this book and thought, “Finally! I finally get to learn about John and Elizabeth Baxter’s back story. How they met, fell in love, and raised this incredible family.” So I immediately jumped on Net Galley (since the book doesn’t come out until summer) and requested an advanced reader copy. As soon as my kids were in bed that night, I started reading.

And was somewhat disappointed.

The first quarter of the book didn’t address John & Elizabeth’s story at all. It focused on the relationship issues between Cody and Andi. Which I expected to be a part of the overall story based on the synopsis copy. But it was literally the first 25% - all of it - and then more throughout. In fact, I would probably say this story was more about them than the Baxters. Also, while I’m on the subject of the synopsis copy, it’s not accurate. At the start of the book, Cody and Andi are no longer engaged. So there is no planning or upcoming wedding for Bailey to have her heart touched by.

And now that we’re on Bailey, let’s transition there. First, I love all the Baxter and Flannigan series characters. I’m invested in them and like to see where they are in their “lives.” However, Bailey’s character and pregnancy and story line again took away from the story I really wanted: the love story that began the Baxter family in the first place.

I love the characters. I love the stories that Karen Kingsbury tells about her characters. I love the messages of hope and redemption that infuse her stories. I guess I just wish her books would return to being more focused. In the original Baxter series, I became attached to the characters because each book focused mainly on introducing and exploring one character at a time. The other characters were there but not the focus. That feel has been missing from her last several Baxter/Flannigan books. And I miss it.

Like the book, this review hasn’t focused much on John & Elizabeth’s love story. That’s because I don’t feel like that was really a big part of the story this time. It was embedded, yes. It was told, yes. But it wasn’t explored. Expounded. I think I would have preferred a novella just of their story, even if it was still told through the device of their grandson’s school project.

That being said, I still believe it’s worth the read for anyone who has read the Baxter tales in the past. Just don’t expect too much from John & Elizabeth; the focus is definitely elsewhere.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy.
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