I loved this book! I seriously cried most of the way through it though, but that just shows how amazing it actually is and it shows how connected I was as a reader. When I was in middle school I helped raise money for one of the chairs at the Oklahoma City bombing memorial, so this book was so close to my heart. This book was well written and the plot was perfection. I've actually recommended it to a lot of my friends.

Karen Kingsbury is a master at her craft! I absolutely loved the storyline for these characters and how they grew through the story! There was so much to like about this book that I couldn't find one thing I didn't like! It was an easy read and was even easier to fall in love with!

To the Moon and Back is a classic tale of Beauty from Ashes and overcoming loss. Although when first contacted by the publisher, I hadn’t realized how religious this story was, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Having not read any of the other books in the series, this can absolutely be read as a standalone, I never felt lost or like I was missing any of the story line.

Brady Bradshaw and Jenna Davis were brought together by tragedy, both having lost loved ones in the Oklahoma City Bombing. With shared empathy they connected at a time, when most people in their lives couldn’t comprehend their grief. This was a beautiful tale about Redemption and understanding. It was an illustration of Trust and forgiveness.

Mrs. Kingsbury has a way with prose and wove an amazing story full of layers and beauty. I will never again look at trees the same way, now I shall always wonder. This book left a smile in my heart and it was exactly what my soul needed. To the Moon and Back is a clear reminder that will love, anything can be overcome. Bravo.

Here’s the thing about To The Moon and Back… don’t read it if you don’t like reading about religion because the whole story revolves around that.

This book sounded incredibly romantic and sweet and… it’s really not. It is the love story of two people but I feel like the main story is someone’s relationship with God and how badly the community around them wants them to believe which I really didn’t enjoy at all. I like religion, I’m not against it, I like going to church and my beliefs fall in a “you do you as long as you’re not hurting anyone else”. I can believe in something and I won’t push someone else to believe in the same thing, we can believe different stories and that’s fine. I respect you, you respect me. Simple as that.

Don’t push people into believing something just because you do.

With this book I felt like it was a small community of people pushing someone to believe and I really, really didn’t like that. The book was well written. The story is okay. It has a nice structure and I found the whole Memorial thing very loving and nostalgic. The characters were kind (besides the whole pushing thing). The storyline goes on at a nice pace. It wasn’t hard for me to imagine elements of the environment… I couldn’t put them together as a whole but maybe that was just me.

Basically, it’s not a bad book, just don’t read it if you’re not into religion, because even though it has a good story you’ll be overwhelmed but how much the words ‘believe’ and ‘God’ are mentioned.

Wow, all I can say is, TO THE MOON AND BACK blew me away! Keep the tissues close by as you are reading and be prepared to go on an emotional roller coaster ride like you have never experienced before. It is the third book in The Baxter Family series but it can easily be read as a stand alone, which is what I did.


Brady Bradshaw returns to the memorial site every year to mourn his mother who was tragically killed in the Oklahoma City bombing! One year while he is there he meets Jenna who is there mourning her parents who were also killed in the bombing. They share an instant connection as they feel no one else can possibly know what they are going through. TO THE MOON AND BACK is a childhood book that holds a special place in both of their hearts. This year, while at the memorial, Ashley Baxter sees Brady and the pain in his eyes and wants to help him. She sees Brady put a note on the fence and the detective in Ashley comes out. Will Brady ever see Jenna again and be able to move on and heal? He leaves her a note every year hoping to reconnect with her.


TO THE MOON AND BACK is all about family and the past and the secrets that come out are heart tugging. It had me flipping through the pages like a woman on a mission. I had to know what was going to happen to Brady and Jenna and all the secondary characters. The characters are all well written and totally believable. TO THE MOON AND BACK is without a doubt one of the best books I've read in 2018 so far. I was instantly emotionally invested in all of the characters. My heart broke for Brady and Jenna and for all they were dealing with but Brady shredded me. Karen Kingsbury really knows how to write about family drama, heartbreak, and forgiveness. I can not wait to read more by this wonderful and heart tugging author.

This is my first book from this author and definitely not the last!To The Moon and Back was a beautiful story that I'll never forget! The story revolves around two young characters who are tied together by the tragic event of the Oklahoma bombing. It was emotional and intense and the romance sweet.Karen Kingsbury brought these characters to life in the most realistic way!

There's just something about books, that are based around real life tragedies, that suck me in. I read, and very much enjoyed, Karen's 9/11 series. Being a wife of a public service employee, I find myself sucked into these types of stories very easily. When I saw that this was about the Oklahoma bombing, I knew the same thing would happen. And I was so right.

It's been a while since a book pulled all these emotions from me. My eyes were wet more than they were dry. The feelings of loss and despair were so overwhelming, I was chocking on it. I know there is healing and comfort through faith, but while you're in the midst of it, it's sometimes hard to feel it.

There are two different stories happening here. One is about Amy. Not having read the first two Baxter books, I am unsure if her story played out in those, but in this book she is living with an aunt and uncle, since her parents and sisters were killed in a car accident. She may be 12 but she has this inner strength that makes me want to reach in and hug. She wants to get a sapling from the Survivor Tree, in honor of her being a survivor, and that basically sets the stage for the main story about Brady and Jenna.

Brady and Jenna were both children when their parents were killed in the bombing. Brady was in the building with his mom at the time, and he seems to be having a harder issue with letting God give him comfort. Jenna met Brady at the memorial when they were both 17. They had a connection of grief, but they never saw each other again.

But it only takes a moment to change the course of your life.

This book is about healing and finding hope, when yours is lost. It's about holding on to those left behind. And it's about having faith in someone stronger than yourself. Very powerful.

Many thanks to Howard Books/Simon and Schuster for the chance to read and review this novel!

I was absolutely delighted when Simon and Schuster contacted me about Karen Kingsbury’s upcoming release To the Moon and Back, part three in her much-loved Baxter series. Even before I was an avid reader I heard nothing but praise about Kingsbury’s writing. She is a family favorite and go-to author for my mother-in-law.

Though this is the third book in this particular Baxter Family collection, it can be read perfectly as a standalone and is a great place to get started with the series or with Karen Kingsbury books in general! To the Moon and Back was a special read for me because I happen to be the same age as a couple of the main characters.

Brady Bradshaw and Jenna Phillips were five years old when the Oklahoma City Bombing took their parents’ lives. Every year Brady visits the memorial, unable to move on from the heartbreak of losing his sole caregiver – his mom. On one anniversary, a chance encounter at the memorial brings Brady and Jenna together for a full day of remembrance and shared heartbreak. After exchanging numbers, the pair plans to see each other again after they both felt their unmistakable connection. Unfortunately, a set of circumstances keeps that from ever happening. Though they both fondly remember the day and the connection they shared, they no longer have the means to get in touch.

A decade later, Ashley Baxter Blake, her sister, and their children venture to Oklahoma City for Spring Break to pay their respects on the anniversary of the bombing. When Ashley happens upon Brady, a perfect stranger, she can’t help but be drawn to his haunted expression. She feels compelled to find a way to help this young man, no matter how crazy everyone thinks she may be.

Like Brady and Jenna, I was five years old at the time of the Oklahoma City Bombing. It was the first American tragedy in my lifetime I remember vividly. I remember watching days of news coverage with my mom, asking questions, and wondering how and why something like this could happen. Then I remember hearing children like myself were inside and some had died. It was terrifying to imagine.

Karen Kingsbury brought these characters to life in the most realistic sense. I could truly envision the heartbreak and brokenness that comes with such tragedy. Though some characters had been through more difficulty than others, the prospect of redemption made this an exciting and encouraging read. I loved the chance to equally explore each character’s past and present, making me anxious for every page and new perspective. Though the story is told from three characters’ point of view, it was never a challenge to follow. The only negative for me was the abundance of characters in certain scenes, making it slightly difficult to keep up with who was who. This was the only point I thought it would have been helpful if I had read the other books in the series because I would have known the backstory behind each character’s name.

Overall, this was an interesting and heartwarming read, keeping me interested from beginning to end. I enjoyed Ashley’s influence in the story, and not just because we share a name. She acted as a kind of “middle-man” helping to make a love connection happen. I have been known to feel compelled to do things for strangers in a similar fashion, making me especially enjoy her perspective, as “out-there” as it sometimes seemed.

I’m looking forward to catching up on more of Karen Kingsbury’s books and possibly the TV series, which will be coming soon to Lightworkers.com. If you’re looking for a clean, inspirational Romantic read, To the Moon and Back is one to keep in mind. This beautiful story is available for pre-order now, releasing on May 29th.

For whatever reason this book was not for me, therefore I'm not going to rate it on Goodreads to be fair..
I do appreciate the chance to try this author's work though and she does write beautifully just maybe not the right time for me to be reading this.