Books that I love can be hard to really sit down and write a review about. How do you get out the feelings and emotions that you really feel? How do you translate them onto paper or into the Internet world? I am a big fan of Karen Kingsbury books. I haven't come close to reading all of her books, but I think I've read more of her books than any other author ever. This book might not translate as my favorite of Karen's, but it has a message that the world needs to hear.

Social media is a real things these days and it can be a real bad thing as well. It's so easy to portray life as fun and breezy and just beautiful on Facebook and Instagram. It's easy to hide behind facades and fake smiles. It's easy to put social media and an online presence ahead of real-life, in-person relationships because they aren't as messy. You only let social media see what you want to have them seen, you don't have to involve them in the daily grind and hard work of building a strong relationship be it marriage, parent/child, etc.

And that is the lesson Noah Carter had to learn in this book. Given a terrifying night of dreams, he is given a glimpse into the future and it scared him. His wife, Emily, spent the same night in a different direction, but for both it was what they needed to push back and work hard. And that's all I'm going to say about the plot of the book. The story all takes place in about 36 hours or so with numerous flashbacks to let you get the full story.

The book ends with redemption, with God coming front and center back into their lives. And that is another theme that is needed today. I really enjoyed the book and I want to accept the challenge to make my real life more important than my online presence.

I received this book from Howard Books through NetGalley and was not required to write a positive review.

I was excited to get a copy of When We Were Young through NetGalley, and I just finished it over the weekend. I read it in a matter of hours because I couldn't put it down.

First of all, this book had a plot that I've never seen before. I don't want to get into any spoilers, of course, but it portrayed the future while keeping firmly rooted into the past as well as the present, through the use of several characters. You knew what "time-travel" section you'd be in based off of which character the chapter was highlighting, which helped to clarify any confusion. The entire book, basically, occurs over the span of one night - just while highlighting what the future might be like and how the couple met in the first place. I'm probably over-explaining it -- it was easy to understand but hard to explain. I likened it to the "ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future" deal. The story was a very easy read, given the plot. The story was also encouraging, in which a couple decides to make their marriage work instead of letting it fall apart.

You can not go wrong reading Karen Kingsbury's books. They are emotional and filled with Christ's love for us. Thank you for letting me read more about the Baxter clan.

Noah is more interested in keeping his social media fans happy than in keeping his marriage and family together. He goes to sleep the night before he’s moving out but gets way more than he bargained for. Like Scrooge in “A Christmas Carol,” Noah is given the chance to see the consequences of his actions. But when he wakes up, what will he choose to do?
Karen Kingsbury is a master at looking at the harsh realities of life and showing that God is there and can intervene. She doesn’t sugarcoat the consequences of sin but shows there’s a way through if we are humble and willing to grow. In this book, she tackles the tough issues of social media addiction, brain injuries from concussions, and divorce. This is a compassionate, poignant book of second chances. I’d recommend it.
Thank you to Howard Books for providing me with a complimentary e-copy of this book. I was not required to leave a positive review. All opinions are my own.

When We Were Young is the fourth and my first book read from The Baxter Family series. I thought it was a great read. I would love to go back and read the others in the series.

Wow. What a powerful story.

This hits close to home as I was in Noah and Emily’s shoes as one point. Ready to call it quits on my marriage, believing all was lost.

I like how Karen touches on the subject of social media. It can almost become an obsession and we can find our value in it. It seems that might be what happened with Noah.

The characters are well developed and you will come to care for them.

I also enjoyed meeting up with some of the Baxter family as well.

If you love Karen’s book you will enjoy this one, her heart-wrenching style is in this book and you might shed a tear or two (or more).

A copy of this book was given to my through Netgalley.com. All opinions are my own.

So good! I couldn’t put it down. Real life issues, pain and sadness, love and happiness, forgiveness and restoration, Gods Grace. Loved this story from beginning to end. It’s definitely a book that will captivate you from the first lines. No struggling through the beginning to hope it gets better. This book is all good. Definitely have a box of tissues handy. I wish the story would continue. I want to know what else happens in the story of these characters lives.
I received a copy of this book from netgalley and the publisher. This has in no way influenced my review. All thoughts are my own.

Karen Kingsbury is a top Christian inspirational author!
I enjoy myself and my time while I am reading her books.
I have followed and fallen in love with the Baxter Family since their beginning.
I can relate to the family, both the ups and the downs.
Their stories restore my faith in true love.
I was full of anticipation as I began to read.
I started reading and immediately I could relate to the pain.

One spouse goes into the future
One spouse goes back into the past.

Fans of Karen must read this book,
ANYone looking for a truly good book to read- you also want to read this book.

I love the Baxter family! I've been reading about them for so long that I feel like I know each and every one of them. This book doesn't disappoint at all. It's rare that I give five stars but this book is worthy! Social media can be a great thing; however, if used the wrong way, it can be devastating to a family. I have witnessed this firsthand so maybe that's why I liked this book so much. This is reality.

A story of how social media and the internet can be a detriment to our real-life relationships.

From their first meeting, to their stunning engagement and wedding, to their happily-ever-after, Noah and Emily Carter were meant to be together. Theirs is a special kind of love and they want the world to know. Fans have been following their lives since the day Noah proposed to Emily. But behind the carefully-staged photos and posts, their life is anything but a fairy tale and Noah’s obsession with posting to social media has ruined everything.

When We Were Young is Emily and Noah’s story. While Kari Baxter Taylor and her husband Ryan are mentioned, this book is by no means a focus on the Baxter family and can be read as a stand-alone. If you haven’t read the 20+ Baxter books prior to this one, starting here will not be a problem.

I devoured When We Were Young in less than 24 hours! This book touched me like the most recent Baxter books haven’t. Karen handled the plot wonderfully and it really made me think about the time I spend online. Clara, Emily’s sister, is the character that touched me most, the character that brought the most smiles to my face and the most tears to my eyes.

Emily and Noah are struggling and so are Kari and Ryan. I hate saying I enjoyed seeing either couple struggling, but it was real life. And can I be honest? Ashley is not my favorite Baxter character. It was nice to have a break from her, to spend a little more time with others from the Baxter family.

If you read Karen's most recent release, To the Moon and Back, you’ll remember Brady and Jenna. Wondering how their story continues? Well, you’ll get the briefest of updates about the couple.

This book was simply wonderful and I feel like I haven't adequately expressed how I feel. But I can’t encourage you enough to read this book. Do it now! It was heartbreaking, powerful, emotional and thought-provoking!

Will we see more of Emily and Noah? I don’t know, but I think the chance of a brief update in Karen’s next book, Two Weeks, is likely and one I’m hopeful for.

I have to say of the many books that Karen Kingsbury has written and I have read, this has got to be my favorite one. The big picture behind this story is one that will bring reality to some that are about to go through a divorce or are even thinking about it. I love the way that Karen Kingsbury wrote this story and how it can get your attention. I think it can help all marriages to take a look back at when they first fell in love and remember what brought them to where they are!

Noah and Emily started out their relationship being in the social media spotlight. Noah posts pictures of him and Emily and let their followers know what is going on with them. When Noah starts to interact with some of the female followers that they have, Emily feels like she is put on the back burner compared to these other females. When she confronts Noah about it, he doesn't see her point of view and keeps on doing what he is doing. This causes a lot of tension between them and eventually they decide to get a divorce.

The night that Noah is to move all his stuff out, Emily goes to her friends house, Kari and finally swallows her pride and tells her what has been going on and that Noah is moving out. Kari and her husband pray fervently for Noah and Emily. Surely there is something that can save their marriage.

The night that Noah is to move out, he has these dreams of the future and what it would be like with Emily and their kids if they were to divorce. When Noah sees how the kids end up and how they realize that he pretty much gave up on them and Emily when they were younger, Noah's eyes are opened to a lot of things. Will these revelations be enough to make Noah change his mind though?

While Noah is having these dreams about their future, Emily is remembering the times that made her fall in love with Noah in the first place. They were so in love and it is hard for Emily to accept where they are now. Will those memories be enough to make Emily change her mind though?

This is a great read and you will fall in love with Emily and Noah for sure. I could not put this story down once I started it because I wanted to know how it all ended for Noah and Emily. Karen Kingsbury does a great job with this one as always. I am glad that she approached this subject because I really feel like it will help a lot of couples in their marriages as well!

The Baxter family is back! They are not the main focus of this book but it’s nice to know they are in the background. Noah and Emily are the main characters and Clara. This teaches how our actions affect others. It was a good read.

Grab some tissues because you're gonna need them.

I read this book in sections, taking short breaks between chapters. Why did I do this? Because during those breaks I was having a good cry. This book is so memorable and touching that I believe I have found my new favorite Karen Kingsbury book (the former being Unlocked). This is by far the best book in the Baxter Series.

Noah and Emily are over. Their marriage in shambles. It's Noah's last night in his house before he would leave Emily, their children, and their marriage behind. Except...something's happening. Emily is remembering how they met, fell in love, and how their marriage ended and Noah's seeing his future if he did decide to move out.

This was heart-wrenching in the best possible way. I also love how this entire book is set entirely within a night and I highly recommend this for everyone. This book is sure to change lives and marriages around the world.

I recommend this book for ages 13+ for dramatic content.

This book shows what can happen to a happily married couple when one of the partners get too obsessed with social media. It shows what happens when you neglect the relationship. Noah got wrapped up with his social media accounts and neglected Emily. Emily didn't handle it well either. At the beginning I didn't like Noah very well. He was willing to walk out on his family. I didn't like the way he treated his wife. Emily finally gave up her pride and confided in her good friend Kari Baxter Taylor. Kari and her husband prayed for a miracle for this family. What if a the husband or wife could reflect back and remember why they fell in love? What if somehow one of them could get a glimpse of the future and the consequences to their young family because of their leaving?

Of all the many books Karen Kingsbury has written and she has written a lot this one has got to be my favorite. I really do think this would make a good made-for-television movie.

Thanks to Netgalley and Howard Books for providing me a digital copy of this book to read, The opinions are entirely my own and I was not compensated for this review.