I LOVE Bette's stories! She's a wonderful storyteller, and I'm so glad I found her work. Love all of her books, and Emily, Gone is just another feather in her cap. It's a heart-wrenching story about three women and how the kidnapping of a child affects all of them. Anyone who loves sweet family stories will love this!

This was one of the best books I have ever read! It was emotional, sad, suspenseful, and uplifting, and kept me up reading far into the night because I just couldn’t put it down. The story was so well-written that I could feel the emotions of each character...anger, guilt, heartbreak, hope, forgiveness, exhilaration...you name it, “Emily, Gone” had it! I cried and I laughed and I yelled a time or two. I LOVED how the author told the story from the different characters’ viewpoints, and I LOVED how the story was brought to a satisfactory conclusion. Although I would have liked to see what became of Russ Murphy, and how he managed to live with such a burden of guilt over the years, it didn’t lessen my overall enjoyment of this book. Many thanks to the author and to NetGalley for providing me a copy of “Emily, Gone.” This is one book that will stay with me for a long time, and I will not hesitate to recommend it to others, and to pursue other titles by this author in the future!

A taut, poignant and compelling story about loss and healing. Ms. Crosby draws you in from page one and then it's a roller-coaster of emotions right to the very last page.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2840407278

4.5 stars. This is the kind of book you want to read curled up in the couch with a cup of tea and some tissue close by. I read it at work and started crying at the end. I could not imagine what it would be like to have my baby kidnapped from her crib in the middle of the night. Of course, this is a mother's worst nightmare and I still find myself getting up in the middle of the night to check on my girls when I hear any noises at night. 

This book left me thinking would I be able to get through this kind of tradgedy like Rachel does? Time travels pretty quickly in this book and with every chapter I was like, is this where she is going to find her baby? Such a sad story, but I really liked it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
In a small town where people leave their doors unlocked, a baby disappears from her crib one night during a music festival where hundreds of strangers have filled the town. Rachel and George Dixon, the baby's parents, are desperate and heartbroken, trying to live on after no sign of their daughter is found.
Meanwhile, Vicki, a woman suffering from her own loss of a stillborn baby, has claimed this baby as her own. Her boyfriend, Murphy, is fearful for Vicki's fragile health and allows her to keep the baby while trying to figure a way to convince Vicki to return her. When the Dixon's finally find their child in a chance encounter, everyone's lives are forever changed in a beautiful ending.
Although I sympathize with Vicki's loss, her justification for taking Emily was selfish and ridiculous. I was glad she was only in the first part of the book. I really felt bad for the innocent victims, Angela and Kenny at the end of the book and was glad they found a good compromise with Emily's real parents.

All I can say is, Wow! This book was amazing! Emily, Gone is written in such a way that you can feel every emotion right to the core. Make sure you have your tissues close by. This is a story about a Mother's worst nightmare, how life changed for everyone involved, and the fantastic ending. I would recommend that you read this absolutely wonderful story!

Emily, Gone was both beautiful and emotional! I enjoyed how the story was portrayed, especially Rachel’s. Rachel and her husband live out a ways from town with their baby. One week, there is a music festival out near their house despite the town’s protests. Thousands of people arrive to stay for the festival and the music is loud and unending for days as they all party in the field. One morning, Rachel finds the crib empty and the baby Emily is gone. What happens next is the story of the pain that Rachel goes through after Emily disappears. And the story of what happened to Emily. Author Bette Lee Crosby writes the story with great detail and deep emotion of an unimaginable family loss and pain. Rachel’s journey after Emily disappears is so moving! I enjoyed all of the characters, as well as their stories and how their relationships were portrayed.

Emily, Gone is a beautifully crafted story filled with heartache, loss, changes of heart, family relationships, reunions and much more. The characters are well developed and easy to like...even misguided Vicki. I enjoyed the story and was waiting to see how Emily would be reunited with her family and it was so well done. A series of seeming misfortunes turned into a magnificent ending. I very much enjoyed this story and will be looking forward to reading more Bette Lee Crosby books.

I was recommended this book, it wasn’t the type of book that I normally read, but I was interested to try a different genre, and I am so pleased that I did! It was an amazing book! From the first few pages I was absolutely hooked, it was such a page turner!
I was concerned that the story would be too emotional, a child being kidnapped but despite the very obvious upset, I found it so compelling to read, the author was so clever at getting under your skin with the raw emotion of it all. I just wanted to keep reading, to find out what happened next. The characters were all brilliant, and you could find something in all of them that you could identify with.
I will definitely read more from this author as i really enjoyed her writing style and emotional words. Just so fabulous!

I really enjoyed this book. Well developed characters. Likeable people too. An interesting but unlikely story of a baby stolen from her crib at night. Lots of twists and turns. Also interesting seeing into the mind of the kidnapper. Thanks netgalley for letting me preview this book for honest review.

Emily, Gone was a solid novel. While the subject matter is a bit heavy, I'd still consider this an easy read. It didn't take a lot to engage in the story, was easy to put down and pick back up and had characters you wanted to root for, even ones that would typically be seen as a "villain". Was it such a great story that when I finished, I said "wow"? No, but sometimes you just need an easygoing, decent book to pass the time. I'd pick up another book by Bette Lee Crosby but I also won't be clamoring for new reads.

It's a hot summer night. There is a music festival blaring music keeping baby Emily and the Dixon's from getting any sleep. Suddenly a storm rolls in, stopping the music from playing and finally allowing baby Emily and her parents a chance to sleep. The Dixon's place Emily in her crib and the next morning when they wake, Emily is gone, taken from her crib while they slept.
This story delves into the lives of both the Dixon's and those who have taken Emily. It shows both sides of the unfortunate situation. It embraces the feeling of heartache, loss, and sorrow, while also stressing faith and forgiveness. It will make you smile and cry as it touches your heart.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of the book. The opinions are my own.

I have a new favorite book! This one held my interest, so much so that when I had to put it down because of work, life and sleep, it angered me! I needed to know if it would turn out happy or break my heart! Every woman who has ever loved a child should read this book! At first it will devastate you, but keep reading! It's a story that will go straight to your soul! So much love for the talent of Bette Lee Crosby! 💕

This book totally stole my heart! Totally kept me on the edge of my seat the ENTIRE time. I read it in half a day my eyes glued to each page. This book was filled with so many highs and lows you can feel your heart racing as each page turns. A truly powerful book about loss, faith, love and never giving up. I absolutely loved it and the reviews are all true! A must read story you will not soon forget! Thank you Net Galley and Lake Union Publishing for my ARC in exchange for my honest review. I'm thrilled to find this fabulous author!

This was a hard book for me to read because it is such a difficult topic to even think about. It is full of details and real emotions that tug at the heart strings. I am sure this will be a very popular book. It would make a great movie.

RIVETING!!

When you choose to read EMILY GONE by Bette Lee Crosby, set aside a few hours because you’ll want to finish it in one setting! It’s that compelling! It’s the story of a missing child and the impact that child has on the lives of three women. One woman will face the most devastating challenge a mother could imagine. One woman will make a decision that will forever change the destinies of everyone else in the novel. One woman will be caught in the middle and make decisions that will forever bind the families together. This novel has it all - love, jealousy, angst, growth, family drama, deceit and what it means to pray earnestly, believing your prayers will make a difference and one day witnessing a miracle before your eyes. I was provided an ARC of this book by Lake Union Publishers and NetGalley. The opinions expressed here are completely my own and without influence.

It is very fitting that I read this book in one day on Mother’s Day because it is ultimately a study of the love a mother has for a child. I thought that the author did a fantastic job of laying out the plot and there were enough gentle twists for it all to be plausible. I only wish that there had been more of a resolution with Murphy; it seemed as if he was just forgotten, and I would have liked to have seen him have some closure. Other than that point, I thought the dual message of hope and faith was powerful, and I loved how everything played out. I highly recommend this book. For some more in-depth thoughts on this novel, visit my blog at Fireflies and Free Kicks Fiction Reviews. Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for a complimentary digital ARC.

Wow!!

What an ending! Definitely one I never say coming. It was magical, emotional and so very sweet.

With a captivating and compelling beginning that completely drew you in, this was a fantastic read. A great author to read to bring out your emotions. Characters that you love, a story that you feel, and a beautiful ending. What more can you ask for. Bravo!

During a music festival (reminiscent of Woodstock), the six-month old daughter of Rachel and George Dixon is kidnapped by a young woman, who recently lost her own child when the baby was born stillborn and who is desperately looking for a family to make up for the one she has never really had. In the aftermath of this event, we follow the woman and the infant as time passes. While, at the same time, watch the impact this kidnapping has on the Dixon family and the small-town community. Years pass before things are finally resolved for anyone involved, and the book rather quickly passed through these years bringing out the lives of all involved. During that time frame, no one finds the stolen Emily and it only is by chance that she is reunited with her parents and the truth comes out.

The story was very well done. The characters were well-developed. I especially found the main character Rachel and that of her mother-in-law very well done and very realistic. Behind everything that happens and is discussed throughout, secrets keep coming out about events and people past, which only add to the plot. On thing I did find a bit too much of a coincidence involved the way the author brought it all together. I did not find that event very realistic, but the author did have to somehow bring the story together, and I figured this was good a way as any. I am not sure how else she could have done it, to be honest. This is a story that will stay with the reader long past the last page. The scenario also was very plausible and could happen just about anywhere. I do not think the author did enough justice to the kidnapper’s mental state and obvious psychiatric illness, but I guess there was not a lot of time for that and it may have caused an unnecessary diversion/sidetrack. I have read others of this author’s books, and I think this is about the best I have read so far. I think the basic plot is one most of us hear about but never really get into, so at least this is a way to really look at the repercussions of kidnapping. I received this from NetGalley to read and review.

Emily's Gone is an engrossing, heart wrenching novel masterfully penned by the brilliant Bette Lee Crosby. This page turner starts out in the small town of Hesterville, Georgia which was forever changed when Emily Dixon was taken from her crib by Vicki, a grieving Mom who was convinced this was her baby Lara. So begins the story of Vicki, a distressed young woman who just wants to love- of Murph, Vicki's boyfriend who struggles with doing whats right- of Rachel and George Dixon who overcome the unthinkable loss of a child still holding onto hope and their marriage- of Mama Dixon who's relationship with her son and daughter-in-law slowly transforms-of Sheriff Wilson who painstakingly follows ever lead to find Emily, of Angela and Kenny who raise Emily (Lara). I couldn't put down this novel waiting to see how the story would unfold. I highly recommend reading this story of pain, love and forgiveness with a box of tissues nearby. Thanks to Net galley for a copy of the book.